leap for joy!

happy leap day friends...

just a reminder that if you're interested in booking my services for a 2008 wedding you have still another month to receive my special discounts! (ends april 1st)

simplicity collection...take $150 off the package price

classic collection...take $200 off the package price

storybook collection...take $300 off the package price

all of my collections include an engagement session, two photographers, and a DVD of all of your proofs. to see all of the details for my collections send me an e-mail...

ross & kelli

as another wedding season is gearing up to start i looked back on my last wedding. it was a beautiful and hot august day. the ceremony was in a intimate park off the beaten path. brilliant shades of green and red, blue skies. a perfect day.

have you ever met a couple that just seemed so at home with each other? this was ross and kelli. there was such an ease about them...they didn't have to put on a big show to express their love. it was just true and sincere. i loved that i ended my wedding season with such a intimate celebration.

one of kelli's grandmothers made her wedding dress...i was so impressed!

i just adore grandparents!

i found myself infatuated with these shoes. delightful, sassy, vintage!

i have my first wedding of 2008 this weekend...can't wait to post some wintery wedding pics!

spam...

i'm not a fan of spam, the food product (if you can call it that) or the kind that clogs up e-mails and blogs.  so in order to keep unwanted solicitors i have to moderate my blog comments. please keep posting cause i love the feedback and i promise to approve all of your kind words.

refreshed...

we had a great trip to south carolina this past weekend...a lot of green and sunshine! plus i love road-tripping with my husband mike. as we hit the road we had to get fueled up. i'm talking starbucks! love my soy sugar-free vanilla lattes.

our first sight of blue skies...

mike's brother adam was also visiting SC. mike has some really amazing relationships with his siblings. and i love them too!

my husband is so hot!

this was in savannah, georgia. despite the rain we loved exploring this town. i kept saying, "i wish i had a couple to shoot engagement shots for..." so much character in this town! a photographers dream.

crazy cool trees!

love me some green!

to end our trip we took a bike ride...makes me long for summer days.

hang in there if you're struggling through this unending winter...

going to carolina...

you know that james taylor song, "in my mind i'm goin' to carolina" well it's not just in my mind! my husband and i are leaving for a road trip in search of green, sunny landscapes. i'll try to bottle up some of the sun to bring back to michigan....

you're invited...

one of the first details of a wedding that your guests will experience is the invitation...aside from the basic 411 this piece of paper can reflect the spirit of the day, the theme of the celebration, a piece of your personalities.  

so when couples are looking for an invitation resource i always recommend my friend joy'l ver heul.  she's creative, personable, and just a delight to know.  she's launched her new web-site with samples of her work...so if you're looking for invitations, announcement cards, or any other stationary needs check out her site.  

amore...

Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game -
It's easy.
Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to be you in time -
It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.

There's nothing you can know that isn't known.
Nothing you can see that isn't shown.
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where
You're meant to be -
It's easy.

All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
All you need is love. (All together now).
All you need is love. (Everybody).
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
Love is all you need.
Love is all you need...

the beatles

cure for the winter blues...

today i dared to venture out in the bitter michigan cold. but for good reasons...i took a quick road trip south to kalamazoo with my friend jeanette so she could visit someone in the hospital. before we headed home we dined at the food dance cafe, a delightful restaurant that creates eclectic, local grown bites. the highlight of my meal was fried curried chickpeas!!! an amazing cure for these winter blues...if you're ever in the k-zoo area you need to stop in for a bite.

art is found in communities...

today was full of connecting with other photographers. i was invited to a lunch where other local wedding vendors were gathering to network, eat, and share what we love the business. i soaked up all the wisdom and advice from these more seasoned photographers...and found some inspiration in their work.

i ended my day with a meeting about a local program called whispers. headed up by lisa ruff, this program offers families in the NICU and labor wings at spectrum health photography when the baby has passed. it was incredibly heart-breaking to hear the stories and to realize the number of families that experience this loss. but i could really sense the significance of having some pictures of their baby, to capture the diginity of the baby. i know it will be an honor to be a of this program. if you're a photographer in the Grand Rapids area they are having another information meeting next Monday at 7-8:30 pm. Go to the Whispers web-site for more information.

i feel really thankful that my love for photography has lead me to meet such amazing people...i guess you never know where you'll find community!

oh, and check out my new specs....

cara & john

christmas morning i received a text message from my friend cara..."i got married this morning. merry christmas!" they surprised their families and had her grandpa (who's a pastor) marry them right there in her parent's living room. so a couple of weekends ago they had a party for all of their family and friends to come and celebrate their relationship. i love this girl! we met while in grad school and she is the most vibrant woman i've ever encountered. and her husband (even though i only met him at the party) is a strong balance to her. and he really delights in her!

john, cara, and john's two sons...james and johnny. james taught my husband how to play guitar hero. let's just say my husband was put to shame by this little man!

it's easy being green...

it's great to see that weddings are going green!

today i discovered this great blog, earth friendly weddings. they offer tips and suggestions about how to make your big celebration more conscious of our world. and the ideas are simple, creative, and you don't have to be a tree hugger to make them work (but i do love tree-huggers!) i often think of how i can make my business more earth-friendly. one way is that i try to eliminate paper products...i e-mail my clients all of my documents instead of mailing them paper versions. and anytime i do use paper products i look to use recycled paper.

hope you find some green inspirations today!

special offer on wedding collections...

to celebrate pursuing my dream of photography full-time i want to offer some specials to you...

simplicity collection...take $150 off the package price

classic collection...take $200 off the package price

storybook collection...take $300 off the package price

this special is for any 2008 wedding that is booked before april 1st, 2008 (this is no april fool's!)

all of my collections include an engagement session, two photographers, and a DVD of all of your proofs.  to see all of the details for my collections send me an e-mail...

dreamin of summer days...