I've said it before and I'll say it again. 

I love weddings.

It's been a while since I've done a wedding on my own, but Jen and Brandon reminded me why I love it so much.

What a fun couple. What a fun day.

I started off the day taking pictures of both the bride and groom getting ready at their separate residences. The bride's residence was literally only a few minutes from the ceremony site, so we were able to spend a lot of time getting pictures beforehand. This is always nice because after the ceremony, everyone is just in the mood to party and it saves a lot of time to have some photos already done!

Their ceremony venue was beautiful. I was asked not to use my flash while the ceremony was in progress and I had absolutely no problem with that. The natural light was plentiful! 

If I thought I liked it there, I was not even prepared for how adorable their reception venue would be. They held it at The Inn at Brookeville Farms and it felt like something out of a storybook. Add that to a bridal party more than ready to follow my directions and keep things moving, well, I could not have been happier.

It's clear Jen and Brandon are surrounded by people who love and care for them. So many friends and family joined them on their day, and to hear what was said about this couple would have brought tears to anyone's eyes (this photographer included).

I had a feeling the party would be a fun one, and I was not disappointed. I could barely take pictures fast enough with how much fun was being had on that dance floor. It was one of those days where I almost wished I could have been a guest. Then I look through the photos and remember why I do what I do, and how lucky I am to be able to capture that kind of happiness in a photo.

I think my very favorite part of this particular wedding, is how they looked at each other. Every once in a while I would see them pause and just look at each other for a few moments. I was taken aback by how much love was contained in just that look. What an incredible thing to have with another person. 

I know Mr. and Mrs. Servary will have a wonderful life together. I hope I run into them again in the future. 

There are moments when I take a minute to be grateful for something small in my life.

Yesterday, it was the ability to drive from where I call home to the ocean in just a few hours.

On Tuesday, I headed out to spend a few days of solitude in Ocean City. There's nothing quite like being completely on your own schedule for a few days. Getting to go lay in the sand and listen to the waves whenever doesn't hurt either.

I shouldn't say I was completely alone. Yesterday evening, I was lucky enough to take maternity photos for my coworker Melissa with her husband, Finney and son, Davis. We had talked about them earlier in the year, and when I heard she would be at the beach at a time when I could go, I pounced on it.

It was both my first family maternity shoot and my first beach shoot. I loved both of them!

It was so neat to see Davis interact with his parents and the adorable baby belly that will soon be his little sister, Allie. I was so surprised when I looked through the photos and found that I had multiple ones of Davis looking right at the camera and smiling! Being only two, this is not always guaranteed. Luckily, two year olds can look adorable whether they are looking at the camera or not. We just got the cherry on top with Davis!

The whole family did a great job dealing with the sun and the wind and of course all of my directions. I was pleasantly surprised not only by Davis' smile but just how many photos I ended up using. It was fantastic.

It's clear the whole gang is excited for their new addition. Allie is so lucky to be born into such a fun loving family!

'Tis the age for marriages!

Upon reaching my mid twenties, I have found that what they say is true. My friends are starting to get married.

I really could not be happier. 

I have always been someone who loves weddings. Who doesn't love a good party celebrating two people being so happy? 

Back in April, my friends Bobby and Alison got engaged. There comes a time as a photographer when you are doing just enough business that your friends no longer feel obligated to ask you to make you feel good about yourself. I'm not sure if I'm there yet or not, but I definitely was waiting to see if they would ask me to do their engagement photos. Which they clearly did.

I'm in the wedding, so they're off the hook for that one.

Surprisingly, we were able to do all of the photos right in Alison's back yard. Her mom has a house on a gorgeous property. There were a particular row of trees (pictured below) that I could not get enough of. The light! The lines! It was photographer heaven. 

Special kudos to Bobby for wearing long sleeves and long pants in what was not the most forgiving summer day. He hardly broke a sweat. I've seen men in much less difficult weather get clammy just from seeing the camera lens.

They are so very clearly in love and found a great rhythm during the shoot. It hardly took any time at all, and we got a huge variety of shots. I loved them all and had some real difficulty choosing which ones to edit. 

Can't wait to party with them next August!