Rachel and Jared are two of the funniest sweetest couples I know. If you know them, and have seen them together, you know…  They just are… well perfect together.

We shot this engagement session on one of those dark and unseasonably warm winter days that New York saw so much of.  We didn’t mind.  We headed to Central Park and got a little dirty. I laughed the entire time.  This is going to be one fantastic wedding I kept saying to myself…

Meet Rachel and Jared.  They’ll be married in October.

Aren’t they adorable?!?!

I cannot wait until this wedding!

But Anyhoo… This is Sarah and Todd and their two amazing and beautiful dogs.  They had no idea when we set out that day that I’d be taking them for a few mile walk…in loose sand.  By the time we were all done shooting we felt as if we’d definitely gotten a good work out in as well.  I am told everyone slept well that night.

I have so much to say about this couple, in my head…. but words aren’t coming to me as I sit down to write this.  Maybe I just don’t feel I can come up with anything worthy.  How do I tell you how madly in love these two are?  Or how Todd looks at Sarah and it makes you get that “aww” face when you see it?  Or how absolutely comfortable and safe Sarah felt as Todd picked her up and twirled her around out on the beach that day?  Or how he ALWAYS makes her laugh? Well I guess I’ll just show you….

Todd, Please always make Sarah laugh like that.  It’s so incredibly beautiful.

Want to see how their love story turned out? You can view their Wedding Day Reel here.

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Kate is the oldest of six. The youngest three were adopted.  This beautiful couple decided instead of receiving gifts for their wedding they would give one to each and every wedding guest.  A Donation to the Holt International Adoption Agency.  I was told once that truly happy people feel blessed with love and family. If that is true, than this is one of the most blessed couples I know.

Kate and Andrew  met in college and it was no surprise to anyone that they would marry.  Both are quiet warm and gracious individuals and when they are together they light up a room.

They were married at St Paul’s Churchin Princeton NJ and their reception was a horse and buggy ride away at The Nassua Inn.

To say I adore these two and both of their families would be an understatement.

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I’ll tell you how…

True love.

And planes, trains and automobiles.

Much of the early part of their relationship was long distance and so, we decided what a great way to have a little fun and still keep their photographic story pretty authentic. Well we took some license, and we… well I’ll let the photos tell the rest of their story.

Meet Valerie and David.   They will be married this July in Philadelphia. She’s a former Miss Pennsylvania and in medical school and he’s one of the good guys managing other people’s investments.

David and Valerie, thank you for not laughing at me for jumping up and down little a little kid through most of this session.  Mostly thank you for being such absolutely lovely people to work with and for trusting me.  I can’t wait until your wedding day!

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The entire day was marked with pretty reminders that it was autumn, even thought it was so warm.  There was a subtle masquerade and  and travel theme throughout.  And one of the coolest cakes I have ever seen.

Many thanks to Michele and Phil and all of their family and friends for having Leo and I along and for making us feel so welcomed.

It was one helluva party!

To view Michele & Phil’s Slideshow

Click here! 

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Seriously, LOVE my job.

A few weeks ago I got to meet the two of them, for the first time, at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.  It’s a wonderful landmark and a favorite spot of mine to shoot.  Every time I’m there, it’s completely different experience than any other time. I just love that!

As most of my wedding clients know I believe that Engagement Sessions are important for so many reasons, but really it gives us a chance to get to know one another, learn to work with each other and to get fun images that tell a little bit about who they are.  But this time I can say that I learned something.

We went from the train station to a favorite pub, Plough and the Stars.  You know… tell a little bit of their story…. This is where I learned what a Dirty Hoe is.   It’s a Hoegaarden Wheat beer with Framboise.  Thank you, Meghan!  I feel it’s important to point out, that, although we had work to do, and places to go still, there was no beer wasted in the making of these photos.

I left them late that day, really happy to have made new friends and well, laugh… a lot.

I simply adore this couple for who they are, what they mean to each other and well, because they are every bit as beautiful on the inside as they are in photographs.

Meghan and John, thank you for making my job so easy and for the reminder that love is always really beautiful.

I cannot wait until your wedding day!!!

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Meghan & John also have a slideshow available from this session! You can view it here.

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Quite a few, actually.

But that’s not want I want to tell you.

I first met Jaime on December 2nd, the day my husband entered Jefferson Neuroscience’s ICU in Philadelphia.  Jaime was his nurse.  She was also my rock for those first 3 very difficult days.  To say she has a special place in my heart might be an understatement. I only vaguely remember the conversation about me being a photographer if I were to tell the truth.

After a few weeks passed, my husband was home,  rehabilitating, and one night we were talking about our overwhelming gratitude for the many people who saved his life and for the amazing medical care he got..  We tossed ideas around about what we could do as a thank you.  Maybe a gift basket?  ”OK, a gift basket….”  How does one thank someone for giving you second chances in life, right?

About an hour later, while working on my laptop, an email came in.  It started with “You may not remember me…”  Ha, right!  It was Jaime and she just got engaged.  I literally cried.  The idea of being able to shoot her wedding seemed like the most amazing thing in the world to me.

You want to hear another crazy thing?  After spending an afternoon in snow up to my knees, making snow angels and just being with them, I cannot imagine a more perfect fit for Jaime.  Tom and Jaime fit.  Perfectly.

To Jaime and Tom, I honestly cannot wait until your wedding.   I am deeply honored to be there and cannot wait to see you two start your new life together!

L’Chaim. To Life

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I’m going to start off with a beautiful couple from an engagement session in Philadelphia. I already did a sneak peek of them before my leave. This is larger selection of images from that session.

When Benjie first contacted me she told me about their love story and that they’d known each other since they were small children. I spoke about that in the sneak peek post, so I’ll get onto the session. When we first met, at the Kimmel Center, in Philadelphia it was soon after Benjie had returned from her home in Thailand. She brought me back a beautiful scarf that has quickly become a favorite of mine. I was so touched by her thoughtfulness and that was just the start of a really fun day.

We shot the entire session in a 1 block radius with City Hall and Broad Street as our backdrop for several as well as the Kimmel Center (a place I love and use often for the way light plays in there and the architectural features). Both Ken and Benjie are avid photo enthusiasts and well I won’t lie… That makes things even more fun for me. Lots of ideas and spontaneity… A lot of laughter and wow, they’re just gorgeous.

My only regret of the day was not having more time with them. Seriously– I could shoot this couple all day long, easily.

So, OK, once again, Benjie and Ken…..

They have a slideshow with more images here.

I got a note from Benjie during my leave that they will be needing to change their wedding date in Bangkok due to a family emergency. It was originally scheduled for March of this year. I Know how important family can be, so….

Benjie and Ken, whenever you two kids are ready to have that wedding day, I’m there for you (as long as I’m not already booked). I mean that. It would be my great honor. In fact, any old time you want to go out and play again, I’m there!

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I have been working on a limited schedule for the past month since my husband was initially hospitalized at the beginning of December.  As we both get on to the business of living our lives again, I find myself more reflective and conscientious of life’s delicate balancing act.  He’s returning to work today, which is just yet another miracle in what seems like a book of them this past month.  This is a big day.

It’s a new year… new life.

As I reflect, I am reminded, once again, how love, given and received, gives us amazing strength and courage.  In the past few years I have had the pleasure of covering beautiful love stories, but in the past month, my internal lens turned inwards as my husband’s life swayed on an precarious ledge.  It was time to put down the camera and hold hands.  It surprised me how naturally it came.  Photographers tend to see life a little differently sometimes.  I think I learned something about that too, but I’ll save that for another post.  I want to keep this post simple.

I  confess that I took my own marriage for granted at times.  I didn’t mean to, but I guess it happens when two people have been together for awhile.  Maybe it’s supposed to be that way so we can focus on other things… I don’t know.   The only thing I can say, for certain, is when a neurosurgeon looks at you and tells you that there is nothing she can do for your husband and that you need to start praying and calling family– well you change.

Deeply. Irrevocably.

You make promises.  You bargain.  You make those phone calls…

Then, at some point, you realize that you are both still breathing, still holding hands and that your best friend is still cracking jokes and smiling at you with that smile.  You realize that the sun has come up day in and out while it felt like the world was simultaneously standing still and spinning out of  control.

Then you make more promises, but this time to each other.   To be grateful.  To live life and remember that love is precious and needs to be cared for.  You reminisce and look forward, just like you did as your love was beginning.

Marriage starts with one brave and courageous leap of faith met by another.  Then it grows and evolves and if you are very lucky you get a second chance to remember how beautiful your love is.

So here is to the new year… new beginnings, love and life!

Happy New Year!

May you all be fearless and embrace life.

Or as my husband says “live everyday like it’s shark week.”

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