James + Julie {Bethany Beach Proposal}

    there is nothing for me but to love you, 

and the way you look tonight.
frank sinatra 

May 9, 2009

jewely: are you still up?

me: sure am :D

jewely: so i had to work till 3:30 

then james came over and was the sweetest everrrr

me: aww!!!!! tell me about it!jewely: we hung out and studied together then i had a soccer game

and just about 5 mins ago he put on "the way you look tonight" and we danced to it in my family room. 

while he sang it to me :)

yeah...me: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!that actually gave me tears in my eyeswhy am i so lame? wow THAT is adorable.jewely: awwww :)no you are not lame at all!!!!

 me: hahah that is so so sweet julie

jewely: it was so so cute. 

we were sitting across from each other doing homework 

and he just kept looking at me and was like will you dance with me?

i was like heck yeah i will!  me: ohhhh my word so so sooo fun
 jewely: :) :)
 me: :) :) you have a good boyfriend, lady
 jewely: oh my gosh do i everr!me: um yeeeaa
 jewely: i'm a big fan of his :)
--
One of my best friends, and favorite people on this whole earth,Julie,accepted a marriage proposal (and RingPop...and diamond ring) from her boyfriend and best friend, James. 
I got to be there to take pictures and celebrate with her.I'm pretty sure it was a highlight of my life.

Because, you see, before there was "James and Julie" in my life,
there was "Julie."
A loud, athletic, funny, laugh-y, junk-food-lovin', talkative, happy, joyful, brave Julie.

And one summer, in 2006, her life headed down a road -
one she didn't really know she was on -
that would change her life forever.
With our church youth-group on a Missions Trip to Mexico,
Julie started crushing on James.
(Bee tee dubs, we pretty much built that little wooden thing right there.
with 12 other people.
And we didn't finish it.
But it was fun pretending like we were really helping.)

I noticed James chilling around my girl at the beginning of the trip
(gotta love group trips wearing matching shirts! ow ow!)

And then I noticed Julie cozying up to James by the end of the trip.
Hmm.
They look great together.

And pretty much from that summer in 2006... "the rest was history."
Obviously there is more to the story then that.
Their wedding won't be until six years later...
you can bet your bottom dollar there is more to the story ;)

But in good time there will be an engagement and wedding blog-post to tell that story.
For now, there is the story of how they got engaged.

The little Team Proposal Crew started to set up James' adorably perfect "love boxes."

On the most perfect night of life, no less.

James had various boxes filled with things Julie loves.
Sour Patch Kids, cause she loves candy.
Soccer ball, cause she loves soccer (duh.)
A blue cross, cause she loves Jesus AND the color blue.
These little love boxes (that actually started earlier in the evening...
he gave her a few on his own, before they got to the beach) were laid out in a path on the beach.


The last box was at the end of the sand "path,"
waiting for the big question.
Let me say real quick:
James nailed it.
Man does he know that girl.
This is SO a Julie-proposal.
The beach, the "craft-ness," the game/hunt-for-a-box element, sunset.
It was perfect,
right down to the somewhat elementary but COMPletely adorable love boxes,
where stickers, colored pencils and sticky rhinestones decorated each box.

Once everything was in perfect place, our sneaky group had to wait and wait.

And wait.

And waaaaAAaaait.

And then the tide was rising too fast, so we had to move everything back,
make a new "path"
and cover up the old "path" with sand.
It was rather epic and incredibly adrenaline-rush-y.

We nestled down to wait some more...

...and then some more.
I was getting nervous.
"This is gonna happen in the dark! James WOULD be late to his own proposal!"

And FINALLY we had a siting.
(turns out they were right on time.
But hey, time moves slow when you are waiting for your bff's engagement to happen.
Sue me.)

I was hoping Julie wouldn't "take her time" at each box,
but that was NOT a problem ;)

She'd hop right up, run to the next one, and show off her mad sprint-skills.

(I liked this moment.  I couldn't hear anything they were saying,
but I heard her say "It's BLUE!"
Apparently James said "Yeah, your favorite color!"
Lovelovelovelovelovelasjakakaj)

However, this was no time to slow down because of a color.
And just like *that* she was off again.

Completely, fully and excitedly ready to get to this last box.

After she squealed in delight over her RingPop,
James asked a very simple
"Julie, will you marry me?"
and presented her with a stunning diamond ring.

Julie yelled "YEAAAH-ES!"

Followed very closely by a giant collapse into his arms ;)

The waves turned,
and a few beach-anchored onlookers cheered,
but other then that there was silence under the pink moon.

Just some lovin'...

...and some bling checkin'-out-in'.

Happily, Julie didn't see us hiding (she was never the most observant girl ;)
but how could she?
She was totally in the moment.
So was James.
It was flawless, beautiful and breath-taking.

A few minutes later it was pitch-black.
We snuck away to let them enjoy each other.

Julie and James, I'll never forget the way you both looked that night.
Not to creep on your romance or try to insert myself in a special song,
but seriously...
I have never seen the two of you happier.
"God has done this.  We are glad."

Bring on the weeeeeedding!

  

Hello, World {personal}

"i saw it glitter
as i grew
and loved it,
boy, i never knew.
this place was heaven sent
but now it's just a monument"

she&him | i thought i saw you

I wonder where you are going?Why did you just get your nails done?Is that just the type of thing you like to do weekly?Or do you have somewhere fun to go tonight?Do you like the forest green color of your little old car?Probably not.
Forest green is kind of a strange color for a car.It's a great color for a forest, though!Did you get your nails painted forest green?Or hot pink? (cause it's summer.)Or light grey? (cause it's trendy.)Or a french manicure? (cause old habits die hard.)
And you two! I'm gonna guess you are walking to dinner.You look like the burger-type.You both look like it's been a long work day.I'm gonna guess you've been dating for a good while now.And you're tired today.And ready for a burger. Yup, you just entered Elevation Burger.I like that place a lot too.  Yummyyummy.
What makes you cry?And what makes you laugh so hard you can't breathe?Did you have a wonderful childhood?Do you want to be a doctor when you grow up?Are you afraid of the dark?Or afraid of commitment?Do you love the beach, or the mountains, or the city?How did you come to Maryland?Where you born here?Do you want to die here?
Who are you, people outside my window?What's your story?Who are you?I love to watch and wonder and guess.
Sometimes I'm supposed to be vacuuming,but I get distracted with crafting your life storyline(based on all I can see: what you are wearing, who you are with,where you are going, your body language, and occasionally your conversation[but that's only if you talk really loud and my windows are open.])
Anyways, "hello!"It was nice to people-watch you.I do truly hope you have a lovely day.I promise I'm not a creeper, I just like to watch.I could sit by my window for hours and just watch.Enjoy your evening and your painted nails!
"...I lose myself in a daaaaydream..." taylor swift | speak now

Thoughts From a Single {part 4}

I'll end my Real Personal Super Deep and Genuine Posting About MenAndSingleNessAndStuff now. 

That's enough deep for the time being.

:D 

My final thoughts on this issue have to do with basketball.  

I've spent my whole life watching, learning, and playing basketball.

When I watch a legitimately great athlete play basketball,

(let's say during a March Madness Championship game,  or highschool championship, 

just to set the stage)  there are a few things that are clear:

- the goal (to win)

 - the preparation (the practice is obvious, the plays, the the organization, the roles... this is well rehearsed)

- the determination + dedication

- the element of self-sacrifice.

You watch those games and men will literally flatten themselves,

and break themselves, for the sake of the goal. 

For the good of the team. 

They'll do whatever it takes. 

No qualms, no queries, no "what if I take this charge and fall over and get hurt really bad?"

The risk is worth the reward, the possible pain is worth the possible prize. 

It's bulldog-like. 

Hungry, passionate, unrelenting drive.

Just TRY to stop them.  TRY to detour them from the goal.

Try to convince an athlete playing in the game of his life that winning this game doesn't matter.

That they should walk away from it. That the practice wasn't worth all this.

Do I need to rebound? I'll rebound.

Do I need to pass? Get this ball out of my hands.

Do I need to make a free-throw? I'll make a free-throw.

A 3? Get me the ball.

Do I need to pressure the ball? I'll pressure it so dang hard.

Do I need to sit on the bench and fetch water bottles? Bench me.

Tell me what to do and I'll do it.

And if you can't tell me, I'll figure it out.

And I'll do it.

End of story.

What's the goal I am talking about? The prize?
It's not a wife.
It's not securing a woman.
This basketball analogy is not "how I want a guy to date me."
It's how I want a guy to live.


"...forgetting what lies behind 
and straining forward to what lies ahead,
 I press on toward the goal for the prize 
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

The prize is knowing Christ,
answering His call,
being a recipient of His love,
enjoying His goodness through and through.
That's the prize!

I have faith that there can be stronger, braver, more passionate Christian men in this world.
Daniel's and David's and Paul's and Timothy's and Shadrach, Mesach and Abendego's.

Men who love godliness and true beauty,
who aren't trying to get into bed with a girl,
nor find a replacement mother,
nor making a girl's attention and affection an idol,
nor who are too timid to take a risk,
nor who are too scared of the sacrifice of marriage that they would rather stay single.

I believe there are strong, brave men of God who need strong, brave women of God beside them.

Someday I'll meet an imperfect man, 

who will commit to imperfect me, 

and we'll have an imperfect love created by our Perfect King.

We'll live and laugh and hurt and love and eat and grow and wrinkle until one day,

we will be united with Love Himself.And our weak little image of love will disappear,

like a drop of water plopped into a river, because we will enjoy Love in it's vast fullness.

And in the presence of God we'll realize more then ever 

how He was the one who brought us to that day,

because of His courageous, selfless love for us.

Thoughts From a Single {part 3}

"I went looking,

I wrote out a list,

I drew an image.

I bled a poem of you.

You were pretty.

You were clever.

But you see,

love,

I did not love you,

I loved me.

You were a tool I used 

to fix myself,

to fool myself,

to redeem myself.

You have slid up warmly to the man I wanted to be,

the man I pretended to be,

and I was your Jesus,

and you were mine.

I am scared of me.

But I want to be known and loved anyway.

Can you do this?

Is this God's way of teaching us the labyrinth of His love for us?

I will love you like God,

because of God,

mighted by the power of God.

I will stop expecting your love,

demanding your love,

trading for your love,

gaming for your love.

I will simply love.

I am giving myself to you,

and tomorrow I will do it again.

I suppose the clock will wear thin its time

before I am ended at this altar of 

dying and dying again.

I will risk myself on you.

And together,

we will learn to love."

d. miller

Key words here:

Love like God,

because of God,

mighted by God.

Brave because of God, mighted by God.

Confident in God, because of God.

Servant like God, mighted by God.

It's all about God.

It's all a reflection of His love for His people.

It's all for His glory.

It's not always romantic and lovely.

Sometimes it's romantic and lovely.

It's not always hard and draining.

Sometimes it's hard and draining.

Our God spans from heaven's lovely to the cross' gory.

And marriage and men and women and love get to join in all of that.

To God be the glory!

It's a good thing to know and fully believe a man will never be your Savior.

Man is messed-UP.

Yet there is more grace.

So it's also a good thing to require a man to be a man.

(Remember: being a man is not being perfect.)

It's good for a woman to not settle.

I don't mean "I always wanted a brunette and now I'm settling with a blonde."

I mean it's good for a woman to require manliness,

not babyness,

not little-boy-ness,

not dream-hunk-from-my-dream-ness,

not-someone-JUST-like-my-father-ness,

but manliness.

Require a man to be brave.

However because he is, after all, just a man,

encourage him to be brave.

Point out his potential.

Build him up!

Just don't settle.
Don't settle for butterflies.
Don't settle for someone to touch you.
Don't settle for company.
For "not being the only single one."
Wait for love.

Brave, selfless love.

You know when a man is being a coward.

At least I do... now.

In return I would feel guilty, make excuses for him,
 try to fix it myself, make it easy for him.

I would do what he needed to do
because I wanted to attention and potential security and relationship.

I've learned to not fool myself.

It's not worth it.

The most helpful thing I can do is require a man be a man.
Be "hard to get" not in the game-playing sort of way,
rather in the diamond sort of way.

Quality, persistence, effort, value.
I want to be like the peak of a mountain,
not the base.
"It's wonderful up here, but you will have to hike, sir.
And maybe sweat.
And maybe breathe heavy.
And it might not be a smooth breezy path.
I'm okay with that.
Figuring out how to climb will make you a man."

Encourage, but not flatter.

Have high standards and actually hold to them when push comes to shove.

Love character more then attention.

Laugh and live and serve and walk away from little boys by being a woman.

Don't wait for perfection,

wait for a man.

I keep playing your part
But it's not my scene
Won't this plot not twist?
I've had enough mystery.

I'd wondered why'd it taken me so long
But Lord knows that I'm not you
And If I was I wouldn't be so cruel
Cause waiting on love ain't so easy to do

jack johnson | sitting waiting wishing


It's just a worth it thing to do.


(to be continued a teensy bit more)

Thoughts From a Single {Part 2}

{explanation + part one right here...}

I read this on Jessica Claire's blog a little while ago and saved it.  
It changed something in me.  
I don't know why, because it's not like I hadn't heard this before.  
But it stirred something in my heart in a new way:

"I've had relationships over the years… 

but none of them ever felt very permanent. 

I always had the feeling that we were just one fight away from breaking up, 

or that I was just one mistake away from ruining things. 

There was just no sense of 'we'll get through this together'.

When I met Jeff, things were different from the start. 

Although I didn't know Jeff as a friend before we started dating, 

he was my friend from the start. 

Where I normally would have analyzed every phone call, text, and date, 

I didn't have to 

-- he always let me know where he was in his feelings for me.

Here's the thing about Jeff: 

In the ENTIRE time I've known him, 

he has never once pushed me away in ANY way. 

He is a constant, steadfast, brilliant presence in my life. 

I had no idea that it was possible to love someone 

so honestly,

so straightforwardly, 

and so clearly. 

And I had no idea it was possible to be loved the same way back...

I felt so securely in love…I had no misgivings, iffy-ness, or nerves about marrying Jeff.”

A favorite quote of mine is this anononymously spoken one:

"True courage is not the absence of fear – 

but the willingness to proceed in spite of it."

Being a man is scary.

Being a leader is scary.

I know it is.

And opening yourself up to a man is scary.

And this is coming from a girl who has never been in love,

and is never been in a true, committed "relationship."

And I think it's scary, so I can't imagine what it must be like ;)

But there is constant, calm, bold, steadfast, secure confidence (or "courage" or "bravery")

I'd love in a man.

Not a man who isn't afraid.

Not a man who doesn't feel emotion.

Not a robot who simply operates.

But a man who IS afraid,

yet proceeds in spite of it.

Who will lay his heart on the line,

take that risk and fear,

to protect me.

Who will bear the burden of fear,

and lead me through it.

Not pass the burden on to me.

It's hard to be a man.

And marriage is a miracle.

I don't know how anyone does it.

And I know there are moments of weakness,

moments where raw emotion comes out

and I'll "be strong and brave" for my guy.

But the over-all character quality? 9 times out of 10, he should be brave.

Not unafraid.

But brave.

Who will take my hand,

and lead the way to a Rock greater and safer then ourselves.

David said to Saul, 

“Let no man's heart fail because of Goliath. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

 Saul said to David, 

“You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth!” 

David said to Saul, 

“Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

The Philistine cursed David. 

“Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field."

David said to the Philistine, 

“You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel... For the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hand.”

What confidence!

What masculinity!

I don't think for a second that David's heart wasn't racing out of his chest,

beating like a tribal drum,

stomach churning into itself.

But he acted brave,

despite what he felt.

He could have died.

Like many others had at the hand of Goliath.

But something needed to be done.

Someone needed to brave.

So David did it.

But the battle was the Lords,

not Davids.

Being brave is much easier when you know the Lord.

(to be continued...)

Thoughts From a Single {part 1}

(I wrote the following post months and months ago.

It turned into a couple posts.

I never had the guts to post them.

But when I accidentally came across them again, I had newfound courage ;)

My life is very different now,

but I find that I agree with them even more then I used to.

And I just want to post them.

   These posts aren't fact.Just thoughts.From a single.Who spends lots of time around the married ;)
--

Usually my "personal" posts are about my life.  What's going on in Kristen's world.  But, to be honest, they usually aren't super deep.  Not that they aren't meaningful, but I just haven't let my personal posts get "very super extra personal."  And I'm okay with that.  It's the internet.  I can filter my "personal" if I want :)

I tend to write happy little posts that tie neatly up at the end with a brilliant concluding statement ;) I say enough to update the troops (maybe) and then call it a day. But I'm gonna open up a little bit more.  Because I want to.

The more I go to photography events, and the more I meet talented single girls, and the more time I spend with my single friends, and the older I get, the more a certain topic pops up: men. and falling in love with them.

Not in a Justin-Beiber-freak-out-fanatic-drippy-goggly-eyed-rambling way.  But a more curious, growing-in-understanding, realizing hurt is real, feelings get hurt, men aren't our saviors and commitment + marriage to one man is...well... a miracle! kind of way.

I'm in NO way saying I'm a miserable old single hag just pining away to be married, and every new news of an engagement sends me into tears.  Not at all.  (though, hey, give me some time... ;) haha juuuust keeeding)  The more weddings I see, the more couples I interact with, the more I learn about God, the more I listen to my "taken" friends cry about how hard/wonderful relationships are, the more I talk with single friends about their desires, the more I wonder about this blessed beast called "marriage."

I'm a little kid watching from the outskirts.  A child buckled into a stroller at a theme park watching the roller-coaster and everyone riding it, trying to understand how it feels.  What's it like to ride?  I can hear it.  I can see it.  But I can't ride it - yet.  And some people come out the exit panicked and queasy, others coming off smiling and laughing and want to run back in line and do it again.

In all this thinking and learning about marriage, I've been well taught to not "look for the perfect 'one' but focus on becoming the perfect 'one.'" Actually, I think I botched that quote.  Not "perfect" obviously.  But my priority is my relationship with God and growing in THAT so I can be a stronger Christian/woman/wife, not finding the "perfect man." Anywho.

I still do think a lot about "what I'm looking for."  Precious how that changes over the years.  16-year-old "lists" of what a girl wants in a guy.  Um.  Pretty much hysterical.  I'm only 21 and my "list" has lost some weight and gone on a diet.  And been working out in the gym.  Cause I do still want muscles.

But my list has been trimmed.  Other then the whole attraction/chemistry part (which is vital, I hear) I think I could narrow my search down to two words: Brave Servant.

Many other words go along with those things.  And there is no man on earth who is the perfect embodiment of "bravery" and "servanthood." But it can certainly be a quality a man pursues, in order to follow the example of his Lord. It can be a strength of his - given that all human strength is imperfect.

"Then Jesus... began to wash the disciples' feet…

'You call me Teacher and Lord,

and you are right,

for so I am.

If I then, your Lord and Teacher,

have washed your feet,

you also ought to wash one another's feet.

For I have given you an example,

that you also should do just as I have done to you.'"

"The greatest among you shall be your servant."

“It was on this very porch Marlboro Man told me he loved me… 

It had been a half-whisper that had left his mouth in a primal, non-calculated release.  

And it had both surprised and melted me; 

the honesty of it, 

the spontaneity, 

the unbridled emotion.  

I was guarded despite the affection Marlboro Man heaped on me.  

I was jaded; my relationships had done that to me. 

But he was so confident when we were together, 

so open, so honest, 

so transparent and sure.

 There was no such thing as ‘give-and-take’ with him.  

He gave freely, poured out his heart willingly.  

And he had all the patience he needed 

to wait for me to say ‘I love you’ back.”

It's hard to be a servant.

I want to be a servant. 

Especially a free-giving, heap-ing, unconditional servant.

I want the man I spend my life with to be a servant.

An initiator - sees the need, and acts on it.

Selfless - sees the need, and considers it more important to act on it then to please himself.

Humble - willing to "stoop" to dirty feet, ministry, children and a wife ;)

A servant.

I don't want this because I deserve a man like this,

I don't.  At all.

But it's what God calls a man to lead like.

And I want a man who takes the call of the Lord seriously.

(to be continued...)

Sam + Emily {Lakeside Engagement Shoot}

in the misty morning fog with
our hearts a thumpin' and you
my brown eyed girlvan morrison | brown eyed girlSam and Emily.Oh Sam and Emily.Can I just say how FUN it is that my friends are falling in love and getting married?Finishing up school, starting their lives, and meeting their somebodies.It's the best.Sam and I have been loooooong time friends.Our mothers met when they were pregnant with us,and in summer 1989 we were both born.He was my first "friend" and he's been more like a local cousin to me.When we finished highschool,Sam headed up north to further his education in a cold, "middle of nowhere" Michigan college called Hillsdale.All of us teased him:"You KNOW you are going to go up there and meet a girl.Probably a stupid blonde.Hahahahah!"We all knew that was funny, because Sam is very smart.Very hard-working.Very quality.And definitely not shallow ;)By summer 2009, Sam had indeed gone up there and met a girl.A girl named Emily.On his summer break he brought her by for a quick trip in Maryland.We all loved her.And her homemade Strawberry Shortcake.And her sweet yet witty, gentle but firm personality.And Sam was clearly taken with her ;)They spent the summer writing letters,missing each other,and waiting for school to start again in the fall.That whole year passed and their friendship grew,but you know how it goes...Sometimes guys need to take that big step from "boy" to "man"and sometimes that means hard decisions.God had good plans for Sam and Emily,and part of that plan was a summer 2010 break-up.That was was filled with no letter writing,missing each other,waiting for school to start again in the fall,AND growing up.For both of them.And God took care of the rest.Shortly after returning to school,these two were inseparable.Praise the Lord.Cause if Sam had let Emily go,I would have kicked him in the shins.Emily, I'm so amazed at how perfectly hand-picked you are for Sam.He needs you - not in a fluffy, dumb way.But he really does.He needs your help, your character and your love.You're so wonderful for him.

 And Sam,you have been a true friend for so long.You are trustworthy, kind and ambitious.I know Emily will be loved deeply for the rest of her life.I'm so happy for you both.Beside myself kind of happy.Their engagement shoot happened at Sam's childhood vacation lake up in the mountains.

His father proposed to his mother on the banks of the exact same lake years ago.His grandparents own a darling blue home right off the lake,where Sam has gone his whole life.
'It's one of those towns that has stood still.Everybody knows everybody.There aren't house numbers, just house names.There is no cell-phone service.It's perfect.

And out on the water,in this old beautiful boat,Sam asked Emily to marry him.
Gotta hand it to you, mister, you did good ;)And the best is yet to come.

Congratulations Sam + Emily!

Love and All It's Stages {Personal}

"give me something fun to do,like a life of loving you."brooke fraser | something in the water

"I truly do wonder what in the worldit was we thought we had when we married.
I suppose it was a love, of sorts.
But when I compare it to what we share now,I guess it was a bit immature.
Or just a different season in our lives.Kind of like the tree in winter or fall,as opposed to the tree full of blossoms and fruit in spring.
So, yes, it was love.It was love at it's beginning.
And I guess what we have now islove in the middle.
Which makes me marvel imaginingwhat love will be like in the end." alyssa welch
I have this quote on my website, and I come back to it weekly.It's exactlyexactlyexactly what I want my business to be.
Meeting, learning, listening to, photographing, be-friending those in lovein the beginning,in the middle,and at the end.
Maybe not so much a wedding photographer.A love photographer?
I like that.

Matt + Megan {Delaware Beach Wedding}

if you were a castle, i'd be your moat,
and if you were an ocean, i'd learn to float
barry loius polisar | all i want is you

After Mike + Jocelyn's backyard semi-retro art-ful wedding in Indiana, PA,
my little team and I drove through the night to Lewes, DE for Matt + Megan's wedding.

I've been looking forward to this wedding since the moment a I heard about it.
First of all, it's at the beach.
'Nuff said.
Us "DC-area photographers" don't get to do a whole lot of beach shooting,
so it's quite fun when it happens ;)

I remember meeting Megan on a whirlwind winter weekend,
where I had four or so bride-consultations in 24 hours.
She was one I especially hoped would book me ;)
She's great.
Smart, funny, classy.

Detail-oriented, yet fun.
Sharp, yet playful.



When I arrived to the girls room, it took me a while to get started shooting
cause I was just admiring the view.
Don't judge me.

But after a few dance moves, funny conversations, and un-blog-able pictures
I was shooting away ;)
Megan.is.awesome.


I'll repeat this a few times in the post,
but one of the things I most appreciated about Matt and Megan was how much they enjoyed their wedding.

They should teach a class on how to focus on what a WEDDING really is about.
And how to peacefully, happily and joyfully enjoy the day.
Even if little things don't go right.

They had the ba-rilllliant idea of renting a beach house for the week with their families,
then actually have the wedding there.
The house was stunning and I adored their taste in decor.





This room was where guests entered to wait for the ceremony,
and also where they cocktail-ed afterwards.
Dreamy, huh?



I want both of their dresses, please.


Matt and Megan met over 8 years ago in Spain,
on school trips.
Megan was dating someone else,
and Matt was as sweet, genuine and kind as ever.

So there was no "stealing away from the current boyfriend."
Or causing drama on a trip of a lifetime.
No, they became friends.
That was it.

And as Megan's current relationship ended on it's own,
her good friend Matt was on her mind.
Frequently.

And, well, the rest is history :D

Through years of traveling, learning, growing, enjoying and loving
these two have become the best of friends and the greatest of lovers.



Throughout the day I heard the phrase "Finally!!!" repeated often.
Though this marriage has been looooong in coming,
it felt no less sweet, passionate or precious.

In fact, these two have a selfless comfort level that I think many couples don't.

While Matt is slightly more on the quiet side,
he's fiercely loyal and mature.
And just plain sweet.

And Megan is the crazy wild-side.
The salsa to the chips.

"He is incredibly in tune to who I am,
and the perfect balance to my (sometimes) crazy."






"He is my best friend,
and my favorite person.
And I get to marry him."










"Megan is the best person I have ever met."

"She is nice to everyone,
sweet,
caring,
happy,
pretty,
really smart,
hard-working,
fun to hang out with.
I love all those things about her."

"We have had an incredible journey together..."

"...meeting in Spain,
living together for four years in San Francisco,
backpacking for a month in Mexico,
surfing in Barbados,
and palling around DC together for the past four years."

"Finally" resulting in an oceanside wedding in Delaware.
Because they love each other a whole whole lot.


A reading from their wedding from The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger
(it's worth it to read it):
"Leaves swirl through the air,
pumpkins ripen,
and geese take flight.
But one lone yellow leaf clings to its branch and thinks, Not yet."

"Not yet, as the harvest moon blooms amber in the starry sky."

"Not yet, as the nights grow long.
"Not yet, when there's a dusting of snow."

"Then, high on an icy branch, there is a flash of scarlet
-- another leaf is still holding tight."

 "Will you? Little Scarlet Leaf asks.
I will! says Little Yellow Leaf."



"And one, two, three!
They let go!
And soared."

Now, let me say what I said earlier:
Matt and Megan enjoyed their day so much.
It wasn't past them that was a celebration of their marriage, their relationship.
They did such a good job of enjoying the day together.

Right after the ceremony the ran into the house and sat in the window seat,
and talked.
And hugged.
And enjoyed being together like it was any other day.
They took their time, and they beamed.


Meanwhile, a pretty fantastic reception awaited.

I may or may not steal this idea one day... homemade placemats!
I love it!

"We had a wonderful Fall weekend together -
going to a farm party in Virginia with family and friends,
including eating, drinking, fishing,
a bluegrass band,
a shooting range
and camping under the stars,
with a stop at Ihop (our favorite) for breakfast on the day home."




"After a cozy afternoon,
Matt suggested we have a picnic in the park for dinner.
 He thought he’d bring his guitar.""We walked down to a nice park in Georgetown
and after a a picnic of cheeses, salami, bread and olives,
Matt pulled out  a guitar and starting singing a song he had written for me
and he proposed!"

"So we want this to feel like a big backyard picnic or party.
We are not into unnecessary formality, so no need for ties and whatnot.  
We want it to be authentic and personal and nature-based. 
The appetizers will be similar to the meal that we got engaged over,
and the meal will be barbeque."

"Ipod for music, and a latenight bonfire on the beach with smores.
No need for fancy, just want to have fun with our people!"


They get it.
They get how important relationships are.
Their relationship with each other,
with their families,
with their friends.
It's important, and it's so clear that Matt and Megan cherish those.




The sunset was just incredible.

And look who I found enjoying it ;)
Taking a second just to sit together,
watch the birds fly,
sun hide,
and be together.
Blissful.




Back at the party-tent,
guests were hopping and everyone was out of a Summer J. Crew dreamworld.
HEART HEART HEART.

And if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you might have heard about the giant Chipwich.

Two of their friends made it
(and it was delicious!)
but they also had a chipwich bar for the rest of the guests.
A handful of friend brought a few dozen of "their specialty cookie" for everyone to make their own mini chipwich.

Good times were had by all :D

Matt and Megan, congratulations and thank you for welcoming me into your amazing day.   

When a Man Loves a Woman {Personal}

"When your heart beats faster, 

days chase nights."

smrvl

Casey + David were my first ever REAL wedding clients.

I was their official, lead, full, complete, hired wedding photographer.

Not second-shooter, assistant, "sure you can tag along and take pictures."

I was Kristen Leigh Photography at a wedding for the first time.

David is an amazing graphic designer/artist. (He made my logo!)

And I was browsing his blog the other day and saw this precious piece of art he made for Casey.

"When your heart beats faster, 

days chase nights."

When you are at peace, 

the moon stands still."

Are you kiiiiiddding me?

Dang.

Go David.

And what a beautiful picture.

All of it.

Brilliant.

Go David.

Go love.

Hard Work {Personal}

"there is joy in work. 

there is happiness...in the realization that we have accomplished something."
henry ford

After a number of those wonderfully long yet incredibly fast and also blindsidingly exhasuting weekends, 

I'm spending my Monday slowly getting house and office back in ship shape.

But I have a thought running a track in my head,

and at each lap it reminds me of it's presence up there:

Working as a wedding photographer is hard work.

THE hardest work of all?

No, not by a long shot.

Are there more emotionally, physically, mentally, relationally tedious and difficult jobs?

Uh-huh.

Absolutely.

Am I a saint who should be awarded, heralded and praised for the throes of stress and complexity and charity I enter each weekend?

Hahahah heck no.

But being a wedding photographer is in fact hard work.

Let's exclude the "work" of getting to a place where you truly are skilled and trusted enough to shoot weddings, for a X price, and let's also exclude the "work" involved before the wedding, namely e-mails, meetings, office work.  I'll also exclude the hours of editing, production and presentation of a final product.

The wedding day.

6 hours.

7 hours. 

8 hours?

9? 10? Even 12 hour shooting days.

It starts with getting a (hopefully) good-nights sleep.

Not forgetting anything - cards, bodies, lenses, batteries, back-ups, la-ti-da.

In my area, at least, most venues take an hour to drive to (give or take.)

(But the past seven days I've shot weddings in three different states,

which has ended up being about 16 hours of driving time total.)

I have to factor in traffic, getting lost, and possibly getting pulled over (my bad.)

into my wedding day travel plans.

Once you arrive, the fun begins in a blessed, effort-ful whirlwind.

Making bad light not seem so suck-y "Maybe you could move closer to the window to put your veil on?"

Getting angles that don't show your soon-to-be-sister-in-laws panties in the background.

Getting flattering angles.

Getting details.  Oh those details.

Making sure your second-shooter is where she ought to be.

Staying on schedule - but being flexible when needed, but also firm when needed,

and having the wisdom and social skills to know which is needed ;)

Interacting with dozens of new people, gaining trust, adding to the joy of the day,

but also not "getting in the way" or being obtrusive.

Being "creatively-on" for hours.

Being fast on your feet, being smart under pressure, and staying composed - 

even if the ERROR sign is flashing in your camera.

This is no family portrait shoot you can reschedule tomorrow.

This is it.

One shot, baby.

One wedding, one day, nail it or bust.

Let's not mention the tipsy/tipsier/drunk groomsmen... or the incredibly reluctant, bored, stubborn groomsmen.

Or the wonderful groomsmen who you wish you could shoot for three hours, but only have ten minutes.

The cranky kids, perhaps?

The too-traditional-for-a-modern-bride event coordinator.

The awkward video guy.

The loud mother-in-law.

Whiny bridesmaids.

Who knows what kind of people you'll run into during a wedding day ;)

But a photographer has the important job of making them each feel comfortable,

without causing the un-comfort of another.

Then we throw in weather.

Scalding hot, freezing cold, rainy, humid, too dark, too bright.

Let me tell you, there is nothing like getting a picture prepped,

while carrying a bag of equipment, after being on your feet for, oh, four plus hours,

with sweat running down your thighs,

bees flying under your dress (true story),

and mascara dripping into your view-finder

WHILE acting like this moment is the most beautiful, magical, deliriously perfect moment the heavens have ever seen.

Timelines?

Psh.

Some weddings I have a full hour with the couple alone,

other weddings I have a full ten minutes.

And half of the time the groom spent adjusting his tie.

The night rolls on, you are tired, your toes are blistered,

your arm-pits STANK, your neck is sore,

it's getting late, there is a long drive ahead of you...

You gotta make it work.

The tears in the ceremony, the little smiles, the hand-squeezes by proud parents.

The things unnoticed? You must notice.

The things easily forgotten? You must be there so they can remember.

But you aren't merely there, like some host, you are there as an artist.

You are turning an event into a picture.

Real skin and real clothes and real people 

get eternally stopped by the scroll of your hand and the push of your finger

and transferred via blocked light and sensors to a screen.

This screen, this sheet, this canvas you create is the art they will have to stare it.

"Remember this day, dear? Look at us. We were so young."

Being a wedding photographer is personal.

It's beautiful.

It's creative.

It's effort.

It's worth it.

And more then anything, working as a wedding photographer is hard work because it's work.

Working is hard work.

Working is work.

Anything we do as work should take effort. We should be tired. We should give all we have.

Work isn't rest.

Working as a wedding photographer isn't rest.

I don't care if you are a flight attendant, mother, ear-piercer, CEO or ride operator at Disneyland.

Throw yourself into.

Work at your work.

That's why it is so important to have "work" that you love.

When I was a captain of my highschool basketball team, 

I busted  my butt (and knees and elbows and ankles) for that team,

and worked as hard as I possibly could.

And I just loved it.

When I show up at a wedding, the same feelings of "this is work" and "I love this" apply.

It's very hard to put extreme effort, care and heart into something you don't enjoy.

Or at the very best you don't believe is fully worth it.

Maybe you don't love the job you work to pay through school,

but you know paying through school is worth it.

So you w.o.r.k.

I'd be lying if I said I "loooOOooved" every single moment of every single wedding I shoot.

I don't think the brides themselves enjoy every single moment ;)

But I believe and stand behind my work 110%.

I believe in marriage,

I believe in love,

I believe in memories,

I believe in celebration.

I believe in creativity.

I believe in personality.

I believe in work.

"When he began his business he said to God,

with a full trust in Him,

'O my God, apply my mind to these things,

I beseech Thee to grant me grace to continue,

and to this end receive all my works and possess all my affections."

b. lawrence 

Why do I say all this?
Sometimes I just have remind myself.
And writing things out is sometimes a good way to remind oneself.

Mike + Jocelyn {Indiana, PA Wedding}

i could be your state,and i could be your nation.
doesn't get better then home,
now does it?
home | she + him

MAYDAY MAYDAY.*I think this is my longest post... at least in a long time... if not ever.****But it's worth it to go slow.***Not because of me, but because of them,The Happiest Couple I've Ever Shot.There is a whole lot of story, sentiment and happiness.It gives me chills and makes me dream big about being in love.I present to you:Michael + Jocelyn + their wedding.

After driving through hilly and sunny Pennsylvania hills,I rolled through the gravel driveway,ran through a field (following the signs),and found a little red house,where Jocelyn was inside - just about to put on her custom light pink dress.
She was also ready to put on her mother's veil,and pearl necklaces borrowed from various close friends and family.
It was storybook quality.As I stood outside to take this shot I could hear Jocelyn and her three sistersgiggling, hollerin' and being girls inside the bedroom. The first time I met Jocelyn was at a friends birthday party less then a year ago.She was Mike's date.Who is Mike?

Mike is a brilliant and award-winning filmmaker and storyteller,part of the Vinegar Hill Creative team,and my bestie, Lydia Jane's, older brother.
SoooOoo, at the particular summer party,Jocelyn was simply my best friends big brothers new girlfriend.Got that?
But very, very quickly the sweet, funny, exciteable "Joce"(pronounced: "Jos")became a part of the Hartnett family.Like, ridiculously quickly.She fit in like she truly had been there forever.
But before we get ahead of ourselves,we must learn about how the little lovies met.Remember how I mentioned Vinegar Hill Creative?Well, the other part of the team lives in Indiana, PA.Mike lived in Brookeville, MD.This meant lots and lots of skype, phone-calls, driving and... no good.Mike (and is business partner-best friend Dave) decided to have Mike come to PA for a bit.

Vinegar Hill was originally started by two crazy, dreamin' PA boys,Dave and Ian.I won't go into too much detail here,but you should check out Lydia's pictures of Ian's weddingand read his story.Absolutely amazing and breath-taking.But after a nearly fatal car accident,Ian wasn't able to participate in the company like he had in the past,so Mike joined the team.
When he moved up to PA in summer 2010, he VERY quickly met little brunette Joce,and there was no turning back.
Joce and her three sisters had actually gotten word about this "single video guy"moving to the area.Reminds me a bit of the Bennett sisters hearing about Mr. Bingley + Mr. Darcy for the first time."OH! Is he handsome?"

Jocelyn's family swears that the very first night they met,everyone knew it was "only a matter of time."Which turned out to be not very much at all ;)

Less then a year later, there was a wedding.And it couldn't have come sooner.
Mike has always been an incredibly funny, "life of the party," original, kind guy.Knowing Lydia and her four-person family so well,we often talked about what it would be like when Mike got married.That girl would have to be some girl to fit into their random wonderful crew.
God truly outdid Himself.
Jocelyn is perfect for Mike.Mike is perfect for her.

I will never forget when I first saw them together at that picnic.Besides running around in fields, skipping around the pool,talking to each other in "voices," quoting quotes CONstantly,and just generally being giddy and laugh-y,they were con.nect.ted.at.the.hip.It was so easy to see how much they loved to be together.
But sometimes a few weeks of that can get old.The new-ness wears off.People need their space.Totally normal.

Just not for Mike + Joce.If it was possible, they got closer, sweeter and more "gaaaaah-gaaaah"every following time I saw them.They were best friends, team-mates and absolutely in love.

When they got engaged I selfishly couldn't WAIT to see their wedding.Because I knew it was gonna rock socks.
The hand-made "powder room," summer sports games in the lawn,and tissue paper flowers didn't dissapoint.But it was just the beginning of the day's Awesome Possum Ness.



Ceremony details were too fun to shoot...


Oh! Hey! What's up hottie! What's up bestie!
Loved their programs based off their invitations.Wonderful taste.

EeeeEEeeeee! MY FAVORITE PART.I just love right before the ceremony starts so much.Adrenaline rush.Especially when the venue looks like this?

Adorable woman.
A lone cello filled the hot air,and it was time;time for the Happiest Couple I've Ever Shot to get married

Happy girl and happy dad. Happy Ian + Larissa with more happy but waaaaiting guests.

Happy Mike.
Happy, happy, happy bride.

Happy songs.
Happy ceremony moments.

Happy trees. "I joyfully vow with my whole heart to bring you the kind of love we know of and cherish from the Song of Solomon: a love through the power of Jesus Christ that is as strong as death.  Jocelyn, I am your beloved, and you are mine."They wrote their own incredible vows.
Happy (NOT RAINY) skies!
Happy sister.
Happy kisses!
Happy husband and wife. Happy hugs.

Happy tears.
Happy spontaneous ring-around-the-rosie-dancing.

If you didn't think all that was happy, don't give up on them yet.It seriously gets better.If you thought that was oh-so-happy, wait for it.It seriously gets better.
At this point in the show, Lydia took the "formal" shots of Mike + Jocelyn.But I had to sneak in a few ;)

One of my faves from the day, for sure.So happy, right?!
I feel like they auditioned for a role and got placed with the perfect match for the movie.But it's real life and so much better then anybody could cast.

This is where the fairies live.
And this is a very good place to kiss and hold hands.
But!While Lydia shot I got to take lots of reception goodness.

Can I sit here every night for the rest of summer?Thanks.



(By the way, the music at their wedding? Out of control.)
(By the way, the games at their wedding? Out of control.)
(By the way, the retro handmade decor at their wedding? Out of control.)




Mike was (is?) a major Lego fan,so at each table they had a bag of Lego's for guests to play with.So much fun!




Now, ladies and gentleman, the most amazing happiness.Brace yourselves.

First Dance Happy.


Um, BEST ever... best best best couple alive.
Dinner + music happy.(Mike + Joce have REALLY talented friends and family who took turns performing live!)
Happy bride!
HAPPY DECORATIONS.
Happy newest married couple and oldest married couple, together.
Happy besties!
Happy family!
This right here was one of the highlights of the wedding for me.They just make everything - even the simplest things! - seem SO fun, funny and wonderful!I had to make this a big cake-feeding-series, it was just too precious.




 Happy and talented and fabulous Andrew + Carissa :D Woot!




Happy glowstick jumprope time...?
Happy night clouds.
Happy fireworks and pictures.

Happy dancing bride, with her best friends, in firework smoke, on a summer night. 

Happy happy happy!

Happy lovers who really are still 3-and-a-half, I think.
Happy night.
Happy sparkles.
Happy wedding.
Amazing God.
Congratulations Mike + Joce.Your wedding was a "career" highlight of mine,and I couldn't be happier for you both.Seriously.I hope I'm like you two when I get married.
:D

iPhone + Quotes + Loves {Personal}

"The moon was up, painting the world silver,
making things look just a little more alive."
nd wilson

"I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate"
julia child

Loved the asparagus-dandelion-root-grilled-turkey scrambled eggs. Well, I loved eating them.

"Home is the nicest word there is."
laura ingalls wilder

Loved being home after three weeks of traveling.

"One Original Thought is worth 1000 Meaningless Quotes."

banksy

Oh Banksy ;) Loved seeing Lydia Jane's original, conceptual photographs at her UMBC Art Show.

"Bein' rich is having leftovers.
Good leftovers make yo' tongue fly outta yo' mouth and smack yo' brains out."
paula deen

Loved chicken + rice soup leftovers, and apple-cilantro salad first-time-ness.

Daisy: What kind of a garden do you come from?
Alice: Oh, I don't come from any garden.
Daisy: Do you suppose she's a wildflower?
alice in wonderland
Loved picking peonies with at an orchard with Becs, Jan + Audrey.

"I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel."
 e.b. white

Loved seeing the hot air balloons. I bet they have the next best view.
"Here Spring just grows and greens and warms, spreading life, wrapping us in her arms, until suddenly we realize that she's not a girl anymore.
She's a woman.  A woman named Summer." nd wilson
Loved the summer heat. I wish it was always summer.


Any new quotes or loves in your world?
:D

Ron + Lauren {Shade Tree and Evergreen Wedding}

and if you saw my Love
you'd love her too.
  i love her.the beatles | and i love her

The weather forecast for May 15 was rainy, cloudy and scattered thunderstorms.The weather forecast for May 13, 14 and 16 was also rainy, cloudy and thunder-y.
I know, because I was checking.

I knew Lauren's wedding was going to be at the lovely outdoor venue,
Shade Tree and Evergreen,
and we had been having some REALLY strong rain.
And the predicted forecast was no help.
It wasn't a cloud with a little sun in the corner.
No, it was a cloud with rain and lightning under it.
Please, Lord, help the rain wait.
At least for the ceremony.

By the time I arrived at the wedding to see the bride-to-be
(and past brides Elise, Pami and Other Lauren!)
I had totally forgot about the weather.
I was having too much fun chatting with all the girls,
who are also great friends.

Who are also very tiny.

We laughed about Godspell music, Other-Lauren's clumsiness and Pami's excitement about mimosa's.

Everyone hugged and teared and squealed.

We all forgot about the weather.
Because we were just so happy.

(ps. Lauren carried her grandfather's key on her flowers,
and wore her grandmother's jewelry.
I love details like that.
I also love that I definitely wrote "flowers" instead of "bouquet" because it's too hard to spell.)

Lauren and her bestbestbest friends walked around with me in the cloudy humidity,
genuinely enjoying the day with Lauren.

And while I've always thought Lauren was beautiful,
she - as most brides are - was especially radiant on this day.
She was classic, elegant and oh-so-herself.
Stunning.


In their engagement shoot post,
I mentioned how Bride Lauren is best friends with Other Lauren.
Other Lauren is married to Paul.
Paul is Groom Ron's best friend.
So the married couple were their besties maid of honor and best man.
PHEW.

All day long I found it especially sweet how excited Other Lauren was for her friend.
It was almost like she was getting married herself!Such a sweet friendship.

I also have to give a big shout-out to the girls for their details!
Y'all are styyyyylin!


I just had to take a few more of the bride.
She was too camera-tasty not to ;)



Then wedding-witching-hour was upon us.
You know that restless chunk of time?
Pictures are done,
everything is ready,
guests are arriving,
and you just have to waaaaaaait.

And waaaaaaaaaait.

Aaaaaand wait.
(ps. This is Groom Ron with his best man, Paul,
Other Laurens husband.
You following this?
Phew.)

I think that period of time is the longest part of the wedding day for me, too.
But good things in life are worth the wait ;)

And eventually ceremony time always comes.

In the meantime, I got to take lots more detail pictures.
Lauren and Ron had some EXCEPTIONAL details.

(I'm going to eat those baby's with a spoon.)

Classy, classy, classy.

BOOM!
It's gametime!
BOOM!



I didn't even realize it until this very moment,
as the music built
(so important to have a good song for your entrance, brides.
Makes a world of difference.)
Ron quivered on the brink of tears,
and Lauren was escorted by her dad,
that the weather was PERfect.

I was ready for some Wizard of Oz storm weather, folks.

And we ended up with Paradise Falls Silk Happiness from Dreams weather.

I got chills, even in the sunny warmth.
What an almost sickeningly perfect wedding.

And what a happy, happy, happy bride.
And blessed, blessed, blessed groom ;)

Though I don't think I'd do it myself,
I have such incredible respect for couples who save their first kiss until they are married.
It's a very honor-filled moment to be able to take that picture.
Their very first.
Ever.
Wow.

Um, hello.
This might be my favorite from the day.

Awwwwwww. They lub each other vury vury much.

Mmmmm,
keeeesing eees niiise.



Lauren ans I were in an little group of girls from church who met monthly,
and I remember the first time she brought up Ron to us.


We sat at Starbucks and this usually very poised, demure woman
talked about Ron like a carefree, bubbly little girl.
I remember being like "Huuuuh..." ;)

At that time Ron had only begun to change her life,
and to turn it upside down with his kindness, care and heart.
But, oh, how fun it was.

Lauren later told me how her mom would rave about Lauren's dad.
"He is such a kind man."
And her mother gave her some wise mom-advice
"Marry someone who is kind to you."

Before I had even heard that story,
I would have described Ron as kind.
Though I only had heard and seen bits of him,
he just seemed so nice.
Unassuming, humble, sweet.

No wonder Lauren fell wildly in love with him.

This Nicholas Sparks quote from The Guardian reminds me of them:
"Oh, he'll never let you down.
That boy's got a heart the size of Kentucky, and he loves you.
That's important.
Take it from someone who knows."

"God forbid, anything ever happened to me,
I don't think he'll be able to go on.
And that guy would risk his life for mine in a heartbeat."

In a world of entertainment,
pomp,
extravegance
and selfishness,
I couldn't help but be so moved by Ron and Lauren's simple, deep love.

They give to each other freely,
the love each other truly
and they have waited for each other patiently.

I could have spent much more time shooting them,
but with the impending storm clouds, we had to scoot.
After all we went from this:

To this:

in a matter of minutes ;)

But it was okay, because guests were ready,
decor was perfect
and it was time to par-tay!
(under the pavilion-covering, of course.
Because it was pouring.)


I don't even need to caption these.
They just speak for themselves.



(So symbolic.
They met at a wine-tasting.
Loooove.)




As the rained poured and poured...

...and poured
(just like the little cloudy forecast said)...

There was a major celebration going on under the safety of the old greenhouse!

It was wonderfully joyful.

I love these two shots of the best friends.
What an awesome story they have!
I love the work of God's hands and the stories from God's mind.


Seriously,
Other Lauren was just the sweetest maid-of-honor of life.

Perfect.
(I've used that word a lot in this post...)


Nothing beats ridicuously happy people.



Well, maybe ridicuously in-love people.
But those sorts of people are always ridiculously happy.
"You’re always gonna love me like nobody’s loved me,
Come rain or come shine.
Happy together, unhappy together,
And won’t it be fine?

I’m with you rain or shine,"

Weekend {Personal}

we cut the legs off of our pants

threw our shoes into the ocean,

sit back and wave through the daylight

//

and in the daylight 

we can hitchhike to maine.

i hope that someday 

i’ll see without these frames,

and in the daylight 

i don’t pick up my phone

cause in the daylight anywhere feels like home

i have five clocks in my life

and only one has the time right

i’ll just unplug it for today

//

open hydrant rolled down windows

this car might make a good old boat

and float down grand street in daylight

and with just half of a sunburn

new yellow lines that i earned

step back and here comes the night time

matt + kim | daylight busy, blessed weekend... monday's are fun review-days.
one of the many things i did in the past three days was a family shoot.
and these pictures made me want to be four again.
you have a good weekend?did you want to be four again?

Jason + Alison {Trummers on Main Wedding}

And my love is my whole being,
And I've shared what I could
noah and the whale | give a little love

 Their initial client meeting was one of my favorites ever.
I metro-ed down to DC to meet Alison and Jason at a coffee shop.
There I met out-going, sarcastic groom-to-be and poised, kind bride-to-be.
"Our number one priority is the food - no offense! - but it just is."

I knew I loved them right then :D

I also knew I loved them when I found out she worked out a running-store,
and he worked at a bicycle shop for hardcore cyclists.
I support athlete-ness.
I also support BCBG wedding gowns.

These two actually met at Alison's work.
I love how Jason explains it :D

"From the beginning Alison was more of a challenge than anything. 
I only knew two things about her.
One, she was by far the cutest employee working in the running store
adjacent to the bicycle shop I manage,
and two, she snubbed me."
"Every time she worked I would try to strike up a conversation with her. 
Occasional eye contact was the best I could coax out of her.
She rarely looked at me, and never answered anything I asked.

After about six months of constant pestering,
and after about 1500 offers to cook her dinner,
I told her right to her face "I GIVE UP!"

Instead of sticking to my own words,
a couple weeks later I tried one more time. 
To my disbelief she actually said yes! 
Since the night of our first date, my life has not been the same."

Gotta love it when a guy is persistent.
An excellent quality, I must say.

And look at the perks it had for Jason!



He's downright sitting on stairs kissing that little cute lady from the running store.
Shoooooo!
That's just great :D

I have to stop right here and tell you probably my most embarrassing moment in, well, in a long time.
See Jason's fantastic boutonniere?
See how nicely and properly pinned it is?
See how happy and healthy Jason is?
It's important to note all these things.
Because I pinned Jason's flower on.
As I started attaching it he flinched and yelled
"AH. You're pricking me!"

Oh funny funny.
One of my favorite things about Jason + Alison is there witty, sarcastic sense of humor.
But that's the oldest one in the book. 
EVERY groomsmen uses that line.

I laughed and told him to "shut his face" and keep pushing the pin in harder.
"Kristen, seriously, you are really poking me."
He jerked back and checked his shirt for blood.
I evaporated and floated to the Eastern Shore.
Seriously, I just about died I felt so horrible.

But he's a kind man and also athletic-tough so it all worked out just fine.
But I'm now retired from boutonniere pinning.
After a long, successful run my day is done.
If your flower lady is missing, I'm so sorry.
I simply cannot help.
Because I might stab your groom in the heart.

La-dee-da.
Wedding!
After the first look, the bridal party wandered the simply dreamy streets of Clifton, VA.
A little league team warmed in the background,
the ice-cream truck chimed,
and magical butterflies flitted.
It was spectacular.

Um. Yeah.
Good call on being persistent, Jason.
Your girl is... beautiful.
Inside and out.



Special thanks to my bestie and my second-shooter Lydia Jane!
She took this shot, as well as a handful of others in this post!


After the group pictures it was time to get the wedding going!

Alison had lots of adoring fans ;)

Clifton, VA is honestly a town from a movie set.
Lydia and I walked around and decided it was a cross between Gilmore Girls and The Truman Show.
Small, cozy, historic, gossip-y, full of character and just beautiful.

The guests all parked their cars at the reception venue, Trummers on Main,
(more on this killer venue later)
and walked a block or so to the local park for the ceremony.
These balloons led the way.
How adorable, hey?!

So let's pretend you are a guest at this wedding.
You've just walked past white-pickets fences
and antique shopsand churches started be Civil War soldiers
to a green, smiling park.

Your first order of business is to sign the handmade and STUNNING Guest Tree.






After leaving a nice little note and picking the perfect "leaf" to right on,
you might take a cooling lemonade.



With lemonade in hand, you also want to grab a program...

... and find yourself a seat with a good view.

And after a little bit of waiting you might be able to peak back and see the bridal party coming down Main Street.

You might see the fidgety and oh-so-excited groom waiting for his cue.

And eventually you would definitely see the bride serenaded by birds, a string trio and gasps.
A bride who is called
"an incredibly caring person, but her character and morality are unmatched."
It is also said that
"she has nurturing qualities that you would think only seasoned mothers
would have."

Jason loves this kind, tender, smart, loving, loyal woman so much.





Jason himself "bends over backwards for the people he loves;
he is the kindest and most unselfish person I’ve ever known. 
  Jason is the only person I’ve ever known,
aside from family,
who is focused on my well being."


"He has always felt like family to me. 
I think that even from the beginning,
spending time Jason has always felt like 'coming home,'
if that makes sense."
Yes.  That absolutely makes sense.

These two really wrote on and on about how nurturing and caring the other was.
The intimate, home-y venue.
The small guest-list and attention to detail.
The kind genuine joy.
Every part of the wedding reflected the very character qualities Jason + Alison love about each other.

And it was beautiful.

A little vow-ness,
a little ring-ness,
a little kiss-ness,
concluding with a little "mazel-tov-ness!

Perfect perfect perfect.I love theeeeeem.

While we ran away to do a few more shots,
the guests got to enjoy some tummy-love at the cocktail hour.


But we had to run away for a bit ;)

Because, well, they needed some more kissing time... and stuff.

Since I have you... let me tell you a litttttle more about them.

"All I can really say is that I love her, more and more everyday.
Each experience is richer when she is with me,
and I can't wait to see what the next step will bring. "


"I love that he is not afraid to take risks and to really enjoy living. 
I am MUCH more reserved than he is,
and he’s constantly working to loosen me up a little…
which will probably be his lifelong project!"

"Alison is an amazing woman, far different than anyone I have met."
"Jason is very silly. 
He’s usually trying to make me laugh by doing something ridiculous
– generally some sort of improvised song and dance number
(ask him about the 'breakfast dance' or his 'little meat pie' ballad). 
He lives to make other people happy, including me, in any way he can
(not just through song and dance),
and that is truly his gift. 
I am one lucky girl. "

"He is completely genuine, he seeks joy out of life,
he wears his heart on his sleeve,
and he makes me feel inspired
and loved in a way that I never could have imagined possible."

I love that last line.
"He makes me feel inspired and loved in a way that I never could have imagined possible."
That's how every bride should feel.
As the wedding day progressed,
and as these two ran into a few little snags or issues,
it was just beyond precious to see how calming and peaceful they were for each other.
She trusted him, he trusted her.
They just wanted to get married and be together.
Period.

OKAY.
Trummers Time!
I fell in love with this reception.
Lydia was over shooting details for me and I found her sweaty and out of breath.
"There is SO MUCH TO SHOOT!"
She was right. 
Every nook and cranny was just screaming to be photographed.
And eaten ;)
Food is one of their all-time favorite parts of life.
He cooks like a boss,
and she chops veggies like a champ.
And they, apparently, are ruined for eating out because what they make at home is so good.
Again, I support that.
Oh! Quick little love-time.

Back to the reception.
Of perfection and wonder.

AND GOOD FOOD.
If anyone else is getting married here and would like to hire me...
you can pay me in Trummer's Meals ;)
I really think their dinner was a Top Five meal in my whole life.
Including grandma's holiday dinners.



Ah, remember that eye-contact that was so hard to get ;)
Loooooove it!











I left the wedding with glasses clinking, heels knocking, voices celebrating and lights dancing.
One of the best all-around weddings I think I've ever been to.

Jason and Alison, I'm gonna hold you to your dinner-date-offer ;)
I must experience this food you speak of!
And I just want to see you both again, because you truly are wonderful.Congratulations :D

Doolin, Ireland {Personal + Travel}

Many times, I've wondered at your gift of life,And I'm in that place once again.
matt redman | once again

There is a pretty well-known Dr. Suess quote that I seemed to have most commonly seen on Facebook Bumber Stickers back in 2008, but I've loved a phrase in it:
"...when reality is finally better then your dreams."

This whole trip was certainly a trip of a lifetime for me.
But especially the day Jamz + I took a bus tour through all of Ireland.
I've never dreamed in such beautiful visions.

(Hi Irish chicken! Hi!)

Pictures, as always, don't do County Clare justice.
Because you can't hear the rain shaking in the trees,
and you can't hear the click-clunk of our shoes on the cobblestone and gravel,
and you can't smell the fresh old-ness,
or the peat-burning fire coming through the thatched roofs in the Folk Park.

It was everything an Irish countryside town should be.









I would like to have a house with flowers hanging over the door just like that,
thank you.

By the way, the beer situation in Ireland is quite a situation.

Y'all love your drinks in this little green land! 
The man at the airport tearing our tickets even had two little shot glasses of Guinness.  Too funny ;)





Jamz loves ivy.
She thinks ivy is fun stuff.

...just.
... breathe.



While we were in County Clare,
we also got to see Bunratty Castle!
DUN.
Dun.
Dun.
DUN.
DUUUUUUUN.
(ratty!)

This place is old.  It was built in the 1200's.
It's very old.

And the spiral staircases are very spiral-y.
And steep.
And slippery.
And small.
And scary.
And Jamz didn't like them very much at all.





Sadly it was rainy-rainy while we were here,
so not only were Jamz and I pretty cold and damp,
we also couldn't see "the view" too well.

But what we could see was still lovely.

BUT.
It was all okay.
Because we went here.
Where is "here"?
Here is Doolin.
Doolin, Ireland.
I'm going back to Doolin someday.
And I will be merry.







It was the happiest of all happy's, it was.

















We also got to witness these beauties live and in-person and with singing French girls.



These cliffs are about the size of Delaware.
I'm not kidding.

I love this picture Jamz took.
I was saying a little seaside prayer.
It was just overwhelming being in such a beautiful place.





On the way home a rainbow followed us.
Typical, Ireland, typical.
Way to be like every single chick-flick steretype I've ever had about you.

And dreams?
Sorry that you are ruined forever.
My memories are just better.

Noah and The Whale {Travel + Music + Personal}

Oh well in five years time 
We could be walking 'round a zoo

With the sun shining down 
Over me and you.

5 Years Time - Noah and The Whale

--


Quick update!
WiFi hasn't been super accesible this trip
(which in almost every way is wonderful)
so I have much to post later,
but just a teeny shout-out to Noah and The Whale!

Jamz found last minute tickets for their live show at The Academy for a great price.
I'd never heard one of their songs before,
but now I'm smitten.
Very classy, friendly, talented band. With great LYRICS.
You know how I love good lyrics ;)

OH. And the venue was rad.
Two stories.
The second story loft required more expensive tickets we didn't buy.
But the guy let us up anyways ;)
Score! So we had a great view.
Yeah. Just a great night.

One of my fave songs of the show

(check out the funky un-embed-able real music video here.)

Oh well, I look at you and say

'It’s the happiest that I’ve ever been'

And she’ll say

'Yah, well, I feel all pretty happy too,

And I’m always pretty happy 

When I’m just kicking back with you.'

Although maybe all these moments are just in my head

I’ll be thinking ‘bout them as I’m lying in bed

And all that I believe might never really come true

But in my mind I’m havin’ a pretty good time with you.

London, England + Edinburgh, Scotland {Personal}

"my favorite thing is to gowhere i've never been."diane arbusPictures need to do the talking today.
I'll give you some minor details to give some context.6:30 pm on Sunday I flew to London, England to meet up with Jamie.I arrived at 7 am Monday morning at Heathrow.We wandered London and ate some Indian food.By 3:00 we were at a different airport headed to Edinburgh, Scotland.Here are some pictures thus far.It's been too lovely for words.
Enjoy :D[London on a Monday Morning](Jamie's mom was with us for a few hours then flew home. She's lovely and funny.)[Edinburgh on a Monday Night][Edinburgh on a Tuesday Morning][Edinburgh on a Tuesday Afternoon](This made me think "Aw! The wind got to make so many wishes!")(speechless.)[Edinburgh at Lunchtime]


After this point in the day, I let my camera take a breather.But Jamie blogged a pretty hysterical summary of our late afternoon and evening,memories captured via my iPhone 4.You should check it out ;)
Tomorrow we head to St. Andrews to see more of the work of His hands, the people He loves,and lands He's created.I'm too excited to even dream.

Matt + Amelia {National Aboretum Engagement Photograph

you don't know how lovely you are.
  i had to find you,
tell you i need you.
coldplay | the scientist

I set my alarm for 5:00 am.

I knew I would snooze until 5:45 am.
But.
I thought it was worth a try?

Regardless of when I ACtually got my butt out of bed,
I left my house at 6:00 am,
and headed for the southbound highway towards Washington DC...

... With every other commuter in the area.
I don't know how you all do it.
I could never commute to work.
I would just be a poor person with no money.
Because that drive.
So ew.
Stop and go,
radio travel updates,
honks,
police traps.
It's just not a healthy way to start a day.

    But 25 miles and hour and fifteen minutes later,
I found myself well... I found myself in a KFC parking lot
streaming the royal wedding from my phone.
But at 8:00 am I found myself in a different world ;)I turned off busy, noisy New York Avenue,
and entered the National Arboretum.
Acres and acres of lush spring green,
anchored in the middle by the original Capitol columns.
Aside from an occasional distant lawn-mower or bird-chirp,
it was silent.

Instant peace, instant relaxation, instant sigh-take-a-deep-breath-and-chill.

Which, ironically, is exactly the experience you have with Amelia and Matt.
They're buds.
They just are comfortable.
They aren't forced.
They're easy and peaceful.

Amelia isn't the kind of girl to stress a guy out.
She makes it easy to just hang out and laugh.
Matt isn't the kind of guy to rub a girl the wrong way.
He is just nice, kind and cheerful.

They weren't all fussy and primp-y and overwhelming.
I felt like I was in their living room with them just enjoying a Sunday afternoon.

Considering their life,I think their laid-back quality is very important ;)
They recently moved from New York City to Washington DC.
(ha.)

(ps. sometimes you just gotta kiss it out.  It's the best option of all the options. The end.)

And Amelia is a sports trainer for University of Maryland.
(One of her players is actually lacrosse superstar Max!
Remember him + Abby?)

This shoot was scheduled around travel, tournaments, and other intense situations.
Basically crazyness.

Amidst "life" Washington DC morning traffic,
Matt and Amelia are peaceful for each other.



Truly.
The.
Most.
Lovely.
Place.
In.
The.
Distriiiiiict.





If the park in all it's green glory wasn't enough,
the azaleas were in peak bloom!

The beauty was just overwhelming.
Especially because it was JUST us.
We snuck in before the crazy Azalea Festival and Garden Sale.
So we could literally go wherever we wanted.





We definitely did not stay on the marked path ;)Oops!

Can I build a house right there?
And live there with some fairies?


They're cute.
Amelia and Matt, you all are cute.

Haha So adorable.
Amelia needed a little help with the bow on her dress.
"Yeaaah, he doesn't have sisters.
He's learning."
Good job, Matt ;) Keep it up.



Guys, it was just two tons of complete fun on this shoot.
I am SO looking forward to your Glen Echo wedding!

Woot woot!