Christy Joy Photography

Amy & Robbie :: Married! {Nashville Wedding Photographer}

2011-09-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

You may remember this adorable couple from their engagement session... Amy & Robbie

were married on a beautiful (and hot) day in late August.

We began at the salon and after meeting the girls to get ready, we headed to Moss Wright Park

in Goodlettsville for their First Look & Portraits (my favorite part of the day)!

Her dress was stunning... and a perfect fit for Amy.

First Look - Love this moment between a bride and groom.

Robbie was making Amy laugh before he even turned around to see her!

One of my favorite photos to date...

They had such a fun (and large :) bridal party!

{time to get married}

The church was beautiful! I loved the stained glass.

And afterwards... the reception... with a very popular candy buffet!

{the getaway}

Thank you Amy & Robbie for inviting me to capture your perfect wedding day!

May God bless your marriage!

Sweet Baby Darby :: 6 days old

2011-08-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited to introduce you to this little one! Darby Grace was born on July 24 weighing

in at 8lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long. She is an absolute doll... with a little button nose,

pouty lips and a pretty awesome hair style :).

Gotta love a Tennessee Football Fan from birth!

It was a beautiful day outside so I was thrilled when Angi & JD said they wanted some

photos in their beautiful yard!

She is just the sweetest, most snuggliest thing... and even snuck in a few smiles for me here and there :)

Congrats Angi & JD! God has truly blessed your family with such a perfect little one.

Kayla & Andrew :: Married {Nashville Wedding Photographer}

2011-07-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Kayla and Andrew were married at Cellar One in downtown Nashville on June 25.

The entire day was absolutely amazing... detail after detail were planned out perfectly for the

emotional, heartfelt ceremony and rockin' reception!

{sweet letter from her soon-to-be hubby}

{one of my favorite images to date - Kayla you're gorgeous}

{um.... oh my eyelashes!}

{Maid of honor getting her hair done. She was talking about how perfect Andrew

was for her sister and started to tear up... sweetest thing ever.}

{Ring bearer and flower girl - they were quite entertaining :)}

{groom's final touches}

Kayla had a photo of her father as well as his wedding ring tied into her bouquet in his memory.

Invitations were gorgeous as well as the ceremony decorations!

{married at last!}

{a few fun bridal party photos}

{I love a little Cinderella moment in a wedding day}

The handmade details in the reception were amazing!

{first dance}

Dances with Kayla's grandfather and Andrew's mother...

... and with each other :)

{bouquet and garter toss - it was quite a sight to see!}

Photobooth :: One of my favorite wedding details ever!

The flower girl and ring bearer were waiting patiently for Andrew & Kayla's photos to come :)

shoes... at the end of the night :)

A super-sweet sparker send-off!

Big thanks to Kerry Finnegan for assisting me during this beautiful wedding!

Thank you Kayla and Andrew for allowing us to share this most perfect day with you.

May God bless your marriage!

Sometimes... {Nashville Photography}

2011-05-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes.....

all your day needs is a peony in a pitcher...

Helena :: 18 months old {Nashville Child & Family Photography}

2011-05-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

I know you'll recognize this little beauty because she has been around this blog quite a bit.

{ 9 days old :: 3 months old :: 6 months old :: 9 months old :: 1 year old }

Sweet baby Helena is already 18 months old... and is going to be a big sister!

Helena told me she adores Nashville and wants to come visit whenever possible :)

Got that, Erika & Kevin? :)

Helena is so smart! All weekend she was blowing me away with all of her words and ideas on how to

do things on her own. Her favorite thing to do was to put on the closest pair of shoes she could find,

grab Addie's leash, make her "Sit Abby! Sit!" by the door, and try to attach her leash so they

could go on a walk together. Of course, Addie was all about it!

She is going to be a wonderful big sister - Baby Holleran is due right around Helena's 2nd birthday!

And what better way to end an awesome photo shoot than with a trip to the marvelous Sweet Cece's!

Erika, thank you so very much for coming down to visit. I can't even begin to

tell you how much it means to me. I truly miss seeing you every day but am ever so grateful

for our continuing friendship. Love you!

Sweet Baby Helena :: 1 Year Old {Nashville Child & Family Photographer}

2011-05-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

{Update :: I'm a little embarrassed and so sad that I just realized this post was never published! I wrote

it in October - at the same time Chris and I were moving and starting new jobs and all of that - and I'm

afraid I overlooked the "Publish Post" part of it! I didn't even realize it until today as I'm about to

publish Helena's 18 month photos - yikes! I suppose I'll save those for tomorrow :)

Happy belated 1st Birthday Helena! }

I can't believe it's already time for Helena's first birthday! I've been photographing her since she was just

a few days old. If you'd like to watch her grow step-by-step, click on the links below

(you'll see my photography grow too! :)

{ 9 days old :: 3 months old :: 6 months old :: 9 months old }

Kevin, Erika, Helena and I headed down to one of our favorite spots for this very special session...

enjoy!

She is {----this----} close to walking!

Clearly she's had plenty of practice in front of my camera :)

So much to learn and explore...

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Baby Helena! Your Aunt CC adores you :)

Amy & Robbie :: Engaged {Nashville Engagement Photographer}

2011-05-13T16:46:00.000-07:00

Meet Amy & Robbie. They were engaged on Valentines Day and are getting married this Summer!

Amy has so many awesome ideas for their wedding day and

I can't wait to see it all come together.

We met in Nashville at Centennial Park for a lovely spring-time engagement session.

I am so excited to show you the images! I know it's been a while :) but I'm finally getting back

on track with photography after this whole moving to Nashville thing.

I have a few sessions and quite a few wedding booked and I'm really pleased

with how everything is coming along.

So... sit back and enjoy some photos of a super sweet couple...

... and then we came upon these sweet little goslings :)

I love that they're constantly making each other laugh.

I wasn't sure how they'd feel about me busting out some Scrabble letters but it turns out they loved it

... and so did I!

...and we'll end with a super-sweet shot of her gorgeous ring!

Thank you for spending the afternoon with me Amy & Robbie! I had such a wonderful time :)

Bevin & Mickey :: Married! {Nashville Wedding Photographer}

2010-10-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

Lots of big things going on! I'll have a post up soon about all of that but before then I'd like to share

a beautiful wedding with you. Bevin and Mickey were married in Nashville, Tennessee

at Houston Station in what was one of the most creative weddings I have ever shot!

There were diy projects everywhere you looked which made the day

so personal and a perfect fit for the bride and groom.

Bevin's veil was made with lace from her mothers wedding dress - so special.

There's the beautiful bride!

Bevin was a two shoe bride... girl after my own heart!

So this hanger... it was hand made by the bride... as well as the garter (and two others)... yep - I told you
she was a true diy bride!

adorable nieces :)

Sister of the bride, Beth, who you'll remember from her beautiful May wedding!

getting ready to see each other for the first time...

a cute holding-hands photo before actually seeing each other...
and then the first look - my favorite part of the day :)

A couple photos in their ceremony/reception venue before it's flooded with friends and family.

Bevin, you're beautiful...

So for a long time I've had a love-hate relationship with the sun because when it's out
it's just harsh and rough for photos but I've recently decided to try and embrace
the sunshine and try a few different things with it.
The following photo is one such try and I'm pretty obsessed with it :)

Such a fun bridal party!

Sweet flower girls

Houston Station - my new favorite place in Nashville!

At Houston Station they have an awesome coffee house... with some pretty sweet espresso cups...

Houston Station made a custom blend of "Mickey & Bevin" coffee for everyones favors.
And Belle & Hank (their dogs) sent along doggie bags for the guests pets who weren't able to join
in the celebration :) Addie loved it!

Kid's table with custom coloring books, silly bands and crazy straws!

Their gorgeous ceremony site.

The father-of-the-bride made this beautiful backdrop! It was absolutely stunning and added so

much to the ambiance of the room.

{ceremony}

See what I told you about the ambiance? It was breathtaking!

married at last!

Here is my handsome husband - he's always excited to help out with all the little wedding details I need! :)

The grooms table... cheesecake and gourmet smores... yep, they were as amazing as they looked.

Sweet tea in a mason jar - yes please!

Girls enjoying the kids table :)

{first dance}

Loving that backdrop!

{daddy-daughter and mother-son dances}

{bouquet and garter toss}

This is a sorority tradition where the sisters all sing a sweet song to the bride on her
wedding day. I loved seeing the little girls peek in from behind to see what was going on :)

{dancing the night away}

l.o.v.e. this photo

Thank you Bevin and Mickey for allowing me to document your beautiful day.
My first Nashville wedding was more than I could have ever asked for!

I heart faces :: michigan orchard bliss

2010-10-17T23:57:00.000-07:00

I took a super long nap this afternoon (lots going on... more on that later :) so I'm up waaaay past my

bedtime editing and browsing blogs... so I thought I'd get in a little i heart faces
submission in to validate this time as being productive :)

The theme this week is Orchard and if this photograph of my sweet cousins daughter
isn't the perfect representation of Pure Michigan Apple Orchard Bliss then I don't know what is...

Click here to view some of the other awesome entries!

Eli :: Senior Session

2010-09-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Meet Eli! He's a senior this year and has lots of big plans for his future :).

We met at his family's lake house for this session... it's the same place I did his brothers senior session

and his sisters wedding last year! Needless to say, I love this spot!

We had some awesome sunset light towards the end which is one of those things

in the world that make me so happy :)

Thanks so much Eli for having me shoot your senior session.

Good luck this year! I know you have lots of wonderful things to come in your future!

Danielle & Jordan :: Married!

2010-09-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

Danielle and Jordan were married in a beautiful ceremony in Spring Lake followed by an

awesome party at Trillium. You may remember these two (and their sweet pups) from their

engagement session earlier this summer.

When we got to the church, Danielle was as calm as could be. She was ready to marry her best friend.

Danielle's aunt is a florist and did all of the flowers... they were gorgeous!

{ceremony}

special request ring shot :)

{beautiful sisters}

I love these next two bridal party shots!

They are a pretty good representation of how awesome the day was :)

And a little portrait session with the bride and groom... I adore these images.

These kids sat and watched in awe the whole time :)

I made a joke about how this looked like a vision into their future... I don't think Jordan thought

it was as funny as the rest of us did ;)

The cake was so yummmmmmy

Beautiful toasts followed by some great dancing.

I love Jordan's face in this one... flinging that garter takes some serious strength and concentration ;)

And lastly a BIG thank you to Joy {of Joy Reisterer Photography} for second shooting with me all day.

She rocks.

Thanks Danielle and Jordan for allowing us to be part of your beautiful wedding day!

It was amazing.

The Tiffany's :: Family Session

2010-09-05T20:35:00.000-07:00

How adorable are these boys?! Jakob and Landon are brothers and best friends... just as it should be.

The Tiffany family and the Fitzpatricks are good friends and next door neighbors.

I can only imagine the mischief the four these boys are going to get into together over the next few years!

Mandy had asked for a session both to document their family, as well as to document Landon's first birthday!

I was pretty excited when she told me about their property she wanted to use for the session.

I love that Larry and Mandy were married at this exact same spot.

{happy birthday sweet landon}

{brothers}

Jakob did a great job keeping his little brother happy by the water... and Landon did a great job looking adorable :)

Thank you so much Larry, Mandy and the boys! I really enjoyed our time out at the lake...

those sweet faces had me smiling the entire time.

The Karasinskis :: Family Session

2010-08-31T06:52:00.000-07:00

Meet the Karasinskis. This family holds such a special place in my heart! Yesterday was

my last day as the boys nanny after two and a half years of all sorts of adventures :).

Cole and Carter are 5 year old twins and Chase is 2 1/2. I started when Chase was just an

itty-bitty baby and the twins had just turned three. Needless to say, they kept me very busy!

They were the most adorable ring bearers in our wedding and donned some

pretty awesome Converse tennies with their tuxes.

God's timing is perfect because Cole and Carter are starting Kindergarten (today!)

just as Chris and I are possibly about to start a new chapter in our lives

(more on that later... no it's not a baby :). Chase is going to be taken care of by a sweet

woman and he'll get to play with one of his best friends almost every day.

Wow I'm going to miss them!

Anyways, as Aimee and Jason's going away/thank you gift I wanted to do a

family photo session for them. After the thousands of photos I've taken of the boys over

the years, I haven't actually done a session with the whole family so we headed over to the

Grand Haven beach for some fun in the evening sun.

{I think this next series of photos really define each of the boys}

This is Cole... he's tender-hearted, artistic, and pays great attention to detail. He's sensitive

(in a good way :) and appreciates the comforts of home. He loves to collect things

and carries his favorite toy of the moment everywhere. He's sweet, a little bit shy at first,

and has an imagination that can take him anywhere.

This is Carter... he's spunky, mischievous, and the best sharer you'll ever meet. He can

figure anything out and is a little too smart for his own good :). He's guilty

of breaking two windows in my first two months working there (yep...

it's true... I was mortified :) and loves being outside. He's generous, compassionate,

and loves to make other people laugh.

And this is Chase... my sweet baby Chase. He is always happy, loves to be outside,

and has a uncontrollably contagious smile. He has an obsession with cars,

trucks, and buses and can literally hear them a mile away. He really wants to be like

his big brothers and has sweet blue eyes that get me every time. He's so smart and is a big helper

(every morning when I get there, he runs to give me a hug, then runs to the dining room table

to pull out the chair I always put my bag on, then runs to get my slippers for me :).

He has the best tickle laugh and melts my heart every time he calls me "TT!"

And Aimee & Jason... trusting, flexible, and kind-hearted. They're wonderful

parents and have truly become great friends.

{love them}

{"Miss Christy" and her boys}

Thank you Aimee & Jason...not only for the awesome session, but

for letting me love on your boys every day for the last two and a half years.

It's been nothing short of perfect.

Megan and Matt :: Married!

2010-08-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Matt and Megan had an absolutely beautiful wedding last Friday at Sunnybrook Country Club

in Grandville, MI. The weather was perfect for their outdoor ceremony and the whole day was filled

with lots of DIY projects and personal details... my favorite!

Thank you Megan and Matt for allowing me to be a part of your amazing day!

Cooper was wishing he could be in the wedding too :)

First look - my favorite part of the day!

Another golfer was kind enough to share a congratulatory Guinness with the groom :)

{love these next two}

{tying the knot}

{ceremony}

Loved this idea! Guests were asked to predict the future of the couple on colored cards.

The cards corresponded with a year (1, 5, 15, and 25) on which the guests wanted Megan and Matt to

read on that anniversary. So creative! Although I don't know if I'd be able to

wait that long to read them all :)

The DJ's were so funny! They dressed up and had prizes and even had a hula hoop contest which got

everyone excited and out on the dance floor.

And I'd like to end with a little whimsical romance... my favorite shot of the day.

Nikki & Mitch :: Engaged!

2010-08-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Nikki and Mitch are planning a beautiful wedding in the Upper Peninsula where they went to
college together. They were engaged in June and after some serious coordinating, we
were able to schedule an engagement session here in Grand Rapids!
This couple loves the outdoors and all of the beauty Michigan has to offer so I wanted
to find a location to showcase some of that... and I'm pretty sure we found the perfect spot.
enjoy...

loving the earthy, romantic feel

{love!}

Love Mitch's face in the one on the left.

Now let's get a closer look at that bling!

Can't wait for September 3, 2011!

Thanks so much Nikki and Mitch - I had such a great time at the session!

Little Miss Helena is going to be an adorable flower girl :)

Sweet Baby Helena :: 9 months old

2010-08-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

If you've read my blog before, you will probably recognize this little beauty. I've had the

privilege to photograph Helena since the very beginning!

We headed out to Grand Haven for this adorable beach session... enjoy!

Had to sneak Helena's trendy Vera Bradley Bag into a few shots... I love Vera!

mmm... I love that face!

{perfect little toes}

I love these family portraits...

Thank you sweet baby Helena for being my longest running model and for prettying-up my

blog on a regular basis :)

The Fitzpatricks :: Family Session

2010-08-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

Meet the Fitzpatricks! I met this adorable family in downtown Rockford

for a perfect summer night session... enjoy.

This is Liam. He's a great big brother.

And this is Kevin... he's a pretty great little brother.

{beautiful family}

Love this next series...

The boys were having a great time just playing so it wasn't hard getting their big smiles to come out :)

And saving my two favorites for last... an example of how the boys had me laughing the whole time!

Thanks Scott, Colleen, Liam and Kevin for the awesome session!

Kristin & Tylor :: Married!

2010-07-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

I'd like to take you on a little journey to Brookside Farms... for the wedding of Tylor and Kristin!

You'll remember the adorable pair from their wintertime engagement session.

Kristin was my college roommate and is still one of my very best friends!

I was a bridesmaid in the wedding and our other roommate, Joy {of Joy Reisterer Photography}

was the official photographer. She was kind enough to have me assist her when it didn't

interfere with my bridesmaid responsibilities :). You should check out

her awesome post on the wedding day here.

Anyways... The wedding was held at Kristin & Tylors home church in Bloomingdale, MI

The same place her cousin Carly & Mark were married last year!

The reception was at one of my favorite places in the world, their blueberry farm!

...enjoy...

These are three of our favorite kids in the whole world - the boys were even sporting John Deere socks!

and this is their adorable little melt-your-heart blue-eyed sister...

My mom (the awesome floral designer :) did all of Kristin's bouquets, boutonnieres, etc.

The peonies were absolutely beautiful! I was a little obsessed...

Who can resist a blueberry ring shot?

Homemade jam favors!

They even had a kids table with coloring books, crayons, play-doh, and bubbles.

{first dance}

Josh Donnelly was their awesome videographer - he's also my very-soon-to-be brother-in-law (but I'm not biased, he really is amazing!)
Check out his stuff {www.JoshDonnelly.com}.

... and we're going to end with one last shot of Kristin, Joy and I.

Best friends... all grown up and married :)

Nancy & Greg :: Married!

2010-07-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Nancy & Greg were married in a beautiful ceremony in Milford, MI last month.

Nancy is a wonderful friend of mine and it was truly an honor being able

to photograph her wedding day!

{getting ready}

This is my Mom, Shelley. She and Nancy have been best friends ever since before I

was born! They've been through everything together and this picture of

them just makes me so happy :). My mom is the creative mastermind behind

all of the flowers you'll see here too!

{time to get married}

I love their faces in this one...

Elite Sweets cake... yum!

Their beautiful family

And we'll finish with a few portraits of the bride and groom...

{my absolute favorite of the day}

Thank you Nancy and Greg for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful day!

Love you :)

Sweet Baby Ethan :: 3 months old

2010-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Remember Ethan? He is growing up to be such a handsome little man!

We headed out to one of my favorite spots for his 3 month session. The setting sun

shared some gorgeous light with us and I'm pretty excited about how

these turned out... enjoy!

Shane & Kylee... thank you for allowing me to photograph your sweet baby again!

... and Ethan - thank you for being so stinkin' cute :)

Dawn and David :: Married!

2010-07-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

Dawn & David were married in a beautiful ceremony on July 10 surrounded by the

closest of family and friends. My husband Chris and Dave were roommates at Cornerstone and I
don't think I'll ever forget the first time Dave told me about Dawn :). One of the first

things he said was that she was funny and let me tell you, these two are

absolutely hysterical together! They had me laughing the whole day. Dave sang

a beautiful solo in our wedding and I'm so glad Chris and I were able to be a part of theirs.

Thanks for the wonderful day Dawn & Dave... May God bless your marriage!

{first look :: my favorite part of the day}

I loved her flowers!

{time to get married}

There was an extra special baby-in-da-belly as part of the wedding party too :)

This was Dawn & Dave's super-original non-traditional ring-shot idea - love it!

(told you they were funny :)

{reception}

I am completely convinced that photo booths bring out the very best in people...

{the end}

Katie & Josh :: Engaged!

2010-07-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Wow... I have so much blogging to do! Get ready for lots of updates this week!

Meet my beautiful sister, Katie and her wonderful fiance, Josh.

Their wedding is less than 3 weeks away! Katie was my Maid of Honor and

I am proud to be her Matron of Honor August 7. We did their

mini-engagement session a while ago {with Rebecca}, but things have been so busy in the

photography department that I'm just now getting around to posting it.

Thanks for your patience Josh & Katie (even though you really got these images

weeks ago :). I can't wait for your big day!

Katie totally has the 'smile with your eyes' thing mastered... and I'm a little jealous :)

I'm so proud of my little sister - she's starting her student teaching this fall! When she's

done, she'll have her Bachelors in English & Elementary Education from GVSU.

Josh just graduated from Calvin with a degree in Media Production. He's a

super talented videographer and did an amazing job on our wedding. Here's

a link to our wedding video and another to his website.

{Wilson Wedding Video} {JoshDonnelly.com}

We are really hoping one day we'll get to do weddings together :)

Did I mention they've been together since middle school? :)

{love you two}

Danielle & Jordan :: Engaged!

2010-06-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

Danielle and Jordan are one of my August couples. I love all of the details they were
telling me about for their wedding day! Danielle is such a sweet-heart and
Jordan had us laughing throughout the whole session. They are high-school sweethearts
and I'm thrilled to be able to document their wedding day soon!

{I love orchards... as if you couldn't tell from all of the other orchard sessions I've done...}

So our session went a little bit longer than a usual engagement session goes...
I blame it on these two...

How cute are they!? The big one is Rusty & the little one is Roxie... Danielle and Jordan
rescued these 6mo old lab mix pups not long ago. They are adorable
and full of energy! Black lab mix pups hold a special place in my heart...
I can't believe our Addie is 4 years old now!

{a beautiful little family}

Danielle has a stunning round solitaire engagement ring... you'll see more of it later in the post :)

{love}

At this point, Jordan said we needed to start the session over
because he had forgotten to put a little flower in Danielle's hair...
awe!

I have to give Danielle props for this awesome ring shot idea... love it!

Thanks so much Jordan & Danielle for meeting with me and bringing
along Rusty and Roxie! I had such a great time and can't
wait for your wedding day!

Sister Session :: Garden

2010-06-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

You may recognize these two cuties from their downtown session last year. I nannied

for them a few summers ago and love that we are still able to spend time

together! We headed over to their Mom's friends beautiful garden for this summertime session.

Enjoy!

{sweet faces}

Because the flowers were so gorgeous, I'm sneaking a few in with the girls :)

Twirling around...

...and monkeyin' around :)

and last but not least... my favorite set of the session.

Thank you girls for bringing your big smiles! And thank you Sue for allowing us

to use your beautiful garden for our session!

Beth & Benjie :: Married!

2010-06-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were able to travel down to Tennessee for

the beautiful wedding of Beth & Benjie!

We took a road trip down with my Nana and Pa in their RV for a long weekend.

Pa grew up in Camden, TN and Beth is his sisters grandaughter - so the whole day was

a family affair! They had every detail planned out perfectly. The color scheme

fit the warm day in May well. Beth was a stunning bride, Benjie was a handsome groom,

and together they make quite a pair :)

Enjoy!

I love the tradition of a bride having a big, beautiful white dress that she cannot possibly

put on by herself. There are so many parts of planning a wedding that

the bride can do (and does!) herself. But once it's time to

actually get married, you need your Mom and your Maids to help you with that

last step before marriage.

Maybe it's just me, but I think the symbolism is so special.

{Beautiful}

Their nieces :: waiting patiently

A gift from Beth to her daddy - so sweet.

Time for the first look! My favorite part of the day!

The look on Benjie's face says it all :)

One of my favorite parts of their relationship is how they make each other laugh :)

How cute are they?!

I was pretty excited to do some portraits in the little town square :)

Green crocs... with heels... love 'em!

I loved their flowers!

They had a pretty big (and pretty awesome) bridal party!

{here comes the bride}

{with this ring}

Now on to the beautiful reception...

getting a look at the cake...

Check out these awesome cake toppers - they're custom-made metal artwork by

AJD Designs!

Bevin is Beth's younger sister - she caught the bouquet and she just so happens

to be getting married this October!

I LOVE this idea! They had a "Kids Table" set up with wedding coloring books,

crayons, and silly bands bracelets. My personal favorite part

was the centerpiece in a yellow pail filled with a bouquet of lollipops!

The table was full during the whole reception :)

Beth is elementary school teacher so I thought this ring shot fit well :)

Congrats Beth & Benjie!

Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your beautiful day.

May God bless your marriage!

For those of you still reading... thanks for stickin it through my longest blog post ever :).
I had so many favorite photos... it was hard to narrow down!

Sweet Baby Helena :: 6 months old

2010-06-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you'll recognize this sweet face from my blog header! She's also made

appearances at her mommas baby belly session, newborn session, and 3 month session.

We did her 6 month session in two parts - first at home with a tutu, headband & pearls - then

out at the orchard with a bushel basket, quilt & lots of sunshine. Enjoy!

She is such a happy little girl...

This is Helena's great-grandmothers string of pearls :)

mmm those eyes!

Erika is such a great mommy - she adores her baby girl

Those big blue eyes and that pouty little lip are going to come in
handy when she starts asking for stuff from mom & dad :)
"pleeeeeeeease can I have a puppy?!"

Who do you think Helena looks like?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: On to Part Two :: The Orchard ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I would love a bushel basket full of Helena any day :)

She's discovering the power of rolling over :)

{Momma's love}

{and one of my favorite photos to date}

Megan & Matt :: Engaged!

2010-05-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Megan & Matt... they're getting married in August!

We met on a beautiful day in a field full of dandelions for their engagement session...

... with Cooper - their sweet yellow lab. He was very well behaved & was an

awesome model for me - despite the million and one distractions a park presents for a pup :)

Together they make a beautiful little family...

love this next series...

the way he looks at her :: pure love

I've been eying this awesome shed for a couple months, waiting for the perfect opportunity

to use it. I think this was it :)

Thanks to Megan & Matt (and Cooper!) for a great Saturday at the park.

Can't wait to see how the details of your day come together!

Sweet Baby Leland :: One month old

2010-05-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

Sweet baby Leland was first introduced to you as "Lennox :: the-baby-in-da-belly" at his

Momma's maternity session. He was born the twelfth of last month and once

Emily & Jacques got to know him, they decided Leland was a much more fitting

name for his calm & easy going personality :).

I'm sure you'll also remember his big brother Mac...

He is a really great big brother :)

{big feet & little feet}

Mac doing what 2 1/2 year olds do best...

... and Leland doing what newborns do best

This little baby is surrounded by lots & lots of love

{a beautiful family}

and we'll end with ten little toes...

God bless you baby Leland!

Andy & Lisa :: Married!

2010-05-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Andy and Lisa had an absolutely beautiful wedding here in Grand Rapids at the beginning of May.

It was small and intimate with the closest of friends and family in attendance.

The Leonard at Logan House was an absolutely perfect venue for the ceremony and reception!

It's a gorgeous little gem in East town with lots of good photo spots :).

Enjoy!

Their girls, Lexi, Rachel & Sara were simply beautiful.

{ohh romance}

This pink ring was a wedding gift from Andy to Lisa - how sweet is that?!

They walked into the wedding ceremony together - a unique little touch that fit them well.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Rachel played a beautiful song with

Emmett (her guitar teacher as well as a past client of mine :).

It was perfect.

The ceremony wasn't just for the bride and groom, it involved all three girls as well.

{married at last}

Andy and Lisa wrote their own vows, both to each other and to Lexi, Rachel and Sara.

Hers put tears in everyones eyes and his was a poem that had everyone laughing - it was so sweet.

Congrats Andy & Lisa! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your amazing day!

Special thanks to Rebecca Sissom {of Rebecca Sissom Photography} for

shooting with me all day!

Little Miss Claire :: 1 year

2010-05-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

Meet Little Miss Claire. She's just about one and is such a sweetheart.

I had such a great time at her session - she smiled and giggled the whole time!

I love this age - so curious about everything...

She's at that wobbly walking stage :)

{beautiful family}

That smile just melts my heart...

love love love little girly pig tails :)

She loves her momma & daddy :)

Happy girl!

Happy First Birthday Claire! You are as sweet a can be :)

Sweet Baby Ethan :: 5 days old

2010-05-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

Ohh how I loved this session with Ethan. He is an absolute angel.

He was only 5 days old for our session and slept the entire time. His chubby cheeks

and curly lips just melted my heart.

...ten little fingers & ten little toes...

He is so itty-bitty...

mmm... that button nose and those curly lips - love it!

I spy a little smile :)

The love that Shane & Kylee have for their first child is absolutely beautiful.

Mommy's little boy...

... and Daddy's little man.

I love the perspective of Ethan's teeny little fingers on his Dad's.

... and I'd like to end with his amazing little head of hair :)

Thanks Shane & Kylee for inviting me in your home & allowing me to

love on your baby for a couple hours!

And thanks Ethan for being such an awesome baby to photograph :)

Coming Soon!

2010-05-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with weddings & sessions and I'm loving every minute of it!

Here is a little preview of all the goodness that is on its way...

{handsome baby Ethan :: 5 days old}

{adorable little Helena :: 6 months old}

{Josh + Katie :: engaged love}

{Andy + Lisa + the girls :: married}

{sweet little Claire :: 1 year old}

...coming soon!

Emmett :: Portrait Session

2010-04-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

Meet Emmett - he's a musician & model here in Grand Rapids. He heard about

me from Lisa & Andy (who are getting married this weekend)!

Emmett needed some updated head shots for his agency so we headed

downtown for a pretty awesome session...

Thanks for the great session Emmett! See you at the wedding on Saturday!

{Butterflies are Blooming}

2010-04-13T16:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from my trip to the Fredrick Meijer Gardens. It's absolutely

beautiful there and I'm so thankful that I live just a few miles away! I'm going to try

to sneak back one more time before the butterflies are gone at the end of April.

A flowering cactus in the "Arid Garden."

These are called fringed tulips :: part of their spring showcase :: love them!!

At the butterfly exhibit, they give out passport booklets to help identify the

butterflies you see. From what I can tell, the ones I have here are

all Longwinged Postmen with different patterns and they all originate

from Central & South America.

Love this set... and he's off!

Three butterflies in one frame! I got pretty lucky!

(although there are a ton of butterflies there anyway :)

:: feeding on some nectar ::

... now just a few more beautiful flowers...

Have a blessed week!

{gardens}

2010-04-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

I headed up to the Fredrick Meijer Gardens for a little bit yesterday. The Butterflies

are Blooming exhibit is up until the end of April. I have a lot of good images

I'm working on, but for now here is a favorite:

I'll have a full blog post up with butterflies soon :)

{springtime}

2010-04-07T15:30:00.000-07:00