Julian and Brittany

When I decided I wanted to get back into weddings, I knew I had to update my portfolio. More importantly, though, I had to scratch this creative itch in between the deciding to do weddings and actually shooting weddings.

I found a beautiful couple, Julian and Brittany. They’ve been married for about a year and were so wonderful as to get dressed up for me! My husband and Julian use to be pretty great work out buddies until Josh started going to a later class (yay sleep). Brittany might be tiny but she is a beast. She is one of the mighty minis at our gym. They were actually married up near Seattle, so it was their first time being an Arizona bride and groom. I found a beautiful venue, thank you Hanleys for opening your home! I had had this vision since visiting their home about a year ago. Makayla has a horse, Penelope, and she joined us for a few photos. And to be honest, Penelope is the real hero of the day, she was so patient for us! My friend, Leslie, did hair and makeup. And I found a very talented decor specialist, Chantel, who made a beautiful artificial floral bouquet and boutonniere, you can find her on Instagram. I think this is such a great alternative to real flowers!

So I guess you can call this a baby styled shoot, definitely dipped my toes in collaborating… and it was way worth it!

I didn’t realize when I organized this that I would have plenty of opportunities second shooting with talented photographers. However, this filled a little hole in my creative heart! I got plenty of practice working with and having my own bride and groom in front of my camera. In the midst of our session, I was chatting with Julian and Brittany, and I think above all, I want my couples to feel comfortable, confident and have fun in front of my camera on their wedding day.

I have reserved a booth at the Arizona bridal expo in January and to say I’m a little nervous is maybe an understatement. It is a big undertaking and no promised outcome but if I can meet a couple bride and grooms and have half as much fun with them as I did with Julian and Brittany, I will be one lucky wedding photographer! And now I have a horse shot in my portfolio, so there’s that too 😉