Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Lindsey and Rob

She knew.
It was plain as day.  Either she was going to marry him or someone exactly like him.
Him?
Well, he was oblivious. 
He knew she was great, that's exactly why he was thrilled she would be volunteering with the youth group he led.  But he was so focused on caring for those kids, it didn't cross his mind that this was the woman he would want to spend all of his days with.
Conversations continued.  Coffee was shared.  Life was discussed.  Stories were told. 
And as he caught a real window into who she was, he knew he had to say something.  Because he couldn't let her go.
And in a few short months (7 to be exact...) they will declare in front of family and friends that no matter what, they won't let go of each other...ever.  And I couldn't be more excited for them.

Lindsey and Rob, oh.my.word.  Can I just say that I love the two of you?  Because it's true.  And the way you love each other.  (and how hilarious you both are)  Thank you.  For sharing that love with me and with those around you.  Because instead of just keeping that beautiful love to yourselves, you go out and share what love really looks like with everyone around you.  We could not be more excited to capture your wedding day.  And to go out for coffee dates any time between now and then...

To see a full slide-show of their pictures, just go HERE.

Meet Rob and Lindsey...

Okay, LOVE.  Lindsey, you are stunning...





I melted.  Into a pile of mush.  You two are beyond adorable.



Um.  WOW.



Rob, you BROUGHT it.


Quite possibly one of my favorite pictures EVER.

Lindsey.  Again with that whole you-are-stunning thing.


I love them.  So much.


I love that they were willing to dance in the middle of the sidewalk. 


LOVE LOVE LOVE



I told them to make it look like you were in middle school again.  I think they got it.





Now do you understand why I love them?  SO MUCH.




And again, for a full slide-show of their pictures, you can click HERE.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Jim and Ann's Wedding - Second Shooting with the Incredible Nate Mathai

Nate Mathai.
He's a photographer.  Of the insanely talented persuasion.  And he's so incredibly kind.  So when I was given the opportunity to second shoot for him at a wedding...well, let's just say I was excited.
Then I met the groom's family.
And I fell in LOVE.
With their graciousness, with their hilarity, with their details, their beauty, their rituals and their INCREDIBLE food.
And I kept looking around thinking how unbelievably grateful I was to be there, capturing this amazing couple, working with this awesome photographer and spending time with these precious people.

So without further ado, here are some of the beautiful moments that I was welcomed into...  (and to see more [especially more pictures of the beautiful bride] go to Nate's post HERE.


Meet the handsome, oh-so-gracious and completely in love with his bride, groom.

His attire for the day

Okay, I love this picture.  This is the groom's dad carefully placing some of the gifts for his daughter-in-law (which are a part of their ceremony) back into their special case.  As I watched the tenderness with which he handled these gifts, I held back tears as I saw how much he already loves her.

Oh these groomsmen.  They were the BEST.  I'm pretty sure I was doubled over laughing anytime they were around.

And yes, they have a serious side, too.

So...as I learned, Indian ceremonies are full of beautiful traditions.  Ways to stop and honor family and friends, opportunities to fully enter into the story of this day, and space to really experience the community around you.  The following pictures capture different moments from some of those traditions.  (which were so meaningful and inspiring)  One such tradition has his closest friends and family do one part of getting him dressed.  These are his brothers attaching his cuff links.

This is his mom.  Whom I adore.  Right after she had buttoned his vest.  Words cannot express how precious this lady is...  Or how much I love this picture.



Their saris?  Stunning.  (And can we just note how adorable this little girl is?!?)

A time of prayer asking for God's blessing upon the couple.



At this point I was holding back tears.  His parents are so wonderful.


Jim and his dad.  These are two incredible men.

The groomsmen praying for Jim right before the ceremony. 



Jim's face as he saw Ann walk down the aisle.   And as you'll see - she is stunning.

The church.

Though it was beautiful, it was a longer ceremony.  One little guy couldn't quite make it through...


The colors were stunning.

After the ceremony, Nate took the family portraits while I took little detail shots.  Like this...
This expression?  Made my day.




About to make their exit from the church...




Their reception was held at Drury Lane.  The details?  So pretty.  I was able to take these while Nate was capturing incredible pictures of the bridal party...

And there's Nate himself...  Have I mentioned that he's great?



So another favorite part of their wedding day?  Family and friends prepare dances for the bride and groom to open up the dance floor.
Let's just say the dances were pure awesome-ness.
These guys brought it.
And you MUST check out Nate's post for more unbelievable shots...

And then the dancing began.  (PS: they had some of the most incredible emcee's ever)
Side note: can you tell these guys are brothers?


Thank you again to Nate Mathai for letting me work with you.  It was an honor.  And congratulations to Jim and Ann!  I loved being a part of your day.