Beth and Tom are such a sweet couple! They met in college….and shared a love for MSU Football, tailgating and being surrounded by amazing friends and family. Their love for each other and amazing friendship grew while they both finished school and began their careers, then a few years later while traveling in Italy, Tom popped the question….and Beth said yes…and the rest is history…or at least the beginning of a new chapter of their lives which I loved being able to be a part of! Everything was absolutely fabulous! I am so excited to finally get to share some of my favorites from their day!

The Details

Rehearsal Dinner: City Kitchen

Ceremony: Our Lady Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe Woods, MI

Reception: The Detroit Athletic Club in downtown Detroit, MI

Caterer: The Detroit Athletic Club

Colors: Black & White

Beth getting all dolled up for her BIG day…love these Kate Spade shoes… and Beth’s dress is simply stunning!happy bride and her daddy wowza!

Beth…you are breathtaking! SERIOUSLY.the ladies could not be more gorgeous! Bowties are pretty much amazing!

what a bunch of handsome guys!I love how excited Tom is as he waits for the ceremony to start…LOVE.the HAPPY couple!This is Tom’s favorite place for Coney Dogs in Detroit….so of course we needed to stop by! Coney Dogs are heavenly…and soooo Detroit!Beth is brave for getting near coney dogs in her dress….LOVE brides like her!The guys could not resist getting a picture in front of the Joe Louis Arena

yup…that’s Canada in the background

this cake is absolutely perfect!Everything looks sooo elegant….The D.A.C. does a fabulous job with weddings!the happy couple during their first dance

before I left, we headed to the rooftop for a few more pictures…I just adore the Detroit skyline at night! This image reminds me of an old movie…

Congrats Beth & Tom! It was so much fun hanging out with you! I wish you many many years of happiness together!

I know, I know, I’m a week late in talking about all of my resolutions…but it really has been fabulous to take some time off for the Holiday Season and just have family time! We filled our days with lots of holiday crafts, comfort foods, footie pajamas, classic Christmas movies and lots and lots of snuggle time (oh, and maybe a little bit of Justin Bieber’s Christmas Album….but I swear it was “for the kids” ) Family time made my heart happy and my kids are growing up way too fast for me to miss out

Taking time off was also a great way for me to reflect on this past year and many things I am so grateful for as well as what I need to improve…so if you aren’t annoyed yet by all of the New Years Resolution blog posts, go ahead and read all about my goals for 2012:

Get Fit!

Yup, I want to join the masses and lose a few pounds (or 15…but who’s counting). I have every excuse in the book about why I let myself get a nice little muffin top…I’m busy, I just had a baby (well…. 2.5 years ago!), I am stressed out, blah blah blah…. but I am sick of hearing myself justify it….yup, I’m done…and its time to change.

I want to make more time to exercise, dance and be more active every day as well as eating better than before. I already LOVE veggies and eating clean when I can, but coffee and sugar are my weakness so I can easily fall off the wagon if I see a plate full of brownies! Don’t even get me talking about how much I gained over the holidays, but how could I say no to all of those wonderfully gooey desserts! I have started working out a bit with my dusty old 30 Day Shred DVD and a new one that I snagged at Walmart from the PussyCat Dolls (I just have to be careful not to do this one in front of the kids!) Hopefully by the end of this year I will have my pre-baby body back and I want to make sure my kids learn some healthy habits instead of becoming total T.V. zombies!

I also LOVE to use my iPhone to help me keep track of things such as what I am eating and how many glasses of water I have had each day (never enough!). I fell in love with the My Fitness Pal app last year and I started using it again recently…and its totally FREE! It lets you track everything and it even has a barcode scanner to save time when tracking your favorite foods….plus you can connect with friends so you can be accountable. No more excuses! I LOVE it!

Get Organized!

Who doesn’t add this to their list? Thanks to my Pinterest addiction, I am sure I can make this happen without it feeling as overwhelming as it has in the past. I never knew where to start and what the end result should look like. I am a girl who needs visual guidelines. There are so many images there that inspire me to get my closets, drawers, pantry and life in working order. I have already begun a few projects around the house…and to be honest I think I am becoming addicted to organizing. In fact I have started stalking this blog that is full of fab ideas and free printables! If you have a chance to pop over there and check out her house you will be amazed…and she has 3 boys! Yup, Jen is my new hero! I can’t wait to declutter and live more simply, I know its going to help us all to have less stress in our lives. My only problem is that IKEA is so far away But, I do have an online shopping cart at the Container Store full of things like this:

and eventually I want my pantry to look like this:

I must be getting old when getting my house in order is this exciting! Ha!

Spend More Time with my Family!

Just look at these stinkers….they totally need more mommy time!

My life is sooo sooo busy and I am a bit of a Free Spirit, so I know I struggle with time management and its ALWAYS been a struggle to make enough time for family. I honestly don’t know if you ever feel satisfied as a working mom in this area, but I certainly can do more to make sure I get the most out of my time with them.

Recently while attending the HER Conference, I was able to meet Chenin Boutwell, a fabulous photographer/blogger/entrepreneur mama from California who also happens to be AH-MAZ-ING at time management. She shared some very fabulous tips on how to balance photography and motherhood that I plan to incorporate into my life. My calendar system is about to get a total overhaul! You can check out Chenin’s new blog Fudge Banana Swirl to for some wonderful tips too! Warning….you will get addicted!

More Date Nights with The Hubs!

This is something I truly NEED! Drew and I have been together for almost 11 years (seriously how did that go by so fast!) and we are probably the closest we have ever been….I can’t tell you how much of a blessing it is to have a husband who is my best friend. I thank God every day for bringing him into my life. We’ve been through some major valleys to get here, and I want to start making more time to actually spend together without the kids screaming, phone ringing and computers stealing our attention.

Once a week we are going to unplug and have a glass of wine and chat about our day, play cards, monopoly, slow dance in the living room…and every other month I plan on having an actual babysitter date night where we can go out on the town….even if that means we just go to a coffee shop and grab a latte together…I don’t mind being a cheap date…whatever it takes to make sure we stay connected. Having a healthy marriage is so important to me and its easy to get too caught up in a busy life and the kids and not make time for each other. I simply can’t wait to see how much this will improve what we already have….LOVE is such a BEAUTIFUL thing

More “ME” Time!

If I confessed to you how many days of the week I stay in my P.J.’s you would probably freak…well, unless of course you stay in your P.J.’s too much also. In that case, we BOTH need an intervention!!!

10 years ago, I wouldn’t be caught dead without my hair & nails done, and make-up perfectly applied. I spent hours per day on looking adorable….HOURS. PER. DAY. Now, I’m lucky to give it 15 minutes. I also spent all my money on the cutest clothes, shoes, meaningless junk and going out…. Oh how times have changed. Although I am super duper thankful for not being stuck in the same place I was 10 years ago (I would travel back in time and smack that girl if I could!), I do realize I could also learn a lot from her.

Having children will change you, but instead of becoming less self-absorbed, I pretty much let it all go. Of course, I still adore looking cute when I have a meeting or event…but on a daily basis, after chasing kids, cooking dinner, and managing my business, I do not make time to take care of myself. Yes, there is a time for yoga pants (Lord knows I have enough for every day of the month), but what I am doing is overkill! It has gotten so bad that when I spend time putting on my make-up and doing my hair, my kids beg me not to leave….and I am not even going anywhere.

Clearly I need a schedule. Working from home can be a trap…it might sound great to work in your P.J.’s, but its not the best way to stay productive or inspired. Its so funny how a lot of people start a business to stop punching the time clock and then they slowly realize that a time clock is exactly what they need

So, here’s my plan….I need a schedule. To be realistic, I have to have certain days that I can totally rebel and stay in my yoga pants…but as I revamp my calendar and my schedule, I will choose specific days that are my work days and I have to require myself to get ready just as if I was leaving for work. On my days “off” I can stay comfy, but I still need to look put together…because I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me! (yes, that was a little Stuart Smalley reference for ya!)

Re-Organize My Business!

I have learned over the last 6 years or so that some things work and others just don’t. To be honest some tasks are just not my favorite way to spend my time, so I am not the best person for that particular job. This year, I am finally outsourcing some of those tasks so that I can be much more productive. I will be adding a few fabulous people to my team so that my business can grow and so I can focus on doing the things I love such as shooting more sessions & weddings, chatting it up with my clients, scouting awesome locations, and BLOGGING more On that note, I have a few really fun things that I am adding to my blog coming very soon that I am super excited about!! I can’t wait to share them with you!

I also am planning on redoing my office this year….so stay tuned for updates on that too!

Make More Time for GOD!

I could cry for years over how much I have been blessed….life is not a cakewalk…but so what. Who said it would be easy? Would I even want that life? I am excited to have challenges, to grow, and to learn as a person, and to grow closer to God. He has stuck with me when I was completely foolish, and His love has never failed me….even when I felt I had no one….He was there.

My faith has not ever been something that I shout from the mountain tops and into people’s faces….its a very personal relationship to me. I grew up really religious, and some of it was very good, but I also saw a lot of hate and a ton of judgement, and that is not how I wanted to be as a person. That is also not what God wants for me either. I want to make more time to show God’s love in my life and to talk about it…its a scary thing to open up that part of you. Its something that either people love or hate, and it can bring some very unwelcome opinions. I am not preachy, and I never will be, so you won’t see that side of things here. I simply want to make more time for God in my life by attending church more regularly with my family, reading more of my Bible, praying and reflecting on what He has in store for me….and giving back. I know that this may seem small to some of you, but to me, doing this will spark some very BIG things, and I am excited to fill my life with more of what I am lead to do….its been such a lovely journey so far and I just know that its only going to get better

A Few More Random Things to do for 2012…

• Schedule a Family Portrait Session!!! Our last one was 2 years ago now!
• Reorganize my personal photos and make yearly photo books
• Take at least 3 family trips (I already have 2 planned!)
• Connect more with some of my oldest & dearest friends (miss you Jenny & Trena!)
• Renovate the Basement into our new Master Suite…50′s houses just don’t have room for a modern family of 5
• Attend a Photography Workshop to stay inspired (first I need to narrow it down)
• Add things to my completely empty Etsy Shop (yet another business venture for me)
• Get started on some of personal photography projects (shooting for yourself is very important!)

What kinds of things are you doing to make this year fabulous? I’d love to hear all about it!

Cheers to getting our lives in order….even if we lose steam…its always great to get back up and start again! 2012 is going to ROCK!!!

Oh how I LOVE Kelly & Doug! I adore them…not only because we seem to share the same LOVE for the Grand Ledge Opera House (where I also got married), but because they are some of the most fun and most genuine people I have ever met. Their wedding day was filled with lots of LOVE and tons of fun and I am so glad that I was able to be there to capture it. Hanging out with people in love is my favorite thing to do!

I LOVE her dress and these Red Wedding Shoes are to die for!!!

Fabulous BLING!Kelly is such a natural beauty and her smile simply lights up the room….Kelly is such a stunning bridethese girls love to have funit was so fun that Doug had a grey tux instead of the traditional black, it worked perfectly with their fall colors Doug is such a cutie pie!the guys looked so handsome….awe!

doi their flower girls were adorable! what a beautiful bride and such proud parentsI love capturing the groom’s expression as the bride walks down the aisle…Mr. & Mrs.what a fabulous wedding party!it was so beautiful how happy they were to be married to each other! They both could barely stop smiling…awe….but they still worked it for the camera like some super models….the fall colors were perfect for their wedding day….and the weather was amazing too! Such a blessing for an outdoor wedding in Michigan in October!red wedding shoes and a fab tattoo…Kelly is my new BFF!I heart brides that aren’t too scared to sit on a fence in their dress…LOVE these!Kelly and Doug also used Beth Henderson for their wedding cake….she also happened to do our wedding cake too…great minds must think alike! yummo!

At the reception, Kelly changed her wedding flower to a red one…I LOVE when brides mix things up for party time.so cute!!LOVE this one! What an honor to be able to be part of you day…I wish you both many many years of happiness! xoxo

Aren’t all of these girls GORGEOUS!?? Total HOTNESS!!oh…and Jason cleans up real nice too hehe

love his smile! Jason gave his groomsmen canes that turned into swords as gifts…so of course we had to use them in some photos…this group of guys were sooo much fun!and they were such cuties!awe….I love the smile on Heather’s face as she heads down the aisle…

Bling!so happy together!seriously, Heather + Jason are supermodels.com!we found a fun old abandoned motel on the side of the road that was perfect for pictures LOVE that purple door! oh, aannnnd that HOT couple in front of it then we stumbled upon the cutest roadside fruit and vegetable stand….I just LOVE happy accidents like that awe!!!!!!Heather & Jason’s reception was stunning! RSVP Events did a fabulous job putting it all together!

Heather’s mom is BFF’s with one of past bride’s mom….what a small world! So fun to see you again Mary! I adore how much Heather & Jason Love each other! Thank you soooo much for choosing me to capture your day! xoxo

While traveling, Charlotte was walking through the airport and she spotted Wes, who was looking quite dapper in his Army uniform….how can any girl resist that!? The instant she walked past him, she felt as if there was something very special about him, but at that point he was merely some guy in a sea of people…and essentially a stranger that she would never see again, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was something more than that. Then as she sat on her plane, waiting for the remainder of the passengers to board, she was surprised to see Wes sitting down next to her….sparks flew and for the next few hours they chatted, exchanged numbers and over the next few months they started a fabulous long distance romance that included writing letters back and forth while Wes was deployed (just like in the movie Dear John! *Swoon*)…now the two of them are living in Chicago and planning a fabulous wedding in March which I am so honored to be able to capture!

For their engagement session we headed to Bethany Beach near Sawyer, MI…its such a fun little beach community where Wes and his family have vacationed for years. When they visit the cottage together, Charlotte and Wes often head down to the beach with an old blanket and 2 mugs of coffee and they sit together watching the waves roll in and snuggling…in fact this beach is also where Wes proposed to Charlotte…so naturally we had to incorporate such a special place into their shoot….

the day couldn’t have been more perfect….hardly a cloud in the sky….

Lake Michigan is gorgeous this time of year….and Wes + Charlotte are pretty adorable too! I LOVE Sandy Then we headed to their favorite spot in the woods….it was so full of the most amazing light!when Wes + Charlotte first started dating they carved their name in this tree…so we returned and Wes carved their wedding date too…isn’t that the sweetest thing…one day their children and grandchildren will walk in these woods and see this tree and be reminded of their love for each other….it makes my heart melt!

They are so stinkin’ cute together!Wes has a major love for biking….and he even has this vintage bike that I fell in LOVE with too…perfect for pictures!oh my stars…they both have the most amazingly beautiful blue eyes! after a quick change, we headed to a quaint little town nearby for some urban shots….I just LOVE what we came up with!this one makes me swoon!LOVE!Charlotte & Wes….I adore the two of you to pieces and I cannot wait for your wedding day! Only a few more months left!

but thankfully I survived….and maybe we’ll try again tomorrow.

Even if you do everything to prepare yourself, getting married outside in Michigan can be very very tricky. This Summer, in particular, was unusually full of rainy Saturdays….but the rest of the week would be cloudless and sunny. That may be perfect for lazy beach days, but not so perfect for weddings. Needless to say, as I saw the grey and overcast skies on the morning of Maegan and Nate’s wedding, I was a bit worried. It sprinkled a bit as I got ready to leave, but then the sun started to peak through and I thought the worst was over As I headed to The English Inn, I gave Maegan a call and reassured her that her day would be amazing…and that it was simply not going to rain…then as soon as I hung up he phone, the skies opened up and began to pour! I felt as if I jinxed the whole thing!

Luckily, when I arrived, Maegan was as sweet as could be and completely ready to take on whatever the day was going to throw at her as gracefully as possible. If her outdoor wedding was going to get rained out, and her plans to have pictures in the MSU Rose Garden had to be scrapped, then she was still determined to be as happy as could be. She was my hero…a girl who can remain this calm in this situation is something you don’t come across very often….and I HAD to make sure she had some amazing pictures…even if it rained!

We spent the rest of the morning checking the radar, and coming up with plan B, C, D & E in between taking pictures of the bridal party and detail shots.. it was looking pretty grim and everyone started preparing for the worst. My heart was broken for them…Nate and Maegan are both such amazing people and I could not imagine having such an amazing wedding planned in the beautiful outdoors and then having to move it all inside among the tables where their cocktail hour was to take place. It would still be beautiful, but it wouldn’t be what they had worked so hard to create…it wouldn’t have been their dream wedding. So, Bregan and I stood outside in the rain, held hands and began to pray…whether or not this actually helped, we will never know, but soon the clouds parted and the sun came out and dried up every trace of rain just in time for their ceremony….it couldn’t have been more perfect timing.

I was in awe….it was truly a blessing, and they are one amazing couple that completely deserved it.

I have a feeling that even if it rained, they would have enjoyed their day just as much. After all, they were marrying the one they LOVED and that is all that mattered

Thank you so much, Maegan & Nate, for allowing me to capture your day and to be able to witness how BIG your LOVE is for each other….I just know the two of you will have many many happy years together!

I loved her dress and all the little touches on her bouquet…such lovely shoes… LOVE the rings….Maegan, you are STUNNING!Nate’s not so bad either….we took full advantage of any awning or overhang we could find to get photos…. can you see the raindrops?What a cutie pie ring bearer…LOVE these! while it rained we ducked into a library at the English Inn for a few photos….I just LOVE when a change of plans help to create something even more beautiful <3 such fabulous receptions details….I adore their cake topper! Maegan found it on Etsy! what a beautiful couple….Maegan even brought this sign for their Thank You Cards

Logan is one adorable guy! Ok, most 17 year old guys probably don’t want to be called “adorable”, but that how I roll…and no matter how you slice it, he’s a cutie! It was so much fun hanging out with him and his mom for his session….check out a few that I LOVE

Have a fabulous senior year Logan!!!

Kendra is SO MUCH FUN! She showed up at my studio for her session as happy as could be and as we chatted all about wardrobe and backgrounds, I started to feel like I’d known her for years. If only she had graduated about 15 years ago, she could’ve easily been my BFF! (gasp! am I really that old??!!!)

One of the first things I notice about her was her smile….simply gorgeous! Plus Kendra is so at home in front of the camera that everything she did was completely adorable…I can’t wait to have her model for me soon…more about that later

Thanks so much for hanging with me Kendra!!! Here’s a few of my faves!

Love this dress…Kendra has such great style!adorable!what a cutie! Congrats Kendra on your last year of school! I just know its going to be one of the best years of your life! xoxo

Katie & Dave go together like peas & carrots…and I LOVE them to pieces! Their sweet little backyard wedding, overlooking the lake, was filled with vintage details and handmade touches that were as adorable as could be! I am so honored to be able to work with such wonderful couples….and Katie + Dave are definitely at the top of my list of all time favorite people! I am just sooo happy for the two of them and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for them!

Dave is such a cutie pie!

Even though Katie walked down the rose petal covered aisle in her bare feet….she still had some sweet little yellow shoes that I loved! What a perfect combo with her yellow and pink wedding colors.Katie….you are stunning!!! Hangin’ with the boys is always a blast!but the girls are pretty fabulous too… Bravo for brides who let their girls wear different colored dresses…its so much fun to think outside of the box!Katie & Dave had the sweetest little flower girls…and instead of traditional wedding music they chose to have a wonderfully talented friend stroll behind them singing “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson…it was honestly one of the most beautiful ceremonies I’ve ever seen…

There is something so wonderful about the fact that they were married under an old tree in Dave’s parent’s backyard….I completely adore weddings like these!

you guys are cuties! Mason Jars + Handmade details = LOVELove the Scrabble pieces!Rockstar Super-Models!

wildflowers are my fave!Thanks Katie & Dave for choosing me to be such a special part of your day! I will adore you both forever!!!!