and did i mention that the girl can seriously rock a photo session?

caroline, thanks so much for spending the morning shooting with me this week. you’re just a doll, and i wish you the best of luck at auburn in the fall (rosemary, are you ok with this college situation?)

krystyna and kyle are each physicians specializing in neurology and infectious diseases, respectively, and in a proposal perfectly suited only for them, kyle schemed with the chief resident to add a surprise ending to krystyna’s neurology presentation on myelopathy early this year. he asked for the rest of his life together with her…and she said yes.

despite the feeling that i should be intimidated in the company of these two minds (although i do consider myself a bit of an expert on myelopathy now since my time on google), it’s impossible not to adore krystyna and kyle. they’re incredibly down-to-earth and relaxed, and every minute of my time with them was delightful.

but far more important than that, krystyna and kyle adore one another. clearly.

krystyna and kyle, i am honored to have the opportunity to shoot your wedding this summer. and like i said to you earlier, after seeing how you rocked an engagement session, i can’t wait to see your work on your wedding day!

but now, i couldn’t believe what i was hearing on the other end of the line.

they had been expecting news of another child…a daughter. but an urgent call came with the announcement of a days-old baby boy who needed a family. it didn’t take more than a whisper of a prayer to know that everything was changing. they were going to have a son.

carrie has spent the past three weeks alone in congo while dylan cared for mila here, but last night they finally came together as a family of four. for me it seemed like carrie’s plane would never land. i can only imagine what it felt like for these two…

but amidst the buzz of the busy airport, anxiety turned to joy when carrie and hudson finally rounded the corner.

and just like that, the opportunity came for carrie to introduce the two most important men in her life.

after some private moments alone upstairs, the new family of four made their way down the escalator to a host of excited family and friends.

but even more than the contagious smiles i saw at every turn, i was struck by two things: a daddy who couldn’t take his eyes off of his son and a mommy and daughter who held tight enough to one another to make up for the three weeks they were separated.

dylan, carrie, mila, and hudson – it has been our immeasurable joy to walk along beside you through these journeys of adoption. we love you dearly and are overwhelmed with thankfulness for how the lord has created your precious family.

i first fell in love with kelly and dennis when i shot their engagement photos last year, and i’ve been sitting on go ever since waiting for their wedding day to arrive. but the problem i keep running into is that i love too much about them to sum it up into a nice little package. so here goes my list starting with the first look kelly and dennis shared early in the day (and brides, if this doesn’t make you swoon…)

i love how much kelly and dennis adore being together – it’s written all over their faces!

and i love how much love and affection they show toward one another (i’m going to use this first set of photos that anna i took simultaneously to lovingly shoot down the “first-looks-take-away-from-seeing-each-other-for-the-first-time-in-the-ceremony” theory. this is some serious sweetness!)

on a total girly note, i adore kelly’s tastes and sense of style…

not to mention the fact that she’s such an amazing and timeless beauty.

but i learned pretty quickly that you can’t love kelly and dennis without loving their friends and families. these people know how to work a camera!!

of all the things i love about kelly and dennis, though, one thing in particular stands out far above the rest. i knew it the day i met them, and through allllll the hours we’ve spent working together now, they’ve never disappointed. i simply ADORE how much kelly and dennis love to laugh and enjoy life.

but when you meet their friends and families, it’s so easy to see where that comes from. they’re awesome!

kelly and dennis, words can’t possibly convey what an awesome time i’ve had working with you over these past months. you’re nothing short of delightful and fantastic – i love you guys!!

(oh, and please tell abby i love her, too.)

wedding and reception venue: the sonnet house
catering: happy catering
flowers: hothouse design studio
cakes: olexa’s
videography: i do flix

after a long, exhaustive search of venues, kendee and drew finally settled on cameron oaks farm for their wedding weekend festivities, and i couldn’t have been happier with their choice.  it’s a photographer’s dream!

one of the best parts of cameron oaks farm is that the wedding party has use of the gorgeous cabin for both the big day and the day before, so when i arrived kendee was just getting out of the shower after a good night’s sleep. her prep team set to work and within no time she was a bride.

accompanied by her fabulous bridesmaids, we set to work on the day’s photos. the girls were perfectly pretty in pink.

and the guys? yeah, they rocked it like superheroes.

but the real emotion kicked in when kendee and drew had a quiet moment alone before their ceremony. and you need to know that drew himself formed this ring out of a coin and put their wedding date inside. swoon.

the ceremony time arrived as a cool breeze rustled the massive trees above…

and within minutes, they were husband and wife.

kendee and drew, you have been nothing short of ah-ma-zing to work with over these last many months. and as thankful as i am to have had the pleasure of shooting your wedding, i’m more thankful to have the pleasure of now calling you friends. i love you guys!!

(and on a side note, i’m feeling a strange need to don cowboy boots and eat my weight in cake pops.)

*anna, THANK YOU once again for your continued fabulousness. you captured some major gems!!*