Jake + Laura

She is a gorgeous, graceful mezzo-soprano with impeccable taste. He's a funny, young-at-heart tenor who also has amazing taste...in women. ;) Together, they are Laura + Jake, and they are beautiful. Jake and Laura met at IU, where they both got their masters degrees. Two South Carolinans whose paths crossed at just the right time, I feel priviledged to have gotten the opportunity to witness their love.

Guys, thanks for your loveliness, your willingness to be vulnerable and beautiful in front of my camera, and for giving me the opportunity to witness this beauty:

I love that look. We postponed this session twice due to weather...I'd say it was worth it. Hello yummy light!

Laura and Jake were introduced to one another at Oliver Winery, so we started the session off with a little wine date there. LOVE!

Rawr!

I'm so lucky. I love my job. :)

After a little wardrobe change, we took a little trip to IU's campus, to the area where Jake first told Laura that he loved her. I love it when couples choose places that are meaningful to them!

To watch more of Jake & Laura's love, click the slideshow below!

heather + mike

Let me just start off this post by saying that I love my job. When people ask me what types of sessions are my most favorite, I often tell them that engagement sessions are my favorite. It is because you get to capture this special moment in two people's lives, when they are anticipating marriage and they're so in love. It is a privilege to capture that time. 

Heather and Mike are awesome. I'll just put that out there. I've known Heather for awhile (she's a fellow soprano IU alum, who is amazingly talented, I might add), but when I met her other half, I fell in love with them. They are just perfect for each other. And they're so FUN! As we were sitting at Starbucks in Bloomington, telling me about how they met and how long they've been together, I just knew I wanted to be there to document their story. And when Mike clued me in on his connections to Wrigley field and his life-long Cubs love affair, I knew my husband would love them, too. :) 

We drove to Chicago last fall to document their love, and it was one of the most fun photography weekends ever! Full disclosure: I had a really  hard time narrowing down the amount of images in this post.

We started things off at Wrigley Field. Yeah, no big deal. My husband has been watching the Cubs religiously on TV (that's why he has a few gray hairs) since he was very young, yet he had never had the chance to go to a game live or step foot in this historic stadium. The first time we went there, we got to sit in the dugout. I told Ayron, "See? Being a photographer has its perks!" And by that, I mean photographing awesome people has its perks. 

Heather and Mike, how are you two so adorable?

 

They're just lying on top of the dugout and being cute...I'm sure that happens all of the time at Wrigley. ;)

 

You guys are ridiculously good looking. I'm just saying...

  

 Love me some love!

As it turns out, there are some pretty cool areas under the stands at Wrigley. I couldn't resist...

Post-Wrigley, we headed over to Navy Pier for the remainder of the session.

I melt.

I love how this ship just happened to sail by at the perfect time...

Oh Chicago, we love you...

A trip to Navy Pier would not be complete without a photo in front of the famous Ferris Wheel or some gorgeous skyline views...

 

The four of us took a brief photo break and went out to dinner, and then we took a nighttime ride down the river and snapped some fun shots with the lights of Navy Pier behind us.

Heather and Mike, we are so excited for June! That night when we all sat down to dinner at Navy Pier, I knew this was going to be more than another wedding/engagement session. We feel like we not only are blessed to have you as awesome clients, but also as awesome friends. You guys are the best! :)

jen + brian + addy

There's no time like the present for catching up, right? :)

Last September, Ayron and I had the pleasure of photographing this lovely little family in Indianapolis. We drove up on a Friday night and met them at a park near their home and then finished photographing at the Indianapolis Museum of Art! If you haven't been there and you're from the area, you need to check it out! Admission to the museum itself is free, but they also have acres and acres of lovely grounds.

Meet Jen + Brian. Aren't they cute?

And meet Addy. She was so much fun!

The way that two people who are in love look at each other is one of my favorite things to capture as a photographer.

There were so many cool structures at the museum!

The shoot started with poor Addy falling and getting a scrape on her knee, but she was a trooper and she went from being sad to being her adorable self in no time at all!

I melt when I see this photo.

I love love!

:)

Jen, why are you so pretty?

Also, Addy and I were basically best friends by the end of this session! I miss her already... :)

<3

 

Jen, Brian, and Addy: thank you for the opportunity to capture your beautiful little family. Ayron and I had a lot of fun and it was fabulous to meet you all! 

PS - Jen is an owner/designer of an awesome design company in Indy called Inhabit. Check it out! They have so many beautiful things!

Krista + Ryan

I realized this morning that I still haven't blogged Krista + Ryan, so here goes:

We had the most amazingly ridiculous amount of fun with Krista and Ryan. I already knew Krista - she was a fellow IU student and she's a wonderful mezzo-soprano. She's the kind of person who always has a smile on her face and whose amazing attitude is infectious.

She and her awesome fiance Ryan are getting married in Minnesota this coming fall, and though they had already hired a wedding photographer, they weren't going to get back to Minnesota in time for engagement shots. That's where I came in, and let me tell you, did I feel blessed to have the opportunity! They were ridiculously easy to photograph and their love was so beautiful and they weren't afraid to express it!

We started things off at the Griffy Lake Nature preserve.

How are you guys always SO CUTE?

If you guys ever start an indie duo, this can be your album cover.

Throughout the whole session, Ryan kept on goofing around and Krista's reactions were adorable. I love it when a couple is 100% themselves in front of my lens, and these guys were at 110%!

Ryan wanted to sit in the grass, and I love the result.

Aaah! LOVE YOU GUYS!

I'm pretty sure Ryan was goofing around during this shot too...keep it up Ryan. High fives to Ayron for capturing the moment perfectly.

This one is my favorite. Engagement sessions are the best!

Ryan had all of the good ideas that night...he wanted to get in the water in their clothes, and Krista didn't even bat an eyelash deciding to get into the water with Ryan. A million cool points for Krista! The resulting images are pretty cool, I think:

We met up a couple of days later to finish their session at the farmer's market. You guys WIN for engagement session locations!

Ryan was responsible for those sunglasses, too! Ryan, you also get a million cool points.

I love you guys! Thanks for giving us the priviledge of documenting your gorgeous, honest, amazing love. You guys were such a blast! We wish you the best at your wedding and in your new life together!

To watch more of Krista & Ryan's engagement session, click the slideshow below! :)