Carlos came down with a migraine at their wedding, so we decided to hold off on portraits of Jenny and him and try another time.  We had a wonderful time shooting – 3 months later – at the Bellasera Resort in Naples.  We later headed over to Jenny’s house for some fun portraits with her dog. We ended at the Park Shore beach for a nice walk during the evening at sunset.  Denouement sessions offer an exciting opportunity to get dressed up in your wedding day attire and take some fun portraits – without all the pressure that’s there on the wedding day.  You are able to express your emotions without feeling overwhelmed.  And there is no pressure to trash your dress.   It’s an excellent opportunity to capture really wonderful images without worrying about that 6 AM flight out to Aruba or the fact that Aunt Getrude wanted a picture with you by your cake.  Take the time out to take the photos and you will never regret it.

Many of you already know about Baxter from my recent facebook and twitter updates, so I wanted to update everyone on his condition. Baxter is our ridiculously sweet and completely neurotic border collie, and he is very special to us both. When we moved earlier this year, Matt’s brother was kind enough to take Baxter because we were not allowed to have dogs where we currently live. He is the perfect dog for Danny, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for them both.

We found out Wednesday morning that Baxter was hit by a car. We were worried, confused, scared, and we couldn’t get a straight answer out of any of the medical staff at the emergency vet. We first heard that he had a collapsed lung, disconnected lips, a broken rib, and internal bleeding which meant emergency surgery. But then the bleeding seemed to stop. We called every few hours for his status, but we didn’t know how he was going to fare. Danny didn’t see him get hit, so all we knew was that Baxter managed to get out of the house and run into the road where someone hit him and left him laying in a ditch. I’m still trying to figure out what kind of person would hit a dog and leave it for dead. Baxter has multiple tags that include his name and county registration, so someone could have easily gotten in touch with us.

The good news is Baxter was released from the emergency vet clinic! We brought him to our vet this morning for his lip surgery because his lips are disconnected slightly from his jaw. It’s nearly unnoticeable if you look at him straight on, but you can see it once he looks up. We are excited to pick him up from surgery tomorrow and spend an evening with him!

Jenny has a fondness for pink, and she created a wonderful pink paradise with pink linens, candy, cake, and every other pink detail you can think of.  Even Jenny’s dress was a pale pink.  She created the cutest table toppers from pink candy in glass containers to love letters hidden in bottles.  Enjoy and be inspired!

I’ve known Jenny for years, and I was absolutely thrilled to be such a big part of her wedding.  I remember a brief lunch in McDonald’s where Jenny told me a little bit about Carlos, and it was then that I knew this was the man.  These two have the biggest hearts and it is always a pleasure to be with them.  They had a receiving line after the wedding, and there were so many guests we knew we needed to do a first glance.  Then Carlos got a migraine after the ceremony, so we postponed the portrait session for a later date. Stay tuned for the wonderful girly pink details from this wedding as well as their later Denouement Session!

Take a weekend to get away.  Tie the kayaks to the roof and the bikes on the back, and go exploring.  You never know what you may find.

Arielle and Jason are one of the sweetest couples, and they  have the cutest story of how they met.  Jason has vacationed at South Seas Plantation ever since he was a little boy.  One year Arielle joined her friend’s family on vacation there as well.  Arielle and Jason met for the first time outside room 15 at Jensen’s Twin Palm Resort on the bay.  They spent much of their time hanging out at South Seas Plantation that week, and one thing led to another.  We had a wonderful time hanging out with them at South Seas, talking about the places they’d go and the things they’d do while vacationing there.  Arielle broke her toe just a few days before the shoot, but she was such a trooper!  We had to include a shot of her with her boot and without it.  We are thrilled to be shooting their wedding this June!

The room where the couple met:

My grandfather was born on a military base in Guam in 1920.  He fought  in World War II in Russia and throughout Europe.  He is an incredible artist and was even asked to join Walt Disney, which he apparently refused.   His favorite story about the war was when he was in the trenches and promised God he would become a pastor if he made it out alive.  He then became the pastor of a few churches in Tampa, and one of my proudest stories of him is that he stepped down from the pastorate and left a church because the board voted against against allowing blacks to come to the church.  He has lived a full life, yet you would never know he is ninety.

Kristin and Stan met in high school, dated, broke up, and then found each other years later.  It was one of the sweetest stories I had ever heard.  We were thrilled to be a part of their small, family wedding.  The couple married at Mediterra, and we took for a brief walk on Vanderbilt Beach, then finished with an intimate meal at Brio Tuscan Grill at the Waterside shops.  It was a wonderful afternoon in Naples!

This week we are excited to introduce Weekend Getaway – it’s all about being together.  Long, expensive trips in far off parts of the world with  incredible food and posh living quarters are amazing.  But it’s the little things you do together that bring you closer and create wonderful memories that last long into adulthood.  Weekend Getaway celebrates the times that bring you together, both big and small.

This week we are celebrating the American Camping Trip. Complete with RV.  Matt and I were blessed to take a full weekend off and hang out with my family up in Silver River State Park.  We hiked in the woods, rode bikes, canoed, and roasted marshmallows and hot dogs over an open fire.  There’s something about a walk in the woods, crunching on newly fallen leaves, a bike ride to the boardwalk, a canoe trip on a cloudy day, the wind rustling over your tent at night.  If you’ve never tried it, this is the weekend to go!  Stop making excuses and step outside!

I am still amazed today at all the time and energy that Holly put into designing the details at her wedding. Everything – and I mean EVERYTHING – was handmade.  Even the cake was made by Holly’s mom!  If you are ever looking for some do-it-yourself projects – contact Holly.  You find many of her other handmade creations at Bijou Lovely.  This post starts with some fun interior details at the Aveda salon where Holly had her hair and makeup done.  Pay special attention to the invitations – which she designed and created herself. I am still amazed at her creativity!