It was getting late on Christmas Eve.  She fell asleep on the sofa.  Maybe that was his plan.  To keep her up late.  To let her fall asleep.  So that he could wake her up.  Wake her up and give her an early Christmas gift that she wasn’t expecting.  No matter how it happened, Mike gently woke Claire and presented her with a ring.  There’s no doubt in my mind that her answer was exactly the gift he hoped for in return.

Their story, however, unfolded long before last Christmas.  Claire and Mike met at Butler University.  She was already spoken for at the time, but Mike was persistent.  And when the time was right, he invited her to ballroom dancing lessons.  She was swept off her feet.  The rest, as they say, is history.  However, this was only just the beginning for these two.

Mike loves the way her face lights up when she smiles.  Claire loves his blue eyes, and the way he makes her laugh.  She bakes delicious cupcakes that he loves to eat.  All of this was captured when we met up on a steamy summer evening for their engagement session in Bloomington.

Claire and Mike, I’m SO excited for your wedding in a few short weeks!  Friends and family can view their entire online gallery here.  And now it’s time for some of my favorites from their sweet engagement session!

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Easter weekend!  We spent time with family, and it was just what we needed!

I’m excited to announce that an image from Anne + Nick’s Indianapolis Engagement Session has been featured by Mass Ave Wine Shoppe on snappening.com!  Thank to Jill at Mass Ave Wine Shoppe for making our Session so much fun!  (If you like chardonnay, I highly recommend Le Drunk Rooster!  It is an unoaked variety, which is the only kind of chardonnay that I like…thanks to Nick for teaching me the difference!  For so long I just did not like chardonnay!  And now I know why!)  And thank you to Crystal at snappening for telling me about this!

To view the entire document, click here, then scroll down to Documents and click on either PDF document!

I’m so excited for Anne and Nick’s wedding in May!  Thanks again to Jill and Crystal!  And, of course, thank you to Anne and Nick for being so amazing!  I’m so excited for you two!

Happy Tuesday!

It’s always fun to look at images from the past year to see how far I’ve come as a photographer.  I really think it helps me to learn and grow, to see what works, and to see how I can sharpen my skills for the year ahead.  I also got the opportunity to travel to California for one of the sessions!  More importantly, I love to to reconnect with the couples who have welcomed me into their lives to capture such an exciting time before the wedding day.  One of my favorite things about engagement sessions is that once we get started, and chat about their plans, they kind of forget that they’re being photographed.  They simply focus on one another.  They breathe.  They laugh and hug and kiss and share the moment.  Together.  To all of my couples from 2011, thank you for being so wonderful, so in the moment, so you.  Here are some of my favorites from the past year… enjoy!

After meeting while out with friends one night, she was sure he wasn’t her type.  After all, he was an artist, and just different than anyone else she had ever met.  Despite this, Anne accepted Nick’s invitation to go on a date the following night, and it turns out that was the best decision she had ever made.

After living near St. Louis for a few years, job opportunities led the pair to Baltimore.  And this past June, Nick and Anne planned a little East Coast beach getaway.  Nick had it all figured out.  Anne’s sister and her husband would just happen to be in town, so Anne would have family to share their exciting news with, and they could all celebrate together.  The four of them were enjoying a day of sun and sand, when Nick mentioned he needed to go feed the parking meter, Anne accompanied him.  She thought it was strange that he brought his backpack along, when really he’d only need his wallet, but she dismissed it, and just went along.  Once the parking meter was taken care of, Nick led Anne down the beach to a little seaside B&B.  He mentioned that one day they would stay there, perhaps as husband and wife.  Anne looked down and saw that Nick was on one knee.  With tears and an emphatic “YES!” they joined hands and made their way back to their spot on the beach, letting the waves crash into them as they walked.

Planning a wedding from afar is quite a challenge, but one that Anne and Nick are truly enjoying!   It worked out that they would both be in town after the birth of their new nephew, Paxton,  so we were able to squeeze in their engagement session too.  Anne and Nick had some elements they wanted to incorporate in their session, like their love of wine and bold colors.  They are both creative, energetic, beautiful people who love life and trying new things, so they made my job so easy and so much fun!

Anne and Nick, you rocked your session, despite the wind and chilly temperatures!  Thank you for trusting in me to capture this exciting time in your lives, it was such an honor!  Can’t wait for May!!!  Family and friends can view Anne and Nick’s online gallery here!

After a few days of chilly, rainy weather, the sun has peeked out, even if only for a little bit, to greet us.  I’ve been excited to share a recent engagement session, but for now, a quick sneak peek will have to do!