In our wildest dreams we couldn’t have imagined how life would bring us together, or where it would take us…and our dreams are pretty wild!  Mekina and I met in college, in the same photography class in fact!   We were always friendly, but I don’t think either of us would have considered each other a best friend.  That all changed when we moved from North Carolina to New York City.  Not knowing many people, Mekina and I started scheduling fun days in the city with one another. We did everything, from snacking on sushi at Sushi Samba, to laughing until we cried in the front row of the Comedy Cellar.  Our friendship grew, and pretty soon, we were spending almost every weekend together.

One weekend in particular sticks out in my mind.  Mekina and I were walking by the river in Hoboken, soaking in the warm summer sun and cooling off with a delicious Rita’s italian ice.  We found ourselves dreaming, big, ginormous dreams, about what our perfect lives would look like.  We boldly shared our hopes for the future with one another.  I wanted to be a wedding photographer, and Mekina wanted to plan weddings.  We mapped out the steps we would need to take to reach our goals, and let ourselves imagine what it would be like if all our dreams came true.

While Mekina and I dreamed big two years ago, I don’t think either of us were able to picture what our lives would actually look like today.   In John 10:10 Jesus says, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”  While Mekina and I both took small steps in faith, God directed our paths, weaving them together to in a way that brought us more joy and happiness than we could have ever imagined possible.   “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proberbs 16:9”. This year, Mekina has the pleasure of  planning and coordinating weddings for brides and grooms getting married on Hornblower’s amazing yachts, and I am extremely honored to have 30 wonderful couples who have trusted me to capture their wedding!  What is even more incredible is the fact that God has given me the blessing of being able to work with one of my best friends!  Mekina has become my FABULOUS second shooter, joining me to photograph my sweet couples love for each other, and of course, their adorable details!  Her images and energy are a perfect compliment to mine, and together, we make one amazing team.

Mekina Saylor, thank you for always being there for me, personally and professionally.  Thank you for bringing sunshine with your smile, for lifting me up when I need a boost, and for  being confident, carefree, caring, incredibly strong, and relatable…all at the same time!    Most importantly, thank you for just being YOU!  I love you Mekikira.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

It was April, 2009 when Rachel and Stephen first crossed paths.  Their spot…Maxwells, a historical music club in Hoboken, NJ. Stephen was rocking out on his bass when Rachel walked in, making her way up front of the stage.  With her pretty dress and contagious smile, Stephen couldn’t take his eyes off her.  Rachel noticed Stephen too.  His tight blue t-shirt and carefree energy caught her attention and when Stephen made his way over to her after the show, Rachel stayed to hear what he had to say.  Stephen was smooth, complimenting her on her dress, and striking up a fun conversation.  Pretty soon Rachel and Stephen were spending everyday together.  Their relationship grew and before they knew it, Rachel and Stephen were making each other snort when they laugh, solving arguments with tickle fights, and completely loving each other for exactly who they are.

On September 29th, Rachel and Stephen tied the knot in an adorable ceremony in front of all of their family and friends!  Afterwards, they invited everyone to join them at the Wildwood Arboretum where they strolled through the beautiful gardens, played lawn games like horseshoes and bocce ball, and indulged in sweet treats from their amazing candy bar.  Mekina and I had the honor of capturing this beautiful wedding; and I can’t wait to share all the gorgeous details!  Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy Rachel and Stephen’s full post.

Rachel’s details perfectly complimented her gorgeous one shoulder dress.  She actually made the belt herself!

Such a beautiful bride!

Rachel and Stephen got married in a gorgeous church with incredible stained glass windows.

A big thanks to the bridal party for being so amazing!

Rachel and Stephen held their outdoor tented reception at the Wildwood Arboretum.  The gardens here were incredibly beautiful!

Stephen is a HUGE comic book fan.  Each groomsman wore a different super hero for his boutonniere.

Many of the reception details were collected to create a very homey feel.  I LOVE these burlap table runners made by Rachel and Stephen.

Rachel and Stephen are too cute together!  They could be seen shooting adoring glances to each other all day.

Rachel’s mom collected over 150 unique china plates for guests to enjoy their dinner from!  I loved seeing the pretty differences between each individual one.

Rachel and Stephen decided to have a photobooth through me as a part of their package!  See fun photos of the guests enjoying it here.  A big thanks to Jackie Patton of Jacqueline Patton Photography for running the photobooth for the evening!

Guests also enjoyed filling out hilarious mad libs about the couple!

During portrait time, Rachel and Stephen enjoyed playing hide and seek!  I love the fun pictures that resulted from this spontaneous game.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the sign Rachel!

Instead of dancing, Rachel, Stephen and their guests enjoyed playing a variety of lawn games!  Everyone had a blast!

Congratulations again Rachel and Stephen!  Your fall wedding was absolutely gorgeous and so much fun!  I wish you all the happiness in the world as you embark on this new journey together!

It was a warm day in June, one of those sunny days that make it impossible not to smile as you are walking down the street.  Abby was in a wonderful mood as she walked up to Max’s house.  He had invited her over for dinner and she couldn’t wait to get inside and see him.  When she swung open the door, Abby was greeted by flowers, candles, wine, and one single card.  Her heart beat quickly as she opened it up and read the instructions.  “Follow the rose petals and candles, and read the rest of the cards throughout the house.”  As Abby opened up the cards one by one, she was flooded with all the reasons Max wanted to marry her.  When she arrived to the kitchen, Max was seated at the table, all dressed up, in front of a home cooked meal he had made especially for her.  As Abby opened the last card, Max got down on one knee and presented her with the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.  Tiny tears streamed down Abby’s cheeks as she happily agreed, giving her future husband a hug, letting him know that everything was perfect.

This weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Abby and Max’s engagement session in the most adorable town, Red Bank, NJ!  We had so much fun together, and I can’t wait to share a few of my favorite photographs of this sweet couple.  Enjoy!

Abby and Max are actually getting married this Saturday!  Max attended West Point University and I couldn’t be more excited to capture their military wedding.

 Red Bank is the first place Abby and Max went ring shopping together, the same town where Matt and I first decided to look for rings!  They spent their time browsing for the perfect one at Hamilton Jewelers, the same jewelry store where Matt purchased my engagement ring!

 We couldn’t resist popping inside Hamilton’s for a few fun photographs.  I love this picture in the engagement ring section of Abby pointing out her favorite to an adoring Max.

 Abby and Max have SO much fun together!  They were laughing playfully with each other all day on Sunday!

 So sweet.

 Abby and Max were originally planning on holding their reception at the Oyster Point in Red Bank, NJ.  After their venue was affected by hurricane Sandy, they decided to move the party over to Oyster Point’s sister location, the  Molly Pitcher Inn.

 LOVE.

Thank you again for a fabulous day Abby and Max!  I had so much fun with you and I can’t wait to capture your beautiful wedding this weekend.

Alexander Cree Rogers.  This is the name that can be heard whispered over and over again in Lucas and Jasmine’s Upper East Side apartment!  Born on December 16, 2012, this beautiful baby boy came out weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces.   Jasmine and Lucas couldn’t be prouder parents!  “We are just so in love with him”, Jasmine explained.  “He is absolutely perfect!”  Lucas has quickly mastered his role as dad.  When I asked him what transitioning into a father was like, he explained, “a lot of it comes naturally, as instinct.”  “I just want to look after my son.”

Congratulations again to Jasmine and Lucas!  It was a pleasure to meet your sweet baby boy and to capture some of his first photographs!  Cree is an absolutely perfect new addition to your family!

Meet baby Cree!  I seriously can’t get enough of these beautiful blue eyes!

It is adorable to watch Lucas and Cree together.  It is obvious how much he loves his son!

Ten tiny fingers. 🙂

Jasmine loving on the new man in her life!

At three weeks old, Cree is already looking cool.

Thanks again Jasmine and Lucas for allowing me the honor of capturing these sweet photographs of your new family!  I can’t wait to watch this little man grow!

When they boarded that international flight many years ago, neither Samantha or Nico knew how much their lives were about to change.  Nico was placing his bag in the overhead compartment when he realized, to his luck, he was seated next to Samantha.  Drawn in by her infectious smile and warm personality, Nico struck up a conversation.  The plane took off and landed, and before they knew it, Samantha and Nico had been talking the entire ride!  They stayed in touch, and it was only a matter of time before Samantha found herself living in Chile, working as a teacher, and engaged to Nico!  The were married in the beautiful country one year ago and both agree that last year was one of the best years of their lives!

On January 5, 2013, Samantha and Nico recommitted their lives to each other in a beautiful ceremony at Samantha’s home church.  Afterwards, friends and family danced the night away at an incredible reception at Frank’s Waterside in North Bergen, NJ.  Standing on the dance floor photographing Nico twirling a laughing Samantha around in his arms, I found tears of happiness springing their way to my eyes.  In front of me were two carefree souls, madly in love, and just enjoying life together.

Samantha and Nico, thank you for giving me the honor of capturing your amazing wedding!  Mekina and I had a great time with you and wish you so much happiness in the many years to come.  I hope you are having a blast on your honeymoon in Jamaica!  Enjoy a few of my favorite photos from your gorgeous wedding day below.

Samantha slipped on the same beautiful dress she wore on her first wedding to Nico one year ago.

Samantha’s mom, sister, and best friends since kindergarden helped her get ready!

Samantha’s mom, Stephanie, is an AMAZING florist at Floral Expressions.  She did all the flowers for her daughter’s wedding.

The happy groom!

Since Samantha and Nico were already married, we were able to get some sweet photographs of them relaxing before the festivities of the day began.

LOVE.

Before the ceremony, we headed down to my favorite park in Hoboken to get some adorable pictures of Samantha and Nico.  How great are these yellow balloons they brought along?!

Samantha and Nico were married in Samantha’s home church.  Their ceremony was beautiful!

Afterwards, we headed down to the Waterside for a fabulous reception with even more fabulous views of Manhattan!

Great job on the flowers Stephanie!  They really did look incredible!

Britainy, Samantha’s sister, gave such a heartfelt speech.  By the end of it, she had the whole room in tears!

I can’t even begin to describe this dance party to you!  All I can say is it was epic.

Samantha and Nico spent the evening spinning around the dance floor in each other’s arms.  The love they have for each other could be felt by everyone around them.

Samantha and Nico, thank you again for allowing me to capture your beautiful wedding day.  It was a true honor!  I wish you both the best of luck in your lives together!  Here’s to laughing everyday, beginning each morning and ending each night with I love you…and to living happily ever after.