// 2019 Color of The Year

CONFESSION: I never knew “color of the year” was a thing. or real. Or whatever. But the more and more I get into the planning side of things and blogging, I found this out and think it’s SO cool! I absolutely LOVED reading about how the color of the year is selected- and fell in love with this year’s color- “living coral”. Pantone describes the color as “An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge”. HOW PERFECT!

SO, now that I am hip to the color of the year- I wanted to chat all wedding planning things CORAL! does happy dance. I do feel this color palette is very seasonal and would work with any spring or summer wedding. Pair this with different shades of grey and I think the possibilities could be endless! I am also loving gold and navy as other accent colors…eeeekk!!

In my research for today’s post, I came across these beautiful dresses through a site called luulla.com and I can’t get enough! They were priced for $88 and I absolutely love how affordable and flattering they are! I feel there is a style for almost every body type and would flow so beautifully within the wedding party!

Photo by: Clane Gessel Cake by: Ma Petite Maison Cakes

Another current love: simple, watercolored cakes! GAH! How gorgeous is this creation? Depending on how many guests you are having, I feel this size could be perfect. The more weddings I photograph, the more I tend to learn… it’s SO common for couples to opt for a much smaller cake and have either a sheet cake (of the same flavor as wedding cake) or cupcakes/cake pops for the guests to enjoy. I remember when Jerry and I got married, the cake portion of the planning STRESSED me out— because I truly did not think all 165 guests were going to eat cake, but narrowing down a number of slices that 1- looked presentable and 2- made sense financially- was difficult! Either way, I am still drooling over this design and capture that I stumbled upon one of my all-time favorite sites, Style Me Pretty!

Images by Jana Marie Photography

TUXES! How handsome are these combinations? I love the look of them all, and depending how much coral you truly want to incorporate into the day, the image of the far right with the navy accents is beyond gorgeous. I feel all these looks, just like the bridesmaids’ options, would look dapper on any groomsman!

Photo by: Lizelle Goussard Photography

STOP RIGHT HERE! Oh my goodness. Ok, so I am so so so sooooo in love with the bigger, almost cascading bridal bouquets. I absolutely love the flow and color palette of this particular bouquet, created by Moss Designs! I love when the bride’s bouquet coordinates, but is still different than the bridesmaids’ bouquets. The contrast of the different sizes also makes for beautiful images with your girls!

ALSO. ALLLLLLLL THE SUCCULENTS PLEASE!!! Image by: Gladys Jem

// Our Sweet Alexandra | 8 months

EIGHT MONTHS OLD?! No way. I cannot believe it!! Our precious little lady has been full of life and love these past few weeks! Watching my children grow is one of the single greatest joys in my life. I try so hard to soak in the days, hours, minutes because I know they’ll wake up tomorrow a day older and these moments pass WAY too quickly.

Our spunky little girl LOVES solid food. I struggle with schedules with my kids so she hasn’t tried a ton quite yet, but watching her eagerly try to snatch anything from our hands and her big brothers- has me laughing! She LOVES gnawing on French fries, not too sure about avocado yet, loves noodles, puffs, fruit pouches, and tried oatmeal for the first time today! I love watching her explore textures and tastes….as Asher didn’t take to real food till after his first birthday.

She is SO close to crawling. Up on all fours, rocking, and is ready to go! She can crawl backwards- haha! Which is so funny to watch. It’s so crazy to me that she no longer stays where I lay her on the floor - and sometimes she gets herself lodged into the craziest places (under Asher’s trampoline and picnic table) :)

Girlfriend has two teeth and says DADA like it’s her job… Speaking of, daddy is her BFF. She still to this day (as she has from pretty much day one) lights up anytime she sees or hears her daddy. Part of me is a bit jealous, but mainly over the moon of the bond these two share. Watching my husband be a daddy, but ESPECIALLy to our little girl, brings me to tears almost daily.

Her hair is FINALLY long enough for clip in bows and little baby ponies!!!!

I will never be able to express the joy and happiness this girl has brought and continues to bring to our lives. She loves her family so much— and I can’t wait to see who she becomes <3

// MY proposal story | June 2012

Ohhhh my goodness. Talk about a THROWBACK! A friend of mine, who is a photographer, posted something earlier this week that prompted the original thought of this post! I can’t remember what she said or posted, but it immediately had me thinking back to the night Jerry proposed to me.

June 2012. Jerry and I had a trip planned down to a little piece of paradise called Siesta Key, FL. I do believe this was my first visit— and I was SO excited. We had planned this trip with Jerry’s family and I was so excited to spend a week all together in such a beautiful place. Upon arrival, Jerry showed me around to some super cool bars and restaurants and we wasted no time indulging in some drinks! ;)

Please excuse the poor quality…we may or may not have had FLIP phones back then lol!!!

We spent the week enjoying life to the fullest. Sleeping in, staying out on the beach late. It truly was one of the best weeks of my life. There was just some sort of overwhelming peace and contentment that week. Jerry had I had been together almost 6 years at the point of our engagement, and about 6 months prior to this, we had split up. It was only a few weeks, but it was enough for us to both realize what we had was worth fighting for.

The thing is about Jerry and I, is that we are polar opposites. And why I think that is a good thing, it does present challenges within a long term relationship. I have a very bold and kind of- in your face type of personality. Lol. Jerry is more soft spoken, more chill, more go with the flow. I am a huge planner, I need to know every detail of every possible thing, and I’m also a HUGE worst case scenario thinker. Take all those things, flip them, and that’s Jerry’s personality- haha.

That being said, it has been SO good for us to navigate all the hardships that life and marriage has. It has made us two really strong and loving people. Which I am so thankful for- as I feel we are in SUCH a good place and can place our focus on our children and our businesses.

OK! Back to proposal.

I had some sort of feeling all week that Jerry was up to something. He was just not himself, seemed really hyper, just…off. Our final night, a Thursday, I told him I really wanted to have a nice dinner somewhere. I didn’t care where, just somewhere with a view and good food. Jerry told me he would have it handled. Gosh- I remember this night and every detail so vividly. Which is probably both a good thing and bad thing (keep reading hahaha)…

As we were getting ready to head to dinner, I remember Jerry asking me if he should wear shorts or “slacks”…pause for laughter. I told him I wasn’t sure how nice of place we were going to and that he should use his own best judgement. I was wearing a maxi dress! We hop in our rental car and head to dinner. We drove for a good 20 mins or so, and I had NO clue where we were or where we were going. We finally arrive and pull into a gated drive. No sign (that I saw) in sight. We roll up and a valet greets us, and opens my door and says “Welcome to the Ritz Carlton miss”……………………..WHAT. We are NOT Ritz Carlton people. at all. I immediately turned to Jerry and so angrily said “YOU SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY WORN SLACKS!!!!”.

We go inside, and they sit us out on the beautiful terrace/patio that overlooks the gulf. Sunset was just a few mins away from happening, and our waiter had suggested we go down to a certain spot to watch it. As we were watching the sunset, I started to get really skiddish as I thought “omg. this is totally when he’s going to get down on one knee!”……………he did not. The sun set and the moment was over. Back to our table we went.

We had an amazing dinner, some insanely expensive champagne (that I am still mad that he bought!) haha. After dinner, we headed down into the courtyard where there was a beautiful sitting area, with bistro lights hanging above. It was here that we got into a deep conversation about our past, our current relationship, and our future. I REALLY thought this was the moment. He started fidgeting, seeming to struggle to keep the conversation flowing….aaaaaaaand all of a sudden we hear “MARCO! POLO! Marco Polo!” coming from the pool, just a few feet away. End scene.

Jerry suggests we head out and see what else we can get into. I eagerly asked where we were going next (like- this can’t be real- am I crazy or is he trying to propose?!). He said he heard of a really cool bridge called Skyway bridge that goes over the bay and is supposed to have some super cool views. As we head to that bridge, you have to stop and pay a toll. Jerry asks the lady if there is a location on the bridge to stop and she assures him there is. Folks, there was not. This bridge was approximately a one minute up and over. LOL. After this, Jerry says we are just going to head back to the condo. I IMMEDIATELY feel tears welling up. I just stared out my passenger window as I felt the tears start to fall. I thought “I absolutely cannot let him see me crying. I can’t let him know what I thought tonight was going to be”. But Jerry knowing me, and knowing I was far too quiet- asks me what’s wrong. I choked back tears and muttered out “nothing I’m fine”. Jerry pulls me back to see my face and immediately pulls the car over. We were in front of some grungy industrial plant in Sarasota, and I remember sobbing into him saying “I just really thought you were going to propose to me tonight!”, and Jerry pulls a ring box out of his pocket, without opening it, and yells “I was!! See!! I just felt no moment was good enough and stuff kept happening!!” I sobbed even harder and yelled “DON’T DO IT HEREEEEEEEE!” LOLOLOL. Ahhhhh yes. In true Jerry and Brittany fashion, that’s what happened. BUT! It does have a happy ending…

We headed back to the condo (I did not see the ring, nor did he ask), and we headed out to the beach. We were the only ones on the beach as I do believe it was after midnight at this point. Jerry and I laid on one lounge chair together, and just watched a few shooting stars fly over the ocean. It was truly one of the most amazing moments in my life to date. After an hour or so, Jerry got down on one knee and said “The next time we come down here, I want you to be my wife” <3 So so so amazing. I then used the flashlight on my phone to check out the ring hahahahaha. #truestory

I remember calling my mom back home around 2am and telling her. We told our families in the morning, and spent our last day that Friday soaking it all in and celebrating!

That ring shot though!!! HAHA

// Community Over Competition

Guys. I seriously don’t even know where to begin this post. I have the most overflowing heart these past few days and the people pictured above are a HUGE part of that!

A few years ago, I became a part of a local group here in Canton, OH called ‘Tuesdays Together’, which is ultimately a group of creatives that meet once a month, on Tuesdays. These groups are formed all over the US, and they are AMAZING. These groups were created with one thing in mind: community over competition. How incredible is that?!

But to be honest, this group and these people are so. much. more. They have become some of my closest friends and some of my biggest cheerleaders. They are always doing whatever they can to boost my business, my posts, my confidence, and so so so much more.

I have found, for me, that surrounding myself with like-minded people inspires me more than anything. I leave these meetings feeling SO motivated and SO on fire.

And that brings me to my main point: what gives you that in life? Is it your partner? Is it your girlfriends? Do you have something that ignites a fire in you? Of course there are many different “fires” to ignite in a person, but I really ant you to think about that. What motivates you? What is pushing you to do better and achieve more this year?

I urge you to find connections like this group. Find people that not only share in your dreams, that ENCOURAGE you in them. Find genuine, authentic people- and be sure to do the same in return. Cheer them on. Support them in their dreams. Do all you can do to ignite their fire. Because I promise friends, a rising tide lifts ALL boats. <3

North Canton Winter Engagement Session

Saturday night, Ohio finallyyyyy got some decent snow fall and late at night I posted on Facebook that I was dying to photograph a couple in the snow. Jena emailed me immediately and we started planning at 11pm! The next day, Sunday afternoon, we met up at a gorgeous park in North Canton and knocked our session out! Jena was SUCH a trooper for being out in the cold and I love her so much for that! I am in love with all of the images, it was exactly what my photographer soul needed!

Thanks Jena + Ben!! <3

The in-between moments are ALWAYS my favorite!

BEN DID SO GOOD!!

// Military Couples

I recently found out through one of the many photography groups I am a part of, that there is a program that brides that are active military or getting married to an active military member, can get A FREE WEDDING DRESS! How crazy awesome is that?!

The company that provides this service is Brides Across America and their website is www.bridesacrossamerica.com

I seriously cannot believe such an amazing company exists and are able to extend this to our military couples! Melanie’s dress, pictured above, was not from them, but was still one of my all-time favorite gowns! I absolutely adore seeing brides in their dresses and Melanie’s dress was MADE for her!

I am hoping to do a post here coming soon on all of my brides from 2018 in their gorgeous gowns and where they are all from! How fun and helpful would that be for brides to be and the planning?!

Lastly, I hope everyone knows that here at BHP, we offer a 15% discount on ALL services to our military and first responders. It’s the absolute least we can do for all they do for us! <3

// Sundays are for cuddling..

I’ve been toying around with this idea for awhile now, and I am SO excited to announce Sunday Sessions! These sessions are for any couple (dating, engaged, married, whatevs!) and will be deeply discounted for Sundays in the month of January and February. These sessions are lifestyle sessions and can take place in either your home, or a studio loft location! The sessions will consist of coffee or mimosas on me, a super fun and sexy playlist customized to you and your partner’s favorite jams, and LOTS of kissing, cuddles, and laughs.

I am so excited for these sessions because I TOTALLY WANT ONE! Ha! Any photographer out there want to trade services? Seriously, hit me up! I would absolutely love a lifestyle session with my husband. A morning of lounging around, sipping our coffee, cuddling up with our sweet pup- and honestly, just being US. Our marriage has changed so much through the years, and especially since having kids— it’s hard sometimes to remember to strip it all back to just you two. The foundation that started it all.

That being said, lets make some magic happen guys!! Feel free to email me over at brittany@brittanyhumes.com for pricing, available dates and times, and all that good stuff! I can’t waitttttt!!

// San Diego Couple's Session

A few weeks ago while I was in SoCal, I met up with one of my good friends Naomi and her husband Kyle out near where they live in San Diego. It’s still so surreal that she lives out there and is no longer a short drive from me, but seeing the beautiful city she now calls home was beyond amazing. Her husband is part of the Navy and is doing extraordinarily well in his job! I remember when the two of them met and being a part of their journey from day one has been so incredible. I photographed their intimate wedding (just the two of them!) at Gervasi Vineyards in April 2016. I miss having my Nomes around, planning nights of going out, Olive Garden dinner dates, and our shopping trips. But I love her “new” life out West, and am so thankful she is hands down the happiest I have ever seen her! <3

Our session took place on Coronado Beach, which was so beautiful! It was my first time ever seeing the West coast and in mid-November, it was just what I needed!

// 21 Questions

I struggle so hard with blogging. Is it worth all the effort and time? What do people really want to read about? Sheesh- being an entrepreneur is exhausting! haha. SOOO in light of all the chaos that is going on this time of year, I thought throwing it back to one of those “About Me” questionnaires would be corny yet fun! :)

1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Tough call. So many amazing places to consider. Probably somewhere in the Carolinas :)

2. What is your biggest fear? Losing someone I love.

3. What is your favorite family vacation? Siesta Key, FL!

4. What would you change about yourself if you could? I’m always a worst case scenario thinker. I HATE that about myself….let’s go with that!

5. What really makes you angry? People who lie.

6. What motivates you to work hard? My babies!! <3

7. What is your favorite thing about your career? Oh gosh. This is hard!! I would have to say the clients that turn into friends. I’ve said so many times- this job of mine has connected me with so many incredible people and I absolutely love that

8. What is your biggest complaint about your job? People who don’t understand what all goes into being a photographer…

9. What is your proudest accomplishment? My children.

10. What is your favorite book to read? Currently reading “girl wash your face” and it’s pretty awesome! I’m not usually a big book reader though…I wish I could change that too. Add that to the list! :)

11. What makes you laugh the most? Oh man. A classic comedy movie and I’m sold.

12. What was the last movie you went to? Uhhh… I legitimately don’t know the last movie I saw… that’s so sad! haha

13. What did you want to be when you were small? A teacher

14. If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? NAPPPP!!

15. What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play? Never was a sports player. Watch? NFL football for sure.

16. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car? Lol. What an odd question! I’d like to do all 3 at different times/different places!

17. What would you sing at Karaoke night? Absolutely NOT.

18. What two radio stations do you listen to in the car the most? XM. Right now is probably Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Radio station and the Holly Christmas station

19. Which would you rather do: wash dishes, mow the lawn, clean the bathroom, or vacuum the house? Vacuum.

20. If you could hire someone to help you, would it be with cleaning, cooking, or yard work? Husband does yard work….can this person clean AND cook? If so, you’re hired.

21. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Ah man….good question! Probably a good steak with all the fixin's on the side.

And there you have it, friends! A little get to know me post! I’d love to hear something fun about you…so feel free to comment and let me know! :) Happy Friday, everyone!!

// The Majestic Family // Southern California

WHY ARE THEY SO CUTE?! Gahhhh. I had the absolute honor of photographing my best friend and her beautiful family in SOUTHERN CALI last weekend!! It still doesn’t seem real that I was there, in person, and got to hug them! My time was way too short but it was much needed. Robyn and I kept saying “my cup is overflowing” - which is so true. I just hate that we are so far apart and only get to visit once a year! I was able to fly out to LA on a round trip, nonstop flight for $190!!! I think this might become a yearly tradition…cheap flights, family photos, and so much love! :))

I reached out to a super sweet photographer that I follow in the Temecula area and asked for some good locations. She recommended a place called Glen Arbor park and it was GORGEOUS! But I couldn’t believe how many other photographers were there- at least 5 other sessions going on! It was a tad difficult navigating and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, but I would say we knocked it out of the park!

Will, Robyn’s hunky hubby is a member of the Armed Forces. His actual title is Sergeant First Class Majestic. How amazing is that?! He and his family have sacrificed SO much for our freedom, and I am so beyond thankful for families like them. Always remember, freedom is not free. <3

I told Daniella to do any pose she wanted- and this is what she did! Love her!!

Would it be weird to order a canvas of this for my house? Cuz I totally am! haha.

Love capturing the silly moments with kids, too! Ethan (3 years old) did SO good for these! I was truly impressed!! <3

Burnout and Timeout

Y’all. It’s been a SEASON! I am not complaining, not even a little bit. But I definitely want to shed some light on a few things- a lot of misconceptions if you will.

This year has been my busiest so far, and next year is shaping up to be twice a busy. WHICH IS AMAZING! I can’t even begin to express my love and gratitude to all my couples, families, and friends who trust me enough to be there in life for their biggest moments!!!! <3 But. It does not come without a ton of stress, pressure, time away from my babies, my husband, and so on.

I hit a moment a few weeks ago where I sobbed into my pillow and kept thinking “I’m giving everyone all of me and no one is getting all of me”. As goofy as that sounds, it was the truth. I felt like I had so many people to pour into and no one was getting the best version of me. I was running behind on promise dates for photos, I was missing bedtimes with my babies (my favorite part of the day is tucking them into bed each night), my husband and I hadn’t really SEEN each other, better yet had an actual conversation that didn’t involve diapers, schedules, or “did you eat yet”? It was chaos. BUT GOOD CHAOS. It’s such a slippery slope for me, and I am even struggling at this exact moment trying to explain it all.

I am so so so SO lucky. and happy. and passionate about what I do. I am finally at a point in my art where I FEEL confident, I SEE the value in myself. And to me, it’s uncharted waters. I have never had anything in my life that I was GOOD at. Anything that I strongly desired to work harder at. And my photography and my clients are just that. SO being in this new found bad-ass photographer-mama-wife-daughter-friend role, I found myself breaking rules. Rules that I set awhile back to maintain balance in my life. I was replying to emails outside of work hours. I was taking on sessions farther away for the same session fee as one right down the road, I was glued to my laptop trying to get images to clients as fast as I could when in actuality, I over promised. I set limits and boundaries and I broke them.

THANKFULLY- it was extremely short lived. Thanks to my incredible husband, a few days of buckling down, and some good ol’ soul searching- I finally got my head above water.

Why is she telling the whole world this? I’m sure some people are wondering. Well my friends, I guess I am kinda tired of the “cupcakes and rainbows” persona that is life on social media. I’m tired, burnt out, and NEED A BREAK!

So guess what? I’m doing just that!! That’s right- this mama is boarding a jet plane and headed out to CALIFORNIA for the weekend!

I have to admit- leaving my husband and babies back home meant major mom/wife guilt. especially since I just got done rambling about how much I hate being away from them. But the truth is, I have’t taken some actual ME time since before I got pregnant with Asher. And while I love my kids with every ounce of my soul, motherhood is utterly exhausting. Being needed by someone every second is taxing. And knowing those babies of mine are safely at home with their daddy is all I could ever ask for. I’m sure bed times will be broken, dance parties to Trolls will happen, and lots of laughs and daddy fun. <3

See you later Ohio! SoCal….hereeeee I come!!

// When it rains on your wedding day

Sarah + Patrick were married November 1st of this year and it POURED all day on the day of their wedding. I don’t think I have ever met a couple SO easy going and they both truly embraced whatever God gave them on their special day! My heart is still skipping beats reminiscing on their day!

A few tips for photographers AND brides if rain is in the forecast for your big day!

1. Embrace it! There is nothing you can do to change it, you only get this day once, and I promise you, you will have gorgeous images!

2. Clear umbrellas! These are a lifesaver. They are a great way to keep the couple dry, no running make-up, and allow us to still see you in the images!

3. A clear shower curtain. This was SO helpful to lay down in the super muddy spots to protect my beautiful bride’s dress! In the photo above, you can’t even tell she is standing on it!

4. Have an assistant. My darling husband was following me around with an umbrella above me, protecting my gear. We sometimes are so concerned about our couple, that we forget to protect ourselves and our gear! A few thousands of photography equipment needs to stay as dry as possible!

And lastly, dance in the rain! Some of my absolute favorite images on any wedding day is having my couple dance together. Patrick twirled his new bride any time I asked, and the result was incredible!

Unique + Thoughtful Bridesmaid Gift Ideas

Getting married soon and trying to figure out a non-tacky or non-traditional gift for your gals? While the floral robes are beyond beautiful (and make for some stunning photos!), I gathered a few other ideas that will hopefully make your gifts a little more unique! :)

1. Customized phone cases. How stinkin’ cute are these?! Hanogram.com offers these for $35 each and I do believe they offer sales pretty regularly. I would LOVE something like this as a gift (hint, hint!) and I think it’s a super cute idea that the girls could use past the day of the wedding! They have TONS of different designs, I just loved this simple one the best!

www.hanogram.com

2. A seasonal gift box! Foxblossom.com does an incredible job at offering a wide variety of gift ideas and this autumn gift box is WAY CUTE! It could include a scarf or shawl that the girls could wear for the wedding and after! Maybe a cute mug, maybe a shot glass, some bubble bath….and so on! So. Cute. I’ll take two, please!

www.foxblossom.com

3. A Nice perfume roller (or bottle if you got it like that!) and a blush colored lipstick! I would absolutely adore something like this. Its such a thoughtful gift that I feel would last l a long time, and they could think of you + the day every time they wear either one!

Tom Ford Matte Lip Color + Body by Burberry (personal choices!)

www.etsy.com/clearylane.com

4. CUSTOM ALCOHOL! Well, kind of :) How fun are these custom labels? While I am personally not a huge fan of proposing to your bridesmaids (though I’m 99% sure I did haha), I think this idea is super cute aaaand practical! You could use these labels for wine or any other type of alcoholic bottle and they could enjoy it the day of, or save it for a special girls night a few months down the road! This could even be added to any of the above suggestions as well! Rose´ anyone?!

// Riverfront Maternity Session

Oh my goodness, where to even begin with this one?! This radiant mama to be and I used to work at Best Buy together many moons ago!! I am so very grateful or the power of social media for allowing me to keep in contact with friends and family from all over. Michelle moved to Rochester, PA (just over the Ohio/PA border) a few years ago to be closer to family. She met her husband (and baby daddy!) Dan, and the rest is history. They are expecting their first child, a baby boy, any day now!! I cannot wait to see and meet little Sawyer Daniel! <3

SERIOUSLY?!

Had to play around with a silhouette! <3

Sister Session at Sippo Lake

My oh my how time flies! I haven’t seen these 3 gorgeous girls for TWO YEARS! They have grown up so much since I last saw them, I couldn’t believe it! I love how easy and photogenic they are- makes my job sooooo easy! We had the best weather (just a tad warm) and the glow that was cascading over Sippo Lake Park was just perfect!

Happy 5 years, my love

5 years ago, we vowed to never stop loving each other. We vowed that no matter what life throws at us, that our love for one another will trump any difficult time. As I sit here in a coffee shop writing this, tears start trickling down my face. It’s so easy to post the happy moments, the home run feeling that your spouse or significant other gives you- but we rarely talk about the hard moments. The moments where you want to run away. The moments where you question your relationship. Maybe you’re one of those couples who have a marriage that’s good all the time, and that’s amazing. Our marriage, hell- our relationship, has never been easy. We are polar opposites and bicker often. But if there’s anything these last 5 years of marriage have taught me, is that our love and admiration for one another will ALWAYS trump the arguing. After every disagreement, we always come back to the understanding that the true reason it started is because we both just simply want what’s best for ourselves, our marriage, and our family. And to me? That’s pretty amazing to know.

I honestly can’t imagine doing this messy, wild, beautiful ride of life with anyone else. 11 years together, 5 years of marriage, a house, a dog, 2 beautiful little miracles that are our children and it just keeps getting better. You are one of the most hard-working individuals I have ever met and I never want to change that of you. You will give a stranger your last dollar, go without if it means providing for your family, and you constantly amaze me with your drive to better yourself. Being your Mrs has brought me so much joy and being your children’s mother has brought even more.

This past year we welcomed our beautiful daughter into this world and we made the decision to close that chapter of our lives. So many emotions have come over me making that decision and welcoming her into the world all in the same stretch of months. But I am so grateful so have made that decision together, and to promise to give our two children all that we have. Our kids will never have to wonder their worth, if their father loves them, and knowing you will never leave or hurt them brings me to my knees of emotion. Seeing you be a daddy to our son + daughter is the best moments my life has experienced. I am beyond excited to see where our sweet family is in the next 5 years.

So today, I want to say Happy Anniversary babe. You are my best friend, the absolute love of my life, and the anchor to our ship. Not a day goes by that I don’t sit and think about how lucky I am to be your wife.

Today and always, all my love.

Glamorgan Castle Engagement Session

This past Sunday evening, Sara + Chris met me out at the beautiful Glamorgan Castle in Alliance for their engagement session! I haven’t shot at this location since I first started photography almost 5 years ago, so it was so exciting being back and seeing how I could capture these two on the property!

I spent the evening laughing so hard!! I was yelling (playfully of course) at Chris to be serious for one, telling Sara she didn’t really have to walk to get the shot, just ACT like it, and honestly so many fun moments! We seriously had so much fun (well I did, can’t speak or them!) Kidding. :) They are having a NEW YEAR’S EVE wedding this year at the beautiful Onesto in downtown Canton! I am so beyond excited to capture their day and ring in 2019 with such a fun loving couple!

Alexandra {4 months old}

Oh my sweet baby girl! How are you 4 months old already?! While you haven’t been with us all that long, it sure feels like you’ve been a part of us forever. Your giggles, constant smiles, and entire personality lights up our world! <3 I love watching you watch your crazy big brother, your amazing sense of wonder, how you light up when me or daddy get you up from your naps, and so many more things! Watching you grow is so much fun!

Some updates about our sweet girl:

• Weighs 14 lbs!!! miss piggy likes to eat :)

• Rolled over for the first time from back to belly!

• Loves her feet! They’re her favorite toy!

• Loves watching her older brother play

• Loves to be scared- like “boo!” or “hi!” when she’s not expecting it. all the belly laughs.

• Not a big fan of her face or hair being washed….doesn’t cry, just freezes like she can’t breathe lol

• Still wakes every 2-3 hours in the night to eat…………………….. :)

• Starting to enjoy being left alone to play for small increments of time (play mat, swing)

• Still not a fan of a pacifier…

• Grabbing everything! Love watching her figure out how to grab toys :)

• FINALLY getting some hairs growing in on her head! <3

Those eyes. Those thighs! I could just eat her up!!! <3

Carter Gabriel | Fresh 48

Nothing makes my heart burst more than when I get to witness friends become parents! Zac + trinity welcomed their beautiful baby boy into the world last Wednesday evening and he is SO. CUTE.

Carter Gabriel Brown weighs din at 8lbs 14 oz!! I think all of that is in those little cheeks! :) I captured Zac and Trinity’s one year anniversary photos and their pregnancy announcement all int he same session this past February, and captured their maternity photos LAST MONTH and nowwww their little man is here! These photos were taken at Akron General Hospital and I am SO glad they had one of the end rooms because SPACE! General’s recovery rooms kinda suck and are SO SMALL. So I was super excited when I walked into this room! :)

Also, can I just say friends- pleaseeeeee don’t plan on using the hospital’s photographer/images when you have your sweet babies. 9 times out of 10 they are awful in quality, and I don’t even want to know what they charge for a package. Please know you can hire someone like MEEE to come after a day or so after you’ve showered and feel (kind of) human again and have beautiful, PERSONAL photos like these! <3

THOSE CHEEKS!!!!

Seriously? sobbing.

Currently Loving: Songs for First Dances

Why is choosing a first dance song so darn difficult?! At least it was for me when I was planning my wedding. And if you are one of those couples who “have a song”- I am envious! My hubby and I chose ‘Close Your Eyes’ by Michael Buble- and I truly love that song, still to this day. <3

First dances are without a doubt one of my favorite parts of the wedding day. I absolutely adore the way the couple looks at each other during these few minutes. I also love seeing the way the move with each other, and it seems that for a few moments, their world is just the two of them. Music has such a special place within me (hello dj of a husband!), but it’s always so amazing to me the power a single song can possess. I truly feel music is the strongest form of magic we can experience. <3