“One man cannot make a team.” -Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

I chose this quote for Becki+Donovan’s engagement session because, to me, they are the definition of a team. We got together a handful of times before their shoot. I typically meet only with my Brides in the beginning to chat about wedding details and life. But it was a pleasant surprise to have Donovan at every meeting and to see them working together on the important aspects of their big day.

Of course, it’s more than that. Both are great in their own right, having earned respect and friendships along their individual journeys through adolescence and adulthood. But when they’re together, Becki+Donovan bring out the best in each other. They take care of each other. They challenge each other. They truly like and love each other.

For their engagement session, they decided to incorporate a football theme. Completely perfect. Becki has been an athlete for the majority of her life, and Donovan, well, he absolutely loves sports (Becki calls it an obsession…ha!). But together, they shine. Like a team, like every couple, they will inevitably face challenges. But together Becki+Donovan will always have winning seasons and be victorious in the end.

Cheers! Can’t wait to share the joy of your wedding day! Enjoy a sample from their winning shoot!

And here’s a taste of their formal session…

This next shot is inspired by a photo Becki found on Pinterest!

It was still dark when we arrived at the first location for Crystal+Jeremy’s engagement shoot. We encourage our couples to choose the locations and themes, and this one was Jeremy’s choice. We were going for a little tailgating and a lot of love, hoping to take advantage of the morning glory that would soon peek over the trees. It was a pretty great backdrop for Jeremy’s bright blue Jeep, Crystal’s bright blue eyes and their Ohio State pride! (Crystal suggested I wait until the end of the shoot to tell Jeremy I’m a Wolverines fan… smart girl!)

In addition to their love for each other and the Buckeyes, Crystal+Jeremy also love the movies. And I mean, love them. When they’re not watching the game, it’s likely they’re catching the latest blockbuster. Crystal’s location choice was Downtown Sarasota and the Burns Court theater. It was a fun way to end a great day! And I could easily imagine the classic fairytale voice-over announcing, “…and they lived happily ever after.” I can’t wait to see the real thing.

Cheers to Crystal+Jeremy! Next year will be here before you know it!

“The art of love… is largely the art of persistence.”
-Albert Ellis

Kimberly+Travis met in high school, but it would be years before love would bring them together. Maybe Travis knew all along. Before they started dating, he told Kim that one day he was going to marry her, and he didn’t stop asking her out until she said yes. Lucky for both, she gave in. The couple will exchange vows in her family’s backyard this weekend…and at long last, Travis’ persistence will have paid off. Cheers to this adorably charming couple!

“Absence makes thy heart grow fonder.”
-Anonymous

Though they both attended Penn State, Teela + Scott’s first close encounter was a couple years ago while visiting Avalon, New Jersey, for some sun and fun. And something told them then that it was love. Their only problem was geography — she was living in Philly, he was in Manhattan. If time was to keep them apart, distance would not, and the two cities became the setting for their storybook courtship. For more than a year they took turns traveling back and forth every weekend until Scott could call Pennsylvania home once again and be with his gal for good.

In June the couple returned to New York City to visit Scott’s friends. Little did Teela know this trip would be the start of their next chapter. Scott planned a romantic evening, which began at the Highline, an elevated park in the Meatpacking District and the scene of their first NYC date. It was there he proposed, and where she’ll always remember the feeling of pure happiness.

They ended this summer with a trip to St. Augustine. Their hope was that I would capture their affectionate and fun personalities in an artistic manner. No problem. Scott made his love for Teela look like an art form and she was his inspiration, like a painter and his muse. And the beauty of St. Augustine didn’t hurt!

Cheers to Teela + Scott — may your love always look like the work of art I witnessed that day.

“Love, and do what thou wilt…let the root of love be within, of this root can nothing spring but what is good.” —St. Augustine of Hippo

I traveled to St. Augustine last month for Nicole + Justin’s engagement session. There’s nothing better than shooting in a new location, particularly one as old as St. Augustine, Florida. And it did not disappoint. It had been years since my family spent one of its classic vacations in the old city, so it was like I was seeing it all again for the first time — this time through appreciative eyes.

And what I saw through the lens was perhaps one of the sweetest couples I have met. Not only were they calm, cool and collected, but they were also playful, loving, in love. Justin proposed to Nicole in St. Augustine at Castillo de San Marcos. The fort is a symbol of strength, protection, everlasting — the perfect foundation for a successful marriage. They’re off to a good start, and the rest will soon be history.