They opted for a first look and it was wonderful to be there as she shared a journal with him that she’d been writing in during their year long engagement, I melted my heart a little when she shared that it was inspired by my gift to Josh on our wedding day.

I gave them some privacy and took a few detail shots.

A note: the rocks below were handed out to the guests as they entered the ceremony. The pastor led the group in a prayer and asked them to silently pray for the new Mr and Mrs. The rocks were collected at the end of the ceremony and are displayed in their home!

While we waited for the ceremony to start, the guys  were pacing back and forth in a room listening to the US men’s world cup game (which we sadly lost) praying for a history making victory!

Don’t they look great as newlyweds!

After a joyous exit, we traveled to a property about half a mile down the road and I hit the photography jackpot! A private residence that we had complete access to and around every corner it got better and better! I could have literally shot there for HOURS.

I was IN LOVE with her gown. Beautiful on, in motion, laying still & easy to “poof”, just ask her Maid of Honor.

One of my absolute favorite all time wedding photos EVER taken.

and after they tore me away from that gorgeous place we had a great reception. These glasses were the same used at Collin’s parent’s wedding!

Happy to end this post with this: gorgeous, suave, classy & not afraid to get a little messy! Thank you so much my friends, Josh and I wish you the very best and can’t wait to make more memories with you!

Collin & River’s Indiana Wedding

Steve & Breanne’s lovely Lynchburg wedding & Trivium reception

John and Kristen’s Barren Ridge Vineyard wedding

Kent & Alisha’s Roanoke wedding & rooftop celebration

Solomon & Angi’s Avanel wedding

& their wedding photo booth

Emily’s bridal portraits

Daniel & Emily’s challenging & rewarding Phenix, VA wedding

and finally, the icing on the cake, all the way in Alaska!

Lane and Jenna’s engagement session

and Inn at Tern Lake wedding in the rain

Do you feel tired yet? haha. We so look forward to sharing about these events with you!

A normal day: I get there early and we play.

Then, when he gets a little grumpy he crawls up to me and this means its time to eat.

I mean really, look at that face!

Part of the reason I can’t eat bananas like I used to.

Then we get down and do some crawling.

We do this until we get grumpy again and then it’s time for lunch.

I promise, he’s teething, I’m not torturing him but just look at that expression. Have you ever sen anything so sad?

George ( a throwback from his dad’s time) keeps us company.

But the truth is, Ezra is a messy eater.

So somtimes lunch time is also followed by bath time.

Which is followed by nap time.

Nap time is very helpful for renewing.

Just one standard, 1 year photo session shot. Which is now hanging on my fridge.

I’m sure it won’t be long until he can crawl up in that chair all by himself, but until then, I’m thankful I get to be there to help!

Supplies: Monogram letter ($2.50 at ACMoore), ribbon ($1.50 at ACMoore), hot glue gun, one glue stick, recycle fabric (old shirt ruined by a rogue post-it note in this case).

Step 1: Draw two different sized circles on the fabric, these are about an 1.25 in & .75 in. Cut out.

Step 2: Place smaller circles inside larger circles.

Step 3: Pinch together, add glue to desired location on monogram.

Step 4: Place the “point” of the flower into glue, then twist the flower in the glue to desired shape.

Step 5: Cut ribbon to desired length, apply to back of monogram with hot glue.

Step 6: Install! This one lives on our front door and it makes me smile each time I walk in!

Such bold and vibrant colors were a dream to shoot!

Classic Julie wasn’t so bad either, lol.

aaanddd…more detail lovin

Love the engagement photo guest book!

So, the truth is that we faced some very ugly flood-like rainstorms during this crazy day. Inbetween two big storms we had a ceremony, well part of one, but I’d have to say that it was totally worth it!

One of the best reactions I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of!

Totally worth it for THIS entrance!

inbetween these two pictures it rained, a lot, and so we moved things inside, and in the end they were just as married as they would have been if we’d stayed outside. Plus, look at those faces!

a brief carriage ride for the newlyweds

Loved those moody skies!

My absolute favorite from the whole day

A great meal was served, toasts, cake AND dancing! Lots of hilarious dancing.

See, they agreed that the dancing was hilarious.

I snuck them out for a few more pictures and then they had a beautiful escape and traveled the whole 50 yards to their honeymoon silo!

It was brilliant and beautiful. I’m so glad I could be there!

S. Carter Studios Platinum Photo Booth: Angi’s Shower from sabrena deal on Vimeo.

There is just something about hopping into the car on a special evening that BEGS me to pop out my pocket camera and commemorate the moment. Car pictures! I get the eye rolling from almost everyone, ALMOST. There is one person who very rarely gives me the eye roll and that is my little sister. To me her name is Boo Boo, but on the birth certificate it says Rebecca. She is my number one fan, cheerleader, Harry Potter buddy, smarter half & favorite. This is the month of her 20th birthday and so for the month of July we’re going to offer a 20% discount on any photo booth booked in the next 31 days for Fall of 2010. It’s not just car pictures she’s taken with me but literally thousands of silly photos including some from the photo booth at  my wedding and at Angi’s bridal shower. So it seems appropriate to honor her birthday with something we love doing together so much!

You may be asking yourself:

What kind of event would could benefit from a photo booth?

Weddings, engagement parties, baby showers, halloween parties, fundraisers, sorority/fraternity parties, family reunions, birthday parties, company picnics, labor day get together, pretty much any event where the people you love will all be in one place and you’d love to have photos of them doing their crazy things.

S. Carter Studios Platnium Photo Booth: James & Johnna’s Wedding from sabrena deal on Vimeo.

What exactly does 20% off mean in dollars and cents?

Details of this offer: Any photo booth booked between July 1st and 31st that will take place between August 16th & November 21st  and within 60 miles of Lynchburg will receive a 20% discount on the full price of the booth.

What’s the next step? Email sabrena [at] scarterstudios.com to inquire about availability and booking!

The courtyard of the church hosted the reception and it was just gorgeous!

Awesome bridal shoes. Candace LOVES shoes. Really, she does.

A little surprise for the groom.

If you know Mike and Candace well you probably already know that they love the Lord, each other and people in general very much. This was so clear at their rehearsal dinner when they went around to the over 40 people in attendance and personally introduced each person and shared what an impact that person had on their relationship and why they were glad they were there. Including me! It was such a beautiful thing to see and be a part of. They just don’t make them like that all the time. Way to go Lumpkins and Thurmans! Example 2: Moments before walking down the aisle, Candace is filling out Thank You cards.

Okay, getting to the really good stuff.

These guys were killing me. Such a great group and so happy to pose.

A sweet moment as mom was dropped off by her sons.

After all those months, all that planning, all the waiting, they became Mr. and Mrs. Everyone was thrilled!

It was like a midafternoon dream. Gorgeous light shining, beautiful couple. No RAIN! It doesn’t get much better than this!

One of my all time favorites.

Oh yeah, there was a reception too, lol.

Gotta be one of the very best cake smashings I’ve been a witness to. Including my own!

The best part not showing here is when Candace’s mom came to help her followed by her Grandma. Mike was arms open ready to accept her help and was brushed past with quite a look, left to his own devices for cleaning up. It was too funny.

VICTORY!! For the maid of honor of the year who flew in early that morning and left that evening!

Just as quick as it started it was all over and the newlyweds left in a flurry of bubbles and laughter. Each time I look through these pictures I relive the experience, I could do this wedding 3 times a weekend. It was such a pleasure to hang out with these awesome people!

The problem is that all of these questions and doubts and fears have ME at the center of them. Me, me, me. I, I, I. That’s what happens when you live in you-land where everything is about you and depends on you and is devastating when YOU aren’t in control or don’t measure up. The real truth is that it’s not about me as the center of things. It’s about the Lord. When I sit back and take myself out of the center of the universe and recognize that in scripture God has told me, Psalm 136, that he has every day of my life planned for me. He knew them before I was even born! That really means that he knows when I need two weekends in a row off, he has in mind exactly how many clients that I’ll have and when I’ll have them. He has created me to be ME and that’s why I’m not more like that other photographer. I hope you can see how very relieving this is! I don’t have to worry because God has provided for me. He’s provided me with this gift, with past clients, and has a plan for every day of my future. And then what is my role? To love Him for it, to thank Him, to honor Him and to try and live in such a way that other people will see Him in my life. Somedays it’s hard for me to remember that, so that’s why I’m putting here, just in case any else reads this blog, lol, and just in case they might need to be reminded too.

God also has a way of reminding me that I do what I do for my clients. Not for the ones that I’d like to have some day. I can’t be about working and trying hard so that other photographers will want to be my friend. I don’t do it so that I can get an ego boost. I do it to be a part of capturing memories, moments and relationships. So my friends, my clients. I’m doing this for you. Thank you for trusting me and reminding me why this is all worth it!

My, oh, my, how I was LOVING this vehicle!

See the picture below: a groom tearing up as he waits for his bride. Well, it was beyond welling, for both of them! Full on tears from start to finish. Emily’s started before the wedding when she accepted a phone call from him and through a tear smile relayed to her bridesmaids, “He’s just so good to me.”

The mist turned into a drizzle but I really don’t think Emily or Michael had a clue. They were pretty wrapped up in each other. It was just lovely.

It was beautiful and brief and then just like that they were husband and wife!

There weren’t many tears after that, just big joyful smiles.

Props to my intern Julie who lined this shot up!

Just a few horses in a pasture with mist rising up off of it, no big deal!

Loved their moms who held hands several times and celebrated God’s goodness together.

a sparkling exit

in the classic car

so classy. Thanks for letting me be a part of your celebration Emily & Michael It was such a pleasure to be there!

Photo by AJ Chan

Photo by Jenny Erdman

I can also tell you some things I’ve learned from my dad. The lyrics to at least half of all of Jimmy Buffett’s songs. How to easily manage air travel. The value of impromptu adventures and vacations. What it looks like to run your own business. How to see the good in others. How great it feels to use your talents to help other people celebrate and feel special. How to entertain three small children in an airport during a crazy layover. That nobody is more important than your family. He’s taught me about hard work and honesty. That the customer is always right and should be happy after your conversations even if they came in angry. What forgiveness looks like. He taught me brand loyalty to Toyota! That Poptarts can in fact be bought by the case. He’s taught me so much more than that but we’ll save that for future Father’s day posts! Happy Father’s day dad, you’re wonderful and we appreciate you!