Love Story: Lisa and Matt’s Peabody Library Wedding

Stories Documented, Wedding  //  10th September 2012

It all began at a wedding.  For Lisa, it was her sister’s wedding.  For Matt, it was his best friend’s wedding.  And it just so happens that Lisa’s sister was marrying Matt’s best friend.  Lisa was the Maid of Honor and Matt was the Best Man.  Their bridal party duties brought them together as they helped plan the most perfect day for these special people in their lives.

Their bridal party duties brought them close, but it was their hearts that made it impossible to seperate.  It was meant to be that Lisa’s sister, Wendy and Matt’s best friend, Chris would tie the knot and bring two of the closest people in their lives together!  Lisa and Matt’s love blossomed even after their bridal party duties ended!  And soon they asked Wendy and Chris to stand by their sides as they pledged their own love to each other!

Lisa and Matt’s love story is one that we just absolutely adore!  You never know when you are going to meet that special someone and it just makes us smile knowing that Lisa and Matt found love surrounded by love!

Lisa and Matt’s wedding day was beautiful.  The Peabody Library is one of those venues that is just breathtaking… any way you look at it!  We LOVED shooting their First Look in the library before it was even set up for their ceremony!  With Matt’s love for architecture and Lisa’s love of poetry, I can’t think of a more perfect place to celebrate their love story!

Thank you so much Lisa and Matt for giving us the opportunity to capture your wedding day!  It was beautiful in so many ways!  We wish you nothing but the very best now and always!!!

Huge appreciation for everyone who helped make Lisa and Matt’s day so special! Especially these AMAZING vendors:
Stationery:  Write for You
Hair Stylist:  Angel at Studio 921
Makeup Artist:  Nilam at Studio 921
Florist:  Floral Impressions
Ceremony and Reception Venue:  George Peabody Library
Officiant: Henry Greene
Caterer:  Chef’s Expressions
Music:  Carl at Classic DJs
Bridal Gown:  Love Couture Bridal
Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire:  Men’s Warehouse
Bridesmaid’s Dresses:  Ann Taylor
Wedding Bands:  Lynn Jewelers

Enjoy more of Lisa and Matt’s Images in the slideshow below.

AMAZING Life Manifesto: Have an Afternoon Dance Party!

Amazing Life Manifesto, Dreaming  //  10th September 2012

We are not exactly sure how it started, or why it started, but one day, I decided it would be fun to have an afternoon dance party.  So I stopped what I was doing, turned on some music, and preceded to have an afternoon dance party!  Liz looked at me like I was crazy and quickly began to laugh uncontrollably.  At that moment, I knew I had succeeded!   Because what is life without a little laughter and fun!  I pulled her out of her chair and we had an afternoon dance party in our living room.  It was probably one of the most fun afternoons of work ever!

Still not convinced? Research has shown that dancing reduces stress, increases energy, and lowers your risk of heart disease.  Plus it is super FUN!  And that is truly what makes an AMAZING life.  So get up and move, turn up the music and have an afternoon dance party!  And if you think you look silly, who cares!  Just watch our dance moves, yours can’t be any worse than ours! :)

As part of our brand re-launch, we asked all of our friends and family to have their own dance party!  We were so excited to see all the FUN videos from everyone so we wanted to continue the party!  Check them out on our Facebook Page! Get out your iPhones, Droids, 5D Mark II, or anything else that records video.  Celebrate your AMAZING life and share your moves with us on our Facebook page for your chance to win an iTunes gift card!!!

Plus, we are always adding to our dance party playlist, leave us some comment love and let us know what songs get you moving!!!

Congratulations to Ryan Ray, the winner of our Friday Favorites giveaway! 

The Meaning Of Family

Family, Stories Documented  //  7th September 2012

It started with a huge love and appreciation for the family that surrounds us. We had this dream of working on a personal project that spoke to our hearts. A project that could make a difference in the lives of others by sharing a little piece of the incredible people that we are blessed to be able to call family.

The Lorson Family is one like no other. A family that began with Robert and Helen (Krezmer) Lorson way back on October 30, 1948. Growing at a rapid pace, Robert and Helen (otherwise referred to as MeMe and PopPop) built a family of 8 children (Theresa passing at the young age of 5). The children (Robert Jr., Cecilia, Mary, Allen, Joannette, Ronald, and Rebecca) followed in their parents footsteps and continued to add to the beautiful family. Now, with 15 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren the Lorson Family continues to grow.

Sunday dinners at MeMe’s house, a visit by Santa on Christmas Eve, and the annual Easter Egg Hunt are just a few of our favorite traditions that always bring the family together physically. But there is so much more behind what keeps the Lorson Family together and that is what this project is all about.

While everyone was together to celebrate Brooke and Tony’s wedding in Ocean Isle, NC, during the summer of 2012, we decided to ask everyone in the Lorson Family to share with us what family means to them. After an evening full of laughs and tears, we were quickly reminded that family is at the core of our heart and soul. Every single value that we strive to hold ourselves accountable to stems from the incredible people that we are blessed to be able to call family.

One of our favorite things about this project was hearing everyone’s explanation of their words. It was fascinating to hear how all of them linked back to the words that MeMe spoke. PopPop is certainly shining down on us with a big smile knowing that the many values he and MeMe instilled in us by example are a huge part of every single one of us.

What we thought was a personal project to touch the lives of others quickly became a personal project that we will forever hold close to our hearts. Thank you to everyone in our amazing family for being who you are and always being true to what brings us all together.

Friday Favorites: In the Kitchen – Our Starbucks French Press

Celebrating the Everyday, Friday Favs  //  7th September 2012

Good morning everyone and Happy Friday!  Each Friday we are going to start of the day with what we are calling our “Friday Favorites.”  Each week we will highlight one of our favorite things, something that we just can’t live without, or something that helps us to live a more AMAZING life.  So without further adieu …

Friday Favorites: In The Kitchen – Our Starbucks French Press. 

One of our absolute favorite things is walking into one of our favorite coffee shops and being surrounded by the AMAZING aroma of coffee.  As soon as you walk in the door the scent of freshly ground beans, brewed coffee, and espresso, washes over you.  It’s like a caffeine jolt to your senses.  Waking up and driving immediately to the nearest Starbucks or up to the AMAZING Artifact Coffee doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  So, the next best thing is brewing coffee in our Starbucks French Press.  Each morning we start our day by grinding some fresh Ceremony Coffee, boiling water in our green teakettle, and then brewing the perfect cup of coffee in our press.  The aroma quickly fills our first floor as the coffee bloom builds.  After 4 minutes it’s time to break the crust and press down the grinds.  What’s left is a perfect cup of coffee and a fabulous coffee house aroma to start our day.  The bold flavor is something you just can’t get from a regular old coffee pot.  The extra effort is truly worth it.  Get yourself a French Press here and learn more about how to make a perfect cup of coffee with the Intelligentsia App.

And to start of our first Friday Favorites and to commemorate Liz and Ryan launch week, leave us a comment for your chance to win a bag our favorite Ceremony Coffee to go with your new French press!

A Baby Story: Jennie, Adam, and Charlotte

Family, Stories Documented  //  6th September 2012

It was a Wednesday night as we got together with Jennie and Adam to capture their lives as they prepared for their little one to arrive.  On Thursday, they were planning to start the induction process to have little baby Young on that Friday.  We took some time that night to soak in the reality that soon life was going to be just a little bit different for Jennie and Adam.  We talked about their excitement to become parents and to find out the surprise of whether it was a boy or a girl.  Jennie and Adam shared their emotions and their fears that come along with being parents… like “what are we going to do when they can drive.”  ;)

It was so real.  The night before they were expecting to start the delivery process, they shared their raw emotions with us.  We captured it with video and still photos so that they will always remember what “those days” were like.

Jennie and Adam were married in December of 2010.  We fell in love with them as a couple the very first minute we met them.  They have a special kind of love that literally overflows into the lives of every single person they meet.  They have a saying that hangs in their home that says, “Spread Love everywhere you go.  Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”  Honestly, they are the walking billboards for that quote!

As we captured Jennie and Adam’s Baby Story, we wanted to be able to give them something that will always remind them of where their family journey began.  It began with their relationship and the love they share with each other.  The love that overflows leaving the world a happier place!

We ended that Wednesday evening with dinner (a little sushi and wasabi in hopes to push that little baby out naturally!)  As we sat down, Jennie came out of the bathroom and said, (with a HUGE smile on her face) “I don’t mean to alarm anyone but I think I might be in Labor.”  ;) Of course we all pretty much jumped out of our chairs with excitement.  But Jennie assured us, it was not quite time to go to the hospital.  Dinner was waiting!  ;)  In the middle of dinner, as Jennie felt her belly… she said, “Oooooo!  I think this is it!  I think that was a contraction.”  Again, saying that with a huge smile on her face!  ;)  Ohh my goodness, if/when I ever have a baby, please God let me be as calm, happy, and energized as Jennie!  ;)  Seriously, she is amazing.  We left that night with Jennie saying she was going to try to get some sleep, “just in case” that was in fact the start of her labor.  Before noon on Thursday morning, Jennie had baby Charlotte Munroe.  ;)

With a visit to the hospital and some time hanging out with the new parents, we can honestly say our thoughts have been confirmed that baby Charlotte is one lucky little girl to have amazing parents like Jennie and Adam!  We are all certainly blessed that they have brought one special little girl into the world to help spread the love!  We have no doubt, Charlotte certainly will!

Jennie and Adam, thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to capture your baby story.  We are so blessed to have you and Charlotte in our lives!  Thank you for bringing her into this world and for being an incredible example of spreading love and happiness to the world around us!

In the past, we have referred our maternity, baby, and family photo inquiries to other photographers because it was not what we “specialized” in.  As we concentrate our focus on documenting people’s amazing lives and celebrating life’s most amazing moments, we are excited to accept a limited number of Baby Story Documentaries into our work flow!  If you are expecting and interested in documenting this amazing time in your family’s lives in a real-life documentary (not your traditional portrait) kind of way, please send us a note!