Chicago Anniversary Session – Megan and Kyle

Love, Stories Documented  //  25th July 2014

With the launch of AMAZING Life Together months ago and our desire to truly use our talents in a meaningful way, we have had the absolutely incredible opportunity to meet some AMAZING couples and gift them with a photography session that not only leaves them with unforgettable memories but touches our hearts in big ways!

We usually walk into these sessions with a happy heart knowing we are capturing photos that our couples will cherish now and forever… but we always walk away with so so so much more than that happy heart! Photographing and filming couples who believe in their love and work really hard to make their relationship as AMAZING as it can be, inspires us in big ways!

Megan and Kyle participated in the AMAZING Life Together #AmazingSimpleLove Instagram (@amzlifetogether & @Liz_and_Ryan) challenge just a few weeks ago! They shared with us the simple things that they do together to make their marriage AMAZING! And in doing so, they were the lucky winners of the Anniversary photo session that we gave away! 

Megan and Kyle live just a short drive from Chicago… so we met up with them while we were out there photographing Cathy and Jeff’s engagement session! They are incredible! and they shared their love story with us so that we could share it all with you over at AMAZING Life Together! Please take a moment to go see the photos from their Chicago Anniversary Session and read their love story! We know there is always something to be learned from everyone and we are so excited for the honor to be able to share it!!! Thank you Megan and Kyle for sharing your beautiful example of love with us!

 

Butler’s Orchard Engagement Session – Una and Matt

Engagement, Love, Stories Documented  //  24th July 2014

I have always dreamed of living on a farm. Ryan always jokes with me that I don’t want to actually work on the farm, I just want to live in a farm house. ;) That might be true. However, after Una and Matt’s Butler’s Orchard Engagement Session… I am pretty much convinced, whether I have to work on it or not, living on a farm is definitely still a dream to me! ;)

Una and Matt proposed the idea of going blueberry picking for their engagement session and we could not have been more excited! What a super fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon… strolling through the beautiful blueberry fields while enjoying some blueberry soda and taste-testing just a few berries along the way!

Believe it or not, it is actually not very easy to find a farm who is willing to allow professional photographers on their property for a session like this! But Una and Matt struck gold when they found Butler’s! It was such a perfect location and they could not have been more accommodating! We are so grateful they were so willing to share their beautiful farm with us!

Just a side note… when we do live on our farm ;), we will definitely open up our property to share with others so everyone can enjoy the beauty and the peacefulness of it all too! ;)

Una and Matt- thank you for such a fun session! We loved strolling those fields with you and we cannot wait for your Kent Manor Inn wedding in just a few weeks! ;)

Loyola University Maryland Wedding – Carol and TJ

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding  //  17th July 2014

From the moment we photographed TJ’s proposal to Carol exactly 1 year before their wedding day, we could not wait to photograph their wedding! There is something about witnessing a proposal that makes you feel a special connection to the couple. It is such an AMAZING moment in their lives and we were blessed to have the opportunity to not only witness it, but capture every emotion from that special day. I am pretty sure we were the only ones, besides the security guard who had a watchful eye on us ;), who witnessed that beautiful moment. We knew right then and there that their wedding would hold an extra special place in our hearts.

Exactly 1 year later, we were standing just yards away from their proposal location at Loyola University Maryland when Carol and TJ exchanged letters with each other (without seeing one another) just minutes before Carol walked down the aisle. As with the proposal, that moment was one that we will always remember. It was incredible to see the emotion just pour out of them. Between TJ’s tears and sniffles you could hear Carol’s sweet giggles as they read line by line. What a beautiful moment!

It truly is such an honor to be there to witness such incredible moments in couple’s lives. Carol and TJ are one of those couples who we know in our hearts prepared just as much (if not more) for their marriage as they did their wedding day! Their beautiful emotion is a testament to how incredibly meaningful these moments truly are! We are so grateful to have Carol and TJ in our lives!

 

How much fun are they?!? Carol and TJ surprised all of us by doing a quick change just before the reception was over! Carol and TJ are HUGE country fans and this was the PERFECT way to send them off to their honeymoon! ;) (seriously, I am pretty sure they have been to every single country concert in the area over the past few years! ;)… and did I mention that most of the tickets they won on the radio?!? ;) That is another whole super fun story! ;)). So much fun! and just another reason why we love these two so much! ;)

 

Huge thanks to everyone who helped make Carol and TJ’s wedding so special!

Hair Stylist: Maureen Collela from Dimensions Solon in Auburn, NY | Florist: Raimondi’s Florist | Ceremony Venue: Loyola University Maryland, Alumni Memorial Chapel | Officiant: Fr. Timothy Brown, SJ | Ceremony Music: George Miller, Loyola University Maryland music director & Christopher Roe (family friend) | Reception Venue: Turf Valley Resort | Bakery: Debi’s Cake Studio | DJ/Band: Music Masters | Videographer: Jeremy Mitchell Cinema | Bride & Bridesmaid’s Attire: Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection | Groom & Groomsmen’s Attire: Columbia Bridal & Tuxedo

 

Chicago Millenium Park Engagement Session – Cathy and Jeff

Engagement, Love, Stories Documented  //  15th July 2014

These two. Ahh. They came into our lives at such a special moment and I will never forget the evening we received their inquiry email. Jeff had just proposed to Cathy a few days before and without much planned, they knew they wanted us to be their photographers. What an honor! Their email blew us away and will always hold a special place in our hearts!

Cathy and Jeff, wedding photographers as well from Galena, IL, started following along with our AMAZING Life Together site after we did the More Time for Love Webinar in April 2013. When they mentioned that is how they found us, we knew in our hearts they were definitely a couple that we couldn’t wait to photograph! Along with so many other incredible words, their email said:

“We love your heart for your clients, for marriages that thrive, and your fun personalities!  Plus, you’re absolutely fabulous photographers!!!”

They get us. They know exactly where our heart is and you have no idea how much that means to us! Our passion stems so much beyond photography!!! But I am not going to lie, these photos make us HAPPY and we get pretty pumped knowing that Cathy and Jeff are going to have these special moments to look back on forever!!! They will always be reminded of their special love and happiness together!

Spending the day with them in Chicago was AMAZING! Their laughter and positive energy is so contagious! We are certainly blessed to have them in our lives as one of our couples, friends, and colleagues too! ;)

Cathy and Jeff- can’t wait to celebrate with you in Galena next year!

 

Baltimore Professional Headshots

Life, Stories Documented  //  10th July 2014

It is not often that we take on photo shoots outside of the realm of weddings, engagements & love stories. But over the past few weeks, we have been challenging ourselves a bit and taking on additional projects in an effort to raise money for BuildOn – the organization we will be going to Africa with in December to help build a school! It is our goal to raise $4,000 by the time we leave! We are currently at $2,453! Eeek… over half way there! ;)

These beautiful ladies contacted us because they needed some professional head shots for their performing careers! Melissa, one of our former brides is a professional singer and the rest of the ladies (including my beautiful cousin Jenna) all recently graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and are starting their dancing careers! It is so much fun to hang out with artists who are so motivated and energized to live their dreams! We are certainly cheering them on and are their biggest fans for sure!

It has been an honor to not only work with these AMAZING friends to raise money for BuildOn, but to also help these ladies further their professional careers and live their dreams! And as an added bonus, it was really fun to get out of our comfort zone a bit and shoot some head shots… especially the ones at night! Ryan was geeking out over using the flashes and I was geeking out over the results! ;) So fun.

If you know anyone looking for some head shots or looking to schedule a photography session and wouldn’t mind making payment as a tax-deductible donation, please send them our way! ;) We have over $1500 to raise before meeting our goal… and if we went above and beyond that goal, I am pretty sure the kids in Africa wouldn’t complain! ;) We certainly wouldn’t! More information about our trip and the organization we are partnering with can be found here (along with a link to make a donation if you are interested! ;) ): http://act.buildon.org/fundraise?fcid=288480! Thank you so much friends!