James and Amanda

About two months ago, I got a phone call from a young man named James. It seems that he had the most romantic plans to ask the love of his life to be his wife and wanted it documented with photographs. He is from the Orlando area, so with some creative planning, lots of "sneakiness", and some downright lies, we pulled it off.

I arrived at Three Rivers State Park about an hour early to find the perfect spot. James and Amanda just happened to stop by the park for a picnic lunch on their way to visit family in Destin. She waited by the car while he set up a lovely picnic table complete with a red tablecloth right on the banks of the river. At the signal, James walked up the steps holding Amanda's hand and dropped to one knee and popped the question!! I stepped out and shot away! I don't know what was cuter ~ her reaction to the ring or the look on her face that clearly said "Who is that woman and why is she taking pictures of us?" It was time to reveal that "yes" this was a set up!

What a special young man to go to so much trouble to surprise her this way. And, of course, she said yes!!! I was honored to be a part of this happy day.

Graham Family

St. George again! This time it was for a family gathering. What fun the Graham's were! Anything I wanted to try, they were game. But the coolest thing about the whole evening was the way they made me feel. I wasn't a "photographer hired to do family shots on the beach", I was a guest in their beach home who just happened to have a camera. Their little guy, Cal, was such a trooper. Even when he was tired of being still and smiling, he still was so good. Yes, life is good!

Jim and Marri

Have I mentioned that I love St. George Island? On May 9th, we were back on the island for the wedding of Jim and Marri. A small gathering of friends and family witnessed the marriage and then gathered for a reception of a lifetime! Marri and Jim were so much fun and put up with our tendency to take way too many pictures. And the MOON! A full moon over the water on St. George is just stunning. I even kidnapped the bride and groom from the reception for about 10 minutes to get "the shot" of the happy couple, the lighthouse, and the moon. Tory and I left the island with the feeling of having made new friends. We had such a good time that it didn't feel like a "job" at all.

Thank you, Jim and Marri, for being so delightful.

Jonathan and Jessica

I had the chance to be completely charmed by a couple last weekend. Jonathan and Jessica came to St. George Island from Colorado for their destination wedding. I can't imagine leaving the beautiful mountains, but once Jessica told me that it was snowing when they left for Florida, I quickly agreed with their choice.

With every detail taken care of by Amy http://baysidegalleryandflorist.com/, Jessica had plenty of time to relax and enjoy her wedding day.

Of course, the weather was perfect and the sky was hand-painted the most awesome shades of blue ~ providing the perfect backdrop for their barefoot beach wedding. There were lots of smiles and a few tears. But mostly, there was true love ~

Taylor and Ryan

Sometimes it gets hard to describe the incredible sunsets we have here on the Gulf Coast without using the same words over and over. However, this weekend, the backdrop for the Tabb wedding was just breathtaking! Taylor wore a stunning gown that flowed perfectly in the breeze. Ryan couldn't stop smiling. This couple had a very intimate ceremony surrounded by family and close friends. Even Bridgette, the flower dog, was on her very best behavior ~

God provided this awesome orange sunset to drop delicately into the sea at just the perfect moment. He's good at that! I see it almost every weekend and yet I have to stop and watch for that instant of green flash right before the sun seemingly disappears into the horizon. Awesome ~

Ross and Alyssa

If you've ever envisioned a storybook wedding, we had one Saturday! Alyssa was just stunning and Ross was as handsome as ever. The pristine beaches at St. Joseph State Park on Cape San Blas created the backdrop for the event. You should have seen the look on Alyssa's face when Clay, the florist, (petalsbythebay@gtcom.net), magically produced daffodils to accent the bouquet of purple irises. Daffodils are not in season, but he went the extra mile to make his bride happy~

Rich and Elizabeth from http://www.panachetents.com/ made sure that the evening flowed perfectly, and my most favorite bartenders in the world, Jason and Lisa from http://www.beachbartenders.com/ kept everyone happy and well "hydrated". The food was provided by Jody and her staff at Provisions Catering.

It is the best feeling in the world to work with a network of professionals that go above and beyond to see that every detail is "magic".

It helps to have such a happy couple to photograph as well. We wish them a very "happy ever after"...

Blair and Dean ~

Today I had an engagement session with Blair and Dean at McClay Gardens in Tallahassee. What a beautiful location!! This couple was so much fun. I thought this picture is the perfect "showcase" shot since they own and operate Aqua Xcapes, a company that builds water gardens, pondless waterfalls, and so much more in and around the Tallahassee area. aquaxcapes@comcast.net

Happy Ever After ~

Allen and Allyson ~ Today was an inspiring day for me. Allyson accepted the changes in her wedding plans with grace and dignity! No bridezilla, no meltdowns, no big deal ~ Just a drop dead gorgeous bride and a groom that was totally in love with her. She made me remember why I do what I do and love every minute of it~

Sunshine ~

With the wedding just two days away, Allyson has found the perfect location for her wedding on Saturday. Sometimes things change and most of the time not everything goes as planned, but all of the time, things work out for the best in the long run ~

What a Wonderful World

The late, great Louis Armstrong recorded a song entitled "What a Wonderful World" in 1968. The lyrics mention skies of blue, clouds of white, and even red roses. Those words perfectly describe St. George Island yesterday evening. Several family members and guests made the trip down from Macon, Georgia to celebrate with Ansley and Ben as they became husband and wife.

We could not have hand painted a more beautiful day!

After the ceremony, we returned to the historical Gibson Inn in Apalachicola for the reception. Everyone enjoyed the casual but elegant atmosphere of the Inn as well as the fabulous food.

The night ended with Ansley and Ben dancing to ~ what else ~ "What a Wonderful World". I can certainly say that this wedding day was picture perfect.

It's a Beautiful Day!

What a nice way to wake up! The sun is shining and the birds are enjoying the puddles left by yesterday's storm. The forcast for tomorrow is saying more sunshine!

We'll be up early traveling to St. George Island, Florida for Ansley and Ben's wedding.

You should just take a look at the beaches located here in the panhandle of Florida. http://www.visitgulf.com/ will take you on a tour of our miles and miles of sugar-white beaches. Oh!! And our sunsets ~ just the best there is.

Life ~

I saw a quote today ~ What great advice for handling "bumps in the road".
Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.

So this morning it is raining AGAIN. But the forcast is calling for sunshine on Saturday! We need sunshine...but if that is not in God's plan, then we will work it out and everything will be good. The one thing I have learned as a wedding photographer is that almost anything can (and will) happen! I tell my brides often that "If it is not the way you planned it, chances are nobody will know but you". On your wedding day, the main focus is that you will be marrying the love of your life. Everything else is just "details" that will soon be forgotten.

Water ~ Water everywhere!!

What's a bride to do? Next weekend is supposed to be an outdoor wedding at a lodge here in Marianna. Only one problem....The lodge is underwater. The bride and I just talked and we are scrambling together with her mom to find a venue that is not booked for Easter weekend..Move over Easter Bunny...make room for my bride!

Ansley and Ben

With the excitement of New Orleans over, I am looking forward to the sunset wedding of Ansley and Ben. Using the panoramic view of the State Park on
St. George Island as their backdrop, I just know we will have wonderful pictures.
Now to just get this weather to cooperate! It's only Tuesday and even though the "water's risin'" we are praying that Saturday will be warm and the sunset will be breathtaking!

I am looking forward to meeting Ansley at the Gibson Inn in Apalachicola, Florida to shoot all the "getting ready" pictures. Then we will make the short trip to the island to see her become Ben's wife! When we arrive, there is no doubt that the venue will be absolutely perfect. That's the only way Amy and Joey http://www.baysidegalleryandflorist.com/ do things....absolutely perfect!!

Check in with me again to read more about this happy couple!

Jen and Zack ~ New Orleans, LA March 27, 2009
Saturday dawned dark and rainy. Matt and I crawled out of bed around 9 and explored the French Quarter. To Bourbon Street, The House of Blues, Jackson Square ~ basically just played tourist. Then at 2 my bride was ready to meet her groom. They met privately in a secret garden located in the rear of the motel. Such emotion!! Then off we went. We caught a taxi to Jackson Square and boom!!!! It started to rain again.

But like the mystical legends of New Orleans, the rain just disappeared the moment we stepped out of the taxi. We had a wonderful shoot. Jen and Zack were so playful and up for anything. We walked the few blocks back to the motel, shooting all the way.Then it was "everybody" picture time. We ran that off as fast as we could because it was beginning to sprinkle again. Jen then went to freshen up and await her much anticipated wedding.

It started to pour rain again and there was the question of having to move the wedding inside. But once again, it just stopped right on time.The wedding went off without a hitch. Beautiful. The groom just loved her so much and the emotion was so heartfelt that he had me tearing up as well.

The reception was a blast. Luckily it was inside as it started to rain again once we were all inside. The first dances, cake cutting, and all the "stuff" were completed. Boy! This crowd loved to dance. They had put together one of the best mixes of music we had ever heard. At 10:00 PM, we heard jazz!!! A brass band showed up to lead The First Line Parade through the French Quarter. And yes, again, that rain just disappeared!!! The bride, groom, families, and about 150 guests were lead 12 blocks through the streets of New Orleans while the band played jazz ~ The night ended back at the Maison Dupuy Motel with the band playing and the whole crowd singing "When The Saints Go Marching In". I can truly say that this was the experience of a lifetime!!! Thanks for letting me share it with you.

Off to New Orleans!

Good Morning! What a wonderful day to start a blog as we are packing for our trip to New Orleans to shoot a wedding at the beautiful Maison Dupuy, located in the French Quarter. What an opportunity!!

A little about Kim Stone Photography. I am not a photographer, I am a story teller. I use my camera and my eyes to see and capture your story. We are located in Marianna, Florida, but spend most of our weekends on the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida photographing destination weddings. We use the beauty of St. George Island, or Apalachicola, Port St. Joe, and Mexico Beach, Florida as our backdrop and let nature do the rest. I also travel to Panama City Beach, Pensacola, and Destin. And today, NEW ORLEANS!!

Working as a photographer for 8 years, we have had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people who usually leave us with "forever" memories. There are so many cultures and personalities. Last year we shot 43 weddings. This year (and it is only March) I have 33 booked! Life is good.

I can totally blame my friend Ashley for this blogging thing. Ashley owns http://www.cherishedgiftfavors.com/ which just happens to be "the" most fantastic
site to find everything you need for your wedding day. Well, maybe not everything...you'll have to find your own husband : )