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 ~