When I think of this lovely couple, these are the words that immediately spring to mind: kind, genuine, true, committed, present, fun, simple, authentic. And all of these characteristics were present throughout their wedding day. Weddings can be known for being frantic, overwhelming, chaotic, and exhausting. We all have been to THOSE weddings. This one, however, was the antithesis of “that” wedding. It was calm, peaceful, simple, enjoyable, meaningful, and fun. The guests were not just bystanders waiting for the bar to open… they were part of the entire day, from ceremony to the rousing ending song on the dance floor. Kevin and Taryn chose meaningful decorations, elements of their ceremony and even their dessert choice at the reception had depth and meaning to it (will explain later). I can’t tell you how impressed I was over and over again throughout the day. THIS couple not only planned their wedding, but has been planning for  their marriage throughout the process. That is no small feat.

I felt extremely honored to have been the chosen photographer to document such a special and meaningful day! Kevin and Taryn, my sentiments towards you guys are no secret! I have truly, truly felt so blessed to have met the two of you and worked with you to capture such a monumental day in your lives. I have no doubt in my mind that you will have such a long and beautiful life together… making a difference in your world and blessing others with your kindness and authentic friendship. And yes, I am already looking forward to that post wedding coffee date with you guys!

The string and pouches used to make this “prayer circle” was created by Kevin’s mom and various other members of their families. Each pouch has something representing various family members that could not make it to the wedding… talk about making a generational heirloom!

Kevin’s father had passed away when he was younger, and he carried this photo of his mother and father in his coat pocket. He wanted to do something special with it on his own wedding day, so we re-created the pose his parents were in in the photo.

Instead of cake, Kevin and Taryn flew in many gallons of a special brand of ice cream from his family’s hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. His grandmother had once shipped him “their” ice cream on dry ice for a momentous occasion that she couldn’t make it to, so that their hometown could be represented. She has since passed away, and this dessert choice was made in her honor. See what I mean, folks?! Talk about meaningful and unforgettable elements.

First, how fun is it that I photographed this lovely couple’s wedding way back in ’07… and not get to photograph their 2nd and 3rd babies, twin boys!

Secondly, they are the winners of the “Love Story” contest I ran in February…. and what better expression of a love session than babies?! (ps. if you missed their story, here it is…. so worth the read!)

Thirdly, I mean, how cute are these little bambinos??!! And I love their names and the process Susan and Greg go through to pick their children’s names. You can read about it on Susan’s blog, here.

And lastly, I just knew I was going to have such fun wraps, blankets and quilts to use in the session. I am a BIG fan of SusieMey handmade things… and of ethnic, colorful textiles in general . I love Susan’s style and man, it was just so fun incorporating the fabrics in the images.

And in the end, the babies were cuter than I could imagine! See for yourself!!

* note: the adorable blue and white wrap is a from the handiwork of Susan of  susiemey.com (stay tuned for Susan’s newborn shoot too!) 

We ran out to the National Arboretum, and literally RAN all over the park (well, drove, parked and ran. then drove parked and ran some more) looking for blossoms of all kinds before it closed. Thanks to some gusty winds, it was literally raining blossoms that day! I am so thrilled for Amy and Allan’s upcoming wedding and their life together beyond that. God has some good stuff in store for these two.

People such as Kevin and Taryn. From the first emails back and forth with Kevin, to meeting at Panera over coffee… I knew these were “my kind of people.” And they so are. You know the kind…. the ones that take no effort whatsoever to talk, hang out, be with. The kind that you enjoy seeing and being with. The kind that make you smile when you think of them. Kevin and Taryn are totally these kind of people.

We decided to shoot their session at the National Arboretum to try to avoid the DC crowds and traffic. Which is funny, because the traffic we had to go through to GET to the arboretum was insane. But I think we all literally felt the stress levels lowering as we drove into the Arboretum. So relaxing and beautiful. Acres and acres of paths, trees, random structures and of course cherry blossoms. We arrived just before it closed, so we didn’t have a ton of time to meander around the place (and I hear we missed the cherry blossom grove), but the light was delicious, and Kevin and Taryn were just a joy to work with. I love working with people who actually ENJOY being together. I can stand back and just let them be “them” together… and those are some of the sweetest pictures and moments to capture (in my opinion).

blooming flowers, spring green shoots, raining petals…. i heart spring.