Deb & Cody: Norfolk Botanical Garden Anniversary Session

This anniversary session at the Norfolk Botanical Garden was such a great way to wrap up the year. It was all my photography dreams coming true - a beautiful couple, a gorgeous dress, and one of our favorite locations in Hampton Roads. 

And it's a good thing, because what you CAN'T see in this session is that we were filming for our promo video... on a chilly day... with a little bit of rain coming down. But Deb & Cody are pros, because this is their THIRD time in front of my camera, and they killed it! I was all-kinds-of-awkward while we were filming and we were fighting off shivers when a gust of wind would come through, but we had the best time laughing at ourselves.

Deb & Cody have the sweetest dog, Stout, and since they were all dressed up, it was the perfect time for a family photo. Dogs are only allowed at the Norfolk Botanical Garden on select days of the year, so we met at a park before our session to get a few family photos with their sweet husky.

Happy first anniversary, you two!

Dress: Nordstrom
Makeup: Darling & Dapper

2018 couples... if you're looking for engagement session outfit inspiration... look no further! 

Julia & Tyler - Virginia Beach Engagement Session

The brick turned to gravel and the gravel turned to sand. She looked up as they walked, admiring the beauty of the building's design. He nervously told her every detail of the wind turbines' mechanics. They wandered down to the edge of the water and he turned to her, took both of her hands in his, and knelt in the sand.

Nearly 5 months later, as the last rays of gold lit up the tree line, they held hands, weaving their way through the tall grass towards the water's edge. To their spot. The place where last December, he had asked and she had said yes.

We started the engagement session at the Francis Land House and then drove to Pleasure House Point where Julia & Tyler got engaged just as the sun was setting. Talk about a perfect engagement session!

Julia & Tyler, Ryan and I are so excited for your wedding day! You picked such a great weekend to get married (we almost share an anniversary)! We'll see you in July!

Jiney & Stephen: Ocean View Beach Engagement Session in Norfolk

The longer you're in a relationship with someone, the more you grow and change. Jiney & Stephen have been together for 9 years. And you can tell that they belong together. Because when you do that much growing alongside the same person, you either grow apart or you grow together. And without even realizing it, things that were yours or mine are now ours. You have traditions and inside jokes. You can read each other's expressions in a way that no one else in the world can. You are still two very different people, but at the same time, so much of each of you is the same.

How gorgeous is Jiney's blush dress? When she sent me a picture of it before the session, I got so excited!!! It was so romantic and flowy and so perfect for the beach at sunset!

Ryan and I are so excited for Stephen & Jiney's wedding this fall at the Historic Post Office with Sterling Dawn Events! It's going to be magical!