There is something about playing dress up that is always so much fun. So why not get all dolled up for a fun fashion shoot? Leah won our Fashion Forward Photo Session on her eight year anniversary! We started by picking out an inexpensive dress at Yours Truly, Kelly in Reading that looked great on Leah. On the day of the session we met up with Amber from Mary Kay for makeup. I just love Leah’s eyes (aren’t they fierce!) so Amber gave her a smoky eye and a soft lip. Once we put Leah into her dress we accessorized with a fun black headpiece and jewelry. Leah and I had so many great ideas for the session! We started in Kings Mills area by the bike trail and finished in Loveland.

I asked Leah about her favorite part of the session. "My favorite part was shooting in front of the old cartridge factory. I lived in Lebanon and Loveland growing up and we would always pass that building. To actually be on the property in a wedding dress was awesome. "

What was it like to not worry about getting dirty? "It was weird worrying about not getting dirty. I think it’s a bit liberating to do a shoot like that. You’re in this beautiful gown but you’re allowed to get dirty and just go all out."

A big special thanks to Amanda for helping with the actual session, Kelly from Yours Truly, Kelly for helping us find the perfect dress and Amber from Mary Kay for awesome makeup!

Sometimes when you meet someone you just click! When I talked with Kimberly on Skype for our initial meeting we couldn’t stop chatting about her wedding plans. I think we talked for more than two hours! The wedding will be in Columbus and I couldn’t wait to meet these two in person! It was so great to get to know them both better as a couple. We met on the Newport side of the Purple People Bridge and walked over to Sawyer Point. It was the morning of the Flying Pig race and the weather was perfect! These two were so sweet to each other. I love how you can see their personalities and emotions! My favorite part was when I put the couple to the left of a garbage can. I promised them that it wouldn’t be in the photo and it is one of my favorites! Kimberly and Brian, thank you for being so wonderful to work with! I am so excited to photograph your wedding in November!

(Yep there was a garbage can that I cropped out in camera!)

Isn’t it great to receive something fun and unexpected in the mail? All of our couples receive an engagement kit in the mail to welcome them! What’s inside? Here’s a hint – a sweet treat and a few helpful things for planning. To find out the exact anatomy of the gift be sure to book with us! Our 2012 year is almost full and we already have three 2013 weddings on the books! Because we want to ensure the best possible customer service for all of our couples we limit the amount of weddings that we do each year. We only photograph one wedding per day so once your date is booked you are out of luck! Call Brenda today at 513-484-9709 to setup a time to talk about your wedding photography.

Sometimes the best gift comes in the smallest package! This one comes tied with a bow perfect for a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift. I just know Grace’s parents will love showing off their beautiful photos!

After the wedding is over a few things will increase in value! Photographs are a wonderful links to our memories. Often the importance is overlooked until after the event. The smile of a parent as they proudly give you away, the excitement of being married and running back down the aisle – so many of these moments are fleeting. That decisive moment is so important and a great way to document such a cherished event.

I love receiving thank you notes in the mail! They truly make me realize the importance of what we do. My talent is truly a gift that needs to be shared.

Dear Brenda and Ben,

I wanted to write and express our immense gratitude for the wonderful work you did for our wedding pictures. Our pictures are so incredibly gorgeous and we will treasure them forever as I am sure our children will and the rest of our families. We can’t thank you enough.

Kindest Regards,
Kristin and René

To see more of their photos, be sure to check out their blog post from last fall.

After lunch we headed to downtown Asheville and had a great time exploring and shopping. We met up with our good friends Rebekah and Felicia (who came from Johnson City) at the very popular Tupelo Honey Café.  I will have to say I am not one to like to wait for food but it was worth the wait! Their biscuits are the best I have ever eaten in my life and they were served with local honey and jam! Their southern scratch cooking included dishes like shrimp and grits, meatloaf and grilled cheese and tomato soup. I had a wonderful burger with yummy sweet potato fries! Everyone at our table enjoyed their dishes.  Then we headed over to French Broad Chocolate Lounge for yummy dessert. I had a sampling of their different truffles and took some home with me.  As someone who loves chocolate I was very very impressed. My favorites were the fresh raspberry, lavender and honey, white jasmine, Hawaii, and salted honey caramel. I wish I had brought more back with me because they were heavenly.

The final day of our trip we started with brunch at Clingman Café and enjoyed some of the open studios in the River Arts District. It was fun to see the work of many different artists. The smell of oil paints and turpentine brought back a lot of memories from our art classes. My favorite artist there was Jonas Gerard who had so much beautiful work to browse.

We had a wonderful girl’s weekend in Asheville and I am so glad we went! It was nice to catch up, shop, be inspired and dine on some wonderful local food. A special thanks to Monica from Emory and Henry for organizing our trip to the Biltmore and to Christine for making our other plans for the trip! I would love to go back to Asheville any time!

This plant reminded me of flamingos!

Our buffet lunch was at the Deerpark Restaurant and it was fabulous! My favorites were the sweet potato chipotle salad and the banana soufflé dessert! I loved the fresh ingredients.