Zac & Tori // Hampton Wedding Photographer

To say this is one of the sweetest weddings I've witnessed would be an understatement! The day kicked off at the Hampton location of Liberty Baptist Church where the entire congregation was invited to come. Needless to say, it was a huge ceremony! After a reception with cake, punch, and tons of friends, Zac and Tori headed over with their family to the Suffolk campus to celebrate in a more intimate environment.

From the time I got there until I left, it was so obvious that Zac and Tori care so much about their family and friends. From the way Tori paid special attention to each flower girl and junior bridesmaid to how easygoing Zac was about ALL the pictures we had to take, they were both truly a pleasure to spend time with.

This was a day full of people - friends, family, the church, 18 in the bridal party plus 8 kids involved in the wedding - but despite the hundreds surrounding them, Zac and Tori had an intimate, sweet, ceremony that will be remembered for a long time. Each moment was truly thought out and special, which is so hard to do with a big wedding! It was a blessing to witness their love becoming one.

Zac & Tori, thank you so much for letting me be with you on your wedding day. As I look back at the pictures, I see so clearly the love you two have for each other, and I know it is built on a firm foundation! Stay tenderhearted towards each other, as I know you will, and I am so excited to see your love grow over time. Enjoy every moment of it :)

A sweet shot of Zac and his brother/best man, Daniel, praying together before the ceremony

A beautiful shot of the three ladies - Tori, her mother (left) and her new mother-in-law (right)!

All of Zac and Tori's wedding party (with only 3 exceptions) was family, and they gave the sweetest speeches/toasts at the reception. It was so special to see how much the bride's family loves the groom, and vise versa!

Like I said, there were hundreds of people!

This is Zac and Tori with her sister/maid of honor and his brother/best man...they also happened to be the bouquet and garter catchers! If you guys need a wedding photographer down the line, you know who to call ;)

Like I said...HUGE bridal party! We have so many picture combinations, but I think this one sums it up nicely for the blog :) They were all so great to work with, and we actually finished early! Crazy.

...and since we finished early, we snuck in just a few more bride & groom portraits...

The worship pastor at Liberty's Suffolk campus sang a special song just for Zac and Tori, and then the father of the bride introduced a surprise video that had 'marriage advice' from all of the kids. It was hilarious!

Tori's dad had to walk her to the car one last time...such a special moment.

Brien & Aimee's Proposal // Suffolk Engagement Photographer

Oh my goodness! I'm pretty sure the title of this post speaks for itself. This week I got the absolute honor of photographing Brien's proposal to Aimee. I have known Aimee for a few years and Brien for a little less than that, and their story together is incredible! Brien wanted to surprise Aimee with a sweet proposal, and did it as any production tech at a church would - on video (sort of).

Brien had made a video in advance, and tricked Aimee into showing up at the Harbour View Campus of Liberty Baptist Church. Once she got there, some friends brought her into the Worship Center, where Brien had everything set up. He and I hid behind the screen so Aimee wouldn't see us, and he started the video.

The video was so sweet and talked about how much Brien loves Aimee and how he wants to be a part of her life, forever. At the end, Brien walked (I sprinted!) out from behind the screen, dropped down on one knee, and proposed. I'm pretty sure Aimee was saying yes by the time the last few words were out of his mouth ;)

Congratulations, Brien and Aimee! I'm so blessed to know both of you, and can't wait for your WEDDING in a few months and for your future together! I love you both!

Lottie Moon Services // Hampton Roads Photographer

Greetings, everyone! I hope your holiday season so far has indeed been merry and bright :) Yesterday I had the privilege of photographing the services at the Harbour View campus of Liberty Baptist Church. Every year they make it a point to have a special time of giving to the Lottie Moon offering.

I didn't know about Lottie Moon growing up since I didn't attend a Baptist church, but she was a missionary to China back in the 1800s. She sacrificed her life to bring the Christian message to those who had never heard it before. Each year, a lot of Baptist churches have a special offering time in honor of her work. All of the money goes to international missions - none of it stays with the church.

Last year Liberty began having mangers as a place to drop off your gift rather than the traditional baskets that are normally passed. I love it! Not only does it give the sanctuary a more Christmassy feel, but it also gives more weight and meaning to your gift as you drop it in. I'm so thankful that we are privileged to give to this special offering each year, and yesterday was such a wonderful day.