We're 8 Years In... | Personal

We're 8 Years In... | Personal

We observe weddings all the time. We hear countless vows, sermons, and charges. Scripture is read, prayers are prayed, and in the middle of taking pictures and finding the best angles, the words don’t always soak in as I listen to the wedding ceremony.

One wedding this year hit us both in particular. The preacher said the following: “Men get married wanting their wives never to change, and women get married wanting their husbands to change almost everything.” When he said that, Nathan and I both shared a glance. We had both heard that wives often want their husbands to change, but had never thought of the flipside to that scenario…

The Messiest Answered Prayers of 2018 | Personal

The Messiest Answered Prayers of 2018 | Personal

When I thought about sharing the highlights of 2018, I knew I would share my favorite engagements, family portraits, and weddings…but I realized last year was also about so much more than just photography. Last year was the year I rediscovered prayer and began to dig into what it means in my life and the lives of those around me. It was a journey (still ongoing) that brought me to many highs and many lows, and since I’ve shared so much along the way I wanted to come full circle.

The truth is, I had a LOT of prayers answered. Prayers I never thought I would pray. Prayers I have prayed for a long time. Prayers that seemed impossible. Quick, almost thoughtless prayers that I know God still hears regardless. But the other thing about prayer is that the answer is so often not what we imagine. Even when I thought I had imagined every possible scenario, I realized later that He is far more creative than I am, which is good and sometimes a little painful. I could talk for hours on all the answered prayers from last year, but here are some of the best (and messiest) answers to what I asked God to do…

Best of Weddings 2018 | Business

Best of Weddings 2018 | Business

Being a wedding photographer was not something I grew up even knowing I wanted to do. It wasn’t until I met my brother’s wedding photographer, who has five kids and a thriving business, that I made up my mind to pursue this as a job. At the time I thought that maybe it would grow. Maybe it would become a part time thing that I could justify doing while caring for kids. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Yet here I am, almost 6 years later, a wedding photographer for the best people I can imagine. It is an honor to be the person who captures the most special day in their lives. It’s amazing when couples ask their friends and family to put down their phones and be present in the moment, because they trust me to capture everything important. It’s a gift that I can give not just the couples, but their families, children, and grandchildren. What an honor. It is never lost on me.