Goodbye 2011 + Hello to a New Year

In a way it is exciting to write this last blog for 2011...at the start of my new year I will be spending time working, doing what I love. I'll be filming a wedding with Dorian Iribarren in Boston. One of the highlights, from our venue at the Four Seasons Hotel will be the fireworks at midnight overlooking Boston Commons.

The past extraordinary year offered me the opportunity to work with wonderful couples in wonderful places worldwide. Much to my delight, The Knot Magazine bestowed upon me the award as one of the Top Photographer for 2012 in South Florida.

Cheers to a happy and healthy year.

The law of Attraction...Jenny + Peter

I travel almost every minute of my life...it inspires me. And as I explore and learn more and more I realize that the best experiences are from spontaneity. As an artist I have a vision, always having expectations of photographing my couples in a different way that is unique to their relationship.
As I prepped for this shoot with Jenny + Peter I thought, let's do something different! Jenny is a stylist and knew exactly what she wanted and I loved her ideas. She is classic and desired a vintage feel for her engagement pictures. Jenny and I are spontaneous and know that it's not about where you are but the feeling you get when you are there.
We met to do the photo shoot and as we drove we talked about where we were going to go! I told them that the other day I was describing the perfect spot to Dorian....{I'd love to find an open field with one tree, a place that I can take pictures and the couple pops out of the background, whimsical and colorful. As I day dreamed about this place the reality was, I had no plans, a few expectations but had no place to go....As Dorian laughed he said, "I love your ideas but where are you going to find a place like that around here?" So as we drove a few short miles I looked out the window at a Polo Club that was on the right side of the car...and said, "That's it!" This is the place! It was perfect.
Here we spent some time capturing some amazing images of this great couple. There is nothing better than photographing couples who can be themselves, fun loving, not have plans, trust each other and just enjoy each moment as if it was a present.
Cheers to Jenny and Peter, I am really looking forward to your wedding in March in Coconut Grove!
And look here, if you envision a place in your mind, it exists, you just have to go out there and believe in it....it's called the Law of Attraction or on this day, just a tree in the middle of know where :) Carpe Diem.

Cabo San Lucas Wedding... Dani + Jason

What a small world we live in....about four and a half years ago I moved to Florida to expand my destination wedding business from St. Louis to as far south as I could get with dreams of shooting more weddings in the Caribbean and pretty much any island I could get to!
One day I stepped outside my door here on the beach to take a photo of the sunset. As I framed up my shot a couple came past asking me, "Where the location on the beach is that people typically got married?" As I started talking to them, we discovered that we both were from the mid-west and had quite a bit in common. I felt an instant connection to them as for they were so laid back and just darling. I remember thinking, they are going to make the cutest couple!

About a year or so later I celebrated my 30th Birthday with a few of my closest friends here in Florida. My best friend Mike told me that he has a friend "Sly" coming into town and could he come along to dinner? It just so happened that Mike's friend was Jason, the guy from the beach with his fiance. It just so happens that Sly a.k.a Jason use to live in Chicago with my two best friends that now live here. About another year later I got a call from Dani and we discussed me going to Mexico to photograph their wedding!
It has always been a dream of mine to go to Cabo! I pictured it like a dream. I must say that I already loved Dani & Jason, I could sense their genuineness from the minute I met them on the beach two and a half years ago. I knew that if we shared the same mutual friends this was going to be one killer wedding!
Needless to say, it was! And then some! It pretty much the kind of wedding that everyone should have....a week in the sun, by the pool, laughing and enjoying your closest family, friends, not a care in the world! The Dreams Resort and Spa really was one of the nicest. It felt like a boutique style hotel with all of the amenities you could ask for! It was the perfect location to get married. It was one of the best experiences of my career thus far and will forever hold a great place in my heart.