Elliott | Mikaela Joy Savannah Newborn Photographer

I have another fun share today- more baby photos!  Recently I had one month old Elliott in my studio for some late newborn photos.

Generally, you are supposed to do newborn photos within the first two weeks of life, so I was a bit nervous about little Elliott coming in at over a month old.  It turns out, though, that I had absolutely no reason to be.  This little man was a dream to work with.  He fell asleep easily, posed well, and then woke up for a few bright eyed photos at the end.

With his red hair and blue eyes, this little guy is certainly going to be a charmer! I had such a great time working with him and am excited to watch him grow up.  What a sweetheart!

To see the rest of his photos you can visit my website here.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 14 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

This week my hubby was out in the field (still) so I had a lot of down time.  This meant that I actually got out and did some stuff this weekend, and I think as a result got some fun pictures. 3-29-14: I spent my Saturday evening wandering Savannah and taking pictures of One Love's Paws for a Cause event.  They had dancers performing and, seeing that I minored in dance and have a strong interest in the subject, I really enjoyed photographing it. 3-30-14: Sunday I went with some friends and some dogs out to the beach at Hilton head.  This dog (sassy) had the time of her life chasing water droplets.  I'm pretty sure she can fly! 3-31-14: I got my exercise this week with some tennis. I attempted to use my phone's camera as an experiment to how well it works. Not very well, it turns out. If this had a proper exposure it wouldn't have been half bad though. Does any know any manual camera apps for android? 4-1-14: I've been really enjoying how differently I'm able to grocery shop with my hubby not around.  If I want salami and brie for dinner I can do it, and nobody is here to complain! 4-2-14: I got a remote shutter release for my camera and spent some time messing around with it. I was going for a model-like photo, but I guess I'm better off behind the camera, because I do NOT know how to pose myself.  I accidentally got this shot of myself and Jerry playing though. 4-3-14: Another cell phone pic! This is one of the Petsmart cats being all belly's up and cuddly, which, after my day at work, I really needed. 4-4-14: I bought a new 35mm lens and took it downtown to do some street photography. This was one of the first shots I took with it. I love this lens!

And that's it for this weeks photos.  Next week will kick off with Jerry at the beach and some sharkless shark fishing. Stay tuned!

Monday Photo Dump: Week 12 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

This week has been a bit different than usual for me. It's been all about me time.  My hubby has been in the field since Wednesday which means that my week can be summed up in just a few words- dogs, cats, bubble baths, books, and wine.  And work, but I try to ignore that part. 3-22-14- I met these two cuties at the adoption event with One Love at Tailspin on Saturday.  I was soo close to taking them home.  If I was a single woman, I would have a house full. 3-23-14 Just some pretty flowers because spring has sprung. 3-24-14: Over the weekend I broke my phone (it was my first time ever breaking a phone). But I was able to use it as an excuse to upgrade back to an android.  It was kind of disappointing because I really like the idea of the windows 8 operating system, but it just didn't run well enough. 3-25-14: Saturday was my husband and my anniversary. We've been keeping this charm bracelet since we were dating and the idea was to add a charm every year.  We were a bit behind so he ordered some to catch up.  Each charm represents a year in our marriage except the first two which are for when we were dating, and our wedding. 3-26-14: This was the first day of the field for my hubby. I took  this as an opportunity for my kindle, a glass of wine, and a nice long bubble bath. 3-27-14: I'm excited because the plant that I thought I had killed just sprouted some new leaves. 3-28-14: Jerry and I have been getting a lot of quality time together with the hubster away.  I think he even listens when I have conversations with him (uh oh am I crazy?).  This is his interested face.

So that's it for this week's photos.  Next week will be jumping off with Sassy, the amazing flying dog.  Curious? Check back to find out what I'm talking about.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 12 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Here we are facing another Monday. I'm still sick. In fact today I am call in from work amounts of sick, so I've spent the whole morning on the couch reading Divergent, cuddling with my pets, and feeling all around crappy. But, I'm taking a break from all of that to share this week's photos.

3-15-14: We start off in the heart of Savannah's St. Patty's day celebrations. This holiday is kind of a big deal here, for some odd reason, so the party lasted all weekend long.  We went out on Saturday with some friends and I did some drinking and street photography. I wrote a quick post about it and shared some pictures here.

3-16-14: Sunday I revisited some old music that I used to love as a teenager and realized I've not developed an attachment to music in the same way since then. There is something about hiding out in the orange and yellow bedroom of my teenage years reading Ray Bradbury and listening to A Ghost is Born that in some ways, I'll never beat.

3-17-14: Monday was shopping day 'cause I was in desperate need of a new pair of running/work shoes. I made a first attempt at product photography, which, although it's a bit dark, I think I did pretty decent on (especially since I was working with natural light).

3-18-14: On Tuesday Sam took in this absolutely adorable foster puppy who we both got instantly attached to (for me, all it took were some puppy kisses).

3-19-14: Wednesday I decided to revisit my writing after coming to the realization that I never write anymore, so I busted out this old tattered journal.

3-20-14: More writing on Thursday, but this time in the form of poetry.  Inspiration hits at such random times for me (I wrote most of this in my head while counting jewelry at work), but it's such a great feeling when it happens.

3-21-14: Friday I did an impromptu photo shoot with Sam, her jeep, and the setting sun. I'm so excited with how this shot turned out!

That's it for this week.  Next week's photo dump will be kicked off with the cutest puppies in the world, so stay tuned!

Watered Down

When did I become a watered down version of myself? I used to spend my evenings in concerts and coffee shops, my days filled with music and poetry. My ringing phone played Wilco from the pocket of my thrift store dress.  I sat in the sunshine at fountains filling notebooks with words and wisdom. I flaunted my red hair, my strangeness. These days I'm all about working. Eight hour days followed by eight hour sleep. I clean house and watch TV and ignore myself.  Forget the makeup, forget the fashion- I live in my yoga pants on my trips to the grocery store, and where else do I go? Never far, and never anywhere exciting.

"While all bodies share/ the same fate, all voices do not."

This is one of my favorite quotes from a poem by Li-Young Lee and I often wonder, what would remain of my voice if I were to die tomorrow? Some pretty pictures? The memory of a "nice" girl? A few poems that no one ever read?

Who knows me as the introverted book nerd, passionate about music and language, with a strange style and a sense of adventure?  I'm still that girl when I'm wandering the streets of Savannah with my camera, watching strangers and soaking up the sunshine.  I'm still that girl when I'm cuddling on the couch with my doberman and my kindle.

But how often does that happen?

It's time to take back my time.  It's time to leave the house a mess and read more books instead, to spend my afternoons in bookstores and sample all the coffee shops in Savannah. It's time to write more poetry and and wear more dresses.

It's time to find myself again.

Who's with me?

What part of yourself have you neglected recently and how can you bring it back? I'd love to hear your experiences and advice.

SJ at Sunrise | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Last Saturday I got up bright and early to meet up with SJ, a gorgeous local model, to do some portraits at sunrise. Let me just say that it pains me to get up early on the weekends.  I wake up at 3:30 five days a week, so I really appreciate my Saturday sleep ins.  Even if that's only until 7:00.

But waking up early to work with SJ was definitely worth it.  We found a field and a lake to shoot at with golden morning light and steam rolling off of the lake.  Beautiful.

SJ was a fabulous model, and we spent equal parts of our time laughing and shooting.  What I love most about SJ is her sense of adventure. Some models might think it's weird when I ask them to climb a tree, for instance, but not her.  She just wanted to know which tree.

This was a quick little shoot due to the limited time frame that the lighting allowed, but it was a lot of fun.  I can't wait to work with SJ again.

If you want to see the whole shoot you can find it at my website here.

Monday Photo Dump Week #10 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for another Weekly Photo Dump! This week was rainy and awful, but the weekend was gorgeous. I spent the weekend outside (yet didn't bring my camera, what was I thinking?) and then spent the rest of the week playing with dogs and eating (hey, my two favorite things.

So without further ado:

3-1-14: Okay so technically this was taken the night before, but since I had to work early Saturday morning, and this is what we were doing the night before, I think this gives you a good idea of how my Saturday felt- sleep deprived.

3-2-14: Sunday was also spent outside, somehow without my camera. Although I wasn't able to get any pictures of my adventures, my hubby did let me take this quick portrait of him and my dobe, Jerry.  I can't believe how big that dog has gotten!

3-3-14: My Monday consisted of work and then hours spent at the car dealership while they figured out that they needed to replace my transmission.  This is how I felt about things.

3-4-14: And then came the rain.  A five minute storm flooded my yard, and then we were stuck in the cold, wet, gross weather for the rest of the week.

3-5-14: I used to be totally scared of raw chicken. It freaked me out. But this chicken is about to be delicious!

3-6-14: Thursday I decided to embrace the rain and play with my friend Sam's dog Sassy.  She was not phased by the nasty weather. She just wanted to play!

3-7-14: I spent Friday playing with the dogs too.  Magnum was so kind as to pose for me.  He looks so dignified here!

After my missed photo opportunities this weekend I decided to take my camera with me more places, and I am much happier with this week's photos because of it.  Sticking to this idea, I already have some great photos for next week including a day at the shooting range.  I'm excited to bring some new life into this project and see where we can go with it.  Stay tuned!

Chad and Erika | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Last week, some good friends of mine Chad and Erika invited me into their home to do a lifestyle photoshoot of them.  Erika is expecting, but not showing yet, so this will be some of their last photos as just the two of them (plus dogs).  We really focused on the two of them in their natural surroundings, and I love the way this shoot turned out.

These two were a blast to work with, but I already knew that.  Chad and Erika are always great to hang out with. But watching the interactions between these two was even better.

Chad is straight up goofy and constantly making faces or striking a Captain Morgan pose for the camera, despite Erika trying her hardest to get him to be serious.  We were starting to think he may not be capable.

We weren't sure what the photos would look like in the end, but as I look at the results all I can see is love between this little family.  Look at Chad's face in that ultrasound shot. He is absolutely beaming! And he has good reason. What a gorgeous family!

I'm so excited to come back and do this shoot again, but next time the family will be just a bit bigger.

We rounded out the shoot by letting Chad play with their gorgeous husky, Cyan.  She was very playful and wouldn't sit still, but I like the action shots anyway.  Look at those eyes!

I loved this photo shoot, and am excited to try more of these indoor lifestyle shoots. This just a little peak into the shoot, but you can find the rest on my website, here.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 9 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Phew! It's been a crazy week. I got stuck working two night shifts next week with not a whole lot of break between that and my day shift.  I may have worked less hours, but I am still recovering from the lack of sleep. I don't do well without sleep.

And then yesterday, when I was supposed to be posting last week's photos, I spent three and a half hours at the car dealership for them to tell me that I wouldn't have my car for a week while they replace the transmission.  At least it's warranty work.

Anyway, this is going somewhere, I promise. Basically I'm giving you all my excuses for why I'm a) a day late, and b) using cell phone pictures this week.

I had originally planned to do every picture for my 365 with my DLSR, but quite frankly that wasn't doable this week.  My week happened at work, and I can't exactly carry my DSLR around at Sam's and stop work to shoot some pictures. So, although the quality makes me cringe, I'm using some cell phone pictures.

Whew, I'm a bit long winded today, aren't I? Let's get to the pictures.

   1-22-14: Before all the craziness, I spent my Saturday afternoon at an adoption event at Tails Spin in Pooler hanging out with this cool guy and a few other sweet adoptables.  Fulton (the guy in the picture) is a complete lover, and he was posing for pictures left and right.  He also licked my lens at one point.  Nothing like a little dog slobber to make your pictures sharp, huh?

1-23-14: Sunday I went over to some friends' house to do a lifestyle photo shoot with them. I've wanted to do this silhouette shot for some time, I just hadn't found the right subjects and situation. I love the way this turned out.

1-24-14: Yes, it's supposed to be upside down.  My hubby convinced me to go for a jog with him Monday.  Let me just say, I don't jog. I was so sore/tired/defeated by the end of this jog that I pretty much collapsed on the floor afterwards. Once I recovered, I decided to do some yoga for my poor, poor muscles.  Jerry seemed to think it was a game and was running around all over the place, so I took this shot: my view from downward facing dog.

1-25-14: Que the night shift.  This was my "rockin' the night shift" selfie for instagram that I took on the first night when I was consuming way too much caffeine and driving a forklift around 'cause I was bored.

1-26-14: After work I thought I'd go home and crash.  I curled up on the couch and Jerry joined me.  I was exhausted! But I was so amped up on caffeine still that I couldn't sleep. And Jerry's nose was constantly in my face, so that didn't help much.  I ended up watching I Love Lucy all day instead.

1-27-14: My last nightshift was dragging on by the end.  I was still full of caffeine and spent most of the night jamming out to The Fratelli's, but as the last hour came I was losing steam.  I tried to entertain myself by doodling one a post-it note.

1-28-14: This was my recovery day, also spent on the couch watching I Love Lucy (I've decided I'm in love with Ricky Ricardo). This time Gizmo kept me company.

Like I said, it's was a crazy week. This one is off to a rough start, but I'm hoping for smooth sailing from here on out.  We will see. Until then I've got some serious house cleaning to do, so that's all for today!

Monday Photo Dump: Week #6 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Today we are launching the Monday photo dump since Fridays are now my afternoon at the animal shelter and I will no longer have time to edit and post my photos that day. You can find out all about that here. I know I've made a lot of changes all of a sudden, but the format for this post is still the same and the pictures are still from the same part of the week, we are just switching up the days.  With that said, here's last week's photos, the first set for the month of February.

2-1-14: Can I just say that I love food photography.  We see a lot of people posting pictures of their lunch on Instagram and it's kind of a running joke that gives food photography a bad name, but food that is prepared by hand can be gorgeous and really great to take pictures of, like this colorful pork stir fry that I made for a lazy night dinner.

2-2-14: More food! My husband had the random idea to make handmade pretzels for our Superbowl party.  It was actually pretty easy and very successful (I couldn't stop eating them).  A recipe is coming soon.

2-3-14: Just some Jerry toes.  I sure do love Jerry toes.

2-4-14: It's a pretty self explanatory shot of the penny jar.  I just like the colors of the pennies,

2-5-14: What used to be a nice view of a wooded area out of my computer room window is now construction.  They cleared the trees quite a while ago (which I was pretty upset about) and then just recently they started construction.  My work is now accompanied by the sounds of hammers and construction equipment.  This is my new view. I can't wait until they are done building.

2-6-14: X marks the spot, I guess.

2-7-14: This is one of my shots from my day at the animal shelter.  I didn't use this as something to post to get this dog adopted (for obvious reasons), but I do like the moment that was captured.  This dog is anything but vicious, I swear, but caught mid bark he does look kind of mean, doesn't he?

So there you have it, last week's photos.  I didn't do a theme, which left me with kind of a hodgepodge of photos, but I think they captured my week pretty well. As always, if you have any theme suggestions leave them in the comments below.  Otherwise, I'll see you next time!

Weekly Adoptables | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Yesterday I went down to Savannah Chatham Animal Control with my good friend Sam to do some volunteer work under the rescue group One Love Animal Rescue. There are some great pets there that are in need of a home and I spent the afternoon playing with them, getting to know them, and taking some pictures.  These are some of the fur babies that are available right now: These are all such sweet animals just looking for a place to call home.  Some are trained, most are complete lovers, and they are all waiting for a second chance from someone like you.

If you are in the area and any of these animals are of interest to you, please contact One Love Animal Rescue right away.

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I've made the commitment to visit Animal Control every Friday, so I will be making a few changes to my blog schedule.

Friday Photo Dumps will be moved to Monday and sometime during the weekend (most likely on Saturdays) I'll be posting a new regular segment like this one: "Weekly Adoptables."

I'm very much looking forward to be able to give back and help these animals with my photography.

If you are interested in helping as well, Animal Control and One Love are always looking for volunteers and donations.  These animals need blankets, treats, and toys, as well as people to come walk them and play with them. If that sounds like something you could do, please get in touch with the folks at Animal Control to find out when the next volunteer orientation is.

And don't forget to like One Love and Mikaela Joy Photography on Facebook to stay updated on all the adoptable pets.  Who knows, maybe you'll find your next furry love!

Valentine Mini Sessions! | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Looking for a last minute gift for Valentines Day? Why not a mini photo session for you and your honey with Mikaela Joy Photography? This offer is only good until February 14th so don't miss it- book today!

'My Furry Valentine' | A Photo Contest with One Love Animal Rescue

Have you heard? Mikaela Joy Photography is pairing up with One Love Animal Rescue for a Valentines Day photo contest featuring rescued pets in the Savannah area. Think your pet has what it takes?

All you have to do is send a picture of your beloved pet and your story to One Love (via their facebook page) and they will add it to the contest's album.  Spread the word and get all your friends to like the photo because on February 14th, the photo with the most likes will be the crowned the winner.

The winning furball gets a free photoshoot with yours truly.

The contest has been running for about a week now. We have 25 entries and the votes are starting to add up.

This contest has brought about some amazing stories already, so what I'd like to do is take a moment to showcase a few of our frontrunners and their stories.

Our current first with 43 votes: (text in italics written by the pet's owner)

"This is Rudy. We found him back in May on the side of the road. We thought he was dead because all we saw was a pile of bones with a little bit of bloody, dirty hair. We stopped and got out and was amazed when he lifted his head and started to wag his tail a little. He came home with us where he got lots of love and food while we tried to search for his owner. The vet said he had mange, heartworms, malnourished, and probably was a bait dog. During the month of June, he stayed with us and showed us just how much of a lover he was. He got along great with my dogs and cats and always wanted to be right by your side or in your lap. He rode in the car with us, slept with us, and even sat in the bathroom peeking through the shower curtain while we took a shower. Still, no one stepped forward as the owner or offered to adopt him so in July he went to Palmetto Animal League. It broke our hearts and we missed him so much but we were hoping someone would step up and give him a loving home since we already had dogs of our own. We kept tabs on him and would go visit and play with him, each time being disappointed that he was still there and sadden when we had to leave again. At the end of September, we finally decided that he must have been meant to be with us so we adopted him from there. Here it is January and he is still the best dog ever. He hasn't met another dog, cat, or human he doesn't like. He has helped us gain the trust of other homeless dogs on the streets so we could bring them home and find them a family of their own. It's pretty amazing! There's not a day that goes by that he doesn't put a smile of all of our faces. He's even won the heart of my husband who didn't really trust the bully breed in the beginning."

Coming in second (so far) with 36 votes:

"These are my two babies with their dad. He is often away for work- this was one night when he got home after working a very long day. Maggie, the white one, is my soul mate. She picked me, and I owe so much to her. She kept me grounded in so many ways when I was in school, and I believe if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have met my husband. Ginger is her daddy's soul mate. He is currently deployed and Ginger was literally sick with sadness for weeks. She loves her Maggie and will give anything for some play time and stuffed animals. They have a cat sister and a human sibling on the way. They are going to be the best big sisters."

And currently in third place:

"Meet my furry rescued valentines, Milo and Otis! My husband and I adopted Milo (the black lab) almost four years ago when he was a terrified, little puppy in need of some tender love and care. After weeks of love and patience, Milo warmed up and became the fun-loving guy we know and love today. Otis was a misunderstood grumpy little guy that we rescued over 2 years ago. Once he met Milo and knew that he would be loved forever, he came around and became the sweetest, quirkiest pup. They are our little furchildren and our lives wouldn't be as filled with laughs, love and adventure without them. They have been brothers since the day we brought them together and are nearly inseparable. Milo and Otis not only stole our hearts but they stole each other's."

There are a lot more pets in the running and the voting/submissions are still open.  Head on over to to One Love's Page to vote for your favorite pet's or submit your own.  Don't forget to like Mikaela Joy Photography to keep updated with the contest's new developments and to see photos from the winners shoot!

Friday Photo Dump: Week #5 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

  Ok, so I know I'm a day late.  I had to work today (I normally have weekends off) and it completely threw my week off.  I crawled into bed last night and my last thought was, 'oh crap, it's Friday isn't it? I didn't post my photos!' And then I went to sleep, because I had to be up at 330 this morning, and therefore it didn't seem that important.  So here I am posting last week's photos a day late. Enough excuses.

This week's theme was cold, and despite the fact that my fingers were numb for the majority of the time I spent at work, I didn't really have a lot of cold to take pictures of.  See in Georgia, even though it may be freezing outside, it'll still probably look like swimsuit weather (and then the next day it probably will be swimsuit weather, as a matter of fact).  So let's just say that I struggled with this week a bit.

But even if they weren't what I was envisioning, I still think I came up with some pretty interesting photos.  Let's see what you think!

1-25-14: After meeting with some potential clients about a Wedding, I spent my morning wandering around Savannah (there's a post to come with photos of that whole adventure).  Every time I am downtown I try to take a photo of the fountain, and I never actually like the photos I take. But this time there were icicles on the statues and the light was hitting them just right and-- well you can see it for yourself.

1-25-14: What better way to warm up on a cold day than... ice cream?  What can I say, I just love the stuff.

1-27-14: The nice thing about this winter being a little cold is that I got to bust out all my old winter clothes.  It's even been scarf weather lately!

1-28-14: I'll confess, I was a bit uninspired this day with the whole cold thing.

1-29-14: Ok so Wednesday was kind of a big deal.  This was the day of the big southern storm that everybody was all freaked out about.  It even had a name- Winter Storm Leon.  Sounds pretty intense, right?  The forecast predicted in snow in Savannah which hasn't happened in basically forever and I was very excited.  Well what I woke up to that morning was rain.  We got some sleet and some serious ice build up, and half of my coworkers called in to work due to ice and closed bridges, but I didn't get any snow. It was very disappointing.  I did get these wicked icicles hanging off the back of my trashcan though.  Maybe that counts for something?

1-30-14: After that storm craziness, I just needed a cold beer. Or cider. Close enough.

1-40-14: Which leads me to Friday: more rain.  This started as a picture of water droplets on my car but I started messing around with it and it became something abstract, yet pretty cool in my opinion.

So there you have it: my week of cold photos.

I still don't have a theme for this week, so if you have any last minute suggestions please leave a comment below. Otherwise, I may just make it a freebie week.  We'll see.

One Year Together for Kyle and Cailey | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

A while back I took some photos with Kyle and Cailey, a lovely couple that had just reached their one year anniversary.  It was a last minute session (although we had been trying to plan it for weeks), that came about when our schedules finally just fell into place.

Kyle and Cailey had just reached their one year anniversary and wanted to celebrate with some pictures.  They came prepared with props, different clothes, and lots of ideas.  That, combined with Cailey's previous experience in front of the camera made this session a breeze.  We didn't have to worry about posing much, which kept this session relaxed and fun. In the car on the way there they were issued a challenge- I said they'd end up on my blog, only if they proved to be interesting enough.  Well they most certainly did. Kyle started out the session by talking to some chickens (as in cluck, cluck) and I could tell right away that we'd get along just fine.

Although the session flew by, it did take me a little while to get these photos edited.  That's because the photos were turning out so great that by the time I was done I ended up with fifty edited keepers.  Fifty!

But enough with the chit-chat.  Let's get to the photos!

Don't these two look so incredibly happy together?  Congratulations on your anniversary, you two, and here's to many more!

Promises and Pistols | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

On Sept 29th, my brother in law and his fiance got married and they chose me as their photographer.  When they first asked, I said no.  I didn't think I was ready for an event as big as a wedding, and looking back at the pictures I took on the day they asked, I was right.  I still wouldn't agree to anyone else's wedding just yet, but they are family and they insisted, so of course I said I'd do it.

Just because I said I'd do it doesn't mean I was confident though. For the days leading up to the ceremony I was pretty stressed- probably more so than my own wedding! I spent way too much time worrying about what I was going to do and how I was going to do it, but when it came down to it, everything seemed to fall into place and I think I pulled it off.

The ceremony was small and beautiful.  I helped the bride, Mallory get ready and took a few pictures and then rode in with her dad to the park where the ceremony took place.  The boys set up the arch and decorated the dock with bows, and (thank god for my husband) did a wonderful job putting everything in the best possible location in terms of lighting.   The ceremony was conducted by Robert, the groom's brother who is also my husband. A group of close family and friends gathered on the dock to watch Matt and Mallory looking so happy together (Look at Matt's face when first seeing his bride!)

After the ceremony we made our way around the park for portraits.  We had a slight setback when Mallory (who is pregnant) got sick after I suggested Matt pick her up and spin her around (my bad), but it turned out all she needed was a cheeseburger.  After that we were good to go.  At this point the stress had melted away and we were all relaxed enough to just really have fun with the pictures.  We even got some photos of Matt and Mallory with some kick-ass guns on the railroad tracks.  We were told to leave halfway through, but it doesn't matter.  I got the shot.

Afterwards we went to the reception at a friend's house for a delicious low-country boil followed by champagne and cake.  I think the highlight of the whole thing was during the cake cutting when Mallory forgot to put the knife down before smearing cake in Matt's face, and accidentally stabbed him.  What a great start to a marriage!  This wedding was unique, quirky, and so much fun, just like the bride and groom.

It really meant a lot to me that Matt and Mallory trusted me to capture this life-changing event of theirs, even when I didn't fully trust myself to do so.  It'll be so great to see this photos in big print on their walls and I hope that it will help them to savor this wonderful moment in their lives.

As for me, the experience has made me realize how much I would love to do weddings as a job in the future.  I know I'm not ready yet, but it's something to work towards and that is a very exciting prospect.

Anyway, congratulations to Matt and Mallory!  I'm excited to be a part of this new life that you two are starting together and I wish you only the best.  You two deserve it.