But… really, it didn’t matter… because everything was “right” in the world when Jessie & Michael were with each other.  These two love each other.  Like… they really really love each other.  He’s into her.  She’s into him.  Sparks just fly when these two get within 50 feet of each other.   You couldn’t help but smile when you watch them together.  Heck – you really can’t help but smile when you look at Jessie.  Have I mentioned that she’s like the happiest go lucky person I’ve ever met!?

She’s a natural beauty, she doesn’t need makeup or anything fancy on to be a knock out beauty.  Natural curls.  A natural crinkle in her nose when she giggles (which is often)!  And just a really cool calm demeanor.  Which explains why no matter how much chaos (or rain) happened, you just felt this big refreshing “ahhhhhhh” when you get around her.  She’s cool like that.  :)

So – here she is – Jessie and Michael.  With all her crinkly nosed, curly haired, natural beauty… and Michael’s just downright good looks and puppy dog eyes for Jessie!

]]> http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/08/florida-destination-wedding-photographer/feed/ 0 http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/05/hilton-at-sandestin-wedding-kim-joe-married/ http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/05/hilton-at-sandestin-wedding-kim-joe-married/#comments Fri, 28 May 2010 04:07:37 +0000 admin http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/?p=959 In my endless quest to catch up, I am super excited to finally be posting this blog!

I had the amazing pleasure of working with Diva Productions shooting Kim & Joe’s wedding out at the Hilton in Sandestin.  Kim & Joe decided on a destination wedding, so it was one of the many brides that I didn’t get to meet face to face before hand.  I knew from her bubbly, yet laid back & cool, calm & collected personality over the phone, though that she would be a blast.  Seriously, she has the type of fun personality that can shine like crazy even over the phone… you know those types that within the first five minutes you’re giggling going “girl, let me tell you…”?  That’s so her .  Well, you should have seen the look on my face when I walked in the room to photograph her on her wedding day, and saw that not only did she LOOK just like a friend of mine, but she had the same sweet, funny, bubbly, awesome personality as well – she was even more fun than I thought she would be, if that’s possible!

Kim came quite a ways, with some of her closest friends & family & put a lot of hard work & effort into an amazing destination wedding here in Destin, and a little clouds & wind (or a lot) wouldn’t put a damper on her day   We managed to escape the rain, but not the wind, and it was really a beautiful day after all  It was absolutely beautiful… Kim has amazing taste, and I don’t think she could have picked a more perfect location.

So here is a little sneak peek of her destination wedding at the Sandestin Hilton Spa & Golf Resort in Destin… starting with her amaaaaaazing dress!  I really really really loved this dress.

Poor Kim got slapped by the wind, but I swear she’s the only person I know that can get away with looking so awesome when windblown!

Lovely!  Hope you all enjoyed it, and this just goes to show – in Destin, the weather is always unpredictable, but even our “overcast” days are amazing

They are such a sweet couple, they met young and have stuck by each other through thick and thin… following each other through college and across the country.  It was so much fun to spend all day with a couple with such enthusiasm for life, big dreams, big aspirations, and a relentless pursuit of happiness.  And of course, Andrew is an artist & budding actor, so that was right up my alley!

Congratulations Ashley & Andrew – you guys deserve so much happiness, much of it you already have, but I have a feeling there is so much more on the horizon for you both

Ashley’s dress was absolutely amazing.  I love love loved it!

Ashley is amazingly beautiful… and so photogenic.  I could have photographed her all day…

What I loved about Ashley & Andrew is how comfortable they were with each other…

One of my favorite places to photograph at Bentley’s on the Bay is this beautiful little tree.  I love the way it hangs down.  We stuck around there quite a bit!

And here you’ll see… Bentley’s has an amazing area that is perfect for photographs.

And I just have to explain this next photograph, otherwise you will think I’m certifiably nuts!  I don’t normally take these kinds of pictures at weddings… ok… confession… I do.  I have this weird tendancy to run into all kinds of creatures (just check through my blog archive… lizards, grasshoppers, you name it).  And so at this particular wedding, out on the beautiful back patio of Bentley’s on the Bay, I see this creature.  Initially I yell “BAT!”.  Only to quickly get corrected by a 4 yr old that it was in fact Tinkerbell.  :)  This crazy little creature (moth?  Butterfly?) flew all over, loving the lights of course, landing on people, letting anyone and everyone hold it!  It was pretty interesting… so I just thought I’d share it

And of course, no wedding blog post would be complete without the video/slideshow

Vendors:
Wedding/Reception Venue:  Bentley’s on the Bay
Photography:  Bella Vita Photography
Dress:  White One by Pronovios
Shoes: BCBGeneration
Flowers:  Winn-Dixie
Cake:  Publix
DJ: Gene Cox- Pro Music DJ
Hair/Makeup:  The Blonde Bellagio

]]> http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/05/bentleys-on-the-bay-wedding-ashley-andrew/feed/ 0 http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/01/eden-gardens-seaside-engagement/ http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/01/eden-gardens-seaside-engagement/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:12:34 +0000 admin http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/?p=926 I was extremely excited to take Jaclyn & Adam to one of my favorite places on earth – Eden Gardens State Park! It has a certain charm to it that you just can’t duplicate, with it’s old house, lovely trees, and all the hidden nooks & crannies.  Plus – it looks out on to the water which is fantastic.  We’d actually had to reschedule by just a day – but it worked out to our advantage – the weather was cold on our originally planned date (little did we know it was only going to get MUCH colder) but it was surprisingly fair (and almost WARM) the next day when we actually went out to shoot!  I love it when that happens  (Not rescheduling, but weather cooperating!)

We started out at Eden Gardens, though – and then hopped over to Seaside, which is conveniently just over Hwy 98 & down 30A a bit.  It was a little crowded, but that’s not really that unusual these days!  It’s just a big contrast to the slow quiet pace of Eden Gardens!  But no worries, Jaclyn & Adam are from Atlanta, so I’m sure it was nothing in comparison to the hustle & bustle of a big city like Atlanta!

Anyways, here’s an awesome little sneak peek.  And I’m obviously infatuated with purple lately cause I was totally loving Jaclyn’s sweater!!!

I absolutely cannot wait for them to have their destination wedding, so far from all the details it sounds like it is going to be amazing & I can already tell they are such a fun couple!  I am getting pretty anxious for this wedding season to finally kick off so I can see it!   And although they’re not getting married at Eden or Seaside, they are getting married in what I would consider THE most amazing church on the Emerald Coast – St. Rita’s! Everyone around, Catholic or not, knows St. Rita’s – it is so beautiful!

Congratulations, Jaclyn & Adam!

Anyways, Tama had an awesome wedding with quite the bridal party & a “House Party” – apparently this is a Texas thing  A true Texas girl, she had a great show of support from all her friends & family – many of them also coming in from Texas.  To make it even better… Dustin is from a little town not too far from where I grew up in North Carolina, so needless to say I felt right at home!  An added bonus, another one of my beautiful brides (who is next on the “To Blog” list), Kristin, was a guest at the wedding.  I love it when that happens!

We had been hit with a little cold snap before the wedding (although nothing like the cold we’re suffering through now!), and even had a cold windy snap after wards, but as it goes… the weather was absolutely amazing the day of the wedding.  It never fails  And of course, it’s always a little windier on the beaches, but of course… perfect perfect weather, and a perfect beautiful breeze.

So let’s get on with this show and see some pictures from the day of!  Starting with my favorite trend of 2009… Shoes to match your colors!

What an amazing couple Dustin & Tama make… you can see sparks fly when they’re together

Here’s the couple, Kristin & Chris, who I had the pleasure of photographing at their wedding just after this wedding.  I love this picture because every time I see it I can’t help but think “Sometimes you feel like a nut, and sometimes you don’t”.  That totally sums this couple up lol.

Getting back to Tama & Dustin – this next picture just gives me goosebumps.  You’d think nobody else in the world existed in this moment…

As you can see, the beaches, the ballroom everything was gorgeous.  If you’re considering having a wedding locally or even a destination wedding, this is a fantastic place!

Check it out:

Embassy Suites by Hilton, Destin/Mirimar Beach Hotel
www.embassydestin.com

570 Scenic Gulf Drive
Destin, FL 32550
(850) 337-7000

And of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a little video.

Tama & Dustin – Married! from Bella Vita Photography on Vimeo.

So let’s get on with the story, shall we?!

Justine & Mark had their Destination Wedding at Waterscapes – I’ve passed by it a million times but I had no idea they had such a big property back there… it made for beautiful pictures!

And my favorite flowers in the whole world… orchids!

Haha, I sure hope these were Mark’s boots and not just some buddy’s!  Either way they were super cool!!!

This shows the gorgeous color of the bridesmaids dresses, next to her flowers which were of major importance to Justine… and it just so happens that this is Justine’s little sister, who might I add was also the life of the party! HAHAHA

And that first look… nothing else compares…

That night, as the sun set, the sky was absolutely amazing.   This shot is actually AFTER sunset… showing the deep blues of the sky and also the awesome cake:

And I love this… here is Sam – he was the minister but he’s also a DJ!

A huge thank you & Congratulations to Justine & Mark – you guys were so awesome & your friends & family were a blast!  It was a great relaxing laid back wedding!  We even broke out onto the dance floor for just a few minutes before tackling the little obstacle course on the lower pool (which we jumped into as well).  Rumor has it everyone else dove into the pool after we left!  We’re so bummed we missed it!  We tried getting folks to jump in before we left, but no luck!! Ah well!!!

Congrats, and heres the slideshow!

Justine + Mark – Married! from Bella Vita Photography on Vimeo.

By the way, if you are looking for an awesome beach resort, or location for a beach wedding & reception, Waterscapes is one of our little known secret gems on the coast here in Destin.  It’s actually on Okaloosa Island, between Fort Walton Beach & Destin, and you would never ever realize from the street that Waterscapes has SO MUCH back there!  The property is absolutely beautiful, the beaches are gorgeous, and the pools are fun for anyone with a family, or coming on their own for a relaxing weekend!

Check them out:

Waterscape by Resort Quest

Now, since we were trashing a dress… well a little rain never hurt anyone, and it sure doesn’t stop me!  In fact, it got me pretty excited!

Also as it turns out, that morning I was also hosting one of my monthly photography classes.  I had initially planned to just cut out of the class in time for the shoot, but thought… now that’s not fair… why not invite them along?!   So I cleared it with Natalie, and they were totally cool with a few folks tagging along!

So first… here’s what the day looked like:

And yes, these are pretty extreme conditions.  Although I have actually shot in the rain once before, it wasn’t raining this badly.  In fact, this was down a little dirt road that I was actually a little worried we would get stuck on if we stayed too long.  So this was a QUICK session – and although I must say the light is BEAUTIFUL while it’s raining, but it did have a few spells where it got REALLY dark REALLY quickly… and there were NO opportunities really for me to pull back from the camera to check shots & adjust my exposure, so I was working on pure gut feeling lol (thank god for shooting raw, although I was way closer to being spot on than I thought I would have been).

And here we are, getting rained on, trying to hide under umbrellas to keep our camera gear dry:

And now… what you’ve ALL been waiting for… the highly anticipated sneak peek of Natalie & Randy Trashing the Dress, complete with the bride’s daughter Carly who was also the Flower Girl (so really its a Trash The Dress & The Groom & The Flower Girl session!).

I loooove love love love love this picture.

Another of my favorites from the session:

I couldn’t help but catch this… this is too cute:

And I tell you what, was this probably not one of the MOST fun days this little girl has ever had, not to mention an UNFORGETTABLE moment, jumping in mud puddles… with her mom… in their wedding clothes! lol  I bet she told ALL her friends how she got to play in the rain, and jump in mud puddles!

And of course, this is one post that cannot go without a slideshow  So here we are, complete with very appropriate music lol.

Natalie & Randy Trash The Dress! from Bella Vita Photography on Vimeo.

]]> http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2009/10/destin-wedding-trash-the-dress-destination-wedding/feed/ 6 http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2009/08/feature-spread-in-gulf-coast-brides-magazine_hilton_sandesting_gulf-coast-bride/ http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2009/08/feature-spread-in-gulf-coast-brides-magazine_hilton_sandesting_gulf-coast-bride/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:40:53 +0000 admin http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/?p=680 Wow, I am sooooo stoked about this I just can barely contain myself!  One of my weddings, for a totally awesomely fabulous couples Kristi & Tyson is being featured in the upcoming issue of Gulf Coast Brides Magazine!

Their wedding took place in June in Destin (at Sandestin actually), and I cannot even tell you how thrilled I am & I will be so excited once I finally have the issue in my hands!  I’m going to have to try to get enough issues for them and all their family that came all this way from Texas.

Anyways, here is the little sneak peek of the spread!!!

So YAY for being published, YAY for Kristi & Tyson, and YAY for Gulf Coast Brides.  Now… as soon as it hits newsstands (it’s in something crazy like 31 states, so no excuses!), go run & pick up a copy because there are some awesome articles and obviously some awesome vendors highlighted  Then – toast w/ a little virtual champagne with me!  Cheers!

So here is just a sneak peek from the big day!

(By the way, how cool are those walls?!  Lauren’s house was built by the same person who built some of the structures at Eden Gardens so they have the same walls & lights!!!)

And finally… the video.  And I have to say, my little hippy heart was jumping for joy when I heard Ray LaMontagne’s music for not only the ceremony but the reception as well.  So here it is, set to a little Ray LaMontagne!

Lauren & Preston from Bella Vita Photography on Vimeo.

In the meanwhile, if you’re on the hunt for a fabulous location for your wedding, you have GOT to check out Eden Gardens. It is easily one of my most favorite locations EVER!  The setting is so perfect for a wedding and reception (with or without a tent).  In fact, if I did my wedding all over again – it would totally be there!

Eden Gardens State Park
Point Washington, Florida 32459  - (850) 231-4214

The wedding took place at a quaint little church out in Pensacola Beach, with the reception also taking place on Pensacola Beach.  The rain was raising pretty high, and the waves crashing onto the road, but that didn’t stop us!  In fact, it was really important that it not stop us, since it was practically a destination wedding and they’d travelled MANY hours to get here!

So here’s a little teaser… stay tuned for more!  We’ll start with a really awesome one showcasing the stormy weather & beach in the background.

Mr. & Mrs. Parker leaving the ceremony, heading to the reception at The Cabana Club:

Pensacola Beach is a fabulous location, with so much to offer.  It’s hustling & bustling during the summer months, but if you want to see it in all it’s glory while it’s a little more calm – the off season months are the time to do it.  Pensacola Beach has just about everything you can imagine though, with shopping & dining & tourist attractions abound!  Check it out next time you’re in town!