Seriously, you know when you just hit it off with someone?  Well, I’m pretty certain that there isn’t a soul alive that couldn’t hit it off with Stephanie, which probably explains why Daniel loves her so much, but she is just super fun & goofy at all the right times

Which is how I knew from the very beginning that it really didn’t matter what happened the day of the wedding – it was going to be a blast!  And luckily, everything went perfectly anyways… the rain paused with perfect timing for pictures, nobody was late, everything was gorgeous, and we all had a great time!

So here it is – the long awaited & much anticipated sneak peek at her long-planned big day!

Oh and I just had to include this so I could say KUDOS to Daniel – one of the best wedding day presents I’ve seen yet  Haha!

Loove these next few

This was one FANTASTICALLY fun bunch!

And of course…. drumroll…. the Mario cake!!!!

Whew!  Loved reliving it  Congrats to Stephanie & Daniel… I cannot wait to do a post-session

]]> http://bellavitaphotos.com/blog/2010/07/new-world-landing-pensacola-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

Anyways, enough with my rambling (another nasty little habit & New Years resolution there lol), and on with this story!

Another thing a long time coming has been Kimberly & Jason’s WEDDING!   I met Kimberly when she booked her wedding… what?… a year and a half ago!?  At least?  By the time the wedding had rolled around I was really excited for it, more than I am usually!   She is absolutely, hands down, probably one of THE sweetest people I have EVER met, and let’s just say Jason is an extremely lucky guy.  She loves him completely & entirely, and one look at the smile on his face during those vows and you could tell the feeling was absolutely mutual  Let’s face it – we see a lot of weddings, and I still cry from time to time.  But folks… I was wishing I had tissues at this ceremony.  Mother/son dances are usually my weakness (blame the mamma in me), but occasionally a ceremony does me in, and this is definitely one that had me in tears.

Kimberly has this amazing personality, though – and she kept me laughing all through the day, right on into the ceremony.  Gosh, how I wish I were a videographer for their “First Dance”!  They played a mix of songs, and took turns doing everything from the robot, to “Vogue”… the list goes on.  It was hysterical!  These two are definitely meant to be together, and I found myself really “missing” them after their wedding!  So Kim – I know you’re reading this – let’s do lunch or coffee or something!  But… after May! LOL (Busy wedding month & all).

They are from the area, and had an absolutely beautiful little ceremony at Florida Park in Niceville (well, actually Valparaiso), which is my newest favorite place ever.  The weather was perfect, the leaves were still autumn-ey looking, but the flowers were also blooming already, and it was just perfect!

Ok, so I know she’s wiggling in her seat right now, on with the pictures huh?!

The day started off with absolutely perfect weather at Kim’s mothers house.

After getting ready at her mom’s house in Niceville – we headed over to one of my favorite places – Turkey Creek in Niceville!

Kim looked absolutely amazing that day, and of course, Turkey Creek always has the most beautiful light.  Fabulous combination

My favorite shot at any wedding… the groom looking at his bride, taking it all in… it says a million words

And here you can see why this is one my most favorite places to photograph now.  It was a little wet from some recent rain, but amazing light, beautiful background, perfect trees & leaves, insert an amazing couple and you have a happy wedding photographer

After the wedding, we took a fun little trip around town and had a blast!  I was so excited that I finally got to photograph in this little corner of Niceville before heading out to Destin for the wedding reception.

I love this little place… and turns out Kim is an avid reader, so it worked out really well.  By the way… check out those pink converse  And… also featured – her “man of honor” and the best man!

So… I could have put in a few of the hilarious wedding dances… but as soon as I saw this one, I changed my mind.  Who knew there was anyone else in the room…

By the way, I have to tell you guys.  The wedding reception was at Fudpuckers out in Destin, FL.  Having had my OWN wedding & reception at a bar, I was totally stoked (cause that almost always = party!).

I had a tough time narrowing them down, so of course my other favorites are here in the video

(P.S. – you can hit “HQ” to switch to lo-res for faster loading!)

Fudpuckers
http://www.fudpucker.com
20001 Emerald Coast Parkway
Destin, FL 32541
(850) 654-1544

And I will warn you, this is likely going to be my longest blog post EVER!   I found it impossible to include every picture I initially wanted to blog, and impossible to really portray all the important details.  Kimberly clearly poured her heart & soul into this wedding because absolutely everything was meaningful!  In fact, I’ve had to save most of it for the video because that’s the only way I’ll be able to show everything I want

Tiger Point was the perfect setting for this “Winter Wonderland” wedding – and I will be sure to update this with a list of the vendors because they did an amazing job!

Christian’s Groom’s Cake was so impressive, the detail was amazing!

Check out these flowers, they fit so perfectly with her Winter Wonderland Wedding!

And by the way, I could go on and on about what an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day it was!  Yes, it was cold (and they were jealous I had on a jacket!), but it was insanely gorgeous that day.  A definite sign of good things for these two!

And if you think this is amazing… wait till you see the sunset later!

This ceremony was so amazing.  Christian’s father officiated the wedding ceremony, outside on the covered area at Tiger Point.  We had the gorgeous sun beaming in on one side, and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place.

This family was absolutely amazing.  Every one of them.  It was an absolutely moving moment.

Immediately after the ceremony, we spent just a few FREEZING MOMENTS out on the Tiger Point Golf Course under an absolutely amazing sunset, that seemed to last forever… just for us.

What’s absolutely amazing is that not only did this sunset give us a beautiful glow the entire time at the end of the wedding ceremony, the entire time for our pictures outside, but it also spilled into the reception area in an amazing way for all the first dances.  Here, Kimberly is with her oldest son, who also walked her down the aisle.  This is a moment that would make any mamma’s heart melt

Finally!  The slideshow update!  Also – I have to give the story behind the music selection for their wedding slideshow!  Remember that video that was posted EVERYWHERE about the bridal party & couple that came dancing down the aisle for the wedding?  (This one)  Well, I’ve been waiting all year for one of my couples to do something like this!  Well, let me tell you – Kimberly & Christian didn’t do exactly this – but it was a very awesome spin on it!  After a remarkably emotional, personal ceremony filled with many many tears of happiness & joy, they kissed & exited down the aisle dancing to “Say Hey – I love you”!  Even Christian’s dad, who officiated the ceremony, gave a pretty good performance.  It was such an awesome way to end a beautiful ceremony!  And hey, I loooove that song, so it was really exciting!  So I thought it was not only appropriate, but darn near necessary to set their slideshow to that song!  And I have to tell you, I will forever think of Kimberly & Christian & this wedding every single time I hear this song (which is at least 3 times a week now that I go to Zumba class! hahaha)

So here it is… in all it’s glory, and I apologize for not having a video of the actual dance down the aisle

Kimberly & Christian – Married! from Bella Vita Photography on Vimeo.

And finally – if you’re considering having your wedding at Tiger Point, it’s absolutely beautiful.  Check it out – even if you’re just in the area & want to do a little golfing.  It’s just a hop & a skip away from Pensacola, so it’s pretty convenient

Tiger Point Golf Club

1255 Country Club Road
Gulf Breeze, FL 32563-3499
(850) 932-4222

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!

Kristin & Chris are an absolutely adorable couple though, and it’s easy to see exactly why they are such a great match when they’re together.  Initially it seems like a classic case of opposites attract – Kristin is this totally girly, fashionable, organized and classy girl – and Chris is totally a man’s man, laid back & easy going, taking it one day at a time.  Kristin works an office job, Chris spends his days out on a boat getting dirty & catching fish.  But yet… they fit together so perfectly – like two little puzzle pieces.  They are so much fun to be around and I really really loved being a part of their big day.

They decided to get married at the Four Points Sheraton down on Okaloosa Island – just a hop & a skip from Destin’s Fishing Village where Chris works.  The Four Points Sheraton is like the little hidden gem of the Emerald Coast – it’s on the Island so it’s out of the way of most of the hustle & bustle of Destin, but still close enough to the heart of Fort Walton Beach.  It sits on the main road, but what you don’t see is that behind it is this gorgeous little garden area that leads down to the most beautiful white beaches and gorgeous emerald water.  You really get the best of both worlds with their green grass areas & gardens AND the beaches!  We tried to utilize every bit of it, too!

Also – there were so many little details of Kristin’s wedding – I couldn’t possibly post them all in this blog but I’ll highlight some of my favorites, including her absolutely awesome deep purple shoes!  I absolutely love the colored shoe trend, and the purple has by far been one of my favorites!  Very unique, very awesome and so very Kristin!  Purple shoes + Kristin + Chris = one very happy photographer and make for one awesomely cool wedding

These flowers were so gorgeous. The colors go together so well, and are my favorite color combination for this fall!

Now, here’s where I have to brag on Chris a little bit.  I love this man.  I really do!  This man, are you ready for this ladies… made all the men’s boutonnieres himself!  HOLY CRAP!  Now, how many men do you know that can or will do this?!  That is some serious L-O-V-E!  I gotta give him some props – it is well deserved.  He not only made them, but made AWESOME ones, and did a helluva job!  Now, I will have to say – this far exceeded my expectations, and I do not think it is in any way reasonable to expect most men to be able to do this.  Which makes Chris that much more awesome   Yay for Chris!  I love that he totally got the colors down pat (yes, he coordinated that himself), and that they represent him so amazingly being that he is a fisherman.  (By the way – the purple is also partly a way of incorporating their love for LSU, that’s right – he’s a good ole’ southern boy!).  A *crafty*, thoughtful, manly man.Ok… that’s taking it a bit too far… I’ll stop now   You’re welcome, Chris!  Oh, and can I just also throw in here that Kristin got TWO rings on her wedding day?  How freaking awesome is THAT?!  (Hubby – are you reading this?!)

And in case you didn’t get a chance to see what absolutely AMAZING blue eyes Kristin has from their engagement pictures… check it out here.  We had some awesome weather, and something about being on the beach really makes her eyes pop:

And this is the best… at the last few moments of sunset, when everyone is waiting & it’s finally just them… and they relax & fall into their own little world for a few moments…

So if you’re considering visiting the area, or checking out wedding venues, don’t let this one slip past!

Four Points by Sheraton – Destin/Fort Walton Beach (located on Okaloosa Island)
Highway 98 East
1325 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
(850) 243-8116

And here to finish it off is the video…

Kristin + Chris – Married! Four Points by Sheraton from Bella Vita Photography on Vimeo.

In the days after my grandfather’s passing, it was a therapeutic blessing to be able to sit around their kitchen table sifting through pictures.  Old pictures, new pictures, professional pictures, snapshots, torn pictures, carefully mounted pictures.  They all hold a special meaning.  Of course, some held up better than others, but I couldn’t help but also feel a sudden urge to send everything on my hard drives & discs at home to the print lab.  What will our children be doing 50 years from now?  Hopefully not sitting around some computer looking at digital copies.  There was something really awesome about running my fingers over the edges of every single picture.  Holding the same picture they held, they got in the mail, that they got handed down to them from their aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, mother, father, etc.

It’s really a lost part of our culture, the printed photograph.  It was amazing to see some of the old pictures, and how they’ve changed.  A huge stack of polaroids, which completely confused my children.  Little flip books from the 20’s, which have been lost in our “bigger, better” culture.  It’s just so amazing.

And really, now… all we have left are those pictures.  A few other sentiments… but his generation didn’t keep much “stuff”, not to mention it’s really his face, those pictures of him loving his grand children & great grandchildren that I really want to hold on to.

And so – that’s another resolution of mine – I am printing every single picture I take of my kids.  I want those prints.  Forget the discs (I’ll still archive them, I am a techie deep down beneath it all).  But, I want prints.  Boxes and boxes of pictures, for my children to sit around with, and wonder what on earth we were thinking with that hair do, that outfit, that car, that kitchen wall paper design.

For my clients, friends & family who do want to make sure that they’ll have a print that will last, that looks great now (and later)… I usually recommend a consumer lab:  MPIX.  But please, if for no other reason, consider having a big box of family prints… don’t even consider a disc for your main way of keeping pictures, as an archive perhaps, but not your main archive.  Get prints.  Put them in a box.  And every once in a while, sit around the kitchen table and reminisce

And just for grins, here is the last image I have of my grandfather with my two kids:

Stay tuned, I’ll be catching up on blogs & such soon!

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

I’ve volunteered with the American Cancer Society in the past, and it was a cause that I identified with, and I knew many many other people in our community did as well. Little did I know that this would turn out so wonderful, so chaotic, and so fulfilling… all at the same time!

Anyways, standing in the kitchen one night, brainstorming with my husband… we settled on the name “Small Miracles” for the calendar. Quite quickly “Small Miracles Make a Big Difference” was the natural “slogan”. Again, little did I know just how true that would prove to be.

Here I sit at nearly 2 a.m., less than 2 months from the time I first approached the American Cancer Society about my hair-brained ideas (I tend to have a lot of them!), looking in amazement at the number of votes that came pouring in, and equally amazed that I survived it all! LOL

After 2 wonderful weeks of voting, I sit here, looking at the 13 images that made it into the calendar. So happy that I didn’t have to choose them myself because there was no way I could choose just 13, ecstatic at the number of votes that flooded in, and thankful for ever single person that participated. And so… that moment that everyone has been waiting for… I proudly announce the 13 images that will be featured in the 2010 Small Miracles Calendar to benefit the American Cancer Society… proving that Small Miracles DO make aHUGE difference!

(Gosh, even *I* have butterflies TYPING this!)  (Names will be added with permission from their parents)

Miracle #9:

Miracle #8:

Miracle #42

Miracle #7:

Miracle #11:

Miracle #1:

Miracle # 31:

Miracle # 19:

Miracle # 12:

Miracle # 38:

Miracle # 6:

Miracle # 41:

Miracle #15:

And there you have it, folks… the 13 amazing Small Miracles!

In all, we received over 5,500 votes… an amazing accomplishment, especially considering this is our VERY first calendar.  Rest assured, this is absolutely something we will do each year (though we will start much earlier in the year next year lol… no more shooting, editing, and voting marathons for me!).

And don’t forget, calendars are still for sale – we will be opening the gallery back up with the option to vote removed, just so you can see the cuties & purchase calendars at the pre-sale price of $10.  Expect it to open sometime later in the day!!!

Thanks again for all your help, and to all the photographers & businesses who have helped make this possible!  Stay tuned as we share with you the inspirational stories that were shared with me through out this journey!

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