pregnant // sarah // charlotte, north carolina

i am so thankful to have met sarah while i was working at paper source (at least i think that's how we met, it was so long ago, i can't really remember!) - she owns social dress shop (go check it out and getchu some new clothes!) and we just had an instant connection. she's hilarious and sweet and has impeccable taste in everything. basically, she's awesome. 

so when she found out she was pregnant, we touched base about doing a mini-session and i'm so glad it came to fruition! i had so much fun shooting this in a space near my new apartment in myers pack, and her husband ryan was such a trooper.

thank you guys. sarah, i hope you feel as beautiful as you look because DANG, GIRL. you're a hot mama. i hope everything goes beautifully for you as you welcome your sweet new babe into the world so, so soon! 

(hair/makeup: the seriously wonderful lindsey regan thorne!)

pregnant // nicole // belmont, north carolina

i am so thankful to have met nicole through some amazing mutual friends of ours. we have a little photography group of ladies that meet and have dinner every now and then and we just really enjoy spending time (and i'm sure they enjoy the mini-break from their mommy-responsibilities as well) together, talking shop and eating good food.

i met nicole at our friend jenna's baby shower last year and we've kept in touch and gotten to know eachother since then. she's the sweetest and such a genuine person. i was so excited when she asked me to shoot her maternity pictures (nicole only picks the best photogs in charlotte to work with!) and i hope i did her and her sweet husband (and little man, jax, who isn't pictured) justice. and MAN how gorgeous was that light?! 

you are a beautiful woman, nicole - inside and out. thank you for letting me be a part of this season! 

engaged // taylor & jarred // charlotte, north carolina.

back at the beginning of this year, me and my friends at the bunch collective teamed up and gave away a free session to a special couple who entered our contest. in the midst of all those emails, i received one from a sweet girl named taylor who professed her love for her boyfriend (at the time) and told me all about their story and growth as a couple and caught my attention immediately with her beautiful words: "we have seen first-hand that ALL things are redeemable through Christ. we have seen the beautiful and amazing things that come out of broken lives, our broken lives. the more we fall in love with Christ, the more we fall in love with each other."

as hard as it was to decide, we didn't end up picking the two of them for a feature, but i knew based on our limited interactions that i wanted to make pictures with her someday. after that, we we emailed back and forth a couple of times because she needed some photography advice (she's a beautiful photographer, go check out her work here), added each other on facebook, instagram.. the usual mutual-stalking occurred and that was that.

fast forward a couple of months and i get a facebook message from her boyfriend, jarred, asking me to be a part of their proposal story by shooting their engagement pictures the day after he proposed! he said that she always mentioned to him that when that day came, she wanted to do engagements soon after so the emotions were running high. i love that he listened.  

taylor and jarred, you two are so amazing together. i love your love for each other, for the Lord, for your friends&family. i'm so thankful we were able to spend some time together and can't wait to spend more together in the future! 

(photographers side note: i normally don't shoot in the early, early morning but it was so interesting to see how different and bright the light is after the sun rises! loved this challenge.)

reception // amanda & jeff // charleston, south carolina

(if you haven't seen part one of their elopement, check it out here!)

jeff and amanda eloped on a wednesday and had an intimate celebration reception where they played their elopement video for their friends and family at the amazing mixson bath & racquet club on a saturday. it was full on confetti (which doesn't taste good, promise), drinks, dancing, and a lot of love. 

we had so much fun just talking around in the gorgeous charleston weather, exploring the space and spending time taking their bride & groom portraits for probably almost fourty-five minutes. these two are the kind of loves that just melt into each other without me even prompting them to. I love it so much. 

anyway, enjoy their part two!