M&L E-Session

When Larissa and I talked about doing their engagement pictures - she already knew exactly where she wanted them to be taken.

She called it one of her "favorite places in the world" and described to me this small area in Wyalusing that she and Mitch discovered with some trails and lots of big rocks. It sounded fun to me so off we went.

I have to admit, I was a little scared when Mitch pulled up to the scenic overlook. This can't be right, I thought. Larissa said it was like a park with big rocks and trails - and this was just a place to look out over the river with a fence.

I trusted though and followed the two love-birds out of the car and around the fence. We walked up a path and were instantly faced with this INCREDIBLE view (wayy better than the scenic overlook spot).

OOkay, I get it now :D This was beautiful. Totally peaceful. And amazing !!

So, we got down to business - and if by business you mean having fun - that's right because that's exactly what we did !!

Just being in this amazing spot totally turned the mood around. What had been a stressful and tense afternoon quickly turned into a peaceful and relaxing evening. And it was wonderful.

I know Mitch & Larissa through church - and sometimes that isn't always the best atmosphere for observing two people in love - and what I mean by that is this: They're both heavily involved in so many aspects of the service and all of the other activities going on, oh and did I mention they're both completely servant-hearted too. And so seeing them together rarely happens.

But when they are together? Wow. Talk about a match made in heaven. God definitely knows what He's doing when He puts two lives together.

Okay, so this is awesome :D About half way through our adventures in taking pictures - I noticed something. Every time we'd set up in a spot, and then I'd ask Mitch to look down at Larissa - she would go from having her normally beautiful smile and would suddenly light up like a lightning bug on steroids. Her man was looking at her and she would glow .. literally. I loved it !!

So, it really isn't a park - these rocks aren't exactly cut out to climb all over and in some spots it gets pretty tricky - especially when you're in a dress. Mitch is such a gentleman though. He would go ahead of us and blaze the trail, and then come back to help his lovely bride follow him. So, he gets an A+ for being amazing :D

Oh and did I mention that they laughed together CONSTANTLY? I would step away from them for one second and when I'd turn back around to take the shot, they'd be like this !! Laughing and giggling together about who knows what (probably how funny I looked trying to navigate the rocks and cliffs with a camera in one hand, my bag slung over my shoulder, and in flip-flops!) but that's okay - that sort of behavior is highly encouraged :D

Larissa's ring is GORGEOUS !

I L.O.V.E this shot of Larissa. It's so dreamy & fairytale like, don't ya think?

Ahhh, she was such a fantastic model :D

haha And right at the end - Mitch picked Larissa up and carried her off down the trail - and honestly, I got the feeling they were going to leave and never come back :D

Heapings of blessings to both of you !! Just a few more weeks until the big day !! I can't wait !!

M&L sneak peak

So, I'm gonna interrupt the regularly scheduled blog and bring you some breaking news :

Yesterday, I went with Mitch & Larissa to take their engagement pictures !! They're getting married in 6 weeks !! Woohooo :D

They took me to this amazing place that, from the road just looks like one of those scenic overlooks - but there are trails and big rocks and it's really beautiful up there !!

I'm still working on their photos (they were such amazing models for me :D) but here's a little sneak peak !! Look for a full post soon !!

our wedding day :D

There is no better way to tell the story of our wedding day than through photos and videos.

Photos capture emotion - they freeze moments in time and allow your imagination the liberty to work it's magic. Seeing a photo opens your mind up to memories that were hidden - allowing you to relive moments and remember feelings.

Choosing a photographer was probably the easiest decision I had to make when it came to picking wedding vendors. I knew, even before I got engaged who I wanted to capture those memories.

Her name is Kristen Leigh and she was the person who introduced me to the wonders of the blogging world. Well, actually - that's a lie, because that award goes to my Mom - who one day about 2 years ago, forwarded me an email that had a link to Kristen's blog. She was just starting out and had photographed a wedding which was being passed around the homeschool community. My Mom saw it and thought I would enjoy looking at the pictures - and I've been enjoying looking at her pictures ever since !!

Through her I've found literally hundreds of other photography blogs, which I've narrowed down to a handful of my favorites that I visit on a regular basis.

So, Kristen was an obvious choice when I thought about the role of "wedding photographer" in my big day.

And she was nothing short of AMAZING. She came in and was totally like a long lost member of the family. She was laid back and fun and laughed with us all day. And, not only was she like having another awesome friend to hang out with, but she created some of the most fabulous photos !!

I still haven't seen all of the finished photos, but she posted a blog on Derrick and I here :

I'm Kristen Blog - Kara & Derrick

If you haven't seen it yet, well what are you waiting for ? It's fabulous and I love how she tells the story of our day :D

When we get all of our photos back (hopefully soon !! *crosses fingers*) I'll have to post some more of the highlights !!

Alright - so you still aren't satisfied with wedding stuff ??

haha that's cool - because I'm not either !!

We had 2 fabulous video men who were so generous to video our wedding for us. They did a FANTASTIC job - and from their recordings, I made several things: 1. a full DVD - everything that they video-taped (it's about 2 hours long) and 2. a wedding "extras" DVD - with a 10 minute highlight video, as well as a bloopers reel. We honestly have the most amazing group of friends ever and they were just as amazing on our wedding day celebrating with us as they are every other day when we're just hanging out. They made our day soo fun and I know I never stopped smiling or laughing the whole day long. So a HUGE shout-out goes to our bridal party who made our day especially wonderful (and thus: the bloopers reel) !!

And, you can see those "extras" here :D

The Natalie Grant Concert

Long time no see eh ?

A lot has happened since the last time I reared my pretty little blogging head !! I went and got married (more on that later!), had a spectacular honeymoon, moved 5 hours away from my hometown, and am now settling into my new life as a wife !! (hey, that rhymes !! =D)

Before we get to all that fun stuff though, I do have a few things to show ya'll.

The week before I got married, my sister and I went to a concert. People told me I was crazy because, how could I - as a DIY bride planning her own wedding - possibly take a night "off" when the big day was only 9 days away ?!

Eh, it was perfect though. I'm so glad I did. Even though I think the whole time my mind was racing with things I knew I still needed to do and excitement - it was awesome to be able to set the wedding aside and just enjoy some very good music for a while.

The concert was held at Cornerstone Ministries.

And, the opening artist was Phil Stacie !

Well, sorry kiddos but I had no idea who this guy was. Apparently he was on the 6th season of American Idol - I guess. The only full season of American Idol I've seen is the last one : the one that just finished like 2 weeks ago? So, I had no idea who he was. He was pretty good though. Not to bad - not to bad.

I do have to be honest though, I was super glad when Brit Nicole came on !!

She is like a super bundle of energy !! From the time she bounced out on stage to the time she finished, she couldn't stop moving !! And she was spectacular !!

About half way through one of her songs, she pulled a little girl out of the audience who was jumping around and dancing just like her ? And had her come up on stage to dance too !!

You could tell, it was completely unplanned and unrehearsed and that's what made it so adorable !!

She definitely made me want to go out and buy all her music :) haha

And then of course, the main event: Natalie Grant !!

Wow, she was absolutely incredible !! I could have sat and listened to her sing and tell stories all night.

She was so dramatic and a terrific performer !! And, she was so personable !! haha How you tell all that from sitting in a balcony seat at a concert, I'm not sure - but her stage presence was amazing.

The lighting was fantastic. SOO much fun to play around with trying to capture !! I think this is my favorite that I got all night =D

Anndd - the show was so awesome and the audience cheered so long and loud - they came out to do an encore - YES ! haha

COMiNG SOON !!

I want to tell you all ALL about the wedding !! Show you how much fun we had and what a great day it was - then I have tons of photos and stories to tell from our cruise to Bermuda !! Anndd - I have lots more too :) haha