[michelle and craig- the wedding]

a couple of weeks back I posted craig and michelle's engagement shoot at Becker farms...They defintely stood out of the crowd at the two different weddings that I had photographed at which they were guests, and then when the came by to look at my work, I was not sure what to expect for their wedding....and I was a bit hesitant. Craig had described it as "a little motorcross, a little swimming- really laid back". I must admit, I was blown away by the visual stimulation that they incorporated into their day. It was totally THEM. The ceremony and reception both took place behind Craig's house in West Seneca....

If these shoes are any indication of what lay ahead....

Michelle looked absolutely Hollywood. And, believe it or not, these two images were taken in the bathroom. Perfect light, perfect wall treatment...who would have guessed?

...and the cake....

and the boutonniere...

It began to rain ever so softly during the ceremony...later there was a tornado warning and torrential downpours which gave way to the bright sun and even a rainbow...

the BEST flower girl dress EVER.

After a short ride in a very high pickup truck, we came to the creek that runs behind the property. Perfect spot.

"Teen Wolf!!"

After a bit, everyone changed into their play clothes. The boys were speeding around in the back of the property and then the big event- This was my first "burn out" Aside the fact that I was not very smart in standing right in front of the bike as Craig floored it, I think the picture was totally worth it.

One of the more sweet and sultry first dances I have witnessed in awhile!

[my boy]

this past week Sophia spent time with her grandparents in Ohio, so it was just me and my boy. It's actually pretty amazing how you can fall in love with someone all over again, but that's exactly what happened. we are pretty lucky to have this little guy! We explored the bubble gun a bit.....he reminded me a bit of the fish from Finding Nemo who would go nuts every time the bubbles would appear from the treasure chest in the tank..."Bubbles! bubbles! bubbles!!!"

His feet are so damn cute, but man, are they ever stinky!

This was ethan last year....I can't believe the difference one year can make!

[aubrey and jon]

you may remember a wedding from last year that involved a banana and a hockey puck....well that was aubrey's cousin, christa, who incidentally is making and selling some pretty awesome wedding invitations... anyway, aubrey and jon are planning on getting married in june of 2010, but wanted to have their engagements done this summer at sunset bay beach, in the off chance that we may actually have a sunny day. well, the sun was super bright and all of the tall grass sparkled....i have never been to Sunset Bay but I was definitely impressed. Hanover park is the way to go....a long rocky walkway, the aforementioned sparkly grass, some piers, and some pretty nice water as well. jon and aubrey are an awesome couple too, great sense of humor and pretty darn good looking too :).

[britt and russ]

last year I photographed lindsey and bob's wedding.....britt is lindsey's sister, and I was thrilled to once again work with the rusert family. everything was very elegant, and despite the rainy morning, everyone was all smiles when I arrived.

along with the mojitos, the baby corn was a big hit...

...so why not a ring shot?

after the ceremony, the sun broke through and made for a beautiful day...

during their first dance, britt and russ's friends showered them with streamers...

and things got a little wild....luckily, pants removal was limited to those under 4.

[michelle and craig]

fresh out of the long car ride that completed our vacation, I traveled up to Becker Farms to meet Michelle and Craig. Their *incredibly unique and interesting sounding* wedding is in a week, so look for the posting soon!

[s & e on vacation]

[s & e on vacation]

we took a week out of our busy schedules to wander down south, to visit with family and partake in some good old fashioned frolicking. i actually DIDN'T take my Nikon, which was incredibly difficult for me, but I did buy a sweet new point and shoot that did a pretty decent job. plus, it fit into our beach bag...

our kids amaze me. armed with only a dvd player, we were able to drive clear down to north carolina in one car ride (starting from bryan's parents' in ohio) without any screaming fits or fistfights. the weather was as close to perfect as it could be.

e riding in style in a vintage pedal car

while not the most artistic photo in the world, i HAD to include it. we visited Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, where you take a wagon ride through a large park with lots of hungry animals. there are buckets of food that you basically pour into their mouths. this bison apparently got some food in his nose a bit, which caused him to sneeze. however, since his mother wasn't there to tell him to cover his mouth, he instead covered a 12 year old girl with chewed up grass, bison snot and other tasty treats. it got into her ears, mouth, shirt...she was a great sport, but in the meantime I was peeing my pants laughing (as was everyone else, and hence why there is no picture!)

E made a friend with wally the dog

after NC we drove up to virginia beach...we had planned on camping there but once we realized how far the campgrounds were from the actual beach, we decided to camp in a beachfront hotel instead. the kids were completely fixated on the boardwalk when we got to the room.



s reminds me of an actress in an old hollywood film

oh, and my daredevil husband invited our daughter to join his debauchery in a parasailing adventure. Needless to say, mom was a bit worried. They soared up to 1200 feet (and survived!) Did I mention she is 4?

making more friends at the virginia aquarium....