Nikki + Scott Wedding Reception

Saturday evening, I was so excited to be able to spend the most wonderful evening with an absolutely amazing couple...

Nikki and Scott

I met Nikki through my friend Lindsey (..among several other AWESOME people, thanks lindz!). After talking to Nikki a couple of times, we agreed to meet up and get her engagement pictures done in June. We had a wonderful time then, so I just KNEW their reception was going to ROCK!

...and it did.

Nikki is beautiful. Absolutely stunning. So when I spent the day with her in her Suite at the Marriott on Saturday, I knew that once she went from Nikki to bride ... she was going to be breathtaking. And I couldn't have been more right.

Nikki + Scott actually got married in a beach ceremony in Florida back in July, but planned their reception for the end of August. The Marriott did a fabulous job with all of their arrangements, dinner, cocktail hour, etc. I was so impressed.

Once we checked out the banquet hall, we headed upstairs to the 14th floor to get ready!

Can I show you her cake?! It was awesome! Detail was amazing and everything was EDIBLE!

Nikki's friend Amber is a hairstylist and make-up artist, so it was more than fitting to have her help getting Nikki all beautiful for the big reception!!

Amber arrived at the hotel and had all of her make-up in tow...

Like I said before, it wasn't hard making Nikki look gorgeous...

We got Nikki into her dress shortly after her hair and make-up were done...

Nik - i am not mad at you for being so beautiful..

Before we headed downstairs to meet Scott we took a few pictures within the Bridal Suite in the window... overlooking Victory Field.



AYKM?!?!?!?!? (Are you kidding me?! - thanks bobbi!)

We finally made it downstairs to meet Scott and had a little fun taking pictures of the two of them while all of their guests arrived.

This couple is so fun! They are always up for anything and just seem to "know" how to pose!

HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT

Nikki LOVES her nephews.... and i mean she LOVES them! ..and rightfully so! They are the cutest little guys ever!!

Here's the little one...

After dinner, the reception party began with Nikki and Scott sharing their first dance and then all the fun dance songs!

Nikki and her totally HOTTIE friends :) (aka - The Villiage People!)

Can we say CHICKEN DANCE!?!?!?

Nikki & Scott...

Thank you so much for allowing me to be such a major part of your day! It's amazing how life's twists and turns lead us to The One. I'm so happy that you guys have landed with eachother. Your love for one another is so contagious.

Congratulations.... :)

~G

Budoir Session

Word of mouth is most certainly the best advertisement and I am so thankful for my friend Lindsey who has referred 2 people to me now! (THANK YOU!)

Her friend "J" had been trying to figure out a unique gift to get her husband for their wedding anniversary. Since tradition is to purchase paper for the 1st wedding anniversary gift ... she thought of photos!

When she called and presented her idea about the photographs to me, I think she thought I'd think she was crazy for thinking of it, but much to her surprise ... I'd taken the same type of photographs before of other people and it really is a unique gift to get your husband...



Boudoir Photos!!

She was so excited to hear that i'd taken them before and more importantly enjoyed being creative with them!

I sent her a link to other Boudoir Photos that I'd taken before, and within a couple of days - we had a time reserved for she and I to hang out (sans the hubby) at her house and have some fun with the camera!



This girl could pull-it-off!



Her husband is probably one of the luckiest men around (...and since his anniversary isn't until Monday ... he doesn't know it yet - the pics were a HUGE secret!)

Although I haven't met him .. he sounds like a super cool guy.

I was most impressed with his adoration for Guitar Hero ... but more-so with his custom made Guitar ... LOVE IT.





How hott is this?! She's standing on her little tables in front of the couch "playing Guitar Hero".



...and check out those heels!



MEOW!







We decided to head to her kitchen and get a cool silhouette picture by her sink.

...and it turned out PERFECTLY.

This is one of my all-time FAVES....













She told me before we met that she wanted some pictures with her husband's car because it's "his baby".

After we were done with most of the pictures ... we headed to the garage to pull out the car.

OMG ... can we say

Yellow Mercedes Convertible + Hottie = One Lucky Hubby!







I can't lie... this one makes me proud..







She and I both had a wonderful time hanging out, coming up with fun ideas and really having a good time.

Her husband is so lucky.

We ended up using about 45 of the 60 pictures and printing them into a nicely bound black cloth book that is about 30 pages in length.

He will be so surprised!

~G

Shawnee' Senior Pictures

Last week, I traveled to North Salem, Indiana to take some senior photos for Miss Shawnee', who will be graduating in 2009.

Where is North Salem?

I have no idea... I just know that I was driving on some dirt roads just to get there.

Here's North Salem:



Yea- it's wayyy out there.

We started out at Shawnee's great-Aunt Janet's house in the country. This house is unbelievable. Her great-uncle built most of it from wood from the plethora of trees on his property. Everything in it is nearly all antiques or handmade.

It was like stepping back in time.

So quaint and cozy.

Here's the porch of this beautiful log cabin. + Shawnee playing her grandpa's old guitar.













After we got comfy with the surroundings, we added Shawnee's mom Denee' and little sister Sonora.

Meet mom:





And now Sonora....











Shawnee' is a HUGE part of 4-H in her county. She's won several awards, trophies as well as other first places prizes in both county and state competitions.

When I saw her outfit for the photo shoot, I had some fun ideas instantly.

So we finally headed out from her aunt's house and towards town when we decided to pull over and get some fun pics on the road. And of course, my obligatory Silhouette picture that I know you're all so tired of









FAVE ALERT





When we finished up on the side of the road we headed into downtown North Salem to see what kinds of fun stuff we could find.

Brick Wall + Large Door. CHECK!





Railroad Track.... CHECK!









Awesome grass to lay in with mom+Sonora ... CHECK!





Shawnee' was up for anything and of course I was so excited about that. HOWEVER there was one thing that she just wasn't willing to do.

While we were at her Aunt's house, we located an old outhouse.

And I mean really, what was I supposed to do? This would be WAY too awesome.

So I asked.

And she declined.

So her mom made her.



...and it turned out just as I expected.



Can you see this in a large canvas print hanging in a western themed bathroom?



YES!!!!









Can that get any more awesome?!?!?!

~G

Kathy + Bill Engaged!

As most of you know, my sister Kathy is ENGAGED! It's such an exciting time in her life and I am so proud to be able to share in everything leading up to her big day!

If you haven't visted her blog ... you really should It's my way of documenting her "journey to the big day".

Anyway- on our list of "things to accomplish by August 2008, we had "engagement pictures" down because she wanted to have them taken while there were still nice pretty flowers blooming.

Check. .. and Check! Name a time and place and I will be there!

Friday night was the time and Shadyside Park was THE place!

Kathy + Bill followed me to Anderson on the Harley. We both got stopped at a stoplight and I took full advantage of the opportunity by snapping this shot out of my side mirror. HEHEHE





As you all know, I have a very odd obsession with Silhouette pictures. I don't know why, but I do. Luckily, we were just in time for at least 1 silhouette ... which made me very very happy.





Before I go any further....

Meet Kathy - my sister, mother of my two beautiful neices and soon-to-be step mommy to my soon-to-be-nephew Gavin. (did you get all of that?) Kathy and I share the same biological father and as life would have it ... she and I didn't meet until I was about 11 years old. Interesting story.

Anyway- as if you didn't know ... she's going to be the most beautiful bride EVER.




Now meet Bill... my soon-to-be brother-in-law. (OMG SHUT UP! I'm going to have a brother in law!!!) Bill is one of the hardest working men I know; and has such a big desire to provide for his family. He also accepts my sister just the way she is (trashed car and all). For that, I love him!!





Bill was such a good sport throughout our little "session" doing whatever I told him (no, really - he did!) and smiling whole heartedly in every picture.

Seeing them interact together, through the lens of my camera made me have no doubts that he truly loves her with everything he has.

...and that is simply all i could ask for him to do with my sister.



















FAVE ALERT.... FAVE ALERT ...

























As I was taking this picture ... (which i've taken a couple of times before with different couples) ... I realized something.

It takes both people to spell L.O.V.E

Without the other person you either have "LO" or "VE". Neither of which mean anything by themselves.

But together... they mean everything.

Kathy and Bill ... please don't ever forget that it takes both of you to create a home filled with LOVE. May this picture remind you of that... always.





Speaking of LOVE....



It started getting H-O-T behind the lens of my camera!!!



MEOWWWWWW















Remember I mentioned that they drove the Harley to meet me.

We traded the Harley for a Dinocycle :) HEHEHEHEHEH (i just made that up, laugh dang it!)



















THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for sharing this special time with the two of you.

I cannot wait to watch your relationship and love grow in the years ahead.

I can see your unconditional love for one another glowing through your eyes, through the way you touch eachother and the way my heart feels when I'm around you two.

There is nothing that Love can't work out...



~G