Greenville Wedding Photographer : Huguenot Loft Wedding : Matt and Rene

Raise your hand if you love cold and flu season!!!  What?  No one?  Well, gee willickers, that's just plain shocking.  Or not.  What I'm really getting at here is that I have a cold, and it's making me grumpy.  I'm reasonably tough about lots of things, but I feel very strongly about being about to breath through both nostrils.  I admit there are perks...staying in sweatpants all day, not feeling the least bit bad about working from the sofa watching Les Miserables on repeat, and eating copious amounts of strawberries because I just like them.  But then we come back to the aforementioned single nostril breathing, and the light pounding in my head that comes with it, and I'm just not sure it's worth it.  Plus it's been several days since I've gotten any natural vitamin D in my life.  Steven has been instructed to only approach me with chocolate, and perhaps a shiny new tabloid magazine.  

I just needed to get that little bit of whining out of my system...every time I complain to Hallie, she just sort of looks at me, and then farts.  Not quite the expression of sympathy I was looking for, but I guess on the plus side, I can't smell anything.  But I digress...and really into a place I don't particularly care to go, so let's move on.

I love looking back on this wedding...everything from the color palette and amazing venues, to just how cute Matt and Rene are together.  It's all so bright and cheery, and it helps me forget that between the weather and the cold (that I WILL whine about until it goes away),  everything seems to look, feel, smell, and even taste gray today.  I think you'll agree...

Church : Grace Church Downtown

Reception : Huguenot Loft

Dress : Poinsett Bride

Flowers : Dahlia

Coordination : B & R Events

Cake : Couture Cakes of Greenville

True story...Steven and I got into wreck on the way to meet up with Matt and Rene at the Hyatt.  It was totally minor, we were both fine, and we even managed to get to the Hyatt on time.  Always leave early, kids...very, very early. Anyway, all was fine, but I'm not exactly famous for handling things like this in a calm fashion.  My hands were shaking up until I actually got together with Rene and her bridesmaids.  They were so sassy and fun that I honestly forgot until the end of the night that part of my car had gotten smashed earlier in the day.

I still maintain that Matt looks like Brendan Fraser...

I love the this...candy buffett before and after.  :-)

Greenville Wedding Photographer : New Kid At School

As we walked through the ballroom of the Hyatt, it occurred to me that my breaths were growing louder and more rapid with every step.  I wasn't carrying anything, nor was I walking very fast, so it was fairly obvious that it had nothing to do with my current workout plan of "lift remote, repeat as necessary".  No, this was a case of good, old-fashioned nerves.  While I have been shooting for nearly half my life, and have been doing weddings since 2008, this would be the first time I'd be at Wedding Festivals as a vendor.  I went as a bride the year before...and I remembered that there was cake.  Lots and lots of cake.  And that was pretty much it.  Not exactly comforting, considering that I needed to look like a competent professional. With every booth we passed, I thought of my own set up and my heart rate jumped a little faster. 

My newfound propensity for panic attacks was not lost on Steven.  On our fourth trip to the car, and after about the nine billionth time he asked if I was okay, he finally stopped me, took my face in his hands, and told me firmly, "You're doing the new kid at school thing, and you need to stop.  Just because everyone else has been here before doesn't mean that you won't succeed." And he was right...I was absolutely terrified of being this show's equivalent of the chubby girl that got picked last for kick ball.  I love meeting new people, and I'm not anyone's joking definition of shy, but in situations like that, I have to fight so hard to avoid regressing into the girl who's awkward phase lasted well over a decade.  So, we pushed on, got our little rookie booth all set up, and called it a night. 

Before I left to meet up with my mom the next day, Steven reminded me that sometimes the new kid is really fun and makes lots of friends on the first day of school; that it was up to me to not let intimidation rule me.  And he was right.  From some amazing fellow photogs, to my beloved cake bakers, to some amazing brides that I can't wait to work with, I spent the entire day forging new friendships with some fabulous people.  It certainly didn't hurt that the very first person I met that day was Ivey.  She had just gotten engaged, and already had some exciting plans made.  We chatted for a good 10 minutes and I adored her immediately.  She was the first of many wonderful people I met that day, but she was the one that proved to me that people would, in fact, like me.  That I could be one of the cool kids, and that I had (once again) worried myself silly over nothing.  That my sweet husband was right...again.  Ivey and Matt's wedding is coming up this August at The Loom, and I could not be more excited to capture it for them!

We had really yummy light to work with...

Ivey has an amazing laugh...exhibit A:

And exhibit B:

Ivey, you are beautiful!!

My favorite...they really are one of the sweetest, most adorable couples ever!

Spartanburg Wedding Photographer : Famous

Before I even begin this post, let me say that I'm pathetically out of shape.  In that really bad, sometimes things hurt for days after physical exertion, kind of way.  I had a FABULOUS time at the Greenville Hyatt with Wedding Festivals yesterday, and had the chance to talk to so many amazing brides. (Random side note: if you're reading this, and we talked, then hi! *waves wildly*) Truly an awesome experience, but I made the mistake of wearing cute shoes over orthopedic ones, and wow.  My toes/feet/legs/knees/hips/back are completely resentful today.  How does being out of shape relate to impractical shoe choice?  I don't know, but I'm convinced that if I had more muscle, that wouldn't have happened.  I never hate on the shoe.

Anyway, now that I've gotten that off my chest, I have something else to confess: I semi-regularly Google myself.  I say that it's totally work related, and it is (gotta keep up that SEO), but there's also this crazy little part of me that just likes to see what comes up (COULD I be any cooler????).  And, not gonna lie, I've found some pretty cool stuff in the past.  Like the time I learned that I was up for the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship.  That was rather nifty.  Or, when I learned my official time and ranking in the Greenville Race For The Cure.  I'm not giving out any numbers, but it was a solid, middle of the pack finish.  And I didn't die in the process, so that's cause for celebration in and of itself.

Since launching a business, most of what I find these days are things that I created myself, so there aren't too many surprises.  However, I had a very fun one today...I'm on the Shootsac blog!  The post is right here, and the bride in the bottom right corner is me.  *Sigh* It's the little things that make me feel way more hip than I am...

I recently got together with Stacie and Dustin to shoot their engagement session.  It was FREEZING, but we had a fantastic time, and they were absolutely adorable.  A few favorites...

Laughter makes my heart happy!

See what I mean?  Cuteness on a stick...

Favorite!!