Wedding and Portrait Photography & Videography - St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Palm Coast

Baby Gabe (and his parents).

2012-02-22T13:32:00.007-08:00

I got to shoot two beautiful sessions with Erin and Landon.

First, a maternity session that included a special "docu-mini." We captured the soon-to-be parents writing letters to their future baby which they wrote separately and read to each other on camera. They then placed the letters in a mason jar and buried them in the backyard as a time capsule to be uncovered when their little one is old enough to understand. It was touching to hear them tell their hopes and dreams for their future as parents. Watch the video below to see what I mean :)

The second session was done when baby Gabriel was only 12 days old! I enjoyed capturing the relationship between he and his brand new parents. It is such an incredibly exciting time in their lives and I felt so lucky to be be a little part in it, even just for one afternoon... and I got to hold him!! :)

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Brittany and Brian.

2012-02-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

We had a great time shooting all over town. We hit every landmark in the downtown area to capture shots for them to use for their table numbers. It felt like a scavenger hunt. These two are so funny... they cracked each other up and I couldn't help laugh myself!

We went to the beach at the end of their shoot but I put this one first because I love it!

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You are gorgeous, girl!

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They really are so cute together.

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Taking a moment to just enjoy each other's company.

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Work it!

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Carly Rae Shannon.

2012-01-23T12:15:00.000-08:00

Jen Shannon is one of my favorite 2nd shooters but I've had to give her a little break because she's been busy preparing for motherhood. Carly Rae was born on January 12th at 5:20 pm and she was eagerly anticipated by her family. Two weeks after her due date she entered this world and melted the hearts of both of her parents.

...9 days later I got to meet her and take these photos. We had a great newborn session, with sweet little Carly evening smiling in a few of my shots!

Jen did an amazing job decorating Carly's room! I peeked inside and saw that she agrees with me :)

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Look who was hiding in her crib!

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We're having a picnic and look what's for lunch.

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Yawnskers!

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Time for a nap!

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Nola Scott!

2012-01-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

I've taken her picture every year since she was born and I love seeing her grow up! Here are my favorite photos from portrait session.

She started off shy...

But I got her to really loosen up!

What a sweetie pie.

Love her!

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the things you didn't know about the Obama family.

2012-01-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

For starters, they are not all politicians. But they do know how to look official.

#2 They don't always like to smile for the press.

#3 They just celebrated their wedding anniversary on New Year's Eve.

#4 They love to laugh with each other.

#5 They may blend in with the happy tourists of St. Augustine...

#6 ...but they are actually super heros!!!

#7 And though serious at times, they are seriously cute!

the LeBrun family.

2011-12-15T12:13:00.001-08:00

I've been doing family portraits for the LeBruns pretty much every year since 2007. We've become friends and I've enjoyed seeing her family grow over the years. This year was bittersweet... they are planning to sell their house and move out of state to be closer to work (traveling isn't that much fun when you can't be with your family!) So they decided to incorporate their house into the shoot. They have done major renovations to this house and really made it a charming, warm "place to call home". I was happy to be able to memorialize it for them before the big move. I think they will be sad to leave it but happy that they can all spend more time together... wherever they move.

Lauren and Matt

2011-12-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

They're engaged and we had such a fun shoot to show them off together! This was done at Alpine Groves Park. Here are my favorites...

This "&" was Lauren's idea... she mentioned it and I thought, "How are we going to find one of those?!" Then I found one the next day :) I want to use this in all my shoots now!

A little picnic in the woods.

We found this old door which I thought made a great prop.

I think the door says, "welcome to our house in the jungle" in this shot.

She thinks my tractor's sexy!

Liz and Mike

2011-12-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful night under the stars with twinkling lights to brighten their paths (and their photos). Set in the courtyard of the Lightner Museum, this intimate wedding took place on a crisp, cool evening in late November. Liz and Mike are a sweet couple who met during military training. Their careers led them together but their love for each other will keep them united.

wedding coordinator: The Wedding Authority

ceremony: Lightner Museum

reception: Sala Menendez Room

caterer: A1A Aleworks

cake: Sweet Weddings

flowers: Flowers by Shirley

Presh and Tommy.

2011-12-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

They had a wedding with personal details that came together to make this one of my favorites of all time. Earlier this year I had lunch with Precious and went over some ideas for her big day. We talked about using rose petals to blanket their portraits, colored uplights to surround their reception room, and other visions that would make their day one of a kind. Seeing her visions brought to life was really spectacular! It was clear that a lot of planning and teamwork from friends and family members made this day a reality for the two of them. I have a feeling their guests will remember this wedding for a looong time!

Congratulations to our friends Precious and Tommy!

As they walked down the aisle her dad looked at her mom as Precious looked at her groom :)

The bride and groom performed a ritual foot washing to remember how Jesus washed his disciples' feet - a symbol of humility and respect. Pretty cute feet too!

I LOVE these images. I would love to see a huge canvas of the first one on their wall.

Flowers and fish... a beautiful combination. Also a very sweet first dance.

Tommy's brother cracked everyone up with his toast.

A picture really does say a thousand words. No explanation necessary.

Debbie and Tedd

2011-11-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

He proposed at a vineyard in Maryland. She said yes. The rest is history :) Debbie and Tedd got married a few weeks ago in St. Augustine at Trinity Episcopal Parish with a beautiful reception that followed at The White Room. We had the privilege of shooting the photos and video for their special day.

This wine bar reminded them of his proposal :)

Up up and away! I think this is so cute!

Neal & Pavani's wonderful Indian wedding weekend

2011-11-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

Neal & Pavani

Two weekends ago Life & Love Studio was privileged to capture Neal & Pavani's wedding in Tampa. They were a beautiful couple and their families were wonderful hosts. People kept coming up and asking if WE needed anything. It really made us feel welcome. Three days of shooting flew by with all of the great footage we got. We also had an opportunity to see the amazing work of Kate Byars. She was really cool to work with and comes from Atlanta, my hometown. We got a chance to see the Indian Cultural Center transformed several times by the very talented Jilna at Suhaag Garden. We can't wait to see what she and her husband come up with for our next wedding together in January.

Here is just a sneak preview. Lots more great stuff to show later. Oh and by the way, Pavani and Neal are taking our video to India to show an entire village. How awesome is that? We can't wait to see photos!

Sidney & Sean

2011-11-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

We met Sidney through a college friend, roommate, and bridesmaid of mine, Sarah. She is a girl full of ideas and inspiration. We knew her wedding would be one we'd never forget. I was excited to find out that they chose a garden to hold the event and that we'd be a part of this beautiful day. Dunaway Gardens was the setting of this fairytale wedding. Congratulations you two!

The dress.

Bridesmaid reaction when the dress was revealed. :)

Sean performed an original song he wrote for Sidney. It was awesome!

Katie and Mike

2011-11-04T15:52:00.000-07:00

Katie and Mike's beautiful wedding started with Katie getting ready at the Hilton Bayfront. There was an amazing four post bed which showed off her hot pink shoes quite nicely :) Then we headed over to the ceremony at the Lightner courtyard - a beautiful backdrop as always. After ringing the wedding bell and shooting portraits it was off to The Bayview Room for more celebrating! Here are a few of our favorite shots from the day.

Ceremony: The Lightner Museum

Florist: Flowers by Shirley

Bakery: Sugared Bliss

Reception/Caterer: A1A Aleworks

Wedding Coordinator: Carla, The Wedding Authority

Melissa and Rob

2011-11-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

They had a beautiful wedding from beginning to end. Perfect weather, great friends, gorgeous locations... it all added up to an incredible day! I had a blast being their photographer.

Make-up: A Head Above

Florist: 57 Treasury

Ceremony: Trinity Episcopal Parish
Reception: River House
Cake: Publix
Caterer: Mai Oui Gourmet

DJ: McGee Entertainment

Veronica and Domenico

2011-10-27T19:53:00.000-07:00

These two were such a fun couple. They have great style and know how to throw an awesome party. Their wedding was on a rainy, windy Sunday a few weeks ago but they didn't let the weather dampen their day! The ceremony was moved inside the Amore Chapel at the Lightner Museum and their carriage ride was cut a little short but it gave me a chance to experiment with some indoor portraits at the Casa Monica Hotel before they started their reception (p.s. I love them!). Another thing I had never seen at a wedding was their surprise mariachi band. None of their guests knew about this fun little extra kick, but it was such a hit! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the day.

Jill and Bryson.

2011-10-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

A legacy of weddings...

Jill is the sister of Jen, who's beautiful wedding we photographed 3 years ago (Sept 2008) at the Baughman center in Gainesville (Here is Jen and Mike's entry on our old blog. Here is their photo preview). In fact, we get so many positive comments from other brides who see her wedding pictures on the slideshow of our web site. And we met Jen after photographing her friend Lucy's wedding the year before that (Aug 2007) at the Oldest House, here in St. Augustine. We also heard a lot of positive comments about her wedding pictures... everyone loved her paisley bridesmaid dresses. I've also photographed Jill and Jen's brother's family who ended up on magnets we had printed to promote our family portraits. Which goes to show this is a good looking group... their pictures have been all over our stuff :)

We love when we can work with friends and family members of our current clients. It makes us feel good because we know they loved their images and trust us enough to spread our name! And we are especially honored to photograph Jill and Bryson's wedding a couple weeks ago at the Lange Farm in Dade City. They are a gorgeous couple who are equally as sweet. It was such a pleasure to work with them and their friends & families!

This may be the last time a dress is hung from their chandelier. We were nicely asked to take it down, but I'm so glad we got this shot!

Gorgeous!

I love these girls!

Work it!

It was a rainy day and we decided at the last minute to do a first look so Jill and Bryson could see each other before the wedding and get their portraits done before the weather got worse. So Bryson waited while Jill came up and tapped him on the shoulder. She teared up and I couldn't help but tear up too. I could feel how much these two mean to each other.

Individually they are beautiful, together they are perfect. See what I mean?

This cat from the farm "adopted" them for the day. It followed us around during the portraits.

What a good looking group of guys.

And so natural in front of the camera.

Bryson is in the marines. Thank you for your service!

Rain meant that the ceremony was moved inside at the last minute. But they had a very nice space as an alternative!

This is a proud moment for their parents too. You can see it on their faces. Jill and Bryson have their blessing.

A great first kiss!

They exited the ceremony in a carriage... their son clearly enjoyed this part.

This wedding party was straight from a magazine!

One of many "gator chomps" throughout the day. These girls would make UF proud!

A beautiful moment not just for the newlyweds, but for their family.

The father/daughter dance was a moment that was touching and also a lot of fun.

Bryson's mom could not be more proud of her son. I'm sure of it.

At one point, a friend of Jill's dad came up and read a handwritten letter that she and her friend had written some time ago. It was a plea for him to use his connections to get them tickets to an n'sync concert. It had a list of promises that they would fulfill at varying levels depending on how good of seats he could get them, and included duties such as babysitting and house cleaning. Jill and her friend remembered it well and were only slightly embarrassed :)

Bryson's brother gave a fun and heartfelt speech.

Why not?

So sweet.

Jill and her happy little boy.

So handsome!

I think they rigged the bouquet and garter toss... but they are so cute together!

Go Gators!

The Christley Family

2011-09-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Kate is also a local photographer (Kate Gardiner Photography). When she gave birth to her 2nd baby recently, I used a photo shoot as an excuse to meet him! :) They have an adorable family that I've been able to watch double in size since we met. It was my pleasure to photograph their family and their precious, new baby boy.

Tara and Craig's wedding.

2011-09-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest video from Life and Love Studio. Congratulations Tara and Craig!!

Tara & Craig from Life & Love Studio on Vimeo.

The Goodson Family

2011-09-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of photographing for two of my local photographer friends recently: Kate and her family at their charming historic residence after bringing home a brand new handsome little addition, and Dana and her beautiful family in a grassy St. Augustine field one lovely Friday afternoon. Both women run successful photography businesses and are so talented behind the lens, but they also do a great job modeling in front of the lens. I had so much fun shooting for both families!

Tarun and Kavita.

2011-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a preview of one of our most recent videos - a gorgeous Indian wedding in Orlando. Tarun and Kavita had an incredible weekend of tradition, celebration, and love. We are honored that we could be the ones to capture it.

To view this video it is best to press "play" then "pause" to start the video loading. Press "play" again when the entire video has loaded.

Bree and Justin

2011-06-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Ceremony: Grace United Methodist Church

Reception: The White Room

Flowers: Flower Works

Bakery: Sweet Weddings

DJ: Y? Entertainment

Wedding Planner: The Big Event

Hair/Make-up: Panache Salon

The Walters' Family

2011-05-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

I don't think they could have been any cuter or more fun to work with. Having 5 boys could potentially be quite a handful but the Walters family makes it look like a walk in the park... or a walk around the historic area.

De and Vincent's wedding.

2011-04-18T09:48:00.001-07:00

What started out as a wedding for two, grew and grew. De and Vincent are an incredibly sweet couple and there was no way they could get married without their closest friends and family in attendance. They started with a first look at the Cedar House Inn Bed and Breakfast, went for a carriage ride around the historic area, and joined their loved ones at Anastasia State Park for an intimate ceremony before celebrating with a multi-course, catered dinner back at the B&B. Karen Erwin of St. Augustine Weddings & Special Events coordinated their fairy-tale wedding and it went beautifully!

Haven and Tony's wedding!

2011-04-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last month Jay shot Haven and Tony's wedding at the Bayfront Marin House. They had a beautiful, intimate ceremony followed by portraits around the downtown area and a carriage ride. Here are a few of my favorite photos from their gorgeous day.

Baby Blake

2011-04-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

Two weekends ago Jay and I went up to Atlanta to film a wedding. It was great timing because I had just gotten a connection through a friend of mine for a couple who was looking at doing newborn portraits in the Atlanta area. Baby Blake was only 4 days old when I took these pictures. What an adorable baby!! And what a great job I have!

a new video.

2011-01-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

Alexandra and Nick had a gorgeous wedding at the Cathedral and Casa Monica hotel and I wanted to post the highlight video from their wedding. I love how it turned out... the second half at the reception is my favorite. They had so much fun!

awards.

2011-01-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

Jan 25, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Life and Love Studio has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for photography and videography!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Life and Love Studio stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Jan 13, 2011 - MomentVille.com, one of the worlds leading wedding websites, has just announced that Life and Love Studio has been selected for the 2011 Wedding Professional Hot List.The annual Wedding Professional Hot List recognizes excellence within the wedding industry, as determined by reviews from tens of thousands of brides and grooms. Life and Love Studio was among the best reviewed vendors in their area in the past year.

For more information, please visit our Momentville Profile.

Erika and Kenichi.

2011-01-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

Jay was the photographer for their wedding and I love what he did. It's so cool to see another photographer's perspective of a place you've photographed before - especially when he is your husband. I think we have very similar styles of shooting but we each come up with different ideas for composition.

Erika and Kenichi, you are such an adorable couple. We wish you a beautiful life together that is as magical as your fairy tale castle wedding!

River House

2011-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

I've shot several events recently at River House. If you haven't heard of it, it is a beautiful event venue, right on the St. Johns River overlooking the water and the lighthouse in the historic area of St. Augustine. They have lots of parking, a beautiful covered entrance, a large ballroom with a built-in dance floor, and a lawn overlooking the water. It's one of my favorite wedding locations in St. Augustine. I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures taken towards the end of last year from Melissa and Ryan's wedding.

happy new year, baby!

2011-01-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

I have babies on the brain. I recently photographed this adorable little sweetie and I'm expecting a little sweetie of my own in April. That means I won't be shooting weddings for a short time: March 7th - May 3rd (well just one very small wedding that I couldn't resist). But I'm hoping to shoot a lot more precious newborns like Noah in 2011. They're fun, laid back sessions done at your home in the first few days of life (when babies are in their squishy, sleepy stage). Now that I can handle any day.

Oh, and if you're wondering. Jay is still shooting weddings with our second shooters while I'm on maternity leave :)

the season for cards.

2010-12-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

I love to design, and greeting cards are especially fun because I get lots of creative freedom. All of my recent clients who ordered cards left the design completely up to me. I'm so proud of how they turned out and I'm happy to say they have all been delivered with wonderful responses.

This is a card with one of my photos from the LeBrun's family session. They ordered the card through peartreegreetings.com

The Lynn Family had me design a birthday card since their boys' birthdays are both right around Christmas.

clients' framed art.

2010-12-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

THESE Christmas cards!

2010-11-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

I originally met Jen and Jason Pestano when they renewed their vows on their 10 year anniversary. Since then, they've done a couple family portrait sessions with me for their Christmas cards. Last year the cards turned out so cute. Recently, one of Jen's friends asked how she could top last year's card. Well, I think they did it! We came up with a fun, new theme this year. Jen found adorable pettiskirts for the girls outfits and I came up with the concept to hold up the words, "Merry Christmas." With the help of their favorite card designer, In A Baby Carriage, they came up with the final designs below. Pretty great, huh?

As if they weren't already the sweetest little girls, they gave me big hugs when they saw me and brought adorable drawings with them. Their mom told them how I'm pregnant and they drew pictures of them and me with the baby!

my job!

2010-11-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated 5 wonderful years in business. I couldn't ask for a better job. Photography has allowed me to develop my creative talent and share it with others. It's incredibly rewarding... AND it pays my bills! I feel blessed to work from home with my husband and do something that makes me SO happy. Thank you to all of our clients who have supported our business! We obviously would not be in this position without you and I can't thank you enough.

To share our excitement about our 5th "birthday" we held a facebook contest to give away a photo shoot and lots of other great prizes. Contestants posted a picture of themselves on our fan page and had their friends leave comments to "vote" for their picture. We had a tremendous response with over 400 comments under the photos. The race was SO close that we couldn't choose just one winner. Glenda Lynn and Natalie Carothers were within 6 comments of each other (139 and 133 respectively). They both won a free portrait session, 25 two-sided custom photo cards, 40 wallet prints, a DVD of all their images, an 11x14 mounted print, 2 photo key chains, and Life and Love post-it notes. We loved the enthusiasm for the contest and plan to have similar contests in the future. You can keep up to date with all that we do by "liking" our page.

not having to choose.

2010-10-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Choosing "the one" might be a big deal but trying to choose your favorite wedding images from hundreds comes in as a close second. "You mean I have to narrow down the best moments of the most amazing day of my life?!" Yes. But once they are singled out I can feature them in a gorgeous album you are going to want to show to everyone you know.

I had a hard time choosing my favorite images from Tephaine and Allan's wedding to feature on the blog...but I recently finished their album and I'm giving up on choosing. Here are my favorite pages from their book. I LOVE these (especially the reception)!!

the bouquet toss.

2010-10-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

This picture makes me laugh so much.

how a picture can tell a thousand words.

2010-10-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

Tephaine and Allan had at least a thousand beautiful moments on their wedding day. I am working on their wedding album right now and I could seriously post one picture from their wedding a day. I think I will. For today...

...Tephaine, may every day of your life with Allan be this sweet.

the Ponce Care Center.

2010-09-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

We're now offering studio headshots on location with your choice of a black or white backdrop... if you insist. I prefer a natural environmental backdrop (hey, it's what I DO!) but if your profession requires the studio look we can still be your answer. Not to mention we retouch your favorites... we want you to look as fabulous as you do!

We recently did these corporate headshots for the staff at the Ponce Care Center. I pride myself in bringing out everyone's best smiles. Some dudes don't want a "smiley" picture but I can work with anyone! Don't they look great?!

-Alison

Miss L's boudoir session

2010-09-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

I did a boudoir session a few weeks ago with the gorgeous "Miss L" at Our House Bed and Breakfast. We got to use two of the beautiful rooms there and even did a few pictures outside! She wanted a red, white and blue theme for the session that I incorporated the colors into her album. Miss L was an incredible model!! She came prepared with lots of cute outfits and we had a blast running around the upstairs area taking pictures and coming up with cute poses. It was funny, for a while at the end of the session, the owner of the B&B played piano downstairs and we could hear it from the room. What a fun experience!

The album is being printed as we speak... I can't wait to see it, and I'm sure her husband can't either!

engagement shoots!

2010-08-29T11:37:00.001-07:00

The relaxed environment and extended time frame help couples have fun and get loosened up and in front of the camera. It's like a rehearsal for their wedding-day pictures. They end up with really great shots (good for them) plus they are trained models by the time their wedding comes along (good for me)!

Here are my favorite shots from a couple of recent engagement sessions.

Katie and Paul - they are so sweet!

Melissa and Ryan - they were so much fun!

FREE Accordion Minis!

2010-08-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

I just found out about these Accordion Minis and ordered some samples. They have a very durable laminate cover and would be great to keep in your purse to show your pictures to all your family and friends. They are not available for sale, but we will include two FREE with the purchase of a portrait album.

the Tingle Family.

2010-08-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

I've done several photo shoots for them; I'm hoping that makes me their "official family photographer" - because that would be a cool title (and I happen to love them). This one though, was my favorite shoot to date. The light was beautiful at the beach and they just had so much fun getting Nola Scott to laugh. I feel like these pictures really capture the beauty of their family.

Dad led the way

"Tippy toes!" and I love this scrunchy face.

Grandpa shows Nolie a shell.

Nothing comes close to the golden ~~Coast~~ curls.. ♫

What a smile! Who could ever say no?

"An alligator!"

Ring around the rosie.

This is the shot grandpa was hoping for :)

More song singing.

Thank you Tingle family for having me shoot these portraits for you!

Erica and Luis.

2010-08-11T00:59:00.000-07:00

This was an extra special wedding - on our own wedding anniversary, a Wednesday! It was just a coincidence that we got asked about this date but after shooting for them I feel it was exactly where we were supposed to be. I thought it would be fun for Jay and I to shoot a wedding that day and I was right! It really was a great way to celebrate.

There is nothing I didn't love about their wedding!! The theme: lime green - both of their favorite color. They thought of everything... I was like a kid in a candy store getting shots of all the fun lime-green details.

Not only was their wedding beautiful but Erica and Luis are both incredibly thoughtful and welcoming. When I arrived, Erica should have been primping and focusing on her day... instead she immediately told me how excited she was to have Jay and I as her photographers and wished us a happy anniversary (she remembered). This was a very good start to the day :)

We also had great conversation on the carriage ride... I tend to do a lot of talking but this time they were the ones asking about us. When I did get to talk about them, I found out that they have been celebrating their monthly anniversary since they have been together (20 months at the time). How romantic! They get a mini-cake and sometimes dress up for a picture. Erica showed me some of the pictures on her point-and-shoot camera, so cute!

They are so in love and it was wonderful to share the day with them!

Hello gorgeous!

I love the details.

Luis is smitten when he sees Erica walk down the aisle with her dad.

The ring bearer was so cute.

I love her tattoos! Great shoes too.

Dinner at Columbia restaurant.

People like you two make me love what I do!

Molly and Sam's Wedding.

2010-08-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

They are a sweet couple with equally sweet family and friends. I knew from the time they started getting ready, Molly's bridesmaids looked out for her like it was their own wedding, making sure they remembered everything she would need and asking how they could help. Then when it was time for the toasts, the maid of honor and best man gave such beautiful, heartfelt speeches. It was obvious they are great people, to have such caring people in their lives.

It was wonderful to be their photographer and witness the love they have for each other... and the support from their friends and family!

Congrautlations Molly and Sam!!

I don't think the guys were nervous before the ceremony.

I love this moment.

I love showing up in the pictures... that's Jay and I on the right hand side.

My favorite!!!

my first attempt at fusion.

2010-08-09T06:23:00.000-07:00

What is it? Fusion is an integration of video clips into picture slideshows. I think the inclusion of audio and video clips helps to elevate the photos and bring out the beautiful emotions that special day held. It just brings your photos to life!

Jay and I have recorded video at two recent portrait sessions. We used an SLR camera (just like my regular camera for photos) which not only gives crisp shots but is also less intimidating than a large professional video camera. We had a lot of fun working together at the sessions and I think the video footage will make for an amazing finished piece! I'll post fusion videos from each of them on the blog soon... stay tuned!

The fusion piece below has just a couple of video clips (snuck) at my beach session with the Zolt family a couple weeks ago. It's not one that I worked with Jay on but I wanted to try shooting video while I was also shooting photos. It's a very early attempt but I thought I'd share it anyway.

This is a start of a new direction for our studio! If you are interested in having video clips taken at your session just let us know when you book your portrait date.

Press play then pause while the video loads.

Krista and Mike

2010-07-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

I met them at a birthday celebration for our mutual friend Kyrié a couple months ago. The timing was right because after 7 years together they got engaged (a few days after we met)! When it was time to pick their wedding photographer Kyrié gave a two thumbs up recommendation for us and they called right away. We did some engagement pictures in downtown St. Augustine a couple weeks ago and today they are signing the contract for their wedding photography.

I'm extra excited about their wedding because Kyrié is a bridesmaid, and Jay & I will also get to hang out with she and her hubby (also our good friend). Yay!!

that we're mobile!

2010-07-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

Life and Love Studio is now mobile! Access us from your iphone at lifeandlovestudio.com/mobile. Of course, there's also a link on our opening splash page at lifeandlovestudio.com.

You can view almost everything that the full site has, including your proofs!

our backyard.

2010-07-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

I just love it.

This was from last night.

the new interactive guest book.

2010-07-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

The sample just came in yesterday and it looks amazing! I'm looking forward to showing it off at my next meeting :)

Patty and Chris.

2010-07-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

We've been friends since high school. We passed "picture notes" in the halls, periodically hopped the fence to swim in a nearby neighborhood pool, had lots of sleepovers, and hung out after school everyday just chatting in the parking lot. Now she's married!! I'm so happy that she found the man of her dreams. Chris and Patty met at Hong Kong Disney while they were helping get the park off the ground. She worked at Disney in Orlando and he in California. Now they are married and living together in southern California after meeting 5 years ago. It was an honor to be her wedding photographer!

moving.

2010-07-15T01:41:00.000-07:00

Actually I'm not a fan of moving but I am happy to be in our new place. We have a new home-studio in downtown St. Augustine. After lots of renovations we are finally in! We thought it would take 3 months but it ended up being 6. It was a labor of love and I'm so happy with the new location. Now we just have to get unpacked and set up.

Also since I last updated a few other exciting things have happened.

1. Jay had a big birthday! I won't say exactly how old he is (he was not excited), but I think you can figure it out. I invited some of our friends from Miami and Atlanta over for the occasion and we had a beach weekend celebration. We grilled, we boogie boarded, and before we knew it we said goodbye. But it was SO much fun!

2. We went to New York City!! It was my first time there and Jay had only been there as a little kid (doesn't count). We know two couples that live in Brooklyn and we got to spend a couple nights with each. In 5 days we got the grand tour with highlights that included: the statue of liberty, dinner at the Meatball Shop, giving and getting "keys to the city" in Times Square, hotdogs and rides in Coney Island, shopping in Chinatown, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, a surprise Cheesecake for Jay at Betty Bakery, and lots of subway rides. We also walked our butts off! On our last day we took a bus to PA for my cousin's wedding and more fun with family. I'm including some pictures below from the NY trip... way more to come on facebook!

And on another note, I'm very excited about some new paper products I ordered for the studio tonight: Post-it notes and custom address labels. The address labels are from one of my favorite printing companies VegasColor.net. I've also used them for other mailing labels which turned out perfect. I'll post pictures when they come in. I will also post some pictures from the many family portrait sessions from this summer. So much to do, so little time!

custom wire hangers.

2010-06-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

I saw one of these on Kara Pennington's blog. How sweet. You can buy them from the LilaFrances etsy shop.

Dave and Allison's new album design.

2010-06-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

I love the finished product and albums are the finale to my work. Dave and Allison are an adorable couple and I'm so happy to have been their wedding photographer! I'm even more happy to see the finished album come together. You can see the whole design in the featured albums section of our web site. Here is a little preview...

Our new anniversary portraits.

2010-06-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

Every year I like to have portraits done somewhere around our anniversary time. I loved our wedding pictures so much (thank you to the amazingly talented husband and wife team Krystal and Matt with Verve Studio) and figured why should I only get to have that kind of fun once?! Notice I say "I" - Jay does not look forward to them like I do... but he is a wonderful husband and tolerates them for my sake.

About a year after our wedding we had my best friend Amber (Amber Sycz Photography) take some portraits of us for our web site when we went down to my hometown for a visit. We dressed all businessey so we would have a professional look for our bio page and did the session at a nearby business park (just a coincidence, it was a cute Key West-looking area). The pictures turned out so cute and I had a lot of fun getting dressed up and being in front of the camera for a change.

When our 2nd anniversary rolled around it wasn't convenient to see Amber again so we hired another (local) husband and wife team, Kara and Jeremy from Kara Pennington Photography to shoot our portraits. We just focused on us which made them more of an anniversary tradition. The pictures turned out beautiful - I used them all over facebook and our web sites.

This year Amber came to St. Augustine for a friends wedding a few weeks ago and we convinced her to take some time out of her vacation to do some portraits of us again. Not only did we want pictures but she did too. She and her husband had their first baby 9 months ago and it was time to do some family portraits with their handsome little boy. Jay also filmed the session with his new Nikon D300s - video coming soon (soon-ish). Amber's birthday is coming up on July 4th and I am hoping it will be done in time for that... shhh, don't tell her though.

So the tradition lives on - the Neumarks would be proud (Jay's parents); they love traditions. We had portraits done for our 3rd anniversary. This year we decided to incorporate our new house since it has been such a big part of our lives the past several months. It's 100 years old and we have been doing lots of renovations before we move in! We have a lot of life and love ahead of us in this house - and we can't wait to get started.

Jason and Melissa

2010-06-02T11:22:00.001-07:00

When I was up in Pennsylvania for my grandma's funeral we had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my family we rarely see. We had a lot of fun together and I got to do engagement photos with my cousin Jason and his fiance Melissa before their wedding (less than 4 weeks from now). This was also the first time I actually met Melissa... by the way, I approve! She is a very sweet girl and it was so nice to see the two of them together. They are a great match! Jay and I talked with them after the shoot on the way to dinner and Jason asked if we had any advice for them (as an experienced married couple). In short, Jay said that communication is key and I said to give each other support - that is something I learned in our 3 years being married. Apparently my way is not the only way nor necessarily the right way.

Here are a few photos from their engagement shoot.

trees as favors and make-up tips.

2010-05-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Fun thing #1: I love trees and I think this is a great idea for a wedding favor. Check out Seeds of Life from The Magnolia Company.

Fun thing #2: Makeup artist, Sally Streets recently posted a smoky eye shadow "how-to" on her blog. Get some great tips and see getting ready photos from Patty's wedding (my Deercreek bride) on her blog: click here.

my grandmother.

2010-05-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

My grandmother (Grammie) passed away a week ago today, mother's day. She was a generous and kind woman who left behind a family who loved her dearly. She had three children (mom mom and two aunts), three granddaughters, one grandson, their spouses, and a local community in Pennsylvania that will miss her. It was sad to hear that she passed but also a relief. She had been struggling with Parkinson's and dementia which made her last months a struggle to even communicate. She had told her family she was ready to join my grandfather in heaven and we are happy that her physical struggle is over.

On Tuesday I baked Grammie's cinnamon buns in her memory. I packaged them to bring up to Pennsylvania and share with my family. We also made recipe cards to set out at her funeral. Jay and I flew up for her funeral on Wednesday and stayed through last night. We actually had a great time having dinner, laughing, and reminiscing with my family. My grandmother will be missed by her family and friends but we have great memories of her life, well lived.

Lacey and Philip.

2010-05-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

Right out of a fairy tale, Castle Otttis is nestled among the hammock off A1A in Vilano Beach. It was a gorgeous afternoon and the perfect place and time for Lacey and Philip's wedding. I believe God was smiling on them this day.

As if their marriage wasn't special enough, Lacey and Philip are also expecting their first child. Congratulations on your marriage and on your future little one! You two will make wonderful parents!

One of the many crosses that adorn the castle.

FSU?

The minister had laid out her well used Bible to the page that sates, "Love never fails."

Philip waited for the guests to arrive.

Like I said, God was smiling.

You may kiss the bride!

Did I say something funny?

Hello beautiful bride!

Love it!

Killer boots.

This was Jay's shot.

So pretty!

Whitney and Mike's Marineland Wedding.

2010-04-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

These two are not only great for each other but they are WONDERFUL to work with! They are so easy going and up for having fun with their pictures. I got to shoot their engagement photos last May in a field of flowers here in St. Augustine. I had a blast and their pictures turned out stunning! You can see some of my favorites from that session on my old blog. They also had me design their save the date cards with the photos.

A few weeks ago I shot their rehearsal dinner and wedding. The ceremony was at St. Anastasia Catholic Church and their reception was at Marineland. What an awesome place for a reception! The whole day was so much fun. We shot pictures downtown after the ceremony then headed over to Marineland for their dolphon interactions and a brief break before the reception. Their wedding party made Jay and I feel like we were part of the group. They had a Chick-fil-A platter to snack on at Marineland before the reception and as soon as I came in from taking pictures of the place settings they made sure I had something to eat. They have also been full of compliments and excitement about their pictures. Last week Whitney sent me this email after I told her the rehearsal dinner proofs were online...

"The pictures are wonderful!!! Going back to work this week has been rough - and your email and proofs completely brightened my day!...You and Jay are so much fun to work with and I absolutely adore you guys. My entire family (as well as Mike's) was so pleased with you both and my grandmother thinks you are "such a delight" :) Thanks again - you are amazing!"

People like these make me love my job!

Here are some of my favorite pictures from their wedding...

The beautiful dress.

Whitney's mom helps her get ready.

It's love!

Whitney's grandma looks at her parents. I think they are as happy as their daughter.

This picture was Whitney's idea... I think it turned out cute!

What a great looking wedding party!

Outside of Pot Belly's movie theater downtown.

I did not tell Mike to stand this way. I give him all the credit :)

Sweet.

The dolphin came up while Whitney was having her dress bustled in front of the glass.... and they were instant friends.

Magical.

This is when they came out and saw their guests for the first time at the cocktail hour. I LOVE this! (Notice they were being followed)

MAybe my favorite. They look adorable and the water looks so enticing!

Congratulations you two!

Jerilyn and Jarrod.

2010-04-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

They had so many beautiful, real moments throughout their ceremony. I loved it! The whole day was like this, every time I turned around someone was hugging, or laughing, or wiping a tear. It's awesome to have the privilege of being able to photograph such wonderful, loving people.

On the left: I am so happy I caught this moment with Jarrod and his dad just before the ceremony. I imagine he was giving his final words of advice. On the right: I love this family-hug just before they went to their seats.

On the left: Jerilyn and her dad held hands as they waited for the ceremony to begin. On the right: Jerilyn's dad shakes Jarrod's hand and gives his daughter away.

This is the candle lighting. Jerilyn's mom smiles at Jarrod, and Jerilyn hugs Jarrod's mom. I love that we got both angles for this!

They look so happy :)

Beautiful!

These pilot wings belong to her dad.

Ahh, parents in love!

Why do family pictures have to be boring?

So sweet.

He has such a great smile, doesn't he!

They are so happy together!

Beautiful wedding details.

I love the parents looking on here.

If you look closely, you can see that one guy is trying to catch the garter in his mouth!

The beautiful White Room.

Lil Jon says, "Get low!"

Sidney and Sean.

2010-04-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

I met Sidney through my college friend and former roommate, Sarah. Since I've known her she has been a bubbly, life-of-the-party, charming kind of gal. So naturally she met an equally fun, charming, partner to spend the rest of her life with. I knew we'd have a great time doing their engagement portraits but this was one of my all time favorite shoots. They brought several outfits, complete with shoes, hats, and accessories. It was like dressing up life-size Barbie and Ken dolls. I had a lot of fun and they were incredible models!

I'm hoping to shoot their wedding at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC next spring. It's a dream wedding destination! I have my fingers crossed that they love their engagement images :)

Jessica and Bob

2010-04-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

How do I end up with such sweet, adorable couples? I knew I liked Jessica and Bob from our first meeting. They were a dream to work with. They went along with all of my ideas (I knew they'd thank me later). Although they initially didn't want to see each other before the wedding they decided it would work better with their wedding day schedule to take the pictures before the ceremony. It made their transition to the reception so much smoother and made the pictures so much more relaxed and fun! At the time they thought walking together in the plaza or putting their faces together sounded cheesy but Jess now agrees those are some of the best pictures from the day. I love ALL of their pictures. I tried to narrow them down but still ended up with tons for the blog... this took me all day so I'm going to have to me more picky next time!

Jess and Bob, I had so much fun working with you both! Thank you for choosing me as your photographer!!

Is there a more beautiful bride?

This was their first look...

I love their reactions!

Bob, the tough guy thing works for you!

Adorable!

So sweet :)

Mom and daughter. It's a wonderful thing... hi mom, I know you're reading this!

Bob and Jessica's parents are happily married and obviously in love!

What a good looking wedding party... and awesome models!

The bride's entrance comes close to my favorite part of the whole wedding day. My favorite is getting ready.

From the look of the wedding party behind them (yes, she had a bride's-man)... they should have been praying at this time.

I wonder how their pictures turned out.

There was no shortness of love here. And who doesn't love grandma's kisses? My grandma still pinches my cheeks when she sees me.

No, they didn't have fun at all.

I love these spring flower centerpieces!

The whole wedding party was full of personality! Their reception entrances gave just a taste.

Beautiful first dance!

This was taken by my second shooter, Kate. Nice job!

The White Room.

I loved the groom's guitar cake!

Work it girls!

They stopped mid-dance and did this. I'm glad I was ready!

Allison and Dave's New Video

2010-04-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Jay just finished this getting ready video from Allison and Dave's wedding. We did their wedding photography and videography which looks amazing together. They were an awesome couple to work with and Jay has had so much fun putting together their movie. Check it out!

Presh and Tommy on the Rocks

2010-04-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Precious and I met as volunteers at a summer camp for visually impaired children in Ft. Lauderdale when we were in high school. She lived in Miami at the time and has since moved to Colorado then back to Miami. We stayed in touch and she even came from CO for my wedding here in St. Augustine. A couple weeks ago she emailed me and said she we would be in town for a few days with her new hunny. So we made plans for dinner and set up a photo session at this awesome spot near my house. Precious deserves a medal for her modeling skills... not only did she climb rocks in stilettos, she also braved some killer mosquitoes all while rocking this gorgeous designer dress.

lifestyle sessions

2010-03-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Lifestyle sessions are more than just portraits. They are a little slice of life incorporating your favorite places and the things you like to do for fun. Families can actually have fun playing and being themselves and it makes for some incredible expressions and real moments.

When I was getting together some family portraits for our new web site I came across these pictures that I thought deserved a spot on the blog. Speaking of web site... it's almost ready!

Demi

2010-03-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

Demi and her family were in St. Augustine last week to tour Flagler College but I'd like to think the highlight of her trip was her senior portraits with me. I got the whole family involved, her little cousins got her to smile by dancing around and making silly faces (I told them I'd love to hire them) and her parents took turns holding the reflector. I had so much fun... if I could shoot senior portraits everyday I would. Demi did an awesome job modeling. She could turn the smile off and on like a light. She'd be laughing and I'd say, "okay, now a serious look" and she snapped into a fierce model expression. I love it!

She's from Albuquerque, NM which can be added to my short list of previous long distance seniors from Ohio and Nebraska. When you live no where near the beach, what better time to do senior pictures than on your beach vacation?!

Demi, way to work it!

babies.

2010-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a baby to bring families together.

that busy time of year.

2010-03-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Spring is the busy season for us at Life and Love Studio. It starts off with my birthday in March (last week) and continues with "wedding season" through to the summer. Today I was a little bummed that I had to turn away several calls because I was already booked for those weekends in April. Too bad no one wants to schedule weddings for Mondays. I have some open Mondays :)

On top of the normal busyness this year we are also getting our new studio space ready. I can't wait to welcome the first client into our studio (hopefully before May).

To decorate this entry with some Spring fun, here are some pictures of Amber's maternity session. I'm excited to share these with you. I just love them!

Erika and Michael's Wedding

2010-02-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

Erika and Michael are good friend of ours. I met Erika in college when she lived on my hall at Flagler back in 2003. Wow, it's been 6 and a half years?! I was her RA and we were both fine art majors. Though she slowly moved further away (Jacksonville, then Orlando) we have stayed close over the years. So when she said she was officially engaged (there was "talk" there for a long while) I was so excited; she and Mike are PERFECT for each other!

They got married at The Golf Club of Amelia Island in Fernandina Beach. The place was gorgeous and the food was excellent! And what made it even sweeter was that I got to be a "guest" at the wedding. Jay did the photography and I was the maid of honor. It was a weekend-long affair; we stayed at a swanky condo overlooking the beach just down the street from the wedding site with all of the wedding party. They had a pool-side rehearsal dinner, manicures and pedicures on the wedding morning, and a day at the beach on Sunday before we all went home. It was so much fun!

I just finished designing her wedding album and thought this would be a good time to share the photos...

Beach Boys!

2010-02-15T19:32:00.001-08:00

Are these the cutest little guys or what?! They were well behaved but full of energy - all boy and lots of personality! Their mom and I did a lot of chasing them around the beach to get them in the pictures!

These photos were a present for dad :)

The Love Project

2010-02-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Molly and Jordan's Wedding

2010-02-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

This was my first time shooting a wedding at the Peña Peck house. As much as I feel comfortable shooting weddings at the same places most of the time, I really like the challenge and creative possibilities of shooting at a new venue. And I love to be outdoors!

Molly and Jordan's wedding was fabulous! Their locations were perfect; the Sultan's Pavilion at the Casa Monica is one of my favorite reception spots. It's one of the few places in St. Augustine set up to have an outdoor reception, and it's so relaxing for guests to party poolside in the open air. This happened to be a very chilly night but the staff brought out cozy blankets to keep guests warm when they weren't heating things up on the dance floor.

The wedding was top notch, but I learned a few money saving tips from this bride... thanks Molly! I won't share secrets on my blog, but ask me in person if you are looking for some budget-friendly wedding suggestions.

Molly's mother and sister helped her get ready. It was really nice to see them together; this is one close family. For example, *not pictured is the shot where her sister held a hand towel across Molly's dress to keep it clean while she ate yogurt. Don't worry Molly, I wouldn't go there!

This was a fun moment during the ceremony when Molly couldn't find the paper with her vows so Jordan got out his iphone and pulled it up from his email.

There's the bride's dad getting a photo while they exchange rings...Jordan's ring didn't want to go on!

Molly's brother playing with their sister's little boy.

I love shy flower girls and ring bearers. Of course we'll get a smile out of them!

A romantic evening at dusk on the pool deck at the Casa Monica.

Toast!

Alexandra and Nick's Wedding

2010-02-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

I knew I would get lot of great candid shots with this couple, mostly because of how candid they are in real life. They both love to have fun and their personalities compliment each other so well. They are not only cute on their own but also doubly gorgeous together. Jay and I got to shoot photography and videography for Alexandra and Nick's wedding. Here are a few of my favorite pictures...

I say it all the time, my favorite time of the whole day is shooting the "getting ready" photos. I love the mood of them, the anticipation and excitement of the day is palpable when the bride is getting ready. She and her bridesmaids are truly themselves before all of the guests arrive and the traditions begin. I love being able to capture these super-special, candid moments.

The ceremony was at the Cathedral Basilica. This is my favorite church in St. Augustine.

They were looking at Nick's new wedding ring during the ceremony. Cute.

Handsome!!

Love it!!

Aarons adoption.

2010-02-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

Jack, a business friend of mine has been a foster parent for 3 kids for the last several years. He is a world traveler, a volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters and other charitable organizations, a guardian ad litem, and a counselor with the Life Source Group. He has done it all in his life. Now he was ready to solidify the relationship with his son Aaron and officially become a father; something I know he and Aaron did not take lightly. As soon as the decision was made and the papers were signed Jack organized an adoption blessing for his family and friends to come celebrate with them. With Aaron's new family and his birth mother beside them they asked for God's blessing in their new lives. Congratulations Jack and Aaron! And thank you for having me capture this special moment in your lives!

design!

2010-02-01T08:50:00.000-08:00

Design excites me. No, really... my heart beats faster when I see a well thought out magazine ad or when my own marketing designs come together even better than I had imagined.

Marketing materials and album design are the "finale" to my work. I just love to see the pictures come together as a final product. It makes me feel like I've created my own brightly-colored world of images.

Here is our new business card design!

This is our new gift card.

**new note** They just came in today! Here is a picture.

Wedding Wire Bride's Choice Awards

2010-01-19T19:03:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire.com just announced that Life and Love Studio has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

This award means Life and Love Studio is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at www.WeddingWire.com/LifeAndLoveStudio.

this moment

2010-01-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

at Lauren and Brian Lubel's Wedding at the White Room.

Our new splash page and contracts.

2010-01-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about finishing the new splash page on our web site!

Also worth noting... we have new (matching) wedding photography and videography contracts for 2010. Download a copy to view our package information.

Photography Videography

Nola Scott

2010-01-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

This was my second photo shoot with adorable little Nola Scott. Last time was about a year ago when she was 6 months old. So much happened since then, mainly she walks! And she really has a mind of her own now. Nola Scott is one curious little girl. I chased her around the whole time... up steps, down steps, and all over the Casa Monica Hotel. One thing that slows her down - she loves water. This little water baby ran over to the pool as soon as she saw it (mom running in stiletto boots behind her). She also tried to climb into the fountain in the lobby, and she loved reaching in the big fountain in front of the Lightner Museum.

Moon Dogs

2010-01-01T18:11:00.000-08:00

I saw a moon dog over my house the other night. Did anyone else see it? I don't know much about them, would you be able to see it from miles around?

I made a panorama.

My family's holiday card.

2009-12-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

Every year my family takes holiday pictures to put in our Christmas cards. I'm an only child - so we'd rotate the pictures: just me one year, then all of us the next. When Jay and I got married, he became part of the pictures too.

The photo is almost never something standard, we try to be a little creative. Some years have been more out-of-the-box than others. One year when I was about 5, my mom painted a sheet with a Christmas tree and cut out a hole for me to be the angel on top. My dog, Rebel, was a reindeer laying in front of the painted backdrop wearing strapped-on dog antlers. Another year my mom painted a sheet depicting a rooftop with Santa at the chimney. She cut out holes for my dad to be Santa, while my mom and I were dolls peeking out from his toy sack. The photos using painted sheets for the scene were my favorites. It was a little hokey, and that's what made them great.

It's been a while since we've done a painted sheet photo. Now, we try and come up with ideas that are a little less hassle. When my parents are in town for Thanksgiving we take the picture, and the last couple years I've designed the card around the photo. This year we went with "mistletoe" for our theme. Here are the three photos that made it: our final card design...

Anya and Hannah

2009-12-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

It didn't start off that great... it was cool and windy. Wind is never great for portraits. And cold wind usually makes my eyes water. Well within the first 5 minutes of the shoot my eyes were watering like crazy... then they burned from lotion or make-up getting in them. And this was my first impression. My clients must have thought, "what's wrong with this girl?!"

We also had a little trouble getting little Anya to pose with her big cousin Hannah. I have patience... I could sit there all day for a picture, no problem. But I always hope that the parents I work with will have the same patience to let me do my thing, and let the kids do theirs. Eventually it always works out once the kids relax and have some fun. Luckily, the girls' parents were very patient with both my eye problem and posing little Anya. And in the end, we got tons of really great shots! I would say this shoot was a big success :)

Our "ugly Christmas sweater" contest entry!

2009-12-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Blue Water Jewelers is having a contest for the Ugliest Christmas Sweater. You are supposed to submit a photo of your husband wearing the sweater for a chance to win a $250 gift card to the store. They are going to have a vote this Thursday at their Men's Night event to determine the winner.

I searched the likely places, the Betty Griffin thrift shop and Goodwill but didn't find a single Christmas sweater! Someone suggested I look at Wal-mart and that's where I found our lovely outfit...footy PJs! I hadn't told Jay about the contest but called him from the store with a description of the ensemble to see if he would be a good sport about it. He agreed to play along. Did you know they made these for adults? It's not exactly a sweater but I'm hoping our creativity will not disqualify us.

The PJs reminded me of Ralphie in his bunny suit from a Christmas Story, so we recreated that scene from the movie. What do you think?

The Wedding Authority

2009-12-06T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Wedding Authority is a wedding planning company located downtown in the Lightner Museum. They do it all; Sandy, Carla, and Barbara plan the events and Carla's husband Bill performs the ceremonies. They also have their own chapel, the Amore Wedding Chapel, right off the courtyard of the museum as an option for smaller wedding ceremonies.

I met Carla and Bill when I shot my very first wedding in March of 2006. Carla has a very southern accent, "Hi darlin', I'm Carla." I'm not sure that she actually said this... but I wouldn't be surprised if she had. She was so welcoming and helped me feel comfortable right away. She told me where to stand and where the wedding party would walk in from so I didn't feel lost... little did she know how nervous I felt that it was my first wedding. And Bill performed the ceremony. He has a way of commanding attention, a presence that is very fitting of a minister. His service always feels like it was made just for the couple. I teared up when this brie and groom exchanged their vows... I did this for probably the first 20 weddings I photographed. It still happens sometimes when a couple has a really personal ceremony. I'm sentimental like that.

Anyway, the folks at the wedding authority said they were redecorating their office and asked if I would like to put something up. "Mmm, yes!" So I made a collage from one of the last weddings I shot with them and had it printed nice and big. It was the first time I got to use our new logo.

The Pestano Family Photo Christmas Card

2009-12-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

We just got this Christmas card from the Pestano Family. I love the design... and I love to see my pictures in print! Maybe it will give you an idea for your Holiday Cards this year.

Crocodile Rock

2009-12-04T10:53:00.000-08:00

I've volunteered to shoot photography for a local non-profit organization called EPIC for the past few years. EPIC's focus is on the prevention and treatment of substance abuse through counseling and community education. They also organize the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in the area. Rebecca and Teresa are awesome to work for because the events are so much fun plus they always thank me a million times (and throw in an extra ticket for Jay)!

I've gone to the annual Taste of St. Augustine and Plant Expo events to take pictures for their newsletter and web site. Both events are a lot of fun and have a great turnout every year. Jay and I love to garden so we always come home with some new plants. Last year we got some great water-garden plants and made our own mini water-garden (I'm talking, just a large bucket). And the Taste of St. Augustine is something no one should miss! Who wouldn't want to sample from practically every restaurant in St Augustine in one sitting?!

This year EPIC asked Jay and I to shoot for the 2nd annual Crocodile Rock (view the photos here). It's a 70's theme party held at the Alligator Farm to raise money and awareness for their organization. The food was provided by SAiRA and the entertainment was led by DJ Dan for the Vinyl Idol Contest. This was the craziest thing I've seen in a while... I don't think words could do it justice. You'll have to watch the video Jay put together (click play to start the video loading, then pause until the whole thing loads).

Our new blog!

2009-12-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Jay and I are making the switch from Alison Miller Photography and Simply Wed Videography to our new, combined business name: Life and Love Studio. Soon, you will be able to find all of our information in ONE place! The new web site is in progress and I'm excited to get it online hopefully in the next month.

Since this blog will take a while to get more updates (it's a little empty right now) you can get caught up on my old blog here. Thank you for visiting!

- Alison

online links!

2008-09-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the places you'll find us online...

weddingphotographyfinder.com