Lea Dales Photography

MY NEW BLOG IS HERE!

2008-01-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

MY NEW BLOG

Check it out
Bookmark it!
This one is done :)
I will keep it up for you to look at old work
but for new stuff please go to the new site!

Mike Loves Heidi

2008-01-03T17:23:00.000-05:00

I have to come up with some award for these two!
It was oh, let's see, 38 degrees yesterday when we shot these photos.
Look at them. NO coats, No red noses... amazing. That is youth (and love)!
I had a great time even though I froze my trigger finger off taking pictures downtown and out on Sullivan's Island. Mike and Heidi are on their way to sunny California via Charleston and Atlanta! I probably won't see them again until the wedding unless Heidi decides to fly back for a bridal portrait.

Their adorable dog, Sydney, had a few photo ops with them in Waterfront Park and out on the beach!

Take care you two. Be safe driving and send me some of those "funny pictures" you were telling me about!

View their slide show here!

Listen to Logan!

2008-01-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

My sister just sent me this You-Tube link and I wept when I listened to it.
Please listen! You won't be sorry.

Listen to this

New Year...New Look

2008-01-02T09:24:00.000-05:00

Well, my website is beginning to come together!
Please be patient as we make the finishing touches on it.
If you are trying to see slideshows or look at photos
please go to the family and corporate side and hit
either slideshows or view and pricing!!
THANK YOU!

Lisa and David!

2008-01-01T10:54:00.001-05:00

Lisa Chumley and Dr. David Volpitto were married on Sunday overlooking the ocean at the Grand Pavilion on Wild Dunes Resort! Lisa looked stunning in her gown and David's smile could light up any room. It was not hard to see how madly in love these two are!

Their families are very close! Tessa, Lisa's daughter sang to them. Lisa's brothers (all three) walked her down the aisle and both of David's children stood up with them. There were also a multitude of preachers sharing in the ceremony and offering prayers to them.

It was a wonderful night! 2008 will no doubt be a wonderful year for them and for their now joined families.

You can check out their slideshow here

Countdown to Noon at Wild Dunes

2007-12-31T13:43:00.001-05:00

Well, the families were all out at the Grand Pavilion this morning for the second annual Countdown to Noon festivities!

There was candle making, tee-shirt dying, Frisbee decorating and sand art to keep the kids busy until the balloons dropped at NOON!

Then, it was a run down to the ocean for a POLAR BEAR PLUNGE!

This is my favorite of the day! I love the superman undies :)

These are a few of our favorite things!

2007-12-30T07:29:00.000-05:00

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things!
THAT'S WHAT JULIE ANDREWS SAYS!

The Dales' Christmas was slightly different.

Books that are funny and gadgets to play on
the newest Apple itouch and my timely David Yurman
home theatre sound systems sure to make your ears ring,
these were a few of our favorite things!

It was a Glenn Beck Christmas for Mark! I took him to the Glenn Beck Christmas Show at the Performing Arts Center on the 15th and under the tree he found Glenn's book and a subscription to Fusion.

In the who scored BIG catagorie, I did! Thank you to my ever attentive husband who not only presented me with a new watch by my favorite designer, but I got the new ipod touch and it is SO MUCH FUN!

AJ asked for a home theatre system to play his music and his PSP games on. So long as the grades stay up so will the sound system!

Last but not least, Veronica wished secretly for a new DS as her old one got wet and could not be repaired this summer. Her secret letter to Santa was acknowledged...say to go Santa.

Merry Chirstmas!

2007-12-25T07:36:00.001-05:00

Matthew 1:21
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Luke 2:14
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.

Did you know that December 25th is not REALLY Jesus' birthday? This was the date on which the Romans celebrated the birth of the sun god. After Constantine converted to Christianity in A.D. 312, he combined the worship of the sun god with the worship of Christ. Christian leaders saw this "Christ-mass" celebration as a vital part of the process of converting pagans. We do know that Christians used January 6th to celebrate Jesus' appearance at the Jordan and his baptism by John. Sometime later they expanded this "festival" to include Christ's birth. Christians called it Epiphany, or manifestation. So,the meaning of the "first" Christmas was not pagan; it was a celebration of the Word made flesh!

Amen, Hallelujah!
Have a Blessed Christmas.

One Fun Family!

2007-12-24T08:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the chance to head down to Wadmalaw Island to meet Jami Frehse and her family on their dock for some fun family photos! They are such a nice family and the time flew by. Jami's husband Bill wheeled down a cooler of beer just to add to this party atmosphere. Here are a few of the photos I shot!

Merry Christmas!!

Kevin and Amy Kerley!

2007-12-20T09:48:00.001-05:00

I hope you two are having a great time in Breckenridge! Here are a few photos from Amy and Kevin's wedding Sunday night.

They were married in Summerville at St. Luke's Lutheran Church. Amy got ready across the street at the pretties B&B called the Kings Inn. We were able to get some awesome photos of the girls and then Kevin and Amy right after the wedding on their property! The home looked gorgeous inside and out.

After the ceremony and photos, we headed into Charleston to the Aquarium. Duvall did a fantastic job with their sit down dinner and their cake was exquisite!

Check out the slide show to see what they did during their cake cutting!!

So, you can check out their slideshow HERE!
You can also see their slideshow off my website with the password Kerley.
All their photos are in the view and pricing section of my site: use the password to see them!

PLEASE COMMENT:
I always like to hear your comments.

Amy and Kevin

2007-12-17T11:02:00.000-05:00

Amy and Kevin got married last night in Summerville. They are off today for their honeymoon in Breckenridge. Have fun guys!!
Until I can go through all of their photos, please enjoy looking at Amy's Bridal Session!

Click Here to view!

if you go to my website to view her slideshow the password is "horse"

Oh, and by the way, I was "THE SHIT" at the wedding....that is a GOOD thing!!

Fabulous Families

2007-12-16T08:03:00.000-05:00

In the last few days I had the opportunity to photograph three wonderful families.
Lynn, his wife Dottie, and their grandson Chris are locals and I met them after they won my session at the John's Island Habitat for Humanity silent auction. Habitat is such a great organization!

Kim Hoff and her family literally zoomed in and out of town on Friday. I met them out on Sullivan's Island for a quick session. Kim's granddaughter, Zoe is the most photogenic little baby and she has the happiest disposition!

Finally, yesterday I drove out to Kiawah early in the morning to take a very special set of photos! Brenda Hensley had called me awhile back wanting to have me come take photos as part of a surprise to her husband Steve for his 60th birthday. The whole family showed up for the weekend surprise event!!

Thank you for the gift of allowing me to spend time with you and your wonderful families. I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

One final note - last night Mark and I headed to the Performing Arts Center (yes we both had a SATURDAY NIGHT OFF!) to see Glenn Beck! Wow! What a great show he did. I was so thankful that we could see the last show of his tour. It was a special evening. Glenn was not only funny but his message of family - acceptance - and REDEMPTION were well received.

It's A Holiday BBQ

2007-12-14T07:39:00.000-05:00

Well, the weather was certainly perfect for two days of barbecuing!
The East Cooper Regional Medical Center held two evenings of parties on the site of their NEW hospital. Here we are, mid December and the temperature was a balmy 80 degrees! Who can complain about that!!

An OB-GYN who was been with the hospital for 22 years, Dr. Baker, is retiring and was honored at both events. It was not hard to see how much she is loved and will be missed by her fellow physicians and her staff!

Her staff made a fantastic scrapbook album for her including "Bakerisms" which made her laugh and cry! They also presented her with a sweetgrass basket made just for her filled with lots of goodies.

Happy Holidays East Cooper! Thank you for letting me share in your celebrations.

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Marty Smith

2007-12-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday Kate and I traveled to the sweet town of Lexington, North Carolina for Kim and Marty's wedding. Lexington is famous for their BBQ, so if you are ever passing through, stop and get some! You won't be sorry. It was yummy!!

I loved spending the weekend with Kim, Marty, and all their family and friends. They are awesome people and they made Kate and I feel like part of the family.

We met Marty and Kim at the Childress Vineyards to take photos before the wedding.
It was such a beautiful day and the grounds of the winery are gorgeous.

After photos, we headed to the church for family pictures and their ceremony. They were married at the Shiloh United Methodist Church - the church Kim grew up in!

You can see their slideshow here.
All their photos are posted on my website under the view and pricing section.

Kim's Bridal Session

2007-12-02T12:53:00.000-05:00

I am just getting back from Lexington, NC after spending a great weekend with Kim, Marty and alltheir families and friends! They had the most beautiful ceremony last night and I am looking forward to showing you their photos in the coming days. For now, I hope you enjoy Kim's Bridal session we several weeks back!

Click here to view

To see it off my webite, go to the slideshow section and the password is "bow"

Awesome Realtors

2007-11-29T09:29:00.000-05:00

I met with wonderful Realtors a couple of days ago at the Cistern downtown. They needed new shots for business cards and their websites. Ashley Bowers-Jones was one of my beautiful brides awhile back and she is a realtor with Exit Realty. Check out her site here www.mycharlestonagent.com.

This is Kay Vitali. She is a sales associate in the Exit Group. It was great meeting her!

SECF Conference at the Homestead

2007-11-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with the Southeast Council of Foundations at their annual meeting. This was my forth year traveling with this amazing group and this year's meeting was held at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. I can't say enough about this wonderful organization. Everyone is so unbelievably nice and their united mission of giving and serving is one that we not only benefit from, but one we can all act on in some small way. I have learned so much about the world of philanthropy and all the ways these generous foundations reach out to their communities and the nation.

SECF SLIDESHOW CLICK HERE

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T07:14:00.000-05:00

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

HAPPY THANKGIVING!

We've Been ELFED!!

2007-11-20T06:53:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my sister Alexis who found this site. We had a good time this morning making "elves of ourselves." Check it out!
Elf Yourself!
You can do it too!

I Can Post!

2007-11-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

Well, this is day four for me here at The Homestead. I am having a wonderful time with all my SECF friends. My friend Dana met me on Monday and stayed the night which was great fun. We hiked, shopped, talked and she even got the opportunity to meet some of the people I work for and with while I am here.

Below are the Jefferson Pools. For over 200 years people have been relaxing in these therapeutic waters.
You should take a few minutes to click on the Jefferson Pools link and read about them. I have gone twice now and I hope to go again before I leave here. There are truly no words to describe how wonderful this experience is.

A huge thank you to my wonderful husband who fedexed me the things I needed to upload my pix. I love you and I miss all of you

I will be home Saturday afternoon for all of you who have been trying to reach me. I will get back with you just as soon as I can.

At the Homestead

2007-11-12T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I arrived here at the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. It is gorgeous here and I wish I could show you photos but I can't. I seem to have misplaced my card reader so all my photos will have to stay on my cards until I get home. I also have no cell phone connection here. It looks like I am out of commission until I get home on Saturday.

Meet Reece

2007-11-11T07:56:00.000-05:00

Well, it certainly has been awhile since I posted! I have been busy with my PTA duties as President (yes I am NUTS!) and have been diligently working on orders and albums as I am about to leave again in about a half an hour for The Homestead.

Yesterday I had the joy of meeting Reece Foti. She is the most adorable baby. Jimmy, Carolyn and the dogs joined in at the end for a quick family photo for Christmas cards!

We are going to be taking pictures of Reece at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and then on her one year birthday as I launch my "Baby's First Year" sessions. I will be creating a beautiful custom album for them when we are finished!!

I am off to see my friends ~ The Southeast Council of Foundations at the Homestead to document this year's annual meeting!!!
I will be back next Sunday.

Amy's Bridal Portrait Session

2007-11-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon I met Amy and her lovely mother downtown to take photos of Amy in her gown. We had planned to meet at Charleston Place where she could change but unfortunately it was WAY TOO BUSY for that! With her "make a way" attitude, she got dressed in another hotel's meeting room and we were off! I wish I could show you her photos but I can't; at least not until after her December 16th wedding!

If you know her password you can see them
CLICK HERE

Rochelle and Barry!

2007-11-04T13:10:00.000-05:00

Thank you guys for being so patient and waiting on these photos! Rochelle and Barry were married last Saturday night at the Confederate Home on Broad Street and had their reception at the Francis Marion Hotel. I had to leave for NC early the following morning so I had to wait until I got back to work on them!

If you have never seen or been to the Confederate Home you are in for a real treat. This red door is all you see from the outside, but inside it is magical! The house was originally built to be home to the wives of fallen soldiers. Today, you can live there if you are a single female. There are some artist's studios there as well.

Their ceremony was lovely and Rochelle's dress was gorgeous. Barry is an air force pilot and he was all decked out in his blues.

Please take a look at their slide show here
Don't forget to leave a comment!

Stephanie and Joe ~ An Afternoon in D.C.

2007-11-03T07:52:00.000-05:00

I had such a blast spending half the day with Stephanie and Joe! They live in Alexandria, Virginia and are getting married here in Charleston next year. Stephanie is from the area and Joe grew up in the mid-west.
We started out at the Marina on their boat. It was the perfect day, not too hot and not too cold! I wish there were more leaves turning but it was still awesome to be in the D.C. area taking photos.

Even though Joe rolled his eyes a few times (sorry Joe!) at "playing around" in the willow tree, he did get into it!!! Don't you think he looks like a young William Hurt? I do.

After leaving Alexandria, we went downtown to the Mall (no, not the SHOPPING mall!) and got some great shots by the monuments and then topped the day off with a drink at The Willard. Joe told me this is where the first Mint Julep was made...of course, what do you think I HAD to drink?!

There is so much more to see on their slideshow!
Check it out here
and dont forget to comment!

Home Again

2007-11-02T18:00:00.000-05:00

LOOK AT ALL THIS CANDY!!!!!
I just returned home from my travels to NC and points north! What a nice visit I had with my good friends, the Davis's. I was able to help Marina out by handing out candy so she could trick-or-treat with Helene. I also had a chance to spend a lot of time with Stephanie and Joe, running all over Alexandria and DC taking photos for their getting to know you session. I hope to have their photos online tomorrow!
Cameron with his cookie.

Here is Jameson!

This is Helene, my godchild. She calls me her fairy godmother so I think that must make her my fairy godchild!

This is Snuggles, their 16 year old cat! He really got into Cameron and Jameson's Civil War game!

Kim's Bridal Session

2007-10-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

I was up and out bright and early this morning. I made it to Lexington, NC in about 4 hours from my house. I met up with Kim, her mom and her sister at her parent's home in Lexington. It is a gorgeous stone house that Kim's grandparents built. Kim told me that they picked out every stone on that house!!

While Kim had her hair and makeup done, the rest of us ladies watched football. Yes, I said football. I think it was the Colts and the Panthers but please don't place any bets on that!!

We had a fantastic afternoon shooting at the house and then in Old Salem. I cant show you the photos until after her December 1st wedding.

click herefor her slideshow
If you know the secret password
Thank you Kim, I had a great day with you and your wonderful family. I honestly can't wait to see you again at the wedding. Thank you for the hotel :)
I am off to Bethesda and DC tomorrow!!!

Heading North

2007-10-27T19:40:00.000-05:00

I am leaving early tomorrow to head up to Greenville to shoot a bridal portrait. Then it is off to Bethesda and D.C. for an engagement shoot. I will be out of the office until next Monday. Keep an eye out then for photos from tonight's fabulous wedding of Rochelle and Barry! I will have them up when I return.
Lea

The King's ~ At Last!

2007-10-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

Well, here you are! The long awaited photos of Stephanie Anne and Jim's wedding from Saturday. Jon and Kate, two fabulous photographers, did an awesome job and I am so excited to share these amazing photos with you.

Stephanie Anne's dad is the pastor of the Bethel UMC on Pitt Street. The wedding,of course, was at their church with dad performing double duty. He walked Stephanie Anne down the aisle AND he married them!

After the wedding, we headed to the Cistern at the College of Charleston for some photos before heading over the bridge into Mt. Pleasant.

The reception was held at 28 Bridgeside (the old Zinc Restaurant)which has a gorgeous view of the Ravanel! Sunset was spectacular as was everything at the reception.

The Blue Dogs had everyone on their feet dancing the night away! If you have never heard this group go buy a CD! They are great!!!

Please take some time to look at their slideshow!
CLICK HERE for slideshow.
Leave me comments too please I LOVE THEM.

Stephanie Anne and Jim,
I hope you are having an amazing honeymoon in Belize! I saw you checked out the site. sorry they were not up yet! Enjoy them. XOXO

Jessica and Trevor

2007-10-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

Actually, I don't know who is luckier!! They are both great.
Jessica and Trevor are getting married here in Charleston next May and came down from Charlotte for the weekend to do some wedding planning and have their getting to know you session.

We stared at the Noisy Oyster for a quick bite to eat. Interestly, the tables were turned when Trevor fired off question after question to me!! (It is supposed to be the other way around Trevor.)
A door by a wall!

After spending time downtown, we headed to Shem Creek for Trevor's turn!
Jessica is the "Downtown Girl" while Trevor wanted the marsh and boats.

You can check out all the fun they had in their slideshow!
Click here!

Katherine and Adam

2007-10-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

You may remember Katherine and Adam from the wedding they had on the beach last month. I had the chance to get together with them last night to take some couple photos around downtown. We had a great time!

see their slideshow here

Stephanie Anne Hipp's Bridal Session

2007-10-21T10:11:00.000-05:00

Stephanie Anne and Jim were married yesterday and I can't wait to share the photos with you. I will have them up as quickly as I can! So, while you are waiting please enjoy the photos I took of her in her gown before the wedding!

You can click here to see them or her password is "Charleston" thru the slideshow section of my website.

Sandy and Jeff Carter

2007-10-19T07:15:00.000-05:00

This cute North Carolina couple met Julie and me on the beach on the Isle of Palms Tuesday morning for their beach wedding! I don't think I will ever get tired of these weddings. Hugo made my hopes of a beach wedding vanish along with houses, trees and just about everything else, so living vicariously thru couples like Sandy and Jeff are fantastic!!

They are on their honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas right now!!

you can check out their slideshow here

Where in the World is Lea Dales?

2007-10-17T18:37:00.001-05:00

You know all about "Where in the World is Matt Lauer?" and maybe many of you really want to know? Well, want to know where I was today??

Well, here are some clues...

I was at the East Cooper Airport with my friends Steve and Sharon taking a helicopter ride over to I'On to photograph the children at the Montessori school!
Here are some places I got to see along the way..
Up, up and a-w-a-y......

Beautiful Boone Hall Plantation

The Ravanel Bridge

The School...of course! Aren't these kids cute! They were so excited to be doing this shot for Suntrust as a thank you for helping build their school!

But like all good things, they must come to an end. This one ended all too soon for me. I had never been in a helicopter before - let alone hang out the side with no door and take photos! What a rush...what an amazing morning...
Can I go again Steve? Please?? Pretty Please??!!

Thanks Sharon for snapping a few great photos of me!! HAHA

Tuesday, Tuesday

2007-10-17T11:16:00.000-05:00

Seeing double, double??
You know the song Monday, Monday?
Well, yesterday as Tuesday, Tuesday
I doubled my pleasure with TWO weddings...yes on a TUESDAY!
I am posting my second on first and I will post my morning wedding tomorrow. And yes, there is a reason for this.
Morag and John are from Scotland (can you tell from his outfit)
I mean really, who else would wear wool in October in Charleston! REALLY!

What a wonderful time I had with this couple, their adorable children and their family. Oh, and the accents....LOVED THAT TOO!!!

Jill perfomed a beautiful ceremony and I always love working with Mobile Marriage and all the people at the Palmer Home.

They are heading back to Scotland (via Raleigh) this weekend so I wanted to be sure they could not only see these quickly but I could get them their photos before they left for the other side of the pond!

You can see their slideshow here

Laura and Tom ~ Getting to Know You Session

2007-10-14T10:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Charleston. Perfect weather,no humidity,sunny skies and beautiful smiles! I met Laura and Tom for their getting to know you session downtown. I surprised them with a bucket of popcorn, candy, soda and a great movie ~ Chocolat. Laura is almost as big a Johnny Depp fan as I am!! (hehe)
Tom, like my husband Mark, endulge our silly fantasies with posters, beach towels and movies. Chocolat is sooo romantic and of course JD is the STAR!

They are getting married next May at Wild Dunes! I am so looking forward to seeing them again. They even brought me a gift. I will show you later!!!

You can see their slideshow here

Gaby and Michael

2007-10-09T09:29:00.001-05:00

Gaby and Mike were married on Saturday at the Rockville Presbyterian Church on Wadmalaw Island. It was such a beautiful ceremony and the church was so charming!

Gaby's gown was stunning and she was a gorgeous bride!

We met before the wedding out at Middleton Place for some photos. It had been raining for days before our photo session and there was more rain in the forecast but God smiled on them and gave us an incredible day!!

Their reception was held at the Sea Island Yacht Club. It is the first Yacht Club in the United States.

Their favors were packages of teabags from the Charleston Tea Plantation!
This wedding was so "Old Charleston" and had a distinctive Southern flair.
Gaby's parent's and many of the guests came from Guatemala to help this couple celebrate. Even though there was a language barrier, we laughed together and had a wonderful time. Gaby's parents were so sweet.

They are off to Jamaica for their honeymoon!!! Have fun you two.

You can see their slideshow here

October ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2007-10-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

I love our newscasters ad:
I am your aunt,
I am your mother,
I am your sister,
I am your friend
It is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Please take a minute this month to schedule an exam. Having had problems myself and knowing and loving women who have gone through many types of breast cancer, I want to encourage all of you ladies to take care of yourselves.

Hold hands, go with a friend, stick together!

We are strong and we are beautiful!

Cheers to you!!

This beautiful PINK pen is going to go to someone at the end of this month. Just put a comment on this blog. It doesn't have to be anything more than the words "I DID" and I will draw a name when I get back from DC the beginning of November.

Tonya and Travis Pope ~ Wedding Album

2007-10-02T16:29:00.000-05:00

Check out Tonya and Travis' wedding album
It is gorgeous
see it here

Interesting Personality Test

2007-10-02T15:38:00.000-05:00

I don't usually answer these things but I did to this one. A friend of mine in Spokane sent this to me and I had a few minutes so I filled it out. I honestly thought after the first few screens that it was a joke but it really isn't and the answers might surprise you! Enjoy...

Tibetan Personality Test

Here is what I learned about me:
I am loyal, my life is great and sex is good :)
my priorities are family first, pride, career, love and money last
I would put GOD first but the Dalie Lama did not have God as a priority
there were some things on friends but I am going to keep those to myself!

Joanna and Jeff Davis

2007-10-01T14:21:00.000-05:00

It has been "the year of the wedding" for Joanna and Jeff. They were the fifth couple to be married recently in their circle of friends and what a lovely wedding they had! They were married on the lawn of the Citadel Beach House on the Isle of Palms. The weather was picture perfect.

I think Jeff was REALLY happy to be married!

Heaven: that is what kept coming to mind whenever I was around this couple. They are so perfect for each other and I know that God put them together without a doubt! I thought I would have some fun and make this look "heavenly"

The reception went by so quickly. The Bookstore Cafe Catering did a fantastic job with the catering and Lee Edwards was a great DJ.

This is JoJo with her "JoJo Cosmo"

See their slideshow here

Mark and Sue ~ Their Destination Wedding

2007-09-30T04:48:00.000-05:00

This jet-setting English couple tied the knot yesterday at the beautiful Meeting Street Inn in downtown Charleston. We took some time before their private ceremony to hit the streets and alleys of downtown for some awesome photos. I fell in love with Sue's dress! She bought it while on vacation in Hawaii. (I told you, this couple knows how to travel right.) They have a friend's wedding in just a few weeks in South Africa. Can I come please!!!

The courtyard of the Meeting Street Inn is lovely and Allen performed a beautiful ceremony for them.

You can see their slide show here

Meeting New People

2007-09-27T18:33:00.003-05:00

It was a beautiful day here in the Lowcountry. I started the day on King Street meeting Mark and Sue. They are from England and will be getting married on Saturday.
We had a really nice visit at Starbucks before I was off to Wild Dunes to meet Mark for lunch. Mark and I had the chance today to sit down with the new catering sales mangager, Samantha Hazard, today. She is great and I am looking forward to working with her!

Mom's Do You Want a REALLY Good Laugh.....??

2007-09-27T05:23:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I got an email yesterday from my sister-in-law with a link to a You-Tube video. I don't view You-Tube often but I hear there can be some pretty funny things at times. This one made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to bust a gut, or wet my pants (44 you know, tough age!) anyway it is worth the 3 minutes!!

William Tell Overture For Mom's

Two Bright and Beautiful Starrs!

2007-09-25T15:33:00.000-05:00

The sky on the Isle of Palms never looked so glorious as it did Saturday night for Jason and Liz's wedding. With their closest family traveling from Michigan to be with them, Jason and Liz had a romantic, intimate and thoroughly delightful day.
Hamby's catered the dinner and did an outstaning job!
Kate came along for the first two hours to help with the getting ready shots and the ceremony. It was so nice to be a relaxed pace ~ we got some amazing photos.

We had time to have them see each other before the ceremony just so they could have a few minutes together

I had a really hard time choosing photos to put up here. These two CAN'T take a bad picture. They all looked like a magazine!

A gift from Jason's mom.

They will be having a blessing in their home church and a reception in Michigan in November. I will be there in spirit!

You can see their slideshow here

What does love mean?

2007-09-25T06:22:00.000-05:00

My mom emailed this to me this morning!
Love it!
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

What does Love mean?

Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it.
Touching words from the mouth of babes.
What does Love mean?
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:
_____

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

Rebecca- age 8
_____

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth."

Billy - age 4
_____

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

Karl - age 5
_____

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs."

Chrissy - age 6
_____

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

Terri - age 4
_____

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss"

Emily - age 8
_____

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
_____

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,"
Nikka - age 6

(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
_____

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

Noelle - age 7
_____

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

Tommy - age 6
_____

"My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

Clare - age 6
_____

"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."

Elaine-age 5
_____

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

Chris - age 7
_____

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

Mary Ann - age 4
_____

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

Lauren - age 4
_____

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image)
Karen - age 7
_____

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

Jessica - age 8
_____

And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
_____

When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.
Father, God bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

Candace and Alan Folks ~ Middleton Place

2007-09-23T11:57:00.000-05:00

Kate and I went out to Middleton Place bright and early Saturday morning to meet Candace and Alan. What a lovely and sweet couple. I married them under a beautiful Live Oak tree covered in hanging Spanish Moss. Kate took some wonderful photos of them during (and after)the ceremony. Afterwards, we trapsed about the grounds finding gorgeous backdrops to take photos.

You can view their slideshow here

Stephanie Anne ~ Bridal Portrait Session

2007-09-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am going to tease you all again! I had an amazing afternoon with Stephanie Anne and her amazing mother on Thursday. You will have to wait until after October 20th to see the photos.

you can see her slideshow here

East Cooper Hospital ~ New Hospital Ceremony

2007-09-21T17:56:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was a very exciting day for the town of Mt. Pleasant. The East Cooper Regional Medical Center had a Historic Community Event at the hospital. The rain sadly prevented the celebration to happen on the grounds of the new hospital, but in spite of the weather, everyone had a wonderful time!
All the news networks were on hand to cover the event and I am so excited to be documenting the construction over the next few years!! What an honor for me. So be on the look out for more photos as they break ground and new hospital is built!

This is a rendering of the new hospital. There were many drawings showing all sides of the new hospital as well as a 360 panoramic video ~ very hi-tech!

Our esteemed Mayor as well as City Council members were on hand to receive a very special gift from Andrea Wozniak, RN, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer. The hospital donated three acres of the new property to the Town of Mt. Pleasant for a new Senior Center.

These wonderful and very funny gentlemen are the Von Kolnitz "boys"! The grew up on the property the hospital purchased from their family. I know it was a bitter sweet day for them and I promised to take some photos of the guys "just hanging around" as things get started.

Look at this land...it is absolutely beautiful.

Traveling to North Carolina and DC ~ Want to schedule?

2007-09-21T09:05:00.000-05:00

Just in case any of you out there reading my blog live in the DC area, I will be traveling to the Winston-Salem area on the 28th of October for a bridal portrait and then leaving Monday for Bethesda. I will be there from the 29th to the 2nd of November. So if you want family photos or know of anyone who does please share my site with them and contact me to schedule a time! It would be great to get some family sittings in with the awesome fall colors! Hope to hear from you:)

Two Cute Families

2007-09-20T06:13:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday and Wednesday I met two of the sweetest families out on Sullivan's Island for some family beach photos. Check them out!
These are the Goode's. The sunset Tuesday night was one of the best all year!

The Snell-Zarcone family!

Jennifer and Jason

2007-09-17T19:05:00.000-05:00

Saturday turned out to be a great day for a wedding! I first met Jennifer at the Wentworth Mansion where she was getting ready. It was so nice to have lots of time with her before the wedding! We got some wonderful photos around the Mansion. Jason and the guys came by just as I was about to head to White Point Garden where the wedding was to be held. We took a few minutes to grab some shots while they DID a few shots!! The ceremony was lovely thanks to Jill at Mobile Marriage. We started late but that was a bonus again for me to offer photos of the bride and groom seeing each other for the first time before the ceremony. I got some great shots of that. Of course a downtown wedding is never complete without some photos around town. We even got a few nice ones at the Calhoun Mansion before they asked us to leave!

View: slide show

Kim and Marty

2007-09-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

Wow! I loved this couple. Marty and Kim are getting married in North Carolina in December and came to Charleston to have their engagement photos taken yesterday. The weather has been crazy the last few days with pop up thunder storms and we were not sure if our evening plans would hold so we played it safe and got together in the afternoon while the sun was shining. We started on Sullivan's Island and then headed downtown Charleston for photos at White Point Gardens and in front of some historic homes!

Marty proposed to Kim in New York City on March 31st. (My husband proposed to me in NYC too!) Kim is a real "girly girl" loving her high heels and glamour. Marty warmed up to the camera quickly and I loved him for laughing at my jokes so I could get those "true" smiles!!!

You can see more photos here.

Family Fun

2007-09-13T06:47:00.001-05:00

Here are some of my favorite photos from this week!

Katherine and Adam ~ Folly Beach

2007-09-11T08:13:00.000-05:00

Katherine and Adam were married on Sunday afternoon out on Folly Beach. It was a sweet, simple ceremony attended by their families. I had such a wonderful time with all of them. Katherine, Adam and I are going to get together again in October for some less formal photos and I can't wait! (I mean formal attire...their posing here is not that formal!) Look how nice they look together.

You can see more photos here

Christine and Jeff

2007-09-10T12:31:00.001-05:00

Christine and Jeff were married at the Planter's Inn on Saturday. Before the ceremony we drove around Charleston taking photos. They were so much fun and were willing to go and do just about anything. The only thing we could have done differently was for me to get a bigger car for Jeff to get in and out of!

Of course the top was up for Christine's hair but once we got back to the Planter's Inn she wanted a photo in the car. Had I known I would have washed it!

You can see their slideshow here

Families I've Met

2007-09-07T03:37:00.000-05:00

I have not put up many of my family sessions lately. It is about 4:30 in the morning and I can't sleep, so I thought I would grab a few of the family photos I took recently and put them up.
Tomorrow I have a wedding at the Planter's Inn in the evening and a family beach session in the morning. That will be a busy day. Enjoy these...more on Sunday!

Anniversary Photos with Manda and Sam

2007-09-06T04:43:00.000-05:00

Manda and Sam Turetsky live in Atlanta. They came to Charleston over the Labor Day weekend to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary. I met them at the Francis Marion Hotel and we headed down King to White Point Gardens for some photos amidst the live oaks and Spanish moss. That started our "tour of the town." We had a wonderful morning and the weather was as I like to call it... "Chamber of Commerce" weather!

You can see more photos here

Birthday Thoughts

2007-09-05T19:46:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, September 4th was my grandmother's birthday. Her name was Rosalea Sciortino but we all called her Naja. She died a long time ago, just about the time I was getting out of college. She died much too young of breast cancer. My grandmother was the most amazing woman I have ever met. I was lucky to have had the pleasure and priviledge of living with her from the age of 5 until I left for college at 17. My birthday is today. I used to pray, and I still do, that maybe God had our birthday's close together because I was supposed to be like her. I guess that as I get older (44 today) I reflect on so many parts of my life - the past, the present with my children and husband and what might be around the corner for my future. I want to be like Naja. I want to leave feelings in the people I love and the people I meet of joy, happiness, grace, peace, laughter and contentment. That is what my grandmother did. She gave, she served and she lived each day in grace. I am not a writer by any means! If I could tell her story in photos I would. But for now I write this, I pray for her eternal peace in heaven and hope she is looking down at me and cheering me on.

My birthday was perfect. I worked some, I played some and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner on my back porch with my family and my children's babysitter who came to stay with us for a few weeks. I started my day with a wonderful massage from my sister and enjoyed phone calls throughout the day from friends. I saw my sister again for lunch and spent the afternoon with Jessica who is now a beautiful 24 year old young woman and my children. Mark made and cleaned up dinner and served up an awesome chocolate cake! I am truly blessed.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-08-29T05:49:00.000-05:00

Well, not only was it BACK TO SCHOOL for my two children this week, it was a week filled with wonderful families and little children! AJ and Veronica are "big kids" and I feel so blessed that I can spend time enjoying my younger clients! Having two teenagers is a daily adventure that I would not trade for anything but I don't think I will ever stop loving babies and those adorable little ones.
These are the Butler's. Ella and Banks are just the sweetest children!

The Morgan's asked me to take their photos again this year! I love watching these children grow and more being born!!

Carin and John (and the Kite Guy)

2007-08-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

Carin and John were married last night behind The Palm's Hotel on the Isle of Palms.
They had arranged to have our locally famous "kite guy" there to decorate the sky during and after the ceremony!

These little flower girls were adorable!

you can see more photos here

More fun with Catie and Ken

2007-08-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

Our getting to know you session did not end at Charleston Cooks! After a few photos in the heat downtown, we met again out at the beach on the Isle of Palms for some evening beach shots. This couple is so much fun and so photogenic. Take a look.

you can see more photos here

Taste of the Lowcountry

2007-08-22T06:25:00.001-05:00

Catie and Ken met me yesterday afternoon for part one of their getting to know you session downtown in front of Charleston Cooks on East Bay Street. I planned a surprise cooking class for them with Tracy. When I first called her to share my idea she was just as excited as I was and planned a great lowcountry menu for the two lovebirds to create together! The menu included, summer tomato soup, shrimp and grits and peach cobbler for dessert.

Reviewing the recipes!

This was the perfect way to pass a very hot afternoon and for the three of us to spend time together. Catie is on her way to Boston to start her PhD program and next July they will get married in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Cheers you two! I can't wait for the next Kraper-Draper get together! That's right.. their last names are KRAPER and DRAPER!

Cudo's to Tracy and Charleston Cooks!!! It was a fantastic afternoon.
You can see more of their escapades in the kitchen here!

Families I Met This Week

2007-08-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I hit the ground running this week after returning from our vacation. In fact, I never posted the last of my photos from Connecticut! Maybe this weekend I can get to that. Here are some of the wonderful families I got to meet this week!
The Ranken's

Clay and Julie Robbins

The Baker's

The Stone's

The Allen's

The Morgan's

2007-08-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

I drove out to Seabrook this morning for a sunrise shoot with the Morgan's. It was so worth getting up at 4am to spend time with this couple and Melora's mom! Sailor,their Golden puppy was absolutely beautiful. Check out some of their photos!

Rhode Island

2007-08-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

Well, our photo op day on the Cape was a total bust! It rained all day yesterday. I drove all of us out to Provincetown in the off chance there was some sun but it was raining out there too. So I have no photos from the Cape except this one of Veronica. We came across this tree as we were driving up to a souvenir shop.

Today we hit the road early and made it to Newport, Rhode Island by about 7am. We ate a great breakfast, walked down to the water to look at the boats and then started our tour of the "cottages" along Belleview Rd. I would love to live in one of these, even for a week!! They are unbelievably gorgeous! We met up with Mom's cousin Virginia at Marblehouse and then we took a scenic drive down Ocean to meet Virginia's daughter Patricia for lunch.

All the ironwork was beautiful. I took so many photos of gates and fencing!

The same is true for the hydrangeas. I wish we could grow such big, lush bushes back home!

Here is mom with Patricia and Virginia at lunch.

AJ saw this car out front and wanted a photo with it! He informed me that he would be driving a car like this within 10 years...

This artist lives in Connecticut and I thought it would be fun to take a photo of with her of what she was painting!

This is one of the Newport beaches.

We made it into Providence about 4pm. The kids were really tired so we did a driving tour for the most part and I jumped in and out of the car to take photos.

On To Cape Cod

2007-08-10T05:34:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful day with Julianne and Peter, mom's friends from Charleston who have a grogeous home on the water in York Harbor, Maine. We got there in time to enjoy a wonderful lunch out on their deck and then took a very scenic walk along the cliffs. We enjoyed relaxing and talking and the kids loved their "media" room although they didn't know why they called it that when they saw no tv! It was only when Julianne took the remote and unrolled their movie screen in front of the window that their jaws dropped. Veronica did visit the local emergency room when she had an asthma attack that I could not help her control. She was not too upset about going however, her comment was, "this hospital is like a hotel, it is so cumfy." I have to say it was a pretty little hospital!

On Thursday we headed out after breakfast for the Cape. The traffic was not too bad and we were making good time so we decided to make a quick detour into Plymouth to take a quick trolley tour of the town. I am so glad we did. Plymouth is a quaint town!

Do you know what this rock is called??

Then about 3 it was on to Hyannis to find our hotel, settle in and explore some more. We ended the evening with a ghost walk in Barnstable. There are a lot of ghosts here.

Derek Bartlett is the founder of the Cape and Islands Paranormal Research Society. Although we did not see any ghosts last night, we did get a wonderful history lesson. Check them out here.

Maine

2007-08-08T13:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday and today we are exploring the coastline of Maine.
We bagan our journey in Thomaston with Roxanne, Alexis' good friend. Roxanne, or Aunt Roxy, as AJ and Veronica affectionally called her, works for the Rockland Chamber of Commerce so we had the best tour guide we could have ever had!! Her husband Larry is a real entrepreneur! He has a school that teaches motorcycle safety as well as a company which gives motorcycle tours along the coast of Maine. If you are a rider check it out here!
These photos were taken at the Marshall Point Lighthouse AKA "Forest Gump Light" in Port Clyde.

As you can see, it was pretty foggy!

Here are some flowers ~ they were everywhere!

We ate lunch at Millers Lobster in So Thomaston. This really cute lobsterman let Veronica take a photo. We had the best lobster rolls and blueberry pie for lunch! Yummy, yummy. There is nothing like Maine lobster fresh off the boat!

Some other sites on our journey

Our last stop of the day was at Shaw's Wharf in New Harbor for a Puffin Boat Watch and a lobster dinner.

These were the guys who caught our dinner!!

Again, the fog rolled in but I was still able to catch a few photos of the cute Puffins bobbing and flying around Eastern Egg Rock.

There are biologists living on the rock working on restoring Maine's rarest seabirds. Please check out this wonderful website, www.projectpuffin.org to see the goals and the amazing achievements this organization has made in restoring nesting sanctuaties and raising public awareness abour seabirds. It was a wonderful experience.

Boston

2007-08-06T16:50:00.000-05:00

Well, after an easy flight and a not so easy collection of luggage and securing a rental car, we made it to Boston yesterday in the early afternoon to start our trip. Mom's luggage was MIA at Logan and I went back at 6:30 this morning to thankfully retrieve it! The other blessing is that there is a Target around the corner from our hotel so we were able to round up some evening necessities for mom.

After breakfast this morning we headed to Lexington and Concord for a brief history lesson. The Minute Man National Historic Park is a great place to do that.

Here's Veronica hiding behind a bunker.

Here is some Queen Anne's Lace that spotted the trail.

The Freedom Trail ~ There is a red line cutting through downtown Boston and winds itself down and around Boston's historic streets. The Freedom Trail beings in Boston Common, America's first public park, and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument across the harbor. We started the trail yesterday afternoon and continued today. The State House is the "seat of government" here. My cousin Carl is a state representative and took some time today to give us an amazing tour! It is a spectacular building with a life-size painting of Lincoln (He was 6'7" tall you know) as well as a sculpture of Washington in what looks like a toga! It really is his military blanket for those who want to know the real story.

Here is Carl and mom.

After a few Sam Adams I was glad they DIDN'T know my name!! CHEERS.

Here's Veronica and her beer.

One more State House story. Maybe someone out there knows the answer and will post it in a comment! This fish is hanging in the upper part of the House and has been a part of the State House for a long time. He is known affectionately as the "sacred cod." Now there is another fish above the chandelier in the Senate. What is this fishy's name??

Back to the trail. We are now at Granery Burying Ground. John Hancock, Sam Adams, Mother Goose and other leaders of the patriot cause are buried here. I found these headstones interesting and very unusual.

Veronica found this cute donkey to rest on while I took a photo of the plaque on the sidewalk remembering the first public school.

I then saw this marker! Who said those Bostonians don't have a sense of humor.

There are many other points of interest along the trail that we enjoyed. It was an amazing walk ending at the USS Constitution. Huzzah!

On our way back we hit the garden where Robert McCluskey's famous book Make Way for Ducklings was set. If you know me, you know I have a real love for children's books and this classic is way up on my list of all time great books!

We are meeting Carl for dinner later on and then we are up bright and early for our ride up to Maine!

Bless This Mess - trash the dress in the paper

2007-08-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

Well, Rachel, Nick and I were featured in an article today in the Post and Courier! We were trashing some dresses with our wedding couples.
You can check it out in the arts and travel section!
So who is ready to TRASH THEIR DRESS???

Vacation!!!

2007-08-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

I am headed to New England tomorrow morning with my son, daughter and my mom!
We are flying into Boston and spending 9 days doing a driving tour of the New England states!! I am so excited. I hope to be blogging my way through New England over the next week. I hope my honey back home checks out the blog to see what his family is up to. We will miss you Mark!

I will be checking voice mail and emial periodically so please leave me a message and I will get back in touch with you when we return home.

CONTEST WINNER

2007-08-01T07:50:00.000-05:00

Congratuations Jill! You are the winner of the Nostalgia Candy. I brought cards with everyone's name on them over to my parent's house on my Father's birthday. He happily pulled a name before he opened his gifts.

This is AJ without his braces. Isn't he handsome!

Trash The Dress ~ Atlantic Ocean Fun

2007-07-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

Katie and Jason Ratliff are one of the coolest couples I know and they were quite wet at 6:30 this morning when they plunged into the ocean with their wedding clothes on! Katie has the most gorgeous wedding gown and Jason was happy to rent a tux for the occasion of trashing her dress. So, before heading to work this morning look what we did! I only wish my dear friend and fellow photographer, Jill, were still here to have played with us.

Mr. and Mrs. Travis Pope

2007-07-30T12:45:00.000-05:00

Tonya and Travis are enjoying their honeymoon in Hawaii right now! Hope you are having a wonderful time you two!!
On Saturday night they were married in the courtyard of the Planter's Inn.

Kate and I took them to White Point Garden and then around Church Street to take photos before the ceremony. Travis hid behind this tree before seeing Tonya for the first time!

Here are two fun reception shots! I called Tonya's grandfather "Wild Turkey" all night. I think he liked that. He was hysterical.

Check out their slideshow here

A Fabulous Folly Wedding

2007-07-29T07:53:00.000-05:00

Beth Anne and Jason were married Friday night on Folly Beach. The family all came from out of town to celebrate with them. I have to say I was touched by their very outward showing of love for each other. This family was always hugging, crying or kissing every time I turned around!! These two are lucky to have such love surrounding them.

Beth and her dad had a special dance down by the water.

Jason and his mom took a private moment under the parasol.

The happy couple!

You can see more photos here

Fun, Fun, Fun with the Schmits

2007-07-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

I met the Schmit family on the Isle of Palms last nigth for some fun on the beach. We took some cute shots of the family and then let the kids loose in the water. The parents even got into the act!!

See more photos here

A gorgeous smile

2007-07-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

Dr. Nash and Dr. Barbieri ~ the smile team as they are affectionately called have made yet another child's smile beautiful....mine! After three years, AJ got his braces off yesterday morning and he looks great. Of course, I am his mom and I do think he is a really good looking young man!
This is a poloroid the office took. He has not stopped moving long enough for me to snap his photo. I will try when he gets home from work tonight.

Another Awesome Family

2007-07-25T07:34:00.000-05:00

Last night I met Shannon Stanley and her family out on the beach for some photos.
They were so much fun. Clay and Connor are so handsome!

I loved these couple shots. Katherine is a soon to be member of the clan! They will be getting married on 06-07-08 in Texas. Who knows, maybe I will get to be their photographer! Wouldn't that be fun.

Yes! This family took the plunge too. Notice it was the adults NOT the children!
I loved it!!!

Now look who did not jump...

Gee, I wonder what happened next. Check out the slideshow to see!
Click here to view

Alisha and Manny

2007-07-24T07:49:00.001-05:00

It was a perfect evening for a beach wedding. Alisha and Manny were married on Sullivan's Island last night. This couple is so sweet! We had a great time together and Alisha's little nephew (he slept on his mamma's shoulder thru the ceremony) was totally pinchable!! He was too cute.

Stealing a kiss!

You can see more photos here

Katie and Jason's Wedding Album

2007-07-23T08:48:00.000-05:00

Check out Katie and Jason's wedding album from their wedding at St. Andrew's last month! This couple wants to do a trash the dress session on the beach! Look out for those awesome photos.
You can see their album here

Brooke and Marc ~ Summerall Chapel

2007-07-22T21:16:00.000-05:00

After being married for a little over a year, Brooke and Marc were remarried in the company of their families and close friends on Saturday afternoon. Marc is a Citadel graduate and was recently deployed to Iraq. He is home now for awhile so he and his lovely bride chose to have a ceremony at the Summerall Chapel with Brooke's uncle performing their ceremony. Kate came along to help and we both agreed that these two were amazing to photograph!

There is a tradition at the Citadel ~ when a cadet gets married at the Chapel, the bride and groom walk through a sword arch, followed by a kiss and then the bride gets "tapped" on the behind with one of the swords. Brooke got a spanking!! OUCH.

Their reception was downtown at the Harbour Club. After taking some shots around the Citadel, we hit the area around Waterfront Park!

You can see more photos here

CBS EARLY SHOW ~ In Chucktown and We Were There!

2007-07-20T10:17:00.000-05:00

Jill, Thuy, Jill's cousin, Theresa and I all got up way too early to get downtown for the live taping of the CBS Early Show on the Battery in Charleston. Hootie and the Blowfish gave an awesome concert and there was lots going on!

The night before, Jill and Theresa ran to Wal-Mart to get supplies to make these awesome and VERY creative posters. We thought John Travolta was going to be interviewed here live but he wasn't. Oh well.

Thuy got someone to take our picture with Harry and with Dave the weatherman!

I think this photo is hilarious!!! I am so glad I don't take myself too seriously.
It was lots of fun and well worth waking up at 4am for.
I made a quick slideshow if you want to catch some awesome Hootie photos.
Click here
Here is another link: can you find us?
Lea

Candy Contest ~ Don't forget to comment

2007-07-18T10:43:00.000-05:00

In honor of my dad's birthday on the 29th, I am going to draw a name to see who won the box of "Nostalgia Candy". So, if you have not commented yet please do! You can leave a comment on here or scroll down to the original post to comment.

It is easy and anyone can enter! Just tell me what you favorite candy was growing up! You can share a story if you like or just the name. I told you mine already ~
RED licorice strings!! Yum Yum

PLEASE COMMENT!

The New Hamm-Main's!

2007-07-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Mike Hammett and Olimpia Main were married by ME on Sunday evening on the beach on the Isle of Palms. They are the nicest couple and now they have 4 children between them! WOW are their lives going to get hectic. Kate met me there to take some shots while I performed the ceremony. I have to say I had a bad hair day with the wind but Olimpia looked ravishing which is all that really mattered!

They met on a Christian website! Mike is such an amazing detail person. He planned, made and executed everything for this wedding. You need to check out their slideshow to see the table settings, new family crest, favors, fans...the list goes on!

You can see their slideshow here

Another Wild And Crazy Family!

2007-07-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

I met up with Jeanne Garrison and her extended family to have a session on the beach on Sullivan's Island last night. They were all gathered together for their parents 50th wedding anniversary. How amazing is that! We laughed so hard. I had to keep reminding myself I was working. Once again, I can't say enough how much I love my clients.

check out some pix here

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Brett Weaver!

2007-07-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

Anna and Brett were married on Saturday night in the beautiful, historic St. Philip's Church in downtown Charleston. Absolutely Charleston did a wonderful job shuttling the bridal party, family and guests back and forth from the church to the reception at the Hibernian on Meeting St. The trolley made for some great photos too! Anna looked amazing in her gown and the photos we took of she and Brett seeing each other for the first time before the ceremony gave me chill bumps!

There are so many more photos of this on the slideshow and in the view section of the website. THEY ARE A MUST SEE.

The bridal party was so much fun.

Cru catering once again outdid themselves: an iced sushi bar, a huge strawberry tree in the center of the Hibernian Hall, a luscious ice cream station... I loved taking photos of guests in tuxes and gowns eating ice cream cones!!
Let them eat...ICE CREAM!

The band, Permanent Vacation had the room shagging and boggy-en :) I was even asked to dance - and I did!

Thank you Anna and Brett for being such a rockin' couple to work with! I loved every step we took together and I hope you are having an awesome time on your honeymoon!!

Check out their slideshow here!

Please leave me a comment. I love reading them and I write back too!!
thanks.

Anna Johnson's Bridal Session

2007-07-15T10:28:00.000-05:00

Anna and Brett were married last night at St. Philip's Church downtown. I am busy working on the photos and will have them online as soon as possible! So, while you are waiting to see them, please enjoy the photos from their getting to know you and Anna's Bridal session!

See Anna and Brett here
this password thru my site is "Johnson"

See Anna in her gown here
If you want to view this thru my website: go to slideshow section and the password is "pearl"

I loved meeting everyone last nigth! Thanks for all your compliments of my work and for being such a GREAT group!!!

Emory and Sutton in their dressup clothes

2007-07-14T08:24:00.000-05:00

What a blast I had on the beach last night with little Sutton and Emory! Nancy's mom, Pat, designed and made these adorable dresses the girls are wearing. Pat is hoping to start a clothing business and I think she should right away!!! These dresses are totally adorable and the girls were having the time of their lives running around and playing in them!

I love these little detail shots

The colors in these dresses are gorgeous! I could never pick a favorite. I loved all of them.

Here is my favorite shot of the night!

I also spent the last few mornings taking sunrise photos with a few vacationing families. I have to share with you how much I LOVE being on the beach watching the sun rise over the ocean. It reaffirms so much for me. Why we moved here, how much God is really present even with all the negative things going on in our world, and to give thanks for all the blessings great and small....

You can see more of Emory and Sutton here

Beach Cuties

2007-07-12T21:12:00.000-05:00

I had such a great time today hanging out with Nancy Meyer, her mom and two daughters, Emory and Sutton. The girls are just so cute and it was the perfect day to hang out on the beach, swim and build sand castles.

Here they are saying "hi" to daddy. They miss him back in NYC.

Sutton found this little crab and couldn't wait to show her sister.

Tomorrow night we are going to take more photos on the beach! I can't wait.

you can see more beach photos here

Amy and Kevin ~ Sunrise on Sullivan's

2007-07-12T12:37:00.001-05:00

This was a much nicer morning than last night. In fact, I think it turned out even better for Amy and Kevin! The sunrise was gorgeous and there was no wind which really helped with the hair (especially Kevin's!) We shot some photos on the beach, around Middle Street and of course, last night at my house!

Check them out!

One of THOSE nights!

2007-07-11T20:16:00.000-05:00

So, you know how life sometimes throws you a curve ball or two? I have been really blessed by not having too many of those - I think God knows I am NOT a great athlete! :) I am a good dancer but hitting a ball...NOT! Anyway, it really wasn't THAT kind of curve ball anyway!
I was out on the beach on Sullivan's shooting a really cool family around 6pm when the sky got SO black REALLY FAST! The wind was whipping around and you could just tell you had minutes to get off the beach or you would be pelted with rain. We were lucky enough to make it! I even missed raindrops in my car by maybe 15-20 seconds while I got the hood up!
The Schuster's were lucky but I had an engagement sitting right after that! So for Kevin and Amy the timing was not so lucky!
They drove up from Hilton Head tonight just to do their photos. So I met them at my house! Kevin had never met me and I had walked in about one minute before they pulled up. I know I made quite the impression! HAVE YOU HEARD OF MEDUSA!

So, I threw a blanket on the floor of my sun room with a bottle of wine as a little surprise. They don't like red wine (it was red). Oh well! No beach, no good alcohol for them. MAJOR STRIKEOUT! We snapped a few shots inside and then when the rain subsided a bit we shot a few in my back yard. I am meeting them at 6:30 in the morning at the beach to try again!

Heather and Justin ~ 07.07.07

2007-07-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

A lucky day! An amazing wedding! Heather and Justin were married at St. Luke's Chapel downtown on Saturday night. Heather should be a wedding planner. She did everything herself and no detail was forgotten. Her sister-in-law is a florist and she made all the table arrangements, wreaths, bouquets and the gardenia fans the bridesmaids held. Her colors were blue and brown and her gown had the most exquisite blue piping. The Wickliffe House was transformed too! They say that rain on your wedding day is a blessing and I am going to hold to that thought as I pray heaps and years of blessings and love on this couple. I only wish I could have taken some photos of them outside!

Look at these adorable shoes Heather and all the girls wore.

Heather and her dad were so sweet together all night!

Heather and Justin Young!

The wedding party! They were a BLAST!!!

A sparkling farewell!

The reception was lovely and Jay Maxwell's Music by Request got everyone dancing even in tight quarters!

Please view more photos here and on my website!
I love comments so please let me know you were here. THANKS.

Jessica and Michael ~ Wentworth Mansion

2007-07-09T20:12:00.000-05:00

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Michael Shaffstall! Jessica and Michael had a lovely ceremony amidst a few raindrops Sunday evening on the lawn of the Wentworth Mansion.
Kevin from Pocket full of Posies did an amazing job only having a few weeks to get their wedding pulled together. It was truly simple and elegant! Take a look.

You can see their slideshow here

Heather's Bridal Session

2007-07-09T12:08:00.000-05:00

While you are are anxiously awaiting Heather and Justin's wedding pictures, I thought you might enjoy seeing the photos I shot with Heather when we got together to do her portrait!
Enjoy

click here

viewing thru the website the password is "Virginia"

Thank You

2007-07-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

I thougth you might get a kick out of this!
Thank you Patti!
Lea

07-07-07 Katie and Jon's Sunrise Wedding

2007-07-08T09:32:00.000-05:00

Katie and Jon traveled all the way from Iowa to get married at the Belvidere Resort Saturday morning at sunrise. It was a beautiful ceremony and I was touched by how sweet and down to earth this family is. Katie's mother Patti made a scrapbook for me with photos she had taken over time of life in Iowa. Her photos are wonderful! She also brought me an Iowa tee-shirt. I truly LOVE my clients! I am the most blessed photographer to be asked to spend time and work with incredible people. I thank God every day for giving me the opportunity to do what I do! You all enrich MY life more than you know!

She should be a photographer!

The whole group

You can see more photos here

CANDY CONTEST

2007-07-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

Come on now all you people out there... I know you all have a sweet tooth!
I just posted a contest yesterday and I want someone to win the basket of candy.
All you have to do is leave a post telling me what kind of candy you like..how easy is that?!

245 of you looked at my blog yesterday so, why not leave me a message!
It would make my day!
The contest is open to anyone, friends, family, clients, friends and family of clients, photographers and other bloggers!!!

Lea

A Really Cool Family and a Contest

2007-07-06T07:11:00.000-05:00

Okay, so yesterday I met this family downtown for just a few minutes to take their picture before they had dinner. I wish I could have spent more time with them! I got a call from Liz Hardy a few weeks ago asking me to meet them. She told me all about their amazing family! The dad, in his 80's, was a World War II pilot. His wife is also famous. Her nickname is "Bit O Honey" ~ sound familiar! That's right, the candy bar, Bit O Honey was named after her!!!

Then there is one of their son's who lives out in LA. His family and I got to the park first and we got to chat for quite awhile which was awesome. He created the cartoon CatDog!

His son is a senior at NYU (that's where I graduated so long ago) studying film and his daughter is about to go to Rhode Island to study photography.

So here is what I thought would be fun! Why not hold a contest to get a package of "nostalgic candy", like Bit O Honey!

Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite candy was as a kid and I will draw a name in a few weeks and send you this Retro Candy Gift Box full of favorite nostalgic candy assortments ~ COOL HUH!!
1940’s: Abba Zabba, Beemans Gum, Bit O’Honey, Bubble Gum Cigars, Candy Buttons, Candy Cigarettes, Chuckles Jelly Candy, Cow Tales, Giant Smarties, Jujubes, Jujyfruits, Jumbo Mint Stick, Oh Henry, Pearson’s Salted Nut Roll, Red Hots, Rock Candy Crystals Box, Sen Sen, Sugar Daddy Pops, Teaberry Gum, Tootsie Pops, Bulls Eye’s Caramel Creams, Chick O Stick Nuggets, Necco Assorted Wafers, Root Beer Barrels, Black Taffy, Tootsie Roll Midgees & Walnettos

I loved red licorice strings!!! I would knot them up over and over again, then pop it in my mouth and see how long I could suck on it! What about you.

Erin and Paul Simms ~ Seabrook Island

2007-07-05T08:45:00.000-05:00

The photos are finally here!!
Erin and Paul's wedding last Saturday night at the Seabrook Island Club was an exquisite affair! They were married at Ferry Field Baptist Church and left in a black cab complete with champagne for their reception. Erin took every one's breath away in her gown and Paul's smile lit up the room! Wennifer, their wedding coordinator, did a great job keeping everything flowing and left no detail unattended to.
Erin's bridesmaid's were so attentive to her as she got dressed!

I love this photo of Erin and her dad holding hands as they entered the church.

A moment alone before the reception.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Simms

You can see their slide show here

The rest of their photos are on my website! Thanks for looking and please leave a comment for me :)
thanks

Tonya and Travis ~ T N T

2007-07-02T21:30:00.001-05:00

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I had such a fun night with Tonya and Travis! We ran all over for two hours ~ Blackbeard's Cove to play Putt-Putt, Boone Hall and then Station 19 on Sullivan's Island to top off the night! Once I read their couple questionnaire I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with them. Starting out playing Putt- Putt was perfect and we all had a few good laughs!

We literally had 5 minutes at Boone Hall!

This was my favorite shot!!

You can check out more photos here