Photos by Mary

Before and After

2012-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

This beautiful couple Michael and Natalie already had their baby a couple weeks ago. When I took their maternity pictures it was during my really busy time so I didn't have a chance to blog them. They are some of my favorite maternity pictures so I thought I would share them now along with the newborn pictures of baby Wyatt!!

Natalie is such a beautiful mommy to be, wouldn't you agree!

Michael has some fantastic ink art that just had to be used in a picture. Just wait til you see him with baby Wyatt.

Now the pictures of Michael and Natalie's newest love baby Wyatt. He was not in the best of moods on the day that I went to take his pictures. Here he is just 5 days old. We decided I should come back on another day, when Wyatt was a little happier.

Second attempt of taking newborn pictures of baby Wyatt, he was a little angel. Yay... We captured some great pictures of Wyatt for Michael and Natalie.

This next picture of Wyatt is one of my favorites. He is a little bit of a dramatic sleeper.

Remember Michael's beautiful ink art. Once again, asking him to take his shirt off to pose, this time with baby Wyatt. Some of my all time favorite baby pictures. Thanks Michael for being such a trooper!!

Michael and Natalie are so sweet and I know they are going to make wonderful parents to Wyatt.

It's the Little Things

2012-01-16T11:29:00.000-08:00

It is the little things that make us smile and warm are hearts such as this little baby girl Scarlett. I had just done maternity pictures of Scarlett's mommy the first weekend of December. Scarlett decided to come early!! When I showed up to take her new born pictures Jessica (Scarlett's mommy) had all sorts of ideas for me. Jessica had knitted a pink baby hat for Scarlett, I put my order in..

Thank you Jessica and Jeremy for allowing me to photograph your sweet new baby girl. Taking pictures of new born's is always a favorite for me!

~New Year's Eve Love With Dan and Trisha~

2012-01-11T14:15:00.000-08:00

Meet Dan and Trisha my New Year's Eve couple. Yes, they were married on December 31, 2011. When I met with Dan and Trisha I sensed that this would be a fun wedding, was it ever!! You see this couple is so full of love and life, a great combination. Dan enters a room with confidence and charisma. Trisha enters the room with confidence's and beauty, together they are dangerous (in a good way). Ancala Country club is where this little wedding of 200 guest took place. Yes, they did party til midnight and some. It was truly one of the best New Year's Eve wedding's ever!! This first series of pictures is the first look. Dan and Trisha did a lot of their pictures before the wedding since the ceremony was scheduled for sunset.

Now look at all these beautiful women!! I usually do not post a lot of bridal party pictures, but with this fun group I had to share. I need to mention how beautiful the weather was on this day. I would say about 77 degrees, big difference from last year at this time. I shot a wedding on Jan 1 2010 and it was about 37 degrees out.

Dan and Trisha are all about having a good time and enjoying life. See them just break out into dance!! Why not.

Wow, look at the sunset colors. I could not have painted it better myself. Love Arizona!

Dan singing a song to his lovely bride! Yes, he sings too!

A couple that Tebow's together stays together.

Yes, that is Batman and Robin. Seriuosly this wedding just keeps getting better and better.

Again I do not post a lot of reception pictures, but look at this crowd. They danced like this all night, non-stop.

Happy New Year!! What a way to end 2011. One of my busiest years so far, out with a great couple along with their friends and family.

On a bit of a serious note, Dan and Trisha are incredible. Their presence is big and positive. While photographing the ceremony, seeing the smiles, tears, beautiful colors in the sky, sounds I was reminded of just how privileged I am to be a wedding photographer! Yes, I know I get paid, but the moments I witness, that I was allowed to be there. Amazing. This couple is amazing. I feel that God speaks to us through others. Dan and Trisha would be others. Thank you for allowing me to photograph your wedding. I was honored!

Crave Photography is Giving a Lens Away!!

2012-01-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

See this beautiful lens!! Well CRAVE PHOTOGRAPHY is giving one away and I'm trying to win it.:-))
Check Crave Photography out at www.cravemyphotography.com/blog ! Hope I win.

The Men In My Life

2011-12-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We did here at the Sandy household. At the very last minute I took my boys out to take some pictures of them for the in-laws. I thought I would share some with you. These are the men in my life minus Brian (husband). They make me smile every single day. Each one of my boys are very bright and spectacular in their own right! My favorite day of the week is Monday because everyone is always home. I will cook a good dinner and we will all sit together and talk and laugh for hours. Then Brian will go out and get us Dairy Queen.

My life is filled with such happiness because of these face's!! I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Year! Thank you for letting me share my lil men. I will be shooting a wedding on New Years Eve, can't wait to share!!

~Joshua and Meaghan~

2011-12-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

A beautiful church wedding at Saint Andrews with Joshua and Meaghan. Joshua and Meaghan were referred to me from a cousin in who's wedding I photographed a couple years ago. I love being able to do referrals!! One thing I can say about Joshua and Meaghan, they are "in Love"... They way they would look at each, kiss each other, very passionate. As I was editing their wedding photos, I was thinking to myself, wow, look at how they look at each other. Another thought was how many pictures I had of them kissing!

Joshua and Meaghan's reception was held at Tre Bella. Down the street from Tre Bella is the Mesa Art Center, so why not go take some pictures there as well. Mesa Art Center never looks the same to me no matter how many times I've shot there!

The famous Cinderella wall! Thank you Joshua and Meaghan for allowing me to photograph your wedding. So happy that I was able to be the one!!

~My 11-12-11 Wedding~

2011-12-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of photographing Jeremy and Corinne's wedding on 11-12-11, the day after the big 11-11-11. This wedding was perfection!! First off they were married at Copperwynd in Fountain Hills, a very beautiful venue. Then there is the weather, it could have rained, did not. How about their wonderful family and friends? Warm, kind and crazy fun, that is their family and friends. Mix all this with one Gorgeous, classy, relaxed, fun couple you get a perfect wedding!! When I say relaxed, Corinne was barefoot all day!

I have to give a shout out to Misti my second shooter who captured these great pictures of the guys while they were getting ready. That's right ladies, while you are putting on makeup, curling your hair, putting on your jewelry and getting dressed the men a smoking cigars! Love the shots Misti got.

I do not post a lot of reception pictures, but I had to share a couple of Jeremy and Corinne so you can get a feel of how much fun this couple had at their wedding. This reception will go down as one of my all time favorites. Everyone was just letting loose and having a blast.. Great job by DJ Jeff Marcus with Citron Sound! The dance floor was packed all night!

Thank you Jeremy and Corinne for allowing me to be a part of your perfect wedding day!

My 11-11-11 Wedding

2011-12-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Not sure of actually how many couple's were married on November 11, 2011, but I know it was A LOT!! I feel so lucky to have ended up working with Michael and Shannon for their 11-11-11 wedding! I think Shannon would agree that we have become friends since she booked me for her wedding. I've had the privilege of shooting Shannon and Michael's maternity, newborn, engagement etc... Michael and Shannon have a beautiful family that was finally joined in marriage. A day that they have been waiting for!

I love this last picture, thanks Misti for your help. It was last minute and really quick. Needless to say My 11-11-11 wedding was perfect. Michael and Shannon I adore you and your family and have enjoyed getting to know you. Wishing you a wonderful future. Not over yet, I will see you for Emily's 1st birthday.:-)

I Interupt Wedding Season to Bring You Little Miss Morgan

2011-11-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

I've known Morgan for a few years now, she use to date my son,still a friend of the family. She is Little Miss Morgan to me, although not so little anymore. Growing up into a beautiful lady. Little Miss is a senior at Sandra Day O'Connor this year and asked if I would take some senior pictures of her. We have this idea of going to a farm for some country looking pictures, but in my travels on the freeways in town I spotted some cotton fields. Yes, I know right next to Westgate an outdoor mall there are cotton fields. So this is the first part of Little Miss Morgan's senior pics. Stay tune for the farm pictures.

Little Miss was a trooper in walking through all the cotton to get out in the middle. As I was following her the thought of critters entered my mind. If I was a snake I would love to live in the cotton fields. I love this last picture of Morgan's boots, I did a little photoshop on her legs to try to cover up all the scratches form the cotton branches. We had a great time!!

Tempe Center for the Arts Kind of Wedding

2011-11-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

I was already looking forward to shooting Tim and Brandee's wedding, but this picture of the wedding dress say's it all as to what kind of day it was, perfect!! How could it not be perfect with a dress like this, not to mention the shoe's, flowers, all the Little details Brandee made sure to add and for it all to take place at the Tempe Center for the Arts!! Rain, what rain? Yes, there was a lot of wind and a classic AZ dust storm, but none of this stopped the day from being perfect, just added to the creativity..

Tim and Brandee saw each other before the ceremony so they would have more time with their guest at the cocktail hour. Brandee asked if we could some how get a picture of them looking at each other at the same time. I love how this came about. We had Tim at one side of the curve and Brandee at the other, ready, set, GO! Brandee was so excited, I think she jogged a bit.

Tim and Brandee are such a beautiful couple. Tim so very handsome and Brandee so beautiful and elegant. They both love the camera, would'nt you say!!

This room is so beautiful at night, I had to capture it at both angles. Love how all the lights dance on the water surrounding the building.

Tim and Brandee went into the reception room during the cocktail hour to see how all their hard work looked.. Amazing!! While in there they took a practice turn on the dance floor.. Super sweet couple.

Tim and Brandee are a really sweet couple and I've enjoyed working with them tremendously. While watching them through out the day I would get a little emotional, feeling so blessed to be the one to photograph their wedding! Misti was my second shooter, let me tell you, she did a fabulous job!! I should also give a shout out to all the other vendors that made this day perfect for Tim and Brandee. Pastor Mark Faul was FANTASTIC... A ceremony filled with laughter and love. Tony Caldwell the DJ for the night also did a great job keeping the reception moving so smoothly. Then there is Sterling Event Design, working with Carrie and her team. They did a meticulous job making sure that everything was again perfect and it was!! Tim and Brandee thank you for allowing me to photograph your special wedding day! Brandee I need to also mention how grateful I am with all your information you would email about college's and scholarships for my son!

George and Kristen Get Married at Las Sendas

2011-11-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

This first shot of Kristen is a favorite!! George and Kristen, super sweet couple were married at Las Sendas, a beautiful Country club in Mesa. Everything went perfect on their day. It was absolutely gorgeous out. I had the pleasure of working with my favorite DJ, Juan with AZ Celebrity DJ..

Thank you George and Kristen for allowing me to photograph your beautiful wedding!

Robert and Jessica Say "I Do" at the Wright House

2011-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

First off, I love Jessica!! We met over a year ago about her wedding. Jessica really wanted to get married in Mexico but things were not lining up so they chose the Wright House a beautiful wedding venue. Jessica is such a sweet gal and I think her dress and shoe's say it all.

This next picture of Jessica is one of my favorite from the day!

This handsome man is Robert!!

Jessica and Robert met originally online. Although they did not get to go on a first date when originally scheduled fate brought them together!! You can read all about Jessica and Robert on my website.

Everything about Jessica and Roberts wedding day was perfect! They were so happy to have said "I do". It was a beautiful day, everything was on time and flowed perfectly. Great fun with family and friends. Lots of dancing and laughing until the sparkler send off.

The Game of Love With Joel and Sandra

2011-11-01T16:10:00.000-07:00

Being a wedding photographer is such a fun job, especially when you meet a couple like Joel and Sandra. Fun, kind hearted and loving is how I would describe them. Which makes sense that they met at a friends game night playing Rock Band!! You can see the couples fun personality come out in the details and colors of the their wedding. Joel and Sandra were married at The Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale. At The Franciscan Renewal Center has some great gardens and that is where you would find this great wood swing. Sandra really wanted to incorporate the swing into some of her wedding pictures.

Inside this lovely church no flash allowed. That is ok with me, look at the great natural light. I love the above picture of Sandra and her parents. Look at her daddy beaming with pride!

The couple sat in front facing all their friends and family. Such a great touch.

Did I mention how fun this couple was!!

Look at those fabulous bridesmaids dresses!

Ahh, more pictures with the great wood swing.

At the reception Sandra and Joel had some fun props, such as hearts, dice and playing cards in large size.

This wonderful wedding invitation was made by Erin, Sandra's sister-in-law. She has her own business called Be In Love Design. Custom wedding and event invitation design. Check her website out.:-)

Joel and Sandra had their reception at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort. Everything look beautiful. DJ Dan Bare had their guest dancing into the night. Thank you Joel and Sandra for a great fun wedding experience. I especially enjoyed watching bits of German tradition displayed at your wedding reception.

Fun, Fun, Fun with Brady and Kim!

2011-10-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

When I met with Brady and Kim in regards to their spring wedding I had so much fun with them. So happy when they asked me to photograph their special day!! Brady and Kim wanted to take the their engagement pictures in Fountain Hills. We had so much fun, when you spend time with Brady and Kim you can't help but laugh!!

They had requested some picture with their team jerseys, this is when their true personality's came out. Love them!

I am so looking forward to their wedding in May 2012, hanging with Brady, Kim and their families!!

Jesse and Alex at Willow Lake in Prescott

2011-10-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Alex. She got teary eyed when she walk into the reception room at the Hassayampa Inn in Prescott. It was all coming together, her perfect wedding day!

This is Willow Lake in Prescott. I've never seen anything like it before. This first time that I was at Willow Lake was about a year ago to visit my aunt. My first thought was I would love to photograph a couple there. Sure enough about two days Later Alex called and booked me to shoot her wedding to Jesse there!!

I did not meet Alex and Jesse until the wedding day. In my phone conversations with Alex I felt like we were old friends. When I saw Alex getting ready I knew I was lucky to be her wedding photographer! She is such a kind, warm lady. Then it was time for the first look, my first time meeting Jesse, no wonder they are together! Jesse has a kind spirit just like Alex. Now that day at the lake was cold, brrr about 37 out with scattered clouds. Amazingly enough when it was time for the ceremony to start the sun beamed out of the clouds to warm everyone up just enough. It was perfect. Thank you Jesse and Alex for allowing me to photograph this very special long awaited wedding day!! I truly felt blessed to be there with you.

~Jeremy and Vanessa Wed on the Beach of San Diego~

2011-10-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Where do I start? Jeremy and Vanessa were married on the beach at The La Jolla Shores in San Diego. It was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple. I was super excited when Vanessa and Jeremy contacted me to shoot their wedding. You see Vanessa is the daughter of a very special lady, Tammy McMurry! Tammy was my son's preschool teacher. Tammy is also very good friends with another special lady Nancy also a preschool teacher also one of my dearest friends. Which meant Nancy and I were able to travel together to San Diego for the wedding, which made the trip that much more awesome!

Look at Jeremy's face as he see's his lovely bride for the first time walking to him!

The beach that Jeremy and Vanessa got married at is a public beach, so anyone passing by or hanging at the beach that day was able to witness the "I do's".

Jeremy and Vanessa wanted to do a shoot the day after on the beach. We had so much fun! Amazingly enough the water was not to cold for them to get into, yes they got all wet in the ocean!!

Nancy who is also known as my Creative Prop and Set Designer brought some fun props for us to us on the beach. Love this old camera!

Yes, Nancy brought this blue chair and said she did not mind if I put the chair in the ocean, so I did!!

I really felt lucky to be a part of this beautiful wedding. Jeremy and Vanessa you have something special and you feel it when you are around the two of you. Reminds me of the song "Whatever it is" by the Zac Brown Band. You two have "whatever it is"! Thank you for allowing me to be a witness!!

~Erik and Teri Are Married~

2011-10-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Finally a new blog post!! My office line and Internet were out for almost a week. The hardest part of having no Internet was not being able to blog!!

This beautiful couple is Erik and Teri. They were just married at Seville in Gilbert. It was a perfect day with a perfect sunset!!

Erik and Teri laughing and having fun!!

Love both of these pictures of Teri, her eyes are stunning..

See what I mean about perfect sunset!!

Love in Greer Arizona

2011-09-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

Finally a new blog post. Things have been a little crazy with my boys school schedule and my work schedule. It has taken a little longer then I thought to get settled in with the new school year. Anyway, lets get on to the reason for this blog. A beautiful wedding in Greer Arizona at the Red Setter Cabin!

How convenient to have a hair and makeup expert in the family. Tony's sister Nicole did Rowena's hair and makeup for her. Nicole owns Riposa Salon and Day Spa.

Greer is a special place for Tony and Rowena so why not get married there. They had a small intimate wedding along a creek side. There were concerns of rain, especially when it started up at 3:00 pm ceremony time. Only lasted for about 10 minutes, everyone helped wipe down the chairs and let the wedding begin. Look at the beautiful light over the ceremony, as if it was special ordered.

Rain started up again during the formals for just a bit, can you see it in the background? Not enough rain to damper picture taking, only lasted for a few minutes.

The cutest ring bearer and flower girl ever!!

My favorite part of the day was when Rowena was getting ready. I had asked her how she met Tony and her face lit up, big smile and she shared with me their story. The first time Rowena saw Tony was at work, instantly had a crush on Tony for two years before they dated. Rowena didn't want to make the first move, but sometime's a girl has to do what she has to. Finallly a movie date, they talked for hours and they have been together ever since.

When you have a beautiful setting such as Greer with a beautiful couple Tony and Rowena, this will make for beautiful pictures. It was a great experience to be a part of Tony and Rowena's day, along with meeting their family and friends. Not to mention getting out of the Arizona heat for a few days.

Greer Wedding and Desert Tortoise

2011-09-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Working on this beautiful Greer wedding and will do a blog post on it next. But for now check out our new Desert Tortoise's!! While I was in Greer shooting this wedding this past weekend, Brian and the boys got us some Desert Tortoise's. I LOVE them. They are so cute.. I put them in the shower to take this picture and they were moving so fast, it was funny. Like taking a picture of a baby that just learned how to crawl. Anyway, just had to share my excitement for the tortoise's. Greer wedding coming up...

Jeremy and Corinne

2011-09-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and Corinne will be getting married this fall at Cooperwynd. This beautiful couple, really just look at them, were so relaxed during their engagement shoot. Corinne and I did find out we had J Crew love in common, we spent a lot of time talking about it.:-) I'm so looking forward to Jeremy and Corinne's wedding. Can't wait to see Corinne's dress, she has such good taste!

Tyler and Amanda Visit the Old West

2011-08-29T06:28:00.000-07:00

This beautiful young couple wanted to go to Goldfield Ghost Town for their engagement pictures. Where is it I ask, never been there? In case you are wondering the same think it is located at the bottom of the Superstition mountains. You can go to their website to read the history of the town. Tyler and Amanda picked a great location, we had a great time! Love the old buildings and the old feel!

Tyler and Amanda are so young and in love, fun to be around. We had some great light, dark clouds, then the rain came in. I have to say thanks to Tyler and Amanda for introducing me to another wonderful spot in Arizona!

Emilie at 6 Months

2011-08-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when Shannon asked me to take pictures of Emilie at 6 months. We kicked around ideas of going somewhere outside, but decided to do them in my office. I got a hold of some wood flooring and put it down just before Emilie arrived. I LOVE how her pictures came out. She is such a little beauty!! Thank you Shannon for this opportunity!

Central Coast Beauty! P.S. This is my 200 post on my blog!!

2011-08-17T06:20:00.000-07:00

The first week in August I took my boys home to visit my family and friends. Home could be Atascadero or Templeton, I spent a lot of time in both towns. Generally I refer to home as the Central Coast. Located exactly half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This is where my photography career started. My first wedding, family pictures, I even shot my little sister's senior portraits in 1987. When I heard my friend Claire was looking for someone to shot her daughters senior pictures I gave her a shout out. Claire's family and mine go way back. I mentioned to her that I would be in town and would love to take pictures of Kate. This is Kate, a senior at Atascadero High. She is one beautiful teenager, very sweet!

I have to mention this fence. I asked Kate to lean on it and was demonstrating to her how it should look. Well it was an electric fence!!! Yes, I got electrocuted, funny, I think so. I was just happy that I touched the fence before Kate, I would have felt bad if she had gotten electrocuted. Thanks Claire for allowing me to take Kate's pictures. I had a GREAT time and enjoyed shooting in my home town. It was wonderful to see you again after all this time!! What a great 200 post on my blog!! See the confetti falling down.:-)

Cade Turned One and We Watched it Happen

2011-08-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

How lucky to be able to watch this beautiful boy grow from a newborn to a walking one year old. Here is Cade when he was just a newborn.

Cade is three months old in this picture.

One of my favorite session, Cade at six months old. He was all giggles and smiles.

Then we did some pictures in my office when Cade was nine months old. Again very happy.

Cade at one. We met at Anthem park for his one year old session. Cade was not to thrilled with the ducks.

At all! He wanted his grandma to pick him up and rescue him from the ducks.

Cade has a lot of food allergies so Mommy had to make a special cake for him. Cade is not sure of what to do with his little cake. He mostly just played with it.

This last picture is one of my favorites of Cade. Mark and Candace thank you for allowing me to capture Cade growing up. The title of this blog post has the word We in it because I've posted so many pictures of Cade on my blog and FB, that everyone recognizes him and feel like they were a part of watching him grow. He is a very special little boy with a smile that warm's your heart.

Let's Talk About TTD

2011-07-27T07:11:00.000-07:00

Lets talk about Trash The Dress, I think it should be called something else for the dress doesn't really get trashed. Maybe a little dirty or dusty. Unless of course you are going into the ocean. Then you just rinse off the dress with the hose and drop it off at the dry cleaners. Can I just say that I LOVE doing this kind of shoot. Maybe I will re title it to WDF (Wedding Dress Fun). They are so much fun because the bride is so relaxed, you get to pick a fun out of the ordinary location and the photographer is under no time limit or any concerns of keeping everything neat and pretty. Do you remember Raeannon, a beautiful past bride? Let me tell you that we had so much fun doing this WDF. I feel like I've had a big secret waiting for the right time to do this blog post. We had such a great time and Raeannon was such a trooper. She is gorgeous and was not afraid to lay down in the dirt which made for great pictures. Thank you Raeannon!!!

A Little Tradition

2011-07-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Mark and Jennifer a beautiful couple already married, in Hawaii. Mom wanted to have a reception here in town for them. I picked up the couple and we headed out to take some fun formal pictures before the reception. It was only about 108 out on this Sunday afternoon. I say only 108 because the day before it was about 111. What troopers they were, never complained about the heat. We spent about an hour out taking pictures then off to the Great Wall for the festivities. This is one sweet couple, lots of laughs the entire time!! Wishing Mark and Jennifer a lifetime of happiness.

Baseball Fever

2011-07-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

A Trash the Dress with Alfonso and Staci! What better day to post this photo session then today the day of the MLB All Star Game, which is being held here at Chase Field in Phoenix. Especially since Alfonso knows a little about baseball being's he is a umpire.

This last image is my favorite from the entire shoot!!

Alfonso and Staci were married this past January. At that time we decided we had to do a Trash the Dress on a baseball field. We had a great time once again. I absolutely adore this couple!! They are so happy with each other, and both have such a fun loving spirit. The only thing that didn't go are way was we couldn't seem to get Staci dirty. She wanted to get dirty and dusty. We tried to kick up some dust but it wasn't happening. Staci slid, laid and rolled around in the dirt, nothing!! Can't say we didn't try. For all you baseball fans out there I hope you enjoy the MLB All Star Game tonight!!

Family Pictures in Prescott

2011-07-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

Every year I donate a photo session to Stepping Stones Preschool for their annual Ice Cream Social and Fundraiser. This year the Cross Family won the bid and wanted to take family pictures in Prescott. What a beautiful family they are!! My friend Nancy was kind enough to make the drive to Prescott with me. We had a great time with fun ideas and several different locations. Thank you Cross family!!

Jonathan and Ashleigh Tie the Knot at the Zoo

2011-06-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

I had a text message from my cousin asking if I would be available to take pictures for her co-workers daughter's wedding in the next week? You see Jon is in the military and was going to be home from Afghanistan for a week. While he was home Jon and Ashleigh wanted to get married. I love this picture of Ashleigh getting ready, she was so happy. Jon and Ashleigh were married at the Tiburon Restaurant and Aquarium at the Wildlife World Zoo. Fantastic idea. It was such a fun atmosphere for a wedding.
Along with their family and friends the Flamingos were there to witness this beautiful couple say "I do".
This is the best part of the Tiburon Restaurant, while you eat you can watch the sharks. Can not wait to take my family here. Jon and Ashleigh I am so happy I was able to take your wedding pictures for you!! You two are so adorable together. Misti and I agree that this was a "feel good wedding". Your happiness is contagious. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!!

Married at Last~ Damon and Shannon

2011-06-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Damon and Shannon were finally married at Encanterra Country Club. What a beautiful wedding day it was. A little hot, but not to bad. This was my first time at Encanterra, let me say this ~"amazinggg". Shannon and her girls had their hair and makeup done at Dolce in Chandler.

Damon and Shannon met by chance. Shannon's roommates worked at a bar in Tempe and she would go hang out with them while they worked. While Damon worked security at this same bar, he also would go play Texa's Hold'em there. One night Shannon and her friends were all getting together for her brothers 21st birthday. Just so happens that a mutual friend had invited Damon along, in hopes of setting him up with someone entirely different then Shannon. Come to find out, Damon had a crush on Shannon and was surprised to see her there that night. Even though he was nervous, he worked up the courage to talk to her. Needless to say he was not interested in anybody else. The two have been together ever since.
I have to say this is one of my all time favorite pictures! Shannon is so elegant.

Damon looking very sharp himself!! Tall and hansome!! Damon and Shannon make such a perfect couple!
The hands were Shannon's idea! Love how it came out.
Everything was perfect! A great reception hosted by AZ Celebrity DJ. The night ended with a sparkler exit! Thank you Damon and Shannon for allowing me to photograph your wedding. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!

Sanctuary Wedding Staring TJ and Michelle

2011-06-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

A little over six years ago TJ and Michelle met at ASU. Both were part of the ASU Marching Band along with the band fraternity. What started out as friendship turned into love! They were married at the beautiful Sanctuary in Paradise Valley. On this particular day in May It was probably the windiest day of the year so far.Michelle having her hair and makeup done by Allison Pynn. She did such a fabulous job. Even with the crazy wind Michelle looked stunning.TJ and Michelle did a first look before the ceremony so we were able to take all the family and bridal party pictures before hand.Just a spectacular view from the Sanctuary!

Everyone had a great time at the reception. Mancini Entertainment had TJ and Michelle's guest on the dance floor all night. TJ and Michelle are settled now. They have their jobs, house, dog Abby and not to mention their new season passes for the Sun Devil's. Super excited for the Witucky family!!

Unexpected Love

2011-06-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

When Marianne and Art started dating, Marianne already had a move to Arizona in the works. Dating with no expectations! Isn't that how most love stories start? Well what was Art to do when he realized he had fallen in love with Marianne? Follow her to Arizona of course... That is exactly what he did. Shoes can be sparkly and comfortable all at the same time. While Marianne was getting beautiful Art and his groomsmen were toasting...

Art and Marianne were married at Sunridge Canyon Golf Club. One of the best views in AZ. The ceremony was performed by Pastor Mark Faul.
First toast between husband and wife.
I love Art and Marianne's story. Just when you least expect it love happens. Art and Marianne's wedding was a beautiful and fun celebration that started a few days before the wedding with all their out of town guest, family and friends. When you are with Art and Marianne you feel at home, they are so down to earth. I enjoyed watching everyone have a great time together!

Fun Engagement Shoot in Flagstaff

2011-05-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and Vanessa truly met on a blind date! To make it even better it was on Valentines Day! Jeremy's cousin's fiance set them up. This was her first time at match making. When I say truly a blind date, they did not talk, text, email before the date. Jeremy went into it without even knowing how incredible beautiful Vanessa was!! I'd say someone has some good match up skills for Jeremy and Vanessa have been together ever since and will say "I do" on the beach in San Diego in October.
Jeremy and Vanessa wanted to do their engagement pictures up north, hopefully with some wildflowers. Well the only flowers we could find wild or not were at NAU campus. Which was just fine for these two alumni's from NAU!!
When talking about taking pictures in Flagstaff I had a few ideas of my own. My family spends a lot of time up north and I knew of this old abandoned grocery store and suggested we stop there.. Every time I would drive past it I would think that I would love to photograph a couple there.
Since I carpooled with Jeremy and Vanessa for a bit during our photo shoot I was able to witness how very sweet to each other they are. So respectful and kind. I herd Jeremy say to Vanessa "you are so beautiful" aww melt my heart!! I am so looking forward to their wedding!!

First Time at Firerock Country Club

2011-05-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

Meet Ryan and Kate, from North Carolina. Yes they had a destination wedding here in Fountain Hills AZ. This is the first viewing of Kate by Ryan, it was such a sweet moment.

Ryan and Kate choose to get married at Firerock Country Club in Fountain Hills. Now this is my first time at this venue and I was super excited to be there. What a beautiful view Firerock has. If I can give any couple planning a wedding advice I would suggest you not let the fact that a vendor has not been to your venue of choice stop you from using their services. Especially with photography. What is most important is that you are comfortable with your photographer for you are with them most of the day and that you like their style. A professional photographer will not have any problems at a new venue. Takes a few minutes to look around to decide on best lighting and location. If it is the vendors first time (photographer) ask them to meet you there a week before the wedding at the time you will be taking pictures and walk around with them. Point out what area's are most important to you.

This wedding ran so smoothly with the hard work of Victoria with A Piece of Cake wedding Design. Then there were the spectacular flowers by Ever After Florals. No joke this wedding was my second wedding in a row working with Jen from Ever After! I keep good company. Seriously there couldn't have been a more perfect wedding. I love the music details that Kate Incorporated throughout her wedding, a true music lover. Another fabulous wedding for the books.

Jeff and Laura and One Incredible Wedding

2011-05-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

What a great idea, pre wedding bridal shoot!! Laura's suggestion and I was "yes" love the idea. We had our pre wedding bridal shoot at DC Ranch. Laura had her friend Lyndsay with her to help move her around in her dress! When I saw Laura, whew what a beauty...
Wedding day specs:

Location: Raven at Verrado
Hair and makeup: Norterra Salon and Spa
Amazing flowers: Ever After Florals
DJ: Jeff with Ray the DJ

Seriously, these flower bouquets were amazingly stunning and unusual.
I love this shot of the groomsmen, it really shows the comradeship between them and what I saw the entire day!
What a beautiful couple Jeff and Laura make!! Lots of fun!! They are surrounded by fun spirited friends and family. When we met for the first time I was thrilled to know I was going to be photographing their wedding day. Sometimes you just know right off the bat how special a couple is. So on this particular wedding day it was so windy from beginning until the end, yet never spoiled any one's good time attitude. This wedding had great color and style. Not only was there lots of kidding around between Jeff and his guys, we had Jeff and Laura roll down a hill backwards in a golf cart. Megan and I did are best to hold the cart at the top of the hill but it had to let go. Nobody got hurt and my vision of the cart tipping over on top of Jeff and Laura didn't happen (thank goodness). At the reception there was dancing all night. Jeff and Laura, you two are adorable and I feel so lucky to have been your photographer!! Thank you for being patient on viewing of your pictures.

"We Did"

2011-05-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

David and Melissa are married!! What a beautiful wedding it was! Everything took place at the Embassy Suites. With Joe from AZ Celebrity DJ making sure the guest had a great time. This wedding was a little extra special for me, since I've gotten to know the couple and their family. We met last summer through my bff Nancy while in San Diego taking family pictures. Miss Hailey is got to be the cutest flower girl ever!!
Everything went off perfectly for this wedding! All the guest were dancing and having fun at the reception! Did you notice the cute props in the blog post, have to say thank you to Nancy my Creative prop & set designer. David and Melissa thank you for allowing me to photograph your beautiful wedding, I look forward to seeing the two of you in the future!

My Son

2011-05-03T06:56:00.001-07:00

Tear, tear, sob, sob.. That was then and this is now!! If anyone has spent any amount of time with me they will know that I have 3 boys that I truly love and adore!! I will talk about them to anyone who will listen. Which brings us to this blog post about my oldest son Miguel, a senior at Sandra Day O'Connor. Look at Miguel just a few days old and then all of a sudden he is 17 and it is time to take his senior portraits. It went so fast, so, so fast.
Graduating from high school is a mixture of emotions. Finishing up a major part of your life and starting the next phase. All of a sudden a young adult with important decisions to make. Exciting yet intimidating. Ahh and your friends.... You've spent day in and day out with each other and now you will scatter..
Miguel has lived in the same community since birth with determination on my part. Wanted him to feel connected. I think it worked.:-) He has a great group of friends, some since the beginning of elementary school and some since high school. Swim team is one of the best decision he made his Freshmen year and swam all four years at O'Connor.
So I have all of the boy's report cards since 1st grade on up. I wanted to do this picture of Miguel throwing all his report cards up, it was to windy, didn't get the full effect, still fun.
Miguel has a passion for Mustangs!! Take's after his dad..

Miguel is very bright! I like to use that word because his intelligence is shared with enthusiasm. World History and Physics are his top subjects. The young man loves FAST cars, have you seen his dream garage on fb? I adore Miguel, his sense of humor, generosity and kindness. Miguel loves to have fun, a very social young man. He enjoys life and likes a good laugh. Through Miguel I've learned what unconditional love is. We are very excited about his future and look forward to watching him continue to grow! I am so proud to be his mama!! He is my little man!

Edward and Diandra Wedding Bliss

2011-04-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

Edward and Diandra were married at the Raven in Verrado. It was my first time there and let me tell you what a fantastic venue the Raven is. Very beautiful, spacious and a wonderful staff. Megan was with Diandra all day making sure everything was going as planned. I have to say that Diandra is one of the most organized bride's I've worked with in a long time. She knew exactly what she wanted and how the wedding should take place. What a well thought out wedding it was. Everything was beautiful, all the little details of blue were just perfect.
Edward seeing his bride for the first time! His happy emotion made me tear up! Every time he look at Diandra he was beaming. Their exuberance together was contagious. Lots of tears and smiles during the first moment when Edward saw Diandra. Along with when he watched her walk down the isle to be his wife. Very touching.
Diandra was really hoping for a sunset, but instead we had this beautiful full moon. Off to the reception with lots of dancing and laughter hosted by Curtis Whipple. Curtis had the room dancing all night. Thank you Dina for helping me keep the picture taking on track. Edward and Diandra thank you for allowing me to photograph your wedding, I know you put a lot of thought into your vendors. What a beautiful, happy couple you are!!

Burl and Katie, Match Made In Heaven

2011-04-21T12:38:00.000-07:00

Burl is from Georgia, Katie from Phoenix! Only God could have brought these two beautiful people together. The outdoors and horses is what this couple has in common so what better place to say "I do" then at Pioneer Village. Can I just say how impressed I was with everyone involved especially Katie. All the rain, wind and mud didn't dampen her or any one's mood. It was a beautiful ceremony in a 1800 chapel and the reception held in an old Opera house. It all suited this couple perfectly and made for amazing wedding pictures. Can I please give a big shout out to Lyric who did an amazing job on Katie's hair!! Did I mention that Christa, Katie's older sister is a past bride along with Lyric Christa's BFF for 30 years. Needless to say I was looking forward to being a part of this very special day!
We could not have staged this breathing taking double rainbow any better.

Katie took of to live in Georgia with Burl literally the next day. Burl and Katie thank you for allowing me to photograph your amazing day!! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness in Georgia!!

Her Friends Call Her Becca

2011-04-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Hahn a senior at O'Connor High class of 2011. Her friends call her Becca! I've had the privilege watching Becca the last four years compete on the swim team with my son. Her favorite sport, softball know for her orange cleats. Becca has this sweet innocence about her. Her smile is contagious. When Becca enters the room it seems brighter! OC is going to miss her next year. Everybody Love's Becca. Yes she did! Buy this Mustang on her own...

A Class Act

2011-04-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

My first thought when I met Breeann, she has style. Very put together as one might say and her nails we sport en this great deep color, in which I copied the next time I had a pedicure. Breeann's style is very classy and you can see it in her dress. In her very beautiful shoe's along with her stunning bouquet. Jay and Breeann were married at the Princess in Scottsdale, a very classy location. A very beautiful Jewish ceremony outside at the Lagoon Lawn. There wasn't a single detailed missed from wedding attire, ceremony to reception. Jay a very handsome gentlemen, cool and calm knowing that he would soon be married to the classy Breeann. Jay and Breeann wanted to make sure there were lots of pictures of the Houppa, gorgeous. Jay and Breean thank you for allowing me to photograph your wedding. What a classy couple you are!! Wishing you life long happiness.

What Love Is All About

2011-04-08T07:32:00.000-07:00

Little Ayden!! What love is all about, the little babies that steal our hearts. We do things, say things we never thought possible for our children. Our heart's feel like they can't handle the amount of love that we feel for our children. One of the most amazing experience's one can have. All this and more is what Will and Ashley are going through with their newborn Ayden. I've know Ashley for sometime now. At first she was a cute gal who worked at Postnet and had a boyfriend named Will. Then she was a beautiful bride on the beach in Cabo just Married to her now husband Will. Now she is a wife, teacher and a new loving mommy to baby Ayden. Will and Ashley will be the best parents ever. I am so proud to know them and to watch them grow into what life is all about. A loving family to laugh, share and document wonderful experiences with. Congratulations Will and Ashley!!

Best Fisrt Kiss Ever

2011-04-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

This is Randy finally viewing his lovely bride for the first time on March 25th, 2011 at Seville Country Club. This is Jessica, all smiles as she sees Randy watching her walk down the isle so they can say their "I do's". This is what the first kiss looks like between high school sweethearts when they get married. Best first kiss EVER! This is what love looks like while watching your "husband" sign the marriage license. It is official. This is what happiness looks like when the two people you know should be married, get married. Jessica looking beautiful and happy on her wedding day. Randy looking rather handsome and pleased with himself on his wedding day. Thank you Randy and Jessica for allowing me to see what love, beauty, happiness and the best first kiss ever looks like at your wedding.

~Mario and Jaclynn~

2011-04-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Jaclynn is ready to go marry the love of her life Mario!! Talk about two loving, caring, sincere, people that belong together. What is most important to Mario and Jaclynn? Family and friends. That is why instead of getting married in Las Vegas, where they live, they came to Phoenix to get married. For that is where their family and friends are! Wow, Jaclynn is a stunning bride. Not only is Mario and Jaclynn devoted to each other, it is evident that they are devoted to their little man Mario. Congratulations to this beautiful family.

Joe and Veronica Make It Official

2011-03-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is Joe and Veronica's wedding, a very young sweet couple that I adore. They were married at the Mountain Preserve on a very beautiful March day. Veronica and her bridesmaids looking beautiful with the help of Amy Freudenberg on the hair and Erica Konz on makeup. While taking pictures of the girls getting ready I really enjoyed watching the interactions between sister's and high school friends. Everyone was asking Veronica if she was nervous, as calm as could be she would smile and say "no". The bouquet's were stunning!! Jeanna Royal of How Appropriate did such a fantastic job. Little Jackson, Joe and Veronica's adorable little man was the ring bearer. Jackson a little shy felt if he just hid behind the ring pillow all would be OK. Veronica with her contagious smile was perfectly beautiful on her wedding day. Joe was beaming with happiness and love. I am telling you this couple is so sweet. Now off to the reception which was rockin with BJ the DJ. Joe and Veronica thank you for allowing me to be your wedding photographer! I know that there lots of options out there. You have a beautiful family with many wonderful, busy, fun not to mention crazy years ahead of you.

Yes, I Do Shoot Weddings

2011-03-25T10:36:00.001-07:00

If you have been following my blog or checking to see if you like my work to maybe shoot your wedding, you might be asking yourself "thought she was a wedding photographer"? It seems that I've been posting a lot of other things such as baby's, senior portrait's, children and more baby's. This first part of 2011 I've been so busy with obviously not just weddings. I am having so much FUN right now. Not only do I shoot weddings and love it, but I will second shoot for other photographer's in town. In this blog I pulled out some of my favorite wedding images from some of the weddings that I've second on lately. The first few images are from shooting with the fabulous Leanna. She has a great talent for posing. Bride getting ready, love it. This next group of images are from when I shot with Tracy. Tracy is a very technical photographer along with artistic. This first image happened when I went to get something for Tracy and saw Rachel just waiting with her mom for it to be time to walk down the isle and there was this mirror. Idea!! This last image of Rachel is one of my favorites!! It must be told that I absolutely LOVE photograping weddings and have specialized in it for almost 20 years! Don't do the math, not important.:-) If you are looking for a wedding photographer to shoot your wedding I would love the opportunity to meet with you.

~The Camera Loves Hannah~

2011-03-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hannah is a beautiful senior at Mountain Ridge! We had a great time taking her senior portraits. First we had to get Hannah with her two little brother's then it was time to just have fun. Hannah is very comfortable in front of the camera and the camera loves her.
We went to take a little walk out to this bridge when a very nice young man offered up the golf cart for us to drive. Hannah went for it.

Hannah plans on moving to Texas for college studying education. When her mom mentioned she was leaving the state I felt sad. Only because I have a senior this year myself and if he moved out of state for school I would greatly miss him. I felt for Hannah's mom..

You Will Fall In Love With Gracie, I Did

2011-03-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

This beautiful, fun spirited little girl is Gracie and she turned one! Gracie's mom Heidi got my number from a bride of mine and wanted to set up a time to have Gracie's pictures taken. Well when I met Gracie my heart melted. She is so sweet and happy not to mention beautiful. We were all smiles and giggles during Gracie's photo shoot.
Heidi thank you for allowing me to photograph Gracie. I feel so honored to have been able to spend an hour with her!! Gracie is truly a little angel.

Mr Aiden, Jason and Dena's Pride and Joy

2011-03-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

This is Aiden, the newest member of Jason and Dena's family. Such a sweet little angel. I have to share this story: Jason and Dena were married last April 4, 2010. Since originally meeting Dena and photographing her wedding we've become friends.:-) While shooting Jason and Dena's maternity pictures Dena was telling me that she was hoping for Aiden to be born on Feb 14th for certain reasons. Dena and I had made plans to meet for lunch on Thursday Feb 10th. Well the night before I went to send Dena a text message to say "Don't be going in to labor tomorrow so you can cancel lunch on me". I did not send the text for my thought was I do not want to jinx Dena, she is hoping to have the baby on Feb 14th. Well guess what? On Thursday Feb 10th I was heading out to meet Dena for lunch when I received a text message from Jason stating "Dena is in labor, will not be able to meet you for lunch". Is it my fault? One will never know.

I borrowed my friend Nancy's lensbaby for this next image. What a fun lens.

I was so excited to finally shoot little Aiden at three weeks old. He was a perfect angel for his shoot. Congratulations to my friends Jason and Dena, you will be outstanding parents.

Meet Emilie Marie

2011-03-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Meet Emilie Marie, Michael and Shannon's new baby girl. Emilie Marie was about two weeks old when we took her pictures. She was a perfect Angel for me. I must admit I really enjoy taking pictures of a GIRL.. Seems everyone is having boys. Look at all the pink.;-) I think my logo goes well with Emilie Marie.
Michael and Shannon are a very sweet couple and have a beautiful family. Baby makes five. I look forward to taking their wedding picture November 11Th, 2011.