I am so excited to have been a part of the Grand Opening Celebration for Color Me Mine pottery painting in the Avenues Mall.  It's such a fun place to have in our community and a great solution on a rainy day, hot day, ladies night out or just when you need to get the kids out of the house to do something fun and creative ( an obvious perk if that you don't have to clean up after ).

  This place was so big and full of excitement and endless possibilities when it comes to art.  They have a more private area in the back set apart with a large T.V. and buffet area for snacks and drinks so you can schedule birthday parties, bridal showers, bachelorette parties or even just an overdue moms night out with your friends and have your own space!   The artists at Color Me Mine will help you customize your event from scheduling to decorations...even helping you choose your art piece.   

I spoke with the owner of Color Me Mine Vaishali, who is actually a physician from India, so read through the interview and see some great images from their Grand Opening below!

Question:  What made you choose to start Color Me Mine in Jacksonville, FL?

   I wanted to provide something fun and creative for children to do with there families to make memories and use their imaginations.

Question:  What is the most exciting thing about owning this company for you?  

   When kids come back to pick their pieces up and I see the happiness on their faces as well as their parents faces.

Question:  What range of people would be able to find something in their skill level to enjoy creating in the store?

    The most special thing about Color Me Mine is that it is for anyone. There is no age or gender limitation and you don't have to be an artist.  The beauty is that anyone can pick up a brush and design a piece in the way they want to.  All types of people from ladies looking to have a ladies night out to toddlers with their mothers. Each person selects a piece from our large selection of ceramics and our employees help them select their colors and brushes. After the piece is finished, the customer leaves it with us for a week so we can carefully glaze and fire their creation. No matter who it is, happiness lights up on the their face when we hand them their finished unique pieces they have created.

Question:  What do you think customers will like best about creating something in Color Me Mine?

    You don't have to be an artist at Color Me Mine but when you come in to create something with us, it will bring out the artist inside of you.   Every piece is unique to the individual and customers of all ages light up when they see their masterpiece glazed and finished with true colors at their pick up.   That is the best part for us...seeing how happy the customer is when they pick up their finished pieces. Little kids jump with the excitement while parents can't stop taking pictures.

Question:  What is your current on going promotion for customers?

   We have our Ladies Night Out on Thursday evenings and can customize any event for you.

Here are just a few photos from the fun and exciting grand opening celebration for you to enjoy :). 

As you can see from the photos, Color Me Mine is a very exciting and fun place for people of all ages. Check out their website and hours below so you can go see for yourself and don't forget that Thursday nights is Ladies night!   Clients of Courtney Whitehurst Photography get a special surprise when they mention this blog post on their first time in!  

Business name: Color Me Mine

Website: www.jacksonville.colormemine.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/colormeminejacksonville/

Twitter: colorjax

Business Hours:  M to F 10 am to 9 pm

                          Sunday: 12 am to 6 pm

Photographer:  Courtney Whitehurst Photography

Photographer Facebook:  www.facebook.com/courtneywhitehurstphotography 

Kelly and Chad got married at a private cabin in the Smoky Mountains and I was so excited to photograph a wedding in one of the most beautiful areas of our country.   They invited close family and their best friends in their bridal party who really made the cabin a beautifully decorated venue to say " I Do " in.  With my destination weddings it is quite common that I don't meet the bride until the wedding day but I could tell from our emails and conversations that Kelly and Chad were one of the sweetest couples I have worked with.   

Kelly and Chad met on their first day of College at Ole Miss waiting for the cafeteria to open.  They kept running into each other for the next week and slowly became friends.   Kelly said that Chad's personality and kindness is what first attracted her to him but his love for Christ is by far what she admires most in him.  I love what Chad said about meeting Kelly, " God placed Kelly so firmly into my life that I couldn't help but fall in love with her sweet temperament and kind words."

Kelly spoke with me before the wedding about doing a first look and how important that was for her because she was so excited to see Chad's reaction to her in her dress so I was determined to find a beautiful spot to do that for them.  In a cabin, there isn't a lot of spread out space typically but there is an amazing view so I moved some furniture around and added some lighting to cope with the bright sun and had them do their first look on the porch of the cabin with the beautiful Smoky Mountains behind them.  As beautiful as the view was it was no comparison to the love and excitement in their eyes when they saw each other. 

Kelly had a very close relationship to all of her bridesmaids and that was apparent to me in so many ways but the biggest was that she wanted a first look with them too.

The third and final "first look" that we did on the wedding day was with Kelly and her dad.   I photographed Kelly's Mom helping her get dressed and put on her final touches and could tell that she has such a bond with her parents.  

One of Chad's funniest memories to look back on with Kelly is when they first started dating and were taking a walk around campus.  They stopped in front of the administrative building on the Ole Miss Campus and Chad noticed a line of ants right behind Kelly.  

As she went to step back in them Chad grabbed her by her waist, pivoted and placed her 90 degrees from where she was less than a second before.   He remember the astonished and confused look on her face as he tried to explain why he did it.    

Both Kelly and Chad said that what excited them most about being married to each other was sharing their good and bad experience together and seeing what they can achieve as a couple.   With two sweet hearts chasing God's plan for them I can't wait to see all the wonderful things they accomplish in his name.  In 5 years they see themselves completing their college degrees and looking for a place to call home and enjoy it with their friends and family.

A little dancing on the porch before heading off on our "photography journey"

Our Gallant Groom carried the bride down to the river so we could get some close shots with the water for her...so romantic :)

When I asked them what excites them the most about growing old with each other they said they are looking forward to all of the trips and memories they will make as they build their family because life is short and the memories and photos made during our lives together are priceless...I couldn't agree with them more.   We ended the day with them taking a trip on the Gatlinburg chairlift for some photos so here is to the bride and groom and their happily ever after.   

Enjoy your Happily Ever After Mr & Mrs Prock

May 13, 2017

Vendor List:

Photographer:  Courtney Whitehurst Photography

Caterer:  Mission BBQ

Bakery:  Cakes by Brandi

Rentals:  Beautiful Beginnings by Claire

Venue:  Mandarin Community Club

It was a cold and breezy day but that didn't keep them and their amazing bridal party full of personalities from having a good time, they were such troopers during the walk around St. Augustine for their portraits!  THe White Room was very prepared and had these great heaters on the patio for everyone and we had the most perfect weather for the ceremony.  As a bonus surprise, the groomsmen who are mostly firefighters had a surprise lined up so when they were announced as husband and wife there were firetrucks down below to blow their horns and sirens in congratulation, definitely a successful feat for the groomsmen!    One of my favorite things about the evening is that everyone was so much fun and there were a LOT of talented dancers of all ages at this wedding.   

Kelly and Carlos had a great theme for their wedding and incorporated a lot of puzzle pieces and romantic sitcom/movie couples into their theme.  Each table had a different hand painted canvas that Kelly's mother Carol painted for them so I just add to add a few of those to the blog here!  I can see that Kelly and Carlos are surrounded by friends and family that love them so much and I know they have started their Happily Ever After now and I'm looking forward to seeing their family grow!  Thank you to Carlos and Kelly for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful wedding!

"Jacksonville Photographer and Photo Booth"

Photography:  Courtney Whitehurst Photography

Florist:  Hagan Ace Florists

Bakery:  Kakes by Katie

Linen Rentals:  All About Events

The outside of the venue on our rainy day :) Remember that when you book an experienced photographer; rain does not keep you from getting amazing wedding photographs!

The inside of The Ramona Pavilion is so beautiful.   It's a great large space to have your ceremony and reception set up at the same time and they did a great job with all the decor, colors and so on for Macy & Jordan's wedding. 

Macy & Jordan have such a classic love story!   They met through mutual friends and became friends themselves.   Then Macy's dad ended up hiring Jordan to work for him and he wanted Macy to go on a date with him so she did and it looks like Macy's dad was quite the match maker because here they are now as newlyweds in 2014!  When I asked Macy what the most stressful part of planning the wedding was, her answer was the same as most of my brides...RSVP's!   LOL    It seems we all could do better as a guest with our RSVP's!

Macy & Jordan both said that their favorite part of the wedding was seeing each other when Macy came down the aisle ~Swoon~

Macy's favorite things about Jordan is his personality, how sweet he is and how much he cares for her

(she also added that he is very handsome, which doesn't hurt!)

Jordan's favorite things about Macy are the similarities they share and how beautiful she is :)

I think it's already clear what a fun loving couple Macy & Jordan are but to prove it they say the most exciting thing about being married is that they can go wherever they want together!   They look forward to having each other side by side for the rest of their lives.  :)  Just from being at their wedding for the day and meeting their friends and family, I can say they have plenty of awesome friends to spend their lives with too!

Don't forget about the toasts and cake cutting!   The Best Man and Maid of Honor did their toast together and Father of the Bride even shed some tears for speech to his daughter and new Son in Law!

I love when my bride and grooms incorporate special hobbies and interests into their wedding as well as personal items like their engagement photos so I had to capture some of their photos from the day with those items :)

DUring the first dance, Macy & Jordan had two little sweethearts join them!

I can honestly say that I have never photographed a wedding with more enthusiastic dancers than this wedding!

The getaway at the end of the night was a truly unique one that was so much fun!   Thank you both Macy and jordan for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day, it was truly an honor and I can't wait to see you and your family grow together!

...and so they lived Happily Ever After!!!

Vendors:

Photographer:   Courtney Whitehurst Photography

DJ:  The DJ Company w/ Roy Green

Florist:  Dinsmore Florist

Hair & Makeup:  Kelly Hines from The Hair & Nail Cottage

Venue, Decorations & Food:  The Ramona Pavilion & Ballroom

Cake:   Cake Life

When I was preparing for this years contest I decided that I wanted to make it bigger and better for all the contestants so I set out on a mission.  I could not have imagined the Jacksonville annual wedding contest being as amazing as it has turned out and I am very excited to welcome so many new wedding businesses who are participating in this years contest.

 Please remember that anyone can enter which includes out of state entries, however if you win a package and your wedding is out of state there may be transportation fees involved with many of the wedding vendors in the prize package so you can choose which ones you can use and still get a great value. All prizes won are issued after contract with Courtney Whitehurst Photography is signed and are available for publishing if requested by Premier Bride.  

There are a lot of items and prizes in the contest so be sure to read all the rules and enter correctly to be eligible to win (we have to check that before we issue prizes!) and take advantage of all the opportunities to earn extra entries and be sure to read the guidelines, rules and stipulations at the bottom of the post so you fully understand how the contest works.  

Everyone who enters the contest this year will get a special gift from Courtney Whitehurst Photography and additional discounts from a number of our participating businesses this year, not to mention you may win one of our daily giveaways!  So here are the prize packages this year...keep in mind this doesn't include our additional daily giveaways and entry gifts for all contestants who enter!  You can enter now by following the steps below and start getting your votes in to secure your winning package!  Voting will go through January 31st, 2013 and winners will be announced in February 2013

GRAND PRIZE PACKAGE  -  Over a $13,000.00 Value!

Courtney Whitehurst Photography - Classic Wedding Package with wedding day photography, online gallery of images and 1 hr. engagement session and your choice of a press printed photo book or 16x20 fine art print

Premier Bride - Full page wedding feature of your wedding photos

Diamond D Ranch - 4 hr. venue rental for Monday-Friday 

Alpha & Omega Events - Day of coordination package and $350 gift certificate towards floral packages

Divine Indulgences Designer Cakes - Wedding Cake up to 4 tiers or 178 guests (up to $950 in value) and a 3-d carved or regular grooms cake (up to $250 in value)

Fast Fix Jewelry & Watch Repair at the Avenues Mall - 2 free ring sizings and ring engravings done in house while you wait

Artistry By Erin - Professional makeup artist for bridal trial run before wedding and wedding day makeup for bride as well as 4 additional bridesmaids makeup 

Once Upon A Stylist - Bridal hair trial run before wedding and up-do hair on wedding day for bride and 4 bridesmaids on location

Brooch Beautiful - Handmade Peony toss bouquet

Nita's All Washed Up Dry Cleaning - Wedding dress cleaning and preservation kit with box

Vision of Relaxation - Spa party for up to 10 girls including chair massages, reflexology and hand/foot scrubs

Twins Luxury Limousine - Mercedes Benz "get-a-way" car for up to 20 miles transportation after wedding

Calligraphy By Cami - 100 envelopes and calligraphy service for invitations and save the dates

Thirty One with Shonica Jaques - $200 gift certificate towards bridal party gifts

Black Tie Bridal - Basic Tuxedo Package for Groom and Ring Bearer

The Wedding Hanger Shop - Personalized wire "Bride" hanger for your dress

Bridals and More - $250 gift certificate towards anything in the bridal shop

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RUNNER-UP PRIZE PACKAGE  -  Over a $10,000.00 Value!

Courtney Whitehurst Photography - $750 gift certificate towards wedding day photography premium package and 1 hr. engagement session with an online viewing gallery

Premier Bride - "Congratulations" wedding or engagement photo featured in Premier Bride

Alpha & Omega Events - 1 bridal bouquet, 4 bridesmaids bouquets, 5 boutonnieres for groom and groomsmen (value of $408.55) and a $500 certificate towards a wedding planning package

Divine Indulgences Designer Cakes - Wedding Cake up to 3 tiers (up to $600 in value) and a  grooms cake (up to $125 in value)

Fast Fix Jewelry & Watch Repair at the Avenues Mall - 2 free ring engravings done in house while you wait

Artistry By Erin - Professional makeup artist for wedding day makeup for bride as well as 3 additional bridesmaids makeup 

Once Upon A Stylist - Bridal hair trial run before wedding and up-do hair on wedding day for bride and 2 bridesmaids on location

DJ Jacob Towe - 5 hr. DJ package 

Brooch Beautiful - Handmade Peony headband OR corsage

Nita's All Washed Up Dry Cleaning - Wedding dress cleaning and preservation kit with box

Vision of Relaxation - 1 hour massage for both bride and groom

Twins Luxury Limousine - Mercedes Benz "get-a-way" car for up to 20 miles transportation after wedding

Calligraphy By Cami - 75 envelopes and calligraphy service for invitations 

Thirty One with Shonica Jaques - $150 gift certificate towards bridal party gifts

Black Tie Bridal - Basic Tuxedo Package for Groom 

The Wedding Hanger Shop - Personalized wire "Bride" hanger for your dress

Bridals and More - $250 gift certificate towards anything in the bridal shop

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Okay, so you're ready to enter the contest, right!?  Here are the rules and please be sure to complete each step in order to be a qualified candidate to win and don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have on entering...you can send an email to [email protected]  

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Step One:

*Part 1 - Click the orange RSS button on this page (depending on your browser it should be located at the top of the page on the right hand side) and enter your valid email address to receive free updates when we post a blog...if this doesn't work with your browsers are different just add your email to your facebook post on our page in step two!

*Part 2 - Post a comment on this blog post with your name, wedding date and why you want to win the contest!

Step Two:

*Part 1 - Click the blue "F" or "like" for the Facebook icon on this specific blog post and share with your friends on Facebook asking them to come comment on the post about the contest saying that you sent them for the contest

*Part 2 - Have them subscribe to the blog with their own valid emails and share it on their Facebook page with their friends (This is part of how our VIP Winner is selected based on who gets the most people to follow, comment and share the blog for you)

Step Three:

*Part 1 - Go to our Facebook page by clicking here and "like" our page then post a comment on our wall with your name, wedding date and what part of your wedding is most important and/or exciting for you or your wedding venue if you have chosen one

*Part 2 - Click Share on our Facebook page and share our page with your friends asking them to come "like" our page and then "like" your comment on our wall.  (This is part of how our VIP Winner is selected based on who gets the most people to follow, comment and share our Facebook page for you)

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After you complete those three steps you are officially entered into the contest just double check and make sure you complete both parts to each of the three steps...that's 6 total!  Now for the fun part for you over achievers and competitive natured people out there like me!  Because we have so many great local and national wedding businesses participating this year to help Courtney Whitehurst Photography and Premier Bride bring you this amazing contest we are giving you an extra entry for each business link you go to below!  To be sure you get all the extra entries that you can for more chances to win our Grand Prize and Runner up Prize Packages and our daily giveaway prizes do the following for each business listed:

(each item you do gives you one additional entry for the Grand Prize and Runner-Up Package)

*Click the link to view their website and post on this blog that you just viewed their website.

*Click their Facebook Link and "like" their page then post on their wall that you entered the Jacksonville Annual Wedding Contest.

*Click their Twitter link if they have one and follow them on twitter then share some love with them!

***For two extra entries click the tweet button for this contest blog post and share with your twitter followers and click the g+ to share with your google plus followers!***

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Here is a list of our awesome businesses for your extra entries!

Courtney Whitehurst Photography

Website (hint:  you are already here!)

Facebook

Twitter  

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This year we added daily giveaways to our contest so we have many businesses that will be giving us prizes and gift certificates that we will be giving away to random winners during the contest who have entered so if you have subscribed and posted on this blog and on our Facebook Page here , we will be selecting a winner almost every day during the contest to give away special prizes too!  Thanks for entering and good luck to you...now help us spread the word so we can add more awesome daily giveaways for everyone and make the contest even bigger  next year, there's a reward in it for you! If you get the most people to like our Facebook Page, subscribe to our blog and share both our Facebook and Blog pages (they must leave a comment saying they did so on both pages and that you sent them for you to get credit) then you can win our VIP package!

*Buy one session at $200 and get one session free to keep for yourself or gift to a family member or friend!

*Buy $50 in gift certificates for prints or sessions and get $25 to keep for yourself or give to a family member or friend as a gift!

*Between now and Tuesday purchase any print order from your online gallery and use the code:  black25 at checkout to receive 25% off your entire order!

Today I have another great Maternity Session to share with you.  I was so excited during the pre-planning of Kiarra's maternity session with her and when the time came we had so much fun!  Being pregnant is such a special time in a mother's life and when you think about it your maternity portraits are the first pictures you will ever have of you and your child.  It's a special bond between a mother and child.  She really wanted to get some classic yet creative portraits at her session so we had so much together.    She is a beautiful mother and I just can't wait to see her beautiful little boy Ladarrius who should be joining us on January 4, 2013.  

This first photograph was one of our first shots.  We started out with some All-American shots at the beginning and found these beautiful wildflowers and wooden boards on the side of the beach and just had to use them as a backdrop and then we headed across the street to a little bridge trail that goes over the inter coastal...this is one of my favorite spots to shoot on the beach!

Once we were ready to change into the fabric to get her classic-chic fabric shots we saw an open door to the back of a parking garage right behind the wildflowers with a chair inside for someone so as a photographer does, we took that as an invitation to change there for a little added privacy!  Once we got started it took a little time to get the cheesecloth and fabric wrapped and pinned around her and about half way through a maintenance guy came to the back part of the garage to get something and gave the that "What in the world is she doing" look that I am all too familiar with as a photographer!  it was totally worth it because we got some truly amazing shots and had the most beautiful lighting at the beach to set the mood and Kiarra can sure get her model on, she was so much fun! I think that being pregnant is such a huge milestone in life and a time where you should feel just as sexy, if not more sexy, as any other time in your life.  

After a while we decided to take a spin on getting some shots near and in the water.  It was a breezy evening at the beach already and believe you me that water wasn't very warm but Kiarra was a trooper!

I saved one of my favorite images for last from Kiarra's Maternity Session.  I think this shot of her just beyond the sea grass looking out at the ocean tells the story of how much she is already in love with her little baby boy even before he is here :)  I can't wait to meet the newborn and see just how great of a mother she is like I know she will be.  If you have are expecting a baby or just received your special little one be sure to contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at (904) 314-0834 to receive more information on our "babies first year" packages and our current specials that are running! and don't forget we have a great contest running you can see how to enter on the blog below!

*1st Place:  A 1 hr. photography session with prints/disc included, online viewing gallery and all images edited in color and in black and white

*Runner up:  50% off certificate towards any session package, online viewing gallery and all images edited in color and in black and white

*VIP Winner:  The person who gets the most people to "like" our Facebook page and to also "follow" our blog by subscribing at the bottom RSS link and then sharing the blog on Facebook at the top of the blog page will win a VIP package with session, prints, disc, special edits and more included!

We are so excited about this contest and looking forward to announcing the winners on November 5th, 2012 so be sure to enter today.  In order to enter the contest just follow these steps:

1.  Subscribe to our blog by clicking the RSS button at the bottom left hand of this blog page then "share" our blog on Facebook with your friends using the Facebook link at the top right hand of this page and ask your friends to come subscribe to our blog to help you win a photo package.  They can post a comment on the blog saying "______ sent me" and there's no limit to how many people you can vote for so friends can help friends win too!

2.  Then go to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/courtneywhitehurstphotography and "like" our page if you haven't already then post a comment on our Facebook wall saying why you want to win a photo package.

3.  Be sure you "share" our Facebook page with your friends and family every day and ask them to come "like" our page and your comment to help you win a package...they can even enter to win themselves.  

For extra entries you can also follow us at these links:

*For one extra entry follow us on twitter here and tweet our page

*For one extra entry follow us on google+ here and share our page

Stacey really loved the black and white photos with the soon to be mommy and daddy together and some special touches to them with the blue jeans showing so we made sure to get a variety of those and I think they are so adorable...she had the cutest two long necklaces that just finish the touch off!

To incorporate those intimate boudoir photographs for her we took the rest of the intimate shots in lingerie she had selected before the session.

And of course we had to incorporate Daddy into a few shots :)

As with any maternity session we wanted to get a few good shots of the "belly" so with Stacey we did one alone with her and one of the two of them together.  Since this was their first child I wanted to be sure they had a large variety of photographs to remember it by.  

When Stacey came to me about her session I wanted to make sure we personalized it to reflect her personality and likes like I do with all of my clients so during our consultations she mentioned that she really loved the Demi Moore style maternity shots.  I love them in black and white and color but since I am partial to black and white images I will share one of each with you for all you color lovers  :)

We ended our first studio session with some modern, casual and fun shots of them together that she wanted...they are so cute together!

I saved one of our favorites for last because Stacey wanted to incorporate a small Tiffany Jewelry Box into the photos with a theme so thanks to Fast Fix at the Avenues Mall who got a Tiffany Jewelry box for us we were able to come up with the following image to top it all off with a Demi Moore maternity style for her.  

I had so much fun with Stacey at her studio shoot and later on in the week the beach shoot was just as much fun...those are soon to come on the blog so stay tuned!

We started off at this beautiful part of St. Augustine at the Lightner Museum to capture a few shots of the beautiful bride and groom before starting our "walk"

They make such a cute couple and Lucero was just absolutely beautiful!

As we walked on we just had to catch some portraits with the beautiful wooden signs that Lucero had made herself...she is such as creative bride!  Ironically the colors were perfect for them and the sign on the door was just one number away from their address...we definitely considered picking up a number to change the address temporarily!  

I just could not resist this beautiful sun flare and ivy wall so I let the two of them have a "breather" while I snapped some shots and then we got to some more fun and creative shots.  

The groom stole a little kiss!

On our way out we cut the time a little shorter than usual to get back to the cars and away from all the bug bites me and the bride were getting to make it to St. Augustine beaches for some sunset photos.  We decided to stop on this little cobblestone street to finish off our downtown St. Augustine part of the session and the first hour of the session!

Once we got to St. Augustine beach to get their beach bridal portraits together the lighting was just perfect!  It was so sweet to see their faces and smiles as they remembered their wedding ceremony on the beach just a week or so before this session.

As the sunlight faded and spread beautiful colors over the sky for us I wanted to get some unique photos for Lucero because I love getting those special one of a kind shots for my brides and grooms that may not seem great to everyone but will be incredible to them because it shows their personality and uniqueness...with such a creative bride as Lucero this can be hard to do but I was happy to find out that she loved the photos. 

I am so glad to have been honored to do bridal portraits for such a sweet couple and dear friend of mine.  Lucero and Brian, I wish you many years of a happy marriage as I am sure you will have...you both found your true soul mates and I am so happy for you!

Some of the beautiful photographs of success stories...parents who volunteer with the March of Dimes and had a personal experience with assistance from the March of Dime when their children were born prematurely had their photos printed on canvas prints and hung on the walls of the welcome reception.

Melissa Joiner and a few of the other employees and lobbyist for the March of Dimes getting ready for a long day in session!

A few speakers preparing the volunteers for a long day of speaking to over 22 elected officials including Governor Scott and Lieutenant Governor Carroll on behalf of babies born prematurely across the world

It was so encouraging to see so many young students, parents with their children and elected officials taking the time to raise awareness and fight for premature babies and awareness education for pregnant mothers. 

A few group shots of everyone at lunch waiting on a few elected speakers that came down to thank everyone for their time and commitment to the March of Dimes and then a group shot from the end of the day in the Governors Office getting ready to meet and shake hands with Governor Scott himself.  

It was such an honor to be apart of such a great cause with so many people and they did end up successfully getting their bill to pass that will provide education to pregnant mothers about the dangers of certain prescription drugs during pregnancy and the high rates of babies born addicted to prescription drugs.  

Then some Mommy and Me time and some of the family all together!

The Cabral Family is such a sweet family and I am so looking forward to shooting them at the beach in June 2012!  

She fell in love with the very first dress that she tried on!

Her shoes and jewelry were the adding touches for her bling among other pieces!

She was so calm and after a few final makeup touch-ups and putting her dress on she was ready to go!

Meanwhile her husband to be was waiting patiently back at the clubhouse doing some final touches himself  :)

The groom was a little more nervous than the bride and with good reason...she was a knockout!

So we started into their beautiful ceremony at the Orange Park Country Club with the best weather you could ask for.

Not only was the ceremony beautiful but it was also touching.  They incorporated some special ceremonies to signify the unity of marriage and family by having their mothers and themselves pour beautiful glass beads into a vase to keep and display in their home and they also did a communion ceremony for the two of them to signify the importance of Christ in their marriage and the sacrifice he made for us.

After the ceremony we took a little time to capture some special photographs of them and their family

They had so many beautiful decorations and special touches at their reception like a cocktail hour candy buffet and their cake from Angies Bakery was one of the highlights and just as tasty as it looked!

I feel honored to have been a part of Anna and Bills (the new Mr. and Mrs. Rister) wedding day.  You can tell within the first seconds of meeting them both how kind and sweet they are and I expect to hear about their lovely experiences many many years from now!  As for the two of them they are embarking on life together now as one and I want to wish the groom luck with a mission team he is taking to Haiti soon!

Anna & Bill (soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Rister) are two wonderful people.  They spend so much time giving back to others between small groups, church activity and organizing mission trips to Haiti and have decided to "tie the knot" on March 15th, 2012 at the Orange Park Country Club.  I had such a wonderful time shooting their engagement photos for them and can not wait to shoot their wedding pictures next month.  Below are some of my favorite photographs from their session and a little information on them.  Enjoy the post and the photographs.

We started their engagement session at Fort Castillo De San Marco because there was a shade tree where they actually had their first date...they sat under the tree and listened to music together (how cute is that!?)

After documenting the special tree we took a walk through the streets of St. Augustine and made a fun evening out of it.  They even had a crowd watching by the end of their session talking about what a great looking couple they are.

After a bit of walking we took a break at a nice fountain for some photographs and I just couldn't resist a picture of their boots together to show a little bit of their style!

I can't wait to photograph their beautiful wedding for them soon so stay posted for wedding photographs! 

Congratulations to you both Anna and Bill.