I have had so many fabulous engagement sessions….and this one was no less than perfect. What an adorable couple. These two are high school – or should we say elementary sweethearts….and how fun that Don actually proposed to her there!!! So to complete the grade school goodness, we HAD to shoot there! Then we headed to the beach where they spent alot of their summers…..

I went to pick out a bunch for the blog here…but after I watched the slideshow ~ with a brand spankin new song I grabbed from iTunes tonight ~ after downloading some more Michael Jackson songs ~ and I just fell in love with the whole stinkin thing and said ~ ” YES!! I am just posting the whole dang show!” so click on the picture below…wait a minute…and enjoy.

**Liz had her make-up done by Rachel over at Bobbi Brown…(her info in on my 2 cent page) thanks rachel**

What a fun wedding with unending amounts of great friends and family surrounding them. Billy was totally different than his engagement session…and completely himself! Jess was amazingly beautiful…I always take a few face shots of all of my brides near a window and when I had finished a series there for her – as she gets up she says “did you get anything?” are you kidding me??? how could I not?! Her bridesmaids – had the most fabulous *glamorous* dresses and *sweet* zipper heels…who could ask for more??? We found some really fun places to shoot on our trip on the party bus *including inside a private airplane hanger! Then headed over to the country club where we were greeted with our very own home made jar of salsa, 4 different types of food stations to choose from, and light pouring in from the giant windows on their celebration. Congratulations you two & enjoy some of my favorites in you preview!

A seriously adorable couple inside and out….I really enjoyed their interaction, and natural ability to be comfortable in their own skin. Their wedding is in only a week!! I can’t wait – – enjoy my faves! here is their slideshow **click here**

I received Shauna Niequist’s package of books for my give away, in the mail today….so if you were one of the first five – please email me your address and I will get it out to you on Monday. It is now 4:16 am…yes, really. Some of you may know ~ if you’re a facebook friend…that my 10yr anniversary to my hubby Tim is this weekend and we’re throwing a fabulous party downtown GR tonight…in about 14 hours. I have been running errands, editing, baking (tim and friends included) making crazy decor items, and celebrating birthdays…none the less it’s been a crazy few days. So, before I snuggle into bed here, I decided I deserved just one chapter of my newly arrived book…just one.

Shauna ~ you have a gift. I needed your book. It hit the nail on the head…in just that first chapter, I could hardly finish the last paragraph, seeing through the tears welling up. I was trying to pick out a quote to give you a glimpse of what what was speaking to me…but as I re read it, I can’t narrow it down to a quote, it’s not one line that hit me, it’s the whole chapter….it speaks so much truth. I plan on writing much more as I journey through this book. I will leave you with some bit of quoted inspiration from this first glorious chapter, as it will not be the last.

“Your life, right now, today, is exploding with energy and power and detail and dimension, better than the best movie you have ever seen. You and your family and your friends and your house and your dinner table and your garage have all the makings of a life of epic proportions, a story for the ages. Because they all are. Every life is.”

Thank you Shauna for sharing your gift with us….it will no doubtably change lives.

What an adorable couple!! Aaron & Holly won “me” from a contest on Jen’s blog a year ago. What a gracious, vivacious personality Holly has…you should see all the faces I caught from her the whole day! Aaron is incredibly sweet and so in love with her…you two were meant to be together! Here are just a few I picked out before I move onto a whole night of editing! It rained for most of the day, except for a small window during the reception, where I whipped them outside for a few! So glad I met you two and I really enjoyed being apart of your day!

Miles was hands down ~ the most well behaved newborn to date! He was only 5 days…and I know that was the best thing he had going for him! He gave me eye contact, he didn’t complain when we moved him….I asked if they drugged him! They have the biggest great dane I have ever seen…and the pictures do not even do him justice…look closely at the size of his head compared to dad…that should speak for how big his body really is! I love the picture below with one eye looking at me – as if to say – “is she gone yet?” nope…still snappin! enjoy this adorable little man.

So there is a book, I have been meaning to read, many of my friends have read it and loved it. They say it’s real. inspiring. and a fabulous read. I don’t read books. My parents had to force me to read when I was little….I just couldn’t sit still that long. I’m a magazine reader….I hardly give myself time to read books anymore, and it’s a shame…. So after seeing Shauna’s blog, I knew it was time to read it. In celebration of this milestone for myself….I am giving away 5 free autographed books to the first five comments on this post! I wish I could grab the intro and paste it here….but instead I’ll leave a link to her site where you can read a chapter.

Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist….http://www.shaunaniequist.com/

I can’t wait to shoot their wedding in August! I can just tell that it’s going to be fabulous….
I met them to shoot, down in St. Joseph, MI at Kilwins (it’s her aunt’s store) and had the most amazing ice cream flavor *toasted coconut* which is packed full of yumminess! They grew up in the area and are high school sweethearts~ how cute is that?! I really enjoyed touring around town with you two! Can’t wait until August!