I got to spend time on Sunday with this gorgeous couple who just celebrated their first anniversary together. They were so much fun to get to know and it was awesome to see how in love they are. And that red dress! Kelli was gorgeous, and Tyler was such a trooper to get so dressed up in the heat. And I loved his shades when they arrived to the shoot–bright green neon, totally 80′s sunglasses. So kooky and fun!

We did a little re-creation of their first wedding dance:

I love this shot, even though you can’t see their faces. The way they’re holding each other says it all…

Tyler is such a proud and happy man. And in this moment, you can tell there isn’t anywhere he’d rather be.

Their connection is incredible!

Kelli and Tyler, thanks for letting me help share your joy and mark your first year together! It was an honor to photograph you and capture your amazing love and energy. It was a blast!

Tomorrow–part two of Sunday’s sessions!!

A sneak peek from an awesome session I’m editing for a post later on this week…stay tuned!

I’ve had yellow on the brain this week for a couple of new projects (which I can’t wait to share!), and pulled the inspiration for said projects from a whole lot of places. I totally love the rose necklace in the center–how adorable with a purple shirt, jeans and yellow shoes?!? Yum! The Amy Butler bag is another favorite. SO fun! These are all from Etsy…

So, telling time in Mississppi’s actually works pretty well…

I love how quirky this clock is (via Gizmodo), with its “I-dare-you-to-look-closer” vibe.

This little guy has completely stolen my heart! Just over a year ago I was blessed with the opportunity to create a gorgeous wedding invitation for a friend, and recently she contacted me again to create a birth announcement for her new arrival. I thought these super-cute block letters were perfect for the project, and I’m thrilled to help them share their joy in the new life they’ve been given.

My real vacation isn’t for another 4-1/2 weeks (not that I’m counting!) but I love this little collage over at Creature Comforts. Such a charming take…

I know this isn’t necessarily a wedding invitation post, per se, but I felt it was relevant to share the story about this, while we’ve been talking about personifying an event through its invitation.

The event organizers for this fundraiser came to me and asked for a striking, budget-friendly invitation for a jazz event held each June. And our wonderful discussion about the project just flowed like a great musical piece: who the performers would be, what kind of expectation they had for the event, and what they wanted the invitation to convey with their budget and timeframe.

I love music. It’s such a universal way of communication and expression—bringing together all kinds of ages, backgrounds and interests. So naturally this was an exciting piece to do. And what’s the best way to get inspired for a project like this?

Immersion.

I listened to all kinds of jazz–not the elevator kind, but the kind that you might hear at your favorite coffee shop early in the mornings. The kind that makes you sit up straight and ask yourself what the performer is thinking while he or she is creating such beautiful sounds. I listened to the riffs and impromptu solos, and how they came back together to the melody. And when I created this invitation, all of those things came into play through type, the trumpet, and the placement of the event details.

I still like this piece even today. I like the orange, the grit of the type. The team at Rockport books liked it too, and included it in Design for Special Events, one of the publications I’ve been blessed to have work featured in.