We met Leila over Pinkberry last July and it feels like it was just yesterday. I absolutely adored Leila within a few seconds of digging into the delicious frozen yogurt! She has such a warm and contagious smile. We didn’t meet Jio that day, but by sheer serendipity, I ran into Jio months later while picking up an air filter from my leasing office. From our brief encounter, I could see that Leila and Jio were meant to be and I couldn’t have been happier to be able to document such an important part of their love story.

Before writing this blog post, I went back to my notes from our meeting with Leila and I realized that every single wedding detail she envisioned during our first meeting became a reality on her wedding day. Her wedding timeline was a photographer’s dream, including a bonus of a few hours between the ceremony and reception to sneak away with the lovely couple and capture some romantic portraits.

On the wedding day, we arrived at Leila’s mother’s estate and instantly felt like part of the family. Everyone was so kind and you could see how much love surrounded this sweet couple- from the amazing and fun bridal party to the close family and friends. Jio was also getting ready on property, at the mother-in-law house. The party bus quickly whisked him away with his groomsmen before he had a chance to sneak a peek of his gorgeous bride. Shortly after, Leila’s grandfather drove her to the ceremony and it was such a special and emotional time.

There are so many details and beautiful moments from Leila and Jio’s wedding as you’ll see in a selection of some of our favorite images below. We are so grateful for their trust on such an important time in their lives.

I’ve been known to get emotional at weddings, but I was fighting back the sobs during Leila’s and Jio’s parent dances. It was one of the most emotional moments I’ve captured.

Days after their wedding, I mentioned on our Facebook that with every wedding, my passion for what I do magnifies. Just when I thought I couldn’t love what I do more, I do.

A million thank you’s, Leila and Jio.

One of the many blessings of being a family photographer is that you get to see the wonderful changes that happen over time to the sweet families you document. I was stunned to see how much Madi and Bree had grown since their last session with us! They have grown to be such beautiful young ladies, and if that wasn’t enough- super talented as well. We had such a wonderful time creating some portraits at their new home and then headed out to a nearby park. Once there, these girls dazzled us with their talents and their unbelievably charismatic personalities- see the results below!

We finished the evening at one of our favorite places, California Pizza Kitchen, and to say that there were lots of laughs is an understatement! Besides showing Cynthia’s family how to “bump” we realized our families have so much in common. We’re thankful that Cynthia and Bryan trust our vision when documenting their family, but even more grateful for the beautiful friendship we share.

P.S. A little birdie told me that Cynthia and Bryan are celebrating their wedding anniversary today! Be sure to leave them some love in the comments below!

Meet the new clients…connect during the following months leading up to their wedding…document their day…stay friends for life. That’s usually how our relationship with our clients evolve- emphasis on the usually. Sometimes, it doesn’t take months, but just hours to create that relationship. As was the case with Lindsay and Tom, a sweet, beautiful couple from Arizona, whom Khaled and I had never met before their wedding day. Lindsay’s mother had shared some small details about the gorgeous bride, but within seconds of being around Lindsay’s smile, I felt like we had been close friends forever.

Minutes before the ceremony, Lindsay was overwhelmed with emotion, and both family and friends rushed to comfort her. I immediately thought of putting my camera down and giving them space, but right then, I remembered why I was there- to document Lindsay’s day as it happened. We are honored with the privilege to document these priceless moments, and will never thank our clients enough for trusting us with such precious memories.

There are so many details and moments to love in Lindsay and Tom’s wedding but  some of my favorites include Lindsay showering Tom’s face with some cake love, and the part of the night where they placed the couple (sitting back to back) in the middle of the dance floor and asked them questions to see if their answers matched. Their adorable “Just Married” Toms shoes flew up in the air and matched for almost every question! Games aside, Lindsay and Tom are a sweet couple that will stay in our hearts forever. We hope to have an opportunity to see them again soon, maybe a trip to Arizona is in our future!

We’d like to thank all of the vendors that contributed to Lindsay and Tom’s day. The team of talented vendors couldn’t have created a more perfect and elegant wedding!

Bride’s wedding gown: Melissa Sweet, Davids Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses: Vera Wang
Tuxedo rentals: Mens Warehouse
Wedding shoes: Vera Wang and Toms
Hair/Make Up Artist: Vinoy Renaissance
Officiant: Father Damian Amantia at St. Mary
Musician/DJ: Grant Hemond
Linens: Kate Ryan
Florist/Centerpieces: Delma’s
Limo/Transportation: Embassy Limo
Venue/Caterer/Cake: Vinoy Renaissance

Allow yourself to transform like a butterfly, and let your true nature shine.

Establishing my business has probably been one of the most rewarding ideas that have materialized in my life. It hasn’t been easy, but in the last three years, I’ve learned so much. Most of all, I’ve been reintroduced to myself throughout the process. April is just a week away and it’s taken me a quarter of the year to find my 2013 “word”. The funny thing is, it’s been happening all along. Last year, I chose the word discipline to set the tone for the year. I failed in more ways then I’d like to admit, but staying focused on what I needed to work on and learning through the failures helped me succeed more than I could have ever imagined.

This year is all about transformation. Transformation is defined as: A marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better. I would not be able to embrace transformation, if I didn’t understand what discipline meant in my life. This year has already showered me with opportunities of transformation, both personally and in my business. Usually, I’d talk myself out of or try to procrastinate my way out of change. This year I’m opening my arms to change and ready to take my business and life to the next level.

This post is to remind myself during times where fear or doubt may try to creep in…that I am ready. It’s that simple.

(Thanks to Sam of Imprint Cinema for this cool snapshot while working together recently).

When I first started my journey in photography, I wondered how every session or wedding could be a photographer’s favorite. Surely, there’s only one that’s the photographer’s favorite, I thought. But to my surprise, I soon discovered that the unique elements and personalities in every photography experience are what make each and every one my favorite.

Emily found our work through Pinterest and after chatting on the phone a few times about her vision and sweet family, we couldn’t wait to meet them! As unpredictable as Florida weather can be, it was a cold, rainy and overcast day but that didn’t inhibit Emily, her husband Jeremy, and their cute little ones from having some fun at the beach! Right before sunset, the sun decided to break through for a few seconds and we were able to capture the last image in this post. It was magical.

We had such a wonderful time with the Chrysler family and I hope they include frequent visits back to Florida on their agenda.

Emily is such a doll, and we thank Collective Creations for doing a great job highlighting her beauty. Something for the guys, definitely check out Jeremy’s Kickstarter project: Mr. Davis: The World’s Best Undershirt. You can thank me later!

Enjoy some of our favorite images from their day!

2013 has offered some fun speaking opportunities, and I’m beyond grateful for the wonderful people that have invited me to share some insights on one of my favorite topics- social media. When Shay and Ashlee asked me to be a guest speaker at their first Business and Branding Essentials workshop for photographers (and any business owner) in Tampa, I was thrilled! I planned on sharing essentials and key strategies on how to use social media the right way, tips on engaging the audience, and boosting a business’s online PR. I was so pumped on sharing as much knowledge as I could and helping business owners utilize social media tools in the best way, that I never imagined to gain even more than I had to offer. I met an inspiring group of entrepreneurs with BIG goals and passion. I walked away feeling inspired, having some major decisions I’ve made reconfirmed, getting re-introduced to myself, and creating 5 6 major action steps to keep me on track on my goals this year.

I can’t thank Shay and Ashlee enough for letting me be a part of such an amazing experience. As Shay mentioned during the workshop, I also wish this workshop existed when I first started my business! However, I’ve learned along the way, that it’s all in God’s time.

A HUGE thanks to the group, for being so warm and inviting! Shay, Ashlee, Katie, Amy, Ben, Shem, Dani, Lauren, Sheyla, and Brianna, I know 2013 has tremendous blessings in store, stay focused and don’t give up on your dreams (and keep those hashtags, @, and bit.lys spreading your news)! ;)

Carolina and Shem, thank you for providing your beautiful space for the workshop. It was perfection!

Thanks to these pretty cool sponsors: Kelly Moore Clark, WHCC , Every Last Detail, Chic Sweets, and Katelyn Brooke Designs.

Khaled passed by and grabbed some behind the scenes and created this lovely highlight video below (I thanked him in XO’s).

Enjoy!

Speaking Social Media at Essentials Workshop from Kismis Ink Photography on Vimeo.

Thanks Shem for grabbing these images behind the scenes:

LOVE these gals! So proud of them!

Do you notice how I’m trying to restrain my hands?! I didn’t do such a good job on keeping them in check as you may have noticed in the highlight video, ha!

Some Instagram iPhone shots I grabbed throughout the day:

This week, Khaled and I are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary…and it still feels like it was just yesterday. I’ve been reminiscing on all the special details that made the day, our day. Our choice to combine our ethnic backgrounds with other cultures made for an especially unique, one-of-a-kind wedding that displayed our relationship perfectly. A few of my favorite details included Khaled’s custom-made thobe brought from Saudi Arabia by his mom. It has our names embroidered in Arabic around the collar and down the front and it is just absolutely beautiful. My veil was handmade and designed exactly as I had envisioned it. I could not walk down the aisle without a bold statement necklace, and I found the perfect one in an Indian boutique. These details, along with others, made our wedding as untraditional as we are, and we couldn’t have asked for a wedding that described us better.

What special details made your wedding, your wedding? I’d love to see all the different ideas.

Have I mentioned my admiration for social media? Fashion stylist, Laura Hunt, and I have been virtual friends for a few years. Her online personality is both inspiring and positive. I’ve admired and followed along her career and travels and hoped to one day have the opportunity to work with her. You can imagine my excitement when recently, she reached out on Twitter and complimented our work!

Laura, who currently lives in L.A. was asked to be a style expert guest on the air with host, Jerry Penacoli, on the Daytime TV Show here in Tampa to discuss the Pantone “IT” color of the year, “emerald green”. She shared how to wear this color three different ways on three separate models on the television style segment, and I was there to document the fun that happened behind the scenes at the NBC Daytime Studio!

It was an absolute pleasure working with Laura, and her personality is even better in person. As a bonus, I was able to connect and work with a couple of additional Facebook friends that morning (it’s definitely a small online world)!

Here’s a peek behind the scenes:

Molecule centerpiece, periodic table seating chart, & electric cake? This “Science of Love” wedding editorial has been under wraps for over a year, patiently waiting to inspire science lovers and even those that skipped the class. I am thrilled to see it recently featured on Every Last Detail, and to feature some of our favorite images here for your pinning pleasures!

Here’s some inspiring details about the shoot from Staci of Unique Event Design,

“Annie & Adam” met in college. As scientists, they wanted their wedding to represent the story of their relationship, hence “Science of Love” was created. A metallic color scheme combining copper, gold, and silver was set.The venue’s metal, glass, and concrete interior created an amazing contrast against the elegant bride. The bride carried an avant garde bouquet, combining orchids, lilies, and scabiosa pods. The exotic florals and frayed wire accents created an asymmetrical shape and loads of dimension. The groom’s boutonniere kept a masculine edge by combining the flowers with wires. For a unique take on a unity ceremony, the bride & groom poured vinegar over baking soda creating an overflowing, scientific reaction. A periodic table seating chart was used to guide the guests to their seat. Cocktail hour centerpieces incorporated dry ice and fire, and hors d’oeuvres included tomato soup served in test tubes and shrimp with sauce eyedroppers. Beakers and glass containers of floating candles led the way to the table setup on the first floor of the museum. A linen, replicating liquid copper, framed the tablescape beautifully. The table centerpiece was reminiscent of the design of DNA, with hexagon shapes and connecting tubes, atop a metal mesh runner. The table number looked like a typical piece of notebook paper and broke down multiple math problems with x = the table number. The stand alone menus were the major highlight of the tabescape resembling miniature 3-sided science project boards. A copper colored calla lily graced each napkin and hexagon placecards had the guests’ names noted like periodic table elements. For dessert, the mysterious chocolate balloon was featured. Warm liquid is poured over an edible sphere and as it melts, a chocolate dessert is revealed inside. The wedding cake was kept all white with metallic frayed wire accents and a wire heart topper. It had a backdrop of metal slats and was highlighted with exposed light bulbs above.

A HUGE thank you to the stellar team behind this editorial:
Models: Grace and Johnathan / Event Design & Planning: Unique Event Design / Flowers & Decor: The Bride’s Bouquet / Invitations & Stationery: A&P Designs / Catering: Puff ‘n Stuff Events & Catering / Cake Baker: It’s Icing on the Cake / Hair & Makeup: Michele Renee Hair and Makeup Artist Group / Bridal Salon: The Dressing Room/ Linens: Connie Duglin Linens Venue: MOSI

Judy of The Dressing Room brought a few gorgeous gowns and Grace looked absolutely exquisite in all three!

Is it really almost March? 2013 is flying by, but not before offering the most amazing opportunities! Kismis Ink has a few surprises in store that we’ll be revealing in the next few months, so get excited! But first, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be a guest speaker at the Essentials Workshop at the gorgeous new Blue Lane Studios on March 2nd. If you haven’t registered yet, you have a few more days so jump on it here!

I can’t thank Shay and Ashlee enough for inviting me to share some insight on social media and how it’s been a tremendous tool in my business success.

A few weeks ago, I posted these words below on my Instagram and I wake up with this truth daily. Set the bar high.

Happy Friday!