Oooookay, people, are you ready for this?! We've seen DIY weddings and we've heard the 80's music, but very rarely do the two join forces. That is, until Leise and Chris's wedding at Celebrations at the Bay. Where the bay, 80's neon, and Journey culminated into a really wonderful ceremony and reception.  Leise and Chris went above and beyond to treat their guests to a fabulous day. They both worked on so many DIY elements to make the wedding really theirs. A lot of times, we think "do it yourself" is to save on costs, but in reality, it's because stores don't specialize to our brains. Making exactly what we want is sometimes easier and makes the day an even bigger treasure. Leise put together so many large scale items such as the centerpieces, the welcome canvas, the photobooth, and their love story sign! Outside of the DIY, there was also the special favors that were brought from the Phillippines all the way to Pasadena, Maryland. Leise's parents carefully traveled with tons of mini guitars made out of seashells that were so unbelievably beautiful. They even thought of us, and gave us our own mini wooden guitars. It was sweet and unexpected! I may or may not have teared up when I opened the gift <3. Speaking of tears, the surprise that Leise got for Chris during the ceremony was COMPLETELY amazing! Leise wrote to me about two weeks that she had arranged for two singers...

I feel like I've been hoarding so many great sessions! In November, we met up at Pine Valley Farms with Kaitlin, Ben, and the newest cutie to their family, McQueen (Mac). You may remember Kaitlin and Ben from their fabulous Dye House wedding, and if you're a big Instagram animal lover, you probably know Mac too. I've been needing to snuggle Mac since the first time I saw a photo of him. He's so stinkin' cute! So when Kaitlin and Ben messaged me about a Christmas shoot, I was immediately on board. Pine Valley Farms in Sykesville is absolutely perfect. That's actually a total understatement because it's beyond perfection. There are trees as far as the eye can see, and it's such a picturesque location. It's also SUPER difficult to find a Christmas tree farm in Maryland that allows dogs, which makes Pine Valley Farms even more fabulous!  Right off the bat, these three came ready for fun. Mac was full of energy, which is no surprise since he's still a puppy :P. He was hopping and leaping all over his parents, who are well versed in his energetic ways. We could not stop laughing the entire shoot. It was legit difficult to leave because every time we hangout with these two (now three) it feels like catching up with old friends. It's so great anytime we get to hangout because, for one, puppy love and good conversation; and number two, home made cookies. These two are so sweet...

Throwing it back to December with Caitlin and Sean's engagement session! Meeting up with these two was such a treat. They chose Centennial Park, which I have a history of loving. From their drives in Ellicott City and enjoyment of the water, it was an easy pick for them. If you haven't been to the park, plan a visit right now! The lake at the park is at the center of everything, with good reason! If you visit in the Spring/Summer you can rent kayaks and paddle boats. It's pretty cool! Needless to say, I was stoked that they chose Centennial Park.  We had such a great evening with these two. I always, ALWAYS feel that an engagement puts the planning and relationships into perspective. You take a moment for yourselves cuddle up for some cute photos while all fancied up! But the best thing about an engagement shoot is that WE get to see you two together. The goofy faces, the inside jokes; your personalities shine during engagement sessions and we soak it all up. We learn so much, and during Caitlin and Sean's session, we got to see how much Caitlin lights up around Sean. How much Sean loves making Caitlin laugh, and the enjoyment they get from being together. Their ability to be open with us allowed us to capture some incredibly sweet and silly moments.  After holding onto this session since December, I am so happy to show off more of these two...

The second half of our Ireland adventure is finally here! I meant to have this up sooner, but we moved recently, and it's been an adjustment period. We had boxes, furniture, computer wires all over! Thankfully, the apartment is starting to look a little more put together, which means I can finally get back to blogging. We didn't think much could top the amazingness that is Bunratty Castle, but we were oh so wrong. Thinking of it now, the first part of our trip was all purchased adventures. We had the Vintage Tea Tour, the portrait session with Claire, and - of course - Bunratty. Part two, though, is a lot of countryside and city events. Day 5 in Limerick We woke up in a foggy haze, literally. There was a fog washing over the city that was both spectacular and incredibly creepy. We figured we'd worry about that when it was time to leave. Until then, we needed breakfast! Heading to the hotel restaurant, we got to enjoy the full scale views that the Absolute Hotel offered, and we wished we could have stayed in the city just one more day. After a traditional meal of black pudding and tea, we decided that we would milk every last second out of our hotel suite.  Returning to our room, we lounged around in the robes, made a huge bubble bath, and turned on both TVs (rebels). I got sucked into Coronation Street, a British soap opera that's been on...