La Dolce Blog | Florida and Destination Wedding Photographers Melanie & Bradford Watson

Out of the Office

Melanie — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:59:01 +0000

Hello blog world!!! I just wanted write a quick note to let you all know that in spite of a lull in blogging lately we are busier than ever. We are on a working vacation in Tennessee doing lots of shoots and visiting some friends and family while we are up this way. We are at our favorite Haines house in Knoxville right now enjoying some Forth of July festivities and are so happy to have a couple days here to relax before heading over to Nashville to work some more. We are loving it up here… highs in the 80’s (thats practically a cold front), lightning bugs (oh how I miss those), wheat fields, and my favorite rustic old barns and farmland! Its beautiful!!!! Today we had a chance to do some white water tubing near Gatlinburg with friends and it was soooooo much fun! I will have pictures to post later. For now here is a little sample of what we have been up to! We hope you all enjoy a happy and safe Independence Day!

Beautiful Black and White Boudoir | Jacksonville Boudoir Photographers

Melanie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:20:32 +0000

I really love shooting boudoir. There I said it… I absolutely love shooting boudoir! There is something so magical about making a woman feel beautiful and confident in her own skin. Every woman, no matter her age or size deserves to have a moment where she can be completely feminine and soft and feel like a one of a kind work of art. It’s that ability to draw out each girl’s femininity that I love so much. At our most recent boudoir event we were blessed to be able to work with some of the most amazing clients anyone could ask for. One of our girls has given me permission to share her photos with our blog readers. Her session was one that just made my heart sing. I felt like we were able to capture that quiet sexiness that I’m always in search of during our boudoir sessions. She is such a natural in front of the camera and instantly let her guard down for us. I swear she is a cross between Maggie Gyllenhaal and Nicole Kidman. Although her session had some stunning color images, something about the black and white ones just moved me and I had to share them. I hope you all enjoy these photos.

and just as proof that her color images are stunning as well…

Our next boudoir event will be held on August 16th here in Jacksonville. If you are interested, please email info@ladolcevitastudio.com for more details.

Published: Weddings Unveiled Magazine

Melanie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:46:05 +0000

Bonnie & Jason’s gorgeous Sapelo Island wedding was published in the latest issue of Weddings Unveiled Magazine! We were so excited to find a box of magazines waiting on our doorstep last week. Even though I was sick as a dog that day I couldn’t help but get excited when I started flipping through the pages and saw our adorable couple featured on pages 98-101. Below are some shots I took of the magazine as well as the feature I scanned in. Be sure to go out and pick up a copy when it hits newsstands on July 1st! It is one of my favorite wedding magazines. They always have large bold images that suck you right in. Go figure I’m a sucker for big pretty pictures. Oh and did I mention I’m in love with this month’s cover?!? Yes I do believe I am!

Brides… if you love real wedding inspiration then you NEED this magazine. Its chock full of wedding inspiration from top wedding professionals from all over the south.

You can see more of Bonnie & Jason’s Engagement session here and their wedding here and here.

Tamikia & Josh’s Engagement Session | Jacksonville Engagement Photographers

Melanie — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:40:37 +0000

It was the summer of 2007. Tamikia was living in Dallas at the time and had gone to visit a friend for the weekend in Houston. Little did she know her weekend getaway would put her face to face with the man she would eventually marry. A fateful meeting at a party with mutual friends eventually grew into a friendship. They talked for hours on end via email and the phone. Knowing all along something, not sure exactly what, but something special was growing. The friendship they had was evolving but the winds of change started to blow and Tamikia soon found herself moving to Orlando for a new job. Time took its toll on their relationship and soon they found they had lost contact with one another. Although Tamikia was enjoying her new life in Orlando she still found herself missing her connection with Josh. One day she sent him an email out of the blue and it was that day that changed the course of their relationship for good.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and possibly it was just what these two needed to bring them together for good. They began a long distance relationship. Flying back and forth between Houston and Orlando, spending countless hours on the phone and sending endless amounts of emails, they had found love. Tamikia knew that Josh was the perfect fit for her and apparently Josh knew it too. Before anyone could blink Josh proposed and Tamikia whole heartedly accepted. Wedding planning began and during that time Tamikia decided her place in this world was back in Texas with Josh. On the day we shot their engagement session, Tamikia was moving to Houston. She packed the last of her belongings in her car and the two of them drove from Orlando to meet us here in Jacksonville. Although it was a rainy day we knew this was our only chance to shoot before their wedding in October. There is nothing like a little rain to spice up an engagement shoot. They did awesome and didn’t let the rain phase them one bit! After our session they got back on the road to start their lives together in Houston. We cannot wait for their wedding at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando this Fall. We seriously love how sweet and silly these two are and even better their wedding is going to be surrounded by musical awesomeness. Did I forget to mention that Tamikia and Josh are HUGE music fans? Yup, Josh even proposed at the Hard Rock. He is super excited about the guitar sculpture fountain outside the hotel and so are we.

Here are a few of our favorites from their engagement session followed by a little slideshow. We hope you all enjoy.

Tamikia & Josh, thank you both so much for coming up and playing in the rain with us. You’re wedding will be so much fun we can’t wait!

Love Notes

Melanie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:27:45 +0000

Last week I got the cutest little card in the mail and just had to share it. Check out Michelle & Jamaal on their honeymoon in Maui!

The inside reads:

“Melanie & Brad,

You guys are awesome! I’m so lucky to have you guys as photographers. You made my day unforgettable with your creativity and expertise. Your work is awesome! Thanks again & God Bless.

Michelle & Jamaal Fudge”

Thank you Michelle & Jamaal for sending such a sweet love note our way. I LOVE the honeymoon picture you chose for the card. It makes me want to go to Hawaii right now!