Today we said goodbye to a beloved member of our family. My family’s dog Lacy was put to sleep after struggling with cancer for several weeks. I can still remember the day we brought her home. I was 16 years old and my mom took my three siblings and I to the pet store to pick out a new puppy. We instantly fell in love with Lacy’s sweet face and warm personality. She was a mix between a lab and a golden retriever and was the best dog anyone could ever ask for. I remember carrying her under my arm like a football to show her off to all my friends. Lacy was loyal and loving and loved to chase squirrels in my parents back yard. She was born on May 12, 1996 and nearly made it to her 13th birthday. She was such a good girl, and even as the cancer took hold of her she still looked at you with eyes filled with happiness and love and wagged her tail fiercely as you pet her.

She was such a staple in our family and the source (oddly enough) of some really weird song’s and names. We affectionately called her LayBay for years… I can’t really remember who came up with it or when but I’m pretty sure it originated from smooshing Lacy together with Baby and somehow ending up with LayBay. When my mom gave me Lucy on Christmas of 2004 I was so shocked that I got a puppy as my gift, I couldn’t think of a name for her. Everyone kept hounding me asking “whats her name whats her name?” I finally blurted out Lucy. I simply couldn’t think of anything suitable so it was the next best thing to Lacy I could come up with on the spot. Lacy was also the inspiration for some very interesting songs.  My all time favorite song would have to be Lacy the Bumble Bee by my brother Adam. It went something like this:

Lacy the bumblebee…
The biggest bee
In the bumble tree

Yeah it was short and sweet and made no sense at all but we all loved it. She was our big teddy bear around the house and it will be hard to imagine life without her around. We all knew the end was near when she was barely able to walk, but no one really wanted to confront the reality that someone we loved would be leaving us soon. I got a phone call from my mom today around lunch time letting me know she had taken her to the vet to be put down peacefully. Lacy had stopped eating and drinking and my parents couldn’t watch her continue to suffer. My mom was there with her as she went to sleep and her ashes will soon be scattered throughout a garden in my parent’s backyard. Although I saw her just last week it is still sad knowing that next time I go home to my mom’s house my sweet Lacy will not be waiting by the door to greet me.

Here are a few pictures I shot of her in my parent’s front yard this past December. My sweet LayBay… your gentle spirit will be missed.

I only wish I had a picture of her lion tail.  My dad used to shave her hair because she shed so much and would always trim her tail to look just like a lion’s tail.  It was the funniest thing ever.  Her long skinny tail with a poofy pointy tip.  My silly sweet puppy… thank you for all the love you brought into our lives.

Just days after moving to Florida from her home in Iowa, Jen met a handsome boy that caught her eye instantly.  It must have been fate that led her to the same party that he was at.  Mutual friends introduced the two and they knew they had something special from the moment they met.  It wasn’t long after they started dating that things became quite serious.  Jen was so excited when Matt finally proposed.  I love how she already started referring to herself and Matt as the Harveys.  Jen is the kind of girl you instantly want to be friends with.  She is so full of life and always has a huge smile on her face.  She is absolutely hilarious and has an easy energy surrounding her at all times.  She is the perfect compliment to Matt’s quiet nature.  I love how Matt completely adores Jen and is always eager to let her shine.

On the day we first met, Jen told me all about her wedding plans at the Atlantic Center for the Arts.  She wanted crystals, feathers, and chandeliers to accent the already gorgeous venue.  I knew it would all turn out beautifully and when I showed up on her wedding day it all looked exactly as she had predicted.  The ceremony was filled with emotion and laughter and you could feel the love from all that were attending just radiating.  It was a blessing to be a part of such a wonderful day in their lives as they became husband and wife.  Much of Jen’s family lives in England and all flew in for this special day.  They were definitely a party crowd and really helped to get the reception into full swing.  Below are some of our favorite images from the day as well as a slideshow.  Be sure to watch the reception part of the slideshow to see all the crazy antics this group was up to.

Last Saturday, high school sweethearts Michelle & Jamaal finally tied the knot and we were there to capture every beautiful moment!  They were married overlooking the ocean from the courtyard of The Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra.  It was a touching ceremony filled with laughs and tears as these two became Mr. & Mrs. Fudge.  Here are a few of our favorites from the day.  We can’t wait to post more soon showing off all the gorgeous details as well as their rockin’ reception.  Michelle & Jamaal we hope you are having an incredible honeymoon in Maui!

Just this past week the beautiful and talented Amanda B. Young aka The Blissful Bride, officially introduced her new calligraphy studio, Swoon Over It,  to the world.  Offering hand addressing, custom maps, t-shirts, and a variety of other custom products to meet the needs of any modern bride.  So if you are looking for that little something extra to make your invitations really say “wow!” then head on over to www.SwoonOverIt.com and check out all that this fabulous company  has to offer.  Her unique calligraphy style would be perfect for party or shower invitations as well.  As an added bonus, Amanda has a wealth of wedding info on her super popular and highly entertaining blog:  www.TheBlissfulBride.com.  I have a feeling some of her beautiful calligraphy will be gracing some bridal shower invitations I need to send out very soon!  Amanda, lets talk!

The day we were supposed to shoot Chelsea and Matt’s engagement session turned out to be a blustery rainy no good rotten kind of day.  With their wedding quickly approaching we had to reschedule asap.  Fortunately the very next day the weather was beautiful.  Not a single drop of rain and the beach was flooded with yummy golden sunlight.  Turns out we were meant to shoot on that Wednesday after all.  Chelsea and Matt were so much fun to shoot.  They were up for anything at all and laughing the whole time.  We can’t wait to shoot their wedding next month at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island. Matt promises it will be one heck of a party! Here are some of our favorites from their session followed by a slideshow.

Thanks for spending the afternoon with us you two… we will see you in just a couple weeks!