For those of you who may not know (or maybe you do), it is Mel’s 30th birthday today!! She has turned the big 3-0! She’s just now catching up to me (as usual). So, I hope you will all join me in congratulating this wonderful woman, who is the best wife and friend I could ever have. She has enhanced my life in more ways than I can count.

Happy 30th Birthday sweetheart, I love you!!

p.s. Some of you may have seen her Twit-pic the brand new iMac and Drobo I got her for her birthday. As an additional birthday gift from all of you… I will give her three minutes of relaxing massage for every Happy Birthday comment on this post, which can be redeemed on any date and time of her choice (I learned from the best massage therapist on the planet… Mel herself).

Jen & Bert”s beautiful winter wedding was featured on the fabulous {ELD} Blog!  This blog is a great resource for brides with inspiration boards, planning tips, and even a style dictionary.  Run on over and check it out!

Thanks Lauren for showcasing our work and our super cute couple!

I just wanted to share this sweet little love note from one of our brides after she received her album. I absolutely love Lori’s album and was so pleased with how it turned out.  It always makes my heart sing when I know our couples love their albums as much as we do and find so much joy in them.  We had it printed on metallic paper so that all the vivid colors of Mexico would really pop. Below are some shots of her actual album and what she had to say about it.

“Mel – I just wanted to let you know that we just got the album in! The album is waaay more beautiful than I had imagined! The quality of the pages is simply stunning! I haven’t been able to stop admiring it since we got it yesterday. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You and Brad are amazing photographers and the quality of your work is unmatchable!” – Lori McLellan

Thank you Lori and Justin for trusting us with your memories and allowing us to be part of your lives. We love you both!

Say hello to the newest little bit of awesome to join our team.  We are so excited to have Anna on as part of La Dolce Vita Studio!  We have been growing by leaps and bounds this past year and were ready to bring someone in to help with some of the behind the scenes studio life.  Anna is such a perfect fit for us.  She is a vibrant, creative soul that will surely be a blessing to us and our clients.  This is her second week working with us and she is an absolute delight.  I’m excited for you all to get to know her as well.  I took her out the other day for a little mini shoot and posted a few of my favorites down below.  Aren’t her vintage boots incredible!!! I love this girl’s style and zest for life.  So without further ado meet Anna…

Well hello everyone! I am the new Marketing | Design Manager for La Dolce Vita Studio and I am so excited to be working with such talented photographers.  Just a little about me…I am originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and will always be a Tarheel.  My family moved to Statesboro, Georgia where I went to high school and my parents still reside. I attended the University of Georgia where I majored in Interior Design through the Lamar Dodd School of Art.  I love art and was fortunate to be able to experiment with all genres of studio art while earning my degree. During my time in Athens I blossomed into the bright, bubbly person I am today.  Athens is such a unique city full of life, culture, and of course, bulldogs.  GO DAWGS!

I have a passion for photography and would like to experiment more with digital photography and see where it can lead me.  Melanie and Bradford are so amazing and I am so glad that I get to work with them and learn from them.  I love design; interior design, furniture design, and graphic design. I would like to someday have my own studio devoted to some facet of art or design.  Traveling and exploring new cultures is another one of my passions.  I have a desire to visit every place I can and see everything there is to see! Right now I am pretty much lovin’ life!

Check us out on today’s Design Grove post.  If you are newly engaged or know someone who is there is a wealth of great information on what to do now that you have that ring on your hand!