Neeleman Family

Have you ever seen a more beautiful family? Hannah, Daniel, and baby Henry are dear friends of ours. Pat and Daniel play on the BYU men's lacrosse team together...Go Cougs! Hannah is an amazing dancer and the cutest mommy around! And last but not least, Henry is just a little bundle of joy and smiles. His smile is almost as big as his dad's! I loved photographing these three, and want to give a shout out to my talented husband Pat for being my second shooter! I am so proud of him. 

Love these guys! 

Annie & Ryan: Engagements

Meet Annie and Ryan. Annie and I were roommates during our freshman year at BYU. Man, I don't know what I would have done without her. All those middle of the night dance parties by ourselves in the kitchen, riding her bike on campus while i pulled her on her rollerblades by a jumprope, borrowing her clothes when I had nothing to wear, spending an entire Sunday afternoon building the most amazing fort in the kitchen (which we left up until we had to take it down for cleaning checks), oh and that time that we went to Santa Barbara for her birthday...

So many good times back then. 

I met Ryan for the first time the day we shot these engagements. I knew I liked him when he volunteered to be my stylist for the day. (He is really good at doing hair...HA) Basically, Ryan is perfect for Annie and Annie is perfect for Ryan. I am so happy they found each other! 

Here are some of my favorites from that day... don't they look beautiful even though they were literally frozen? It was so cold up in the mountains, but they were troopers and put up with me telling them to do stuff. Good job, guys. You're hotties. 

couldn't resist posting this outtake. too good.

pure happiness right there

Anna said YES!

Anna's boyfriend approached me about capturing the moment he popped the big question, and I was so excited! He had a room reserved at a magical restaurant, complete with twinkle lights in the trees and a stone floor (Anna's dream come true!) Everything went as planned, and it was a beautiful, happy night! Congrats you two, the best is yet to come! 

family is a great thing.

Last weekend my family got together to celebrate and honor the life of our late grandmother, Mary Jean Rus.  She passed away a few months ago, but didn't want a funeral. So stories were shared, and memories remembered. It was a beautiful service. She was and still is so loved and respected.  

On that same day, was our grandfather's birthday. Jan Rus is 90 years old! Way to go, Granddad.  Here are some photographs from his birthday party, as well as some from their house in Laguna Hills.  We are really going to miss that place. There were so many memories in that home.  It was weird and sad to be there when it was so empty and cold. Literally, it was freezing inside. 

Anyways, it was a bittersweet day in California.  

  

Becca & Jake | Utah Wedding Photographer

I have known Becca since she moved to my hometown from Italy when we were in the 4th (?) grade.  We loved playing in the craft room in her basement, baking goodies upstairs with the supervision of her master-chef-mom, and jumping on the tramp in the backyard.  

After all those young women lessons about eternal marriage we had to sit through, we both decided to get married this year! Now we can understand better what our teachers were trying to tell us which was that being married to your best friend is the bomb. 

I was so excited to photograph Becca and Jake's wedding, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to do so! What a beautiful celebration of two awesome people who are so in love! 

Photographing a wedding is so different from just going to a wedding. I felt so much more connected to the explosion of happiness happening simply because it was my job/pleasure to notice the little things happening that made up the happiest day(s) of Becca and Jake's life up to this point! 

Congratulations guys! I am so happy for you! 

PS. Becca's mom made the wedding gown!