St. Pete, FL Photographer

Stacey + TJ met in elementary school, back in the days when she was taller than him and girls had cooties. Their photos in the yearbook were side by side, and that’s how their lives continued over the years–side by side first as best friends, and then as much, much more.

I think one of the reasons I adore my destination brides so much is because we share a mutual love for all things Savannah. I’m not originally from this gorgeous town, and three years after moving here I still feel like I wake up in the most magical city on a daily basis. You can often catch me and my sweet brides gushing together over how much we love this pretty place.

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically, to say ‘no’ to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger ‘yes’ burning inside.” – Stephen R. Covey

I have learned over the years that I am absolutely terrible at saying “no” to things when I need to. But because I know that, I’ve been working hard on figuring out what my bigger “yes” is, so I’ll have solid reasons to fall back on when I have to say no.

I was the first person at Gallery Espresso this morning. I had my laptop open before 8am, sipping coffee and writing love notes to my clients. And before that I was walking through downtown Savannah, soaking up every bit of this gorgeous, crisp weather. 

And y’all…I got to enjoy all of that morning loveliness for one simple reason: because I love my job so much that I actually get up early to do it. 🙌🏻

Most of my brides come to me completely unsure of how many hours to book–and that’s totally ok! To help them make the decision, I tell them to keep a couple things in mind… 1) 8 hours of coverage is generally what you need to capture everything from the getting ready photos through the sparkler exit. If you want less coverage, that’s absolutely fine too–and we would then work together to figure out whether I would be there for getting ready photos or the exit, since I usually couldn’t capture both in fewer than 8 hours. (There are always exceptions, but that’s usually the case.)

Two years ago I stopped making New Year’s resolutions. I’ve never kept a resolution more than a couple of days, and I realized that it was such a bummer to begin the year feeling like I had failed. So instead of making resolutions, I started making goals. With just this small change in wording, I’m setting myself up with an entire year to push towards accomplishing the goals I’ve chosen. A whole year!! That’s oodles of time, and it makes both the big goals and small goals feel so much more attainable. For the last two years, I’ve spent the morning of New Year’s Day at Gallery Espresso with just my journal, a pen, and a hot cup of coffee (and let’s be honest, a bagel loaded with cream cheese, because I’ve got a whole year to accomplish any health-related goals, right? Right. :P). I spend time reading back through last year’s goals, celebrating what I’ve accomplished by checking them off the list, and then carefully re-evaluating any goals I didn’t accomplish. I don’t beat myself up for missing goals–instead, I truly consider why I didn’t accomplish them. Was it something out of my control? Was it just not the right timing? Is there something I could do differently next year to make it happen? Or should I just take it off the list altogether? Once I’ve mentally applauded myself for what I did check off the list, and kindly considered why I didn’t quite accomplish the remaining items, I make a new list of goals for the coming year.

Most of you know that for the entire time I’ve been a photographer, I’ve always also had a full-time job that had nothing to do with photography. I’ve worked at a biotech company and an art and design college in their communications departments, and I actually have an English degree from the University of Florida. Photography has been my part-time, midnight hustle for what feels like my whole life… I was 22 when I bought my first DSLR, a Canon Rebel XT.

Jenna + Matt had a chance meeting fit for a fairy tale. Jenna is in the Navy, and Matt is a Marine, and for one weekend their jobs brought them both to New Orleans. That one weekend ended up changing their lives, and last month they brought everything full circle by beginning their married life together in Orleans Square here in Savannah. In addition to the sweet “Orleans” touch, Jenna + Matt also added another fun personal touch to their wedding–they incorporated a location that has special meaning for them–Southbound Brewing Co.!  Matt’s brother is a brewer at Southbound, so they planned a couple of hours of craft beer and lawn games at the brewery before guests took a trolley over to the reception at the Westin Champion Grill.

The day began with sunshine, but storm clouds began collecting in the distance as I neared Woodlawn Plantation. By the time I got there, it was raining lightly, but when I walked inside there was a smile on Misty’s face. A little rain couldn’t ruin her day, because she was marrying Shayne, and that’s all that mattered. And as if by magic, the rain subsided, the table linens were drying, and it was all going to be ok. As Misty walked down the aisle towards her sweetheart, everyone held their breath in anticipation as Shayne locked eyes with his bride. The air was still and a perfectly placed cloud filtered lovely light over their guests.

When I heard that Ivory + Beau was working on a new website and needed headshots and photos of their boutique, I just knew I had to be a part of this project. Not only am I lucky enough to call these talented ladies my friends, but I am also slightly (ok totally) obsessed with their brand. They are the bossest of girl bosses–unabashedly weaving gold dinos and kitty cats into their bridal boutique branding, because it’s just so perfectly THEM. And because they know that their boho, quirky, creative brides will connect with a brand that isn’t afraid of a little whimsy.