{nicole+eley | suffolk wedding photography}

when i heard that nicole + eley had gotten engaged, i was so happy for them…and secretly crossing my fingers that i might be asked to photograph the wedding. :)  i’ve worked with nicole and her family a few times in the last couple of years, photographing her sister’s wedding last year, and her son, parker, and nieces…so i kind of-sort of feel like the family photographer already!!  needless to say, i was thrilled when i got an email from nicole!!  the wedding was truly amazing…surrounded by their closest family and friends, the day was filled with the most sincere happiness for nicole, eley, and parker.  i’m pretty sure there will never be anything cuter than parker giving eley a ring pop during the ring exchange, or hearing parker telling his mommy how beautiful she was.  there was laughter, there were tears, and more moments than you can imagine that will be remembered and relived for years to come.  thank you for choosing us to share your day.

xo

{r+g}

{wardrobe wednesday | fall fashion}

i just LOVE our post this week from my friend jennifer of minor impressions photography, down in the big ole’ state of texas.  she’s done a fabulous job of explaining why it’s even HARDER to be “matchy-matchy” than it is to coordinate…which, if you’ve been following these posts, you’ll know that’s what i love to see with my family sessions!!  AND the fall theme is a great reminder to book your holiday sessions NOW…i know, i’m having a hard time thinking about the holidays already, but our books are filling up quickly.  so don’t wait!! :)

when planning her post, jennifer says, “Here in Texas, it’s still HOT and the thought of putting together an outfit for the fall just seemed downright dreadful! If you’re anything like me, you like to procrastinate a little bit, and you can’t help but laugh (or cry) at the thought of planning anything for the holidays already. But, here it is September, and most photographers are beginning to schedule those family sessions right now. So, don’t wait too long and miss out on your chance to have the holiday card everyone is talking about!!

Alright, now that you’ve scheduled your family session, what to wear?? You would think that it would be easier to just have everyone wear the same color shirt and be done with it, right?! Not so fast – it is almost always inevitable that someone purchases a cream shirt instead of a white one, or maybe their black shirt is a little more faded than yours, or your idea of red is a little bit closer to maroon than cherry red. It’s usually MUCH harder to match all of the same colors instead of coordinating around one outfit. In the wardrobe below, I’ve picked out a dress for the girl that has multiple colors. Everyone else has a shirt or sweater that blends in with at least one of the colors of the dress. Add a few accessories and voila, you have a matching ensemble without trying to “match” 4 shirts of the same color.”

Shopping List:

Girl’s Outfit
Sweater Dress – JCPenney – $19.99
Boots – Kohls – $39.99
Headband – LovMely Accessories – $15.00

Boy’s Outfit
Polo – JCPenney – $7.99
Jeans – Kohls – $17.99
Shoes – Kohls – $34.99

Mom’s Outfit
Sweater – Old Navy – $34.50
Jeans – Old Navy – $25.00
Boots – Kohls – $28.99
Bracelet – JCPenney – $10.99
Earrings – JCPenney – $8.99

Dad’s Outfit
Shirt – Kohls – $27.99
Jeans – Kohls – $36.99
Shoes – Kohls – $39.99

{wardrobe wednesday | take two}

more fabulous wardrobe advice for your little ones…there is so much cute stuff to choose from…where do you start??  as you’ll see with this informative post from erica may photography, not only is the wardrobe important, but so is planning ahead with props, snacks, drinks, and anything that’s going to make your little cutie show off that gorgeous, drooly, sometimes toothless smile!

erica tells us, “Babies and Toddlers can definitely be the hardest age group to photograph. Between the spitting up, drooling, crying, and running away from the camera it can get pretty difficult. However, when you get that great shot of a challenging toddler all the hard work pays off! But dressing your baby/toddler doesn’t have to be hard! This is the one time in your child’s life that they won’t have a strong opinion about what you dress them in so go for it! I give you permission to go crazy and get your toddler something ridiculously cute to wear to their session! I put together some great outfits below that are full of personality, color, and layers – all things we have been talking about every week in our Wardrobe Wednesday posts. Of course, I would never spend $100 on an outfit for my little boy to wear everyday but I do splurge for his photo shoots. Why? Because it totally makes the pictures come alive!

For babies and toddlers make sure to try their outfit on ahead of time to make sure it fits them just right (even if it means buying the size they are about to outgrow!). It is always a good idea for a toddler session to bring a snack and drink for them so they can take breaks during their session (being that cute is hard work!). A really good trick to get portraits of your baby/toddler holding still is to bring something for them to do. We had a fantastic post a few weeks ago about props and toddlers are a great example of how a prop can make a picture. I added a few pictures below of toddlers in action with their props. Often we can save the prop for the end of the session when they are bored with it all and it gives the child an extra boost of energy and smiles! Remember toddler photo shoots don’t always go as planned but just relax and try to have fun!

Featured Stores:
www.miniboden.com
www.ralphlauren.com
www.littleboychic.com
www.oldnavy.com
www.babygap.com

{wardrobe wednesday | all about the kids}

i actually have TWO wardrobe wednesday posts to put up today…since i didn’t get to last week’s post, and i don’t want to leave it out ’cause it’s by a super-fabulous guest, stacie hawley, of stacie hawley photography!  and, as we all love those kiddos, here are some really great tips and outfits for your cutie’s.

stacie says, “My favorite people to shoot, you ask?  KIDS – of course!!  They are so fun, spunky and full of personality.  Even better, they don’t mind being goofy and crazy – they welcome the unusual – and they love to be unique.  That’s why when I give style suggestions for kiddo shoots I always recommend these FIVE things.

Go for the BOLD…
It’s all about the color and pattern!  There is no better way to show off their bright shining personalities then through their clothes!  Colors should be bold – not neon.  If it even remotely resembles the oh-so-famous (could they get any brighter?) yellow/pink/green/blue/etc. school highlighter – it’s a no go.  Deep strong color is key.  Also, patterns can be your friend.  Thick stripes, large polka dots, and chunky plaid are all great!  Just make sure to stick with one bold pattern per outfit.

Three’s Company…
This is a simple rule and I have no idea where I heard it, but I live by it.  It’s all about coordinating your colors.  You wonder – how in the world do I know what color goes best with what?  Ack.  It can be very intimidating.  I’ve been there.  But don’t worry – breath – what I tell you next will free your mind.  Are you ready… ANYTHING GOES TOGETHER.  Did you get that – I know totally mind boggling.  But it’s true.  Anything goes as long as the colors appear a few times throughout your outfits.  For example, in the pictures below –so graciously borrowed from the miniBoden website (love their style) – you will see this rule used over and over again.  Yellow, brown, blue, burgundy – WHAT?  They can’t go together you say – oh yes my friend – they can!!  Yellow appears in the jacket, tights, and hat.  Blue appears in the tights, skirt, and jeans.  Burgundy/brown appears in the shoes, tights, hairclip….etc.  I usually suggest 2-3 main colors and then have them appear 3 or more times throughout the outfits.  Easy Peasy lemon squeezy.  Right?!!

One Singular Sensation…
When building an outfit, pick one thing your child likes – this could be a hat, necklace, jacket, tights, boots, shirt, etc. – and build up.  If it’s a hat, then look at it, find the colors in it, and then add to the outfit by following rule number 2.  For example, I heart the little grey kitten shirt below.  If I started with this, I could then build up my outfit using the colors within, which in this case are blue, red, and white.  Adding a jacket, jeans, shoes, and then creating a complimentary look following rules number 1 and 2 leaves you with the completed look.  Bravo miniBODEN.

Layer Cake…
Now that you’ve got your colors squared away, just make sure to layer…layer…layer.  Chunky layered looks add dimension and spunk – especially when you use various textures.  Add a fun jacket, a sweater, a vest, a belt, a hoodie – well the list goes on and on.  Just do it – I promise it will be just what the doctor ordered!  Check out the cute dudes below, layered to perfection!

Comfort Zone…
Last but definitely NOT least – make sure all clothing is comfortable!!  Kids want to be able to move and groove as they normally would, and as the photographer, I want them to too.  When they feel comfortable in their clothing it shows, again letting their personality shine through.  Then I can do my oh-so-fun job of capturing them dancing…jumping…laughing…being themselves – being kids.
Well – I hope this helps ya’ll!!  Happy Kiddo Stylin’!!

All outfits can be found at www.miniboden.com.  They are awesome for way cute kid fashion.  Plus sometimes most of the times – they do the hard styling work for you – fancy that! Ha ha.

{ashley+glenn | colonial heritage club williamsburg}

ashley + glenn have been waiting very patiently for a peek at their wedding day and i am so excited to share it with them!  this is a MUCH bigger post than usual, but it was WAY too hard to narrow it down…the images were just so beautiful, i wanted to share them all!! :)  the day was hot but there was no stopping the fun with this group.  the colonial heritage club was a gorgeous backdrop to a day filled with love, laughter, and some serious dancing!  thanks so much for having us share your amazing day.

xo

{r+g}

a few of the fabulous vendors who helped put on this amazing day:

the colonial heritage clubhouse

schmidt’s florist

music by: after five

makeup & styling by: salon vivace

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f a c e b o o k