Tyler + Karly | Anniversary Session at Columbia Riverwalk | Columbia SC Photographer

Tyler + Karly | Anniversary Session | Columbia Riverwalk Photography

These two are just one year into marriage but have years of friendship + dating one another to build upon. Karly Richardson is a sweet photography friend that I met last year and it has such a delight to get to know her and shoot alongside her at weddings. She had talked about really wanting some photos with Spanish moss gracing them and I told her I knew just the spot.

The Columbia Riverwalk (not to be confused with the West Columbia Riverwalk riverwalk) has several spots along the water that are dripping with that gorgeous Southern moss. As photographers, it can be somewhat daunting to be the one getting photographed, let alone photographing another photographer. Not the case for these two - all smiles, laughter, sweet embraces and picky holding (seriously, so adorable!). Get to know Tyler and Karly, and you'll get to see their heart for each other, the Lord, their family and others around them. To this wonderful couple, happy first anniversary!

Jake + Dana | Anniversary Portraits | Nashville Portrait Photographer

One of my absolute dearest friends married her husband 5 years ago this weekend. Dana and Jake had a beautiful ceremony and reception in Tampa and I was so privileged to be standing by her side as they wed.

Crowsy, as I still call her, and I met in high school - specifically, during the first period on the first day of junior year - where we were both the new kids on the block.

Friendship from that early morning English class also led to many musical adventures (including a snowed-in trip our senior year to NYC!), outdoor movies in Hyde Park, driving around and singing Destiny's Child/country music in harmony, beach trips, taco shack visits (may it rest in peace) and then continued on into 4 years of garnet and gold.

The fun continued at FSU with Worship on Landis, BCM activities, jumping/getting thrown in the Westcott Fountain, sitting through scorching hot and pouring down rain football games, driving to Dothan for some Bojangles and ended college as roommates.

Literal roommates, as we liked to say. We somehow shoved two full-size beds in one bedroom and shared that space with late night guitar jamming out to Little Big Town, talking about what God was teaching us, studying or not studying for our respective majors, catching up on each other's day (Jake entered the picture about this time!) and trying to survive the apartment fire.

Side note: Dana once saved my life from what she thought was a fire in our kitchen. Our bedroom door backed right up to that space and when she smelled smoke one morning, she jumped out of her bed, tested the door for heat with the back of her palm and shouted something along the lines of, "It's all going to be OK, Lorin!" Meanwhile our other roommate had just burnt something in the microwave. And I slept through the whole thing. But I still count that as her saving my life :)

Thanks to one of Jake's friends at our dear friend Christina's birthday, the two met our senior year. Although I was SHOCKED that they didn't already know each other, since they have like 100 friends in common!

Their love for the Lord, affection and major talent for all things music (Dana has an extremely beautiful voice and is awesome on the guitar! Jake is an incredibly talented composer and musician!) and silly yet sweet personalities made it so abundantly clear that they were meant to be like two peas in a pod.

We traveled to Nashville to ring in 2016 together with the sweet LaVallees and in between eating delicious food, playing Ticket to Ride and exploring East Nashville, we snuck in sunset anniversary portraits of Dana and Jake in Percy Warner Park, right in the same place they strolled around after Jake proposed!

For the days, weeks, months and years of love past and many more to come, happy anniversary to this incredible couple!

December Gratefulgrams

"Far from what I once was but not yet what I'm going to be." {Unknown}

Happy 2015!

It's so incredible to look back, over the weeks, months & year to see how the Lord has led, directed & worked through our lives. In the span of just 5 months, Dean & I found out we were pregnant (August), celebrated our 1-year anniversary early in Canada (September), decided not to renew our townhome lease (October), began the job search (October), slept in a hotel/friend's basement/apartment/on a pull-out couch (November-December), traveled to visit different companies (November), accepted an offer (November), said good-bye to our church community & friends (December) & moved into a new little rental home in Columbia, SC (December).

We are thrilled to have this opportunity for newness - a new location, a new job, a new season of life. Like Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1-3, 11, "There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born ... a time to uproot... He (God) has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Here's to living each day of the year in light of God's mercies, which are new each morning!

1. A place to keep all my prayers #Vmpjournals/ 2. Sunrise + photography + beautiful friend / 3. An incredibly (bitter)sweet farewell from my SG ladies / 4. Sharing the news about #MyFairweatherBaby / 5. Hosting our very first Christmas / 6. Capturing moments like this of my amazing sister

Sunflowers + an anniversary trip

In the classic movie You've Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly played by the ever-charming Meg Ryan says, "They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?" when Joe Fox, played by Tom Hanks, surprises her with a bouquet when she's sick.

If a handful of daisies are friendly, how about a whole field of sunflowers?

When Dean & I were driving through West Chester, OH, on the way to visit our nieces & nephew, I spotted the glorious field of bright yellow dots up ahead. SUNFLOWERS! I have always wanted to frolic around & photograph in a field of these beauties. Anyone getting married in or near a sunflower field? I'd love to photograph your wedding :)

Being the wonderful husband that he is, Dean helped make my photo dream come true! We pulled into a parking lot across the street & darted across, camera gear in tow, for our mid-day frolicking.

P.S. No flowers were harmed in the midst of our shooting. We plucked this flower off of a fallen, uprooted stalk :)

With our upcoming 1-year anniversary (it is hard to believe it's been that long since we said I do!), Hubby & I will be driving to Mont Tremblant to celebrate next week! It's been years since I've crossed the border into Canada (family vacay, circa 1995 or so) & we are SO excited to spend time exploring the beautiful town, hiking through trails, reading great books & cuddling together. Have any of y'all been to Mont Tremblant/Quebec area? We'd love to hear your recommendations for places to see & restaurants to try!