I had the pleasure of traveling to Nashville to shoot for my friend, the lovely and incredibly talented Kate Murphy, at the historic Belle Meade Plantation. Emily and Michael designed an amazing affair with such thoughtful and personal touches: every single piece of pottery was from her mother’s personal collection; the hydrangeas were cut from her grandmother’s garden.  The paper balls where all hand-crafted by Emily and her mom and were later strung into a chandelier, as well as a smaller grouping held by her flower girl in lieu of flowers. To see more of how they were put together, check out the Big Events blog - they did an amazing job coordinating their wedding.

(It’s always so fun & inspiring to shoot with Kate; not once did I pick up a digital camera during the entire evening.)

I had the pleasure of second-shooting Valerie & Kevin’s wedding for my friend, the talented Melissa Schollaert, on the lovely island of St. Simons last summer. I loved all the little details they incorporated to make it their own, including that one very big detail — her uncle’s antique Model-T Ford! Their string-lit reception happened to be on 10 acres of family-owned property, beautifully draped in Spanish moss.

To read more about their amazing fête & see more photos, check out the blog post the lovely ladies of Southern Weddings posted today!

I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot this incredible wedding with my dear friend Jess in Palm Beach, just before I headed out to Italy. Alex & Marcy had an exquisite affair at the Royal Poinciana Chapel… and I have never before seen so many people in one room that could dance so effortlessly! Click here to see a few more shots from the day.

On my first trip to Rome seventeen years ago, I threw a lira in the Trevi fountain, hoping to return. This time, Matt and I both got to try it… with a euro of course and a tiny wish for it to come true once again.

Seventeen years ago I had the opportunity to study abroad as a Painting major in Florence, Italy. Now, to return, was quite possibly the best gift I could ever receive. And to get to explore the city with my husband was an inexplicable experience. Surprisingly, I still knew each alley and cobblestone corridor like the back of my hand and the city felt just as I had left it.

But I got to experience it all in such a different way, with new perspective and deep appreciation. We splurged on an amazing hotel room which overlooked the Ponte Vecchio — much different from Albergo Firenze, where I lived for 3 1/2 months as a student along with Kristin, a friend from back home who now is my sister-in-law. Florence was where I took my first photography classes and learned how to shoot with my Nikkormat camera – a gift given to me upon high school graduation from my Mom and Dad.

When I think about all of these things, I realize that this city was truly the beginning of something very big for me and very special for my family… for that I’m forever thankful.

To view the entire Florence gallery and purchase fine art prints, click here.