Stephen and I have some wonderful clients that we met in October of last year for a maternity session. Since that time they have become great friends and I have had the honor of photographing the precious baby girl that they waited 14yrs for several times. We had planned to do a family session in July. However, Monday I received a phone call from Robin asking if we could move the date up. Then through tears, she told me that she had just been told she had Stage II Melenoma and would have to have surgery and we wouldn’t be able to get that family photo session in for a while. After setting a time and getting off the phone I couldn’t stop thinking about everything. I kept thinking about what I could do for her to let her know I cared about her and her family. Finally it hit me that the best gift I could give was to document their memories. No white shirts and blue jeans, just the real them interacting with each other. That is what life is all about. Spending time with those you love and care about, not stressing over hair out of place or making sure everyone matches perfectly. So last night when Stephen and I met up for our session with Robin and Mark we had a great time taking some lifestyle portraits. Capturing the emotion between the three of them. I have to say it was perfect and not the least bit stressful.

I hope that everyone reading this will realize the importance of capturing your family memories. Stop worrying about all the rules like wearing matching outfits or making sure everyone is looking perfect. Give the kids a lollipop or some ice cream and just enjoy a rare afternoon of family time and realize that it is okay to hang those memories on your wall. In the end the photos in the family album that matter are those that capture an emotion and bring back memories of a good time not those that just document all of your family members at that current time. Now that I have written a novel, here is a little peek at our afternoon with this precious family.

LOVE the look on this little man’s face as he watches the bride getting ready.

Aren’t these two just absolutely adorable? They were so sweet to each other.

The girls.

The guys.

I love the look on Jared’s face as he waits to see his bride for the first time. He pretty much smiled the whole day.

I am so happy with this series of them seeing each other for the first time. I think these shots pretty much tell the story.

Some of the bride and groom.

Three generations.

Waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Getting ready to walk down the aisle.

The cakes. These pictures make me hungry!

The aftermath of a good old fashioned cake fight.

The reception.

You will understand the smile as soon as you see the car he is holding the key to.

No words needed.

One last picture of the bride and groom.

Guys, thanks so much for allowing us to be a part of your lives over the past several months. It was truly a pleasure getting to know you. Hope you are enjoying your honeymoon!