Return To India...

Sigh...I cannot tell you the joy that is in my heart! 

We're just days away from returning to India! 

We work with a girl's orphanage called The Home of Love...

It has literally changed our lives & more importantly the lives of 75 girls in India. 

With that, my photo journey will move from weddings to the slums. 

From celebrations with fine china to celebrations on banana leaves. 

Here's a few snapshots of last year. 

Look forward to telling you all about it upon my return!

-Melissa Marie

Time To Party...

This was a party you wish you were invited to.... 

Though maybe a little over a hundred people attended I think the energy in the celebration far outshone even the largest of weddings. 

Often times DJ's have to have the group cheer several times to get the energy up before announcing the bridal party. I kid you not, it was the loudest first-round cheer I've ever heard and the party only grew from there. But the wedding wasn't without sentiment. With many of the guests coming in from Colombia there were many tearful hugs and a genuine sense of deep appreciation to be re-united.

I truly from the bottom of my heart loved this day. 

From laughing at "Grams" whose an absolute riot! 

To watching father & son embrace with tears rolling down their faces. 

Sigh...What a good day. 

Jorge & Danielle...Thank you for letting me be a small part of it!

Today is Their Day...

Today is their wedding day...

No these aren't their wedding pictures but I don't think I've shot someone's engagement pictures so close to their wedding before. I know I said that a few months back but two days before the wedding!? 

I was worried that they'd get burnt out on pictures and we hadn't even made it to the big day. 

Luckily that wasn't the case. 

Jorge & Danielle are super sweet and their excitement for the wedding makes me all the more excited. Speaking of wedding. 

I gotta go shoot theirs! 

Like...

Right now. 

Timing Is Everything...

Think back over some of the most life-changing moments & chapters in your life...

 I'd bet to say that it was an event occurring at just a time for a rememberable result to take place.
Timing is everything....
A man prepares & ponders when & how is the best way to commit his life to another and an engagement forms. Now of course I'm biased but I think one of the most crucial moments to get the timing right is one's wedding. Are you both ready? Will you be in a spot that will allow you to begin life together on the right foot? The answers to those questions will have a great impact on the final result.
In the same way, the timing of one's wedding events can make or break the experience.
Which is why I always advise more time rather than less.
You may think: "wow, do I really need that much tine in-between or for pictures?
And my answer is yes... Yes you do. Inevitably things will run late.
"But I'm organized" you say...That's awesome! You & I will get along great! (:  but I'm tellin' ya a wedding day is a chain reaction of many people's decisions & timing is not just reliant on us who have a minute by minute spreadsheet.  Ha...Don't judge me! (: 

So... My point is having a great timeline for your wedding just may be the key factor in you having he best experience of your life.

Today's bride Michelle was totally trusting in my timeline (despite some grief from others that there potentially was too much time) and surprise surprise it was exactly what we needed. (Okay I'm not surprised I've done hundreds of weddings, I kinda have this down by now) (: 

 Having the right time  obviously makes my crazy organized personally happy but more than that I know that minute by minute... Memory after memory is being created. And who wouldn't want that on the most meaningful day of their life? 

 Couldn't be happier for her & Tim. 

Congrats guys!

Greek Baptism...

Sigh....My Greek family. Okay, maybe not MY Greek family but with how much they've taught me about my own culture through the years they could have a run at the title for sure. (: 

Being raised by Swedes has it's definite advantages: 

Swedish meatballs, pancakes, Swedish accents during the game "Mad Gab" and lots and lots of Coffee! Can I get an Amen!? 

Gotta say though, anything I know about my Greek people comes from either: "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" or today's family, Nick, Ketia, & now Alexi.

I've gotten documents on all things Greek Weddings and now I'm well rehearsed in Greek Baptism. Lots of respectful rituals and above all else the focus is on the adorable Alexi. It was merely a year ago I shot their wedding, and now their first child's baptism. 

Here's to many more Greek traditions I hope to learn in the future. 

Trust...

It saddens me when a bride says she's had a not so great experience with vendors. But truly, it is music to my ears to hear in the same breath that I'm the one thing that did go right in the planning process or that they knew they didn't have to worry about me. They trusted I'd pull through. I truly want every aspect of one's wedding to be a dream and if I can be the person to help make that happen then the world is right with me. So to hear from my bride Jessica that there had been issues but all is good now that I'm here meant everything to me. 

It meant trust. 

Trust that despite our less than perfect weather (Don't be fooled by the picture, photoshop & I are friends. It was clouds...Rain...& Cold) she knew that I'd capture her vision.

 It meant she could totally emmerse herself in Derrick (and oh my are they cute) and not think through a mental list of pictures. 

Trust means eveything to me and it for sure means everything to a bride. 

And when I get it, I don't take it for granted. 

Thanks for trusting guys...

You're day was absolutely stunning!

Jazz's Baptism...

Meet my nephew jazz. Known for smiling all the time & never crying. He's pretty much the "perfect baby". So between my nephew the "perfect baby" and my niece the "baby genius" I think Bart & my future (non-existent) children, no mom, this is not an announcement, have a tall order to live up to. Bart & I joke our kid would be the hyper tan baby. Haha... But for now I'm lovin' just being an aunt. Today we got to celebrate little Jazzy's baptism. A lot of prayers have been said for this little guy. Ours is: that he may grow up not just knowing of Christ his savior but that his heart would joyfully testify to what the lord has done for him & through him each day of his life.