Cypress Grove Estate House Engagement Session - Ajay & Erin

When life gives you rainy days, dress up and ROCK your engagement session! That’s exactly what these two cuties did. This “Fall” in Central Florida has been unusually rainy, and so we’ve had our fair share of rainy sessions lately. Ajay and Erin didn’t let it stop them from being their adorable selves for one second.

Miguel and I met Ajay wayyyy back in college, about 10 years ago. We were fast friends, and we’re so excited to see him marry the love of his life next month! When planning their engagement session, we had to reschedule a couple of times due to the weather. Finally, we decided to just go for it, and I am SO GLAD we did!

There’s something more than a little magical about photos in the rain, and we took full advantage of that. These plastic umbrellas from Target are just the cutest, and they were the perfect compliment to the day. We decided to photograph their engagement session at Cypress Grove Estate House because of its classic charm and southern vibe. Erin particularly loved the little white bridge :)

Ajay and Erin, thank you for trusting Miguel and I to photograph your engagement session and wedding next month. We can’t wait to see you two become husband and wife!!!

Bok Tower Gardens Engagement Session - Lauren & Jonathan

It’s no secret that Bok Tower Gardens is one of our favorite places to photograph sessions at. And really, it’s quite obvious why. Bok Tower is one of the most beautiful spots here in Central Florida. Mix that with a seriously gorgeous couple, and magic was bound to ensue.

Part of what we love so much about Bok Tower is the sheer variety of locations to make beautiful photographs. One of our favorite spots is in the large field at sunset with the tower in the background. It’s like the field is on fire, and it is so awesome to see. Pictures truly do not do it justice.

Lauren and Jonathan were seriously the best to work with! They were so gigly and smiley the whole time, which makes our job so very easy. Working with couples that are so apparently in love is one of my favorite things about what we do. Not to mention, it’s also a ton of fun! Who wouldn’t want to be around contagiously happy people all the time?

Have I mentioned how cool these two were? After their session, we headed over to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee and donuts because, why not? I love it when Miguel and I can just hang out with our couples, and it feels like we’re friends. Keep in mind, your photographer is going to be with you all day long on your wedding day. Make sure it’s someone you enjoy being around!

Those of you who have been following us for a while might be aware that Miguel is totally in love with wine. On his 21st birthday, we had wine, if that tells you anything. So, when Jonathan told us that he was a certified sommelier, we thought that was the coolest thing in the world! Lauren and Jonathan even brought a little something along to celebrate that part of Jonathan’s personality. Check it out in the photos below!

Lauren and Jonathan, thank you for trusting us to photograph the love you two share. We are honored to be a part of your lives, and we cannot wait to celebrate with you at Bella Collina next year!

Disney Springs Surprise Proposal - Tim & Faith

When Tim first reached out to Miguel to let him know he was going to propose to Faith, we were so excited! We’re good friends with Tim, and we were so happy for him to take this step. Faith doesn’t live in town, and so planning this surprise proposal was a little stressful, but oh so worth it.

Photographing a proposal is always a little nerve-wracking because you never know if the soon-to-be-proposed-to person is going to notice a photographer hovering around with a giant camera. Thankfully, Disney is full of tourists with cameras, so we fit right in without being suspicious. At least I hope so.

Tim proposed to Faith right in front of Blaze Pizza, which is where they had their first date. Now, if you haven’t been to Blaze Pizza before, you need to remedy that immediately. It is SO GOOD. But I digress. The whole time we were waiting for the two love birds to show up, the little area we had decided on was empty. Then, just as Time texted us to get into position, I had to kick several people out just in time. A few stayed in the shadows to watch the proposal I told them was about to happen.

She said yes! Congratulations Tim & Faith! Miguel and I are so happy for you, and we can’t wait for your wedding next year. We wish you two a lifetime of love and happiness. Thank you for trusting us to capture this incredibly special moment.

Celebration Engagement Session - Kate & Andrew

When life gives you tornado warnings, make beautiful pictures. Anybody who visits Central Florida has probably heard that if it is raining, just wait 5 minutes and there will be sunshine. Well, last week Central Florida really wanted to quash that stereotype. 

It was dark and stormy all week. Amanda and I were watching the weather all week because we had an engagement session scheduled on Wednesday at Lake Runnymede. Lake Runnymede is a beautiful area, but because it is a natural park, any rain can really make all the paths impassable. On the Wednesday of Andrew and Kate’s engagement session, the weather took a turn for the worse and even turned into a tornado warning!

We knew Andrew and Kate were driving into town from Jacksonville, so it was too late to reschedule We had to make a call to change the location and pray that the weather conditions wouldn’t worsen even more. We stayed in communication with Kate throughout the day and settled on downtown Celebration as the best spot with the weather the way it was. It still has plenty of the natural woodsy spots, while also providing enough shelter from the storms. After a short pit stop to pick up a couple of clear umbrellas for our couple to use during the session,  we were ready. 

Luckily, on our way to Celebration the rain had slowed down to barely a drizzle. We arrived a little early and scoped out the area to check just how wet the paths were, and we were ecstatic that the paths were wet, but not puddled. When Andrew and Kate walked up, they looked amazing in their outfits!

Kate and Andrew handled the bad weather like pros! Plus, we love how the clear umbrellas look in the photos. They add another dimension that’s so fun to play with. Kate and Andrew, thank you for trusting us with the location change and for being so great to work with! We can’t wait for your wedding later this year!

Are you looking for your own Orlando wedding photographer for your big day? Click here to reach out!

Rock Springs at Kelly Park Engagement Session - Ana & Kris

Ana and Kris were referred to us through their wedding planner: Bella Sposa Events. We’ve worked with Bella Sposa Events before, and we are so excited to work with them again for Ana and Kris’ wedding, as it promises to be stunning! As excited as we are for their wedding day, we can tell that they are even more excited, and it’s so cute to see.

When Kris was looking at Ana during their engagement photos, his face just lit up. Ana’s laughter during the session couldn’t have been any sweeter either! We could tell that Ana and Kris both wanted to make sure that their pictures were great, so they were laser focused on all our direction when we were posing them. The moment though when they gave their attention to each other was heart stopping. You could tell that the world melted away from around them and only the other person remained. Those moments were by far the sweetest, and when set to a background as stunning as Rock Springs at Kelly Park, we know these are moments they will treasure for a lifetime.

Ana was telling us that the one detail she is most looking forward to on her wedding day would be her wedding dress. YES! There are so many different styles and shapes of wedding dresses that it can be a daunting process to pick one out, but once you find the perfect dress, you know you have a show stopper. Ana’s flower girl is also excited about a wedding dress, but not Ana’s. One of Kris’ daughters is going to be the flower girl, and is so excited to wear “her wedding dress.” When Ana told us this, we thought it was the sweetest and cutest moment. It is beautiful to see these two families joining together and it being so important for Ana and Kris that the kids be involved in the ceremony.

Ana and Kris will be getting married at Club Lake Plantation in May, and we are so excited to capture not just a marriage, but a joining of families. Congratulations Ana and Kris! May is just one short month away!