Oh 2010.... you're oh so very... unpredictable.  This has been one strange week.  

I love the couples I was able to photograph in 2009... thank YOU for allowing me to do what I love!  Thank you for trusting me to capture the most intimate and special moments in your lives.  All of you are the ones who make me want to challenge and push myself further out of my comfort zone with every shoot.  It is truly impossible for me to express in words how lucky I feel to have the clients that I do, you're all amazing people.

For quite some time, I thought that there would never be a group of Toledo wedding photographers who could become friends or even form our own little photog community.  It always bummed me out that there was the sense of competition or paranoia that prevented friendships forming between people who actually have a ton in common.  A few months ago, a small group of us got together, had drinks, shared stories, laughed a lot until 2 a.m. I left that night feeling this sense of calm and joy that, hey, we're not realllly in competition with each other.  There's only one Mary, there's only one Carli + Joe, there's only one Jordan + Amber, and only one Joshua + Gregg.  We each have our own perspective that no one else can duplicate.  Sure we may get common inquires, but we also send each other the business that we can't shoot, look out for one another when an issue arises, give advice... we got each other's backs.  I rather send out business to one of the above mentioned than try to horde everything for myself.

As seen in the previous post, I recently photographed Carli + Joe of Shutterlove.  A couple weeks prior to that Joshua + Gregg of Love is Greater than Photography photographed Phil + myself.  We had an absolute blast with them, and who am I kidding, I love being photographed almost as much as I love photographing others.  Here are a few of my favourite shots that they got.  Thanks again you two!!!

A few people have asked me, 'Who took the photos of you at the top of your website?' well I needn't look far to find someone to take photos of me... my amazing husband, Phil, can certainly hold his own with a good ole 5D Mark 2.  Now I know that I use the word amazing a lot... and I am always sincere when I do use it BUT Phil is, well, oozing amazement.  He is extremely supportive, in every sense of the word.  I am like the crazy hot sauce on a burrito that you're not too sure you can handle UNLESS you have some sour cream... and Phil is the sour cream... haha, that analogy was completely off the top of my head, could you tell?  He calms me down when I feel like I won't be able to get anything done... tells me to write all the stuff swimming in my head when I can't sleep at night and when I come home from a wedding he has a glass of my favourite wine waiting... I really couldn't be any luckier.

So we are that unofficial husband + wife team.  Phil behind the scenes making sure my batteries are charged Saturday morning, making me a huge water jug, and making me double check that I have everything.  He looks at all of my blog posts, whether he is all that interested or not, and will tell me if a shot isn't that worthy of being on the blog.  

You have met my adorable puppies, here is my hot hubby...

I am so torn on whether to post personal photos here... I want people to get to know me better through this blog, but I also don't want prospective couples to have to cull through random posts to see wedding and engagement photos.  I suppose I should stick to my 'this blog is for me' motto.... that's what the categories menu is for, right?

For those people who do not know... I have three dogs.  Yes, I am insane.  Yes, we vacuum a lot. Yes, we have stock in Febreze. Here are my three pups, fresh from the groomers.