This past Spring, I took Summer’s bridal portraits at one of my favorite spots: Harley Farms in Clover, SC. The beautiful white barn and gorgeous sunsets provide a perfect backdrop for any portraits, especially bridals!

Megan and Jack planned their intimate wedding to be held the shore of Lake Wylie, where they spend a lot of their time boating. They rented a beautiful AirBnB for the weekend, nicknamed “Windy Gap,” and it was the perfect spot for a microwedding! When I arrived, they and their closest friends and family members were just relaxing in the house and on the double decker porches, snacking on Chick-fil-a sandwiches, fruit, and veggies, and visiting/opening special wedding gifts. The ceremony space was already set up outside with the lake as a backdrop—it was an absolutely gorgeous setting.

One of my favorite types of portrait sessions to photograph is a maternity session. There’s something about being able to grow a human inside your body that is just magical! Don’t think of it as a time when your body is all out of whack; your body is performing a miracle! It’s so important to document this special time in your life. It should absolutely be remembered!

Nathan and Savannah’s wedding was held on April 4, 2026, at Turkey Ridge in Shelby, NC. I had never worked at Turkey Ridge before, but I instantly fell in love with the gorgeous outdoor ceremony space overlooking the mountains of North Carolina and the wonderful team who manages the venue! It was a fantastic place to work. Savannah picked such a vibrant color scheme for her details and florals, with lots of pinks, blues, and corals. When I arrived, Savannah and her bridesmaids were getting ready in the bridal suite and watching the weather like a hawk; there were showers/storms in the vicinity, and we were all a little worried about having to go to Plan B for an indoor ceremony! But as always, God produced a miracle; it rained just before and after the ceremony, but the rain showers paused at the perfect time and the sun shone for their big moment and then created a brilliant rainbow later during their portrait session!

My husband and I are Disney people. One of the first things we bonded over was our love for Disney. He proposed in front of the castle at Magic Kingdom, our wedding cake topper was Mickey and Minnie, we visited Disney World every year for the first few years of our marriage, both our boys are “Disney babies” and their middle names are an homage to Walt Disney himself, their first haircuts were at Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street of Magic Kingdom, our home is decorated with hidden (and not-so-hidden) Mickeys in every room…I could go on and on about how much we love the magic of Disney.

This past February, we visited Disney for the first time in 6 1/2 years.

I have now owned and operated my photography business part-time for 13 years, and now that my retirement from public education is impending, I plan on making this business my full-time job! My business is “home-grown," meaning I have built it from scratch without a lot of formal education in business or marketing. But photography is a people-based service, and I know people! One of the reasons I have been able to stay in and grow my business, even through the pandemic and the recent sluggish economy is because I have mastered the skill of communication. I promise I am not trying to brag; I have had 28 years working with middle school students and their parents (some of the most challenging people to communicate with), as well as other teachers and coworkers, and I have been married for 15 years! Communication is KEY in all areas of life. But it is especially crucial when trying to run and maintain a business that thrives. I consider good communication a huge part of my brand, and I truly believe it is what keeps clients coming back to me year after year for all their milestones!

When Ashley and Justin suggested Sassafras Mountain for their engagement photos, I didn’t mind driving a couple of hours to meet them there! The December day was surprisingly warm—but at the top of the mountain, it was freezing. Partly due to the wind and partly due to the altitude…we all really needed hats, gloves, and scarves! But Ashley, Justin, their sweet dog, and Ashley’s mom and dad were SUCH troopers as we patiently waited for the sun to set while enduring the cold temperatures and blustery wind. And the wait was worth it…what a spectacular sunset and set of romantic engagement photos we were able to capture!

Today is my fiftieth birthday. And I’ll be honest…I’ve been gearing up for this birthday for quite some time. If I think about certain implications too hard, it’s scary. I can vividly remember things that happened forty years ago, which doesn’t seem that far away! But in forty more years, if I live that long, I will be ninety. NINETY. THAT sounds old.

But at the same time, I don’t feel as old as fifty sounds! When I was a teenager, fifty was grandma-age. Ladies like the Golden Girls or Angela Lansbury in Murder She Wrote. But I’m fifty and still have an elementary and middle schooler I’m raising! I’m nowhere close to being a grandma (or a Golden Girl), and I have a LOT more life to live!

“It’s like ra-a-ai-in, on your wedding day…”

Thanks, Alanis, for the lyrics that strike fear and trepidation in the hearts of most brides. The thought of rain ruining the day that a bride has meticulously planned for months can instill panic and dread! But it’s not ironic…it’s a very real possibility.

First, let me say: I’ve been photographing weddings for over a decade, and if there’s one truth I’ve come to embrace—it’s that the weather has a mind of its own. I’ve shot weddings in blazing sun and heat, freezing cold, soft mist, a hurricane, and downpours that seemed to roll in out of nowhere. And here’s the comforting part: some of the most breathtaking, emotionally rich images I’ve ever taken have been on rainy wedding days.

So let’s take a deep breath together, and talk through how to handle rain on your wedding day—not with panic, but with perspective, preparation, and maybe even a little excitement!

One of the bridal portrait sessions I photographed this past Fall was Angela’s. Angela and Dillon were married on October 25, 2025 (see their wedding photos here), but we did her bridal portrait session a few weeks prior at Indigo Iris Farm, in September. It was a beautiful evening, and the sunset definitely showed off! Angela wore a simple, yet elegant, dress, and a beautiful crown that her grandmother wore in her wedding. She didn’t have a bouquet, but who needs a bouquet when you’re at a flower farm? The flowers themselves stood proudly around Angela as she strolled through the gardens, and we even used a few stray flowers we found on the ground for a few photos.

The Historic Robertson Homestead is a 200+ year old restored home complete with a bridal suite, groom's quarters, creekside ceremony space, and the "Tipsy Goat Barn," an air-conditioned barn set up for receptions and other events. Located just outside of Rock Hill, SC, it’s a gorgeous venue with so many options for weddings and photos--a photographer's dream!

Booking a wedding photographer can seem overwhelming. There are so many options that can be offered or included in a wedding package! And some photographers get fancy and don’t even call them packages…they call them “investments” or “collections.” Whatever they’re called, here’s a breakdown of possible wedding package components to consider when booking your wedding photographer.