Naomi Elle Photography

This Blog Has Moved!!!

2012-01-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

The new Blogsite can be found here: http://www.naomielle.com/

And if you want, you can subscribe here!! http://feeds.feedburner.com/NaomiElle

Thank you so much for your continued readership!!
Stay classy ;)
Naomi Elle

Anne Bradstreet and the Day We Fell in Love {PA Wedding Photographer}

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

It was a cold and snowy day. January 8th, 2011. I thought it would be "important," but I would hardly dare to dream that this day would be life-changing. I was enroute over snowy mountains in Pennsylvania to spend some time in Carlisle, PA. I would be looking over the area for a wedding that I would shoot 2 weeks later... but even more interesting, I would be meeting a friend. His name was Brandon. We hadn't seen each other in many months and hadn't truly spoken from our hearts in many more.

This was the day that we would fall in love.

On that day, we chatted through sips of coffee at the local coffee shop, warmed our feet by the fire. We wandered through deserted streets of this small town. Saw an old firehouse museum and walked by interesting churches. Looked at statues. Chatted with strangers. Caught up on our lives. We wandered into a local bookstore. I sat on the floor (which I tend to do) and he sat across the aisle and we shared from our hearts. He wondered aloud to the shop's proprietor who had done the painting on the wall and if it was for sale (it wasn't). I wondered if there were any books by Anne Bradstreet...

I bought this that day...

We had found a little restaurant to get out of the frigid winter weather. Seated at Table 5. We stayed for four hours. Talking and talking. Weaving dreams of the possibilities of our lives. Becoming closer and closer friends. And each one having a moment of revelation that this *could* be our forever.

And so it is. We would be engaged 3 months later and married 4 months after that..

Recently, I opened the book about Anne Bradstreet.. and remembered January 8th.

That landmark day.

It will be a year on Sunday.

An anniversary of falling in love.

The words of Anne Bradstreet (the first published American poet) ring true in my heart:

To My Dear and Loving Husband:

If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee.
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me, ye women, if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that Rivers canneot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompetence.
Thy love is such I can no way repay.
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let's so persever
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Newlywed Christmas in Review {PA Wedding Photographer}

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging about Christmas after New Year's... yes,yes, I am. And I'm not ashamed. Hehe. If I could make a spontaneous New Year'sresolution, it would be to not be so chronologically-minded. It's true! I'm usuallyso stuck on the chronology of events, that I can hardly make myself blog out oforder. And then my friends are limited in their enjoyments of my blogs, becausethe writings languish in my drafts folder for so long that I delete them... orworse yet, they fail to make the jump from my mind onto the computer at all!

So here's to enjoying blogging whenever I have time, andbeing victorious in sharing the beautiful life moments whenever I can... evenif it is after the fact. (honestly, what is it about our culture that demandssuch instant-live-replay? Must things be immediate to be relevant? Facebook hasruined us all!). ;

Back to the matters at hand.... Christmas! Our firstChristmas as a married couple!

We planned for alot of quiet and cozyChristmas memories. When friends asked our plans for Christmas, I told them alittle merrily that "we planned to not leave our house from Friday eveningtil Tuesday morning, except church on Sunday." And we did it!

Christmas involved lots of relaxation and reading and Christmas moviewatching... creating new traditions around our new little family unit(Brandon-husband + Naomi-wife + Caspian-kitty). It involved enjoying deliciousfood that is relegated to only special occasions... like an amazing cheeseplate + sushi + a little caviar + chocolate and strawberry tarts.

Spicy eggnogand delectable hot chocolate. Christmas dinner of decidedly non-traditional shrimpand steak.

We had the traditional Christmas meal when celebrating with myparents earlier in the week, so we felt free to celebrate with different foods.The best mashed potatoes ever made. Asparagus spears wrapped in bacon.

And bananas for desserts.

Really.

Brandon loves banana pudding.

I love banana splits.

It was DELICIOUS.

And the eternal question, what about Christmas gifts?What did you give? What did you get?

I was Christmas shopping up until Friday evening(Christmas Eve Eve). And I was successful. There was excited whooping and yellingand happiness, especially since for weeks afterward, my husband keeps tellingme how much he loves his Christmas gifts. He especially loves his new brownleather dress shoes. Which, I must agree... those are some classy shoes. ;) Ialso framed our wedding vows for display... which Brandon told me later, he thoughtof doing the same thing... hehe! Great minds think alike. :)

He gave me one very beautiful, very sentimental gift. Anengraved picture frame with all the amazing words that he said on our weddingvideo just moments before the ceremony. And yes, there were a few tears on mypart. It was *that* good.

And our best gift? A Christmas spent together. We spentso much time reveling in all that God has blessed us with in 2011. It was alandmark year for both. It was filled with more love than we have ever known,more miracles and more testimonies of His blessing, more revelations of thegoodness of God and more newlywed bliss than we thought possible.

It's a little belated.. but we don't care, remember?

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Glitter & Gold on a Wintry Day {PA Wedding Photographer}

2011-12-29T20:05:00.000-05:00

Christmascards. Everyone wants a pretty family photo for their Christmas cards. And I'm*totally* a fan of that! However, my November/December schedule was totallypacked-and-crazy-busy full that I couldn't do any Christmas photo shoots..

Andthen my brother & sister-and-law asked. And y'all know how it goes.... yajust can't say no to family! (not that I would want to!) :) Actually, the onlytime I could squeeze them in was 7:00 am on a Saturday morning.. and they weregame for it!! So we decided to be a little crazy. After alot of dancingaround behind my camera to get the dog to look at me (dogs are worse thantoddlers!), we had some more fun.

Themedportrait shoot, anyone?

Welcometo our version of "All that glitters isn't gold... but it's stillpretty." :D

Glitter and gold.
Wintry sun. And the juxtaposition of shiny & rustic.

Anda great couple who love each other.

I lovedit.

Zeph & Kelsey rockin' the random bench in the woods look.

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Brandon & Naomi's Wedding, Part II {Personal}

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

I am finally blogging about our wedding day. If you missed it, you can read Part 1 here!

Onward to the most wonderful parts of our wedding day...

I waited for about 30 minutes in a tent for the guests to arrive. I was not waiting alone..

We handcrafted fans as our ceremony programs. After a morning of thunderstorms & humidity, our guests appreciated the fans quite a bit!

And then the music played... it was time to become husband & wife.

On my daddy's arm... wearing my mother's veil.

Making our forever-vows..

First kiss!

The memorable first-kiss moment... after we kissed, we heard the guests' laughter. I whispered to Brandon, "are they laughing at us?" (that would be weird!).. "No," Brandon said. "After we kissed, some kid say 'Ewwww!'" That would be our ring-bearer & nephew, Noah. I still giggle about that moment as I'm writing this story... Kids say the darnedest things!

We're married!!

We took a few minutes alone to revel in our newly-married bliss.

My absolute favorite portrait of our wedding day.
So very lovely.

Another moment with my beloved.

And now, it is time to celebrate!
Our wedding reception was such a labor of love by us, and our friends and family. The wedding decorations were created me (the bride), and my friends and family. The cookies were baked (with love and lots of tasting ;) by yours truly + friends. The cupcakes were created by my friend and wedding planner, Linda. The Wisconsin cheese and sausage were a gift from my dairy-farmer uncle and assembled by dear family.
So much love. And so much delicious food!!

Instead of a wedding cake, we opted for our three favorite flavors of cupcakes!
Key Lime, Chocolate with Peanut Butter Frosting & Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

Just for the little ones...

My niece, all dressed up for the wedding.

A fun moment of any reception is the toasts, and our best man and matron of honor did not disappoint! Louis, the best man, did a phenomenal job... he's been a 'Brandon & Naomi' fan almost since the beginning of our friendship. When we reconnected on January 8th of this year, Louis said knowingly,"You're gonna marry her. This year." And he was right.

My sister and matron-of-honor, Nikki, also gave a smashing rendition of a toast. Complete with props. She told stories of her & I mowing the lawn together.... and how I have Brandon to walk beside me in life. :)

Caaaaake... (I'm really looking forward to eating this cake again on our first year anniversary!!)

A little mingling, chatting and smiling with our guests.

Delicious brownie-pop favors for our guests! The kids loved them. ;)

It was one beautiful August night. Our wedding was beautiful, outstanding, and such a wonderful celebration of our love & lifelong commitment to each other. Thank you to our friends & family for being there to celebrate with us and for giving your love and support as we begin our new life together...

Brandon & Naomi's Wedding, Part I {Personal}

2011-12-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Our wedding day.

August 6th, 2011.

What can I say? Our wedding day was amazing.

The immensity of emotions on that day is incomparable to anythingthat I have ever experienced. Getting married is mind-boggling, soul-searching,heart-burning and life-changing. It's the day I will remember forever... it is etched in the tablets of my heart forever. The day I spoke vows to love and cherish my dearest one "for as long as we both shall live." The day I became a wife. No longer living for myself, but for another.

It was the happiest day of my life... with exception of the happiness I have found every day since our wedding day. It was my best-decision-ever. It was a day which I felt the presence of God surrounding me... with peace beyond my understanding, with joy unspeakable and a love that seemed to bubble from every pore of my being.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

Brandon and I planned for an outdoor wedding. I had never had an emotional attachment to church buildings, as my church for many years met in a variety of non-traditional buildings. I remembered one author referred to the outdoors as "God's cathedral." What could be better than being married in 'God's cathedral?'' And then there's our romantic obsession with water. So it turned out that we settled on a lakeside ceremony at Bald Eagle State Park with a tented reception. And just didn't worry about rain.

I woke up on the wedding day to enormous claps of thunder. Pouring rain. We had a tent, but this was some crazy rain. I decided not to worry and went on to get ready for the most-important-day-of-my-life. I was blissfully unaware of the preparations by our friends & family at the ceremony/reception site. They worked tirelessly through the rainstorm, while the water flooded the tent site, to keep on setting up, preparing and making things beautiful.

And. By the hand of God.

Just moments before our First Look and subsequent photo session.....

the rain stopped.

And it looked like this!

*sigh of happiness*

(all photos by wonderful Kristen Leigh!)

Back to the bride's preparations. ;)

I wore the same silver ballet flats that I wore on our first date. Brandon definitely complimented my shoes on the first date. So I wore them again for the sweet memories + the addition of adorable shoe poofs crafted by my sis-in-law!... and the earrings? A wedding gift from my groom.

A phone call from my beloved. I'm still smiling... even though it's raining. Because we're getting married today!!

While traditionally a groom doesn't see his bride before the ceremony, we decided to do a "First Look" for a few reasons... First of all, we were having a tented reception just steps away from the ceremony site and we were doing a variety of appetizers, as opposed to a dinner, so we didn't want our guests to wait for an hour while we did portraits. However, photos were (as you can imagine) VERY important to me. And we wanted to have enough time to capture all the memories of our wedding day... and lastly, we knew that we would appreciate having a private moment to meet each other for the first time on our wedding day. So lovely.

Bride + Groom Portrait Time!!

Wedding gift to my groom? Engraved cufflinks.

I would say that we're having a "moment," but this day is full of precious, perfect moments.

Dancing together...

I just can't get over the beauty of this misty, foggy, glorious day...

Another moment with my beloved.

Can I just tell you about my ahhhmaaazing bridesmaids? Not only did they throw me the prettiest and most delicious bridal shower ever! They also spent hours and hours the night before the wedding putting together all the bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages!

I ordered cute little purple flowers from Etsy for the bridesmaids' hair... but they just didn't look right. So I sent them all to my sis-in-law, Chelsea, and she worked her magic on those and created matching shoe poofs. So cute, right? And my matron-of-honor made the flower girl's princess wreath. :) There's too much creativity in this family!

I absolutely love this shot. It is everything that our wedding day was...

US. In our own little world of love. :)

Stay tuned tomorrow for Part II ... the Wedding Ceremony & Celebration!

Bellefonte Victorian Christmas 2011 {Local Life}

2011-12-13T10:17:00.001-05:00

This has become our family tradition. (You can see 2010 here) Every secondweekend in the month of December, my little hometown of Bellefonte, PA sponsors an event known as"Victorian Christmas." There are horse-drawn carriage rides,community Christmas concerts, special home tours and tea parties.

"Someday," I say, "Someday, I will goand do and see EVERYTHING!"

But in the meantime, I enjoy some happy-Christmasy-timewith my girls.

My mom, my sis and her 3 little girlies comprise thegroup..

We start here.

At a children's Christmas party.

My favorite part was watching their silly little faceswhen a local artist was drawing their caricatures. They hardly knew whether tolook at him or the ceiling, whether to smile or smirk, whether to be shy orsilly.

Then we go browsing.
It could be called shopping. Except I didn't buy anything.

Therefore, I call it "browsing."

A myriad of sights, sounds, smells and (yes!!) tastes!

And we end with a brisk stroll around town.

With cute winter hats.

Chilly air. Kettle corn.

Ringing bells by the Salvation Army.

Sparkley things.

Christmas decorations.

And trains. Because my husband loves them. ;)

What Christmas events are you taking part in thisyear?

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Cookie-Baking & Happy Homemaking {Friday LOVE}

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

When the weather gets cold...

When snowflakes tease us in the wind...

When you hear familiar holiday tunes in every shop...

When darkness comes earlier than ever, but you don't mind because of twinkling Christmas lights...

It's just time to bake some Christmas cookies.

Nothing fancy. Nothing too extraordinary. Just Christmas cookies, full of red& green chocolate candies. And a little mint/chocolate goodness because"it tastes like Christmas!" It's not healthy. It's not the least bitgourmet.

But it's Christmas!!

I'm a not a food blogger, by any means.

I'll leave thatin the skillful hands of my sis-in-law, Meg, at The Red Spoon.

But I can try...

So impressed with my camera-holding and egg-cracking with one hand skillz. :P

I think I am one of those few persons who actuallyprefers raw cookie dough to the baked and scrumptious-looking end result. Oncethe cookie-making process gets to this stage, I get a spoon....

My husband prefers them baked.
Either way, it's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

What are you making in your Christmasy kitchen thisweekend?

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Who I Am {Business Stuff}

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Who am I?
A wedding photographer..

I am.
every-moment-counts-so-just-call-me-THE-BLUR
the bride's main reassure-er
the holder (and not the loser)of-the-rings
mover-of-the-bride's-train
time-keeper
crowd controller
make-the-babies-smile, maybe the "classclown"
bridesmaids' best friend &flower-holding-coach
groomsmen new always-laughing/joking-right-backbest audience

I am.

The wedding-cake taster

The DJ's best friend

the lightning-fast girl hustling to see everybody

I am

the hi-hello-i'm-Naomi-the-photographer

constant-smiler

I am.
the one praying that no matter what the weatherdoes, things will be beautiful nonetheless.
the shadow moving semi-silently during theceremony
the onealmost-tearing-up-during-the-special-dances
the girl falling in love with my beloved one, overand over...
every time I go to another wedding...

I am there for all the special moments.
I might have never met you before the mostimportant day of your life..
but now I might be very-important to you
because I hold the keys to your sweetest memories...

And when your wedding day is over,
I will spendhours poring over photos of you laughing and crying and smiling...
as everymoment passes, I will become your friend.

Thank you, dear brides,
for letting me be your friend.

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Naomi's Bridal Shower {Personal}

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have been literally aching to share images of my ownbridal bliss for months and months.. and the time has finallycome. *Biggest smile ever* The wedding photosare coming VERY SOON, my friends.

But before awedding, there is a bridalshower.

Now I have plannedand helped with enough bridal showers in my lifetime, that I was both curiousand a little skeptical about my own. Questions were going 'round and 'round in my head. Like "what's it going to look like/be like?" and "howis my sis (and matron-of-honor) gonna do it without me?" Usually, my sisand I plan for things together so I thought it might be a little difficult forher without me...

But no problem!!

My sis and my other two bridesmaids, my sis-in-laws (or, we couldsay, sis-in-loves) are the craftiest, helpfulest, most tasteful and classyparty planners ever. They started planning almost immediately. Brandon & I's engagementwas only four months long (yeeeah!!) and so as soon as the bridesmaids & I headed out for ourdress shopping expeditions, there they were... whispering in thebackground... Every so often, I'd make a comment and they'd shoo me away. Whilethe date of the bridal shower was no surprise, those sister-bridesmaids wantedme to have no part in the planning. To just enjoy myself and have the mostwonderful experience as a bride.

They took my adoration for all things Matchy-Matchy, my obsessionwith pictures of my beloved fiancee & I and our wedding colors... andcreated an absolutely SPECTACTULAR bridal shower.

Let me walk you through this:

Candles. And beautiful, beautiful decorations.

Scrumptious Food

The most amazing iced coffee and summery drinks. (I drank so muchiced coffee that I talked like one of "The Chipmunks". Caffeine high!).

Tea-cup favors with a special coffee love-bird blend.

Omygosh, mini cheesecakes with different toppings.

Brandon and I's engagement story. *sigh* I love our story... and lots of pictures!!

My unique bridal-shower gift... all the guests signed a t-shirt.The front was embroidered with "Brandon's Bride." I definitely worethat shirt on the morning of my wedding day. :)

I can hardly say enough about my bridesmaids. They envisioned amagnificent bridal shower and worked so hard to make it happen beautifully. Iwas a little *sniff-sniff* teary-eyed after the day was over. Just in awe ofthe amount of time and effort and energy that my sisters (by blood and by love)put out just for me.

Thank you, Nikki, Kelsey, and Chelsea.

For giving me the most amazing bridal shower possible.

A reminder... that being a bride doesn't keep me from thatcamera. :)

And one last thing. :)

*All photos are my own, except when I'm in it. Then, photo creditto my mom. :)

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Christmas Decorating {Friday LOVE}

2011-12-02T07:30:00.000-05:00

And so it has begun... my favorite season: Christmastime!
I am so-very-much looking forward to experiencing this Christmas season with my beloved. Our first Christmas together. Our first Christmas as husband-and-wife. Our first Christmas as a new-little-all-our-own family. Establishing new traditions. Doing Christmasy tasks that have always been relegated to our parents or our siblings or just ourselves.. alone.

Now it's US.
Sizing up trees in the Lowe's garden center (we're not quite adventurous enough to go Christmas-tree-farm-hunting)... Referring to the trees as "him" or "he".. ex. "he looks a little forlorn." :) Tying the chosen one (tree) onto our little blue car. With many, many ropes. A slow drive down the highway to our cottage.. My husband dragging that tree in and me smiling in the doorway. Un-twirling mixed-up Christmas white lights. Discussions of our families' varied traditions. Making that tree as STEADY as a ROCK (apparently, Falling Christmas Tree Syndrome runs in Brandon's family ;). And then we decorate... in a living room filled with boxes... what used to be "my" ornaments.. that my mother has given me every year.. gifts from Brandon's grandmother..

And one very-very-special wedding gift from my matron-of-honor. (it opens.. with our special love-phrase engraved inside and a little space for our photo). Awww.

After the decorating was done.. and the Christmas music silenced..
We turned out the lights and basked in the glory of a beautiful Christmas tree.
Somehow, it seemed to be our love shining bright on that Sunday night.

This is going to be the best. Christmas. ever.

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2011 Wedding Showcase {Business Stuff, Central PA Wedding Photography}

2011-12-01T23:01:00.000-05:00

Who knew that someday I would be showing at a wedding showcase? Crazy thoughts, eh?

As Brandon and I dreamed and planned for a showing at the 2011 Wedding Showcase, we hardly knew what to expect. Maybe to meet alot of brides (we did!) and introduce ourselves about a hundred billion times (not quite that much), but didn't expect to have quite so much fun...
Note: these were super-duper fast iphone pics of our booth.. sad quality, but I was busy talking to people and forming educated opinions on the food vendors' samples.

Our simple, yet effective booth:

We didn't really have a theme... just being ourselves.
Classy.Authentic.Happy.

This included giving away handmade chocolate truffles to our guests. Those truffles are one of my favorite chocolate recipes. Decadent and completely delicious (even the catering company next to us agreed!;). Why give away truffles at a photography booth? Because it's ME. I (heart) chocolate.
.... And even the brides who already had photographers could enjoy our chocolates.

Accented our booth with Red Roses.
Because they're romantic.

Here is my handsome assistant/husband, looking so wonderful in his suit & tie.

My favorite moments of the wedding showcase (besides delicious cupcakes) would be having friends of past clients walk up and start squealing with joy at our display! Meeting new clients that were as silly & fun as we are. Reading our guestbook later with many brides' names!

And, I didn't mind getting a new dress + pretty shoes for the day, too....

One last shot... Yes, that's me!

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Brandon & Naomi's Engagement Photos {Personal}

2011-11-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

So this may be a *little* belated.. now that Brandon & I have been married for about 3 1/2 months! :) But such is life as a wedding photographer. I had to 'catch up' on everyone else's wedding photos, before taking time to post our own. So, my friends, you may expect some personal blog entries in the future.. as I share a little bit more about the engagement/wedding/honeymoon bliss. :)

Water.
It's romantic.
And many of the "important milestone moments" of our relationship have been near water.

Our engagement on a boat in the Potomac river.
Our wedding ceremony by a Pennsylvania lake.
Our honeymoon by the Mexican ocean shore..

And to continue the theme, we decided to have our engagement photo session (by the AMAZING Kristen Leigh) by the riverside in Frederick, Maryland. Lovely little historic district. And we spent some time walking the streets and sitting by the water in that day before our engagement session.

We like to whisper funny/sweet/adorable things...
We like to stare into each others' eyes..
We like spontaneous dances... and sweet engaged-kisses.

We like walking together...hand-in-hand..

We like model posing..

We like being happy together...

We like each other... ALOT.

I like... the GORGEOUS amethyst-and-diamond engagement ring that Brandon gave me.. and now I get to wear forever and ever!!!! (yeah, I'm excited!) :D

There's just something about this image that I absolutely adore.
It's US, of course.
More than that... it represents us. and our love.
Romance, beauty and love.. in the most unexpected places.

Engagement was such a sweet season in Brandon & I's lives.
Though it was difficult (crazy schedules + long distances + wedding planning + a thousand other things going on), God sustained us. He used that season to continue to establish our love for one another and our rest in God's plan for our lives. I look back and smile SO MUCH at the amazing way that God ordained these things.. an enduring love for a lifetime.

Special thanks to Kristen Leigh, for her amazing photog skillz, friendship and fun personality. :D

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Smiley Face Stickers {Business Stuff & Being a Wedding Photographer}

2011-11-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

I'm funny.
It's true!
It has to be true because my husband tells me so...

Actually, Brandon and I had only been dating for about 3 weeks...
I asked him, "what is one thing you've learned about me that you didn't know before?"

He said, "I didn't realize how funny you are!"

HAHA. Definitely one of my favorite compliments ever. My serious and constant personal intensity had so convinced the man that he wanted to date/marry me, that my often-insane-lame-goofy-and-full-of-puns humor surprised him. And he still married me. And he likes to tell me how funny I am. :) And I married him for his sense of humor... That's what local tax collector said to me today. She got quite a kick outta some joke he made about people not paying taxes. I was like, "yes, baby! Charm the tax collectors!"

Thank you for suffering through my newlywed ramblings.

The point is,
I find joy and laughter in the small things.
Like small red scratch-and-sniff smiley face stickers.
When I found these RED, HAPPY smileys at Office Depot and had a brilliant idea!

A huge wall calendar!
With Smiley Faces on every single wedding I book for 2012!

This is why you should make me your wedding photographer!!
Because there will be more happy faces on my wall.
Happy Faces = Happy Me
And happy you! :D

....

PS - the stickers smell like strawberries. Justsayin'.

Josh & Jennifer {Williamsport, PA Wedding Photography}

2011-11-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

When Jennifer contacted me about being their weddingphotographer, she said, "I really hope you can do it!" As it happens,the first two wedding photographers she booked had to back out because ofchanging circumstances. We agreed... "The third time is the charm!".And it was. When I look at Joshua & Jennifer's wedding day, I think ofcharming.

The theme: fairy tale love stories, and dreams that cometrue. Love. Marriage. Beautiful times. Saturated red dresses, red roses, Beauty& the Beast ... the things that dreams are made of. Smiles and laughter.Glitz and glamour. Love and marriage.

Josh & Jennifer, your wedding day was an amazing,beautiful day that we adored photographing. May your life together continue tobe the fairy tale you've always dreamed of.

And where are the groom & groomsmen? :)

It's almost time...

Let the celebration begin!

Yes, this fairy tale cake is one of my favorites ever. :)

One last love-filled moment of the bride & groom:

Congratulations, Josh & Jennifer!

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{Personal} the 29th Birthday Post - Instagram Edition

2011-11-08T20:59:00.004-05:00

After yabbering on and on about "change" in my Friday love post, I thought I would share a little bit of my birthday fun. I must say, it was the Best-Birthday-Ever. And trust me, I've had some great birthdays. I'm sharing my birthday fun, according to the instagram. And if you don't know what that is, I will tell you! It's the most fun iphone app ever. At least, to me, it's the most fun. Take a photo, pick a filter and upload instantly. Facebook & Twitter see waaaay too much of my Instagraming fun.

But enough chatter, this is supposed to be about the 29th birthday.

It started out with Lucky Charms.As you can see.I wanted them.
My sis said "how appropriate."
I think she was being sarcastic.
Probably just jealous though. ;)

Coffee + Dark chocolate.
It's the dark chocolate that won my heart.
Or maybe that ridiculously handsome husband of mine.
And his thoughtful chocolate-buying ways. :D

Me + a very cool wall.

We were shopping.

And as usual, I got distracted by taking photos.

Or pre-visualizing photos for someone else to take.

Speaking of shopping....
Coupons + sales + birthday money = one very happy 29-year-old

.... and... in the middle of shopping, there was a voicemail that made me smile.
Three little girl-niece voices singing me "happy birthday." *my heart melted*

The birthday dinner....at the Gamble Mill Tavern.
(I promise, we look better in person. :P Like when I'm not wearing 4-inch heels, slouching and hoping the waitress doesn't drop my iphone.)

Nothing is finished until dessert is served...
We went to Cafe on the Park (because they have the best coffee in Bellefonte. Really.)
and they just *happened* to be serving Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese frosting...
My absolute favorite cake.

Yes. Perfect end to the perfect birthday.

My favorite part? Spending the whole day with my favorite person in the whole world.
My favorite memory of the past year? the day I married my favorite person in the whole world.
My favorite gift? That black handbag. I finally feel like a grownup. Because I have a handbag, a real woman's handbag!... I've had the same purse for about 5 years, and an identical one for 5 years before that. And honestly? That purse needed to be buried. Because they fell apart. And they were too small. And they look like a teenager bought them.... Oh yes, and I love that my husband gave me the handbag, but let me choose it. Because I'm a little choosy about stuff I carry every day. :D
Do you feel old at 29? Not really. :) Maybe a little wiser than one year ago.
29 is awesome thus far.... and the best is yet to come.

"she looks to the future and smiles."
Proverbs 31:25

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{Friday Love} Change

2011-11-04T17:05:00.000-04:00

"Change is good."

Yes, change is soooo good. On the eve of my 29th birthday and the eve-eve of my 3-month wedding anniversary, I'm doing alot of thinking about life change. We as humans like things to remain the same. Because Same-ness is nice and comfortable and eeeeaaasy. We like things that are easy to handle. ;) But the changes that I focus on as a photographer are the biggest-life-changes possible.

Weddings.
The beginning of a marriage.
The joining of two lives.
The starting of a family of two, instead of the individual unit of one.

And it's never been more real to me than right now.
The year of 2011 has been chock-full of dramatic, incredible life changes in my own life. When I blogged about A Time to Love on the first day of 2011, I didn't have the tiniest inkling of an idea that it would be *my* year to fall in love. I didn't know that meeting an old friend in a small Pennsylvania town on one wintry January day would be that defining moment of my life. I didn't know that we'd be "officially" dating less than two weeks after that... seeing each other in person three days after that for the first "official" first date of our relationship... talking of marriage&forever almost immediately. And so I knew.. Completely, wholly, unequivocally, without a doubt---I knew. I was going to marry this man.

Engaged one chilly and magical spring evening on the Potomac River. Wearing an amethyst-and-diamond sparkler on my finger..
And then married. Til death do us part. on August 6th, 2011.

And oh, how my life has changed. I used to live alone (unless you count Caspian the kitty)... now my husband is here. With me. Cuddling my kitty when I'm not looking. ;) I loved to cook, but didn't cook much Now. I cook alot. And Brandon loves it. :) Change for me looks like...Learning to wake up early and talk (this non-morning person of me is not a morning-talker). :D Spending quiet, calm, restful evenings at home. Saying "no" to busyness. Loving the little home tasks. Not driving anywhere. Sharing my thoughts. Listening so much. Married-date-nights. Being together. Caring about someone else more than me. Thinking of someone else. Ironing his clothes (never had to do this!). Packing two lunches instead of one. Facebooking less. Real-life-living more. Thinking in "US" and "WE," instead of "I" and "me." Change looks like, walking hand-in-hand always. Trying new coffee. Whispered endearments instead of long-distance phone calls. Change means planning for our future, making decisions together.... Living LIFE together.

I love Change.
I love all of the changes that Love brings.

Change IS good.

(photo credit to Kristen Leigh --- and I will blog more engagement photos soon, I promise!)

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{They're Married!} Josh & Jennifer

2011-10-25T21:52:00.003-04:00

On October 22, 2011,

Josh & Jennifer became husband and wife!

Stay tuned for the full wedding blog entry!

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Kevin & Caitlin {Ryde, PA Wedding Photography}

2011-10-19T22:00:00.000-04:00

Crazy weather situations seemed to abound in Pennsylvania this wedding season. There was incessant rainstorms for a week before Kevin & Caitlin's wedding. They were forced to move the tented reception location because of very-large puddles (flooding). But this story is not about rain or flooding or crazy weather. This about Kevin & Caitlin getting married..

If you remember, Kevin is a Marine who was deployed to Afghanistan with my good friend, Matthew. It was great fun shooting a wedding with a friend in the wedding party--- I finally could remember someone's name!! ;) You know, I really liked Kevin & Caitlin as a couple. Because Kevin & Caitlin really love each other. Who cares about everyone else? On the wedding day, it was about Kevin & Caitlin's love. And their JOY! They're fun, happy, smiling people. We discovered in the engagement session (see it here!) that they don't do serious faces--- the smiles are involuntary! They look at each other and can't help but smile. And laugh. And glow in each other's presence.

Kevin is Caitlin's balance. His solid presence to her crazy excitement. His quiet happiness to her exuberance. His Marine masculinity to her fresh-faced princess beauty. And on their wedding day, he smiled. When she walked down the aisle towards him, when she put her hands in his and pledged her life to him, he smiled. When the rose petals fluttered through the air, and the celebrations began, she smiled. When they danced together for the first as man & wife, they smiled.

Congratulations, Kevin & Caitlin! May your life together be as beautiful as your wedding! :)

Caitlin, the bride, is making herself ready. :)

Almost time for the wedding ceremony!...

(the funny moment when one sweet flower girl tripped and did a face-plant on her walk down the aisle. Cutest thing!!)

They're so happy; it's just ridiculous! ;)

This photo seems so timeless. I adore it.

After the ceremony, we rushed over to a nearby field for portrait-taking while it was not raining!! Yay for brides that are willing to change things up so we have beautiful outdoor portraits!

Rare seriousness ;)

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John & Lohanny {Philadelphia, PA Wedding Photography}

2011-09-28T22:00:00.000-04:00

We didn't know what to expect when we arrived to photograph John & Lohanny's wedding in the heart of Philadelphia, PA. Hurricane Irene was on her way. Vendors cancelling right and left. Guests calling because the storm was too crazy. Even the lovely outdoor ceremony venue (Fairmont Park) was closed because of flooding.

The rain was coming down softly and steadily on the morning of their wedding day. With umbrella in hand, I walked up to the door of Lohanny's sister-in-law's house for bride & bridesmaid prep. Quickly, the house filled with sisters (4 of them!), sisters-in-law (2 of them!) and adorable little nieces. There were hugs and smiles and helping with hair and last-minute makeup runs and cell-phone picture-taking. There were bits of Spanish and English spoken in every corner of the house. There were gorgeous rose bouquets finished at the last moment. And there was.... so much LOVE.

Lohanny was an absolutely gorgeous bride. John was debonair, handsome and happy, all at the same time. And they loved each other. After nine years of togetherness, they were making it official. And it was obvious, that John & Lohanny are quite taken with each other. Heart-felt vows. Sweet photo moments. And a touching first dance. And then, the celebration begun. Dancing, music, smiles and laughter. Greeting guests. Photographing our first ever "dance battle" at a reception. Dancing the night away... as the torrential rains began outside. All in all, it was a hands-down GORGEOUS and LOVE-filled wedding day.

Where the groom was getting ready...

And now, time for some gorgeous portraiture!

The beautiful location:

First Dance:

Congratulations, John & Lohanny! May your love burn as brightly for many years to come! :)

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{They're Married!} Kevin & Caitlin

2011-09-12T20:08:00.002-04:00

9/10/11
Kevin & Caitlin became husband & wife!

Stay tuned for the full blog entry... coming soon! :D

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Clint & Marsha {Belleville, PA Wedding Photography}

2011-09-07T20:00:00.002-04:00

We met Clint & Marsha for the first time on a breezy summer evening, and spent a lovely hour chatting on the porch. Revelling at the similarities between their wedding and our ceremony that was at that time, just one short month away! From the lovely and beautiful string music of the Corinthian Wedding Duo to the sweet-tart key lime cupcakes, we smiled. And we walked away feeling as if we had made new friends.

So all the more, on July 23rd, 2011, we rejoiced in their marriage. Gathered at their church, amidst many friends and family, Clint and Marsha were overjoyed on that day. Marsha was the most organized bride I had ever seen, yet she was a beaming bride at the same time. Even though she was tying rings on the ringbearer's pillow and handing out lists and managing last minute details at the same time, she managed to do it flawlessly, calmly and happily. And then there was Clint. Ever-present smile. Quiet excitement.

Some things didn't go as planned... the weather was blazing hot. The doves that were to be released, didn't want freedom very much (scroll down to enjoy that moment ;). But what was overwhelmingly obvious on Clint and Marsha's wedding day was their love for Christ and their love for one another. Congratulations, Clint & Marsha! We were so happy to be a part of your day!!

Unexpected touches of love as we walked the halls of the church :)

What ringbearers *really* do before a wedding...

seriously cute little people. :D

Clint & Marsha also win a prize from us (not really) for having the most. unique. wedding favors EVER.
Check it out: Mini S'more Kits.

I'm still smiling about their wedding day.
Congratulations again!

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{They're Married!} John & Lohanny

2011-08-31T19:31:00.002-04:00

Amidst some crazy weather conditions... which seem to be the hallmark every time we meet!! (check out John & Lohanny's snowy engagement shoot!), they were married. YAY!

August 27th, 2011.
John & Lohanny became husband & wife.

LOOOOVE.
Stay tuned for the full blog entry!!

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{Personal} Engagement, Marriage & Honeymoon Bliss Teasers

2011-08-23T22:14:00.000-04:00

Yes, there's been a little bloggie-silence here at Naomi Elle Photography. What can I say? There's aloooot of stuff goin on over here. Personal, crazy, totally and completely life-changing stuff. Remember my beautiful love story? Now there are more beautiful moments to recount...

Like these fabulous engagement photos (just a few teasers) from Kristen Leigh!

And on August 6th, I married my beloved Brandon.

(yes, we'll keep watching Kristen's blog for more engagement/married looove!)

And then... my-new-husband-Brandon & I jetted off to the western Mexican coast for an absolutely breathtakingly beautiful honeymoon.

Now we're back home.... busy unpacking boxes, being giddy over wonderful wedding gifts, finally having someone to cook for!, writing my NEW last name and revelling every time I look at my husband. So. Much. JOY.

And ready to return to work as a wedding photographer!! To all my friends and family, thank you for celebrating with us! To all my fabulous clients, thank you for your good wishes, congratulations and patience as I dig out from under my work-load after the biggest-and-best-distraction-of-my-life. :D

(and now, dear brides, I commiserate with you. I FEEL YOUR WEDDING PLANNING PAIN! hehe and I know your after-wedding joy. Marriage is worth it all!)

Keep your eyes open for some wonderful photos coming your way.

The best is yet to come.

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Bruce & Mandi {State College, PA Engagement Photography}

2011-07-26T18:51:00.004-04:00

It was RA training at Penn State University.
Bruce & Mandi met for the first time.
"Did you like her right away?"
"Yes, I did!"

Apparently, they were really impressive RA trainees.
And took their "diversity" training very seriously,
Which really meant, Bruce took the opportunity to visit a different campus ministry. And Mandi was there, too. And so began a friendship...
... as they were both RAs in this building.
(I love visiting places that are important to a couple's relationship!)

And the rest is history....
One day, on a green bench at the PSU Arboretum, they began officially dating.

And one year later (Reenactment ahead!!)
Bruce asked her something else. Something reeeeeeeally important.
"Will you marry me?"

FYI: Mandi said yes. Bruce gave a thumbs up. :D

I think this was the only serious picture we took. They're happy-in-love :)

From the moment we started the engagement session (the first time I met Bruce & Mandi in person), we chattered away non-stop. Of course, we were facebook-friends already and knew each other's friends-of-friends. And they wanted to hear my love story (and I do loooove to talk about that ;). And I was privileged to hear about their lives and plans and the way their love unfolded. :)

Spontaneous slow-dance, anyone? *heart is melting* Awwwww.

I get a little happy seeing these messages pop up on facebook between Bruce & Mandi.
"I get a cardio workout just from looking at you." Isn't this soo "us" like? :)"
"I'll be your honey bee. Will you be my honeysuckle? :D"

*insert moment where I hop up-and-down in glee at the photo session*
It's okay, I'm fine... just giddy. :D

Some funny-childish-in-the-cutest-sense-of-the-word piggyback rides!

Promised with a ring ;)

Bruce & Mandi,
I like your story. I like your love. And I like that I get to photograph your wedding. Because you are amazing-fun-wonderful-happy people that will have a *beautiful* wedding & I'm soooo excited to be a part of it!! :)

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They're Married! Clint & Marsha

2011-07-26T00:39:00.002-04:00

July 23rd, 2011
Clint & Marsha became man and wife!

Stay tuned for the full blog entry.... :)

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Matthew & Jamie {Bellefonte, PA Wedding Photography}

2011-07-02T20:55:00.001-04:00

The church was prepared. Everything was looking quite lovely. People hurrying up and down the stairs. Helping each other with hair and dresses and coats and cufflinks. Hustle & bustle. With an underlying theme of JOY.
Because Matthew & Jamie were getting married!

Upstairs in the pastor's office, the groom + his groomsmen + the father-of-the-groom + the father-of-the-bride readied themselves...

Downstairs in vibrant church nursey rooms, the bride was calm-happy-excited-laughing...

The bride's mother helps her with some last-minute makeup touches...

I simply must rave about the GORGEOUS flowers. By Emily of Pocketful of Posies!!

The time is getting closer...

Almost time!

The music plays...

The most adorable sisters provided some special music for the ceremony!

Speaking their vows.

Moments of laughter.

Moments of seriousness.

Presenting: Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Miller!

They're so excited!

It was fun to be working side-by-side with my friend, Dawn! And also, our official 3rd-shooter, was Brandon --- my very handsome fiance. :D
After the ceremony, the bridal party crammed into this vehicular monstrosity.

...and headed to Bellefonte's Tallyrand Park for photos!

Some shots of the groom + his groomsmen. I had such fun with these guys!

While I was getting this shot..

Brandon's perspective:

Being all GQ.

The bride!

I entitled this photo "spot the creeper!" The groom needed to be in the photo, too!

The bridesmaids got even though. ;)

Matthew + Jamie

The park is situated by an old train station.

While I captured this...

Brandon captured this:

They're still happy + laughing!

Onward to celebrate!

Loved all the cute photos of Matthew + Jamie on their seating chart. :)

And customized watermelons!

When the bridal party + groomsmen look like this, you know they're FUN.

Here come the Bride & Groom!

Probably the best best-man speech I've ever heard.

And that?

That's the bride doubled over in laughter.
They approved!

Their lovely first dance.
"I Do" by Dashboard Confessional

What a beautiful day. What a beautiful night.

Even the sunset was beautiful.
Congratulations, Matthew & Jamie!

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{They're Married!} Matthew & Jamie

2011-06-27T22:56:00.001-04:00

On June 25th, 2011, I was privileged to witness and photograph the wedding of a friend's son... and what a lovely day it was!

Congratulations, Matthew & Jamie!

More photos coming soon!!

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Thomas & Jessica {Williamsport, PA Wedding Photography}

2011-06-16T21:30:00.001-04:00

It was a cloudy day, but the church was saturated with beautiful color. We're going to see Thomas & Jessica get married!! Yes!! :)

Sparkly shoes!

Sparkly rings!

Sparkly rings on sparkly shoes! ;)

Going to meet the groom and his groomsmen.

They have nice-smelling cologne. It matches the wedding colors. :D

The lovely bride is getting ready...

With sweet-smelling perfume..

Helping her bridesmaids get ready.

Awwwww. The bride & groom's daughter. So CUTE & sweet!

A mom & daughter moment.

Another mommy & daughter moment.

She's ready. And GORGEOUS!

There were touching moments. With tears.

There were happy moments. With laughter.

And the most important moments of all...

Pouring sand together. In unity. To make beautiful art.

"We're married!!!!" So much happiness!

So much love!

Even though there had been a little rain that day, Thomas & Jessica braved the cloudy weather for some beautiful moments together....

Fuzzy with joy. I love this image.

(I find red doors everywhere. I LOVE red doors!)

We tried a serious look. And they look amazing!

But the smiles just couldn't stay away..

On to the celebration with family & friends!!

MMmmmmm, chocolate covered strawberries!

First dance as husband & wife!

Congratulations, Thomas & Jessica! Your wedding day was beautiful! May you have a long and happy life together.

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{Friday LOVE} Letters... from My Beloved

2011-06-10T06:50:00.001-04:00

Long distance relationships ain't no joke.

It's difficult to be far away from the one I love. The one I am going to marry... and spend the rest of my life with.
But for the days that we are separated, there are beautiful things about long-distance {LOVE}...

Waiting for {LOVE} letters...

The crazyness of my gardens. By the mailbox.
I might have recieved a notice from the mailman... to cut down the crazyness. at risk of no-more-letters.

Even Caspian-the-kitty waits by the window...

For something like this.

With {LOVE} stamps.

Starting with this...

Ending with this...

And filling my heart with more {LOVE} than I can stand. I love him. And his love letters.

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{They're Married!} Thomas & Jessica

2011-06-07T23:09:00.002-04:00

On June 4th, 2011,
Thomas + Jessica...
were happily..
sweetly..
wonderfullfy...
joined in holy matrimony.

More photos to come!

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Dayton & Richanda {Milesburg, PA Engagement Photography}

2011-06-03T16:01:00.002-04:00

I love this engagement session. LOVE it.
With its cowboy-rustic-country vibe.
And high school sweethearts.

Meet Dayton & Richanda.
They're in love.
They're gonna get married.
They're pretty happy about that.

You might recognize Dayton from his best man duties in this wedding. I've known Dayton for years and years, because he's my little brother's best friend. So we all had a good ol' time in a deserted historic village.

(And I was totally thrilled that this barn matches their outfits so well. ;) LOL. I have a matchy-matchy heart).

Black-and-white series. YES!

Ohmygosh, everything is sooo GREEN!! I (heart) summer. :)

Love in lovely evening light.

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{Friday LOVE} Wildflowers

2011-05-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

SUMMER IS MY FAVORITE SEASON EVER!!
Okay, so it may not be officially summer yet... but when I see wildflowers blooming along country roads, my heart jumps for joy a little bit. A few days ago, I had the profound pleasure of another engagement session (stay tuned for that blog post in a few days!). So I was wandering around the area for a few minutes before the session.

And saw this.

Wildflowers make me smile so much.

I give {LOVE} to the beautiful flowers God created. Blooming in the wild. Like they're in existence to simply bring people joy. :)

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{Personal} Where Hospitality Lives

2011-05-26T06:00:00.003-04:00

You can learn something from everyone. And I've been mulling over a little lesson that I learned a few weeks ago. You were treated to a few portraits of Dave & Savage the Horse earlier this week. I'm convinced that Dave is a person gifted in hospitality.

While it helps that he lives in the most beautiful stone house tucked away in the stillness of Pennsylvania's Sugar Valley...

With the magical house name of "Ironwood & Roses."

With a porch that just hugs you with welcome...

The wooden screen door that closes with a satisfying SLAM.

Reminders of the nearby horses.

Delightful summer blooms at every turn..

Perfect place for a picnic.

The sounds of rippling creek waters echoing softly around you.

While all of these things add to the joy of visiting Dave at his home, what I really love is his genuine happiness in spending time with friends. He is the kind of person that makes one feel welcomed. Conversation is alternately deep and humourous and fun and spiritual and fully satisfying. It is time well spent. I love the memories of times spent at Ironwood & Roses. I love that I visit Dave's home and page through his ever-present guestbook to see my squiggly teenager's signature from years past. And I remember delightful retreats spent with my church groups, monumentel times of conversation with friends, times of worship and preaching and ministry.

And though this place is beautiful, it is here that I'm reminded of what it means to be hospitable. To open one's home to friends and strangers alike. To put aside tasks and everything that must be done, to just focus on others. To do unto others as you would have them do unto you. To truly LOVE.

Thanks, Dave, for teaching me a life-lesson through your lifestyle of hospitality.

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{Portraits} Dave & Savage the Horse

2011-05-23T14:09:00.001-04:00

I contemplated calling this blog post "The Horse & His Man," as a tribute to C.S. Lewis and my love for all things Narnia.
But then I didn't think Dave would appreciate owned by a horse.

Anyway, Dave is longtime friend of the family. He lives in a beautiful stone house by a creek in Pennsylvania's Sugar Valley. (My favorite house in the whole state, but more on that later).

Dave has horses. I'm always up for a photographic adventure, so when Dave asked me for a portrait session including Savage the Horse, I jumped at the chance.
Figuratively jumped.
Not literally.
.... enough of my nonsense. Let's get on with this! ;)

Beautiful mountains I had to climb.

Hello there, deer.

Fields and fields of dandelions!

The many faces of Savage. Goofy!

Talking horse.

Nice. :)

Shy?

Surrounded by mountains.

Love it when the horse marches like this!

Enjoying the mountain views...

One last look.

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Dave & Tiffany {State College, PA Engagement Photography}

2011-05-16T22:23:00.002-04:00

Dave + Tiffany.
They've been "together" for years. Since high school. And it's so obvious; this is the kind of love that lasts. Comfortable. Secure.

Love that gets each other's jokes.

Love that has those secret whispers. Love that still surprises.

Love that knows, the past has been good---the future will be better.

Circumstances kept preventing this particular engagement session. So when we *finally* were able to coordinate schedules and non-snowstorms on a lovely April Saturday morning, I felt like I had been looking forward to it for forever!! Dave & Tiffany are friends of friends & past clients, so we'd had introductions at Brian & Liz's winter wedding. It was so great to finally laugh & joke and spend some time with this funny/happy/pretty/handsome/super-fun couple!!

We wandered through Penn State's new arboretum.. beautiful in the springtime. And around Penn State campus.

Some black-and-white photo goodness... and I am convinced that I will never be able to write short blog posts. ;)

(Confession: I might have chased these cute lil ducklings for a minute). :)

Back to Dave & Tiffany... and my favorite photo series!!!

They're a little silly, too ;)

And really in-love. :)

Penn State's Old Main. Beautiful architecture... and then delightful pillars/shade.

He whispers to her, "You look really pretty today." Awwwwww.

Congratulations, Dave & Tiffany!! You were a delight to photograph, and I'm sure your wedding day will be just the same!! :)

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{Friday LOVE} Glory Clouds

2011-05-13T12:58:00.002-04:00

I love these beautiful clouds. Every time I see them, I stop and think about Jesus. And His soon return. And I imagine that He may be coming on clouds such as these.

"Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory."
Mark 13:16

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{Friday LOVE} Berries, Berries, Berries!!!

2011-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

While looking through snapshots from a recent weekend trip, I realized...
I love berries...
I {LOVE} berries.
Berries are the gloriously sweet and still pretty-healthy product of summer. And I love summer (but that's an entirely different {Friday LOVE} ramble).

So now I offer: The berry-deliciousness of one Sunday.

Berries-n-cream!

Berries-n-cheese plate goodness!

Berries-n-creme brulee.

Maybe I just like berries + dairy? :)

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{Friday LOVE} The Best Night of My Life... The Proposal Story!

2011-04-22T00:22:00.000-04:00

We knew we were getting married. Almost from the first date. Our love story began years before. So when we decided to "date," it's because we had recognized the likelihood of marriage in our future and wanted to begin a relationship journey towards that end.
So it was not a surprise when Brandon asked me about my preference about engagement rings just a few weeks into this. He wanted me to love it. He wanted it to be perfect. So, over the next two months, we talked about rings. Looked at jewelry websites together. Went to a couple jewelers together and eventually settled on exactly what I wanted. A custom amethyst-and-diamond ring..... ordered it, but I wouldn't see the final product until the day Brandon proposed.

I didn't think he had the ring.
The jeweler was in Pennsylvania.
Brandon lives in Virginia. His work schedule had been so crazy for the three weeks after we ordered the ring, he didn't have time to come for a visit and pick up the ring. OR so I thought. He made a secret PA visit on Wednesday, March 30th... to pick up that sparkly thing + have the traditional "can I marry your daughter?" moment with my dad. (My dad recommended the jeweler. Of course, he said, "yes!")

And I was clueless.
Intentionally clueless. Intentionally ignoring any signs of a proposal. Intentionally focusing on simply enjoying every moment with this man that I love.

We made plans to see the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC. It was on our lists of things to do/places to see together. And we chatted much about what we would be doing that weekend. Going to eat sushi on Thursday. Going to see monuments and cherry blossoms on Friday. And then (my idea) going on a river cruise on Friday night! The idea developed into, yes, we can dress up! It'll be a dinner cruise! Yes, it'll be amaaaaazing!

Again, I was trying not to think about proposals. Or rings. Or that beautiful question. Even though several friends hinted. ;) Even though Brandon seemed a little preoccupied during the day. Even though he mentioned funny things like, "the day isn't over yet" and "this is the best night of your life." Hmmmmmmm.

Friday, April 1st was a beautiful day.
Coffee, Bible, breakfast at Starbucks.

Cherry blossoms, monuments, fountains.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Arabia 3D, the Hope Diamond.

And then onward to our evening dinner cruise. :)

Some of the most perfect moments of my life were on boats. I love water. The gentle rocking on the boat beneath my feet. The faint sounds of waves lapping against the boat. It's calming to me. I was so excited to be on a dinner cruise. And the most wonderful part of all...savoring every moment with him.

We revelled in the dinner menu. Smiling at each other.

We went to see the sun set over the water. It was a chilly, windy day (the wind nearly blew my dress over my head!!) so we quickly decided to go back inside.

Brandon suggested that we find a little spot for ourselves to spend time together after dinner.. so we found a little alcove by a few windows and in between two tall palm trees. Secluded, semi-private and we could see the river through the windows. :) And so off we went to enjoy our three-course dinner.

There was (not-quite-real) candlelight.

More deep intense staring and sharing delicious food. And funny little comments by my beloved that made me wonder.

And then.
As soon as we pushed aside our dessert plates, Brandon reached for my hand.
"Let's go to 'our spot.'"
With his arms around me, he began to whisper beautiful words. About the path that God had led him. The path of our relationship. How God had led him to me. How he loved me. And I knew... this was the moment.

And then,
he was on one knee.. with a little black ring-box open.
"Naomi.... will you marry me?"

And I said...
"Ohmygosh, YES!"

There might have been a few tears of joy. And to be honest, I didn't even look at the ring on my finger for about 5 minutes. Too busy revelling in the fact that I am going to marry this man!

We asked a random stranger to take a picture. :)

We're engaged! We're engaged!!! :)
And for all of you girls that are wondering... I eventually looked at the ring, and took a little better picture of it...

Gorgeous, unique amethyst-and-diamond ring!
It's perfect. And I love it.

But mostly, I love it because of the one who gave it to me. What the ring represents to me. I am promised. Intended. Engaged to marry my beloved.
God is so good.

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Kevin & Caitlin {Central PA Engagement Photography}

2011-04-09T10:59:00.003-04:00

I like when friends pass my name along... Many of you may remember Matthew, a family friend who is a Marine and was stationed in Afghanistan until September 2010. Matthew was deployed with Kevin.

And then Kevin fell in love with a girl named Caitlin.
Kevin grew up as friends with Caitlin's sister. Until one day, he started chatting online with Caitlin. She kept talking, wondering, expecting that someday he would ask about her sister....

He never did. Because he was interested in Caitlin. :P

And the rest is history!

We started out the engagement session at the Nittany Lion shrine. Pennsylvania people love Penn State football. It's like required! And so on a Saturday afternoon, there's a little picture-taking line that forms on the sidewalk by this statue.

The weather was chilly for a March day. But beautifully sunny. So we didn't complain oooone bit. We headed over to a historic village for some beautiful backgrounds. :)

Puns are funny to me. Like this one. "The perfect pair?" :) :)

Happy.
Happy to have found one another. Happy to be together. Happy to be engaged. And happy to be getting married..
An interesting door? Of course, I can't resist. ;)
White picket fences... and my favorite series of this engagement session!

There were even railroad tracks!!

Congratulations, Kevin & Caitlin!! Can't wait for your wedding day!! :)

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{Personal} I'm ENGAGED!!... and Here's the Love Story

2011-04-04T22:30:00.000-04:00

On September 1st, 2006,
I met him. Brandon.
In Virginia.
In a kitchen of mutual friends.
Surrounded by other people.
He was someone special.
Though I didn't know it at the time.
We exchanged funny words.
My sassy-ness about his t-shirt.
And later that evening,
time with an acoustic guitar + a little conversation about a hero in the faith.

Six months went by.
Another conversation.
As the sounds of high-school basketball echoed nearby.
We talked of evangelism, passion for Jesus, prayer.
I thought he was "intense."
I liked that.
I like that in anybody.
Then I forgot about him.

Two years went by.
I heard through the "grapevine" that he had a heart attack.
At age 22. Who does that?
Facebook message sent.
"Are you okay? praying for you!"
Response received... he talks alot!! I like that.
Then...
We talked alot.
Chatting online for hours.
About Jesus. Life. And a million other things.
Playing the game of Twenty Questions. Or 100 Questions.
Always deep, thought-provoking.
Friendship-building.... because I liked him. And he liked me.
But we never said that. Never talked about that.
Just friends.

Months and months went by.
Silence.
Then a facebook message.
And he called me. First phone call ever.
I remembered why I cared.
More talking. More questions than ever.
"I'm interested in you."
I like you. We like each other.
Possibilities of the future.
Still...
Not dating, just talking.
Just friends... kinda.

Circumstances change.
Sorrow and sadness. Hardship and heartbreak.
Months and months go by.
Again.
Silence.
Learning to walk in trust.
Learning to love Jesus more.
It was hard. It was good.
Miles and miles apart.
I was thinking about him.
He was thinking about me.
And we didn't know it.
Though things looked hopeless...
Change was coming...

December 22, 2010.
A facebook message..
and a few minutes later,
A phone call.
Catching up on life... he wants to come for a visit.
Then there's a blizzard.
So we decide to meet half-way...
Carlisle, PA.
I was going there anyway. Photography-location-scouting. ;)
Not a date, just a "friendly get-together."

January 8th, 2011.
I broke three cars the day before, and had to rent a car.
Somehow.. I think I knew I had to get to Carlisle...
.. because this was gonna change my life.
Someone locked his keys in his car, and he had to get a locksmith.
He was three hours late.
I was watching and waiting by a fireplace in the coffee-shop.
He walked in and my heart stopped.
I remembered why I cared.
We talked.. we walked in the bitter winter cold.
We looked at buildings and statues and windows and a fire station.
We petted a dog and talked to strangers.
We crossed the street and laughed at silly things.
We found a bookstore and had serious, soul-wrenching conversation.
We found a library and wandered around.
And it was still bitterly cold.
We were hungry and freezing cold. Found a restaurant.
Didn't really know it was quite so "date-like" as it turned out to be.
French cuisine & candlelight...
We stayed for 4 hours.
Talking about our lives.
The past, the present, the future.
"Kinda" making plans. Kinda-not-really.
Because we weren't dating.
Definitely not dating... just "very friendly friends."

Phone conversations stretched from one hour every other day.
To 3-5 hours per night.
We agreed... love is risky. Love means being vulnerable.
And by January 17th, 2011,
We came to the conclusion....
We are dating. "Let's call it what it is."
*smiles*

And so it began....
Discovering the rest of our lives.
Learning to {LOVE} truly.
Long-distance.
With opposing schedules (he works nights).
LOVE means meeting half-way (where it all began --- Carlisle, PA!). It means long drives and long dates. Small-town diners. Porch swings. Lots of coffee + chocolate. Bookstores. Slow jazz. A sparkling blue diamond heart necklace for Valentine's day. ;) Pretty sunsets and moonrises. Eskimo kisses. Picnics in chilly spring weather. It means falling asleep on the phone. Love-texts in the morning and in the evening. Love-letters by mail and by more modern methods--facebook. ;) Surprise roses. Ardent hand-holding. Teasing from family about being the "lovebirds." Discovering new places together. Making new memories in old places. Sharing stories of "last time I was here, I was thinking about you." Having magical 'moments' everywhere we go. Walking by waterfalls and rivers and fountains. Having more deep conversation than ever and always hungry for more. Challenging one another, questioning one another, provoking one another to love Jesus more...

And now we wonder.... We wonder at this beautiful mystery that love is. How we could love one another so much. How perfectly we fit together. How our personalities and tendencies complement each other. How the hand of God was so evident in our lives.The crazy, interesting, sometimes-not-so-good things that needed to happen in our lives for God to bring us together...
God has been good to us.

Oh yes,
And I'm gonna marry this man.

Proposal story coming soon.....

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{Friday LOVE} Sweets

2011-04-01T06:00:00.002-04:00

This post should make you drool.
Because it made me drool. :D

Some people like savory foods. It's their temptation.
Not me. Not at all.
I like sweets. I like desserts.
And most of all, I {LOVE} summery desserts...

My sis made this ridiculously amazing trifle last summer.... *drool*

Can't go wrong with s'more supplies!!! I need a campfire. NOW!! (please?)

YUM YUM YUM.

And my all-time favorite...
ICE CREAM!!! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!!

Mhmmm... now you should be desiring warm weather, and heading out to buy some sweet summery desserts. You're welcome. :D
I {LOVE} Sweets!

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{Friday LOVE} Spring!!!

2011-03-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Spring has sprung. And I {LOVE} it.
Granted, I have never been much of a winter-lover. With exception of the years and years of family-snow-removal-business. Winter = Cold Weather = Snow = More $$$ for me! :) But now, I have been delivered from snow removal---yaaay! And so during the long, cold Pennsylvanian winters, I hibernate. Inside. With a cup of homemade hot cocoa, wearing a Snuggie & sitting by a space heater. :D

And one day.... after weeks of weather waffling... after cold snaps with SNOW and freakishly warm afternoons, I opened my front door and stepped out on the front porch. And saw this.

*photo by the ridiculously-convenient-but-not-perfect pocket camera*

Welcome, Spring! I {LOVE} you!

{Friday LOVE} is a weekly blog series chronicling random things, places, experiences, etc. that I LOVE.

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Giselle & Sarai {Sterling, VA Children's Portrait Photography}

2011-03-22T21:37:00.001-04:00

In the midst of client emails and bride-to-bes and the upcoming wedding season, I'm a little distracted. By what, you say? By golden sunlight and vibrant spring dresses and the smiles of little girls. Adorably cute little girls. Little girls in their raven-haired glory. Sometimes clutching the tiniest spring flower. Sometimes holding hands with a dear sister. Sometimes smiling widely or innocently or silly. Always adorable.
Can you tell I have a soft spot for little girlies? And little boys, too.. Okay, I love all little people. :) :) :)

Today, meet my new friends - Giselle & Sarai! Sisters!

Giselle is seven years old. I like her. We had fun together!

A weeping willow in the sunlight. And a smiling face. :)

It was a glorious spring afternoon.

Sarai is four years old. With a sweet smile.

A little cheesiness. ;)

I'm thinkin' that I need to buy a new spring dress. :D These girls inspire me!

Lovin' the black & white series.

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