When woodsy meets urban you get PJ & Mariah's sweet and spicy engagement session on Tucon's Mt. Lemmon. We met a very cold winter morning and navigated sunbeam-glazed pine trees and long green reeds and goosebumps and butterflies in the stomach. And we laughed and played and showed off their ink and the way he dipped her and they was she liked it... so much love. :) enjoy some highlights AND check in tomorrow to see their WEDDING STORY highlights!
This weekend we had the honor of shooting Jeff & Emily (Weprich) Campanella's wedding at SaddleBrook Country Club in the Catalina Foothills of Northwest Tucson. Before we head off to this weekend's San Diego wedding, we wanted share a few sneak peaks of Emily's pre-wedding bridal portraits. You might recognize her from the celebrity engagement feature a few weeks ago or from the post earlier this summer honoring her father. Having shared a few slivers of storytelling in this family's life this past year made this wedding more meaningful. And being part of Emily's first deep breaths as a bride -- the moment she put on that incredible dress, loved her mom fiercely, laughed with her ladies--her resilient cheerfulness, grace and concern for others was radiant. More coming soon! (see note to all guests/friends/family below)
If you were a guest or are a friend or are a family member, go HERE to register and be kept apprised when all wedding pictures are released!
{Curtis & Jenna | Stillwell House , Tucson AZ | August 2012}
Curtis & Jenna's wedding day was full of joy and fresh, simple beautiful friendship frosted with super sweet anticipation. I loved being there. I loved laughing with you girls; i loved waiting for those moments when Curtis would sneak the HUGEST grin; I loved the details. and the food. and the music. friends dancing with friends. the ice cream sandwiches. the sheer weight of commitment and faithfulness and perspective. Curtis & Jenna, hearing you guys tell story and watching you two shift gears and serve alongside each other this last year of marriage has been pretty awesome too! | HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! | LKM
P.S. If you didn't see Curtis & Jenna's engagement session from last summer, their cuteness is worth revisiting HERE. :D
the many faces of Jenna :D
and this last, final image is probably one of my top very favorite images ever taken at a wedding. knowing their story. knowing his love for dancing (grin). knowing her gentle affection...it's just one of my favorites. and i found out a few months ago...that it's CURTIS' #1 favorite too! same page. :)
{Arizona Wedding Photography | Catalina Foothills Private Estate | Inspiration: Hippies, Biceps and Burlap}
Brent & Erica are beasts. They love the outdoors, thrive in physical activity, boast of outdoing eachother's push-up count--the first conversation I had with them immediately turned to Erica's emphatic insistence that humans have simply forgotten that were were designed to run and 50 miles is no biggee. riiiiight... They are a hoot. And madly in love. Since they actually had a destination wedding in Tucson and had to plan their wedding long-distance from Colorado, Erica's mom and aunt were the wedding planners. I met with them first and legitimately choked on coffee the entire time because I was laughing so hard. Laughter just runs in the veins of these people. It's incredible. I was STOKED to be able to capture the laughter on such a special day...They warned me prior to meeting Erica...'she's no frills. totally relaxed. no crazy demands. pretty hippie'...and when I met the bride-to-be--ms. blue eyes and blonde dreads she simply said..."Just do your thing. I'm not even sure what I want...except that people are happy; that we look happy--stay happy." And to quote one of my movies: "Their happy was so very LOUD." | lkm
Erica had these awesome uber-hippie sandals made from scratch. real leather. tanned and stained just for her.
she also wore her grandma's pearls and kept an heirloom of a hankerchief with her throughout the day
the prelude to the whole shibang was awesome. so chill. sisters hanging out with cousins. it was great!
Erica was such a fun bride!
Lori, mom, is an amazing mom. She pretty much made me cry just watching her get weepy throughout the day. 
And then they had a first look moment...so tender and special. They couldn't WAIT to be together that morning. And as soon as she, literally, flew up into his arms, it was like a very definitive "start" switch was flipped. like the day had officially started and they were going to be side by side the whole way through.
biggest. bouquet. ever.
they totally insisted on this pose...boys, boys, boys. (props to my 2nd shooter Tony Bernardo for snatching this shot below)
(check back for PART TWO tomorrow!)
{Amir + Maribel | Tucson, Arizona Wedding Photographer | Reflections at the Buttes | Inspiration: Pink, Silver, Sparkle}
Since I met Amir & Maribel at an expo last May we've had coffee dates, email convos, phone chats, and shot a 3 part engagement session (Go HERE to see highlights from their engagement session!). Come wedding time they trusted me and we laughed a bunch! They're wedding party was great--friends supporting each other and celebrating! We had a few inside jokes to tease about, they're friends and family were very gracious, and their wedding....well, here are the highlights! Here is PART ONE of their sophisticated and classy wedding!
oh munchkin face ... :)
lil' girls :)
Mari, you are absolutely stunning!
gorgeous bouquet!
cool ring holder yea?!
So so suave. :)
Nothin' like a daddy-daughter cuddle right before show time :)
the studs
Reflections at the Buttes is gorgeous!
check out this shot below! my second shooter, heather, snagged it right as the couple were saying 'I do'... gah. love it! props heather!
pure joy!
STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO!!!
{Matt + Marcy | Engagement Session | Agua Caliente, Tucson, Arizona | July 2012}
I showed up to M + M's e-session striving hard to take myself seriously. I was climbing (awkwardly of course-pregnant) out of a borrowed single cab pick up truck that was decked out in NFL Broncos everything AND I had those child's play sticky tattoos plastered over my right arm, ankles and wrist. I didn't regret the play time I had had with my kids just before the shoot, though it might have helped me feel more pro if i had scrubbed them a little and gotten over the fact that my license plate screamed 'TEEEBOW". Sharing these superflous details DO have a point by the way. Turns out Marcy actually WORKS at a graphic design lab FOR the very company of tattoos I had just divulged in with my kids that afternoon. I could have hugged her. It was free entertainment for a solid 2 hours that day. Ahmazing bliss. I didn't hug Marcy but she got a kick outta the fact that my arm tattoo of a bear was one that she had particularly designed herself. Ironic yea? ...
Matt & Marcy are shooting for a garden-esque/earthy-meets-whimsy/a-little-dash-of-alice-in-wonderland theme for their wedding next April. I loved that they both showed up to their e-session aware of those details and fully prepared to walk around for an hour in large-and-in-charge shoes no matter what the cost. Vanity before comfort right?!
Matt said he 'was looking for a wedding photographer who can help him feel comfortable.' What a fantastic challenge. :D I did my best...
They really seemed to have a lot of fun together!
Love these two.
Thank you guys for letting me hang out with you for an evening!
{Dan + Erin | Vintage-Meets-Urban Inspired Downtown Tucson Engagement Session | Janaury 2012}
I thought that shooting in La Placita in downtown Tucson would be too cliche. But you get a couple like Erin and Dan to unleash, be real, enjoy each other, share a few inside jokes, laugh, trip, embarass themselves gloriously so--and you could stick 'em in front of cardboard boxes and still have a spread worth a million bucks. Oh the color!! My gosh, these two burst with such a raw, goofy delight in each other--my face hurts from smiling. | lkm
(above) check out their vert! they nailed the 'jump' on the first try. standing ovation please.
that pole little kiss moment there was purely spontaneous. Dan--you're so suave.
erin's grin in these middle-of-the-street/my-photographer-is-going-to-kill-us images...was favorite.
so we found this truck...
kinda random. but i'm a fan. 
'hey dan, grab erin's hand and frolick gleefully down the alley and then embrace each other in than corridor.'
i can't get over how perfectly the tones of what they were wearing meshed with the wall...
so the day was mostly overcast which is often some of the BEST natural-soft-box-style lighting you can get....but I was secretly a little bummed that we missed out on some of that golden flare when a session ends with a sunset-provided epic finale....... and yet...... 
there was a band playing in downtown that night. Just as dan and erin were getting into the car i knew i had to cease the moment. quickly. before we lost momentum. and boy did these two deliver :)
Dan + Erin, we love you guys. You are SUCH a treat. Lawson & I still can't wait for our double date. Thank you for trusting me with these memories. So so blessed to be a part of this special season with you guys! | lkm
