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Manzanillo, Mexico: Part I of Rob and Lisa’s Amazing Destination Wedding!

This wedding was something else! I was so honored to be the one who was asked to capture this amazing destination wedding. Rob and Lisa are such great people and their family welcomed Adam and I into their week long celebration so well! The week was great but the wedding itself was the real deal – look closely at the awesome details that Sandra the wedding planner from Grand Bay Isla Navidad Hotel added to this special day, the flowers were totally unreal! (and it cost something like $80 USD for all of them..crazy!) The ceremony site was so perfect with the beautiful palm trees shading the long aisle!

We started the day out with Lisa in the spa and the girls did a wonderful job doing her up.  I had a laugh with Rob and his soon to be brother in law as they struggled with their ties (even an app couldn’t help them!;)) but all in all the getting ready went off without a hitch!  After the short and sweet ceremony we took some beautiful shots around the resort – it had so much material to use there was no way I was able to capture it all in one afternoon! The reception was in a gorgeous private garden and it was so evident how hard the staff worked to get this place ready for the evening.  We had a quiet dinner while musicians played spanish guitar and violin as a soundtrack – it truly was like a fairlytale.  I know Rob and Lisa were so appreciative of how things turned out and it their easy going attitudes made it so easy to photograph their day.

The days following were filled up with more shooting and a few excursions as well as some much needed R&R on the beach.  I plan on posting a few more pics of their engagement and day after sessions so stay tuned for those. For now, enjoy these pics! Looking at them makes me want to go back right now!

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Macy Anne: Newborn Shoot

Gotta love this family! A while back I got the chance to go to the Neufeldt home and capture some moments with their fresh new baby Macy.  Macy has since grown a whole bunch but back then she was nice and small and sleepy for me! Just like her older sister, Brielle, she slept so well for the shoot.  I don’t know if it’s Lisa’s baby whispering skills or what, but this couple knows how to make a sleeping babe! Not sure how well she is sleeping now though…

I made some cute little headbands for the shoot (bow-tie) and Macy looked adorable in them! Once again I loved spending time with this family.  Can’t wait to watch these little chickens grow up and continue to make me smile with their cuteness.  Enjoy!

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April 23, 2012 - 7:29 pm

erika - always enjoy your post Jess! gorgeous photos!

April 29, 2012 - 10:04 am

Ann Nickolet - beauty

Lyric: Adventures in hospital

These photos are pretty precious.  I won’t pretend to know the whole story but I will share with you what I know.  This little guy may be may be small but his strength can be an inspiration to all.  Thank-you Cortney and Crystal for allowing me to capture these sweet moments with your son.  Your unwavering commitment and strength through this all is amazing to me.

Last fall Lyric began peeing blood.  At first they thought it was just some kind of infection but soon after a few visits to Saskatoon and some major tests, they discovered he had a very rare tumor on his kidney.  It didn’t take Lyric long to get into surgery but the fight didn’t end there.  He has been having regular chemotherapy and radiation to treat this horrible cancer.  This family has been through a lot and I imagine there is still more challenges to come.  Living 3 hours away has been a particular struggle for them as their family has had to be apart for the large majority of these last few months as they deal with multiple admissions and appointments related to his condition.  But as I said above, their strength through this adversity is truly something to be admired.

It was great to talk to Cortney and hear about all the great care he is getting from the nurses on pediatrics at RUH and I am proud to hear that some of my old co-workers there are still around and doing great work.  I know as a nurse these are some of the most challenging kids to work with because they are sick and do not understand what is happening to them.  So good job peds nurses for looking after Lyric and his family so well!  I have no doubt in my mind that they are all getting excellent care.

I first met Crystal, Lyric’s mom, a few years back through at my good friend Gail’s wedding.  Her and Crystal grew up together and have been the best of friends since.  Gail and her family have been an enormous support to this family as they go through this difficult time and through Gail, I have kept tabs on how things have been going.  Being a nurse myself (and having some pediatric nursing experience as well), I know how difficult it can be for a family to go through these ugly situations and I cannot imagine having to be as strong as these people have had to be for their child.  A few months ago I felt compelled to approach Crystal about taking some photos of Lyric while he was in hospital – and luckily, she not only agreed but was really excited about it!

Last week Lyric and his dad had to stay at RUH for a week in order for him to get his daily treatments as well as a blood transfusion.  The day I went in, last Friday, he was doing really well and they were excited to go home for the weekend. He was in great spirits the day I came in and was a good sport while I took pics of him playing and hanging out with his dad.  His personality really shines through in these photos:) Unfortunately that darn chemo did a number on his little immune system and Lyric is back on Peds this week to get better again.  I am sure he is going to make another speedy recovery!

Going through these photos is surely to bring on a few tears.  I know they did for me.  I know that I find myself complaining about silly little day to day things that happen in my life but thinking about what this family is going through and how hard it must be for them, really gives me a reality check and makes me realize how much I have to be grateful for.  I am hoping it does the same for all you who get to see this post.

Be strong sweet Lyric.  We are all rooting for you!

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April 3, 2012 - 10:13 pm

Kelli - So beautiful – The shoot. You. That sweet boy. <3

April 8, 2012 - 9:09 am

Ann Nickolet - Thanks for sharing this little guys story Jess.

April 11, 2012 - 3:43 pm

Lauren Winter - Awesome post, this little guy is adorable.

April 16, 2012 - 2:19 pm

Britt - What an amazing gift that you were able to give to this family Jess

Sarah and fam: Fall Belly Shoot!

I have been realizing lately how I poorly I blogged in the fall as I missed some pretty awesome shoots. This one was one of them. This family was so fun and the little guy was absolutely hilarious.  I have been oohhing and aaahhing over Sarah’s beauty since I first worked with her on pediatrics 5 years ago.  She is an absolutely beautiful person inside and out and so I was absolutely thrilled when we finally got to do this shoot together – in anticipation of the birth of their baby.  I loved that they wanted to include little Isaiah (about 3 at the time) in the shoot and make it a family affair.  He definitely added to the excitement!

I really appreciated that Sarah respected and valued the shoot enough to think of the brilliant idea of a babysitter – definitely something for people to think about if they are wanting to do a mat shoot with a 2-4 year old child! It was a great idea! Not that Isaiah was a little hellion but he definitely had a lot of energy to spare and it was great that we had someone with us to chase him down while I was doing some shots of just mom and dad.  So thanks so much for that Sarah! Also, the fact that Sarah has a background in pediatrics definitely helped in keeping this 3 year old interested in the shoot (and her belly), we did all kinds of goofy things to keep him entertained and keep him focused on his mom’s belly and most of them were Sarah’s ideas! Very creative parenting I must say and gave me some material for the future!  But you will still see some of his antics below (but oh so cute!!);)

But enough with the blabbering, here are some photos from this great shoot!

having a ‘Zen’ moment together

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March 28, 2012 - 7:01 pm

Brittany Thompson - So great Jessie! I’ve made a habit of checking your site out every few weeks to see what beautiful shots you’ve posted! Always gorgeous!

f a c e b o o k