I spent the last few days up in Toledo with these two crazy chicas.  Chanel had her National Dance Competition.  She did AWESOME, as did all of the extremely talented girls and boys that she dances with.  We are all so proud of them!

I snapped this with my phone (silly, I know!!) while we were out to lunch yesterday...

Now that I'm home for a few days, I still have TONS of pics to sort through and post.  Let's keep our fingers crossed for another blog update in a few days!!

Next week.... NEW YORK CITY!!!!

You've heard me say it over and over: being able to photograph a wedding, to document and preserve the memories of the birth of a family, is an incredible honor. I am humbled each and every time I am trusted with such a monumental task. And it's my goal to truly get to know my clients, to bond with them, to learn their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams, so that I am better equipped to photograph their day in a way that is uniquely fitting to them and their families.

With that said... I find myself utterly speechless when it comes to talking about Jazmin & Eric's wedding. Their family is extremely important to me. So when I found out that they were engaged (the very day), I don't think I gave Jazmin any choice...I insisted on shooting her wedding. There are plenty of talented photographers out there....but when it comes to family, I couldn't trust these precious memories to anyone else. It was my honor to be there documenting this day.

Jazmin & Eric...

Just like the Prince and the Princess, their's is a fairytale romance, complete with a Magic Kingdom proposal and wedding befitting royalty. I could easily go on and on about how gorgeous everything was, about how amazing this wedding was, and about how awesome it was to spend this day with two very incredible souls... or I can do what I do best, and let the pictures do the talking for me...

Here is a handful of my favorites from the day, followed by a slideshow you won't want to miss!

Jazmin & Eric opted for a First Look, a couple of hours before the ceremony. I love when couples do this because it's a lot easier on the nerves and it allows for some great photo ops. We always try to make this moment as special as possible...

Jazmin knew I would LOVE these funky shoes the Bridesmaids wore... If I wasn't such a jeans & flip flops kinda girl, I would totally get a pair!

Aren't these two the most darling little flowers girls you have ever seen?!?

Jazmin is a dancer, her family owns a dance studio, and many of the wedding guests were also dancers. Needless to say, the dance floor stayed pretty full. I told the DJ he could probably play the National Anthem and this crowd would still dance to it...

And now for the slideshow....

Wedding & Reception - The Pinnacle Golf Club, Grove City, OH

Flowers - Ole Barn Flowers, Westerville, OH

Cake - The Cake Studio, Powell, OH

DJ - Matt Ryan DJs

Those of you who know me personally know that these past few weeks have been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I've been riding the high of shooting five absolutely fabulous weddings...which I'm still knee deep in the middle of processing... but amid all the love and joy, I suffered a loss of near epic proportions when I was robbed. It was nothing that can't be replaced (and it will all be replaced). But it hurt my feelings. A lot. And I let this event get me down, which sucks because most people who know me, know how freakishly positive I usually am.

But I am not one to let some thieving crack-head get me down for long! There are certain things that always put a smile on my face (my hubby, my kids, ice cream, etc...), and I thought I'd share a few of those things with you today:

1) JACK JOHNSON

He's my favorite and everyone knows it. Beware...if I suddenly hop a plane to Hawaii, it's because I've reverted to my high-school era level of craziness and I've decided to stalk him. (don't worry, Shamon...you can come with me!)

Thanks to the paranoia of Universal Music Group, I can't imbed this video, but please click the following and watch the video...it's funny:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0H600EnZEg

2) NEW YORK CITY

I'm going to New York in July for a photo shoot and I'm so freaking excited it's not even funny!! I'll be there for one night, but I think I need to start packing NOW!

3) A CHORUS LINE

I took Chanel, my soon-to-be-12 year old dancing diva daughter, (alliteration much?) to see A Chorus Line at the Ohio Theater on Friday. Ever since I saw the movie when I was 9th grade I've wanted to see this show live, and it did not disappoint. In fact, it was AMAZING...INCREDIBLE...FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!! And Chanel loved it too! We even met some of the cast after the show and Chanel got a few autographs. If you ever get the chance to see it, please do. You. Will. Love. It!

from the movie...

4) THIS GUY...

I saw this guy outside of the church when I was shooting a wedding a couple of weeks ago and it made me happy. Not because I want to make fun of the guy, but because of how free he appears to be. I'm sure he has an interesting back-story. He was talking to a few people waiting outside of the church and when it began to get a little crowded with arriving guests, he left.  Clearly, someone who can ride a bike down the street in a busy downtown area with no shirt on has this "I don't give a crap what you think" kind of attitude, and I absolutely LOVE THAT. So when I see someone just doing what they do, seemingly carefree, with no regard to societal norms, I love it, and have to capture it. Bike-Guy makes me happy.

So there's my Sunday happy list... I hope you all have a great week!  I have some more wedding photos to post this week, so stay tuned!

-Chantal :)

David Viscott once wrote: "To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides."

If this is true, then all those around you are totally burnt! 

Your wedding day was simply flawless, from the beautiful dress, the exquisite flowers, the gorgeous church and of course, the stunning Bride.  My simple vocabulary lacks the words to describe how perfect your wedding was, so I'll do what I do best, and let the pictures do the talking...

Since Theresa & Reggie's Song is also my and my husband's Song...I thought it a fitting choice for the slideshow.  Enjoy:

I was fighting back the yawns and dozing off on the couch today, and I asked my husband why am I so tired?  Then I reflected back on the last week and a half, and I was quickly reminded!  So much has happened, my head is still spinning, including the FOUR weddings I photographed in the last 10 days. 

Each wedding was so unique and so beautiful.  Each couple, a perfect match.  I have plenty of photos to edit through over the next couple of weeks to keep me busy, but I wanted to share a sneak peak of what's to come on the blog over the next two weeks...

Theresa & Reggie, May 22

Danyelle & Eddie, May 23

Jazmin & Eric, May 29

Whitney & Brandon, May 30

Somehow, during my wedding marathon, I managed to catch a Columbus Clippers game with my hubby and kids at the new Huntington Park in downtown Columbus.  The new stadium is amazing and we had a lot of fun, but the Clippers lost....badly!

Look for frequent updates over the next few weeks....there's a lot going on around here!

:)