winter with summer

{Get it, cause the title of the other one was summer in winter?....I know. I'm a dork.}



Roll with the flow. That's what my whirlwind 3.5 days with Summer involved a lot of. Rolling with the flow. On Friday night I texted with my mom:

"It's craziness. I'm not used to being so intimately involved in the stressful build up".





Other than mine and my brothers wedding I haven't been intimately involved in the process of weddings. I show up the day of, shoot my heart out and leave. But that was not the case with Summer & Toby. I was a guest, not just the photographer. I helped shop for groceries. We ran errands. We ate sushi and got manicures. I got to meet her friends and her soon-to-be sisters-in-law. (That girl has some AWESOME sisters-in-law). I did dishes, packed dishes, slept on a couch half the length of me when the puking and fever returned to her Indygirl. (holy geez that poor girl had a rough weekend, as did her mama) Oh did I mention that I did not FEEL MY FEET UNTIL I MADE IT BACK TO CALIFORNIA?! Seriously, cold on another level. Which was awesome, and welcomed, but well, I missed my toes. I didn't have to politely turn away the drinks and food offered to me once the wedding festivities kicked off (Though one bourbon & ginger was my limit, cause I needed to SEE what I was doing, and lets be honest, I'm a light-weight ;).





I went to bed Friday night a barrel of nerves. Because Summer? That chick knows photography. No joke. She has opinions and critiques and an eye that blows me away.



No pressure right?



But the amazing thing about Summer was that she let me shoot how I want to shoot. I kept thinking she'd turn down my suggestions, because they weren't her style or because she wasn't feeling something. But no. She smiled and said yes to everything. Later on sharing with me that it wasn't just about her, she wanted these images to be something I could use for my portfolio. She wanted me to benefit from them as much as she was going to. Sorta rocked my world. That in the middle of her own wedding, her selflessness showed through. Really remarkable, if you ask me.





And what comes of a bride in full submission? And a groom so Mr. Darcy-like that he did whatever his love requested of him? Images that blow me away; That make me squeal with disbelief that they are actually mine. It was the first time I actually cried in the middle of a shoot.
I was overwhelmed.
And that was just the pictures.
The wedding was a whole other level. One that I'm still trying to process in my mind. So intimate. So romantic. So creative and original. So them. Absolutely perfect. Such an amazing experience to be involved in.







And to add icing to the cake? Hugging Autumn in person. She is even more amazing in real life. I wish I had more time with her. Shes one of those remarkably glowing, joyful, radiant women that you can't help but love and want to be best friends with. Yep, she's that great.

Nice mustache Autie ;)


don't blame toby that it's out of focus, he's the writer of the family...




And because it could not get better, lets just throw in yet another internet friend, the dear sweet Marianne who not only is the most perfect mother hen to her brood of children, but earned extras stars for showing up to the wedding with her less than month old Lucy. Yeah, kind of an amazing woman.

And then the night drawing to a close. Bidding farewell to Summer&Toby. Then staying up late with their family and friends, laughing together over deformed jelly bellys, marshmallows cooked in the fireplace, the first glass (teacup ;) of wine I've ever enjoyed (so NOT a wine drinker) and curling up in front of the fire amongst chatty ladies I adored and falling asleep.
It was just sublime.

Of course if we're facebook friends you'll know the biggest adventure was that of trying to get home the next day. Snow storm, in a car with no snow chains. Ending up in a ditch. Waiting two hours for a tow truck never to show up. (Although we did get interviewed by the news, a state trooper, and emergency workers) Finally being pulled from a ditch by a rogue, libation infused troop of Subaru drivers. We liked to say we were pulled out by fast&the furious. Craziness I tell you, absolute craziness. And by the act of God I made my flight with 10 minutes to spare. The only disappointment of the weekend was that those two hours spent in the ditch were the two hours I was suppose to have brunch with Ashley. I'm still bummed out I didn't get to hug her in person. It's been too long :(



An adventure from start to finish. One that I looked forward to for weeks and weeks and am all too sad that it's over already. My expectations for the weekend were exceeded, and how often can we say that in life?

Summer, Toby, Indy, Beezus, I adore you. Thank you thank you for having me there.
It was such a privilege. And there are mannnnnnnny more photos coming....