let's play

Engagement Sessions are my favorite. I love spending time with my couples before their wedding. It's a wonderful time for us to get to know each other and play. Here are some fun drinks for my shoot this afternoon. I am really looking forward to spending time with Jesse and Jon. They're flying in from Boston and I just know we'll have a great time. We'll share some red velvet cupcakes and izzes too, yum!

Love and Light,

Heather

ann taylor weddings

I have a routine in the morning. I make my coffee or tea, today it was an iced cinnamon café au lait. I answer emails and then take a moment to window shop the wedding world. There are a few places that I always stop by to see what they're up to. Today I stumbled upon wedding dresses by Ann Taylor, who knew right? They are so pretty and I would happily wear either of these down the aisle (I'm a bare-foot beach bride, so these are perfect). Beautiful and budget friendly, oh and Ann Taylor is having an exclusive 40% off sale in their online shop which includes these beautiful wedding dresses. After the sale is applied the top dress is $270 and the bottom one is $330, these days it's crazy to find bridesmaid dresses for that price. They have some really cute bridesmaid dresses too (see below). If you're looking for a dress please check them out. Happy shopping!

Love and Light,

Heather

about me

I'm now on about.me

Have you heard about this awesome site?

It's basically an online business card that connects all of your social networks in one place. Brilliant.

I've used a few other sites to do the same thing but this one is much nicer, super customizable

and easy to use. Please visit my site and let's connect.

Love and Light,

Heather

Hazah, we've been nominated!

our first father's day

This year was our first Father's Day. We ate beer pancakes with bacon and had burgers for dinner, very appropriate in celebrating Chris's first Papa's Day. I made this little card for Chris from a photo I took of Finn during bath time. His cute little curls and sparkling eyes get me every time. C and I agree that Finn is going to use this sweet look to get his way later in life and for now we are powerless to it.

This was a very special Papa's Day for us. Last year we were dreaming of what our little boy would be like and he's of course more amazing than we ever imagined. I remember thinking about what Chris would be like as a father and I don't think I could have dreamed a better father. He is so attentive, loving, funny and his hugs move mountains. There are times when I watch Finn and Chris together and I just can't help but feel incredibly blessed. It's hard to explain but the love, trust and admiration I already had for Chris has increased exponentially as I watch him as a father. I hope everyone feels this because there is something about this relationship, watching the man you love with the baby you created, that can move the stars. 

Chris, thank you for being the best father in the world.

We Love You,

Finn and H

faded photos

I love old photos. Images hanging on a family's walls for generations. Faded photos in chipped frames. As a wedding photographer it's my primary goal to document your history, your day. I want your wedding photos to hang on the walls of your home. I hope you pass them on to your grandchildren one day and share them with your family. This is what I love about photography, it's ability to capture a moment, mark time and share it with others. I love going to thrift stores and finding old photos that were left behind. I feel if I collect them and keep them, then the memories of these people will live on. This hobby started at an early age and turned into taking photos as a child and now having a photography business. It's an immense desire to record histories, suspend time and hold on to memories. And perhaps generations from now there will be a child like me who collects old photos and grows up to be a photographer. I like to think that will happen because it is a joyful and beautiful responsibility to document this world.

Love and Light,

Heather

red with pops of yellow

I love weddings that are thoughtfully designed (but not overly done) and go against the grain. The great things about most of these weddings is that they aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets. Picking great wedding colors can stretch your budget in creative ways. My favorite color combination right now is red tones with pops of yellow. There's something fresh and delicious about these two colors and when they're placed next to each other the become even more vibrant. Rainer cherries, red and yellow flowers, so fun. I love the chairs in the top photo, all red with an unexpected yellow back, lovely. How fun would that be for a wedding? Red and yellow are welcoming, warm and happy colors, great for a celebration of love. They also make you hungry which is why McDonalds, In-n-Out and many other chains use them in their logos and advertising. It's great to consider the psychological elements of colors for your wedding. If you're planning a wedding I hope you find colors that make you happy, mean something to you and creative the mood you are looking for.

Happy Planning,

Heather

forever: Kristine and Patrick

This is a sweet little sneak peek from Kristine and Patrick's love-filled-gorgeous-wedding. I can't wait to share the rest of them with you after the couple and their friends and family view them this weekend. Stay tuned. 

Love and Light,

Heather

welcome to summer

I don't know about you, but I don't think spring ever came to Colorado this year. We went from wintery rain and snow straight to dreadful 90 degree summer weather. It breaks my heart because I love spring. 

Luckily, we had one treasured day of sweet spring sunlight and breezes. We were so eager for this beautiful weather, so spent the whole day outside. We thought this was the beginning of lovely walks with our pups and baby, leisurely picnics and fragrant flowers... but we couldn't be more wrong. 

Summer is here to stay... I must accept this. So, here are a few things that I (have somewhat forced myself to) appreciate about this hotter than hot weather:

* Finn's cloth diapers dry super quick

* the tomato garden is really happy

* my curly hair is crazier than ever

* there's always a reason for ice cream

* evenings are great for eating outside

* a kiddie pool makes total sense

* morning trips to the dog park are a must

* homemade popsicles

* yummy smelling sun screen

* sun hats and sun dresses

* the golden hour is even more magnificent (for photo geeks)

If you're not a summer girl, I hope you can also find the silver lining.

Love and Light,

Heather

snapshots & sundays

[clockwise beginning top left (location title): Shakespeare and Company Paris France self, Shakespeare and Company Paris 

France embrace, Shakespeare and Company Paris France dream, Shakespeare and Company Paris France hiding.]

I love books. They're like friends from different times in my life. Sometimes when I reread a favorite book, I can clearly remember reading it for the first time, on a beach, in my childhood room, on a plane. They have magical ways of marking time in my life. In the digital age where books are downloaded and libraries are virtual, I hold tightly to my tangible books. Books that are dogeared, written in and well loved. Books that take up far too much space in my house as far as my husband is concerned. He gave me an ipad a few months ago in hopes I would enjoy reading books on it and it is slowly growing on me, but I still love the feel of an old book. I'm resisting the future, holding on to the past. I think I'll snuggle up with a cup of tea and an old friend and reminisce.

Love and Light,

H

peace of mind

Weekends are usually a busy time for me. This weekend I'm working, spending time with friends, grabbing dinner in Denver and having some quiet time with my guys. I also plan on being outside as much as possible and taking many photos. Finding a balance between being busy and just being is something I am constantly working on. Whenever I feel overwhelmed or unbalanced, I take a moment to imagine myself in an open field with whimsical trees and warm sunshine. Do you have a place like this that lives in your mind? A place for your and only you to just be. My little escape is composed of memories and make believe. Here are a few images I took near my mother and father-in-law's home in Arroyo Grande, California. There is something magical about this place, something that connects me to my peace of mind.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend filled with fun, love and smiles.

Love and Light,

Heather

little handsome. big handsome.

My guys. Big handsome and little handsome.

These two are the light of my life. Their snuggles are healing, loving and give me peace. 

More than anything my favorite moments with these two are when I step back and watch 

them together. They're two peas in a pod. My husband is an amazing father, I am honored to 

be raising this sweet soul with him. My heart overflows. I am blessed.

Happy 8 months little Finn. Keep on growing and smiling. 

Watching the world through your eyes amazes me everyday.

Love and Light,

Heather

little sparrow

Hayley + Ryan Trailer from Little Sparrow Video on Vimeo.

If I had the chance to redo my wedding I would have included a videographer. There's something magical about having an heirloom like this to pass down in your family. How amazing would it be to see your grandparents' wedding? I would cherish it!

There are tons of videographers (and wedding photographers for that matter) out there these days, thank you to the digital age. This is a blessing and a curse as you have a plethora of choices... who to pick? The video above was created by my incredibly talented friend Drummond West of Little Sparrow Productions. I met him while performing my art installation at this fantastic show in Denver. He was "documenting" the show but doing far more than that. He has an amazing eye, the eye of an artist. He sees the world in such a beautiful way, captures and creates compelling moments and is wonderful to work with. If I had the chance to do my wedding over, I would have hired Little Sparrow Productions for sure. Perhaps when my husband and I renew our vows for our 10th anniversary?

Zaelynd Keepsake Trailer from Little Sparrow Video on Vimeo.

Check out this sweet keepsake video he made. I am in love with it. I  asked Drummond to create a keepsake of our family for Finn's 1st  birthday, I'm looking forward to seeing our Gray world through his eyes  and having an heirloom to pass down to Finn and his children one day. 

Love and Light,

Heather

engaged: Christine & Aj

Love, sweet love. Christine and Aj. My sister and our amazing friend. These two light up the world with their laughter and love. You can't help but be happy around them. They both have such generous hearts and together they are unstoppable. You know when you see two people together at it just makes perfect sense, that's Christine and Aj. Like peanut butter and jelly, toast and jam. Her hand in his and his heart in hers. They are puzzle pieces. Thank you for an amazing afternoon of fun, love and smiles.

Love and Light,

Heather

family vacations

My dear sister, amazing friend, handsome hubby, sweet baby and I went on a little vacation together to Ojai to celebrate our friendship, engagement and newest edition to the group sweet little Finnian, it was amazing. We rented this beautiful home called the Agave House that I found on airbnb. It was beautiful place to stay and often felt like living in a modern tree house. There were windows and mirrors everywhere letting the beauty and light of Ojai dance about the space.

The best part about our little vacations is cooking delicious meals together. We have a tradition of "fancy pizza nights" with new recipes and secret ingredients, it is a lot of fun. For breakfast I made my favorite eggs benedict, although I overcooked the english muffins a bit... which sometimes happens while socializing and cooking at the same time. :) We really enjoyed cooking in the Agave House's lovely kitchen especially with the sweet vintage stove.

Another part I love about vacations is bringing along my trusted friend, my camera. We love to adventure around and play. We took a little break for more "work related" things like engagement photos... which don't really feel like work, more like play. Yes, definitely more like play.

This is just a little sneak peek of the lovely moments they shared with me and my camera. Stay tuned for their "official" post. It fills my heart with so much joy to see my sister so happy. Their love gives me goosebumps.

My least favorite part of vacations is when we have to say good bye and go back to our homes in different states. I always dream that we will one day live next door to each other. It is a beautiful dream.

Until our next family vacation. Is it too early to start planning?

Love and Light,

Heather