As some of you may know, my dad got re-married this weekend to a wonderful woman named Sharon.  My mother is still alive and well, but my parents are divorced.  So, not only do I have a wonderfully fabulous mother, and a great mother-in-law, but now I have a dear step-mother too.  And along with that I have acquired two new siblings (as if my original ones weren’t enough to handle!!  j/k Matt & Maggie!) – Becca & Drew.  While I only got two new siblings, they got three new siblings, a step-dad, one nephew, and five nieces!  Good luck with that you two!

When Dad told me he was getting married, I quickly checked my calendar to make sure I wasn’t already shooting a wedding.  And once that was set, he asked if I could be in the wedding AND photograph it.  Um, no Dad.  That’s kind of impossible since I don’t do fancy dresses & my weird photography poses all at once.  I told him I didn’t mind either way – I would be happy to either wear a dress or wear my camera.  It worked out numbers-wise for me to photograph the wedding & save them some dough so they could take their 2 week Alaskan cruise.  (You didn’t think I’d charge my own father did you?)

Here are some of my favorite photos of the day.  And, this day was all made possible by the following vendors and wonderful people:

Hair: Beverly Miller at Headrush Hair Designs, LLC in Lancaster PA

Make up: Beth Kubinec of Mary Kay

Pastor David Allen of Calvary Church in Lancaster, PA

Jessie & Katie – the wonderful college girls who babysat all the Smith/Sroka grandchildren and got them up and down the aisle

My husband, Josh, who made the wedding reception slideshow & music possible with his laptop & iPad

And all Dad & Sharon’s kids who stood up with them on their special day.

Now on to the photos!

You’ve kind of already seen today’s 365 post if you’ve read the blog post just prior to this one.  It was about my dad’s engagement photo shoot I did this morning with his fiance, Sharon.  They asked me if I’d be able to get a photo for their Save The Date card done before I left for Ethiopia (on FRIDAY!!!!) and I said sure! We walked in the somewhat blustery sunshine of Downtown Annapolis to grab some stellar shots.

Now, my dad seems to think he might need to “improve his looks” a little bit, but I know better.  And not just because he’s my dad.  I have realized over my time of shooting couples either on their engagements, or weddings, or just because, that they always look wonderful.  Wanna know my secret?  It’s L-O-V-E!  It’s that simple, and I guess it’s not really MY secret.  So, if you want to look great in your photos, if you want to look phenomenal, have them done with someone you LOVE!  It works every single time…no lie!  I always tell my clients that I don’t photograph ugly people – it’s a rule.  And I follow it strictly.  I strive to make every person look & feel as wonderful as I see them from behind my lens.  And I happen to think it works.  It’s all about being with someone you love.  So, pick someone – your spouse, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your kids, your dog, your grandmother – whomever.  I guarantee you’ll look awesome if you’re with someone you love.  Look at my dad!

Well, it’s official people.  My dad is engaged!  You heard that right, MY DAD IS ENGAGED!  Aren’t you as excited as I am?  After about a year of dating Sharon, driving back and forth to Pennsylvania, they’ve decided to declare their love for one another & get hitched!  They’ll be getting married this May.  So you’ll be seeing me in a dress at some point, but not now!

I took Dad & Sharon to one of my favorite shooting places – downtown Annapolis.  It’s pretty much one of the only places that you can walk freely without being engulfed in the large snow banks that are still covering our state!  And it’s so colorful & so rich in character.  I just love it!  Here are the rest of my favorites….

My dad and sister, Maggie, came over to snap some more pictures of Maggie’s 4-month-old daughter, Leah.  It was probably the worst time of day as far as lighting goes, but it was definitely one of Leah’s best times.  She kept cooing and giggling and make some cutesy expressions as my dad tickled her belly.  Here are some of her little baby faces.  (Oh, and for those relatives of Leah’s who are out of town, you can click here to see all of the photos of her from in the belly to now.  This is where I’ll keep adding her pictures.)

Dad

A few weeks ago my dad bought a new (to him) Harley Sportster Motorcycle. According to my mom, he hasn’t owned or ridden a motorcycle since they were much younger, so seeing him on a motorcycle now is kind of odd. He loves taking it everywhere, especially in this wonderful cooler weather. Owning and riding a motorcycle seem to be part of almost every man’s fantasy – my husband included. Congrats on getting your license, Dad. Now you can drive legally!