Have you ever been to a wedding of two really unique & creative people wondering if it will be as equally unique & creative as they are?  Well, I just did!  Mark & Lindsey are two just really neat-o kids & their wedding was just as awesome as they are!  When the three of us met to talk about what kinds of things they wanted from me for their wedding photos, Lindsey had a ton of really great ideas.  She asked me if I was bothered by that, and I said, “No way!”  I L-O-V-E it when brides & grooms, couples, parents, whomever has an idea of what they like.  It helps me to get to know their personality a little better & in turn, to give them some memories & photos they will hopefully cherish.

Lindsey & Mark had their wedding & reception at the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore.  What a great venue!  Who needs to decorate when you have a hot air balloon, giant pink poodles, a car covered in blue soda bottles, and tons of other things all around you?!?!?!  There was so much to entertain your imagination it was unreal!

Beverly & I totally loved your wedding day, Mark & Lindsey!  Thanks for inviting us & enjoy your preview…

I have been checking the Weather.com app on my iPhone all week hoping and praying it wouldn’t rain this past Sunday.  The weather here in Maryland has been crazy unpredictable these past few weeks, and it was changing daily on my weather app.  Luckily, or by the grace of God, I was blessed with a mild, rain-free Sunday evening in Fells Point for Mark & Lindsey’s engagement photos.

I believe I met Mark when my family first moved to Maryland from Oklahoma and we began attending the same church as his family.  I’m reaching waaaaaay back in my memory here, but I believe I would have been about 8 years old then.  And I met Lindsey not too long after in the fourth grade at Belvedere Elementary School.  I remember that year well because I misspelled “chimney” in the class spelling bee and didn’t make it as far as I’d hoped.  Don’t worry though, I wasn’t crushed too badly.

Well, my point is, I’ve known Mark & Lindsey seperately for a number of years, but I always find it so neat when two people I know, who I didn’t know knew each other, find each other, fall in love, and begin a life together.  Isn’t it a small world?  They were such a great couple to photograph.  All I had to do was tell them tons of cheezy jokes and stories, and they just laughed it up!  Plus I think they were a little nervous being in Fells Point on a Sunday with tons of people watching them cuddle, kiss, and do engaged-people stuff.  But everything went great.

And what I loved was that Lindsey did some research on some ideas she had before we went out.  She’d found Max Wanger‘s site and loved the session he did of a couple with a huge balloon.  So, we tried some things with balloons and some without.  All the while, I felt like we could have been the pied piper and gotten little children everywhere to follow us with those balloons!  They were coming out of nowhere saying, “ball-oon, ball-oon!”

I had a smashing good time (like my new word) with you both, Mark & Lindsey, and can’t wait for your wedding this October.  I know it will rock!

My husband thinks this one would look appropriate with a pitch fork

Do you know what we spelled?

And I think this one has to be my absolute favorite!  Look at the way he looks at her.

Here’s a tease from Mark & Lindsey’s engagement.  I also wanted to share with you and ask you what you think of this “effect” I put on their photo?  I’m trying a retro/vintage look….kind of like old Polaroids.  It’s fun to experiment.  Let me know your opinions, and any ideas as well.  I’d love to hear them!

*make sure you click on the photo for a larger view

The left is the one with the “retro” effect, the right is the original.

I’m tired, my jeans are wet up to my behind, I have sand in my socks…but I had a blast with Mark & Jill today.  They worked me so hard!

Mark & Jill are getting married in August in their home state, but wanted some engagement photos of where they live & play now.  So we headed to trusty ol’ Downtown Annapolis.  It’s the first super deliciously warm weekend in a bit, so everyone and their dog was out too.  After we found parking spots – which is a big deal in Annapolis – we headed down some side streets for more privacy and pizzazz.  If you’ve every been down these streets you’ll know what I mean.  The houses are literally dozens of different bright and glorious colors. Not to mention the city has so much character.  Then we headed over to Jonas Green Park and got some sweet shots in the evening sun.

Enjoy your preview Mark & Jill!  I can’t wait to finish the rest…

(Disclaimer:  These photos were taken with my iPhone because I didn’t want to lug my nice 40D out in possibly torrential downpours)

Yesterday we continued our tradition of attending the Baltimore Orioles‘ Opening Day.  We went with our friends Steve & Heather and each of us were excite because our lovely mothers had our children for most of the day!  We were also excited because the O’s played the Yankees and it’s apparently a big rivalry.  Not that the Orioles skill level matches the Yankees, just that the Yankees fans live so close that they always come down and crowd our stadium.  Well, we showed them yesterday just who’s house they were in…OUR HOUSE!  The Orioles won 10 to 5…amazing!  We had a great time with Heather & Steve.  Here’s a little about what happened….

On our way in, dodging many bar-goers, we were stopped at a light and this huge Gecko kept looking at Heather through her window.  So we amused him/her and took it’s picture.

We ferociously booed the Yankees‘ Mark Teixeira.  I mean that poor guy got booed from the time he left the dugout until he finished striking out at bat!  Josh informed that he had apparently teased the Orioles by saying he may play for his hometown team and then went to the Yankees instead for more money.  What now, Teixeira!

Every year we comment on how we love Opening Day, but we hate how many crazy drunks we run in to.  Steve had the wonderful opportunity to sit next to “Mark.”  We saw him with a few drinks, but didn’t realize why he was so wasted until he told Steve that his “coke” wasn’t really Coca-Cola…it was another mixture!  Thankfully he was seated next to Steve who helped him not set a Yankees hat on fire…twice! We didn’t take a photo of him, but you can barely see the side of him in this photo of Heather & Steve.

Then there was the ever-so-loud, slightly drunk, woman next to me who kept shouting, “Give me my money back, O’s!  Do something.  Show me why I spent my money!”  Hopefully she feels her money was well spent!  Here’s a view of Josh hiding under his hood, and Heather, being silly behind him.

And last, but not least, a photo of Josh and ME! I know…those are rare!  I begged Josh for one so we’d have evidence that we actually were there.  Now, I know, it does look like I’m choking my husband, but that’s not at all what happened.  He kept shaking his head around so Steve wouldn’t be able to take a picture, so I had to hold his head still.  End of story.

Great win, Orioles!  Let’s see what you do today!