The Knights - Married | Chesapeake Wedding Photographer

My little sister is a married woman. Let me repeat that. My LITTLE sister is MARRIED! My sister Bree married the love of her life on February 1st, 2021. Keith has been a part of her and Aliyah’s lives since what feels forever. Keith and Bree first met in 2015 while in Ocean City, Maryland for H2Oi, a car rally where thousands of car enthusiasts from across the country gather during the last weekend of September.

Fast forward to 2021, Bree and Keith were married in our parents home, in front of a handful of family and friends (thanks COVID), and live streamed on Facebook for family and friends that were unable to make it.

We all ventured to Sushi King in Downtown Norfolk for their reception.

Valentine's Day 2017 | Hampton Roads Portrait Photographer

Now that the new year has started, we all know what will rapidly make its approach.... Valentines Day! Been wanting to get some updated photos of you and your honey? Contact me! Or, if you want to wait for another time to book your session, you can also purchase a gift certificate that will allow you to schedule your session anytime in 2017.  We are offering TWO options: a mini session as shown below at $149 plus tax, or a full session for $299 plus tax. 

Contact me today if you should have any questions or are ready to book your session!

Valentines Day sessions

Two Thousand Sixteen | Hampton Roads Photographer

2016 was definitely an eventful year for me, even though I only had a handful of sessions and weddings to capture.  In February, we moved from our Virginia Beach apartment to a house in Norfolk near NOB; in March, my husband left for training and his overseas deployment with the Air National Guard; in April, I gave birth to our son, Joseph Colin 24 hours after being induced due to him being over a week past his due date; in May, I shot Brian and Kristi's Yacht Club at Marina Shores wedding; in June, I shot Alexis and Corey's Woman's Club of Portsmouth wedding and Eddie and Catherine's Mount Ida Farm wedding in Charlottesville; in July, I shot a fly-in homecoming for my friends, the Scott family; in August, I shot a special first birthday for Ms. Bella and a special baptismal for the Woodwards; in September, I second shot two weddings, the first one with Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography for her wedding in Fort Lee, Virginia, and the other with Leslie of La Bella Bonita Photography for her Water Table wedding; in October, I second shot another wedding with Nicole Jean Photography, on the day Hurricane Matthew decided to visit the Hampton Roads area, and DADDY CAME HOME from his deployment; in November, I spent some time with some friends shooting their fall mini sessions, Katie and her family, and Liza and her family, and baby's first Thanksgiving, which to say that least, he thoroughly enjoyed...

which brings us to December.  Baby's first Christmas. Having my husband home and spending time with my family as a whole again. So much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to in the new year, especially since little man will be ONE in April (insert sad emoji here)!

Thank you to all my clients that made 2016 a fun and memorable one! I look forward to 2017 and what it will bring to me and my family, as well as my clients!

Happy New Year!

Lexi & Justin | Suffolk Planter's Club & Hurricane Matthew | Adventures in Second Shooting

Hurricane Matthew.  I am sure we all remember when Hurricane Matthew made his presence known in the Hampton Roads area a couple months ago.  And I am pretty sure that Lexi & Justin will remember it forever.  Hurricane Matthew was already making a mess of things, and while they were getting ready, the storm was already starting to rage.  As we all traveled from the hotel to the Suffolk Planter's Club, the rain was coming down pretty bad and the roads were already flooded in many spots.  There were a few leaky spots in the roof, and the lights were flickering.   

Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Lexi & Justin made the best of their special day!  

Thank you to my gal Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography for allowing me to be your second shooter! Even though I was stranded at my parents house in Greenbrier (Joseph was staying with Nana and Papa while mommy worked), and my car almost crapped out on me, it was still a beautiful and memorable wedding!! 

Catrinna & Glen - The Water Table | Adventures in Second Shooting

Catrinna and Glen were married at the Village Church in Virginia Beach off of Indian River Road, and celebrated with their closest friends and families at The Water Table down by the Oceanfront.  Thank you to Leslie of La Bella Bonita Photography for allowing me to second shoot with you! 

Here are a few of my favorite captures of Catrinna and Glen's special day:

Catherine & Eddie - Married | Charlottesville Wedding Photographer

Catherine and Eddie are recent graduates of William & Mary.  I first met Catherine and Eddie at their wedding consult at a Starbucks near the Peninsula Town Center.  After a few minutes of talking, we hit it off and by the time we all left, it felt like I was talking to old time friends!  

Their wedding day came, and I swear it felt like it was just the other day we were talking details about the wedding.  My partner in crime that day was Nicole of Nicole Jean Photography, and we drove up to Charlottesville that morning.  The drive alone was amazing, as I am always in awe of the mountains.  As crazy as it sounds, this beach bum would take the mountains over the beach any day!  It was rather hot that day, however, everyone remained as cool as they could and had the time of their lives!

Thank you Catherine and Eddie for allowing me and my right hand gal, Nicole for being there to capture your special day!  

Alexis & Corey - Married | Portsmouth Wedding Photographer

Alexis is a recent graduate of Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) and Corey is in the Army, currently stationed in Hawaii.  To say that I was jealous that he was stationed in my home state, is an understatement! When Alexis first contacted me, we chatted back and forth due the distance between us and it was just easier to keep in contact.  Our first face to face meeting was just a few weeks before the wedding to discuss the finalized plans and met Corey for the first time on the day OF the wedding!  Alexis and Corey is such a cute and wonderful couple, and their wedding party definitely was a blast to spend the entire day with! 

They were married and celebrated at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth, which happens to be one of my favorite venues to shoot at.  Thank you Alexis and Corey for allowing me to be there to capture your special day!

Ms. Holland & Mr. Smith Get Married | Virginia Beach Wedding Photographer

Kristi & Brian are both teachers for the Virginia Beach Public Schools. They were married and celebrated with their families, closest friends and colleagues at the Yacht Club at Marina Shores.  The weather was a little wonky that day, as it went from raining to humid to clear in a matter of hours.  Thankfully, the ceremony was under a covered deck and the reception inside! It was such a beautiful wedding! And needless to say, when you get a bunch of teachers together and away from their students, they definitely get crazy and have fun! 

Do I dare mention there was an EPIC dance-off to Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe"??

Thank you to Kristi, Brian and Braelyn for allowing me and my sidekick Amber to capture your special day!

Gabrielle & Ian - Married at Woman's Club of Portsmouth | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographer

She is a Retail Merchandising Marketer for Hurley, and he is a Law Enforcement Officer for the City of Norfolk.  The were married at Saint Pauls Catholic Church and celebrated with their family and closest friends at the Woman's Club of Portsmouth.  It was definitely a beautiful day!!!

Thank you, Gabrielle and Ian for allowing me to capture your special day!! It was definitely a blast! 

Katie & Jay - Married at Smith Mountain Lake | Central Virginia Wedding Photographer

In the words of Taylor Swift, today was a fairytale.  And I have to say, Katie and Jay's wedding day was definitely a fairytale.  Katie looked stunning in her dress, and Jay looked dapper in his tux.  However, Mother Nature tried to have her way that day.  Days prior to everyone arriving to Bernard's Landing Resort, we all received an email from Katie that the entire wedding day was being shifted due to the pending storms set to roll in later the day of the wedding.  

The next day went off without a hitch.  The girls gathered in the Matron of Honor's suite for hair, makeup and mimosas, and the guys gathered in the Best Man's suite for some grooming, shots and laughs. We nearly got away from the rain and the crazy storms, but it eventually rolled in. But did it stop everyone from partying? Heck no! Most of the guests that were staying on the property went back to their condos, changed into comfy clothes and continued to party through the rest of the night!

Katie & Jay, thank you so much for allowing me to photograph your special day.  And thank you to Jamey of Jamey Brown Photography for second shooting with me! You definitely kept the guys in check for me and Katie!

Venue: Bernard's Landing Resort at Smith Mountain Lake
Hair: Crystal Whilden
Makeup: Erin Fortuna
Dress: Maya Couture
Florals, Designer & Coordinator: Matthew Thomsen
Catering: Tiffany Silva & The Landing Restaurant
Band: Project 4 Band

Kristi & Brian - Engaged | Virginia Beach Engagement Photographer

Kristi and Brian are getting married next May and I can't wait for their wedding!  We met up at Red Wing Park for their engagement session.  They brought along their daughter Braelyn, who had her own sign for the session! Even though it was later in the afternoon, it was humid and we all were sweating like we were in a sauna.  But Kristi, Brian, and Braelyn pushed through it and we got some awesome shots!! 

Kristi & Brian are Boston Red Sox fans, so we definitely had to get some photos of them donning their best Red Sox apparel. Braelyn of course looked adorable  in her cute tulle skirt. Anyone know where I can get one in my size?! 

Here are a few of my favorite shots from their session! Can't wait for the wedding next year!!

Adventures in Second Shooting: Michelle and Ronnie | Hampton Roads Wedding Photographer

In May, I had the opportunity to second shoot for Sarah of Sarah Ashley Photography.  It was my first time shooting with her, and had so much fun! The wedding was held at Grand Affairs in Virginia Beach in a very intimate setting.  Michelle and Ronnie had all of their closest friends and family there to celebrate with them, and as usual, Grand Affairs created a beautiful backdrop for such a sweet and awesome couple! 

Here are some of my favorites from the day. Thank you Sarah for allowing me to second shoot with you!

Beach Surprise Proposal - Ian & Kelsey | Virginia Beach Photographer

Last month, my gal pal Leslie of La Bella Bonita Photography asked me to photograph a surprise proposal on the beach one evening.  She had me at surprise proposal, so I had to say yes! We arrived at the location while Ian, the proposer and his girlfriend Kelsey (now fiance!) ate dinner.  We patiently waited for them at the location, and were entertained by the kite surfers, doggy running and catching the ball, as well as another photographer and his client taking senior photos.  We got the word that they just parked and of course we tried to make sure we didn't look too awkward sitting on the beach with cameras in our hands.  We had no where to hide and sneak, so while Leslie acted as if she were taking photos down the coast line, I sat in the sand acting as if I were taking photos of the crashing waves.

Ian and Kelsey walked to the water's edge hand in hand, and we knew it was go time.  All I have to say is that Ian pulled it off! Kelsey had NO idea!!!  Congrats again to Ian and Kelsey on your engagement and thank you to Leslie for allowing me to photograph this with you!

Here are a few of my favorites:

Adventures in Second Shooting: Kelly & Mikey | Virginia Beach Wedding Photographer

Amber's first wedding of the season, and my second. We're back at it again!!!  I ALWAYS love second shooting with Amber. We ALWAYS have fun together no matter what.  And let me just say, that Kelly and Mikey's wedding was awesome! They were married in the chapel at Grand Affairs, and their reception was right across the way.  After the ceremony, we hurried to the beach down the road from Grand Affairs to get the wedding party formals.  Needless to say, it was windy as heck, but they were able to pull it off in the short amount of time we had before the reception started. 

Throughout the night, there were tears, laughter, and a lot of dancing.  Of course, I got into the action with the bride and groom and their guests, and left with a sore throat and achy feet.  Thank you Amber for allowing me to tag along on another awesome wedding, and congrats again to Kelly and Mikey!!  Here are a few of my fave shots:


Heather & Samuel - Married | Virginia Beach Wedding Photographer

You may recognize these two lovebirds.  I did their engagement photos the weekend prior to their wedding at First Landing State Park.  I have to say that their wedding day was beautiful! They were married on the lawn of the Best Western Plus Oceanfront Hotel, and of course, because it was in front of the Oceanfront boardwalk, they had additional guests.  But regardless, they were married in front of their family and friends.  They were famous a few times when a few beach goers wanted to take selfies with them, as well as some guys wanted to take a selfie with the ladies as we did their version of the Bridesmaid pose.  Such a fun night!!!

Congrats again Heather and Sam and thank you for allowing me to photograph your special day!

Oh How Time Flies By.... | Personal

Tomorrow, I will be celebrating three years with my love, Jake.  Oddly enough, it's also his birthday (He can NEVER say he forgot what day our anniversary is on!).  I met Jake during a rough patch in my life (those that know me personally will know what rough patch I'm talking about...) and meeting him was at the most perfect time.  He has been my sounding board when I needed to vent, my shoulder when I needed one to cry on, and my cheerleader when I needed support.  Like any other normal couple, we have had our ups and downs, but have always stuck by each other no matter what.  We may not be the perfect couple, but we are perfect for each other.

I love you Jake and always will. No matter what.

Love, 

Your future wife


Heather & Sam | Virginia Beach Engagement Photographer

I met Heather and Sam through my sister, Breanna.  Bree was over at my house hanging out when she heard the news that Heather and Sam were engaged.  She chit chatted with Heather and next thing I knew we were discussing about the date.  Heather and I discussed different location ideas for their engagement photos, and I suggested the 64th Street entrance for First Landing State Park.  The last time I was there, I did the engagement photos for my June bride and groom, Katie and Jay.  I shared with her the link to that session and she loved it! 

It was a BEAUTIFUL day, not too hot, not too cold.  But BOY was it windy as heck!  I was at shock when I first got there because the water was so low that I could just walk over to the rocks, unlike the last two sessions I had there.  We had to walk around and wade through jellyfish infested waters to get to the rocks.  I KNEW it was a good sign! All I can say is that Heather and Sam made it so easy for me.  I swear, they knew what they were doing. :P 

Tomorrow, I have the honor of capturing their I Dos and can't wait! 

Baby, It's Just You & Me | Smithfield Couples Photographer

You may recognize Grace and Matt.  They have been long time clients and friends of mine for years.  As most may know, Grace and I are connected through our Hawaii roots, as well as Matt and my fiance both being stationed on the USS Harry S Truman together.  Recently, Matt returned from Army boot camp, and Grace wanted to get some photos of just the two of them.  The rest of the family would be done later.  Since Grace has had some sessions done at Windsor Castle Park, Matt was interested in having their session there. And of course, you know I love shooting there! It's SO worth the drive from Virginia Beach! 

We met up literally within 20 minutes of the sun setting, towards the end of the elusive golden hour.  And I ABSOLUTELY LOVE golden hour.... I mean, LOOK. AT. THAT!!!

Matt and Grace field
Abandoned house, Grace and Matt fenceline
barn love Grace and Matt
Standing next to me Grace and Matt
In the middle of the road
Kiss me and smile


Love is in the Air.... | Hampton Roads Photographer

Now that the holidays have come and gone, onto my favorite day.... Valentine's Day!!  All I can say is I LOVE love! I love seeing couples in love.  The look that they give each other, as if no one else was around...  

I am offering Valentine's Day mini sessions and scheduling throughout the month of January until the first weekend of February! (Wanna make sure your images of you and your boo are ready before Valentines Day!) You know you want some updated photos of you guys, so let's chat and get your session scheduled today!

vday mini sessions