Kristen Wynn Photography

Come Visit Me on My New Website and Blog! :)

2012-01-28T23:54:00.000-08:00

I first started my little business in December 2009/January 2010, and I started with this simple free blog. This business has grown far beyond what I hoped for when I first started out, and so I'm transitioning to a brand new website and blog!

I've brought all my posts over there, but this blog will live on here too.

Come and join me at the new Kristen Wynn Photography website and blog!

You can always contact me at kristen@kristenwynnphotography.com as well!

I thank you for all your continued support!

Rachael and Mark-Married!-Slideshow

2012-01-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

Please enjoy some additional images from Rachael and Mark's Orlando wedding with the ceremony at Highland Manor and the reception at Winter Park Farmer's Market. As always, music used with permission and Auld Lang Syne is one of my absolute favorite songs. :)

Rachael and Mark-Married!-New Year's Eve

2012-01-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

This was my second groom in one weekend named Mark! I first met Rachael and Mark in person in Winter Park around Thanksgiving to begin planning their timeline for their big day. They were such a sweet couple and picked New Year's Eve for their wedding because it was available and they would be back in Orlando for the holidays at that time of year!

I don't usually blog a lot of details (I photograph details for over an hour total on the wedding day, but I usually only show a few favorites here!), but in Rachael and Mark's case, there were a lot of really neat elements I want to share!

A garter as an ode to the alma mater...

The theme was vintage travel and was carried out in a lot of little details. Rachael and Mark both attended high school in Orlando and now make their home in Illinois, where Mark is in medical school and Rachael works in publishing.

The preparations were done at the Sheraton Orlando North in Maitland. Hair and makeup styling was done by Absolutely Gorgeous Brides.

Rachael's something old was a relative's vintage watch.

And there were mustaches on a stick for everyone in the bridal party, which matched the detail on the invitations.

The bridesmaids' bouquets were made entirely of baby's breath.

After the preparation, we headed to Highland Manor, which is now under the management of Dubsdread Catering. This property has vintage charm and a ton of great spots for the bride's prep, groom's prep, portraits, ceremony, and after ceremony formals. Rachael and Mark took advantage of the best possible light and had their ceremony with about one and a half hours before sunset. They also did a first look. Emily from Dubsdread was the coordinator and did a wonderful job accommodating everything!

One of the ways they carried out their theme was with custom tie tacks for each groomsman's personality, and one featured a map piece with Orlando on it.

Mark is a medical student, and I noticed just by coincidence that in the room where he and the groomsmen were getting ready had antique medical textbooks in it on the mantel.

The first look had some great hazy light.

The whole bridal party posed outside Highland Manor with their mustaches on a stick.

Then we did the intimate portraits around the grounds of the venue.

The reception seating cards were vintage train tickets, and a steamer trunk held all kinds of New Year's Eve noisemakers and goodies. And don't forget the biggest part of the theme-the reception venue was the Winter Park Farmer's Market, the former train station, and trains rode by all night just a stone's throw from the partygoers. Meister Productions provided the entertainment.

After the clock struck midnight and 2012 arrived, the newlyweds headed out on a honeymoon cruise before they traveled back to Illinois as a brand new Mr. and Mrs. Rachael and Mark, thank you for a great end to 2011 and the start of a fabulous 2012-you are amazing!

Michele + Mark-Married!-Slideshow

2012-01-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Please enjoy these additional images from Michele and Mark's big day, one of my last 2011 weddings!

I Do's-Michele and Mark-Married!

2012-01-14T15:12:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again-it's a very small world.

Michele actually grew up just five or so miles away from where I grew up in the Pittsburgh suburbs. After relocating to Florida and meeting Mark, she decided to plan her wedding in her new home, the Miami area. Her family and bridesmaids traveled down from Pittsburgh for the big occasion right before New Year's Eve.

Michele is an engineer and was a very laid-back bride. I just loved working with her and Mark, and I hope they didn't mind too much that I lost my voice due to sickness in the middle of the day!

Mark made everyone laugh when he shared with us that he purchased two wedding bands-a good one and a spare, just in case. But he definitely got a good value--I think he said each band only cost a few dollars!

The preparations began in a beautiful balcony suite at the Westin Colonnade in Coral Gables. The hotel was beautifully appointed. Claudia with Art of Hair by Claudia was Michele's hairdresser. As a photographer, I sometimes find that "down-do's" for hair don't stay in all day or can get a little messy in the winter wind--but not Claudia's styles! Michele's hair looked absolutely picture perfect all night.

After capturing the bridal portraits around the hotel, I headed over to the church in Coconut Grove for the groom's portraits.

We were blessed to have perfect weather and no traffic issues, which is rare for South Florida! The ceremony was held at Plymouth Congregational Church, which had an old-fashioned charm and the grounds are very lush.

All of the bridal party and bride and groom intimate portraits were taken on the grounds of the church, and then the couple climbed into the limo for a short ride to the reception.

Michele and Mark definitely had a bit of an old-fashioned classic look to their wedding with the venues that they selected. Michele complimented the look of the church with the selection of the reception site-Comber Hall. Her cocktail hour was held on the lower level and outside, with the reception space preserved for great photos!

One big plus to having a holiday-time wedding is that many ceremony and reception sites need little decoration. At Plymouth Congregational Church, the altar was already covered with poinsettias, and at Comber Hall, the large lit Christmas tree made a great background for images in the reception space. Mark and Michele even incorporated the holidays with their boxed favor ornaments.

After a night of dancing, the newlyweds ran out to their car in a shower of sparklers! I hope you two enjoyed every single moment of your wedding day-I loved working with you, Michele and Mark!

Amy and William-Engaged!

2012-01-10T16:53:00.000-08:00

On the day after Christmas, I met up with Amy and William for their engagement session in Oakland. Amy is a referral from one of my previous brides, Kristina. When they were younger, Amy and Kristina did dance together, and Amy is having a late fall/early winter wedding the way Kristina did!

I knew I would love working with Amy right away! She managed to get Heinz Chapel for her ceremony, which is really difficult and an accomplishment in and of itself. When she contacted me, I think it was a matter of only days before I had her down in my books as booked-we just clicked really well.

Amy sent me a photo of her and Will taken over Thanksgiving, and it was in black and white-she really likes the classic clean look of black and white imagery, so we made sure to focus on that during the session.

Although it was a little cold (and I think we were getting over colds too!), Amy and Will came dressed up. I love when a woman wears heels and a dress to her session-it gives a great timeless feel to the images and really elongates the legs too!

Will, an engineer, proposed to Amy with a very unique rose gold ring. Rose gold isn't something I get to see every day as a wedding photographer, but I love the warmth of it. Will also dressed up in a suit for the session, and it really went well with the classic locations we had selected-the CMU columns and the Pitt Campus.

You two are an awesome couple and I can't wait to work with you this year--I know this wedding is going to be amazing! Thanks so much for giving me the honor of working with you two!

Business Headshots

2012-01-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

It's January, and a lot of businesses (including my own small business) are working to freshen up their websites. While I primarily photograph weddings and engagement sessions, I do from time to time get requests for other styles of photography. I love branching out and keeping things interesting.

Arbor Industrial in Greensburg, Pennsylvania specializes in tools and manufacturing supplies. They are getting on board with social networking through the use of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and blogs, and they wanted a more unified look for their employee headshots. I aimed for a natural yet polished look to show off everyone's genuine smiles.

If you are a business in need of lifestyle or naturalistic headshots, feel free to contact Kristen Wynn Photography. Doing this session reminds me, I need to update my own headshot for the new Kristen Wynn Photography website I'm working on! :)

Featured on: Moment Junkie

2012-01-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

I don't do a lot of submitting to blogs or magazines because I've had a very busy wedding schedule this past year. But I just LOVE the website MomentJunkie, which features true, unscripted moments from weddings around the world as opposed to focusing on the details like many other blogs.

I'm a huge fan of the founders of Moment Junkie as well, who are all fellow photographers. I was just so, so happy to have one of my couple's images featured on their blog on December 30th, 2011. Kristen and Adam's cake smash is featured here:

The Big Smash

Kristy and Adam (and Adam's brother!), thanks so much again for allowing me to have this opportunity by having such a fun, fabulous cake cut. A little smash is just playful and good fun!

Elizabeth and Ryan-Mini Album Slideshow

2011-12-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth and Ryan were my October wild weather wedding. For Christmas this year, they chose to do Mini 4x4" albums as gifts. They have a daughter and she means the world to them, so we definitely wanted to feature her throughout the book!

Danielle and Dustin-Parent Album Slideshow

2011-12-27T10:03:00.001-08:00

Danielle and Dustin wanted to do the Mini Kiss 4x4" albums this year. I waited to blog these book layouts until the Christmas gift-giving was complete!

When I work with my couples on albums, we can do the design one of three ways-it's your choice! You can pick every single image for the album, I can pick every image for the album for you, or you can pick your absolute favorites and then have me use my artistic eye to select the remaining images to tell the story of your day.

With Danielle, she and Dustin selected their favorites, and then I completed the design by selecting complimentary images to make a complete book. As always, you have a chance to approve your design and make changes before it goes to print. This is an easy way to design an album, especially if you have so many photos, you don't even know where to start in selecting and designing the book!

Jennifer and Philip-Married-Slideshow!

2011-12-19T15:42:00.000-08:00

Please enjoy Jennifer and Philip's wedding at Hillcrest Country Club in Hollywood, Florida this holiday season. As always, music is used with permission. I went with a holiday tune this time around in honor of Christmas, which is right around the corner!

I Do's-Jennifer and Philip-Married!

2011-12-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

Last month, Jennifer, Philip, and I met up for their engagement session, and just a few short weeks later, it was their wedding day!

The venue was the Hillcrest Country Club and it was decorated beautifully for the holidays.

Jennifer had her makeup done at the venue as I photographed some of her details. After seeing Kim Kardashian's wedding, Jennifer decided to get a similar bracelet for her big day, featuring her and Philip's initials.

After capturing Jennifer's details, we headed over to the Hard Rock Hotel where the groom and the groomsmen were getting ready for the ceremony.

Then we headed back to the club to capture the ladies' formals. Jennifer's sister and matron-of-honor is expecting, and they requested a sweet shot to capture this exciting moment in both of their lives!

This was an early December wedding taking place at sunset, so first looks are required if the sun is setting less than forty-five minutes after the end of your ceremony. Jennifer and Philip planned to do one anyway, just to make sure they could go in, enjoy the cocktail hour, and spend time with friends and family.

After the first look, couple's portraits, bridal party, and family images, Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief and said "We never could have gotten that all done during cocktail hour!" We had to dodge quite a few golf carts and golfers in order to use the spot with the best light, but it was worth it.

The first look proved to be an excellent choice for them. I saw Jennifer from across the room with a drink in her hand laughing as I photographed the reception space and all the details before the guests entered and the little handcrafted items were disturbed. Jennifer and Philip were able to go and refresh and relax, not having to worry about all the family combinations-all of our posed photos were already done!

At the reception, Jennifer and Philip performed a choreographed first dance, followed by a slideshow of photographs. The best man and maid of honor toasted the couple, and then they danced into the evening!

I hope you two had a fabulous time on your honeymoon and enjoy your first holidays as a married couple! Thank you SO much for bringing me on board for your wedding-it was truly a beautiful day.

To All My Previous Brides and Grooms-Your New Year's Resolution

2011-12-10T14:45:00.001-08:00

You know how special you all are to me. You are my first wedding couples.

Whether you are my first ever couple from December 2009 (Hi, Angel and Amanda!) to my most recently shot wedding, Jennifer and Philip, last weekend, I still think about all of you. As I prepare to roll out a new website, I've been looking through each and every one of your images again.

I know quite a few of you have a new baby, and even more of you have written me that you've purchased a home, added a pet to the family, moved a long distance, started a new job, went back to school, or delved further into your career, your passions, or your interests. Life gets busy!

Before I got married, I had every intention of crafting my own wedding album. I was excited to sit down and look at the images and create an heirloom. But between moving a thousand miles, spending time together as a new family, job searching, taking a long honeymoon, volunteering, traveling to visit friends and family, and launching a new business, time got away from me. I kept thinking "I really have to get on that..." and yet I never did. And I'm in this photography industry and have the resources, software, and interest in doing it-I just never got around to it. I can't imagine how much more overwhelmed I would have been if I didn't know where to start.

Finally, after two years of being married, I asked my photographer to create my album, and I'm so glad I did. My husband and I opened the heavy box with anticipation, and explored every page. In our busy lives, we just weren't going to ever have the time to sit down and put a book together from scratch ourselves.

As time goes on, it becomes less of a priority to you (out of necessity) when it should become *more* of a priority to have something tangible and printed to look through, to remind you of the beauty and fun of that day.

So here's a 2012 New Year's Resolution for you-Craft and create your wedding album! I'm not saying this just to sell books-I just really want you to have something more tangible than just a disc. If you'd like to purchase one through me, we can certainly arrange that-just shoot me an email (kristen@kristenwynnphotography.com). Even if your wedding was two years ago-it's not too late! If you still want to make your own, make it your resolution to finally sit down and do it this month!

I'm speaking to you too, my photographer friends! I know some of you have DVD discs just sitting there, with "Make album" on your forever-long to-do list!

My client and friend Ashley is a get-it-done kind of girl. She was married in July 2011. Ashley is the opposite of a procrastinator! We laid out her album and ended up with a whopping 80 pages! I am so happy with the classic look of the book and to have it sit on her shelf as the Q Family's first family heirloom.

Krysten and Billy-Married-Slideshow!

2011-12-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

Please enjoy more images from Krysten and Billy's big day at the Lake Mary Events Center. As always, music is used with permission and proper licensing.

I Do's-Krysten and Billy-Married!

2011-12-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

It was mid-November, Thanksgiving was just around the corner. I was standing outside a hair salon in Orlando, right next to the restaurant where Krysten and Billy first met. I opened up the invitation to photograph it, and a little slip of paper tumbled out. On it was a typed message from Billy to all of his guests, apologizing for the last minute date change.

They were moving their date up, not back. "I have decided to enlist in the Air Force and would like to be married beforehand," he wrote. "I trust that it is going to give us the strong foundation to start our lives together."

I thought about how rare it is for a young man to make such mature decisions. Billy is truly a stand-up guy.

Krysten contacted me just about a month before her wedding, which is short notice in the world of weddings, as I have brides that book over a year out. But there had been a date change, a change of plans, and she was starting at square one. I instantly knew we'd be a good fit, besides the fact that she has an AWESOME name. ;)

Krysten is a student in education and is also in the wedding industry as an employee of a catering company, while Billy is also in the service industry and enlisting in the Air Force. A few years ago, Krysten started working her first job at a brand new restaurant in town-Outback Steakhouse. Billy happened to be working there too, and they built their life together from there.

Hair and Makeup Styling: ESBI II
Venue: Lake Mary Events Center
Catering: Arthur's Catering

We did all of the standard bridal photos, and then Krysten asked if we could do a few more with some attitude. Absolutely! I love doing different looks for all my brides! The couple exchanged wedding day gifts-NY Giants cufflinks for Billy and an hourglass for Krysten.

Krysten and Billy opted for a sunset ceremony, so they did a first look outside Lake Mary Events Center, and the light was just right for it.

After the ceremony in the Rotunda, the reception was held in the Grand Ballroom. The evening was capped off with the last dance and a sparkler exit to a getaway car.

I hope you two had fun on your cruise and had a fabulous Thanksgiving! It was such a pleasure to work with you! :)

Kristina and Josh-Married-Slideshow!

2011-12-02T15:13:00.000-08:00

Here's some additional images from Kristina and Josh's November wedding! Please enjoy!

I Do's-Kristina and Josh-Married-Early Winter Wonderland Wedding

2011-11-29T13:04:00.001-08:00

There are times when you meet someone and you just know it is a really good match. I'm not talking about Kristina and Josh (although they are an excellent, excellent match!), I'm talking about me and Kristina. I truly love all of my couples and I love my job. And every once in awhile, a bride comes along that just really touches your heart. A Kristen Wynn Photography bride is joyful, excited, a planner, confident, and places a high priority on photography-she'll put up with me when I say "Just one more image!"

Because sometimes that one last image is something I envisioned when we first talked details. I think this image of Kristina really shows the elegance, the classical qualities, and the majesty of her wedding day.

I don't know how well Kristina slept the night before her wedding, but I could barely sleep a wink. I was so excited and nervous for her big day. We had phenomenal weather for early November in Pittsburgh-just beautiful.

I just adored working with her and Josh over this past year as she planned their wedding. Last summer, they had their engagement session at Narcisi Winery in Gibsonia, and they incorporated their images on their wine bottle guest book on the big day!

Before they met, Josh's brother was training Kristina at work. He told Josh "You really should meet this new girl I'm training." But the timing wasn't right, and Josh never took him up on the offer to introduce them. Strangely enough, they happened to meet by chance on their own, and the rest is history!

Hairdressing: Geno Levi Salon
Ceremony Venue: Duquesne University Chapel
Floral Design: Harold's Florist
Bridal Gown: Sottero and Midgley
Reception Venue: The Willow Room
Entertainment: DJ Rockin' Bob's
Cake: Cakes by Tammy

After the salon, we headed to Kristina's childhood home (which is immaculate), where the ladies had their makeup done and dressed. Josh gave Kristina a gift-a second sparkly wedding band with a sweet card attached. Then it was off to the iconic Mellon Institute columns for photos, and it actually got so warm that the ladies didn't need the fur stoles they had prepared.

Then we met up with the groom and groomsmen outside the Duquesne University Chapel; Duquesne is Josh's alma mater. Josh's two brothers served as his best men, and Kristina selected her sister and cousin as her attendants. It's always nice when the bridal parties are intimate and made up of just family.

Josh is such a nice, earnest guy, very warm to everyone he meets. After the nuptial mass, we did photos on the grounds of Duquesne. It was windier than expected up on the bluff! Josh even gave in to Kristina's request and picked her up for the last couple photos-happy wife, happy life, right?

One of the sweetest moments of the whole day was when Kristina's dad gave a toast in her honor. You can tell how strong and close Kristina's immediate family is, as her dad sweetly called Kristina "one of his three princesses." (Kristina's mom and sister Janelle are the other two!) Later, he surprised her during the father-daughter dance with a slideshow of photos through the years. It was very touching that a father thought to put such a finishing touch on the reception, and the last slide read "And they lived happily ever after..." which is the perfect ending to a story about his daughter, his princess, and her fairytale wedding to her prince.

I hope you two enjoyed your mini-moon at Nemicolin-I know Mexico will be fabulous this winter! It was an absolute honor to work for you, Josh and Kristina-I can only say thank you, thank you for selecting Kristen Wynn Photography.

Happy Birthday, Baby M!

2011-11-20T21:07:00.000-08:00

I first met Stacey on a bride's forum when we were both planning our weddings a few years ago, and we've stayed in touch ever since. But I finally got to meet her and her adorable son, M, a few weeks ago. I think M looks *just* like his mom-they share the same brown eyes.

M is almost a year old already, so Stacey wanted to have a few first birthday photos captured, as well as the traditional Christmas card image.

Stacey told me that she is okay with a few crying images-sometimes they are so cute when they are crying, and who hasn't felt this way about the holiday stress before?

Stacey found some very adorable outfits for her son, including this sweater with the tie knitted into the design. It also matched the last few fall leaves left on the trees outside.

It was pretty chilly outside, but M actually really loved the weather and playing in a little pile of leaves. Grandma provided the classic Radio Flyer wagon.

And there was another adorable hat too! M is starting to stand up, take a few steps, and get around on his own, and he took a few tumbles. I don't have any children, so I'm always way overprotective. But M is a tough, active little boy-nothing fazes him. I could easily see him playing football some day! And Stacey is such a good mom, letting him have fun, freedom, and the ability to be a kid!

Lastly, having sweets is a really, really rare treat for M. I don't think he was really sure what to do with the first birthday cake at first. And he's the first baby I've ever photographed that wasn't super interested in tasting it-but he really loved smearing it on the closest wall, which made us all laugh. :)

Thanks for choosing me for M's photos, S family! It was wonderful to meet you and I hope you enjoy your images!

Newborn Portraiture-Baby E-Orlando Newborn Photography

2011-11-16T08:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Jen of Jen Stevenson Photo
recently had the opportunity to photograph brand new twins. If you are a frequent visitor to my blog, you know that I primarily specialize in weddings, but I came along with Jen to assist and help her, since two babies can be a handful for posing!

Jen has the better line-up of lenses (and skills!) for newborns, so if you are in the Orlando area and expecting, you should contact her. I did get a few close-up images of the tiny newborn's face and features using my macro, and I wanted to share just one image. They don't stay this little for long, and it is important to capture every tiny detail from eyelashes to mouth to little nose!

Will You's?-Jennifer and Philip-Engaged!

2011-11-14T18:32:00.001-08:00

Jennifer and Philip are fast approaching their wedding date, so we needed to get their engagement session in as soon as possible. But then the dreaded flu struck them...so we had to wait two more weeks to do the session.

I'm so glad we rescheduled though because the weather was beautiful and, as we neared closing time, we pretty much had the gardens to ourselves for some great portraits.

Jennifer and Philip met years ago in a nightclub in Fort Lauderdale and have been together ever since. I was so jealous of Jennifer's figure-she is tall and fit and will be able to pull off any style of wedding dress! :) They're just a great couple to work with, very natural and sweet.

The more I hear about their wedding plans, the more excited I get! A photographer's dream is getting ready, ceremony, portraits, and reception all in one area-no travel means more time for portraits! A winter wedding-the weather won't be too hot-perfect for outdoor images. And lastly, they're doing a first look since the sun sets so early. Can you tell I am excited for this upcoming big day?!

I Do's-Jessica and Michael-Slideshow

2011-11-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

I Do's-Jessica and Michael-Married!

2011-11-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

Jessica made for a beautiful and fun bride over on Anna Maria Island last weekend. She and Michael both live in Tampa, and had their wedding ceremony and reception close to home at the always popular Beachhouse.

Michael's family came down from Wisconsin to join in the festivities too!

The day started with the ladies getting ready at Anna Maria Island Inn while the men were getting ready in a rented home just up the road in Bradenton Beach.

I loved working with Jessica and her bridesmaids in the little alleyway behind the inn. Jessica wore her hair long and loose, and she went barefoot for the ceremony on the sand. Her niece served as one of the flower girls.

It was great to be back at the Beachhouse again-I was last there for Jennifer and Bill's wedding in Spring 2010, and I love the great sunsets that Anna Maria Island gets. Earlier in the day, it looked like rain, but there wasn't a drop in the sky by the time we started the ceremony and formals afterwards.

The ceremony was set for right before sunset under a draped canopy, with the reception to take place in the adjoining pavilion. And we were able to squeeze in many portraits of the bride and groom together prior to sunset too!

Due to the sun setting, we moved fast through all the portraits (and my leggings got soaked in the ocean by a rogue wave!), but Jessica and Michael are so easy to work with and so fun, we really got to maximize our time.

Expert Disc Jockeys provided the evening's entertainment, and the dance floor was certainly packed. Jessica's sister gave a heartfelt toast, as did the best man, and there were some tears.

Jessica and Michael, I just loved working with you two on your big day. Thank you so much for having me aboard for your wedding day-it was truly beautiful!

Will You's?-Katie and Joe-Engaged!

2011-11-06T09:41:00.000-08:00

Katie is planning nice and early for her wedding next October to Joe. And in planning early, she wanted to have her engagement portraits taken early enough to use for her save-the-date cards.

After a few false starts due to weather and schedules, we finally connected last Friday to do their engagement portraits down by the boat slip. Katie and Joe together enjoy boating, and are even incorporating a boat into their processional at their wedding. I won't give away any other details of their wedding plans, though, for those you will have to wait until next year!

Katie and Joe first met at, believe it or not, a funeral, proving that sometimes, good things can come out of tragedies.

I'm very happy to be on board with your fall 2012 wedding, you two! Enjoy this time of wedding planning!

Married-Mr. and Mrs. Q-Album

2011-10-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ashley and her husband married in their home church in July, and their theme was "Love Story." Ashley printed out many of her favorite images in a small spiral bound album on one of the consumer websites, and carried it around to show co-workers and friends. But they wanted something much more permanent to put in their home, their first family heirloom. And for this "Love Story," there were a lot of must-have images for Ash and Ryan-I think our final count together was 196!

Every layout for albums will be customized for each bride and groom, so these are just some of the possibilities for brides and grooms that order an album through Kristen Wynn Photography.

Thanks for looking!

Dawn and Justin-Married-Slideshow!

2011-10-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

I Do's-Dawn and Justin-Married!

2011-10-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dawn and Justin live in my neck of the woods and were married last Saturday at the beautiful McKee Garden in Vero Beach. McKee has so many spots for photos-it is easy to see why Dawn and Justin chose this location (and Al the wedding coordinator and the catering manager were SO wonderful there as well!). I only wish we had more time to explore and get more portraits, but the wedding day is often so pressed for time.

Makeup services were performed at Dawn's home by
Michelle Marie, catering was provided by Elizabeth Kennedy Catering, and entertainment was provided by DjQuae. Dawn's gown boutique was Aurora Unique Bridal Boutique in Melbourne, FL.

And the names Dawn and Justin seemed to cause a bit of confusion throughout the day...the minister accidentally referred to Dawn as Diane, and the DJ later called Justin by the name of Jason! But rest assured, Dawn and Justin are the correct names. :)

There was laughter during the ceremony!

They chose black, white, gray/silver, and red as their wedding day colors.

Dawn's three children played the part of flowergirls and ringbearer.

Justin's groomsmen wore white tuxedos, and he wore the classic black tuxedo and white vest.

Dawn actually is originally from New Jersey, and she even reminded me of my other New Jersey bride,Melissa. Do you see the resemblance?

I love the light in her eyes in this one! Dawn was willing to lay down in the grass for me--hard to find a bride that is willing to do anything to get the shot!

After creating portraits around the garden with the couple, they were introduced into their reception at the Education Building on-property, where dinner was served inside, and later, their candy buffet was unveiled. Dancing took place on the patio outside, and I heard a little rumor that there was a fun after party event taking place, carrying the celebration well into the night!

I hope you enjoyed your well-deserved honeymoon cruise, Dawn and Justin! It was great to work with such a laid-back couple--thank you SO much for having me as your photographer!

Elizabeth and Ryan-Married!-Slideshow

2011-10-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy this slideshow from Elizabeth and Ryan's wedding day!

I Do's-Elizabeth and Ryan-Married!

2011-10-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was awoken at 4am the morning of Elizabeth and Ryan's wedding by the pounding rain on the roof and the loud slap of tree branches being blown into my window. “Oh no...” I groaned inwardly. I knew the forecast was supposed to be tropical storm-like conditions. It was calling for 40 to 50 mph winds and all weekend rain. I really jinxed myself after Kristy and Adam's rainy romantic day, and it was continuing over for Elizabeth and Ryan.

But Elizabeth had dreams of an all outside ceremony and reception. She and Ryan had been together for thirteen years, engaged for six years, and brought a daughter into this world a few years ago. This day was a long time coming for them, and the wedding planning had been in full force for a year. Glassware had been rented, linens steamed, menus created, DIY projects completed, and bouquets crafted.

Wedding and photography blogs, including mine, often focus on these handcrafted details, the picturesque locations, the elegance of the reception—let's be honest, the “looks” of the day, the designers, the beauty. But the old saying about people applies to weddings too, deep down. “It isn't about the looks-it is what is on the inside that counts.”

Venue: River Palm Cottages
Catering: Dee-Stefano's Restaurant
Videography: Verola Studios
Entertainment: Eclipse Entertainment DJ Frank

Inside this wedding, inside the eye of the storm, is love and a partnership. When Ryan forgot his dress shirt, Elizabeth was frantically tracking one down for him. When Elizabeth's veil blew into the woods during the ceremony, dozens of guests jumped up and ran after it for her. When the reception tables were overturned with a strong guest, I saw Ryan serving as a coordinator to get everything reassembled in a borrowed hotel room before Elizabeth could see the damage.

On a wedding day, everything doesn't always go as planned, and sometimes, nothing goes as planned. I've been honest and upfront on this blog since day one, and I'll tell you that, due to the craziest weather east coast Florida has seen in years, this wedding probably won't be featured in a magazine on newsstands near you. But it is featured here because, at the end of the day, Elizabeth and Ryan were married. Happily married. All of the vendors, the family, the friends, the bride and groom—we all came together and pulled it off.

Their daughter was a-okay with the rain!

Elizabeth managed to find a little space in between two groves of trees where the wind was literally not blowing-very cool.

And before we had to move the reception to higher ground, I was still able to get a lot of detail shots!

It was unconventionally beautiful and a day we will all always remember! I hope you two get to relax and go on your minimoon now that the storm has blown over-you deserve it for all your hard work. Thanks for having me aboard--I can honestly say I had a blast and laughed a lot. This was one of the most challenging and fun weddings I've ever had the pleasure to photograph!

I Do's-Kristen and Adam-Married!-Slideshow: Rainy Day Romance

2011-10-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy a small selection of the many photos from Kristen and Adam's wedding day. You can see their Artist's Favorite selections here as well!

I Do's-Kristen and Adam-Married!-Rainy Day Romance

2011-10-10T16:26:00.001-07:00

I was standing in the security line at the Pittsburgh Airport the morning after Kristy and Adam's wedding, and the line was moving so slowly. Travel days can be a bit exhausting, and I really wanted to get home to start working on the images from the day before. So I was feeling impatient.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the stream of people emerging from the arriving planes. An elderly man stepped out and hugged an older woman as she approached, practically lifting her off the ground, even though they were both pushing at least eighty years old. I heard him exclaim loudly to his wife "Ohh, I have *missed* you!"

And because I'm such a sappy person, I honestly blinked back tears and shuffled further down the line with my bags. Here was a couple that had presumably been married for a long time, and he still had so much excitement in his voice when she returned from her trip-he had genuinely missed her. This is what I hope for for all of my couples-that in sixty years, the excitement in their voice during their wedding day vows will still be there when they greet their spouse in a crowded airport while people pass by all around them. I remembered that Kristy and Adam themselves got engaged in an airport as he returned home from military duties.

I know Kristen and Adam will be that still-happily-married couple one day, sixty years from now.

Hairdressing: All About You by Dana, White Oak, PA
Accommodations: Hampton Inn Pittsburgh-Monroeville, Monroeville, PA
Floral Design: Brides and Butterflies, Adamsburg, PA
Ceremony Venue: Sampson Mills Presbyterian Church
Reception Venue: Youghiogheny Country Club, Elizabeth Township, PA

Kristy is in public relations and Adam is a United States military veteran (I thank you for your service, Adam), and they met growing up in White Oak, Pennsylvania. But they dated while Adam was serving in Alaska and deployed.

This wedding was like old home week for me (I think that's a Pittsburgh expression?). First, the reception was held where Amy and Dennis held their reception, and the venue is first class all the way. It was great to see one of my former brides, Ashton, tending bar for Kristy and Adam, and her mother-in-law was one of Kristy's guests. Then, in the craziest twist of fate, a bridesmaid from Lisa's wedding last month, Jenna, was seated at one of the tables-turns out, she is Kristy's best friend from childhood!

It was so great to see everyone again!

Prior to the wedding, I told Kristy not to worry about the rain. I said proudly "I've never had a wedding totally rained out. It always dries up for at least a few photos." I jinxed us-I'm so sorry. I never should have said it, because it honestly did rain every minute of the day from the beauty salon until the end of the reception. But Kristy's quick thinking saved the day--she bought beautiful matching umbrellas from Ikea and we used those to get great outdoor shots.

As I posed them next to a hardware store in their hometown as rain came down and the cold blew in, Kristy commented "You know what? We're just going with it!" That's the best attitude for a bride to have, and honestly, Kristy's photos are very unique with the umbrella and rich wall texture. Overcast and even rainy is the best photography light-no harsh shadows! So I was thrilled to get a bride that was willing to pull off these shots!

At the reception, Kristy's detailed planning really shined. Her centerpieces were soft hydrangeas in mason jars, surrounded by candles of different heights, and placed on a handcrafted wooden base. It was rustic and gorgeous. She added a candy buffet that was very popular with the guests. Adam's military heritage was honored with the traditional Missing Soldiers' Table to symbolize and honor those that have served and are attending in spirit.

At the end of the night, Adam and Kristy twirled their Terrible Towels as the Steelers' fight song played--it's football season after all-and then they were off to their beautiful-hopefully dry-honeymoon! It was such a pleasure and honor to work with you two! Thanks so much and please keep in touch with me through the years! :)

I Do's-Miriam and Don-Married-Second Shooting

2011-09-30T10:36:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love second shooting and assisting, where you work for another photographer for the day as a helper on one of their contracted weddings. There is a lot of freedom to go out and get the creative shot rather than the safer shot, and spending the day with a photographer friend is always fun too-makes the day go by faster with someone to talk with and laugh with and share the carrying of the heavy gear. Everytime you work with a new photographer, you learn more about posing, technique, and what they do, and then you can incorporate that into *your* work if it works for you.

In the wedding world, where many of us are self-taught or taught via the apprenticeship model, second shooting is invaluable. Jen Stevenson of Jen Stevenson Photo brought me along for this Orlando wedding, and I'm so grateful to her.

These are just a few of my favorites from my perspective for the day; see Jen's blog for her favorites!

Thanks, Jen, for having me; I can't wait to work together again! And thanks so much Don and Miriam for having me as well!

Behind the Scenes-The Magic of Retouching

2011-09-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I don't have photos of myself on my website or my blog-that's for a few reasons.

One, as a photographer, I'm the one that takes all the photos! So it logistically is hard to find someone to take a photo that will be to your standards. (I've tried the whole tripod it and then run thing...but I need help posing myself!)

Two, as a photographer that uses my name as a business name as well, I value my privacy and like a degree of anonymity that comes with not posting my photo. :) I'm an introvert like that, what can I say?

Three, I believe the focus for clients that come to my website and blog should be on my work and the clients' moments, because the wedding day isn't about me at all. It's about you.

But then I ran into a dilemma. I wanted to show what can be done as far as retouching and give a little glimpse into my behind the scenes work, mainly to show how much time goes into an image in post-processing. I previously showed how composites are possible with my friend Jen's family. This round, I wanted to show how I retouch my client's skin, eyes, hair, teeth, etc on portrait shoots and select wedding images (blogged, album, favorites, and prints) to let their images reflect their confidence and beauty.

The problem-I would never, ever, ever put an unretouched image of my client out there and then point out how I enhanced their shot, as this would call attention to the "before" areas, whether that be some small smile lines, a slipping bra strap, etc. That makes no one happy, and if retouching is done correctly, the client should never know what has been nipped or tucked or smoothed.

So the only image I could show a before and after of is...*gulp* a photograph of myself. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous to put this out here. My own husband *rarely* sees me without makeup. Like most women, I won't post unflattering images to Facebook. And yet, I'm coming on here and showing all my clients.

My friend Jen (of the fabulous Jen Stevenson Photo) took this image for me in the middle of her family session. Here it is with no retouching, perfectly exposed, posed, and composed, but not fully retouched. As photographers, we sometimes will exchange RAW images and edit ourselves.

The cameras today, and Jen has the top of the line, really show every single pore. We were in the shade, so the light is a little blue-when you shoot RAW images, this has to be manipulated later.

In the after image, I removed the bruise from my left arm and the sand from my face. My guideline is to remove anything that's not there all the time (so I leave intact birthmarks). I also removed the clasp on my necklace and the bags under my eyes-I guess I wasn't getting restful sleep! I did my skin smoothing I provide for all clients on select images.

And lastly, I sharpened for web or print, especially the eyes, which is necessary for RAW images to come across nice and crisply.

I'm not professing to be a magazine-caliber retouching expert, and I try not to do it with a heavy hand. I just want my clients to look as amazing as they feel and display their images with confidence. The camera can add ten pounds and show us wrinkles and blemishes that we don't see with our naked eye, so I like to restore that look in the portraits.

I hope that sheds the light on just a little of what professional retouching is capable of and one of the reasons we spend so much time in editing perfecting the images.

A Day in the Life-Arielle-Senior Portraits-Class of 2012!

2011-09-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

I met Arielle and her mom through Kaitlyn, one of my 2011 senior reps! I think we were by the pool for a swim meet when we all met, so I was so happy when Arielle called me earlier this month for her senior portraits.

Arielle and I met up at the Cocoa Beach Pier for her senior portraits, and we had a great time. The weather was beautiful, not too warm, and even though it was a little windy, her hair still looked great because she had it professionally styled before the shoot, which I highly recommend.

Fall was definitely in the air with the slightly cooler weather, so now is a great time to get your senior portraits and family portraits done.

Thanks to your friend for coming along too, Arielle, to hold your phone and lip gloss and just generally help out during the shoot, greatly appreciated!

Arielle is so smart; she is already taking college courses while still enrolled in high school and will actually graduate with her associate's degree around the time of her high school graduation. She looks forward to attending UCF in the fall for electrical engineering.

I knew when she said she was interested in engineering that she must be very bright and focused-she's also good at math.

But she isn't just book smart. Arielle also has been a member of her high school's swim team for many years, and she also holds down a job. She also is into fashion and wore a favorite Guess dress with a pink shirt over top and brought along her favorite peep toe boots. I know nothing about fashion, but I love when my clients wear an outfit they really love. If you are comfortable in your clothing, it shows in the images.

Arielle (and family), thank you so much for choosing Kristen Wynn Photography for your senior portraits. Arielle, I wish you so much success for your senior year and beyond-you are such a sweet, nice, hard-working and smart young woman and I know you will achieve your goals! :)

I Do's-Lisa and Nate-Married-Slideshow

2011-09-22T21:21:00.001-07:00

Please enjoy a few more images from Lisa and Nate's 9.10.11 wedding in Ruskin, Florida!

I Do's-Lisa and Nate-Married!

2011-09-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

It truly is a very small world!

Lisa and I grew up about five minutes apart from each other in White Oak, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh. I think we rode the same bus in middle school, and I know we went on more than a few Girl Scout camping trips together. Fast forward about fifteen years from our middle school days, and we now both live a thousand miles from Pittsburgh here in Florida.

Like I said, it is a small world, and I was thrilled to reconnect with Lisa and be asked to photograph her wedding in Ruskin! As a matter of fact, Lisa was one of the first ever clients to book me when I opened almost two years ago-thanks so much for taking a chance on me. I truly appreciate it.

Lisa is the youngest of three girls. She always had great grades in high school, so it was no surprise to me that she passed the bar exam on her very first shot!

The reception took place at Imperial Lakewoods Country Club following a ceremony at their home church.

Lisa is a lawyer, and Nate is in sales and advertising-his promotion brought them here to Florida in the first place. They originally met about seven years ago when Lisa was studying at Bethany College in West Virginia.

The theme of their wedding was "today I marry my best friend" and was carried out on the invitations, personalized cocktail napkins, and champagne flutes.

One thing I love about Lisa is how well she planned out her life. During one of our pre-wedding planning sessions, she said "I always knew I wouldn't get married until I was done with law school and bought a house." And she and Nate had long since picked out the popular 9/10/11 date as the right one for their nuptials, so the timing was right!

To go between the ceremony and reception, Nate rented a fancy convertible, and it made for some fun images. As they drove along the highway, he really gunned the engine, and I thought for sure Lisa's veil would fly right off into traffic! (Luckily, it stayed right where it was supposed to!)

I love a little playful cake smash; it always makes for a great photo!

Lisa and Nate were such a wonderful couple to work with and really care about their guests. Although they don't really love to dance, they still had dancing for their guests-I thought that was so thoughtful and really putting your family and friends first.

We went out around sunset again to get a few more portraits together and I'm so glad we did, because those are some of my favorite images. I also wanted to say thanks to Lisa's sister and her husband for all their help throughout the day. Luckily, the gator that was in the lake stayed away during our photo shoot. ;)

I hope St. Lucia was fabulous, you two! I was so delighted to work with you and I wish you so much happiness and a wonderful marriage!

Behind the Scenes-Editing

2011-09-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Do you have a young child? Or maybe you are one of my brides and plan on having a few children involved in your wedding as a flowergirl or ringbearer? Then this blog entry is for you! :)

When I am providing images from a wedding or portrait session, I don't provide images where the eyes are closed or people are not looking at the camera. Of course, I take a lot of images to insure this doesn't happen and we have one where everyone is looking at my lens.

But during the wedding day, guests are often using their point and shoot cameras to try to capture the shot, causing people to look away, especially after a few drinks! :)

At a family session, your child may be distracted by something. You know how tough it can be to get a good shot of your child at home too. And then there's always the tough choice...

Say Sally looks best in Image A, while Bobby has the best expression in Image B, and mom and dad, you think you look your best in Image C. In the pre-digital age, you often had to just pick a mediocre shot where everyone was facing the camera, regardless of expression or hand position, and settle for that shot you didn't love.

Now, with the editing services of a professional photographer, you can have the best of both worlds, and one or more images can be combined to create the best shot. If you have one or more little ones, it is VERY helpful!

You'll see from this before and after, I try not to do a ton of editing, preferring instead to capture the shot correctly right out of the camera through proper posing and exposure. But, sometimes, a little Photoshop lets us capture the best of Miss L AND Miss A's expressions from two different images, plus a third image was combined to fill the now new space between the little ones :)

So here's a little behind the scenes to show you the transformation!

Now, if I get *really* brave, I will show you a before and after of my headshot to show you just what can be done, but I'm almost afraid to put my unedited image out there for all of you on the Interwebz to see, yikes!

Heritage Family Session-The S Family at Cocoa Beach

2011-09-16T11:46:00.000-07:00

Jen is my photography bestie. :) We met back in 2009 on a photography board and started our businesses at about the same time. There is no one else that understands me the way Jen does, and we will txt or Facebook back and forth for hours about business issues or even about a particular edit.

Jen is also the photography friend that lives the closest to me. It has been really hard for me to meet people since I moved here, and I'm so glad I found her! :)

A year ago, she had A, and I traveled over to her home in Orlando for her session. Now, A is so much bigger! I can barely believe how much she has grown. Jen's older daughter, L, is a sweetheart too and very, very bright.

Jen is the owner of a portrait photography business working primarily with children, families, and newborns, so before her super busy holiday season, we met up for family portraits of her own at Cocoa Beach.

I loved working with them as usual and was so honored to be asked. I wanted to put up a few sneak peeks for them today even though Jen and I are getting together to photograph tomorrow-can't wait! :)

Becky and Saign-Married!-Slideshow

2011-09-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

I Do's-Becky and Saign-Married!

2011-09-13T23:56:00.000-07:00

After applying the last of her red lipstick and adjusting her vintage-inspired birdcage veil, Becky looked into the mirror at her transformation and exclaimed, “I really look 'not of this era'!” Her wedding day look came together perfectly.

Venue: Chesapeake Resort, Islamorada
Catering: Paella Tropical

The threat of Hurricane Irene couldn't stop Becky and Saign. In the week leading up to their wedding, it formed off shore and started heading toward Florida. Fortunately, it passed through Florida just a day or two prior and Islamorada, in the the middle Keys, was spared. I know many brides were not so lucky, and my thoughts are certainly with them and the other victims of the storm.

Becky and Saign had an all-outdoors event, and the weather ended up being beautiful! It only rained for about twenty minutes during the ladies' formals, and then the rest of the day was clear skies.

This day was a celebration of their relationship and marriage, and also a reuniting of sorts, as the two of them were dealing with a long-distance relationship the past year while Becky finished her schooling and became a doctor. In fact, on their sweetheart table, I love that her signs said “Dr. and Mr.” instead of “Mr. and Mrs.”

Their rambunctious dog Ada served as ringbearer. She escaped a few times from her collar and took off, leading to a chase to capture her. Ada's a Weimaraner, and the breed's beauty has been captured by photographer William Wegman for decades now-he actually has the cover story in Professional Photographer's August 2011 issue.

The bride and groom shared a special first look since they were being married and having the reception at the same location, so this allowed them to spend time with their guests post-ceremony.

Becky really put her own touches into her wedding and did a lot of DIY including her hair and makeup. They were married on the beach in a ceremony performed by a close mutual friend.

Not to be outdone in the DIY-department, Saign, a propmaker by profession, crafted the couple's wedding bands.

At the end of the night, the bride and groom departed through a sea of sparklers. After their Caribbean honeymoon, Becky and Saign are tackling a new adventure and moving to Washington State for what I think will be an amazing opportunity for Becky's career. I wish you two all the best. It was a pleasure to work with you!

Product Offerings

2011-09-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

I have been getting more into prints and products lately, and I created this necklace for Jen Stevenson of Jen Stevenson Photo. Jen sent me over this adorable photo of her two little girls, and then we incorporated their initials and the year their family was established on charms via Kotori Jewelry.

A wide variety of other jewelry is available as well, so email me at kristen@kristenwynnphotography.com to see all of the offerings!

I also had this 24x36" mounted print ordered from Mike and Kim's destination wedding.

Go big with your prints because once they are in the space, they are just the right size! These prints can be mounted alone or placed in a frame as well.

You can email kristen@kristenwynnphotography.com for custom photo product needs. Christmastime is just around the corner! :)

Danielle and Dustin-Married-Slideshow!

2011-09-07T13:01:00.000-07:00

I Do's-Danielle and Dustin-Married!

2011-08-31T14:29:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of getting to do a wedding for two wonderful people. I call these two a dynamic duo. They came from different parts of the country (Danielle from New Jersey and Dustin from Indiana), met in law school and landed jobs as lawyers right out of school as well, which is just amazing in this economy.

Their success and the fact that they have it all together really makes them role models to me.

At MGM Studios in Walt Disney World, one of their favorite spots, Dustin popped the question with Danielle's whole family there at the end of The Great Movie Ride!

Dustin and Danielle were seated right across from me at Megan and Chris's wedding last fall and I was so, so thrilled when they brought me on board for their big day. And it was SO great to see Megan and Chris again at this wedding too!

I love the two latest trends in bridal fashion-first, it is that dresses with straps or sleeves are back. Strapless has been popular the past five years or so, but sleeves are definitely back in style and I just love the look!

Danielle's dad had a great reaction to seeing his daughter all ready on her wedding day.

Additionally, wearing the veil over the face is back in style and it is so romantic. LOVE that this is back in a big way.

Hair and Makeup: One Flight Up Salon, Fort Myers Beach
Ceremony Venue: Blessed Pope John XXIII, Fort Myers
Reception Venue: Holiday Inn Fort Myers Beach
Entertainment: DJ Ron Rutz

You know I love those first looks. Danielle and Dustin did their first look and took a private moment to exchange heartfelt cards.

Danielle's younger sister Caitlin served as maid-of-honor and Danielle's whole family was in from up north-they were just so, so great to be around. And Dustin's family came in from Indiana as well!

During their ceremony, the priest referenced the movie "The Notebook," and talked about writing down your thoughts on the first day you are married, during your honeymoon, and re-reading it over the years and adding more to it. This was one of the best homilies I have ever heard at a wedding; it really seemed like he was speaking right to Dustin and Danielle alone, who sat on chairs in front of the altar.

On the way back down the aisle during the recessional, Dustin's dad reached out and shook his hand and gave him a pat on the back. I really loved that moment-those little unexpected things are what make a wedding great.

I think Dustin looks like Shia LeBouef!

Danielle and Dustin shared a second ceremony, a sand ceremony, on the beach with their guests. It ended just in time for a spectacular west coast Florida sunset. I was a little nervous we wouldn't get a good sunset since it had been overcast a bit that day, but sometimes, you just have to wait it out. August in Florida is so hot and sometimes rainy, but those sunsets really are worth it.

This is actually the most images I've ever taken at a wedding, ever. We had a great timeline and a lot of time to make images.

I love that they incorporated a lot of Disney touches into their day, with cufflinks, a pocket watch, cake toppers, and a special handmade guest book, which honored where they got engaged and where they honeymooned. Getting to visit Disney a lot is definitely a perk of being a Florida resident. :)

Their first dance was choreographed and ended with a perfect dip.

Congratulations, Danielle and Dustin! I hope your minimoon at Walt Disney World was fabulous, and that your upcoming honeymoon is even more fabulous! Thanks so much for letting me be a part of your special day!

Will You's-Laura and Kenny-Engaged!

2011-08-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

They've been together since their senior year in high school, dated during their time together at UCF, moved to a new town to start their careers, and now, eight years after they started dating, they are getting married!

Kenny is an engineer and Laura currently is employed in a local bridal salon, which is always great when you are planning your own wedding.

When I was brand new to this state and knew no one, Laura was the only person, seriously, the only person that helped me get a job interview. She didn't even know me, but she stuck her neck out for me, and I will always appreciate that. That's just who she is, always kind and willing to help others.

Kenny proposed with a ring he picked out on his own, a princess cut diamond, while they were spending the weekend away together. It was a really romantic proposal since he did it on a chartered boat during a sunset cruise!

For engagement photos, we started off on a hot August Sunday at the University of Central Florida, then we headed to Winter Park to finish off the session. After the session, I got to hear all about their wedding plans and I can't wait-winter weddings are the best! Of course, I'm a little biased since I had a winter wedding myself, but they are indeed the best.

And come this winter, we won't have to worry about the Florida heat for photography either.

Laura and Kenny, thanks so much for having your engagement photos done with Kristen Wynn Photography and I'm looking forward to your beautiful wedding! It goes without saying that I cannot wait to see your gown, Laura!

Shayla and Phillip: Married-Slideshow!

2011-08-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

I hope the true sentiments and emotion of the day come through in this slideshow featuring more images from Phillip and Shayla's beautiful Pittsburgh wedding at Calvary United Methodist on the North Side and their reception in Mt. Lebanon at Holy Cross Banquet Hall. They are so sweet and fun!

Thank you, Phillip and Shayla, for really incorporating who you are into your big day. You make my job easy with your affection for each other! :)

I Do's-Phillip and Shayla-Married!-Pittsburgh Romance

2011-08-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

As a photographer, I love first looks. The emotion, the excitement, the anticipation of what is going to happen later that day...But photography truth here: First looks are often also easier for the photographer and better photographically for the client. Yep, I said it, and I hope the photography community doesn't ostracize me for spilling the beans. :) They give us a cushion on time and weather. They allow us to be more creative. They save the stress of hide the bride.

So although I advocate first looks heavily (and I did one at my own wedding, since I'd never ask you to do something I wouldn't do), I sometimes have just a split second of doubt, like "What if they regret not saving that first look for down the aisle?"

But then I did Phillip and Shayla's wedding and that thought was totally gone from my mind. On a path outside the Aviary in Allegheny Commons West Park (in the old, old Allegheny City for you history buffs), Phillip saw Shayla as his wife for the first time. As I shied back away from them and let them have their space, I saw the tears streaming down Shayla's cheeks and the city traffic in the background just faded away.

And as I brought the lens up to my eye, I started to cry, because I'm like that sometimes. In that moment, I knew I would continue to advocate for that first look because I was able to be there to capture that moment for them in a way that I am not allowed to during most church ceremonies.

What I love most about Phillip and Shayla is their expressiveness. They are affectionate and they *show* their love for each other. Their pastor said, during the ceremony, that out of all the couples he's ever married, these two demonstrate it the most.

After their engagement portrait session, I knew these two had something special.

I'm really angling for these two to get featured on the match.com commercial! :)

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza South Hills
Ceremony Venue: Calvary United Methodist Church Pittsburgh
Reception Venue: Holy Cross Banquet Hall

I loved how the families of this bride and groom really combined. It seemed like Phillip and Shayla had been together for a decade instead of for just a few years with the way these families got on with each other! :) Phillip's mom was sweetly tearing up during the family formals, while Shayla's mom really pushed her to get a limo because she was afraid Shayla's large train wouldn't fit in a normal car!

Often, brides will have DIY boutonnieres. But this was a first...groom-made DIY duck tape boutonnieres. They turned out great! And of course, Phillip had black Chucks to complete his look.

Prior to the first look, Phillip's tux jacket somehow got locked into the car, and Shayla was right across the street getting her portraits done. But these two were great about just not looking in each other's direction and finally, help arrived to free the jacket! Even though the delay was long, we had plenty of time built into the schedule to handle any little emergencies.

The shades of purple and the uplighting and gobo at the reception were just perfect, and I know the cookies on the cookie table were disappearing fast as well, so they must have been delicious!

Thank you so much you two for having me on board. It has been great getting to know you these past few months and your wedding was so fun! I hope Maui was fabulous!

Anna and Joe: Married! Slideshow

2011-08-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

Anna started off at the beauty salon, then we moved to Joe's parents' home, and then over to the church, the park, and the hotel. The rain did hold off so we could do those outside portraits as well!

Anna and Joe-Married!-I Do's-Blue and Orange Wedding

2011-08-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

It's the little things that make a difference when you are dating. For Anna and Joe, it was a late night instant message from halfway across the country that started their relationship.

It's the little things at a wedding that show your love. Your vows might say it, but it is the actions that really demonstrate it. During the toasts at her wedding reception, Anna teared up. And Joe sensed it. He didn't even have to look over at her, he just knew to immediately put his arm around her and left it there until the speeches were over to comfort her.

For the rest of your life, it will be those little things that keep you connected.

Anna and Joe are both graduates of Robert Morris University, as am I, but we met through my former co-worker (and beautiful matron of honor in this wedding!) Sarah. Originally, Anna was planning a fall 2011 wedding, but then she did the nearly impossible in this economy-she landed a teaching job! Way to go, Anna!

So plans changed and a summertime wedding was scheduled. The day started off a little emotional, but ended with huge smiles. Anna wore her great-grandma's wedding set as her something old. Her Pronovias gown with a crumb-catcher bodice was absolutely stunning. The construction on this gown and the fabric photographed so beautifully.

Hair Styling: Trendz Salon
Gown: Pronovias
Ceremony Venue: First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg
Reception Venue: Comfort Inn Penn Hills
Transportation: Tortorice Limo
Photo Booth: Fairytale Videography
Entertainment: Lethal DJ's

While the church had some restrictions on photography, I was able to get a few good shots unobtrusively from the back.

It rained quite a bit in the morning, so we got creative by making some images outside the covered Greensburg Public Library. The weather cleared up for us to head to a skate park after the ceremony and take some photos, incorporating Joe's skating talents. I give Anna huge credit for climbing up and down into this big skating pit-it was so steep. She wasn't scared at all.

Joe's brother is also engaged to be married, and he had his first date with his fiance the same day that Anna and Joe had their first date! Love was definitely in the air in southwestern PA that day! :)

I usually try to think of a way to describe the weddings that I do based on theme, colors, that sort of thing. With Anna and Joe, I decided to title my slideshow "Love Sweet Love" because they are just so sweet with each other and to everyone else. That's the adjective that came to mind when I thought back over their big day. And Anna also planned a huge table of sweets at her reception, a candy buffet!

To two of the sweetest people I have *ever* met, I wish you so much love and happiness! I hope Aruba was AMAZING-you deserve it!

Chantelle and Mauro-Slideshow-Orlando Destination Wedding

2011-08-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

I know Chantelle's in a different time zone than me and it is still nice and early there, so plenty of time to view her slideshow tonight! :) Enjoy, you two!

Chantelle and Mauro-Married!-I Do's-Canadian Cool Destination Wedding

2011-08-18T16:22:00.001-07:00

They grew up across the country from each other, Mauro in Toronto with his big Italian family and lots of sisters, and Chantelle in B.C. with her little brothers. And they didn't meet until Mauro relocated and came into Chantelle's parents' television store, the family business.

Chantelle wore a garter with handcuffs on it in honor of Mauro's career in law enforcement, while an antique bracelet baring her middle name was her something old.

Chantelle's father told the story best when he gave one of the many reception speeches, a Canadian tradition at weddings. He said that while waiting on this very tall young man, he thought instantly "Oh, Chantelle, this may just be the one..."

Chantelle was there that day in the store, and indeed he *was* the one. In a twist of fate, Mauro and the store's phone numbers are very close to each other, and at the wedding, Mauro got quite a few laughs when he promised his new father-in-law that he would make sure to still forward the mistaken calls he gets!

Venue: ChampionsGate Golf Club
Accommodations: Bahama Bay Resort
Hair and Makeup: LaJeune Artistry
Entertainment: Orlando's Got Talent
Videography: Creative Cinemas

These two are pretty much a photographer's dream. First look in 100 degree weather? Okay! Doing all the formal photos prior to the ceremony? Done. Not panicking when the sprinklers came on suddenly and we had to run across the street? Yep, that too.

Dozens of friends and family flew to Orlando from all over Canada to celebrate with them. And I'm so glad I was able to be there with them too-thanks you two for bringing me on for your big day. You were truly SO, SO wonderful and the perfect couple for a photographer to work with.

They had the best first dance I've ever seen. A lot of brides choreograph a first dance now, or start off with a slow song and then switch to a fast one. But I've seen these dances get more and more elaborate lately, and Chantelle and Mauro really took the cake with songs from Grease and Dirty Dancing, including the lift!

I hope you enjoyed your cruise and time in our state! Please enjoy your photos and keep in touch!

Kay and John-Married-Slideshow

2011-08-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy some additional images from Kay and John's Boca Raton wedding!

Kay and John-Married!-I Do's-Game, Set, Match-Tennis Wedding

2011-08-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

Kay's dad stood in the doorway of her childhood home in south Florida and offered me some water on this hot, hot summer wedding day. Kay is the oldest, the first to leave home, move out on her own, move north, and the first to get married. I asked him: "Do you miss her a lot?" I didn't have to ask, I could tell by the look on his face that he did. I choked out a "I know my parents miss me too," tearing up.

Weddings are a celebration, and for some brides, it marks a true grown-up moment, leaving the nest for good to make your own way in the world, to form your own family. This is one of the reasons wedding days are so emotional.

Venue: Boca Bayou Yacht Club
Entertainment: Eddie B and Company
Cake: Publix
Makeup: Amanda Eve

Kay and I have so many similarities, and I was excited from the first moment we talked. We both are mid-twenties (I won't give away either of our ages!), the oldest, have a younger brother and a younger sister and consider ourselves part of close families. Kay moved from Boca Raton to Maryland for love, while I went in the opposite direction, from Pittsburgh to Florida, for love. This is love so strong you are willing to change your whole life and take a leap of faith because you KNOW he's the one.

John is a tennis coach in Maryland, and Kay has the coolest job yet of any of my brides-she works in sweepstakes and contests. What a great job to get to bring some surprise and joy to people! They met in south Florida when John was working to recruit new players to his team. A year to the day later, he brought her back to the bar where they met and proposed.

Since John is a tennis coach, they wanted to incorporate a few tennis touches into their wedding, so we made sure to hit the courts for some photo ops. It was a hot, hot, hot day here in Florida, but Kay and John hung in there for the portraits!

And at the reception, it was truly a family affair, as I saw Kay's grandma dancing to Soulja Boy and her brother leading the Dougie on the dance floor.

Thank you so much for having me as a part of your wedding day! Please enjoy your Key West honeymoon!

Heritage Family Session-The P Family

2011-08-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

Brigit's a photographer from New York State with three adorable kids. We "met" online on a photography board, and over the past year, I've gotten to know her. I was so thrilled when she was vacationing in my neck of the woods and we met up for a family session.

If you look at most of my blog and website, you'll find I'm primarily a wedding and engagement photographer. That's just what I seem to get the most inquiries for. So I was a little nervous about living up to Brigit's expectations, since she is a portrait photographer specializing in kids. It is always a little nerve-wracking photographing another photographer.

Brigit's family had a lot of fun on the beach, and Brigit has a lot of energy to keep up with her kids!

First is Brigit's son A, who is a great help with his younger siblings.

Then we have the middle child, Miss I.

Miss C:

And Brigit herself:

I titled this one "Photographer's Children." Many photographers report that their own children are the least cooperative subjects. I think Brigit's kids were over the photo session at this point, and this image just makes me laugh. A looks sullen, I is silly, and poor little C is crying. Sometimes, we have to remember these little moments.

They ended the session by jumping in the strong ocean and getting soaked!

I hope you had a safe trip back to New York and enjoyed your time in our sleepy little town! It was so, so, so wonderful to meet you!

Kim and Mike-Married-Slideshow-A Shore Thing

2011-07-31T16:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more images from Mike and Kim's wedding day!

Music is Jim Gaven's The Girl Next Door and is used with permission, as all music I use is licensed for sharing your images with you. :)

Kim and Mike-Married-I Do's-Destination Wedding in the Outer Banks

2011-07-31T09:38:00.000-07:00

At 6:30, I was up before the alarm. I hadn't slept much anyway-I can't sleep well the night before big days, worrying and planning. Next to me in bed were two bridal magazines and a few crumpled sheets of paper, since I was still looking for some posing ideas right before drifting to sleep. Who wakes up at 6:30am in a beach house on vacation?

I have a few very close girlfriends, and my month of July was crazy because two of my very best friends got married within a week of each other in two different states, plus I live in a third state a thousand miles away. And of course I wouldn't want to miss their weddings for anything, and I was also photographing them. And the month of July was already busy with other brides' weddings for me too!

First, Ashley got married. Then, it was Kim's turn. Last fall, Kim and Mike did an engagement session with me outside of their home in the Pittsburgh suburbs.

I drove a few minutes over to Nags Head, and I figured Kim would still be asleep at this hour after a late rehearsal dinner party. As I quietly let myself into her beach house, I was surprised to see her in the hall bathroom in an adorable floral romper, hot rollers in her hair.

Thus started the easiest, most stress-free wedding I have ever photographed, ever. There was tons of time to take different images, try out new things and new poses, and no worries at all. Kim is very easy-going, and the day ran so smoothly. One big factor that contributed to this is that Kim and Mike had a first look and were able to do most of their photos early in the morning before it got too hot on the beach and late in the day as the sun was setting. I highly recommend first looks to my brides and grooms.

And because of the first look, Mike and Kim got to spend their wedding day together, having fun and relaxing.

Kim and Mike have been together for ten years now, and they take marriage very seriously. Years ago, in school, one of our high school teachers predicted that out of all the young couples, Kim and Mike would be the ones to go the distance and he was totally right.

There have been occasions where, despite having done a fair amount of weddings, I still tear up when the bride comes down the aisle. And this was one of those weddings.

As Kim and her parents reached the top of the dune, my memories of her filled my mind. Kim in ninth grade biology when I first met her, her hair pulled back in little clips. Kim and Mike posing together for a photo outside of the trolley we all took to prom. Kim coming into my college job, still dressed in her bank teller work clothes, asking if I'd be her roommate the next year.

The two of us looking at engagement rings and the David's Bridal catalog in our small, cold townhouse in State College. Kim buying her first house and painting her master bedroom one scorching July summer. Kim as a bridesmaid, laughing and pulling people onto the dance floor at my wedding reception. The Christmastime call telling me she was engaged that made me so happy, I had to pull my car to the side of the road and get all the details right then.

Kim and Mike's ceremony was attended by 60 friends and family, from Pittsburgh, Maryland, D.C., Philadelphia, and Florida. After the ceremony, they headed to Pamlico Jack's for a reception dinner, and then back to the beach houses for more late night fun.

I know they have even more friends and family that want to celebrate with them, so they're having an at-home reception as well. I have no doubt it will be just as much fun as their wedding day-Mike and Kim really know how to throw a great party!

Enjoy your at-home reception, you two! Thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of your wedding day!

Amy and Dennis-Married-Slideshow

2011-07-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Some of the groomsmen got a little rowdy during the portrait session (look for a crazy expression and I can't begin to tell you what kind of shenanigans I had to edit out of the images) :)

And of course, please enjoy all of Amy's hard work in planning her beautiful, sweet wedding.

Amy and Dennis-I Do's-Married!-Modern Elegance

2011-07-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

Amy met me when we were both working another wedding, the wedding of Amy and Tom last summer. Amy was the hairdresser for that wedding and even appeared in some of their images.

On her wedding day, Amy was even working a bit despite her boss's protests, as she wanted to do a few styles for some of the bridesmaids.

With Amy being a hairdresser, I knew that her wedding day hair would be fabulous and she did not disappoint. I've never seen more beautiful wedding day hair ever, and the jewelry she chose was perfect. She also wore her grandfather's ring around her neck. Upon hearing this plan, I wondered "How is she going to incorporate this?" but she made it work on a long, thin silver chain.

The colors were hot pink, white, and black, and the white and black was actually incorporated as a zebra print.

Something unique about Amy and Dennis's ceremony was that they had the opportunity to kiss twice during it. I didn't know Dennis very well before the wedding, but I can tell he's a really wonderful, easy-going guy who adores Amy.

After the church ceremony, Amy and Dennis took their bridal party to a second location where they had obtained permission from their well-connected friend/employer for a few portraits before continuing to the country club for the reception. One of the best parts of hosting your reception at the club is getting to use the golf carts to drive around and take portraits on the golf course. I think the guys in the group enjoyed driving the carts much more than having their portraits taken!

During the toasts, the maid of honor rose and told of how Amy as a little girl always wanted a "big princess wedding." I love when brides have their own unique vision for the day and work hard and achieve it. No two weddings are alike!

She certainly planned her dream day. She had a spectacular church that matched her color scheme with pink walls. She had a full ballgown and a bouquet with feathers. The uplighting transformed the ballroom and the candy buffet was extravagant. But most importantly, she had her perfect groom.

Amy's dress was fairly large, but that didn't stop her from dancing all the steps to "Footloose" at the reception!

I hope you two are enjoying being newlyweds and that you had a great time out on the boat last weekend!

Thanks so much for allowing me to be a very small part of your big day and beautiful wedding! I wish you two so much happiness and love!

Kristina and Josh-Engaged!-Will You's?-Engagement Portraits at the Winery

2011-07-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Kristina has been so patient in waiting for her engagement portrait sneak peeks. It has been two weeks (although I showed her a quick image last weekend)! I do try to blog sessions in the order in which I photograph them out of fairness to all my couples, so Kristina and Josh's images have been sitting here, complete, ready for blogging, and I've been dying to get to them-their image package has been taunting me on my desk. July is such a busy month in the world of weddings! Thanks so much for your patience, Kristina and Josh.

Kristina and Josh are getting married this fall and I'm just so excited for them. Kristina is honestly one of the prettiest girls I have ever met, ever. A few years ago, I saw her photo on a Christmas card, since our parents know each other through work, and I thought how gorgeous both Kristina and her sister are. So I was super excited when she emailed me to photographer her engagement portraits and wedding. I love photographing her even more because she is on the short side and so am I, so it is easier for me to photograph her at eye level! :) (I love you tall brides too; I just use a little stepladder to get on your level and avoid shooting from down below).

We started planning out their session several months ago, and located a wonderful winery outside of Pittsburgh that was gracious enough to welcome us in for photos. We lingered after the session-I think we closed the place down!

It was hot and sunny when we arrived, but we were able to find some shade. The session wasn't rushed at all, but leisurely, and Kristina and Josh are pros at modeling, barely needing any direction.

They're not only at ease in front of the camera, but they are both SO, so nice. When a couple is good-looking, that's great, but it is what is on the inside that counts and makes for a fun session. A great fit with each other, sweet personalities, and nice and polite (as well as willing to try any crazy poses I ask), well, I just couldn't ask for better clients! That's pretty much a photographer's dream, nice people in love. They're wine aficionados, so we incorporated that into their session with a few styled items.

I loved working with the two of you and the fall can't come fast enough for your wedding! :)I can't wait to go out and make more images together on your big day! Thanks so much for giving me the chance to capture these photographs for you two!

Ashley and Ryan-Married-Slideshow

2011-07-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

A lot of my potential brides wisely ask to see a full wedding of images prior to making their photographer selection. Here on the blog, I typically only show my twenty or so favorites from each wedding-of course, my couples' favorites may be different than mine!

I wanted to start showing a more representative sample of an entire wedding day here on the blog, including things that don't usually "make the cut" but are necessary and important elements of the wedding day, such as family formals. Hopefully, this helps out potential brides, whether you are shopping for a photographer or just looking around for wedding day details.

I also know Ashley loves slideshows-she made one to play in the background at her and Ryan's reception of their growing-up photos, so hopefully, she enjoys this slideshow as well.

If you are browsing this at work, the slideshow does have music, so you might want to turn your speakers down if you are in a cubicle.

Ashley and Ryan-Married-I Do's-A Love Story

2011-07-24T09:02:00.001-07:00

When I was eleven years old, I went to Laura P's birthday party at the bowling alley, and there, I met this beautiful, mature young lady. At eleven, Ashley was considered tall. She had long hair that was highlighted and she even managed to get it straight in the days before straightening irons were popular. She looked older than her age and was popular. I, on the other hand, was just a little girl at age eleven. I was short (still am), awkward (still am), had terrible, frizzy hair that my momma wouldn't allow me to highlight (yes, still do) and my best friends were books. Needless to say, I was the total opposite of Ashley. Ashley tells me there is a photo of this first meeting somewhere, and I hope it never surfaces because I am wearing denim overalls (no, I did not live on a farm), while I know she looks confident and pretty in a Hang Ten t-shirt or some such stylish item from the 1990's. And the kicker is that this pretty, popular, confident girl was nice to little old me.

Ashley is one of my oldest and closest friends. When I walked into her hotel room, her maid-of-honor Leah, who I absolutely adore, asked what it is like to work weddings. I absolutely LOVE my job and love every minute of it, but I told Leah "Stressful-especially when you are working for friends." You want so badly to get it right for someone you've been close to for more than a decade. A lot of photographers choose, wisely, not to do friends' weddings for this reason, but what can I say, I like a challenge. :)

Ashley and Ryan were engaged for 364 days. Last summer, we met for their engagement portraits, and time flew by. Before I knew it, it was their wedding day!

I absolutely love all of Ashley's bridesmaids. They are super sweet, smart, kind, fun women, many of whom I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past years.

This is Ashley's great-great grandmother's ring.

Ryan is, as Ashley said when reading his wedding day card to her, a man of few words. Every time you speak with him, you are left saying to yourself "He is SUCH a nice guy" as you climb into your car or hang up the phone. Around Christmastime, Ashley and Ryan held a get together at their home, and I got so, so sick during it. It was embarrassing, but Ryan and Ashley took good care of me. I know they will be great parents because of how much they care for others and each other.

They worked hard within their budget to bring their wedding day to life. Ashley's always been a hard worker, so that's no surprise there. Their theme was "Our Love Story" and they incorporated that by using a graphic designer to create save-the-date bookmarks, invitations and programs made to resemble books, a card box shaped like a giant book, and table numbers named after famous love stories.

Bridal Gown: David's Bridal
Bride's Accommodations: Springhill Suites Pittsburgh Mills
Ceremony Venue: The Presbyterian Church of Plum Creek
Reception Venue: The Magnolia Room, Creighton, PA
Hair: Elisha Evans Styling
Makeup: Family Friend
Videography: Willow Productions
Entertainment: Andy Booth
Floral: KS Kennedy
Stationery: Penelope Poppy by Nicole Armstrong

Over the past year, Ashley and Ryan have really grown in their faith and become active in their church where their ceremony was held.

Two years ago, as a new couple at my wedding, Ashley and Ryan danced to "At Last" by Etta James, and they took to the dance floor once more at their reception as their friend and bridesmaid Carrie sang the song to them. The lyrics say "At last, my love has come along, my lonely days are over, and life is like a song." Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't at long last at all for them to meet and date and marry at all. It was all fate and exactly the way things were supposed to happen. At the end of the song, Carrie exclaimed "I love you, Ashley and Ryan," and that summed up the feelings of all the guests in the room as the music drifted out and the newlyweds began their journey together.

Here's to a lifetime of something special, Ashley and Ryan! I wish you so much happiness and I hope Mexico was fabulous!

Kelsey and Kevin-Will You's?-Engaged!

2011-07-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

Years ago, I met Kelsey at work. I was SO delighted to hear that she was engaged to be married! We both worked teaching summer school in Pittsburgh as young brand new teachers and education students. It was challenging and fun and crazy at times.

Just the other day, I was walking through a park on my lunch break, and saw a crowd of day campers running all over, teachers shouting instructions, and for a second, I turned to my husband and said "I miss that." He looked at me in disbelief, as the kids were quite rowdy and I haven't taught in more than three years. "I really do miss it," I repeated, and I meant it.

Of course, I LOVE photography and being my own boss. :)

One of the things I missed about teaching is meeting really great people like Kelsey and forming friendships with young women who are out to change the world one student at a time. Kelsey and Kevin met at Penn State University, where Kevin studied communication while Kelsey was in elementary education.

Their love for Penn State runs deep-they're hoping to get married at the stadium next summer!

I asked Kelsey and Kevin how long they had been together before getting engaged, and their answer was jokingly "This time? Or counting all the times?" I love that their relationship is so normal. They met when they were just freshmen in college, and of course had some on-again, off-again moments at that young age. But then a few years ago, they got serious.

They moved to D.C. for work and grew closer. Last Thanksgiving, Kevin bought a ring. Kelsey was on a field trip with her students, and they viewed the Hope Diamond at a museum. She sent Kevin a photo, teasing about the diamond's size.

When she came home that night, Kevin proposed with a diamond of his own, maybe not as large as the Hope Diamond, but every bit as special and precious. I think that makes it their own "hope" diamond, signifying their dreams of the future together.

While we were on the North Shore, a footrace was going on, blocking the typical skyline shots. I thought it might be fun to put Kelsey and Kevin in the middle of the craziness and let everyone race on by as they just paid attention to each other!

Enjoy your engagement, you two! It is a very exciting time, and I wish you so much happiness!

Shannon and Mikel-I Do's-Married in the Tropics!

2011-07-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

Shannon called me a year ago, during her summer break from teaching in Oregon. She and her fiance, Mikel, were planning Key West nuptials for July 4th weekend in 2011.
The year flew by, and before we all knew it, the hot weather and the wedding day were upon us!

Beauty: Key West Hair and Makeup
Venue: Ocean Key Resort
Shoes: Kate Spade
Videography and Entertainment: Soundwave Key West
Photo Booth: Key West Foto Fun

Shannon and Mikel chose Key West for the tropical feel, since they had both spent time in Hawaii, and Key West provides a similar atmosphere, but was much closer for the East Coast guests.

Upon arriving to the hotel, I went to the room Shannon gave me, 412. No answer. So I embarrassed myself by shouting "Photographer!!!" No answer. I was just about to open the door and walk in when Shannon directed me to room 410. Oops! :)

I think it took all three bridesmaids to get the bracelet clasped-it was definitely tricky.

Shannon is such a good sport-this was one of the hottest days we've had here, and, coming from up north, I know she wasn't as used to the heat, but she did a wonderful job sticking it out for the formals. :)

Mikel and Shannon chose to do what I think is the number one best thing you can do to help your wedding day flow smoothly-the first look. It was great to see their reactions and allowed them to get all the photos done, so they were able to really enjoy their cocktail hour and reception! I highly recommend all brides and grooms do this, and in some cases, due to scheduling, you simply have to.

She's close with her two sisters, and they walked her down the aisle. Meanwhile, Mikel's mom came to his rescue and ironed all the groom's and groomsmen's shirts. You might be old enough to get married, but you are never too old for mom's help.

There were some funny moments during the ceremony when loud boats of partygoers blasting music came sailing by, but Shannon and Mikel took it all in stride.

Throughout the day, Shannon's mom always had her camera in her hands-she didn't want to miss a moment. And Mikel's family was awesome as well. Mikel's brother and sister-in-law flew cross-country with their tiny, brand-new little baby just to be at the wedding. That's dedication and love.

During the reception, Shannon's sorority sisters sang to her. After all, she met Mikel at a sorority dance when he was in a fraternity. Stories like this and the close friendships make me wish I had joined Greek life!

After their meeting at that fateful dance, they dated for many years until Mikel popped the question in Hawaii. It wasn't at sunset, or on a catamaran, or on a black sand beach, but rather, in his brother's spare bedroom while visiting. But sometimes simple is best, and sometimes that ring is burning a hole in your pocket!

Shannon and Mikel, you are so sweet, laid-back, and fun. It was truly an honor to be there on the wedding day. I can tell you care deeply for each other and I wish you so much love and a marriage filled with happiness!

Corey and Melissa-I Do's-Port Canaveral Cruise Wedding

2011-07-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Melissa was a super laid-back bride. She planned her big day for her first port of call, Port Canaveral, here in Florida on the Norwegian Cruise Line. I was a little worried about the disembarking and the timeline, but Melissa hired some helping hands from Less Stress Events to set everything up, saving her a lot of time. The set-up was beautiful at Cocoa Riverfront Park.

Inside the Cocoa Civic Center, Melissa and her bridesmaids got dressed and ready, while the men were already set in their suits.

Then it was out to the park for a personal service officiated by Reverend Ann. Melissa wore her blusher over her face as she came down the aisle, as several of my recent brides have done. I love that this romantic trend is returning! :)

After the ceremony, Corey and Melissa danced on the amphitheater stage to a steel drum player and two family members playing guitar and singing. Live music is a great addition to your wedding! All the guests gathered around to watch, and I even spied a few park visitors checking out the beautiful decorations and happy couple as well.

The weather was hot and rain threatened, but held off until the very end of photos.

Melissa and Corey have known each other since they were just kids, and they currently make their home on the Jersey Shore, where Melissa teaches dance and Corey works at a university.

After the wedding, the guests boarded the Travelynx shuttle and traveled to Milliken's Reef for the reception.

Something usually goes a tiny bit awry at every wedding, and for a moment, Melissa's dad misplaced his passport. He found it just minutes later, thankfully!

At the end of the night, Melissa wanted to do a sparkler send-off, and her shuttle driver was so helpful in helping the couple get their sparklers lit with the wind and rain.

Too soon, it was time for Corey, Melissa, and all their family and friends to head back to the dock and board. But they weren't too sad to go, since they were on their way to the Bahamas! :)

It was such a pleasure to work with you. I hope you had a fabulous time on the rest of your cruise and that you enjoy your photographs!

Sarah and Chris-Married-I Do's-A Nautical Wedding

2011-07-01T13:34:00.000-07:00

There is so much hope and promise in a young marriage. I met Sarah and Chris a year and a half ago at their apartment in Orlando. We did an engagement session together last April and time passed quickly. Chris graduated, got a job, and the two of them moved to Tampa. Soon, their wedding day was here!

Together, Sarah and Chris have big dreams for the future. I heard Chris's best man talk about the dream of someday opening a law firm. They have a love of boats, and while they are in their early twenties now, I know that after finishing their educations, they will be well on their way to purchasing one.

Their love of boats and all things nautical led them to a ceremony and reception on the water in Palmetto, Florida.

Hair Styling: Hair by Deb
Accommodations: Palmetto Riverside B&B
Venue: Riverhouse Reef

I loved the area where Chris and the gentlemen got ready. It was built in the early 1900's and I was just amazed by it. You don't see older buildings like this much in Florida.

As Chris got ready, he was listening to country music. I remarked that they had great taste in getting ready music. Sarah also brought in a little bit of the country theme by wearing cowboy boots.

I usually take shots of the bride's shoes, but this time, Chris and his groomsmen had special shoes too.

The men's outfits matched well with the theme, and after searching around, Chris finally found his watch, which had gone missing earlier in the day.

Sarah's aunt pitched in to help fashion the bouquets.

Sarah's an education student in her final year, while Chris works as a paralegal and will be attending law school.

The bridesmaids and bride had a little bet going throughout the night. I can't reveal here what it was, but I just want to know who won the bet!

Sarah's gown was extremely heavy, so I give her so much credit for wearing it in the Florida heat. She never even broke a sweat.

Sarah and Chris didn't do a first look, but they did hold hands around a doorway. Sarah did a first look with her two dads, and the moment was emotional.

The ceremony light was really strong, so I was able to get photos that looked like both this:

And this, by varying my settings.

After the ceremony, the bridal party used the dock and even a boat that one of the owners was nice enough to loan them.

Before going into the reception, we took some bride and groom portraits around the property. The overcast weather really helped with the lighting.

The bride and groom got to enjoy their reception, and just as the sun was setting, we got a last silhouette shot with the sunset in the background.

Sarah and Chris, I hope you had a wonderful time on your cruise! I wish you so much happiness as you sail through life together!

Cindy and Patrick-I Do's-Married!

2011-06-24T18:41:00.001-07:00

Patrick was an involved groom, and he called me to say that Cindy had found my website and wanted to hire me. They were having a small intimate wedding in my neck of the woods in just a few months. Luckily, I was still available for that day, so I was happy to work with them!

These two have one of the most interesting stories I've encountered. They met when they were teenagers, when Cindy came all the way from Germany as a foreign exchange student who was assigned to Patrick's family. But they were both just kids then, and Cindy had to return to Germany.

Fifteen years later, they happened to reconnect, and on a hot, hot June day, they got married.

The wedding was a hometown affair for Patrick, and some of the best vendors in Brevard came together to make it a success.

Venue: Radisson Suite Hotel Oceanfront in Melbourne Beach
Officiant: Reverend Ann Fuller
Bridal Gown: Mori Lee
Entertainment: Richard Barker with National Entertainment Group

Many of the guests came from Germany. After the reception, Cindy and Pat were headed to an after-party, because, in Germany, according to Cindy, weddings and receptions are much longer than in the US, and the guests wanted to keep having fun. Cindy's sister and family came all the way from Germany, and her sister served as a bridesmaid.

Reverend Ann officiated, and I absolutely love working with her. She personalizes your ceremony, and mentioned how important family is to Cindy and Pat. Sometimes, when you don't get married in a church setting, your ceremony can be very brief-almost too brief, and definitely too short for your photographer to grab great shots. But with Reverend Ann, you won't have that problem. She provides a great ceremony that isn't too long or too short. It allows you to really have your ceremony and commitment as the focal point for your wedding day!

Patrick's boutonniere was definitely unique; I love this idea.

Good thing I got a shot of the rings prior to the ceremony, because during the ceremony, there was a little laughter as they both had to push the rings to get them on. Later, I wanted to get an additional ring shot, but they actually couldn't get them off! The Florida heat will do that to you!

The rain came down before the ceremony and after, but held off for the actual event, and the lighting for the ceremony was just perfect because of it. I love bright overcast for ceremonies instead of full sun. It keeps us all cooler and the photos have less shadows.

Cindy posed for a photo with her daughter, who served as a junior bridesmaid.

Thanks so much, Pat and Cindy, for choosing me as your photographer! I wish you so much happiness!

Jessica and James-I Do's-Married!

2011-06-22T21:45:00.000-07:00

Jessica and James found me through my previous clients, Megan and Chris. I always love for my wedding couples to be referrals from previous clients, since that means they've already seen my work and how I work, so we're more likely to be a good fit!

Jessica and James found each other online, while volunteering with Relay for Life. They were giving of their time to others, and right away, I knew they would be a super sweet, fun couple.

Hair and Makeup: Aveda Institute
Bridal Gown: Bill Levkoff
Accommodations: Park Plaza Hotel
Coordination: Kristy Rapp Events
Venue: Winter Park Farmer's Market
Floral: Jonathan's Flowers
Catering: 4Rivers Smokehouse
Entertainment: Tami Davis with TamiDJ
Cake: Blue Bird Bakeshop

Jessica is a teacher and a veteran one at that, which is very impressive. I have so much respect for teachers. She had many teacher friends at her wedding! James is in sales and, at the reception, several of his family's Danish touches were including, such as a special toast and shot.

Jessica's bridesmaid came all the way from Sweden to stand up for her, so she definitely wins the award for farthest traveled. After hairstyling, the ladies gathered at the Park Plaza Hotel, which is adorable and charming. I'm dying to stay in this 1920's era hotel, which recalls a day when people came into town on the train, the very train that stopped at the former train depot where the ceremony and reception were held. Even the elevator was rustic and called to mind a fancier time.

Jonathan's Flowers did the floral design, and the bride and groom provided their own blooms from a friend's orchid farm. Due to the hot weather, Jessica wisely waited to put the flowers in her hair until just before the ceremony.

And it was definitely hot outside! But the Winter's Park Farmer's Market has great A/C, and even the ceremony was on the covered patio, which came in handy when the rain started to come down during the reception. But the rain did indeed hold out for the portraits and ceremony, so we fit it all in!

The food was delicious barbecue. I've heard that 4Rivers is so popular in Orlando that the line is often out the door and around the block for to-go orders.

These little jam jars were their favors. They went with an owl motif and the favor tags said "I hope you had a hoot!"

DJ Tami played great music and definitely switched it up from the usual wedding selections. James ended up spending part of the night with a genuine "ball and chain" around his leg as part of a little prank. The last two songs played fit perfectly with Jessica and James' fun personalities and the venue. First, everyone formed two lines and danced to the last song from the movie "Hitch," where each couple came down the line and showed off their moves. And late in the evening, a train passed through Winter Park, so Tami put on the "Train" song as the train outside blew its horn in celebration of Jessica and James' wedding day!

Congratulations to you two! I wish you a lifetime of happiness and fun together! :)

Heritage Family Session-Christina's Family

2011-06-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

Christina's extended family was in town from up north for a family vacation, so she decided to get some images done! Unfortunately, a few of her grandkids fell sick, but we decided to do the session with the out-of-town relatives anyway. (We'll have to do another session when the little ones are feeling better!)

The weather on the night of the session was absolutely perfect for beach photography. Christina and her family were so nice and fun, including Christina's niece, who quickly became obsessed with gathering shells. She even filled up her dad's shoes with them and had huge handfuls of them as she left the beach. I don't usually think of Brevard beaches as being good for shells, but I guess I was wrong (at least through the eyes of a child)!

As the light faded, I really enjoyed capturing this silhouette shot for them. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves, so it was nice, unspoiled, and quiet. I hope you guys had a great time creating some images.

Thank you so, so much for choosing Kristen Wynn Photography! :)

Heritage Family Sessions-Linda and Family!

2011-06-13T16:58:00.000-07:00

Typically, fall is a busy time for family portraits, just in time for Christmas cards. But this year, I've actually received several calls and emails for family portraits in the month of June. Although I photograph a lot of weddings (and thus, at weddings, family shots), I really enjoy family portraits and am so thankful that I've been able to do several this month.

Linda's family was special to me. Linda and her two sisters got together here on vacation with their mom. It was a ladies' trip, and I could tell they were having a lot of fun roadtripping a little with their rented Jeep. Linda told me that there are actually six children in the family, three girls and three boys.

I was taking a few images of just the sisters when we looked over and caught their mom just leaning against the railing of the little house. I really liked the image in black and white because I thought it was a classic, timeless look:

Big families are a blessing and so fun-I overheard some wild tales of what life was like growing up while I was encouraging the ladies to laugh for the images. This photo session and vacation was only for the ladies, so if Linda's three brothers ever come into town, we'll have to squeeze a session in for them.

I haven't had a photo done with my siblings and parents in several years, and doing this photo session makes me want to schedule that soon.

We were also able to take advantage of a shady spot that was lush and green. I've always wanted to photograph near our library, and the foliage kept us all cool on a hot day.

Ladies, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you had fun and love your photos as much as I do! Thank you so much!

Heritage Family Session-The M Family

2011-06-08T09:52:00.001-07:00

This is one of the larger groups I have had, and I know a lot of planning went into this session on Angie's part!

Angie came to me via a referral from my friend and fellow photographer, Jen Stevenson. She had been trying to get a session set up for months, but when you have twenty-nine other people's schedules to coordinate, including six little ones of your own, it can be tough.

Luckily, the weather held out and the lighting was perfect as we set up in a local park. It was great to see an entire family reunited and the kids did a wonderful job in being patient.

What I love about this session is that Angie had everyone coordinate, but not match, for clothing. We picked three colors (green, blue, and cream) and had everyone mix and match with denim. The result really popped against the natural setting. I was so thrilled to see everyone switch up their outfits from the standard "white shirts and khaki pants" many families do, and by choosing a range of colors, you decrease the need for people to purchase special outfits just for the photo shoot. This way, everyone can look and feel their best!

While I was there to capture this large family image, we were also able to fit in some individual family portraits.

Thanks so much for selecting Kristen Wynn Photography for your family portrait! :) Please keep in touch; it was so wonderful to meet all of you!

I Do's-Erica and Nick-Married!

2011-05-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Erica and Nick infused their wedding with so many personal touches! I remembered from their engagement session how much Nick loves the Pittsburgh Penguins, and they incorporated that with rally towels, the garter, jerseys, and cufflinks.

Hair: Divora Hair Salon, Coraopolis

Makeup: Pittsburgh Makeup by Julie Marckisotto
Floral: Lilies Flowers, Burgettstown, PA
Gown: Casablanca Bridal

Veil, Jewelry, Accessories: CK Bridal, Oakdale, PA

Ceremony: Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Coraopolis
Reception: Crowne Plaza-Pittsburgh International Airport
Videography: Heartsong Videography
Entertainment and Uplighting: DJ Mark Tishko
Transportation: Broadway Limousine
Tuxedos: American Commodore
Bridesmaids' Attire: David's Bridal

Favors: Homemade wine from the Castle family (Johnstown, PA)
Photography: Kristen Wynn Photography

Engaged on Thanksgiving 2009, Erica was the very first wedding I ever booked. I remember she contacted me the day I announced that I was starting my small little business. For taking a chance on me and giving me that confidence boost, I will be forever grateful to her.

Having been engaged for a year and a half, Erica was more than ready for the day when I talked to her early in the week. In fact, she was feeling very anxious prior to the ceremony and asked me a few times if she was the most nervous bride I've ever had. Don't worry, Erica, almost everyone gets nervous!

The rain kept coming down throughout the morning, so Erica had to bring her long cathedral-length veil to the house to put it in. There were a few seconds when mom and the bridesmaids tried to get it in without success, but all they had to do was just turn it upside down. :) Problem solved!

Erica's parents' home is gorgeous. The lighting in the living room is beautiful.

One of the sweetest, most touching moments of the day was in Erica's childhood home. Her sister and maid-of-honor bent down to put on her garter and then her shoes. Both girls teared up, and I heard Erica's sister express her surprise and disbelief that her older sister was getting married by saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this on your wedding day."

Nick recently earned his master's degree. He was raised by his grandma, and she was so proud on the wedding day.

It was definitely an emotional day for Erica, but Nick supported her throughout the ceremony. I think great advice for brides is to just be fully present that day. Whatever your emotions, just go with them! And I can't say I didn't tear up as Erica walked down the aisle...her dress fit like a glove and the afternoon light glowed behind her and her dad.

I caught bridesmaid Liz's expression as she witnessed the vows.

After the ceremony (and the nerve-wracking aisle walk), Erica was relaxed and all smiles. And the rain stopped long enough for photos at Robert Morris University since our first choice photo site was rained out.

Then it was on to the reception! The dance floor was packed the entire night until last call and the last dance. Everyone toasted the couple with a "salut!" to pay homage to their Italian heritage.

Erica and Nick, I wish you SO much happiness and love! Thank you to you, your families, and your wonderful bridal party for putting up with me and making the day so beautiful. Enjoy your well-deserved honeymoon in Cape May!

Will You's-Phillip and Shayla-Engaged Part Two!

2011-05-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a few additional engagement portraits from Phillip and Shayla's session. I am always striving to improve, and I started thinking I had some other favorites from the session too...it was tough to decide. So I decided to post them too! :) There's no rule saying you have to fit all the images in one blog post!

Here's an encore to Part One!

Maybe my favorite, don't know why I overlooked it before!

Will You's-Phillip and Shayla-Engaged!

2011-05-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

Most of my couples come from referrals, which is great, since I already know we will have a connection. But Phillip and Shayla found me through the internet, and we'd all only talked online. So I was a little nervous as I prepared for their engagement session!

I highly advocate doing an engagement session, since it really helps you get to know your photographer. It also allows you to get comfortable in front of the camera. You learn your best angles. And you find poses you love (and poses you can tell the photographer to avoid on your wedding day). Another great plus to engagement sessions is getting to see how great your partner looks in the images. There is always an image where you look at your husband or wife-to-be and think "Wow, he really looks cute from that angle" or "I love her eyes in this photo."

I met up with Phillip and Shayla at the Mellon Institute. I love the light here, and it also provided some cover from the rain, since the weather had been quite stormy in Pittsburgh. Overcast is the best light sometimes, and I miss those shooting conditions already down here in sunny Florida! Since Mellon Institute is practically an institution for portraits in Pittsburgh, I like to challenge myself to use it differently than I've done in the past and use different angles and poses than other photographers.

Phillip and Shayla met online. I loved hearing them tell their story-Phillip started it and Shayla jumped in to finish. Shayla had tried out a dating site a few times previously without meeting "the one." So she decided that this time around would be her last attempt with it. Lucky for her, Phillip was just signing up. It was his first Match.com date and her last...and it was their last first date ever.

It turns out, Shayla actually attended college with one of my 2010 brides, Amy-it's a small world! After college, Shayla also received training in working in a vet's office and currently cares for the animals there. Phillip works for a local university.

They're currently dealing with a little bit of a long-distance relationship, so I know they are eager for their August ceremony and reception in the South Hills to be able to spend more time together and not have to travel back and forth so much!

We had so much fun chitchatting and getting images that I accidentally kept us out way past the end of our session time-oops, and it was on a school/work night too. Sometimes, when you have a couple that is really sweet and fun, it is hard not to get carried away with just getting "one more shot!"

I can't wait for your summertime wedding-I'm so excited! It was SO, SO good to meet you two! Congrats on your engagement!

The M Family-Celebrating 40 Years Together!

2011-05-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

I photograph a lot of weddings, and weddings are beautiful. They are the start of what we all hope will be a life long journey together.

What's even more beautiful and inspiring is to see a long marriage celebrated. Shannon's parents have been married for forty years! I can't even imagine the challenges they've worked through and the good times they've had together over forty years. I'm just amazed at their commitment to each other.

Family and friends turned out for the event, and one couple in attendance told me that they had actually been in the wedding. So often, I hear of people losing touch with their bridal parties, so a long friendship like that is to be celebrated as well!

Shannon had her new baby at the party, and she might have stolen a little of the attention! :) But I think the proud grandparents, the attendants of honor, are okay with that!

To Mr. and Mrs. M, I can only hope that my marriage lasts as long as yours and is as happy as yours! You are certainly an inspiration to everyone! Here's to forty more years!

Meet Bre!-A Headshot Session

2011-05-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

About six years ago, I was more involved in theater and acting (I still really love going to plays). Bre and I were signed with the same agency and hired to work as background on a movie. As we waited for hours and hours for filming to happen (it is a hurry up and wait kind of job), I got to know this nice, outgoing girl that was a Pitt graduate student and an accomplished actor.

Background is basically "extra" work-walking around in scenes behind the characters, that sort of thing. In Pittsburgh, there's actually a decent amount of filming going on, so there are opportunities to earn some good money and have fun working on a film set.

That was six years ago, so needless to say, Bre's headshots needed some updating. Headshots in color are in style now, and a few years ago, black and white was standard. To get work, you have to look like your headshot. And you need nice headshots to even get called in for an audition. She thought of me, and I'm so, so flattered that she did! :)

In the six year span since we met, we've each gone on to earn a master's degree and start careers. We kept in touch via Facebook. Bre's a great teacher, and she keeps up with her love of acting by taking classes, auditioning, and working when the call comes in.

We made sure to do a variety of looks, including smiling girl next door images and some more serious shots (although I know Bre feels she looks weird without a smile-hopefully these shots will change her mind!).

The weather last week was cold in Pittsburgh, but you can't tell at all from the photos-Bre kept smiling even though it was pretty cold. And Bre's Shadyside neighborhood is so cute and has great lighting for images-I can tell now why it is THE neighborhood to live in in the city.

For two days in 2005, Bre and I worked together in dozens of scenes-there was a prom scene, a classroom scene, a cafeteria, I felt like Bre especially had a lot of air time. When the movie came out (I hear it wasn't all that good, I've never seen it myself), Bre patiently sat through all of it, looking carefully...and then messaged me to say that we had been cut! We were nowhere to be found!

Ah, that's show business, I guess! But Bre has had success with other roles, including the pilot of the show Smith-she's featured twice. And, insert "The Office" joke here, she keeps up with Improv classes, just like Michael Scott (only she's much, much better at it than he is). :)

Bre, I know you will have a lot of success with acting! I hope you love your new headshots as much as I do! Please keep in touch with me and let me know all the roles that you land!

I Do's-Ashton and Ryan-Married!

2011-05-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

When Ashton called me last September, it took me just a few moments to place her. We went to the same high school. Time flies!

In the early afternoon, I met up with Ashton at Regis Salon as she and her bridesmaids had hairstyling for their big day. The day before Ashton's wedding was the Royal Wedding, and, like Kate, Ashton did her own makeup. She also showed me a photo of her dress while she was getting ready, so I knew she was excited about it!

The day was overcast, but the rain held out for us. One thing that struck me about the weather was how lush and green everything looked in Pittsburgh from the continual rain they had had over the past weeks.

We had an extremely, extremely tight time frame for the wedding, and when the ladies started to run late (that always seems to happen on the wedding day), we switched gear and went over to the men, who were getting ready at the fire station where they work. So the lesson is, no matter how long you think it is going to take to get ready, double it. That's the true amount of time it takes. :)

For all you future brides out there, I know it seems crazy, but for a 5pm ceremony, it isn't at all too early to start getting ready at 9am. And that way, you get to spend more time in your dress, enjoying the day!

We even brought the truck out for a few shots. Ryan and the groomsmen were really nice to get ready early when the ladies ran behind, so thanks so much for being cooperative and flexible! While we were there, there was actually a fire alarm, and the on-duty firefighters all ran out, which was a cool thing to see.

Then, we hurried back over to Ashton and Ryan's home, where Ashton was getting dressed. Ashton's bridesmaid did her best to lace the corset of the gown, but Ashton's amazing grandma has experience in that department and was able to get it even tighter. Thank goodness for Grandmas! It is always nice to have them around on the wedding day since they've seen and put on lots of weddings.

I wanted to share this photo because it made me smile to see a modern bride who is very busy texting on her phone while having someone else put on her shoes and garter. I also smiled to see an entire hallway dedicated to the Steelers in their home! :)

Ashton's flowers were crafted by Breitinger's Flowers, and they always do a wonderful job. Their gorgeous wedding florals can also be seen here, at the beautiful wedding of Amy and Tom last summer.

After backyard formals, we had to rush to head to the venue, Kingston Hall, in Monroeville for the ceremony and reception. Ashton really let her emotions show throughout the ceremony, which was officiated by Ryan's mom, as she is a local mayor.

Before dinner was served, we had time to create some bridal party images in the parking lot at the venue, since time was of the essence. Luckily, there was great light there, so we all dodged vehicles to get some images. Ashton's son did a great job as the ringbearer.

By special request, Ashton wanted a photo of her with the guys, and the groom with the girls. I don't typically do these shots as part of my repertoire, but if you have a special request, absolutely let me know, and I'll do my best to get that image for you.

Then it was time to work with just Ashton and Ryan, so we cut everyone else loose to join the party!

The had a long engagement, as Ryan proposed to Ashton after the birth of their son almost two years ago, while she was still in the hospital. And on the last Saturday in April, they were able to fully complete their family.

After the images of the two of them were created, we headed inside for the party. The theme was "Lucky in Love" and included gambling touches, since Ashton and Ryan were off to their Atlantic City honeymoon. There were also a few fireman touches as well, and everything matched the apple red color Ashton had chosen. Entertainment was provided by Cameron Entertainment.

I hope you two had a wonderful time on your honeymoon! I'm so glad we got to work together! I wish you so much happiness together!

Will You's-Sherrell and Joey-Engaged!

2011-05-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sherrell first contacted me a few months ago, looking for a wedding photographer. I wanted to work for them because Sherrell was so sweet, but I was already booked.

Even if I'm already booked for your day, or your wedding was a few years back, or you went with someone else for photographs, I'm always happy to do a family session, couples session, or a just because session with you! There's so many opportunities for photography, so send me an email, I'd love to work with you, no wedding commitment required!

Luckily, Sherrell and I still got to work together on her engagement photos! :) She and Joey have been engaged for four years and she was in need of some images for her save the dates for her October wedding. I know Sherrell has been anticipating these photos being posted, so I wanted to get them blogged as soon as possible.

Four years is a long time to be engaged, but they got engaged young, so planning a wedding right away was understandably not the priority! Sherrell was a student at Florida Institute of Technology, while Joey was working and taking classes. Through the years they've been together, Sherrell graduated and relocated for a job, and Joey began on his career path as an electrician. They've moved to the west coast of Florida for work and now back here to Brevard County.

Sherrell currently is a software engineer and Joey's apprenticing.

We decided to go to downtown Melbourne (during a busy street festival!) because of the great lighting and cute shops. Sherrell and Joey describe themselves as casual people, bu I loved Sherrell's dressier outfit too for the shoot!

I have so much respect for Sherrell and Joey for staying together through the years and working together as a couple. We all change so much from our younger days, and it takes a strong couple to grow together through their early twenties than to grow apart.

It was so great to meet you! I know your fall wedding will be beautiful! :) Thanks so much for coming out and creating some great images with me!

Heritage Family Session-Miss S-One Year Portraits

2011-04-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

A year ago, I met Erin, her husband Bo, and their little one S. :) What a huge difference a year makes! :) Baby S just turned one!

Erin and Bo were some of the first people I ever took photographs for, and I loved seeing them again. They are seriously the sweetest most easygoing parents. I told them I'm not a specialist in toddler shots since I don't have any kiddos of my own yet, but S is a super little girl and didn't make me run around too much!

I think it is so important to take photos throughout that first year because your baby is literally changing each and every day.

S. is starting to pull up and really get around, and I swear she was trying to say "Uh oh" when she repeatedly dropped her pacifier. I think she was getting a kick out of all of us trying to keep it clean.

It was pretty cold for Orlando in late April, but S. was kept entertained by some Disney toys. I can't say the party hat was her favorite thing to wear, but it is adorable! And swinging on the swing was a nice distraction from the hat for her!

Erin really knows how to dress her daughter; little girls are so much more fun to dress up than little boys. Love all the headbands!

And although the shoot was for S's birthday, I wanted to get a few family shots. This image was so sweet to me. :)

Thank you so much for having me capture these images for you. Your daughter is beautiful. Cherish this time; I hope the first birthday party was great! :)

I Do's-Natascha and Thomas-Married!

2011-04-25T16:15:00.001-07:00

Natascha and Thomas decided to have an intimate beach destination wedding-almost an elopement. The couple hails from Hamburg, Germany, so it was quite the vacation! Natascha's parents came along to witness their nuptials in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea at the Sealord Hotel. Makeup artistry was done by Aimee Ortega.

For several years, Natascha and Thomas have vacationed here, so they knew it was the perfect place to tie the knot. After dating for six years and being engaged for three, they wanted to do something different than the traditional German wedding, which takes place at the city hall.

Natascha loved planning all of the little details for the big day. I know she loved her shoes!

Natascha and Thomas chose to do a first look on the grounds of the hotel. First looks are great because the emotion is there, you can talk to each other, and share a kiss before heading down the aisle. It is a really private moment in a day of wedding craziness.

There wasn't a language barrier between Natascha, Thomas, and me at all; they speak excellent English! We even talked about one of the shows we have in both Germany and the U.S., the Office. Their wedding ceremony was done in German, and I don't pretend to know what was said, but it was intimate and sweet. And everyone had a moment of laughter when it appeared the wedding bands were just a little tight, but they ended up fitting just fine.

Natascha loves Tiffany and Co. and Thomas treated her to some wedding day gifts. Shopping in the stores here in Florida is something they really love to do on vacation because of the selection here in the U.S.

Thomas is a store manager and Natascha is a flight attendant, and the story of how they met six years ago is really sweet. Natascha was working in a computer store when Thomas came in; she waited on him.

According to Natascha, they moved in together practically that night and have been together ever since. They even have a special stuffed animal momento from the beginning of their relationship-I think Thomas said his name is "Ratschinsky." Obviously, my spelling of the name is not accurate! :)

Natascha and Thomas, thank you so, so much for having me as your wedding photographer. I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon and vacation! I wish you so much happiness as a couple and many years of wedded bliss!

Milestones Event Photography-Prom 2011

2011-04-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Prom comes a lot earlier in Florida than it did where I grew up, in Pittsburgh. But that's a good thing, because the weather down here gets too hot for long gowns later in spring.

Two of my high school seniors, Kelli and Leigha, headed to Titusville's prom earlier this month. Kelli asked me to come out and take a few photos of her large group, and I was happy to do so. All of the kids were dressed in their finest and were so sweet and well-behaved and respectful to one another. And the property we were working on was beautiful-thanks to all the parents for getting the kids organized!

I heard that everyone had a great time celebrating their senior year! Thanks so much for having me take your prom images, class of 2011! I wish you all so much luck and success in the future!

Married-Katie and David-I Do's-Melbourne Beach Wedding Photography

2011-04-05T17:25:00.001-07:00

(Thanks is owed to Katie's bridesmaid who helped me with the dress! We breathed a sigh of relief when the strap came off, but thank goodness it was made that way!) :)

Usually, fathers of the bride are pretty hands-off in wedding planning. So I was pleasantly surprised when I heard from Katie's dad last year. He was planning some of his daughter's wedding, since she was living and working in Michigan, but wanting Florida nuptials in her hometown.

Katie's dad has an eye for photography and really enjoys it. His entryway at home is covered with photos of Katie and her eight brothers and sisters, and he also likes to edit in Photoshop. (Photographer friends, I planted the seed in his head about getting Lightroom, hope Katie's mom doesn't mind).

On the wedding day, I even spotted Mr. J with his 40D, but he was able to sit back and relax once we started with the formals.

Mrs. J is no stranger to weddings either, having put on many a wedding for her children over the years.

I met Katie for the first time during the week of her wedding and I knew it was a perfect fit. She was laid-back and happy and very go-with-the flow.

Katie's currently back in school for a second degree, but her current job is as a gymnastics coach; she specializes in trampoline. So she didn't need to do any extra toning to feel great in her dress. Her twin sister served as a bridesmaid.

David is also an instructor of sorts, a skydiving instructor. His skydiving nickname is Bart. I was so confused when told, "The groom's name is Bart. Well, David, but also Bart."

They met when Katie decided to go skydiving. The first jump you do is tandem, so they were strapped together for it and even have photos of their jump, the first day they ever met.

I know jumping shots are kind of cheesy, but we had to show off Katie and David's athletic skills!

I even overhead Katie telling the videographer that David first pursued her and she wasn't too receptive, but eventually came around! :)

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Ryckman Park, Melbourne Beach, Florida

Videographer: Sarah Walker Productions

Bart picked out an antique-style round diamond engagement ring, and Katie said yes.

They held an intimate wedding right down the street from Katie's family home, making the wedding day run smoothly. Katie had hair and makeup come to her, and the ceremony and reception were in the same spot, which always is nice for guests and for the couple as well.

Katie only had one request, and that was to do some photos at the beach. It was packed on such a gorgeous weather day, but that didn't stop us from finding a little empty stretch and getting some fun shots.

Katie and Bart, I hope you had an AMAZING time in Mexico on your honeymoon! Thanks so much for letting me be part of your special day; it was a privilege to work with you two interesting, amazing people!

Home Sweet Home-Commercial and Real Estate Photography-Vero Beach

2011-04-01T10:49:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago, I received a call from a woman who was opening her own business and needed some website and advertising images. Being a female business owner myself, I was intrigued. Timing didn't work out that time, but I was delighted that Lori and her sister remembered me and called me up for images this year.

They must have a great relationship to work so closely together, and their mom is involved as well!

Lori and Karen own a business called Our Boathouse in Vero Beach, Florida. They have a storefront on US 1, and you can also order their items online. Some of the images on the website linked above are mine as well. They specialize in nautically-inspired home design.

We were on a tight deadline because they needed magazine advertising images in just two days. But we worked hard and got the job done, featuring several different room scenes, including a bedroom, living area, and some specialty items. Karen even had her dog jump in for a few images just for fun, since the business really is a whole family affair.

Thanks so much for having me out to your home, Karen! :) I wish you ladies so much success in your business!

Heritage Family Sessions-The C Family

2011-03-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful to work with a great family last week in Titusville. This weather is perfect for family portraits-not too hot just yet, and not too cold like it can sometimes be around the holiday portrait time here in Florida.

Andrea emailed me and told me that she had recently had a baby and that attempting to take photos themselves simply wasn't cutting it anymore. With two big sisters and a new little baby, life can be hectic; it can be hard to get any of the kids to sit still for just a minute to take the photos.

I always like to get a few images of the couple without the kids as well, since the last time many couples had photos taken was on their wedding day.

I think we did a pretty good job of corralling the kids for some images, but luckily, I had help from grandparents and great-grandparents too. We were able to capture some nice extended family images in a beautiful community in Titusville. And while we were originally scheduled for an evening sunset time, I think moving the session to the morning was much better for the little ones.

Andrea, your family is beautiful and so sweet with one another. Thanks for having me as your photographer; it was a pleasure to work with you. I hope you enjoy your images for many years to come!

Heritage Family Sessions-The G Family-New Beginnings

2011-03-27T10:45:00.000-07:00

I met Rebeka on a hot, hot day last summer in a Panera Bread. I knew right away she was a super sweet lady who works hard. Months passed, and finally came the opportunity to work together and capture some family portraits of her daughter C and some headshots of just Rebeka.

Rebeka's entering a new phase of her life, and her confidence and smile really show how ready she is for this new beginning. She's a young mom with a great set of friends and family. As a matter of fact, we have a mutual friend in common, Jen Stevenson of Jen Stevenson Photography.

One thing Rebeka did for her session that helped out tremendously was to bring a friend along to keep a close eye on her daughter, C. This way, we had an extra set of hands, and were able to distract C and amuse her for better photos.

You can tell C adores her mom.

I also love the colors they chose for their outfits-coordinating without being exact matches of each other.

Thanks, C, for being so well-behaved on our long shoot. You certainly deserve that popcorn reward you earned!

Rebeka, thank you so much for coming out and making some portraits. I hope you treasure your images for years to come and I wish you so much happiness and success!

I Do's-Casey and Rob-Married!

2011-03-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Four months ago, I met Casey and Rob in Orlando for their engagement session, which appears here.

Casey and Rob's big day was the start of the weddings for this 2011 year for me, so I would be lying like crazy if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm still a new wedding photographer, and getting nervous before every shoot helps me keep from making mistakes. I didn't eat breakfast-I was running on pure nerves. When I arrived at the hotel, Casey and her bridesmaids were relaxing and we had a GREAT time line figured out with lots of time for photos.

On the day of her engagement photos, Casey had her hair trial, and she wore her hair down. But that was a modification from her wedding day hair, which she decided to wear up, with a sparkly headpiece. This was a great choice, since an up-do kept the wind from ruining her look. And it sure was windy two weeks ago at the Grand Plaza Hotel.

I like these two back to back shots I found on my camera of Casey and her bridesmaid during the getting ready and prep!

The weather was rainy earlier in the morning, but by the time of the ceremony, just wind remained, and Rob remarked that his father was looking down and making sure that their ceremony would be dry and sunny. Rob and his sister and mom are a very close family. When photographing them prior to the ceremony, I could just feel how proud his sister and mom are of him as a newly married man.

There was also the creation of a new family that day as Rob welcomed Casey's son with open arms. Thanks for lending me one of your favorite toys for this shot, J!

Casey and Rob opted for a first look, which really helps out with the wedding day time line. And doing a first look allows you to get photos as a bride looking your best, before all the tears of the ceremony.

The wind was so strong on the beach that it actually started to tear off Casey's professionally done lashes after the ceremony! But there were no worries, because we already had plenty of photos done of Casey and Rob prior, so they were able to just get to their reception and party.

Their cake topper with the famous St. Pete sunset.

And it was a great party. I think Rob was singing some Journey at one point! And Casey surprised Rob with a fun garter from Michigan, Rob's favorite school.

I hope you two had a WONDERFUL week long Caribbean honeymoon and that you enjoy your wedding photos for many years to come. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your big day; it was an honor.

A Day in the Life-Leigha-Class of 2011!

2011-03-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

Leigha first met me back when we did her friend Kelli's photo shoot. In my mind, I pictured her name as being "Leah," so when a "Leigha" contacted me, it took a moment to realize that it was the same girl.

We had a ton of fun on Kelli's shoot, and I knew Leigha's would be no different. We got rained out on our first attempt, so we rescheduled and ended up with much better weather.

I think incorporating who you are as a person makes the session more fun and unique-no one else will have a session like you. Leigha is an athletic trainer at the school and works closely with all the sports teams. This is helping her to prepare for her future career in the medical field. And she's already well on her way to earning her college degree, having earned some credits in high school already.

Something fun we did was take athletic wrap tape and put it all over my lens, then shoot through it, just to incorporate some of the tools of the trade.

It was great to meet Leigha's mom too-thanks for helping out! :)

Leigha's also a reader, and it was so impressive to see that she had "Of Mice and Men" in her car and also, she has read a lot of the classics. She's better versed in Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and many other curriculum books than I am, and I went to grad school for English education. So needless to say, Leigha's extremely smart.

Leigha, it was so great to see you again and thank you so much for choosing Kristen Wynn Photography for your senior photos.

I have absolutely no doubt that you will be successful in life. Have a wonderful end of your senior year and enjoy every second of this upcoming time!

Convention Photography: Assisting

2011-03-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Last year, I had the privilege of working for Fran Collin as an assistant at a convention in Walt Disney World.

So I was thrilled when Fran messaged me back and asked me to work for him again at this year's convention, this time at Disney's Coronado Springs resort. This resort is HUGE, by the way, and it was a hike with all the photography gear, so bring your walking shoes if you come.

I really enjoy the challenge of printing and assembling under a deadline. We were cutting it close and luckily finished up just in time. :) And I really enjoy learning from a much more experienced photographer and getting in a lot of education and guidance.

Thanks so much to Fran and to Donna, the event planner, for having me!

For Photographers: Power of Passion Tour Review

2011-03-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

If you are a client or one of my brides, this blog post about a training seminar I attended might be boring to you-I apologize in advance for the industry speak and education talk. So scroll down to see Amanda and Dante's engagement session at Disney's Boardwalk instead. If you are a photographer considering this seminar, I highly recommend it. :)

Last night, I attended Sandy Puc's Power of Passion Tour with special guest Jerry Ghionis in Orlando. As a newer photographer, I believe in attending classes and training whenever possible, always learning and advancing my skills. However, some seminars in our industry cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars for less than 12 hours of instruction. I want to get a good value for my educational dollar and not fall into the "buy buy buy" culture. This class could not be beat for $79 (normally $99, but I had a discount code), and the class ran from 2pm until 7:30 with a few breaks.

I am so, so thankful for Sandy and Jerry and team for bringing this opportunity to Orlando. It has changed me for the better and inspired me to be the best, nicest person I can be every single day.

Suggestions from an Attendee (and I'm being nitpicky here, and am in no way qualified to tell people what to change, just my two cents' worth):

*This is on the venue, not on Sandy and Jerry and team, but the seats were small (I'm a small woman to begin with) and tighter than economy class on an airline. I attended with a friend of mine who also is a photographer, and I was practically bumping her as I took notes. Sorry, Jen!

*The trade show area was in the hallway and it was extremely tight there as well. I briefly looked through the Finao albums and would have liked to look at more of the booths, but it was just too crowded to attempt.

*The timing seemed a little off with breaks. The first break was pretty far into the show, and then the second and last breaks were close together, with the last break coming just fifteen minutes before the end. There might be a reason for this, but I thought the first segment seemed long, although I was engrossed in the material (3 hours).

*You are not supposed to take photos or video during the seminar, including with your phone. It was a little distracting to me that those in front of me kept taking photos and video with their iPhones, but they may not have known the rules.

What I Loved (I'm being vague because I want you to go see it for yourself!):

*Jerry and Sandy are the real deal. They are long-time pros in the industry with years of experience. Sandy excels at marketing and Jerry is a master of his craft.

*The posing instruction was excellent.

*Professional instruction and presentation

*Many freebies, templates, and trial memberships

*Prizes-I didn't win, but it was cool to have so many opportunities.

*Sandy has a truly kind heart and is a good person. Much of the show was about inspiring you and emotions (hence "Power of Passion" as the title). I usually shy away from "soft" topic instruction such as this since it doesn't provide concrete information, but at the start of wedding season, we need a little boost to remember why-emotionally-we chose to become photographers.

*I loved that the show was on a Sunday. In the past, I've wanted to attend trainings, but they have fallen on wedding days-typically Fridays and Saturdays.

*No pressure to buy anything. I read a review recently that said there were a lot of sales pitches at their show. I didn't find that to be the case at all.

*Having the chance to network and meet local photogs-Hi, Carolyn!

*For me, the absolute best part was Jerry's presentation on not just photographing what you are given, but making an image and thinking outside of the box. This was UNREAL and you will have to see it to believe it. Do not miss this part and your mind will be blown. Shouts of "No way?!!!" and "What!" were coming from people's mouths-it is amazing.

I will gladly attend any future tours from Sandy and/or Jerry. It was amazing and an excellent value-$79 and I would even go as far as to say it was life changing and invigorating. You should sign up right now if you haven't already!

And because blog posts are boring without a photo, I leave you with an image I never posted from a few months ago:

Thanks for reading! Thanks again, Sandy and Jerry. I owe you big time for your expertise and advice!

Will You's?-Amanda and Dante-Engaged

2011-03-03T10:51:00.000-08:00

Amanda and Dante took a trip down to my neck of the woods in Florida to get out of the cold NY winter. They're actually the second couple I've worked with here in Florida from the Buffalo area.

They've been to Disney as a couple before and enjoy the magic of WDW, so the Boardwalk Resort was a perfect spot for their shoot.

Dante works in sales and Amanda works for a non-profit. They got engaged at home and Amanda's ring is fabulous. I love the halo style rings (I'm biased-I have one myself that I rarely wear while working, just sticking to my boring wedding band).

I love Amanda's dress from Banana Republic-she really styled herself for the shoot. It was perfect. Dante and I are also both fans of "The Office" TV show, so I knew right away this was a great couple! :)

A key to getting their shots was that we had great lighting and plenty of time. I always say to allow up to two hours for your shoot, and with Dante and Amanda, we were able to take advantage of every bit of that time and come up with a ton of variety in posing and locations.

I also want to thank Amanda and Dante's friends for coming along during the shoot and holding the bags and generally just being fun. I hope you all enjoyed heading over to Epcot after the shoot! :)

Thanks so much for choosing Kristen Wynn Photography. It was SO great to work with you two! Happy wedding planning!

Giving Back: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

2011-03-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep organization is one I became involved with a few months ago by going through the application process. Giving back is essential to me; I try to volunteer as much as possible with photographer charities.

The reason for writing this blog post is two fold: there is a need for more photographers in some areas we serve and there's a need to spread awareness of this organization to parents and hospitals. Many people-even other photographers-I talk with have no idea this organization exists; I'd hate to see a grieving family go without Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep services because there wasn't enough awareness about the network.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS) is a network of volunteer photographers that do infant remembrance photography at the family's request as a gift when the family suffers the loss of an infant.

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If you are a photographer and interested in giving back professionally, please consider applying to join this organization at the link above.

If you are a parent or family member facing the passing of an infant, or know someone who is, I am so sorry for your loss. If you wish to have the gift of NILMDTS, please inquire with your hospital and/or visit the website above to find more information for your area.

For more information about what we volunteer photographers do, please visit the link above.

Giving Back: OpLove

2011-02-21T16:34:00.000-08:00

I try to give back to my community whenever I can as a photographer. I appreciate all I have been given this past year in terms of working with wonderful clients and great mentors/advisors, and I feel it is really important to volunteer and share as much as possible.

I don't write about OpLove.org on my blog for self-promotion or advertising, but rather to spread the word to our military members that this service is available. OpLove is an organization of volunteer photographers that provides an entirely free sitting fee and album to a service member with deployment orders and his/her family, and/or photography coverage at the homecoming of the soldier.

Please contact a photographer in your area by using the website under "Locate a Photographer" at http://www.oplove.org if you or your spouse have orders or a homecoming coming up. Thank you so much for your service.

Standard OpLove Disclaimer: The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense.

Kristen Wynn Photography is always looking for volunteer and charity opportunities, so please don't hesitate to contact me with any opportunities your organization may have. :)

Heritage Family Sessions-Headshots-Jacksonville

2011-02-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, it was an extremely, extremely cold weekend in Jacksonville. I was fortunate enough to be booked as a photographer for a company that does children's acting and modeling head shots for the weekend, and they've graciously agreed to let me have some of the images for my portfolio. There's a LOT of images to go through-I think I have something like 2000 shots on my hard drive.

It was frigid, and we wanted to mainly do all outdoor images! As I snapped these first images, it was only 29 degrees! Still, all the kids hung in there and did a great job! We did end up doing some images inside as well, since the wind was getting brutal.

It was a great experience for me to work with so many talented young people and their parents, as well as an excellent, excellent stylist and makeup artist, Erandeny Torres.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to work with you all!

Heritage Family Sessions-Miss N-Headshots

2011-02-04T15:47:00.001-08:00

N was one of my last headshot sessions for 2010. And good news, she's received several callbacks for agencies here in Florida! :)

Here's a funny little story about the day-I was working with an earlier session when N and her mom showed up. It was a little after 1, but their session wasn't scheduled until 3. I appreciate earliness, of course, but I was confused.

Turns out, I'm not super clear on my phone messages-oops! I was confirming a 3pm appointment at 109 XXX Street, but mom thought the session was to start at 1:09pm. I promise, I schedule my sessions for either on the hour or in fifteen minute intervals, not random times. :) Sorry for the mixup again-my mistake!

Luckily, N, her mom, and her sweet family were able to go get some lunch until her session, and stay out of the cold. It was bitterly cold that day, but we worked with the weather!

Miss N, I hope you LOVE your photos and that you have even more success with them than you have had thus far! Thanks again for picking Kristen Wynn Photography!

Will You's?-Katie and Allen-Engaged!

2011-01-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Katie contacted me and wanted to get her engagement photos done here in Orlando. She's a relatively new transplant to the area (like myself), so I suggested Disney's Boardwalk Inn for their shots.

They got engaged over the holidays with this pretty ring!

The only problem is that Katie and Allen are super busy! Allen works a 9 to 5, while Katie's in school for nursing and working, so it was hard to connect for a good photo session time. Ultimately, we settled on 7am. That is pretty early, and the sun was just starting to peek up as we got started.

It was also freezing cold, but Katie didn't let that show in the shots! It does get cold here in Florida, a LOT, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

While we were setting up, I found out that Allen is a Patriots fan, but I didn't hold it against him, since I'm a big Steelers fan. :)

I know you two will have a WONDERFUL wedding up north next summer! Best of luck to you; thanks so much for having me as your engagement photographer!

Heritage Family Sessions-Miss C-Headshots

2011-01-28T13:12:00.001-08:00

I've enjoyed getting to know all the kids from THE Event in Orlando, and Miss C is no exception.

She was much more into taking photos than her older brother, T, but they both were very photogenic and ended up with a callback for a modeling and talent agency.

C. definitely had the best hair accessories and hats out of all the kids that came out for the shoot on a cold November weekend!

Miss C, I want to wish you all the best in your upcoming career! :)

Heritage Family Sessions-Introducing Susan!

2011-01-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Late last year, I participated in the Wish Upon a Wedding auction. Wish Upon a Wedding is a charity that provides weddings to couples facing serious illnesses. In order to put on these beautiful weddings (be sure to check their website/blog!), they depend on volunteers. And of course, even though the vendors are all volunteering, there are still expenses related to hosting a wedding, as every bride and groom know!

So Wish Upon a Wedding decided to have a charity auction. Wedding vendors donated different services and people bid on them, with all the money going to charity. Susan was the winner of my photo session (and also the winner of a session with a makeup artist too)!

Susan is the founder of the Female Courage Foundation and an author. She wanted some new photos for her website and for her books, which primarily deal with hospice and end-of-life topics.

Susan has a lovely home in central Florida, the grounds were just beautiful for photography. She's from Denmark and a mom of four, and also a cancer survivor, which is what has made her so passionate about educating people on end-of-life care.

She wanted to look light and youthful in her headshots, so I hope I accomplished that for you, Susan! You were such a joy to work with! Keep in touch!

Heritage Family Session-The M Family

2011-01-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

I first met Sara when we were both planning our weddings a few years back. We keep in touch and she's been so kind to offer me up the use of some of her family property for shoots when I'm in town.

And wow, it is a great piece of property. I actually have a shot of the exterior of the home that I took that I think would make a GREAT Christmas card for them next year-I'm not posting it for privacy reasons, but it is in their gallery for them to enjoy!

Sara and her family were looking to have some extended family portraits done around Christmastime when the whole gang was together, especially their grandparents.

Rather than go to a studio with over twenty people, they decided to do some on-location shots. The Christmas decorations and the wood and fireplace made for a really cozy scene. We even included some pets in a few of the shots!

These are a little more formal than most of my work, but I think the holidays are a time for a little formality!

Thanks so much, M. family, for having me! I hope a joyous holiday was had by all! :)

Heritage Family Sessions-Mr. T

2011-01-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

This past fall, I had the privilege of doing headshots and promotional photos for some aspiring young actors and models in Florida. They were all set for a big showcase in Orlando last month, and I'm SO happy that they all did so well and most importantly, had a ton of fun.

T's mom originally planned to take her own photos for the event, which is normal in the modeling and acting world, since kids grow so fast and you often have to resubmit photos every three months. However, at the last minute, she decided that wasn't working. Many photographers can relate to this-it is really hard to take photos of your own kids!

We all met up in downtown Orlando after school one day. I tried to make this quick and painless for T, and we actually ended up having a lot of fun and getting his images done fairly fast.

And the best news is that T. got a callback and is meeting with representation. Congrats, T! And thanks, Mom, for bringing me on board-I wish your kids tons of success in their careers!

I Do's-L and Y-Married!

2011-01-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

In 2010, I was blessed to have shot twenty-three weddings. That's twenty-three brides and twenty-three grooms, forty-six of you, that took a chance on me, a brand new photographer. I'm so thankful to have worked with each and every one of you. I don't tell you all enough how you will always be special to me as my first couples. I try to keep up with all my couples via Facebook, email, and some of you sent beautiful Christmas cards-thank you!

If you go back through my blog, you'll only see twenty-two weddings featured. I was waiting to publish this last wedding of 2010. The new Mr. and Mrs. R are pretty private and quiet people, so I didn't want to post an entry with a ton of photos-that wouldn't be their style.

But L. gave me some great ideas over the phone the other day for the image she really likes and I added my favorite here too. And that's what I think made the day so perfect in working with them...we incorporated some of my ideas and some of the sweet bride's ideas.

My final 2010 wedding...spiritual, beautiful, soft, fun. Thank you so much to Mr. and Mrs. R for having me as your photographer!

Welcome 2011...and New Product Offerings!

2011-01-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! Thanks to all of you for making 2010 a great year-I hope 2011 is even better.

This year, I hope to showcase some product offerings. For her son's senior photos, Mrs. S chose to have an 11x14" mat crafted to be framed. It couldn't be just any 11x14" mat though-it needed to match her older son's senior photos from 2003.

Luckily, we were able to track down something really similar, so now both of the S sons can be showcased side-by-side on the wall.

If there's a product you are looking for, let me know and I'll do my best to get it for you. Customer satisfaction is my number one priority. I want you to LOVE your images and showcase them in a way you love as well.

I wish you all a wonderful 2011!