Josh + Laura... and Vespertine

Brooke and I love our job. And there are a handful of weddings every now and then that make us love it even more.  We feel so honored that we are invited into two families lives on such an important day.  Laura was a bridesmaid at Betsy and Justins wedding, and when she contacted us for her wedding I knew it would be amazing.  She had a cool dress, cool tattoos and cool hair.  Josh and Laura's day was so intimate and special.  Not only were they celebrating their marriage, but they were also celebrating their daughter Vespertine's 1st birthday.  Josh and Laura were actually married the week before their little party... so the party was just to celebrate the event with close friends and family.  The evening started with a home cooked meal in the garden.  As they were finishing their dinner with family, friends started to arrive to a beautiful set up featuring homemade goodies, honey whiskey, flags and old records playing.

Josh and Laura were so much fun to photograph.  They were so good at making each other laugh.  Brooke and I could just feel the deep love they have for eachother.  Vespertine is one of the cutest babies I have ever seen and she actually smiled and looked at the camera.  It was amazing. All of the decorations were vintage and all of the food was homemade - right down to the lemonade and honey whiskey. Each guest was asked to choose a vintage plate to use for their food, and then take that plate home as their favor. The night was capped off by everyone singing happy birthday to Vespertine in any style or key they wanted (an old family tradition).  It was hysterical, terrible sounding.. and I think it terrifiyed Vespertine a little.

The entire event was a beautiful, intimate and lovely affair.  Thank you so much Josh, Laura and Vespertine for letting us be a part of it! - T.J.

Billy + Christina

This past weekend Brooke and I drove to New York to shoot the beautiful wedding of Billy and Christina.  The day was filled a live band, a romantic view, beautiful moments, tons of dancing and the Smilebooth!  The Smilebooth was a huge hit and it was so much fun to see everyone enjoy it.  Here are some of our favorites.  Also here is a preview of one of their actual wedding photos on our facebook page.  - T.J.

Weston + Elizabeth

I've never been to a wedding with as much excitement and anticipation as Weston and Elizabeth had. I met Liz once before, by chance, at the walk in love. store. And with just a quick five minute conversation, I already knew that I was going to have a blast capturing her big day. Weston + Elizabeth said their vows at LCBC Church and the second Sam and I walked through the door, Liz made me feel as if I was Justin Bieber! Her excitement for us to be there to capture her day made me so much more enthralled! 

Everyone was so giddy and happy and full of joy and it was addicting. My favorite part of the whole wedding was their vows. They were very untraditional and straight from the heart. I was fighting off the tears because I could easily see the love pouring out of their hearts for one another. It was a moment I'll never forget and something I'd love to do with my wife on our wedding day.

Their reception was held at the Ironstone Ranch in Elizabethtown. The barn there was absolutely gorgeous, with tons of natural light seeping through the windows, it made everything look spectacular. With the music pumping, the Smilebooth popping and everyone having the time of their lives, it was a pleasure to be a part of this day. Some of the images I captured of Weston and Liz are possibly my favorite of all time. They were so comfortable (and excited) to be in front of the camera. It was a blessing to be surrounded by a couple who appreciate and love photography as much as I do. Thank you Wes and Liz for being such a fun-loving couple and making our jobs the best in the world. -Jeff

Mike + Christina

Mike + Christina's wedding day was wonderful in every way. It was a much anticipated wedding for T.J. and I, which always makes the wedding day a little bit more fun for us to photograph.  Mike + Christina got ready for their big day surrounded by their closet friends. For a wedding gift, Mike gave Christina gorgeous earrings to match her birthstone, and Christina gave Mike a round of golf at Pebble Beach. Both such beautiful and thoughtful gifts. They tied the knot through a traditional Greek ceremony, followed by portraits around Bent Creek Country Club. Again, nothing short of beautiful.

Cocktail hour was held in the ballroom, complete with a seafood bar, live music and a surfboard for guests to sign. Wedding photos of Mike + Christina's family surrounded their five tier wedding cake that was on display for their 300+ guests to see.

Now let me say this, I received permission to from the bride herself to tell you the next part of their wedding day story! Once Mike + Christina's guests were finished with dinner, dancing had started, and people were rockin' the Smilebooth, it came time to cut the cake. The cake had been moved down from the ballroom (where cocktail hour was held) and placed on a little, round cake table in the corner of the dance floor. The band made the announcement that the newlyweds were ready to cut their cake. I was in place, camera in hand, ready to go. And then, like you see in the movies, slow motion and all... the entire cake came crashing down to the floor. (The legs of the table weren't very secure, and someone must have bumped it.) You could hear the entire tent gasp at the same time. Everyone was shocked and didn't know whether to laugh or cry!! And then, my favorite part of their entire wedding day happened -- Christina, without any hesitation, picked up the top layer of the cake, slapped it down on the now uncovered and crooked table, and started to cut what was left of her cake with her new husband. They laughed as they fed their messy cake to each other and the entire crowd cheered them on. And I remember thinking to myself, as I shot the image of them kissing with napkins in hand, that if they could have that kind of attitude about their marriage, they will go far. It was so refreshing to see a young couple who just went with it, enjoyed what they had in front of them, and let go of the expectations for a "perfect" wedding day.

By the end of the night, the dance floor was packed with guests dancing like crazy. Mike + Christina passed out sunglasses as one of their wedding favors, which made the dance floor go even crazier. Mike + Christina also hosted an after-party dance back in the ballroom, with french fries, pizza, chicken fingers and a DJ.

 It was an awesome wedding day. Cake mishap and all. –Brooke

Michael + Andrea

Michael and Andrea were wed at the beautiful John James Audubon at Mill Grove. It was a scorching hot day underneath the fully bloomed apple orchard. As they said their vows, they shared stories about their first kiss underneath the stars. The Audubon never disappoints and is always a wonderful place to share I do's. As we walked around, they shared long distance relationship tips with me and were walking proof that it's worth the wait. Here are some of our favorites! -Jeff

Joe + Laurie

Earlier this month, T.J. and I traveld to Cape May, NJ to shoot the beautiful wedding of Joe + Laurie. The gentleman got dressed and ready in a local hotel, while the ladies got dressed at Laurie's Grandparent's house. Their ceremony was held in a little, local church.. that they filled with their closest friends and family.

Following the ceremony, T.J. and I shot bridal party portraits outside Congress Hall and on the beach. One of my favorite parts of the day was when I had a few minutes alone with Joe + Laurie, during cocktail hour, where I was able to snap some photos of them in their hotel room. It was so incredibly hot and busy outside the day they got married. So, the cool, quiet hotel room was really refreshing and made for some super romantic photos.

Their reception was full of heartwarming toasts, outrageous dancing, loads of candy and the Smilebooth. A good night in my book, for sure. Enjoy! -Brooke

Weston + Liz

Weston + Liz were so much fun to shoot.  As soon as we got to LCBC, Liz greeted Jeff and I with a hug and a girlish scream "I'm so excited to meet you guys! You guys are awesome!"  No Liz, YOU are awesome!  After this greeting I knew we had a great day in store for us.  Liz is super creative and Weston is her number one goofball.  Put those two together and you've got the dynamic duo for awesome Smilebooth photos.  Weston + Liz are hilarious and were great in front of the camera.  Heck, check them out yourself with a few of our favorites! Also, Taylor (Brooke's brother) did an awesome job coaching everyone in the booth! -Sam

Head over to the Brooke Courtney Facebook page to see a sneak peek of an actual wedding photo!

Mike + Christina

This past weekend our team had some amazing weddings!  Brooke and I had the privelage of shooting the wedding of my high school friend Christina!  Christina and Mike had a gorgeous wedding - you can see a little preview here on our facebook page, but you'll have to wait for the rest!  Hopefully some of the best Smilebooth photos can hold you over until then.  It was a big hit! - T.J.

Patrick + Melissa

There's one word for Patrick and Melissa's wedding... memorable. When TJ and I met them to talk about their wedding, Patrick was wearing a propeller hat, which was absolutely hysterical. From there, I was anxious to work with them because I knew it was going to be a blast. They were wed at the Willow Springs Estate and it was gorgeous. And when Sam and I arrived, we were instantly in love. The bridesmaids dresses were colorful and the groomsmen were looking dapper. Patrick and Melissa (and their entire bridal party) were so much fun to work with. I feel like I was laughing more than anything throughout the day. My favorite part of the day was learning about how Melissa was earning the love of Patrick while they attended school together. We took a short walk to a small dock on the property and we shared stories of how love can be so perfect sometimes. -Jeff