JODIE & DANIEL - WEDDING

Jodie and Daniel's story goes way, way back. When they were young their families lived right across the street from one another. Then, after Daniel's family had lived away for a few years, they returned in time for him to catch Jodie's eye in junior high. They were each other's first boyfriend/girlfriend, but Jodie said Daniel thought he was "too cool" once high school rolled around. (Seriously, Daniel? Too cool for Jodie? I think not!)

Several years passed and fortunately Jodie's cousin had the good sense to put the two in contact again. Their courtship included college experiences, a tour of duty in Afghanistan for Daniel, a proposal in Paris, building a house and planning a wedding. Their big day was so full of love and joy I can't quite describe it. Daniel's father performed the ceremony, which made it that much more special. At one point, as everyone was getting ready to send them off, Jodie looked over at Daniel (who had a gigantic grin plastered on his face all day long) and teasingly asked him what he was so happy about. He, of course, said that he was so happy to be with her. Awww! It was such an honor to witness their love and photograph their wedding!



Jodie and Daniel chose to share a very intimate moment together before the ceremony (the "first look") and it was so precious! For those of you who aren't familiar with the first look, it allows a bride and groom to catch their breath, relax together and have a private moment before the chaos of the day begins. It also allows for ample time to get wonderful photographs while everyone is still fresh and looking their best. I had to do a little convincing with Jodie and Daniel, but in the end I think they were very relieved to have had that time together :)











Have I mentioned how wonderful all of my clients are? Well...they are pretty wonderful. A perfect example was when I asked Jodie and Daniel to go traipsing into the woods for a few shots. They were totally game and all was going well until we realized I had placed Jodie directly on top of a fire ant hill! It was the beautiful lace detailing at the hem of Jodie's dress that saved her - the ants got stuck and couldn't go any further. The following photos are of her sweet husband saving her tootsies from those vicious little buggers! I felt so bad, but Jodie was all smiles :)

AYANA & TRAE - ENGAGEMENT

I knew this engagement session was going to be fun the minute Ayana and Trae stepped out of their car. First of all, I must say that Trae has raised the bar for my grooms. He looked fantastic, and even came prepared for wardrobe changes!

Trae also informed me that he had been prepping for the afternoon by practicing his modeling skills, and it clearly paid off! He kept reminding me and Ayana that he was a "professional", which kept the two of us giggling throughout the shoot :) Ayana, on the other hand, did not practice her model pose for their engagement shoot...she just always looks that poised and beautiful!

MORE ENGAGEMENT

This are just a few more images from Jodie and Daniel's engagement shoot. A post with their wedding photos is coming soon!

CATCHING UP

I have been neglecting the blog for almost a month now, but with very good reason...a visit from Mama and Baba Dixon! I spent some time preparing for their arrival, had a wonderful time enjoying their stay, and now I've been playing catch-up for the last week or so. I still have some wedding photos and a great engagement shoot to post, but I promise they are coming soon!

In the meantime, here are some pictures of little Sara relishing the week she got to spend with her adoring grandparents. She was in heaven because they fawned over her the whole time, and her dad and I were thrilled to get a little break...we even went on a date! That's big news around here :) Thanks for being so good to us, Mama and Baba Dixon. Come back soon!!!

HEAD OVER HEELS - JODIE & DANIEL ENGAGEMENT

The first time I met Jodie and Daniel I fell head over heels for them...literally. We were making our way to the capitol steps and I was so focused on photographing them that I completely missed the curb. I nearly biffed it before we had begun, but Jodie and Daniel were very kind not to make fun of me for the remainder of the morning - at least not to my face! As our shoot went on I continued to "fall" for them as I learned more about their story and got to know their amazing personalities.

Mid-shoot we stopped in a cafe to get some coffee and thaw out (it was FREEZING.) Jodie talked about her love for traveling and told me a little about their trip to Paris. When I asked what they were doing in Paris Daniel simply said he knew he wanted to propose and decided that would be a nice place to do it. How sweet!

Here are a few of the images we got that chilly morning, and I'm sure there will be more to come. I've only finished editing about half of the pictures from that day and there are already too many favorites.

Can't you just almost feel the love in this picture?! The look in Jodie's eyes and on Daniel's face is priceless :)

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

After we first got married, Moise and I often went grocery shopping together. It was a way to get out and decompress after a day of work, and it made a seemingly daunting task much more fun. One evening as we walked through the aisles I said, "Do you know what I would buy if we had all the money in the world?" I'm sure Moise's brain started spinning...clothes, jewelry, a big house...??? Instead I said, "A lot of really good cheese." That's right, folks. Cheese. I love the stuff, but man can it get expensive.

Lately, though, our local grocery store has been having great deals on cheese and artisan bread. So, for a little while at least, I'm living my dream :)



Also, here are a few more images from last weekend's wedding. A few are new and a few are larger images from the collages recently posted.

WEDDING TIME!

This past weekend I had the privilege of second shooting for Erin Fults and it was so much fun! The bride and groom were sweet as can be and they had a beautiful spring wedding. I put together a few collages of some of my favorite images of the day. Enjoy!

I love the look on mom's face when she saw her daughter all done up...such pride and joy!



A touching moment with bride and father of the bride, and some fun shots of the dance!

SHELLEY & TRUITT - ENGAGEMENT

Shelley and Truitt braved the freezing cold weather with me during this engagement shoot several weeks ago. If I remember right, it was the weekend just before the "big snow" we got here in Jackson. We chose Fondren because it is Shelley's stomping grounds, so there are lots of special spots and places with great memories in that neighborhood. I love it because of all the fun and funky elements! Thanks for being such good sports, Shelley and Truitt ;)

MY NAME IS RACHEL AND I'M A CHOCOHOLIC

This post is not photography related, but it does give a little glimpse into my regular routine. Most of my days begin and end with a bit of chocolate and a good cup of coffee. This morning the chocolate just happened to be these tasty cookies I made last night. I LOVE to cook, but I'm not much of a baker. However, when I stumbled across this mocha chocolate cookie recipe that said it was perfect for "chocoholics and java junkies" I simply couldn't resist. I always love company and I clearly don't need to eat all these myself, so all you chocolate lovers are more than welcome to drop by for a visit :)

MELISSA & CHARLES - ENGAGEMENT

I honestly cannot tell you in a short blog post how much I enjoyed this couple and their engagement shoot. Melissa and Charles are absolutely radiant when they are together and I find them completely adorable! They kept each other laughing throughout the morning, which made my job very easy :) I was inspired by their genuine love for each other and I am so glad I got to share in a piece of their journey as they are getting ready to head to the alter this summer. Melissa and Charles, you look fantastic! (P.S. I have a feeling I will be posting a few more from this shoot as I continue editing...I'm having a hard time choosing my favorites!)