Misty Dawn Photography

Kristina is expecting a sweet little baby girl, so we took this opportunity to capture some beautiful and artistic photos of this very special time in her life.  Maternity photos aren’t for everyone so if you’re pregnant and feeling like you don’t want any longterm evidence of the weight gain – ladies, you’re not alone.  As much as I know I’ll feel like a fat lard if I’m ever pregnant, I know that I’ll still want to document it.  My best friend refused to let me photograph her belly when she was pregnant with her first child, but I gently nudged her into letting me shoot one roll of B&W film.  6.5 years later, she now looks back and appreciates those photos and thanks me for pushing her to do it.  Even though she didn’t think she’d ever want to remember that time of her life…..she found that she does want to.  I hope these photos will inspire you to want to document your own growing baby bump. 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="549" caption="Pink for a baby girl! "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="I love both of these so much! She looks amazing."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="These last two are my favorites. I love the fine art look to them."][/caption]

It was an honor and true privilege to document this for you, Kristina.  Thank you for your trust.    I can’t wait to meet your little girl soon!

As always, more photos from this session can be found on Facebook and Flickr, where you can leave a comment on single photos and become a fan of Misty Dawn Photography.

Joann & Steve had an amazing wedding luau celebration at the Kings Grant Open Space in Marlton, NJ.  I’ve known Joann & Steve for many years, since I am good friends with her sister’s family.  So when they finally set the date, I was excited to be their photographer.  It was a perfect sunny day for a wedding luau and all of the little personal touches made it a day not soon to be forgotten!  I arrived just before the ceremony to capture the amazing entrance of the bride and groom.    (and I DO mean A-MAZ-ING!)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Let's set the stage with a few details, in the form of an inspiration board."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Uhmm. Holy Cow. That's some serious bling."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Here comes the bride! (Yes, they do happen to be pointing across the water. Hmmmm)"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Joann & Steve came across the lake in a canoe! Talk about a unique entrance!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Such a picturesque moment. You can't even tell that Joann was scared out of her wits. LOL"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The ceremony setting was beautiful with the lake behind it and incorporated some Hawaiian traditions."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Love & Laughter. It's a beautiful thing. "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Their lei's were just magnificent! Aren't they just gorgeous?!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="An ecstatic Mr. & Mrs.!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="548" caption="Joann's daughter and step-daughters made beautiful bridesmaids in their vibrant tropical attire."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="I decided we just had to hop back in the canoe for some photos. (But we promised Joann it wasn't going back into the water with her in it! haha!)"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Beautiful day for a luau and an amazing couple soaking up the sun."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Anyone else feel like these could be on the cover of a romance novel? LOL"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Steve cleans up well, eh? "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Joann was radiant. I LOOOOVE her dress!!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="549" caption="LOVE it!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="549" caption="Their first dance."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Started off slow and ended up fast!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Joann's two sons gave toasts."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Who invited the ice cream man?? Joann & Steve did! There were just as many adults in line for Mr. Softee as there were kids. haha! (Myself included!)"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Let's get this party started!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="I love how the kids are following this mans moves!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Just the way it should be - bride and groom on the dance floor!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="You can't have a luau without grass skirts, right? "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Joann getting in on the grass skirt action."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="More of the guys ended up in the skirts than the girls did, I think. LOL"][/caption]

On top of all great touches they added to their day, Joann & Steve also rented a photo booth from The Wilmington Photo Booth Company.  Everyone had such a blast playing in the photo booth!  For each group in the photo booth, it prints out two copies of the photo strip – one for the person in the booth and one that goes in a scrapbook for Joann & Steve.  How cool is that?!  If you were thinking about a photo booth for your wedding (and even if you weren’t!) than you should definitely check these guys out.  They rocked.  Here is one of the photos from my strip with Maria (Joann’s sister and my friend).

Thanks Joann & Steve, for inviting me to take such a special part in your day.  As always, more photos from this wedding can be found on Facebook and Flickr.

When it’s time to schedule the engagement session, the #1 question I always get is “Where should we do it?”  I always recommend choosing a place that means something to you or doing an activity that you both enjoy versus just picking a random park.  (Random parks rock too, for sure, but I think it makes it more personal when you do something or go somewhere meaningful.)  So when Colleen mentioned including some shots of them playing RockBand and also some shots with their ferrets, I knew she was a girl after my own heart!  I swear that fate brought us together for me to be their photographer!  haha!  When I showed up at their apartment, I was so psyched to finally meet them in person and we got along just as well as I imagined.  (Colleen just KNEW that I was for her and booked me before we could even meet in person!  How awesome is that?!)  These guys were so much fun to hang with and photograph, so check out some of my favs from their session below. 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="We started off at a park not far from where they live and I loved this cute little bridge."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="They were all smiles all day. Love it."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Love this moment!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="LOVE this picture!! So cute. Happy little ferret family. "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="hahahahahaha!!!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Playing Rock Band....Colleen sings and Dave drums. Dave actually proposed to Colleen while they were playing Rock Band!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="549" caption="I think this one's my fav."][/caption]

Can’t wait for their wedding later this month!

Jessica & Chris had a beautiful low-key wedding at the Steppingstone Museum in Havre de Grace, MD.  Their day was the perfect balance of elegance and backyard fun while being full of smiles and laughter.   It was truly an amazing day.    As always, I like to start off with the detail pics….

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The beadwork straps on Jessica's gorgeous gown were just exquisite. "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The necklace Jess wore was a gift from Chris and went perfectly with their wedding colors."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The bridal bouquet had just the right amount of blue in it. Beautiful. "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The uber fab Dina did Jessica's makeup. Dina is one of my former brides and is a kick ass makeup artist too!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Mom gave the bride a last minute pedi before she got dressed. "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="I love Jessica's expression here as the girls put the final touches on her bridal look. "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Beautiful Bride! The kitchen was painted this beautiful golden yellow, which was a perfect backdrop in a perfect lighting situation. Love it!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="L.O.V.E the grey tuxes! Chris was a very handsome groom and didn't seem even a little bit nervous! "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Great moment with Chris and his dad before the ceremony."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="548" caption="The flower girls and ring bearer were the cutest! They were anxiously waiting for the ceremony to begin. Too cute!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Jess and her dad coming down the aisle."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Love that look!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="This might be my favorite moment of the entire day...this was right before she tugged on Jess' dress and interrupted the ceremony! It was so adorable!!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Check out the ring bearer on the right. LOL The kids were too funny!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="548" caption="The whole bridal party"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="These guys were a riot! So many fun faces were captured throughout the day."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Chris and the girls. More fun faces! LOL"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="549" caption="One of my favs of the B&G."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Full of laughter. "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Special request from the B&G...I love their sense of humor! "][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The reception was held under this pavilion on the museum grounds."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="The light was AMAZING during dinner, so we snuck out to take advantage for a few more portraits."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="Another favorite of mine. Love the sunflare!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="First dance."][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="A rockin good time was had by all!"][/caption] [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="An ending shot. I love Chris' imitation of his T-shirt dude's face! LOL "][/caption]

Thanks for trusting me with your memories, Jess & Chris!  Can’t wait to see you again soon!

**As always, you can see more images from this wedding on flickr or facebook, where you can also leave some love on individual photos for the bride and groom to read.