I Scream, You Scream!

AAAAHHHHH!!!! I honestly cant stand how cute these kids are! I got to spend a whole day with them and got to do a bunch of fun things. I have been most excited about these though! Adorable Kids + Ice Cream + Sprinkles + Whipped Cream = TOO. MUCH. TO. HANDLE.

We kind of did this on a whim as our last photo project of the day, not really sure how it was going to go. Their mom was totally up for the idea (brave woman volunteering to scrub ice cream and sprinkles out of her daughters hair), so I just set up a white backdrop, diffused some light coming from a window, bought some ice cream, and let them have at it! You couldn't have posed these shots. Total, magical, childhood joy. Made me want ice cream something fierce, but I'm an "adult" and need to "watch what I eat".... Guess I'll stick to Halo Top... and reminisce about summer days as a five year old....

Enjoy this sweet treat guys!

Letters From Mom || Dear Eliza

Hey there! In case we haven't met, my name is Eliza Rain. I am ONE YEAR OLD! Can You believe it???! I have a very good life. My Momma is the best at making me laugh and my Dada is the best at having fun with. I'm a very happy little girl, but I am happiest when I am with them together. I still love to eat a lot of different types of food including Momma's milk... and the occasional bug, buuuttt I'm working on that. I am the biggest fan of the movie Moana, but I really just love Maui. I like to dance and sing in the car and I always say hi to people.  I know not a single stranger!  Peek-a-boo is my favorite game right now. My room is my favorite place to be, with my Momma and Dadda of course. I love helping load and unload the dishwasher. My first trip around the sun has been so much fun. I have learned so much so fast and I have lots more years to keep being me! My Momma said she has some things she would like to share with you all. She's a really neat lady and a great writer! Say hi guys!

"My sweet, sweet girl,I will do my best tot ell you this 5 billion times before you actually read this letter, but you are the most familiar person I have ever laid eyes on.""I have met you before this life I am certain. We wanted you for years. We knew we would have a girl first. We knew it would be you. But you are also so surprising. You never fail to blow our minds with your accomplishments, from how much you eat at dinner, to walking at 8 months.""You are the fiercest, most strong-minded little human I have ever met. I hope you stay this way all your life. You have been a fighter from the moment you were conceived. ""You are all the best parts of your dad and I, magnified...""This year has been the best year of my life and I have you to thank for that. Thank you for always breaking my heart in the best kinds of ways. More than anything, thank you for being exactly who you are.""I want to give you the best life with lots of friends and family who love you with all their hearts, lots of trips to places you've never been before, lots of really good food, and a never ending supply of really good belly laughs.""I hope to one day give you siblings because there's really nothing better then having them to share your childhood with."

"I hope to pass along to you a love of animals, an understanding that every life desires to live as badly as you, a desire to do for others, but the ability to see who is not good for your soul and the strength to move away from those people. Carry your love for music always. Always stay true to your heart. Please don't forget that you are quite literally and figuratively a part of me and your Dad. You are even better then I always imagined you'd be.

                                                         I love you with every fiber of my being,

                                                                                                          Always, Momma <3"

Well guys, it has been nice keeping in touch... until we meet again, lots of love always,

                                                                                                         ~Baby Eliza

Morgan & Kameron || Old Pate Chapel || Tresca On Eighth || Lynchburg Virginia Wedding

I have been excited about this wedding for a while now! Morgan & Kameron are the sweetest couple and their engagement story is one of my favorites ( go check out that blog to see what I mean).

Morgan and Kameron got married December 2nd in the Old Pate Chapel and had their Reception at Tresca on 8th in Downtown Lynchburg Virginia. The weather was just cold enough for you to know it was winter, but not biting enough to freeze everyone's toes off ;)  Morgans maids were dressed in dark blue and her decor and flowers were full of creams and golds to fit with the winter theme. There was so much laughter shared by everyone that you couldnt help but feel just as joyous as everyone else involved! 

Take a look everyone and  experience the day with me!

Ceremony: Old Pate Chapel

Reception: Tresca on 8th

Makeup: In Your Face Make Up Art

Hair: Sage Tryall Salon

DJ: Barry Tosh

Brides Dress, Veil, and Tuxes: Celebration Bridal

Coordinator: Leecy Fink

Brittany & Trevor || Evington Virginia Engagement

These two were so much fun to work with this past weekend! We did the session on their 20 acre farm out in Evington, VA that was home to Trevors Grandparents. The wind was BITTER but the light was awesome so that made up for it! Also, their pooch Layla did her part to warm our hearts ;)

Cant wait for their wedding next December!

How did you guys meet/start talking?

B- We actually knew of each other in middle school.. but after middle school my family moved to NH. After HS, a move back to VA and a few years we became friends on Facebook and began talking through that and decided to meet up in person and hang out!

T- She messaged me on Facebook and we started hanging out.

How long have you two been together?

B - 6 years

T - Forever

When/where was your first date?

B - Our first official date was floating the James river with his brother and dad. We had hung out before but not in a date fashion!

T - On the James river.

What are some things you like to do together?

B - We like to have fun outside - go fishing, four wheeling, floating the river. We also like to watch movies, play with our dog and be with family!

T- I don’t know, lots of stuff. We go fishing.

What are somethings you each love about the other person?

B- He is determined and goal oriented. He has an amazing smile and makes me laugh lots! Most importantly he understands me, supports me and pushes me to be the best I can be!

T- I love that she always worries about the things I don’t. We really balance each other out.

When did you know he/she was the one?

B- I knew pretty early on.. I don’t really know exactly when but way before he did! Lol.

T - I don’t know when. Just kind of happened.

When/how did you guys get engaged?

B- we got engaged on the day we moved into our house (his grandparents house). It was at the end of moving day after all our moving help left. He said I want to make this house official with you, I want to make this house a home with you and that he wouldn’t feel right without asking me.. Will you marry me?... of course I said YES!!!!

T- Our first night in our new house.

Letters From Mom || Dear Starks...

This was written by my dear friend Emily. Emily has been through fire. In the midst of that fire, a promise was being forged, one that took the form of a little boy named Starks who you will get to know through the images below. This is Emilys story...

To tell the story of Starks. This is a long road that ends happily. We call him lucky number seven. This strong, sweet, ferocious soul blessed us with his presence on Thomas Jefferson's birthday in Charlottesville VA. He was the sum total of six losses before him and up until two days before he was born we could not agree on his name. We finally agreed to name him William Starks Banton Harris and call him Starks. William means willpower and Starks means resolute and strong. I worried for a moment that it was too much. I was wrong. Each and every day I thank the angels in heaven for sending us our little "sour patch kid" who can charm us with a knowing glance and plow forward to embrace as much as this life can give him. I want The world to know that if I had to lose six to have him all over again I would do it. There is nothing more beautiful and more amazing than having this set of pictures to remember him by as he grows so quickly and seizes each day to it's fullest! We love him and we love these pictures.

Morgan & Kameron || Central Virginia Engagement

How did you guys meet?: "We've known each other since middle school but we didn't look at each other in that way until a year after we graduated and he slid into my dms haha!"

When/where was your first date?: "Our first date was June 25, 2016 when I went to visit him on base in North Carolina."

What are some things you like to do together?: Morgan: "We're both kids at heart so we just like to have fun and goof off together." Kameron: "Watching horror movies together, just relaxing, cuddling and talking about everything, basically everything I want to do I want her there to do it with me."

Morgan, what are somethings you love about Kameron?: "I love Kameron's kind heart and how he can instantly make friends with anybody he meets. And I love how he brings out my goofy side and teaches me how to laugh at life."

Kameron, what are somethings you love about Morgan?: "She's kind, she's sweet, she cares more than anyone that I have ever met, she's confident , she's strong and never lets the world push her around, she's passionate and she would do anything for me the same way I would do anything for her. She's even cute when she's mad. She never gives up and puts her whole heart into a relationship and never holds anything back."

When did you know Kameron was the one?: "It didn't take me long at all to realize Kameron was the one. He had every quality I've ever looked for in a man. We had an instant connection and I knew I never wanted to lose that. God blessed me more than I could've ever imagined by giving me Kameron."

When did you know Morgan was the one?: "It was when she wasn't there that I knew she was the one. With her not being there, it felt like there was an emptiness and it was only when she was there that I didn't feel that way. I just couldn't live without her and I couldn't see myself with anybody else."

Who said "I love you" first?: Morgan: "I said I love you first. It was really romantic haha it was one night on topsail beach, the same place he proposed exactly a year later."

These two were SO. STINKING. CUTE! Between Kameron's constant wise cracks and Morgans contagious laugh (largely brought about by Kameron's wise cracks) there was never a dull moment during their engagement session! Plus, they both agreed to get in the creek for me. I was instantly in love with them after that <3

Kameron is in the Marine Corps and so it can be kind of hard to schedule things like engagement sessions, weddings, proposals... SO, while Kameron was away in Japan, he was in cahoots with his mom and Morgans mom to plan a wedding and get everything set BEFORE he came back home to propose... WHAT?!?!? When I was in conversation with Morgan's mom about photographing their wedding, I was slightly shocked when I heard that they weren't even engaged yet. Mom quickly assured me though that Kameron was all that Morgan could talk about and she knew without a doubt that this was the man she wanted to marry. So, in order to be able to have the wedding at a time that was conducive to his life in the Marines, they scheduled the wedding for December and he was due to propose when he came back to the states in August. He popped the question the very night he flew in and of course she said yes! 

I am so pumped to shoot their wedding in December!

Candy Shop Styled Shoot

I have been sitting on this one for a while now, unsure of when to post it, how to post yada yada. BUT! I am so excited to finally release it! This was a collaboration between me and my very talented lady friends Ashley and Jessica to create a candy/bake shop themed shoot. It's an idea that I have always loved and have been wanting to try and do my own take on it for a while. When talking to Ashley about how she wanted to do the makeup, I knew she was going to try and use candy in some way to create the look.  Boy did she deliver!!! I mean, she made eyebrows out of sprinkles!!! Who does that? Then Jessica came in and whipped the models hair up into cotton candy...WHAT!?!?! They made all my Willy Wonka dreams come true! Then Jennifer England of La Bella Torta (also known as my fabulous mama ;) ) made the gorgeous cake creation you see below to adorn the table setting along with a cupcake tower. A pink tutu, crop top shirt, and some fun jewelry tied the whole look together and made our model ,Kathleen, look like she had just walked out of Candy Land. These ladies are beyond talented and I was so thrilled to get to work with them to create such a fun shoot! Enjoy everyone!

Hair: Jessica Comisky

Makeup: Ashley Anchetta of Make Up by Ashley

Cake and Cupcakes: La Bella Torta

Styling: Rhiannon England

Modeling: Kathleen Richardson

Photography: Rhiannon Kathleen Studios

Location: Trivium Estate

Nate & Bailey

I have been way behind on blogging lately, so what better way to get back at it then with these two! I just love them! Everytime I do a session with them there are laughs all around. Nate and Bailey just celebrated their 4th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. I was there to capture the moment they both said I do and it has been my pleasure to photograph three of their four anniversary's together as well, You can tell that these two adore each other. Look at how cute they are!

Location: Sweet Briar College