SHYLA PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG

When the opportunity to shoot in Hawaii arose, I assumed it would be your traditional barefoot beach wedding… But I underestimated Priscilla + Shanne.  Living on the beach in Maui made this lovely bride want to get as far away from the sand as possible. So, up the Maui Countryside we went! Pineapple fields, Cultural Arts centers, and yummy-light GALORE. I was in heaven and it wasn’t even MY special day.   

Sweet Daddy-Daughter moments…

The foot washing ceremony… The intimacy of washing each other’s feet was truly a special moment to experience.

See the flower girl on the right? Yeah, that photo was taken right before she fell IN.

It’s the type of celebration that had me watery eyed during the editing process. It’s the type of event that was not only candy to the eyes but a spark to the soul. You see, Kristin, the bride, and I have known each other since 1999… she was still in High School…and she was also a subject in my very first photo-shoot.  From the summers spent along the river, to the endless convos in her mama’s kitchen, photo-shoots, drum circles on Hermosa Beach, and now her wedding… she has been a joy to know. I remember the  conversations about the trip to Spain to visit a ‘friend’ who soon because more than…Now she’s married and I sit here scratching my head to where the years have gone.

welcome to the world of married life my friend. And Jason, you are one lucky dude

Enjoy the peek into Jason and Kristin’s celebration. And while you browse, just know they (along with an awesome team of family and friends) did everything themselves.

This first shot of Kristin initiated the swooning…. she made the headpiece herself.

He handmade garter.
I’m in love.

How perfect is this banner?! it was the first thing Kristin made when she began planning her celebration.

In lieu of a sand ceremony or candle lighting, J+K carried books down the aisle with them, they then added the books to their shelf ‘library’ as a part of the ceremony.The kiss against the beautiful Eagle Creek Park setting and the Altar piece made by the bride!

seriously?! hot. like. freakin’. FIRE

I couldn’t get enough of the fabulous details… Kristin’s aunt did the flowers, BTW.

How sweet is that cake topper… It once donned the top of Kristin’s grandparent’s wedding cake!  Soooo many details… The old fashioned coffee pots, and coffee cups hand stamped with J+K’s initials.  Even a “spiking” station to give a little ‘UMPH’ to the Rosemary Lemonade. 

The most brilliant seating chart for an A-Frame venue.

The bear rug! I giggled when I saw it… I not so secretly wanted to steal this for my house.

The lovely Jacqueline weds her handsome Scotsman Peter….in a barn…with a lot of kilt action… and pretty-ness.

By the way, did you know…. that when a Scotsman goes ‘true’ it means they aren’t wearing any undergarments under those kilts?  Just a fun fact I learned from shooting this lovely affair. I’ll also have you know, Peter asked his groomsmen to go ‘true’…. just in case you were wondering

Jackie & Peter, you two truly bring a smile to my face being around you. The kindergarten teacher and the head hunter are the most perfect combination… From breakfast that morning on a whim, to your engagement session, to shooting, and even editing, blogging, slideshow-ing… it has been a non-stop grin-fest. Enjoy this new season of life Mr. & Mrs. Henry.

It’s about time I start catching up on blogging. I have so many lovely little celebrations to share…

First, Julie and Michael. Married at the bride’s family home in Little Compton RI…

The Barlows are like a second family to me…. My Chicago home away from home. Complete with the 7 siblings I always wanted and incredibly delicious chocolate shakes. (see Oberweis) It is families like this that would make any skeptic believe in the word “family”, and define what it means to raise a solid pack of children. Yes, I called them a pack. There are SEVEN… correction, there are now EIGHT of them. Kimmy, you have married into a wonderful entity known as the Barlow Clan, and Andrew couldn’t have chosen a better fit. You embody everything they stand for and watching the two of you join your lives this past January, made my heart truly smile.  Thank you for inviting me into your day. Thank you for allowing me to capture the beginning of your new life together. And thank you for being two rays of sunshine in my life.

To see a slideshow of their day…. *CLICK HERE* , otherwise scroll on down.

makeup by the fabulous Renee Tyburczy.

Enjoy your happy ever after Mr & Mrs. Barlow.

If there was ever a wedding that made me want to move back to California, it was this one. The light, the yummy SoCal light. *le sigh*.  And then there is the lovely simplicity that made this wedding so swoon-worthy.  Joy & Robert found the site where the ceremony was held at a forestry center. It is actually an outdoor classroom and I thought it was PERFECT. They built chuppah from downed trees collected after the SoCal wind storms a few weeks prior and truly enhanced the setting.

Joy and I were quad-mates in college and I must say, I have never ever seen her more happy. Robert, you truly ignite her namesake within her.

Grandmas always deposit excess amounts of lipstick…Joy was so excited to have her Grandma there, this woman survived the Holocaust and has had the joy  of attending all her grand-babies weddings now. All guests were pinned with red felt hearts…Robert literally danced down the aisle after being pronounced husband and wife. 

Robert, I love how tenderly you love Joy. This lovely cake-topper was handmade for them… How adorable is that?
Go forth and populate the world with HOT babies you two …. I call dibs on your first family photos!  ;)

Attempting to catch up on blogging all the summer weddings… I am blogging entirely out of order so if you are a bride awaiting your moment to shine, please forgive the order. It makes about as much sense as the street of downtown Boston. [wink]

Allow me to introduce you to the beautiful Elizabeth and her handsome husband Brian. These two lawyers were an eclectic mix of Jewish liveliness and Latin Spunk. Every moment of their celebration made you feel like you were at an on-going party…. With Elizabeth’s family hailing from the dominican republic, the latin love literally LIT UP the dance floor. It helped that the INCREDIBLE latin band kept the party going into the wee hours of the morning.

Having met at Harvard, Elizabeth and Brian wed in the Harvard Chapel and then partied hard at the downtown Harvard Club.  ENJOY

seeing the Ketubah for the first time… 

The wedding transportation made for awesome photo ops. I wasn’t kidding about the entire event being a party!

‘Twas an affair to remember.

Now, I know weddings aren’t about ME, but I must admit Katie had so many of my favorite things involved in her wedding… FEATHERS [in her hair, on her shoes, in the decor], My favorite favorite Boston make-up artist Tavi De La Rosa. [Tavi is a magician and when I show up to a wedding he is beautifying, I KNOW it'll be a good day], Plus, a floor to ceiling WHITE reception hall is a photographer’s dream. In addition, there were details to set many girl’s heart a flutter…. A Vera Wang stunner dress, Manolo Blahniks fit for a queen, and a swanky party at Belle Mer in Newport, RI. Then to top it all off, her handsome Anthony.  Katie, I think your wedding was tied with a neat little fairy-tale bow.

I traditionally dont share a lot of details, but I couldn’t help myself this time… So, in unpredictable Shyla fashion, I posted WAY too many photos.

Oh well… ENJOY!

Beautiful Florals by Flowers by Semia

Waiting, waiting, waiting… 

Right before the kiss…. my favorite!

details, details, and more details. Told you I couldn’t help myself.