OOPS! I really goofed - I somehow in my pre-holiday frenzy last year actually overlooked posting Sharla & Scott’s engagement session! SO SORRY guys! I was just editing your wedding images this evening when it hit me - and I asked Charles to check the blog. I said “I know it’s there and I’m just paranoid, but I can’t remember posting their session - can you check for me?” And sure enough, y’all were nowhere to be found!

Okay, so here is your incredibly long overdue post (this is like, what, 8 months old?):

There is a whole story behind the three roses - white, yellow, and red - but I’ll save that for their wedding post. For now, just know that it is significant and something they really wanted to highlight during their session:

We also shot a whole series incorporating their different medical “stuff” < --- I have no idea how to say that! We used their doctor coats (you know, the long white ones?) and all that jazz. They met and started dating while doctors-in-training - as Sharla told me "think real-life Grey's Anatomy!"

Sorry I missed this the first time around, guys! These two will be back again soon with images from their beautiful wedding (we shot on Saturday) just outside of Mobile, Alabama… stay tuned!

I just loved this wedding - it’s everything you could want from an intimate beach ceremony with close friends and family in attendance.

What I saw when I first arrived:

Getting ready:

Lovely Jana:

Quick background - we were working with the bridal party and family members out on the beach about an hour before the ceremony - shooting the formals prior to ceremony, as we often do - when three beach cruisers start heading our way, moving pretty fast. I started walking towards the vehicles when one of the officers yells out “do you have a permit to be out here?” I fumbled for words and he repeats “do you have a permit to allow y’all to conduct a wedding on this beach?” I replied “Sir, I’m not certain, but I can locate someone who might have an answer for you….” (It was all I could come up with). He says “I’d like to speak to whoever is in charge.” I spin around, scanning the crowd and see Judy, the mother of the bride. She walks over, visibly upset - having overheard our conversation - and they begin a back and forth over whether it is or is not legal to have the ceremony on private property without a permit. I wasn’t sure what to do - but something told me to shoot. (I’m a little ballsy like that!) About two minutes into the debate, the officers begin laughing - and Judy looks stunned for a moment until it hit us all - they were totally yanking our chain! It was scary for a minute and I’m so glad it was a joke - but I can’t believe they did that! In retrospect, it was pretty funny and having the photo series makes it even better. So, there’s the story.

Ceremony set-up:

Here comes the groom:

I like the sweet look between Jana and her dad:

Newlywed Bliss:

We love these guys - and it would seem they like us too - because they came back again to shoot a SECOND engagement session in a different setting.
Here are Rebecca and Matt, back again, for a sunset overlooking Pensacola Beach:

These two flew all the way from Denver to get hitched on the white “sugar beaches” in Pensacola.

Lovely flowers:

They had a beautiful wedding under the noon sun at the Pensacola Beach Hilton Garden Inn:

Happy newlyweds:

Valerie + Ryan came all the way over to Pensacola just for their engagement shoot! We were so excited to finally meet them and wanted to spend some time just getting to know each other - so we played mini golf! Somewhere near the third hole I announced that there would be ice cream for the winner and public humiliation (a la this blog) for the loser. And since girls are better than boys - Valerie won! (see the lime green score card for proof.) But she was sweet and shared her Rocky Road with Ryan… the makings of a great marriage there.