Let's face it. Cancer is U-G-L-Y! But that doesn't mean the men and women battling cancer want to feel that way. The American Cancer Society has an amazing program where certified cosmetologists assist cancer patients with tricks to applying make-up to mask the side effects of cancer.

It is my absolute pleasure to serve as the publicity chair for our local Relay for Life. And I was so honored to spend an evening with the beautiful ladies of the Look Good, Feel Better program a few weeks ago at St. Elizabeth Hospital. The best part of this program - it is completely FREE to participants thanks to the fundraising efforts of The Relay for Life (The American Cancer Society's largest fundraiser.)

If you've never participated in the Relay for Life, visit acs.org to find the Relay for Life closest to you!

My mom watched in horror as I looked through my girls' closet a few, short weeks ago for Bianca's old baptism gown so I could see if I could 'find something close enough to match.' "That simply will not do," my mom exclaimed - taking it upon herself to design and sew Brooklynn and Brylee two of the most beautiful baptism gowns ever! (Just one more reason I'm so lucky to have my mom!)

Looking at the calendar for a date for this blessed event posed a challenge - seeing that my daughters' were born in the height of wedding season. When I found out that my dad and grandmother could be here the weekend of Mother's Day, I thought it would not only be the perfect day for a baptism - I thought we should just roll everything into one and have a birthday party too!

I'd known for a long time that I wanted a Dr. Seuss Thing One & Thing Two party for my girls for a long time, but as the day approached I got a little caught-up in the theme. Adorable Dr. Seuss outfits, Dr. Seuss Happy Birthday To You sign-in books, Lorax moustaches and the most adorable cakes from Sugar Daddy's came together to make the day perfect!

And even though it poured buckets on us all day, it was pretty fitting considering that's what happens in Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat!

Baptism Gowns: Jane Adams (my amazingly, awesome mom)

Baptism: Williamstown United Methodist Church, Brother Barry Robinson

Birthday Outfits (Thing One & Thing Two): Seuss Land

Birthday Cakes: Sugar Daddy's

There was no way around the fact that it rained (at some points even poured buckets) on Kayse & Brandon's wedding day. But I've never seen a more relaxed bride under the circumstances. We made the most of our weather limitations; and Kayce, Brandon and their entire wedding party were ready to run outside when we saw a break in the clouds - and that's saying something since the bride was healing a knee injury!

Kayce and Brandon are two of the most fun people I've ever met. Their smiles are contagious - just like their love for each other.

Here's to Happily Ever After! And I'll give you the same words of wisdom my sister gave me when it poured on my wedding day, "Every rain drop that falls on your wedding day is one less tear you'll shed in your marriage." I hope that turns out to be true for you guys!

Wedding ceremony & reception: Oasis Conference Center

Chaplain: Rev. Karen Heaster

Florist: Jones the Florist (Where the bride happens to create beautiful arrangements.)

Cake: DessertWorks Cakery

I'll never forget how nervous I was to tell my father that I was dating a man 16 years older than I was - not to mention the fact that he was raising two boys on his own.

I beat around the bush with my dad that night at dinner until I finally blurted out, "He's a little bit older than I am."

My dad smiled and quoted Leroy "Satchel" Paige by saying, "Sarah, Age is nothing but mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

I'm happy to say that Chuck and I have been together almost nine years, and he's proud to say he can still work circles around me!

The driving force that brought us together - and keeps us together - is love!

Love sees no age, no past heart-ache, no obstacles. Love only sees...Love!

And love is what I see when I look at Jill & Jim. And I see how blessed they BOTH know they are to have found each other at this phase in their lives - when they were least expecting it. 

Jill & Jim, I'm so honored to be a little part of your BIG day! Enjoy every moment you have together, and always remember that other famous quote from Paige. “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”

So when it was time to select our wedding favors, I really wanted to have something quintessentially Kentucky – like mini bottles of Maker’s Mark…and Ale 8 for the kids.

But do you know how much money it would cost to give essentially a shot of whiskey to 250 people? A lot!

And what were they going to do with their travel-size bottle of Maker’s Mark? Either, drink it and forget about it…or tuck it on a shelf to collect dust.

As a wedding photographer, I’ve seen a lot of really cute wedding favors – I think the Maker’s Mark would have been cute had I wanted to devote that much of my budget to my favors. Candy bars are really popular right now (like a liquor bar with candy instead of booze, not an actually Hershey’s bar – although I’ve seen those too.) But for me, these ideas fall into the same category as the bottle of liquor – they’re fleeting.

Something I’m seeing more and more of these days are donations in lieu of wedding favors, and I think this is a wonderful gesture. It shows your guests that you’re still happy they came to your wedding and acknowledge their presences, but you’re taking the money you would have spent on wedding favors and donating it to the charity of your choice.

This also gives couples a wonderful opportunity to honor their loved-ones as well. For example, if a parent or grandparent lost a battle with cancer – how fitting would it be for the bride and groom to make a donation to the American Cancer Society?

Several organizations, like St. Jude, have designated wedding favors you can purchase – like a scroll or bookmark – to let your guests know a donation was made on their behalf. But if a bride and groom were passionate about a smaller charity – like a local building or renovation fund – it would be really easy to order custom stickers with the charity’s name and information.

St. Jude Bookmark Photo from St. Jude

Then, if the bride and groom wanted to have a candy bar, they could put the stickers on the boxes for guests to fill with candy.

Because, let’s be honest, in twenty-five years, do you think your wedding guests are still going to have a metal tin of mints with your wedding date on it? Probably not. But hopefully, your monetary donation to a valid, trustworthy charity would have helped someone, somewhere in need. For more information on charity favors, visit www.justgive.org

At two recent consultations with couples, music came up as an area of concern. Both of my couples are planning small, intimate weddings with family as the focus. Both couples are working within financial constraints – as most couples – and were struggling to find music to fit their venue…and their budget.

Here are some tips for selecting music while maintaining a budget.

Find Music That Fits Your Venue & Overall Wedding Theme

One couple is planning a more formal event – wedding taking place in a very traditional, ornate chapel and reception including a five-course meal. This couple really wanted a string quartet, which was off their price point.

Solution: By going with a string trio – instead of a quartet – they were able to save money while still getting the traditional, elegant style of the violin, viola and cello.

The other couple is planning a more casually, elegant event – with an outdoor wedding and reception taking place on a family farm where rolling hills will serve as the backdrop. This couple had also expressed interest in a string quartet – but I felt that was a little too formal for their venue and theme.

Solution: I recommended a Dulcimer Trio for their event.

Dulcimers are stringed instruments that are plucked or strummed with fingers instead of a bow. Like the violin, the dulcimer can make a variety of sounds depending on the music selection – but the dulcimer has a more relaxed feeling about it.

Meet with your Musicians to Discuss Song Choices & Details

Nothing would ruin a First Dance for a Bride & Groom more than realizing either their band didn’t know how to play their First Dance Song or the DJ didn’t have it on the play list.

Don’t worry if your band doesn’t play your Song. Just make sure you have it on a disc or MP3 player – and make sure to have a designated person ready to cue it up to speakers at the right time.

Also – make sure to discuss the details with the musicians you hire. Who’s responsible for the sound system, speakers, microphones, and electrical access? Is that something the musicians will bring, or will you need to work with your venue?

Keep Things Moving

Whether you’re hiring a band or DJ for your reception – which is totally a matter of taste – make sure you discuss your schedule for the evening with them.

Your DJ or Lead Singer will also act as the MC at your event – unless you hire a separate MC. Make sure you either get a schedule to them directly or work with your wedding coordinator to have a schedule ready for your wedding night. Nothing slows down the memento at a wedding reception more than guests sitting around wondering if the couple will have a first dance, cut the cake or toss the bouquet.

Do You

If you are a rock 'n roll couple with traditional parents who want that traditional string quartet - talk to your musicians to see if they can put a Guns 'N Roses November Rain spin on your wedding day. (Well maybe that's not the best example since the wedding in that video didn't turn out too well, but you get the idea.) Most musicians, if given enough time, enjoy the challenge of stepping outside their comfort zones.

And Have Fun! This is - after all - your wedding day!

As the years past, the tree became sick. Several people came out and tried to 'doctor' the tree, but the family started to worry that the tree might fall over, crushing my grandparent's home.

I'll never forget how sad I was the night it stormed and snapped the tip off that old tree. My grandparents were in the hospital - after my grandfather had surgery. I drove out to the house to check on the tree. I parked, walked around the side of the house, and found a scene of branches and leaves scattered throughout my grandparent's yard - within inches of their home.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about 'The Last Photograph' - how important portraits can be because they might be the last pictures taken of a person.

Never in a million years did I assume I might also be taking the last photographs of a place - that was until a week ago when I was driving home from the grocery through one of the heaviest hit areas of the recent tornadoes. Electric crews lined both sides of the road, four wheelers were working like ants pulling debris out of the fields, and from my vantage point at the bottom of a hill I saw a house that  - looked like new construction when all I could see were the wooden beams of the roof - stood alone.

As I crested the hill, my heart sank. This house was not a new construction. Instead it was the home of one of my client's grandparents. My mind immediately went to April and her family - praying no one was injured. As I drove on past the house, I saw a horrible image...the black, weathered barns that were the symbols of the family farm - and the backdrop for our photo shoot of April and her children - were leveled to the ground. These barns that held so many fond, family memories of children playing in the hayloft and romping through the aisles had been reduced to piles of rubble up in flames.

I was devastated for this family, and I was immediately transported back to my grandparent's house and that huge shade tree that once provided hours of entertainment on the old swing and kept our family dinners outside cool on hot, summer days. Fortunately, there is a family photograph at my grandparent’s house of my family in front of the massive trunk of that tree. Although I’m not in the photo – I wasn’t born yet – it holds a special place in my heart because it’s a photograph of my mom, dad and sisters together…when they were a family.

Here are some pictures of that photo session of April and her children at their family farm.

Covington, KY Wedding

January 7, 2012

Last Saturday I photographed my first wedding of 2012! Ryan & Kyle were two of the cutest people I've ever met. Instead of writing traditional wedding vows, they wrote letters to each other that were read during the ceremony. Ryan and Kyle kept their words a secret from one another, yet when they were read it could have been from the same letter. They spoke of a love rooted in friendship and playfulness and romance and adventure - all things important to keep a marriage young.

On my way to Ryan & Kyle's wedding a Frank Sinatra song came on the radio - All the Way. It's not one of my top five Sinatra songs, but just like with most of his music as I listened to the melody the words began to come to me. With weddings on my mind, I reflected on the last six years of my own marriage. I realized how true the lyrics are...

Who knows where the road will lead us
Only a fool would say
But if you'll let me love you
It's for sure I'm gonna love you - all the way 
All the way

I think the unknown of life is one of the most exciting aspects of a marriage. Ryan and Kyle have no idea where their road will lead, but they know they'll be on that road together.

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: The Madison, Covington

Hotel: The Embassy Suites Rivercenter, Covington

Bridal Hair & Make-Up: Noah's Art

Groom's Grooming: King's Court Barber Shop

Flowers: The Blossom Basket

Cake: Tres Belle Cakes

Wedding Gown: Mori Lee, Bridal & Formal

There are days we're on top of things...my daughter gets to school on time (in a matching ensemble), my house is clean, I have happy twins, get some work done and manage to cook something only semi-frozen for dinner. These days make me feel like Superwoman.

Then there are our normal days...I'm late getting my daughter to preschool (in my work-out clothes that shift to lounge clothes when I don't ever make it to the gym), my house is a disaster, my twins are fussy, and we eat a buffet of condensed soup and frozen noodles for dinner.

Even during these disaster-days of spit-up, screams and self-loathing...I try to remind myself that I'm doing the best I can & that's all I can manage. And even in the midst of wrecking havoc on our home, my beautiful girls will smile or laugh or give me a kiss...and I remember why I do what I do.

Like I said earlier, I can't believe how the last six months have disappeared. My twins are developing their own personalities and traits, and Bianca is three going on thirty. She is so smart and funny and opinionated.

We took the week off work and preschool to visit my dad and grandmother in Paducah. Here are my girls. The three most amazing faces I get to wake-up to every morning and tuck in to bed each night.

It's a miracle! Everyone is looking toward the camera & no one is in tears...yet.

Some of my favorite pictures I've ever taken...ever! My Brooklynn Rose is actually smiling (she's our serious baby:)

The best big sister...rocking her self-cut hair-do!

Miss Hazel B LOVES her feet...

And Brooklynn Rose loves tummy time. I can imagine her saying, "Yeah, I spit-up...So?"

I just adore these kids! And I know they adore me...right now anyway. As Bianca says, "Mommy, I love you very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very much!" And then she giggles uncontrollably.

Boston is such a neat young man! He's the kind of guy you want around. He could fix your car, go out and hunt or fish for dinner & probably cook it if needed. He likes wearing ties with his blue jeans, is a wonderful role model to his three younger siblings, and has a love and appreciation for vintage cars.

Boston's uncle's Gran Torino became the backdrop and theme for our photo shoot, and we had a blast on his family farm.

Boston, Good Luck in All you Do! I know you'll make your mom proud! 

Visit us on Facebook to see more photos from our shoot!