Ahh, I’ve been dying to blog these sweet images!! Amber and Ryan are honestly some of the best people I’ve ever met, and how LUCKY am I to call them a 2016 JTP couple?! I met Amber last year when she was a bridesmaid in her sister in laws wedding that I shot, and when she got engaged, she quickly contacted me and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to shoot her wedding!! I remembered Amber as being hysterical — she took speech time from tears and emotions to joking on her brother and making everyone laugh their booty’s off! I think I may have even pulled her aside to tell her how much I loved her speech! She’s just the kind of girl that speaks whats on her mind and everyone knows I love that kind of personality!

Amber and Ryan asked me if I’d be willing to drive to them in Durham to shoot their engagements at Sarah P. Duke Gardens — a place thats special to them and they often go to just walk around and see all the prettiness. Of course I said YES because I’ve been dying to travel for sessions and weddings and to just jump outside of my comfort zone! On my drive down there, I was expecting normal gardens similar to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, but when I got there, I was quickly shocked by how HUGE these gardens were! I’m not sure we could’ve seen everything in one day and each detail there was so immaculate, perfect and beautiful.

We started a little earlier than I normally would so we walked around finding all the best spots with shade and I’m pretty sure I squealed, jumped up and down and even screamed a few times with excitement over the beauty that was at Sarah P. Duke Gardens as well as the beautiful couple I was photographing! Amber and Ryan kept me laughing ALL day long. Amber’s the kind of girl you just want to hang around all the time because you know you’ll have a great time and be amused 24/7! Ryan, you’re a lucky guy to marry that girl!!

We decided to leave the gardens when we had about 45 minutes left of ‘the good light’ and travel to downtown Durham for a few urban shots! I’m SO glad we did! It gave a little break in the images so they’re not all the same and I had fun seeing the downtown area!

After our session, they treated me and my friend Jenn (who willingly took the drive with me to keep me company and learn a few things about photography) to the BEST Mexican food in downtown Durham. I’ll forever be craving Gonza until I can eat it again one day, haha! SO if you know anyone who wants to shoot at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens or anywhere in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area, you just let me know ;-) We’ll shoot away, have so much fun, then eat yummy Gonza at the end of it all!

Amber and Ryan, thank you SO much for choosing me, sending me to see Durham, for making me laugh all day, for being the best clients turned friends possible and for making this dream job of mine so easy and fun! And thank you for your southern hospitality! I’m so excited for your Murfreesboro wedding and can’t wait to rock the heck out of it! Health and happiness always, xo!