Andrew Jade Photography

Kyler + Janet: An Engagement Shoot

2012-01-27T09:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday...

Lat week I had the pleasure of shooting Kyler and Janet's engagement shoot up in Fountain Hills. We met up by the fountain which was where we were supposed to start our photo shoot, but as the weather would have it, the lighting was all wrong. We decided to skip on over to highway 87, pull off on a dirt road, drive as far as we could and just start walking. We hopped a barbwire fence and found a good location... it was a fun shoot :) If it wasn't so far away from where we live, I would definitely be tempted to go back and keep shooting at the same location. It was THAT good of a spot!

Kyler and Janet have been together for a few years and finally decided it was time to take that next step. So on a trip to Napa Valley, Kyler proposed at a winery; they are getting married on December 29th, so put a sticky note on your computer to check back for their wedding photos early 2013 ;)

Here is their photo shoot...

On the day that Kyler and Janet got engaged, they kept their glasses from the winery and wrote notes to each other on them. They also kept a bottle from their engagement that they wanted to open up for their engagement shoot. Awesome :)

Thanks guys! Can't wait for your wedding in December!

Trey and Megan: A Belly shoot (sort of :)

2012-01-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

My very good friends Trey and Megan are about to have a baby boy and we have been trying for months to get together to do a maternity session with them but our schedules have been crazy. Well we were finally able to put it together last week Sunday which was a HUGE blessing because if it didn't happen then, I don't know that it would've at all.

I shot this one solo (which is the norm these days for anything other than weddings as leaving our 2 adorable babies behind for small photo shoots is just TOO hard :) Trey and Megan have done a couple other photo sessions but this was my first one with them. They didn't come into it with a bunch of expectations which meant I got to paint on a blank canvas. This is always challenging yet VERY enjoyable because I have to be more creative but also that I can just do whatever I want ;) And being that they are good friends of mine, we all felt really comfortable and just had a good time. I also felt the freedom to try a bunch of ideas that I had no idea if they would work or not... I do this anyway, as I tell all of our clients during a photo shoot, but I felt like I could try some stuff that just sounded ridiculous, even in my OWN head :) And, surprise to me, some of it came out looking great! Trey and Meg are SO much fun and I had a blast shooting their session. They really wanted pictures to remember this season in their life. I LOVE this photo shoot because I think that we really captured their personalities in it; goofy, fun, not too overly lovey-dovey yet still affectionate, joking around, relaxed, etc. Here are some of my favorites, enjoy!

SO Trey and Meg :)

This was a pretty cool shot because I was about to pose them and the baby started kicking. So instead of just doing a pose, we captured a real moment. It is so common yet when you really think about it, it's amazing! A tiny, little precious baby inside of his mommy's tummy kicking and his parent's getting to feel him. They haven't seen him but there is only a thin layer of skin in between them. Crazy :)

Cool shoes, and also the shoes they were married in :)

Trey being Trey

And my favorite saved for the last shot.

Thanks again guys, you rock! Now get that baby out :)

Phoenix Wedding Photographer: Chris + Adrienne

2012-01-20T09:06:00.001-08:00

Emily and I have been working with Chris and Adrienne for over a year, I believe. We met with them what seems like ions ago; I met with Adrienne and Emily met with Chris at separate times because our schedules were just crazy. Emily got to meet Adrienne FINALLY on the day of the wedding, which was funny because we have been corresponding with them for an entire year by this point :)

Their wedding was at the beautiful St Simon and Jude Cathedral; with gorgeous and dynamic stain glass windows cascading on both sides, a huge vaulted ceiling, and a balcony with a great vantage point for photographers ;) It was an emotion evoking Catholic Mass, with by far one of the best singers I've heard at a wedding (Andrea Bocelli meets Josh Groban :) I kept hoping he would start belting it out, but as is traditional within a Catholic cathedral, the music was less about the voice and more about words. Still... I couldn't help but hope he would hit some high notes :)

As for the happy couple, Chris and Adrienne met YEARS ago and finally fell in love at ASU. They were part of the same group of friends, and nothing happened between them for a long time, and then they just sort of hit it off. Their affection for each other is awesome to see, especially with Adrienne dressed all in white and Chris in his suite, looking like a stud :) They were not short of emotions and tears (especially Adrienne ;) while exchanging vows and committing their lives to one another. This is the kind of wedding that just makes us LOVE what we do!

And without further boring words from yours truly :), here are their pictures. Enjoy!

Waiting anxiously...

Man this guy could sing!

Babies + Weddings = Nap Time

JOY

Stunning...

LOVE this one.

Mariachi Aguila. Best mariachi in the valley or I'll eat my hat...

Wedding La Marcha!

I may have had a little TOO much fun with off camera flash, but I like it :)

So there you have it! :) Congratulations Chris and Adrienne. We have had a great time with you guys and have loved our interactions with you to make your big day happen. We wish you all the greatest blessings and a long life together! :)

Vendor List:

Wedding Ceremony- St Simon and Jude Cathedral
Reception-Estrella Vista Reception Hall
Videographer-Davagian Video Productions
Mariachi Band-Mariachi Aguila
DJ-Chuck Wetzel with MegaSound

Sneak Peek: Chris + Adrienne

2012-01-18T10:21:00.001-08:00

I am working on Chris and Adrienne's wedding and wanted to show you all how awesome it's gonna be. They were married in a rad cathedral and we had such a good time with their couple's session as well :P Check out a few of their pictures below.

How rad is this stain glass window!

Phoenix Wedding Photographer: Curtis + Carolina

2012-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hey all, we are BACK! No, we didn't actually go anywhere, but I don't think I've written a blog post in over a couple weeks :) What can I say, the holidays take it out of a guy... I hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas and New Year's! We spent Christmas up at a cabin in Prescott and enjoyed New Year's with Emily's family. We went REAL crazy and stayed up past midnight... we are so cool :) Something about having kids makes me want to go to bed at 10pm, anyone relate???

Back to business here... I solo shot Curtis and Carolina's wedding a bit over a week ago at the beautiful Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale. Not only was the location spectacular, I got to work with one of the best group of vendors I have had the opportunity to work with! The fabulous Amina Michele with Some Like it Classic, Molly who helps coordinate Troon events, Larry James the Minister, and the crazy quirky Curtis Whipple who MC'ed the day. It was a killer wedding, fabulous bride and groom, couldn't have asked for more (except for my gorgeous wifey to have been there, but someone had to man the booth at the bridal expo which fell on the same day :).

I only got to spend a short time with Curtis and Carolina; they are from out of town so neither Emily or I had the chance to meet with them over coffee and have small talk, but I honestly felt like I had a great connection with them. Curtis is a closet comedian IMO, despite that he is a highly respected professional in the Pharmacology industry. :) Carolina I only got to meet the day of the wedding, and right off the bat I knew this was a confident woman. She was so great to work with because she told me exactly what was on her mind :) This made my job easy because I was able to capture pictures that she wanted and not waste time on shots she could care less about.

Here are some of my favorite shots from their wedding. Enjoy and leave a comment if you would like to tell us what you think!

~Andrew

First look before the ceremony...

LOVE this shot!

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Curtis Whipple :)

Stunning...

This kid was awesome :)

From your awesome vendors :)

Congratulations to Curtis and Carolina! Thank you for being such a great couple to work with and I sincerely wish you blessings upon blessings in your life together!

Vendor List:

Wedding Planner: Amina Michele (along with Whitney) from Some Like It Classic
Coordinator with Troon: Molly
DJ: Curtis Whipple
Minister: Larry James
Cake: Let Them Eat Cake
Venue: Troon North Golf Club

A Family Shoot: The Utterback Clan

2011-12-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have been so excited about posting this shoot! It's been hard to finish though because we have been really busy with life; we are moving houses, the Holidays, eating an insane amount of junk food, the usual for us around this time of year :) Emily and I were talking and it dawned on us that we have moved every holiday season that we have been married (well, technically only SHE has moved because she moved in with me when we tied the knot :). One of these days we will settle down and stay put, but for now we are continuing the tradition.

On top of all of that, we went up to Prescott to spend a few days at a cabin for Christmas. We had originally planned on shooting the Utterback family's shoot earlier but we got rained out :( As it happened, it worked out really well to do the shoot on Christmas Eve on our way up to the cabin. We stopped over in Scottsdale and then went on our way after the shoot.

Now the Utterback family is pretty big :) There were 20 of them! That's not your usual family photo shoot so there were always plenty of things to take pictures of. We had an amazing time with them and I must say, their kids did awesome! 10 kids and all did great :) It was a really energetic shoot with all those little fire crackers running around, climbing on trees, racing horses, etc :) Here you go and I hope all of you had a great Christmas!

The Utterbacks

So many precious babies :)

Can we keep her?

Related? I think so :)

Lots of happy faces with their new horses :)

The 4 couples

Hugs :)

Most precious little girl with more curls than you can shake a stick at :)

AHHH!

The girls :)

The fellas...

Tadaaa! :)

This was her 'Look what I made!' photo :)

We really enjoyed working with you guys and were so glad that all of you were able to set some time aside to do photos, even though it was Christmas Eve :) I hope you all enjoy your New Years!

An Engagement Shoot: Chris + Adrienne

2011-12-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

I don't have time to write much today, sorry folks! In a bit of a hurry. I DID, however, want to post this rad engagement shoot I did of Chris and Adrienne on Mill Ave in Tempe. We had a ton of fun and I am really looking forward to their wedding in a few weeks. Here are some of my favorites, enjoy!

Scottsdale Wedding Photographer: Mitchell + Erica

2011-12-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Mitchell and Erica are a unique couple, especially because of the way that they met. They are both in the flying business, Mitchell being a pilot and Erica a flight attendant, and both working for the same airlines. According to Mitchell, he didn't want to be that pilot who picked up on a flight attendant, but Erica was just too good to pass up. :) So after much pursuit, Erica finally gave in to the pilot that kept hitting on her. I bet she is glad that she did :) They are really a fun couple to watch; Mitchell with his boisterous humor with whom there is never a dull moment as I am sure his friends and family can attest to! This made for interesting bridal pictures because I couldn't get him to stop making jokes, but we managed ;) In fact, for their engagement session, I was laughing so much my face hurt by the time we were done! And Erica brings the balance from the other end of the spectrum with her calm nature and compassionate heart. Even more than listening to Mitchell tell jokes, I like to see how Erica responds to them; she just smiles with a slight laughter and let's him do his thing. :) She LOVES animals so much that she posted more pictures of her 'temporary' pet dog Taco from their honeymoon to Bora Bora than she did of the 2 of them (a bit of over exaggeration here :)! Who spends their precious time in Bora Bora feeding hungry and lonely animals? Erica, that's who :) They are definitely 2 very different people who make for a fun and exciting relationship.

Their wedding was at the Old Scottsdale Mission and the reception at the Biltmore Hotel. You could not have asked for better weather and everyone really enjoyed themselves! Here are some of our favorite shots from their wedding day. Enjoy! :)

Maid of Honor, aka Sister aka BFF :)

LOVE the dress!

Erica was VERY proud of her boquet, and for great reason! This thing was made out of pieces and memorabilia from she and Mitchell's relationship all the way back from the beginning. It also weighed a friggin ton :)

The boys

They had, I kid you not, the best string trio I have ever heard at a wedding.

Erica's mom while doing a part of the ceremony, emotion overcoming her as her girl is getting married.

My favorite portrait of the day... maybe of the year :)

A Guest Tree :)

Erica LOVES her grandpa :)

Mitchell got punked...

Scottsdale Wedding Photographer: Mitchell + Erica Sneak Peek

2011-12-16T10:57:00.001-08:00

Happy Friday to all of you out there :) Here is a sneak peek of Mitchell and Erica's wedding at the Old Scottsdale Mission and the Biltmore Hotel in Scottsdale. I will be doing a full wedding post either Monday or Tuesday next week so stay posted. Have a great weekend! :)

Phoenix Wedding Photographer: Mark + Candice

2011-12-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

I started to get to know Mark and Candice several months ago when their wedding coordinator Brianna Quidang (who also happens to be a close friend and one of our brides :) recommended that they use us because she was hiring us as well. Nothing better than a referral from experience :). The rest is history...

Mark and Candice were married on November 19th at the beautiful Estrella Mountain Starpointe Residents Club. I used to live in Estrella Mountain and have always wanted to do a wedding there so I was MORE than happy when Candice told me where their ceremony was, I was elated! :) They are a fun couple and have been great to work with! We did their engagement shoot on Mill Ave and Tempe Town Lake a few months back as well.

Their wedding was as gorgeous as I expected it to be! The sky was slightly cloudy, no rain thank the good Lord!, and Mark and Candice were really great to work with; they were both so calm and just ready to be married :) I want to throw a huge shout-out to Brianna Quidang for her hard work on making Mark and Candice's wedding as beautiful as could be! :)

Here are a few images from their wedding. Enjoy! :)

Lacing up the Chucks :)

A real man has tears when he sees his love on their wedding day :)

Kudos to Brianna for the killer decorum!

Mark doing his best foot flirting...

Gorgeous :)

Candice's dad played and sang for their first dance.

They also had their family do some traditional dancing from the Southern Pacific islands :)

Candice has a real soft spot for her grandpa, who was able to make it for their wedding which was a HUGE blessing to her :)

Brianna getting coaxed into a photo :) I don't know what it is about wedding planners, but their must be a requirement to hate having your picture taken to become one because every single planner I've worked with dodges the camera like a plague! :)

Congratulations to Mark and Candice :)

Wyatt and his blocks

2011-12-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

I took these of Wyatt a few days ago. He has been sitting up on his own now for a the past 2 weeks. I cannot express the small yet wonderful joys in life like your child sitting up :) This means that he can entertain himself for a few minutes so I don't have to hold him ALL the time... I love holding him, don't get me wrong, but its pretty frustrating for the both of us when he wants to sit UP and still wants his freedom from dad's arms. :)

Look at that face :)

The Lee Family

2011-12-12T08:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday morning...

I hope everyone is caught up on their Christmas shopping because it's madness out there. We went shopping yesterday to finish up what gifts we still needed to buy and it reminded me how much I hate shopping. I am not much of a gifts person... I really couldn't care about birthday gifts, or birthday parties for that matter... it's just not a big deal to me. My sis-in-law Hahna keeps asking me what I want for Christmas and I honestly cannot think of anything. I finally realized that I am in some dyer need of some Charger's paraphernalia (go BOLTS!) so I told her to get me a hat, but this was after 2 weeks of her asking. I must really suck to buy for :) But it's just that I don't care about 'stuff' much; hear me, I'm not saying that it's wrong to LOVE getting gifts and having birthday parties. That's awesome and I wish I was more like that. :) Emily loves it when I buy her things; not because she is materialistic or anything, but because it meant that I was thinking of her. She really feels loved when I buy her things. So, my whole point is that I WISH I was more gift conscious because it would come so much easier to show my wife that I love her in a way that she receives. What can I say, I'm working on it :)

So a couple weeks ago I did a photo shoot with the Lee family. They had the idea to go to Westgate for their family photos, which I thought a bit bold because it's definitely not your usual photo location for a family shoot. When it was all said and done, though, I was amazed at how much fun it was! It was so diverse with all the shops, people, advertisements, fountains, just a ton of energy all around! This was really cool because kids have a hard time being natural in front of a camera as it is, so with all the distractions, she was an absolute joy to take pictures of :) Here are a select few from their shoot, enjoy!

Making a wish :)

Who doesn't love Kermit :)

LOVE :)

Free spirited :)

Someone loves to jump :)

An Engagement Post: Matt + Sonia

2011-12-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Here we go, post number 4 in 4 days! :)

I met up with Matt and Sonia at this crazy cool little place in the industrial section of Phoenix called The Duce. It's a restaurant, which I think is a risky thing to call a place where you serve food, but there you have it :) And it's not just any restaurant, it's a clothing store with a regulation size boxing ring, a bar, and a very chill outdoor patio. This place has it all :) I worked downtown for some time and I never knew this place existed! If you love unique and hidden little spots, this is for you.

This was my first time meeting Matt and Sonia and they are a really cool, trendy dressing and laid back couple... so good for the camera :) They wanted an edgy urban photo shoot so we met up and went around to a couple spots in downtown. We had a fantastic time and I loved getting to know them a bit more. They are getting married at our very favorite wedding venue, the Inspirador in Chandler... getting to shoot another wedding here is a dream come true, so stay tuned for that :)

The Duce :)

Then we left and had some fun around town...

Matt's an avid soccer player...

'We're getting married!'

As I said, a really fun couple :)

~Andrew

An Engagement Post: Mitchell + Erica

2011-12-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

3 blog posts in 3 days, I'm on a roll :) Here are Mitchell and Erica on their engagement photo session that we did up in Verrado. These guys were a ton of fun to shoot. If you know Mitchell, it's hard to get him to stop joking around :) My face hurt from smiling when we were done and leaving. Erica just laughs because she is so used to it :) You can't tell much HERE on this blog post, but Mitchell was making faces in MOST of the pictures we took :) Good times. Here are a few from their engagement shoot; keep posted for their wedding pictures, which I should be posting by next week!

Mitchell is so serious all the time...

Memphis, Son!

2011-12-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

Soooo, I am really bad about posting timely blog posts about fun things that we do :) We were in Memphis 3 weeks ago, am I am just now getting this blog post up and running. I am working on it, I promise :)

We spent the following day in Memphis after Matthew and Jennifer's wedding and had a pretty killer time. As much as we love shooting weddings, there is something magical about the following day and not having any responsibilities. Weddings, especially for me, come with a lot of expectations; 'There is only one chance to capture everything going on, so don't blow it!' kind of pressure :) So, the thought of spending a whole day with my bride in a new city without the responsibility of being photographers OR parents was awesome! It was the first time for us to be away from the kids for so long, so of course we were missing them like crazy, but we still had a great time.

Check out our day...

I didn't know they had a ginormous pyramid in Memphis...

My hot wife :)

'Here comes the smolder'...

LOVE these yellow trees, which I recently found out are Ginkgo trees. (fact provided by Dr A. Osteen, MD)

Rendevouz... BBQ so good you'll slap your mamma :)

Old meets New

After much persistence, Emily did a 'leaves falling' portrait :)

One of my favorite parts of our day to Memphis was our spontaneous trip to the zoo. Memphis has a killer zoo! I had no idea, as I... well, I don't keep up to snuff on what zoos are out there :) Anyway, after a few minutes, I ran back to the car to get the camera because this was not your ordinary zoo... you could actually SEE the animals :) If you've been to the PHX zoo, you know what I mean.

I've decided this is my favorite monkey ever, the Langur. SO hilarious :)

Much better view...

This one is my personal favorite photo I have ever taken of an animal...'There's a smile!' :)
Finally, when it was late, we headed downtown for some good Jazz music. I didn't take many photos here because the lighting was terrible, but here is one from Beale St. which is the place to be in Memphis on a weeknight.
So that was our trip... I promise that next time we go somewhere exciting I won't post 3 weeks after the fact :)

Baby Raegan

2011-12-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

If you know Emily very well, which many people do, you know that she is a very black and white person :) This is sewed into her DNA and I love this about her. We can tend to clash when we find ourselves on opposite sides of a topic, but that is part of marriage :) Emily either loves something or she hates it, there is not usually a middle ground with her. She either loves chocolate or she hates the stuff, is beside herself excited about flying somewhere or cannot stand the idea of it. Some of you may be laughing at this point... I smile on the inside because my wife is a fascinating person with whom there is never a dull moment :)

One thing Emily is most passionate about is birth, natural childbirth more specifically. She is beyond passionate about it; she comes alive when talking about it and loves being around it. So when Sam and Josh asked her for advice on delivering naturally, Emily jumped at the opportunity to teach them how to do husband coached childbirth, which is how we have delivered both of our kids (from my perspective, it is an AMAZING experience because I was able to be so involved instead of sitting on the sidelines watching but not being able to help. You can view one of our childbirth stories HERE). They were totally excited, especially Josh, who really wanted to make sure that he was able to help when the time came near. Emily spent a few months going through the materials we went through with them, teaching them all the techniques that we used in our child births, and getting them prepared for the biggest challenge that they would face thus far.

On the day that they gave birth Raegan, Emily was not able to be there unfortunately because we were shooting a wedding. I was so torn for her because I knew that we couldn't break our commitment to have her shoot the wedding, and yet this was such a huge deal to her. I think it was the following day that Emily was able to get out there. She grabbed a camera and captured these AWESOME shots of Josh, Sam, and adorable baby Raegan. I must say, what a photogenic little baby :)

Wyatt came along for the ride :)

Raegan Caylee Davis born at 4:39pm on 11/19/11 6 pounds, 9 ounces

Congratulations to the Josh and Sam on this beautiful and precious little addition to their family :)

Memphis Wedding Photographer: Matthew + Jennifer

2011-12-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

I was trying to figure out a way to fit more pictures in this blog post and I just couldn't justify it :) I don't want to be crashing people's computers so that they can check out a blog post. A follow up blog post will be our day trip to Memphis, don't miss it :)

I am SO excited about this wedding post for a couple reasons. First is that this was a really fun wedding with a really awesome couple. Matthew and Jennifer were just so great to work with; they really made sure we were taken care of and are, without a doubt, a very genuine couple :) You guys rock! And, second, I have some new photo editing software that is the best thing I have run into yet. I haven't been so excited about anything regarding our photo business since my Canon 135mm L lens came in the mail :) (that's nerdy photography talk for 'this is the bees knees'). For all photographers, VSCO is the company I am talking about; they created editing presets for Lightroom and Aperture that will blow your mind away. Check it out and let them know you heard it from me! :)

Here is Matthew and Jennifer's monster blog post! :) They were actually married in a small chapel in Mississippi at Bonne Terre which is this crazy gorgeous spot for tourists and people who just want to have a relaxing weekend. The first pictures are from their rehearsal and the rest is from the wedding. Enjoy :)

Fall in Mississippi :)

The Spaghetti Factory's Sister :)

Don't ask what they're laughing about :)

Then the following day, it was on the wedding! A gorgeous day for sure!!!

Gorgeous!

They had a killer band play for their reception!

I should email this to Apple :)

You know you make me wanna shout! :)

Then, right before they left, they had everyone head outside for the farewell while they enjoyed one last private dance... really awesome!

So there you have it :) A killer wedding! Tell us what you think ;)

Memphis Wedding Photographer: Matthew + Jennifer Sneak Peek

2011-11-30T17:52:00.000-08:00

I am REALLY excited about Matthew and Jennifer's wedding that we shot a couple weeks ago in Memphis. It is such a different climate and atmosphere than we are used to shooting in and I think it is going to turn out splendidly ;) here is a sneak peek...

An Engagement Post: Matthew + Jennifer

2011-11-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

Matthew and Jennifer were a referral of a friend of a friend of a friend :) It was crazy the chain that was created to hook the 4 of us up at Starbucks one day talking about photography and wedding plans. They got married in Memphis a couple weeks ago, which is why we went out there. I am working on their wedding images as I am writing this and I'm really excited to see how they come out! :) Anyway, they still wanted to get engagement photos, which we took less than a week before their wedding day in Tennessee :) For their engagement session, they took us to the Arizona Desert Botanical Gardens which is a really awesome place! I had never been inside, and this place is really unique. It's not very often that you see a garden full of desert flowers and cacti.

I will have more of their wedding photos very soon! For starters, though, here are Matthew and Jennifer during their engagement shoot, I hope you enjoy :)

The first thing we did was a reenactment of Matthew proposing :) It was pretty funny and Jennifer couldn't stop laughing to save her life!

Jim and Nicki: A Slideshow

2011-11-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

We have had the craziest last few weeks! We have gone to Memphis, Then shot a wedding, then drove with the kids out to San Diego for the week, then came home and shot another wedding. And now Emily is leaving with Wyatt tonight on a red eye to New Jersey; sadly, her grandmother passed away and she is going out for the funeral.

So the craziness continues this week as Temple and I figure out how to fend for ourselves with Mom and Bubba gone. Lots of pizza, burritos and CANDY :)

I wanted to post this slideshow that I just finished because I liked it so much; it's of Jim and Nicki's wedding that I posted a while ago.

Stay posted for a TON of finished photo shoots this week as I am doing a bunch of editing!

<<<Check out their slideshow by clicking HERE>>>

The Marquart Family

2011-11-22T12:58:00.000-08:00

Hi all! We have been BUSY with work to be sure! We have 5 weddings in 5 weekends straight along with all the family photo shoots we have been doing. It's been not stop craziness for a month now. On top of that, we are in San Diego visiting our friends and are going to be at Sea World for Thanksgiving to make it interesting :). I had the chance to shoot a small wedding with my friend Bobby yesterday. It was spur of the moment, as he texted me yesterday morning asking if I brought any of my gear. Being the genius that I am, and not wanting to add one more thing to keep track of (if you have traveled with kids, you know exactly what I am talking about), I didn't bring anything. Luckily, though, I was able to borrow some clothes and use some of his gear to come along (his idea was to do an entire wedding in black and white, all shot with 50mm lenses... he only had 1 50mm, so I shot a 135mm instead. Not ideal for the shoot, but it still worked). This was awesome as he is the best photographer that I personally know and was my biggest help in getting going with our photo business. If you haven't checked out his stuff, it's killer (www.bobbyearle.com).

Other than that, it's business as usual. It might not be ideal to be in San Diego and still having to edit, but business moves on and I don't want to get behind :).

We did a really cool photo shoot for the Marquart family a couple weeks ago up in Verrado. Connie found us online and decided that she wanted to go through us. Of course we are really happy that they did and they were such a fun family to work with! Here are just a few of the shots from the day. Enjoy!

One thing I love to see is when a family actually 'likes' to be around each other :) They just had fun with the shoot and that was perfectly fine with us!

They love their dog who is a part of their family :)

Phoenix Wedding Photographer: Jim + Nicki

2011-11-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

I decided to work from Starbucks today for a change of pace. Foolish as I am, I didn't think to bring a sweatshirt and I am FREEZING! If there are typos, please excuse them on behalf of my numb fingers :)

Emily and I first met Nicki at the Arizona Bridal Show last January. She immediately stuck out to us and we had a great conversation with her... this is important to note because we saw hundreds and hundreds of brides at that show! It just goes to show that there is a connection in most cases with clients and vendors who are rightly paired with each other... a match made in heaven (okay, that was lame, someone slap me :).

We met Jim for the first time at a our favorite Starbucks downtown and I remember that we really thought we had a good connection with these guys. Well as you know, they decided to hire us to do their photography and we were so happy get to shoot their wedding! First, they are a rad and down to earth couple. And also because they got married at one of our favorite Phoenix venues, the Farm at South Mountain.

The weather on the day of the wedding was perfect and they had such a wonderful wedding. Their wedding guests were so much fun to be around, and they had a crazy fun reception with a ton of dancing! Here are a bunch of my favorite images, I wish I had time to post 100 more of their images there are so many killer ones ;) Enjoy!

Jim waiting to see Nicki for the first time before the ceremony.

I LOVE the look on his face. So rad! :)

Signs :)

Then it was on to the ceremony...

One of my favorite shots! Taken right after their ceremony and they were so overwhelmed by what just happened. Such a fun moment to have captured! :)

Their first dance...

Here is a smattering of reception shots to give you an idea of how fun it was! :)

And finally they had a sparkler send off :)

So there you have it :) A killer wedding with a cool couple. Jim and Nicki, congrats and we wish you the best :)

Mesa Wedding Photographer: Nathan + Michelle

2011-11-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

A week ago Saturday, Emily and I had the pleasure of shooting a wedding for Nathan and Michelle, which ended up being one of our most elegant weddings of the year . If I could sum up this wedding in one word it would be 'perfect'. From the simple elegance of the decorations, a stunning bride wearing a dress that could have been designed just for her, a gorgeous array of color as the sun set while casting reds and oranges over the Superstition Mountains, to a laid back and easy going bride and groom who didn't care about the details, just each other. This was a perfect wedding from start to finish.

Nathan and Michelle are from Wisconsin and have the accents to prove it :) They remind me of so many of my friends from the North East, with their generally calm demeanor and dry yet sarcastic senses of humor :) We had a great time hanging out with them and their fairly small gathering of wedding guests, as most everyone was flying in from out of state. Michelle told me that she didn't care about the details at all and was happy to have planned her wedding from another state as she didn't have to decide on every little detail. And as it happened, Tracy, their coordinator who put the whole party together, made sure that everything looked gorgeous!

The Superstition Mountain Golf Club and Resort is a most beautiful place to get married in the valley... the building has so much character that you wouldn't need a whole lot of decorations to make your wedding day look stunning!

So here are a few of our favorites from their wedding day. Enjoy and let us know what you think :)

Check out the view :)

Nathan trying to keep the nerves calm while waiting before he saw Michelle :)

They wanted to do a first look before the ceremony to spend some time alone before the craziness of the day started. You would never know it just by talking to him, but Nathan is a big softy when it comes to Michelle :) He's a typical guy, but he couldn't hold back tears seeing Michelle for the first time on their wedding day...

Here are my favorites of their ceremony out on the upper green.

A VERY happy bride!

There were more than a few tears shared by family during the ceremony.

Cute :)

This is probably my favorite picture that really captures Nathan and Michelle :)

Photographing the photographer :)

Congratulations to Nathan and Michelle! We had a great time capturing your wedding day and even more so, capturing gorgeous images of your relationship that we know will be cherished for the rest of your lives. :)

Mesa Wedding Photographer: A Wedding Sneak Peak

2011-11-07T12:24:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend, ours was crazy and busy! Just to give you an idea, we had a full wedding shoot all day Saturday at the Farm at South Mountain (which we are insanely excited about showing you!), we did a killer engagement shoot for Matthew and Jennifer at the Desert Botanical Garden (we also happen to be leaving in a few short days to shoot their wedding in beautiful Memphis!), tonight we have a family photo shoot, and tomorrow we may or may not be doing an engagement shoot. It's been busy but so good to be working with so many rad couples and families. Seriously, we get so much joy and satisfaction from giving people pictures that they love and will cherish for their whole lives... in fact, it's kind of selfish! We selfishly love blessing people :)

Here is a sneak peak at Nathan and Michelle's wedding that we shot at the Superstition Mountains Golf & Country Club. This wedding was gorgeous and I am REALLY hoping to have a full blog post out before we leave for Memphis on Thursday morning! Here is a peak, though; a shot of Michelle at dusk along the drive bordered by beautiful oaks...

Holiday MIni-Session: A Random One :)

2011-11-03T13:38:00.001-07:00

Hi all! This is a quick blog post as I am busy with editing, but I wanted to post some fun pictures that I shot a couple weeks ago! I met Trina and her boyfriend at Papago Park and was surprised to see that they were both young and in love and wanting to get some couple pictures! They were fun and had a really fun and goofy style as well :) This just goes to show that you can get pictures done at any time for any reason, and they were a ton of fun to work with! :)

The Hole at Papago Park

Bracelets :)

They brought some props as well :)

Holiday Mini-Session: Jennine and Family :)

2011-11-01T12:15:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Emily met Jennine and her family in Litchfield Park for their family photo session. The original spot for the shoot was supposed to be the lake, but they decided to turn the sprinklers on around the same time so all the grass was wet :) Emily, quick on her toes, took the whole group over to a cool church building that, oddly enough, we had been wanting to do a shoot at for a while but never had a reason to. Finally, they finished up at the Wigwam out front in the lawn. Here are a few of our favorite shots :)

'CUTE' :)

~Andrew

Holiday Mini-Session: The Nelsons

2011-11-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, Emily met the Nelsons in Litchfield Park for their family photo session. The original spot for the shoot was supposed to be the lake, but they decided to turn the sprinklers on around the same time so all the grass was wet :) Emily, quick on her toes, took the whole group over to a cool church building that, oddly enough, we had been wanting to do a shoot at for a while but never had a reason to. Finally, they finished up at the Wigwam out front in the lawn. Here are a few of our favorite shots :)

'CUTE' :)

~Andrew

A Surprise Birthday Shoot

2011-10-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Anna and Samuel are some of our favorite clients that we have worked with! They were one of the first couples who booked us because they HAD to have us; we love when we work with couples who really love our work because we know we are a good fit for them :). We shot their wedding a few months ago and absolutely loved working with them!

A little bit about them; Samuel and Anna are also two of the most genuinely caring people I know. Seriously, this is such a rare thing to run into! I feel like every time I connect with them, they are so grateful for whatever is going on in their lives and even write us notes to let us know how much they appreciate us and what we have done for them. They would probably kill me for being so complimentary about them as they aren't the kind of people who like to be openly praised, but it's good for other people to hear about couples like them and know that there are amazingly decent people out there :) They are the kind of people who you love to be around because they put you in a good mood, EVERY TIME.

So a few weeks back, Anna contacted us about doing a surprise photo shoot for Samuel for his 22nd birthday. We thought it was a great idea! So when I met up with them, Samuel was blindfolded (and had been for over half an hour so that he didn't know where they were going :). He was obviously shocked to see me and gave me a hug (a manly, masculine bear hug that is!) We jumped in their car and headed for the Wigwam Resort. Anna brought a bunch of props and we had a great time. Here are a few of my favorites!

These 2 are ridiculous!

A cup cake for a big boy :)

Venti Dos!

Not your every day photo shoot :)

Mistletoe (Kind of :)

Happy Birthday Samuel! :)
-Andrew

Holiday Mini-Session: The Wyer Family

2011-10-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

Emily shot the Wyer family's photos at Founder's Park in Verrado a couple weeks ago. The pictures speak for themselves, but you can definitely tell that this is a FUN family! They brought a ton of props and stuff to make their photo shoot fun and exciting and we LOVE how their pictures came out! Here's a taste :)

These guys make cute kids :)

Emily told me that these two, even after 13 years of marriage, are SO affectionate and in love. Such a cool (and rare) thing to see in these days!

You guys have a beautiful family, and we are so glad you chose us to do your family's pictures :)

I Heart Instagram!

2011-10-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

If you have ever heard of Instagram, but don't know how amazing it is, I suggest you check it out further. This is one of the coolest iPhone Apps out there! In fact, I was most excited about getting an iPhone BECAUSE of Instagram and it was the first thing I downloaded when I got it :) There is no easier way to take pictures of every day life and document what is going on with your family or whatever else floats your boat :) If you want to follow me, look up my user name 'andrewjadephoto'.

A Quick Holiday Mini-Session Post: The Bradshaws

2011-10-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Emily shot this session a few weeks ago. It was one of the first family sessions we did and it didn't go completely as planned because the grass at the location had all died. We have been trying to reschedule the shoot and it has been tough because of conflicting schedules. I was waiting until we were able to redo their shoot to edit their images so that I could knock them all out at once, but that is taking longer than expected. So here are a few from their first shoot and we are looking forward to a follow up shoot as well :)

How gorgeous is this little girl with her adorable chubby cheeks!

Threw this one in their just for fun :)

Holiday Mini-Session: The Demarbiex Family

2011-10-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure, nay! the honor :), of shooting a mini-session for the Demarbiex family. I did their pictures at Encanto Park on Friday and I got an up-close look at this cool family.

First thing that caught my attention was how mature and respectful all their kids were, from their oldest all the way down to their youngest who was 4 if I remember correctly. They all shook my hand and looked me in the eye when I greeted them... 'hmm' I thought ' that's unusual.' :) Then as the shoot went on, they all LOVED being in front of the camera! This is most strange for family pictures with teenagers who normally think family pictures are 'stupid'. :) I was a teenager not TOO long ago and I remember hating family pictures, so I was so glad to take some pictures of kids who actually cared about pictures and were even goofy and messing around the entire time. What struck me the most, though, was how tight knit the Demarbiex family was; you can tell that they all LIKE being a part of their family, that the kids feel loved by their parents, their parents have raised them well, and they are respected by their kids. As a new parent myself, I pay attention to these kinds of things because it really is the rare family who is put together and not fighting the whole time.

Here are some of my personal favorites from their shoot... enjoy and have a great weekend!

Chillin :)

I told them to be cool; thug livin' :)

Card's fans :)

Definitely one of the funnest mini-sessions yet :) Thanks to the Demarbiex family!

Holiday Mini-session: The Mortensens

2011-10-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago, Emily did pictures for the Mortensen family at a park downtown. Jacqueline, who is a photographer herself, wanted to get some pictures done of herself and her family. I can appreciate this because it is just too difficult to do them yourself :) We tried and we still liked the pictures, but were only in a couple of them. The rest were of Emily OR me with one or both of our kids. So here are some of our favs... bon appetit!

>Little man was really into his cars :)

Another Mini Session: Lee Larrisa and London

2011-10-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

I had an unexpected surprise last week when I went to go and do a mini family photo session. I was meeting a couple and their son up in Verrado; when Larissa got out of the car, we immediately recognized each other and both of us had that look on our faces 'Wait... aren't you? Didn't I?' you know what I mean :). It turns out that we used to work at Starbucks together 6 years ago! It's a small world after all...

We had a really fun photo shoot and their son London is a awesome as they come. This kid was modeling for me the whole shoot. I got halfway through the session and realized 2/3's of my shots were of him and I needed to get some of Larissa and Lee ;)

Here are their images. enjoy and let us know what you think by adding some comment love!

SO rad :)

This little guy is so photogenic!

They call this his 'oh' face :)

It was great working with you guys! Hope you absolutely love your pictures! :)