On Saturday, we got up nice and early to meet the Combs family at Freestone Park in Gilbert.  Afton and Jake contacted us a few weeks back about doing some photos of their little boy Merrick who had just turned one.  Since the whole family was available to come along, we decided to get the whole bunch involved!  It was a lot of fun getting to know all of them and playing with the kiddos.  Here are a few of our favorites from their session:

We found out pretty quickly that 6 year old Zia was quite the ham :-)  Check out the pose as she hugs her little bro . . .

And Merrick was such a cutie pie!

He REALLY wanted to go for a swim with the ducks in the lake, but Mom and Dad had a little different plan in mind :-)  He looks pretty determined though doesn’t he?

Zia was rockin’ her favorite sunglasses.  Afton told us that she never leaves the house with out them.  (Sounds like someone else I know . . . uhm, let me see . . . RYAN!  Ha ha ha!)

Merrick looked like he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to try out the swings with his sister, but he warmed up to the idea pretty fast.

Kids and swings – endless hours of entertainment!

The swings were fun, but I think Merrick could have sat and played in the sand all day!

We did manage to pull him away for a few minutes to hang out with his big sister on the slide.

Did I mention Zia was a bit of a ham?  This shot cracks me up!

A few more of the little man:

He seemed to be having a pretty good time hanging out with his Mom & Dad :-)

Grandma & Grandpa came along to help out and got in on a little photo fun too!

Thanks to the Afton & Jake for getting up so early to spend a lovely Saturday morning with us!  We had a great time with you guys and really enjoyed capturing your sweet family.

Rachel & Manny tied the knot last Saturday at the lovely Val Vista Lakes in Gilbert, Arizona.  You may remember their very cute story from their engagement session back in February – they actually met on a co-ed softball league :-)  We had a great time getting to know them during their e-session and it was so fun to work with them again for their big day!  Here are a few of our favorites:

Rachel’s dress was gorgeous!  The perfect mix of bridal and fashion.

And the lake made a great back drop for her cute shoes :-)

 

A few shots of the bride getting ready.  Rachel’s makeup and hair stylist Monica did a beautiful job.

Just after Rachel got into her dress, their little boy Noah brought her a pink flower :-)  Such a cute moment.

They opted for a “First Look” so they could get their portraits done before the ceremony.

Some portraits of the gorgeous couple.

Love that they’re both laughing in this one . . .

Since we had some extra time, we took a little walk to this awesome tunnel just outside Val Vista Lakes.  We had LOTS of fun with such a unique backdrop – not to mention a couple of hot models :-)

A shot of Manny looking very studly.

And Rachel was such a beautiful bride!  I just have to comment on her bouquet, arranged by Laurie Kern of Flowers by Design.  It was made of Star Gazer Lilies (my absolute favorite) and it was awesome!  All the flowers for their wedding were AMAZING, but this bouquet was so beautiful – and an added plus . . . it smelled sooooo good :-)

Their bridal party was our largest to date – 21 people total.  7 bridesmaids, 7 groomsmen, 1 Jr. bridesmaid, 3 Jr. groomsmen, 2 flower girls and a ring bearer!  WOW.

Time to make it official!  So much of what makes beautiful ceremony photos is good light.   It was close to sunset and the light was just peaking over the top of the hill.

More fabulous flowers :-)

You may kiss your bride!

There’s something about the shots of couple’s walking back down the isle that we just love :-)  They always end up among our favorites.  Rachel & Manny’s first happy moments as Man & Wife . . .

On to the reception!  A sweet one from their first dance.

Manny and daughter Jasmyn . . .

And Rachel and son Noah . . .

This one of the bouquet toss just makes us laugh!  The expressions on the gals faces are hilarious :-)

One more of the happy couple - lovin’ that off camera flash!

Rachel & Manny – thanks so much for letting us capture your day! Best wishes for a beautiful life together :-)

To view a slideshow with more images from their big day, click on the “view slideshow” button and don’t forget to leave us some comment love below :-)

Our niece Makena is six months old!  I can’t believe how fast time has flown by and how much she has changed since the day she was born.  On Sunday, we met my sister Amy, her husband Jim and Makena at Freestone Park in Gilbert to take some family photos for them.  My mom Nancy also came along to help us keep Makena entertained.  She was so funny making ducky noises and jumping up and down with us to get her to smile!  At one point she even did some reflector work for us – thanks for all your help Mom!  We know who to call next time we need an assistant :-)

Here are some of our favorites from their session:

LOVED Ryan’s perspective for this shot of them on the bridge :-)

Makena and her proud Mommy & Daddy . . .

This one of them playing makes me smile and I super love the colors! So cute!

At one point, I JOKINGLY suggested that Jim hold Makena upside down for a few shots – I should have known better!  Ha ha ha!  She looks a little confused, but seems to be having a pretty good time . . . .

“Nana” got in on the action too :-)

Some fun shots of little miss Makena :-)  What a cutie!!!

LOVE the colors in this detail shot Ryan grabbed while she was modeling her blue hawaiian dress :-)

And this last one is just too cute for words!

Love you guys!