Summer Engagement Session {Elizabeth & Karl}

Elizabeth and Karl have known each other for over 30 years, recently reconnected, and are getting married in Las Vegas in November! What an amazing story!?!

Their evening shoot on the mountain provided a gorgeous glow!

Elizabeth and Karl have so much fun together, they are like two little kids, so cute!

So sweet!

Elizabeth & Karl we are so happy you found one another, congratulations! -Melissa & Kristen

Flagstaff Engagement Session Sneak Peek {Elizabeth & Karl}

Elizabeth and Karl have know each other since high school and reconnected after 30+  years and are set to get married in Las Vegas in November! Amazing story!

Such a beautiful location this time of year.

Wildflowers and ferns everywhere!

Elizabeth has such beautiful hazel eyes!

Love this one! The aspens always make for a beautiful backdrop!

Such a sweet couple, we are so glad you found one another again!

Elizabeth & Karl we had so much fun with you! Congratulations! - Melissa & Kristen

Wedding countdown! {Alex & Kenny}

I met Alex when she worked at Shoes-n-Such boutique back in 2009.  She was one of the sweetest, kindest persons I've ever come across, but I didn't really know how much until I put a post out on my  Facebook page requesting models for my "Gone to the Dogs" show.  In an effort to educate the public about shelter animals, I was putting together a show about rescued dogs and their stories of survival and unconditional love.

Alex wrote me a sweet email describing her rescue of her gorgeous white German Shepherd, Dakota, and I knew I wanted to photograph him for the show.  Alex and Kenny showed up for the shoot with Dakota with enough love for this sweet dog that stopped all pedestrians.  Everyone wanted to know about Dakota, his story and to pet him.  Although the photo session was really focused on Dakota, I knew just by looking at Alex and Kenny, that their engagement session was soon to come.  This couple was giggly, loving and just adored one another, and I fell in love with all three of them that day :)  The below photos are from the actual shoot in 2009, that's one handsome dog don't you think?

Needless to day, when I got the call last summer that Alex and Kenny were engaged, I almost did a little dance in my studio.  When I say they are perfect for one another, that's no exaggeration.  They compliment each other perfectly and it gives my heart joy to know they found each other.

I can't believe their wedding is this month, August 20th!  I can't wait to see them and meet their families.  They are getting married at Foxboro Ranch, known for it's beautiful meadows of sunflowers in August.  Alex is very creative and she and Kim from KD Event Designs have come up with some great designs for the event.  I can't wait to see them!

In the fall we took advantage of some gorgeous canyons in Oak Creek Canyon for their engagement session.  It was beyond beautiful!  This is definitely one of my favorite places to shoot!

About a month ago, I went over to visit Jenn Jones at Madame 2 Sew and discovered Alex's wedding gown waiting to be altered.  It is absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to photograph her in it!  As you can see, Alex is breathtaking and that gown is going to look spectacular on her!

I'm so excited for you both!  Thank you for choosing Kristen and I to photograph your wedding.  We can't wait to share the day with you and your families!
Much love,
Melissa

Flagstaff Engagement Session Sneak Peek {Caitlin & Ryan}

Here is a sneak peek at Caitlin and Ryan's summer engagement session.  They could not have picked a prettier time to do this shoot, look at all the ferns and wildflowers! 

The beautiful meadow with the aspen trees and view of the San Francisco Peaks is where the couple will be getting married over labor day weekend. We were pretty excited to see the many  amazing photo possibilities with this location.

Caitlin and Ryan are so in love, they just smiled and giggled the entire shoot.  We are looking forward to September and can't wait to capture their special day!

Engagement Session-Alysa & Joe

Alysa and Joe will be married at Foxboro Ranch on a beautiful fall day in September. I first met Alysa when she was a bridesmaid last October at Kat and Zach's wedding in Sedona.

The couple has a gorgeous one year old together that is going to make an adorable flower girl!

The couple chose the Twin Arrows Ranch east of Flagstaff as their engagement shoot location. It was very personal for them because Joe works at the Ranch and it is where he proposed to Alysa.

Joe and Alysa are new owners of adorable Molly who is going to grow up as a cattle dog.

Congratulations again to Alysa and Joe on their engagement and thank you for having us out to the Ranch!

Engagement Session- Stephanie and Eugene

I was so happy when Stephanie called me to photograph her wedding! I photographed she and Eugene back in late 2008 as a holiday session. I had a feeling the next photo session would be this one! They are getting married at Lake Tahoe, in a beautiful place called Zephyr Cove. I absolutely can't wait! Stephanie and Eugene are two of the sweetest people I've ever met. Eugene has a way to make Stephanie laugh on command, I even found myself cracking up over his wit. I'm just so happy that they found each other. It was near impossible to pick my favorites for this post, so I included the slideshow at the end. You can also see more on my Facebook account. Congrats to you both!

Ahhh....the beauty of the Aspens. Love them!

Here's a few from our downtown portion of the engagement session!

Stephanie and Eugene met at San Felipe, so we had to get this shot!

Here's one of my absolute favorites....Eugene prompting Steph to dance with him in the street!

Love this series, just shows how much they adore one another. :)

One final photo before the slideshow...what a great couple! In editing these photos all I wanted to do was SMILE!

And finally, here's the slideshow! Congrats to Stephanie and Eugene!

Engagement Session- Julee and Ben

Julee and Ben are getting married next month in Utah, and wanted to squeeze in an engagement session in Flagstaff before their wedding. We had a lot of fun finding props and using the ones her parents brought along! What a sweet couple, I absolutely fell in love with them and am really, really jealous that I don't get to photograph their wedding. But, I know it's going to be just perfect and Julee is going to be a GORGEOUS bride! Here are a few of my favorites, you can see more on my Facebook account. Congrats to you both!

My new favorite wall in Flagstaff! I loved Julee's outfit, it was perfect!

I love this old, vintage 1941 Chevy truck! It was perfect with her outfit!

This bike was Julee's dad's bike from when they lived in California. I love using props, especially ones that are sentimental like this one.

The sun is perfect right before it dips behind the trees. Love it!

Julee's mom found this antique bench at a yard sale. It looks great!

Julee is such a stunning woman, and I can't even begin to image just how beautiful she is going to look on her wedding day! I can't wait to see the photos!

Engagement Session-Kelly and Patrick

Kelly and Patrick are getting married this May and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to photographing their wedding! They were a joy to work with and so sweet. I love engagement sessions because it not only gives the couple a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera, but it also gives us all the opportunity to know one another better. Here's only a handful of my favorites, but you can see more on my Facebook page, or see their slideshow here! Congrats Kelly and Patrick!