Photographs by Sabrina » Photographer of New Beginnings

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Catherine’s Nursery | 13 Months Later!

There were so many things that I’d hoped to do in this past year, including finishing Catherine’s nursery and blogging it!  But alas, it only got finished last week.  But really, she’s a baby and doesn’t know any different and now I love it even more than I did a year ago so I’m more excited to share it with you now!

There may still be a few things that I’d like to do or change around a bit, but if I waited to blog it until it was perfect, we’d be redoing her room before that happened because she’d be old enough to tell me she wanted something different.

Up until a couple of months before she was born, I had no idea what kind of theme I was going for.  We hadn’t found bedding yet and it felt like not much else could come together before we found that.  And when we went to look for and purchase her furniture, I found the perfect bedding… and it was ON SALE!  Like, majorly on sale.  From there, everything else finally just came together.

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I love this little corner because it represents so many of my favorite people and their incredible talents and hearts.
The Nativity was painted by my friend Lana Waggoner, the “Hello sweet Catherine Marie” was painted by Taylor Beard, the photos on the wall were taken by Kim DeLoach and the print (there’s a close up the next photo down) was done by Jordanne Marie

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My friend Arica gave Catherine the “Oh la la” bow hanger… and most of the bows!
I didn’t realize some bows were missing until I was editing the photos.  But you get the idea!

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She loves her bookshelf!!  The ones on the top left are her French books and the ones on the top right are her Spanish books.
Right now she mostly just loves taking them OFF the shelves, but hopefully she’ll start “reading” them more soon :-)

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You know we live in the south if we have her monogram hanging on the wall!  Don’t you love it though??
The girl that mentored me in college was so sweet to give this to us as a gift from her and her husband.  Can you believe they made this?  Check out their shop here: http://www.back40life.com/

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I knew I wanted something for this white wall and when I discovered the Eiffel Tower decal on Etsy, I knew I had to have it!  So of course, my wonderful friend Arica got it for me as a shower gift.  Not only that, but when she and her husband came to meet Catherine, she put it up for me!  Now that’s a good friend :-)

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These are two of the French books my mom brought me from France when I was little.  And now I get to read them to Catherine!

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[…] may remember the post of Catherine’s nursery… the monogram on her wall came from […]

Colleen + Brandon | Clemson University + Madren Center Wedding

They met during college… at one of the most wonderful universities in the country, Clemson University (not that I’m biased. at.all.)!  She cheered him on from the stands as his girlfriend and when they graduated and moved to San Francisco for him to keep playing football, she continued to be his biggest cheerleader.  Although, on New Year’s Eve, just after the stroke of midnight, in the beginning moments of 2015, he asked her to be his wife so she could always be cheering him on, in every aspect of life.

So when it was time to plan their wedding, there was no doubt that they wanted to become husband and wife where they first met, in Clemson.  And I have to tell you, photographing a wedding for two people in Clemson who GET what Clemson is and means is one of the most wonderful things in the world!!  They knew where they wanted photos on campus and I was more than happy to oblige!

Colleen and Brandon, thank you for allowing us to capture your day!  You are two of the most genuine and fun people and it’s so obvious that you’re in love and excited to spend your lives together!  Have the most amazing time down under!  I’m only a tad bit jealous ;-)

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Oh these shoes…

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One of the fun parts of the day for me was that I worked at the James F. Martin Inn in college so I already knew how beautiful everything was going to be!  And the bridal suite is no exception!

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Colleen.  Just wow.  You are stunning!
The lace and buttons around her bouquet were from her mom’s wedding dress… how beautiful is that??

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A huge thanks to Laci Frazier for second shooting with me!

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So dapper, Mr. Thomas!

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He was nervous. Her heart was racing…

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But getting to see his bride before everyone else was totally worth it!

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Still one of my favorites from the day!

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It could NOT have been a more beautiful day!!

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I love this wedding party shot with Tillman in the background!

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How beautiful are these girls??

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Oh my word.  New favorite ring bearer photo!!

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I may have risked my life writing their initials and date in the tiger paw, but thankfully I had a strapping football player to direct traffic around me!

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A must on your wedding day :-)  Thank you, Esso!!

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No one could hold back the tears.

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Even Brandon!

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I’d never seen the tradition of jumping over the broom before, but it was so fun!

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Ah!

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Oh the light…!!!

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Just a little dabbing.

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Their reception perfectly tied in her New England and his Southern roots!

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They also were able to see the room before anyone else… I love that they did that!

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When one of your bridesmaids sings you a song with the most incredible voice…!!

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So much dancing and celebrating!

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With a few quiet moments in between :-)

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A million thanks to the most amazing vendors who helped make Colleen + Brandon’s day happen!

Getting Ready | James F. Martin Inn Bridal Suite
Ceremony | Owen Pavillion at the Madren Center
Reception | The Grand Ballroom at the Madren Center
Wedding Dress | Brides of California, Casablanca
Bride’s Shoes | Christian Louboutin
Bridesmaid’s Dresses | Bill Levkoff
Groomsman Suits | Thomas & Sons
Makeup Artist | Laken McKenzie
Hair Artist | Rachel Smith, Peals & Papaya
Wedding Coordinator | Ginger Parks
Florals | Electric City Blooms
Video | Fields Films
Officiant |
Roy McLain
Ceremony Music | Will Compton

DJ | Uptown Entertainment
Wedding Invitations | Kristin McLaughlin Designs
Cake Artist | Holly’s Cakes
Catering | Madren Center Catering

SImi - March 21, 2016 - 6:08 pm

Gorgeous photos and great moment captures! Looks like a fun couple that are definitely Clemson folks!

Mary Kathryn + Jamey | Downtown Spartanburg + Lake Bowen Engagement

It was his long-time friend and her best friend that introduced them one night at Delaney’s, an Irish pub in downtown Spartanburg.  And in his words, he didn’t think he stood a chance.

But he was melting her heart from the beginning… especially when he told her how beautiful she was the moment she got out of the car and met him for their first official date. Jamey knew pretty early on that he wouldn’t be able to spend his life without her. So, after dating for a couple of years and finally closing the gap of their long distance relationship when she moved to Spartanburg, he took her to Charleston for her birthday.  And as they swayed in the swings by the water, he asked her to be his wife and to never leave his side again.

Mary Kathryn can’t tell you much of what happened because it didn’t hit her until the next morning that she was going to be Jamey’s wife!  But what she can tell you is that she was the happiest she’s ever been.

I’ve only just begun getting to know these two, but from what I can tell, they are a perfect match for each other! It was so much fun to spend the afternoon with them and their puppy, Duke. Several times we thought he (and they) were going to end up in the lake, but he stayed dry and was fascinated with my camera and having his photo taken!

Thank you guys for such a fun afternoon… I can’t wait for your wedding later this fall!

Downtown Spartanburg has changed a lot since I was growing up there… so much prettier than it used to be!

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Why not slow dance in the middle of downtown when there’s no music…?

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Nicely done, Jamey!  This ring is gorgeous!

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I’m officially in love with this blue door.

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You guys!  Smokin’!

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I love both of these photos so much!

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We stopped by their house to pick up Duke and we snagged a few photos on their porch while we were there.  It’s one of the cutest houses!

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And the edge of the porch was perfect for a ring shot.

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Jamey grew up on the lake so it was only fitting that we ended the session out at his parents’ house just before sunset!

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I’m not so much of a dog whisperer, but apparently my camera is!  Duke couldn’t keep his eyes off my lens!

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What sweet family portraits!

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You guys, this is still my favorite from your session!

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Just beautiful!

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Writer’s Block

You may have noticed that it’s Wednesday and this is the first blog post of the week.  I don’t that that I’ve let that happen since Catherine was born last year.  And the time before that was when we were on our honeymoon (which was over 4 years ago!).

I’m going to be honest… I have no idea what to blog about right now.  There are all kinds of lists out there with all kinds of ideas, but nothing is getting my creative juices flowing!  So instead of blogging just to blog, I’m going to give myself a break.  I’m taking the pressure off of myself, am going to go to bed before midnight the rest of this week, and will blog when I have amazing things to share with you!

Which I definitely have coming up.  Engagement season started for me last weekend so that blog is coming soon.  And our first wedding of the spring is on Saturday so you know that will be on the blog next week!

Thanks for bearing with me while I work through this writer’s block!  I’m so thankful for you guys and for visiting this little piece of the internet to see what we’re up to so often!

And since photos just help make things prettier, here’s a peek at the gorgeous ring coming to the blog soon!

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Anniversary Mini Sessions!

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So many times I’ve heard people tell me that they haven’t had professional photos taken since their wedding day.  And it doesn’t matter if the couple has been married for a few years or a few decades, there’s always a little bit of regret in their voice.

But I want to help change that.  Marriage is a big deal… not just the proposal, not just the engagement, not just the wedding… the marriage.  And so much life happens when you’re living it together as husband and wife.  Your love grows, it deepens, it develops layers that you couldn’t have imagined on the day you said I do.

So let’s spend a half hour together putting those emotions and those years you’ve shared into photographs that you and your children will cherish.

The Details:

When & Where: April 23, 2017 you’ll be invited into my backyard (aka, my new favorite place to shoot!).
Time: You pick your time slot!  If you are morning people, I have a 7:30am slot available (the morning light is GORGEOUS you guys!), or you can wait until the soft glowy light of the evening.  But it’s first come, first served so don’t hesitate to book!
Cost: A $50 deposit is due after you book (I’ll send you a PayPal link) and the remaining balance is due at your session
What’s Included: An online gallery with 15-20 edited high resolution images for you to share, download, and print
How: Just click here, follow the three steps, and I’ll get back to you with payment information!