Sneakin' and Peekin' (on Sarah and Corey)

You guys! It's time for another one already! Can you believe it? I'm all done with shooting weddings for the year, so now I'm going insane on editing (in the good way, not in the bad and/or literal way). I promise all you brides that I am putting in as many hours as I can on these as determined by the laws of physics and so forth, because I know you're all excited to get your pics and I'm excited for you to have them!

But for now, let's get down to business! Sarah and Corey ... I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had with these two, and again, I'm saving the best pictures and the best stories for the big blog, but I have to get you excited so here's a little teaser.



So, I have a major thing for handwriting. My parents used to comment on how much trash I could pull out of my room at any given moment, but I swear that it was all filled up sheets of paper of me practicing my handwriting. (I was a dork. And poor. So you make your own entertainment. And I had extensive piles of scrap paper and pens.) Anyway, whoever wrote this card gets my approval. And now I'm fighting the urge to go practice replicating that. :)



Sarah is SO CUTE. Do you guys all remember their engagement pictures, or do I need to post a refresher link in the wedding post? They were the ones at the Speedway.



The details in this wedding are SO great, and I am happy to tell you that Sarah and Corey got my favorite ring shot of the year. And there have been awesome ones (I mean, hello, I JUST posted the Scrabble one, so you know this is good!). So get excited for that!



Sarah's dad officiated the wedding, so we have a lot of fun pictures to come from that. In fact, Billy used to be a wedding videographer's assistant (are we seeing a pattern here?), and he said he thought Sarah and Corey's ceremony would be an awesome one to have on tape because she's so cute and animated, and there was a special connection for them with her dad.



Aaaaaagggghhhh! Gorgeous overload!

Alright, y'all, I'm going to do everything I can to have these up in a week, but it may take longer. Sometimes I make lofty goals that I'm not sure I can reach, but I figure it helps to tell a bunch of people so I'll be really really embarassed if I fail. (Oh, speaking of fail, one of my favorite blogs that I subscribe to is Fail Blog. If you're looking for something to entertain you while your boss isn't looking, or if you just like feeling that there are people out there who have done stupider things than you--and who doesn't?--I recommend it highly.) What was I even talking about? Oh, right. That's about twice as fast as I would normally anticipate, so if I don't make it, be gentle, but give me a hard time. You're also allowed to go the insult route, but only if you're funny.

Lacey & Branson

Oh, man. It is the event we have all been waiting for! Lacey and Branson's super fun awesome Muncie wedding! Also, just to warn you, this is my longest wedding post of all time. This is because Lacey and Branson booked my package with the most hours, and so I must reward them! (Plus, I had a zillion favorites and you KNOW how I am about deciding.)



Sandwiches! And don't you love the Ball State t-shirt? Yeah, shout out to my alma mater!



Only my favorite shoe picture of all time!



Lacey left plenty of time to do everything, which was awesome because it made plenty of time to do things like have sandwiches (girls, if you're in the planning phases now, bring food on the day of--you'll be so glad you did) and play Scrabble. And Scrabble led to awesome ring shots!

Two things about this picture: #1. I am INCREDIBLE at Scrabble. And #2. Look at the size of Branson's ring! He has some seriously huge hands!



You know how I love the "fussing over the bride" shots! And by the way, these were the best bridesmaids ever, and I am seriously hoping that every single one of them calls me to do their weddings because they were so fun and funny and I wished I lived closer so they could be my friends in real life, and not just wedding life. Although Lacey (the bride) and Shannon (Branson's sister) are my Facebook friends now, so I'm at least halfway there!



Lacey and Branson opted to see each other before the wedding, which was wonderful because I got to be right up on him while he watched her approach, and I loved how the pictures turned out. AND, fun fact, Lacey and Branson got married at Hazelwood Christian Church, which sits right on the dead end of the last street I lived on in college! I used to walk down to this very same area and chat on my cell phone, and I always loved how pretty it was. I loved being back!



Awww, THE LOVE! These two kill me. And also, look at that huge bee buzzing around Lacey's head!



One of Billy's! I don't know ANYONE who doesn't love The Almost Kiss. Seriously, The Almost Kiss is the definition of hotness.



These two were this happy all day long, which was perfect. Every now and then you have couples that you can picture being young and happy and wild, but then you can also picture them at like every stage of the game, right on up to old and wrinkly and still participating in shenanigans. And I love that.



OMG, Branson's eyes are just like ... SWOON, and I'm not even in love with him. (Sorry, Branson, I really like you a lot, though. But just as friends. I hope you can deal with that.) But Lacey must die EVERY DAY over those pretty eyes. Am I right? Although hers are big and brown and magical too, so maybe they're both so used to seeing gorgeous eyes in the mirror that they're immune and manage to get stuff done during the day instead of just sitting there staring at each other's eyes, which is probably what I would do in their situation.



I LOVED her sitting on the ground with the wedding dress all around! We were playing hangman at this point, which was way fun, but what comes to mind right now is that I actually have a picture of Lacey sitting there bent far enough over to be grabbing her toes. What?!?! Of course, I'm the least flexible person in the history of ever, and I was an epic failure at the sit and reach in the Presidential Fitness Challenge, so maybe I'm just easy to impress in that arena.



And here is the hangman, in case you didn't believe me.

But seriously, I also really want Rachel to be my friend. She was hilarious and kind of inappropriate, which I live for.



And see? It wasn't just Lacey and Branson. EVERYONE was happy for them, all day. It was really special.



This was during the ceremony, and do you guys remember my whole dissertation about The Look? Well, once again, this is it. Lacey and Branson wrote the book on The Look--they were giving it to each other all day and all night.



The Look. AGAIN! I am dying. I am such a sucker for The Look.



Okay, I was on a mission all day long to get the best photographic representation of Branson's laugh, and I think this may be it. Do you remember in High Fidelity when John Cusack says Laura has "the best all-time laugh in the history of all-time laughs"? Yeah, that's what Branson's laugh makes me think of. He kind of throws his head back and almost sort of bends his torso backward. It's just a really good (and thorough) laugh, and I think laughs are a really important part of what makes me like someone.



This child looks like a little porcelain doll with perfect pink lips. And I've been saying it all year but I'll say it again--we've gotten INCREDIBLY lucky with having great kids all year long.



The flowers at this wedding were totally important, even moreso than at all weddings. Lacey and Branson met while they were working at his family's nursery (greenhouse? I'm not down with the lingo I don't think) and his aunt did all the flowers. These wreaths were amazing, and they were a total surprise, because as she told Lacey, all brides deserve surprises on their weddings. She took the flowers for the wreaths from various meaningful places and people and put them all together, and they were so beautiful and special. And I just love how close to their families these two obviously are, and everyone deserves to have so many people who love them so much.



Billy took this one too! I loved the bubble exit and he got such a good shot of the joy on their faces.



Just stop right now and make this a full spread in a magazine. It deserves to be seen by all. (And before you think I'm completely insufferable and arrogant, this also was a Billy shot! He has really stepped up the awesomeness BIG TIME.)



Their toasts were so funny, and that reminds me ... I was doing a crossword puzzle today and one of the clues was "a wedding reception tradition" and I had O-A-S-T-S filled out, and the first thing that came to mind? No, not "toasts", which was the actual answer. I actually first leapt to "roasts", so what does that say about the weddings I've done this year?

It says they've been awesome, that's what!



Oh, EASILY one of my favorite first dance pictures ever. Totally going on the website.



Branson and his mom! And can't you see where the pretty eyes come from? Seriously, you guys, the moms at this one were KNOCKOUTS.



Ha! I can't remember this guy's name but I loved him, and he made an impression for two reasons. #1. (What is up with me and the numbering right now?) He was carrying around a pitcher as his cup, and #2, he took his camera and pointed it straight at me so it would flash at me from the wedding party table, and then yelled, "YEAH? How do YOU like it?" It was one of my favorite wedding reception moments thus far!



More dancing. I am a total sucker for the Cinderellaness of this picture.



This one really just spoke to me.



BALCONY! Balconies anywhere are awesome, and I think we can all agree that throwing things off balconies is awesome, so clearly there was no other choice for the bouquet toss.



This was possibly the best bouquet toss I've ever seen. It started with the maid of honor blocking out the other single ladies, and ended with out-and-out carnage. I mean, we had people on the floor and sad little decapitated flower heads ... it was GLORIOUS.



And as if this wasn't enough, we finish it all off with a picture of the other bridesmaids laughing and pointing at the one on the floor. I think that's how you separate your friends from your acquaintances--acquaintances will worry and help you up and try to make you feel less embarassed, but your friends will really appreciate the hilarity of the moment and make sure you get a laugh too, and for me, the pointing makes it. I can't look at this picture without thoroughly cracking up, and that's impressive in a pile of pictures that I chuckled my way through. Best bouquet toss in the history of ever.



Well, the garter toss was less violent, but it did end up with this so I'm going to call it a tie. (And again with the pretty eyes! Where do these people find each other??? There must be a secret society!)



Now, I obviously am not a boy and though I have a brother, I have never been one, but this picture says it all about brothers for me.



Something I've realized is that the longer you're at a reception, the more entertaining it gets. Coincidence?



Dude, this kid was so cool. I mean ... watch out ladies, because he can rock a pair of sunglasses like none other. (Also, he was the one who tipped me off to the garter on the head pic, so I owe him some props there too.)



What we need to focus on here is the three people on the left side. (The one in the v-neck is Lacey's hot mom.) These guys were out there getting down and putting the kids to shame, most especially when there was some Bruce Springsteen (which, obviously--he's The Boss, and how excited are you that he's performing at the Super Bowl?) and even more when Maggie May came on. And I was excited about this, because Maggie May is one of my all-time faves. I didn't really even know I could like Rod Stewart until I heard Maggie May, and then it opened up a whole new world. (Although, let's face it, I don't think Rod ever really topped Maggie May.)



I absolutely went out of my way to put plenty of pictures in the set for Lacey to use as blackmail, and Rachel was most assuredly a major victim of that, so I wanted to make sure to post at least one picture of her looking like a gorgeous supermodel on my blog. Mission accomplished!



Words can not even express my love for this.



And this! I love the excitement all over her face, and I think it's the perfect way to wrap up the post.

I've been so looking forward to blogging this wedding because I had so much fun at it, and I felt really at home. I loved my time in Muncie and at Ball State, and it was really fun to go back. I commented to Billy on the way home that they really loved their "dance-able country", and Billy pointed out that they also loved some hip-hop. It hit me at that moment that that was perfectly Muncie (and granted, my connecting Muncie and country music may have everything to do with my three years at the Texas Roadhouse there), and that I have loved it in ways I never full recognized.

Meanwhile, Lacey and Branson and their families were wonderful to us. They fed us, hugged us, laughed with us--it was a really great wedding and we LOVED getting to be a part of it. I think that sometime this winter, I am going to have to have a Muncie day to visit my friends that are still living there, and then I will force Lacey and Branson to see me again and hang out! Yay! It's such a simple diabolical plan that it just might work!

As you may have guessed, Lacey and Branson's gallery is up at http://sarahbrownphotography.instaproofs.com, and as always, online ordering is available!

The Unsinkable Mollie

5Yay, a duo of blog posts! I promised them both by the end of the week, and I am going to post these up and hit the road for my very last wedding of the year! Isn't that crazy? But first ...

Mollie!

Okay, so Mollie's mom actually found me for her senior pictures, I BELIEVE through Google. They had gone to a studio to get yearbook pics taken, but they didn't really like their options for other fun shots to buy, so they kept looking and found me!

Mollie and her parents are a dream. Her dad chauffeured us everywhere we wanted to go, which gave us more time for shooting. He even dropped me off at my friend's house when we were done, which was so beyond generous of him, and I was mesmerized by his magical skills of navigation. Y'all, I can still get myself lost using a GPS. Yeah, that's right.

And Mollie's mom, I would have to say, has probably been the second most enthusiastic person I've ever met about my work, and that is following only MY OWN MOTHER. She was on board from minute one for anything that we wanted to do, and emphasized that she wanted pictures of Mollie as she really is and as the person she's grown into in her teen years. Isn't that awesome? All anyone wants is to be loved as they are, so the answer is YES. Awesome.

Okay, so already we are off to a rockin' start, and then they deliver this gorgeous gem to my camera frame. Hello, hotness!



Dude, I love Lake Michigan. It's been so fun to do senior pics on Navy Pier and get to work the water in. Mollie chose Navy Pier for all the happy memories she has there. And we got Dippin' Dots, Ice Cream of the Future, so I added to my happy memories also. (Rainbow Ice. Represent.)



SO PRETTY. I was showing Billy these pictures the other night and he commented that in several of these pictures, he feels like Mollie has a sort of J. Lo look. TOTALLY. And that's awesome, because if I could pick anyone to play me in the movie of my life, that's who I'd pick. And don't worry, I look absolutely NOTHING like J. Lo, but I love her butt and her hot face and it's my movie about my life, so I can pick who I want.



Something that I thought was really fun going on at Navy Pier that day was a big Halloween exhibit. We asked an actor to use this car for a prop, and then we ended up chatting with him/her. S/he was a bride and groom cursed to spend eternity in the same body, so s/he (okay, it was actually a he, but it really was an excellent costume of a bride and groom split straight down the middle so I have to respect it) spent some time entertaining us by arguing with him/herself. I do love all the free entertainment in Chicago.



This is one of my absolute favorites because of the subtle reflection in the pirate ship (yup, still in the Halloween exhibit). Plus, I feel like Mollie was incredible at expressing a lot with her eyes, and you really see it here.



Love this, and especially love the M. There were some people camped out in front of this for awhile, but we really wanted the shot, so we were prepared to wait. The nature of the beast of doing pictures in public is that you can't expect people to get out of your way. You can, however, be a little bit of a weirdo and make them WANT to leave. You know, sit just a little too close, take pictures not of them, but in their general direction. I mean, not that I would know anything about that ... (But seriously, I only bust out being a weirdo when all other avenues and patience have failed me.)



Mollie wanted some pictures in the grass, and we were getting great light. Oh, and speaking of weirdos, and Gail will totally know what I'm saying, taking pictures while laying on grass ALWAYS brings the oddballs out of the woodwork. Mollie had a boy (man? manchild? who knows) dive into the frame with her. I mean, I guess I can understand because look at that picture ... she's SO CUTE, but still.



Ahhh ... this picture feels so much like that day for me. I think before I moved here that I spent so much time fretting about the Chicago winter (which ... ugh, winter) that I didn't really consider how really, really lovely fall would be. How come no one told me?



Do you guys remember the unbelievably fabulous pictures of Sharon in front of the fountain at night? This is the same fountain, totally different vibe.



It was going on cycles and would shoot out this really thick mist every few minutes, which became so moody and awesome. I'm always wanting people to jump into mist for pictures, but this is the first time it's ever actually happened. But this is also the first time I think I've seen a mist while out shooting that wasn't coming up from a sewer. So, I don't know ... might be coincidence.



I have no idea what this little area was called. I just know it's by the Hershey store (OMG) and reminds me a little bit of New York. It's like a little courtyard or something, totally picturesque.



See? J. LO. Look at those gorgeous eyelashes.



Isn't that beyond cute? And it's in a MALL! That's what the totally sweet background is. And I love how all girls play with their hair that way, but you never really catch pictures of that.



I can't help it, I'm hilarious. It's how I roll.



Such a city girl! And as a city mouse myself, this feels exactly what cute nights in the city are like. You know, you're all dressed up, wearing uncomfortable but fabulous shoes, running from one exciting place to the next ...

Okay, so that's not exactly my city experience, but it's what I imagine it would be like if I EVER ran around in uncomfortable but fabulous shoes. Most of my city life is spent collecting bizarre stories of crazy people and mooching free tickets to art events from Amy and her sweet job. And most of it is spent in Chacos, because they are the most comfortable shoes ever, although I do switch it up for winter. I'm sorry, don't hate! I became self-conscious of my height back in like sixth grade when I reached almost my full current height (five niner), and while I'm mostly over it now, I have horribly flat feet, and the combo made me high-heel-phobic. Of course, now that I realize all the great shoes are heels, it's possibly too late and I walk like a five-year-old in their moms shoes whenever I get a pair on.



And finally ... ah, sigh. :) We went all the way until dark and I was so glad we did. I loved these, and just loved The Mollie Experience all around.

Thank you guys so so so much for having me do your pics, and I hope you love them forever. These and more are up on the gallery at http://sarahbrownphotography.instaproofs.com, and they are password protected. Not to worry, though! Friends and family should have no problem figuring out the password, which is Mollie's last name!