Jenny Spires Photography

THIS BLOG HAS MOVED

Head on over to the new blog. Click here. 

Don't forget to add it to your readers and bookmarks. 

NEW BLOG & BRANDING

I'm am SO excited to announce new branding for Jenny Spires Photography! Everything is brand spanking new as well A NEW BLOG. So please, please, please change your readers and bookmarks to:

http://www.jennyspiresphotography.com/blog

There's new branding over on the portfolio/website too: http://www.jennyspiresphotography.com. 

There is also a drawing for an iTunes card going on, so head on over! 

Don't forget to like my facebook page! 

Get excited...

I am SO SO SO excited about a new project that I've been working countless hours on. It's not quite ready yet, but I wanted to share a tiny peek of this special something :). Just to tease you a bit. Hopefully. 

I mean, I know it's probably not even all that exciting to see, but trust me. There's new things on the Jenny Spires Photography horizon in the next couple of weeks! 

Good times! 

AND...I haven't officially announced it yet, but I AM now taking bookings for fall/holiday shoots so start booking now! 

And get excited :). 

Jaime & Jeff // Maternity

They are from Michigan. 

Check. 

They are hockey fans. 

Check. 

Better yet, Red Wing fans. 

Check. 

They've hung out and played board games with us. 

Check. 

They have a boat.

Double check.

Er...uh, I mean, we are TOTALLY not using them for their boat, of course not! :) But really, I adore this couple. We met them through church when I was big and pregnant with Maya and we were destined to be friends. I mean, look at all those checks. We connected on so many levels when we first met and have had so much fun getting to know these two over the last couple of years. You could not meet a more down to Earth couple. 

A couple of weeks before our shoot Jaime and Jeff took us out on their boat and I felt like I was back home. I moved around quite a bit as a kid and was always around the water, whether it be the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River or the many lakes and creeks that were always around my home. A long while ago, I promised myself that one day I would own a boat and a cabin on a lake somewhere. After living in Arizona the past six and a half years, however, this dream has faded away as there is not near the amount of water in the desert. 

I knew the instant we pulled up to the lake with our dear friends that we had to do our photo shoot here. It was beautiful.

This is my friend Jaime and she is full to the brim with that little baby :). Any day now!

We didn't have canyons in our lakes back home. This place is gorgeous! 

Don't they just look like fun people? 

Boy or girl? We will find out soon enough!

I might also have to mention here that we had to drift on a tube to get to land. I'm sure it was quite a site and I had to think through my insurance coverage on my camera ;). We all made it though!

Jaime, you are radiant.

This makes me want to dip my toes right in. Another boat ride please?

There were the most beautiful little pull offs around the lake full of trees and green grass (we don't have much green grass in the desert, so any time us Phoenicians find it, we tend to do things like frolick and roll in it if we can... ;)). 

Jack, their dog, is probably one of the most well behaved dogs I've met. His little world is gonna be so turned upside down soon!

I LOVE this photo. It seriously takes me there. 

I love that when I suggested that Jaime bring bright orange rafts that she didn't even question me and showed up with two!!! I adore these photos!!

I'm pretty sure there isn't much more that a pregnant woman can ask for when she's nearing the end of her term. Weightless feels so good. 

I love this! Our last ounce of sun before it went over the mountains. And the little boat in the back. And don't worry, right after this shot I jumped in too! 

Check out the rest of their photos in their slideshow here!  

Side note: Derrick told me that the second song was a little out there for his taste, but I still like it. It's about a Mama who will always be there for her child even in hard times. I liked it anyway :). 

Ashley & Ben // Wedding

I loved this wedding. I mean it and I'm not just saying something schmoozy to put on a blog to make you read it. Let's face it, I probably have a mini crush on these two love birds and might even get a little smitten every time I think of their wedding day. Kind of ridiculous, I know ;). 

Ashley and I met at a coffee shop along with her bestie, Lindsey, the day she emailed and inquired and I think we both left wanting to work with each other. Maybe it was the sweet childhood love story which started from the third grade, or her life long crush on Ben. Perhaps it was that we are all PK's (pastor's kids). It could have been that when she described her adorable style that went from her outfits to her description of how she wanted to decorate her southern style wedding. And then after we shot their engagement photos, we were all goners and just waited with anticipation until their wedding day. 

Click here to view their slideshow and see more photos from Ben and Ashley's day. 

Ashley started her day off at Studio Escape in Old Town Scottsdale. I loved it's bungalow style charm. So cute.  

Ashley and Ben both decided to get ready and do first look photos at the Royal Palms Hotel. Everything was gorgeous. 

Love this. 

Ashley, you are breathtakingly beautiful. 

I love seeing Derrick's (my husband who shoots with me) perspective. He's the guy that's always hiding behind things and brings in such an amazing diversity to our shooting. 

A little bit of tropical, which only made sense as it was well above 100* that day. Hot. 

I sort of like it when there are tons of people in the Bridal Party. It just makes things more fun. 

Ball jars you say? Yes please. 

See? Much more fun :). 

I know, I'm going way over the top with pictures of Ashley. My photographer friend and I have been discussing this topic and while I've worked very hard at cutting down blog images when I post, I get a big fat fail on this particular one. I just can't help myself!!! 

These guys were seriously a blast. Just wait, you'll see even more fun coming...

Such a handsome guy you are, Ben. 

Ashley wanted Ben to read her letter to him right before they saw each other for their first look. I have to say, I feel pretty lucky to be able to see him read it. The emotion all over this boys face was beautiful and my favorite part was when he realized the ring she gave him back was her promise ring. This day she would be replacing it with their wedding rings. 

I love his emotions in these, he could hardly wait to see her. It was everything for him to keep it together. So sweet. 

Finally. 

And then he read his letter to her. 

It took quite a bit for Dad to keep himself together here, too. 

Giving his little girl away. 

These are seriously the most amazing stained glass. I'm in love with this church every time I see it. 

This ceremony was incredible. It was really more of an act of worship than a ceremony the entire way through. I couldn't have been more amazed at how much of an impact Ashley and Ben have on the community around them; how they have become such examples for people, both young and old. It's amazing for me to see two people so young already doing the Lord's work so fervently in how they live their lives.

I loved Ashley's details. So simple and beautiful. 

They opted for pies instead of cake. Let me tell you, I had a bite (or three) of that pecan pie and was so tempted to sneak a whole pie in my camera bag. 

Ha! I love this girls face as she watches Ashley's brothers #thelittlethings. Oh wait, I'm not on Twitter. 

Yes, this is choreographed. Yes, this does turn into a giant dance routine that took everyone by surprise!

Yes, Ashley is shocked, I mean, look at her face! 

Thank you lady in the back for providing me with awesome light for this photo :). So boy band!

Hilarious. Ben kept his face serious the entire time. It was awesome. 

Ok, I know I am breaking about a hundred photography rules by posting these last two photos. My flash over heated on literally my last 10 shots of the night, no joke. Ironically, so did Derrick's. What are the odds? These were beyond adjusted to see them and I think I ended up loving them just the same. Thank goodness for RAW files. 

Thanks Ashley and Ben for allowing me to photograph your incredible wedding!!! 

Cassie & Phil // A Little Peek

Here's a tiny little preview of my friends, Phil and Cassie's wedding, complete with all of my favorite things; some lovin' (actually, they had just tied the knot at this point and couldn't keep their hands off of each other! It can't get more real than this, folks), golden sunshine, and even some shrubby desert (which normally I haven't loved, but I have to admit I'm enjoying shooting in it lately!).

I have a line up of lots and lots of things to finish before I go on vacation in a few weeks, so I wanted to make sure I showed you all some of my favorites before I disappear on my looong Michigan vacay in August! 

Enjoy!

Sarah & Michael // Wedding

The happiness flooded in like the warm Arizona sunshine did on the day that Sarah and Michael married one another. And we had lots of sun. I enjoyed soaking in every golden bit as I watched and witnessed two people exchange vows to one another to love each other from this day forward. 

There is always something special about being allowed to spend the entire day with someone as they walk through one of the most important days of their lives. I cherish each time and I don't take it for granted. It's such an important commitment; sacred between loved ones and intertwined with a promise with God. It is just beautiful every. single. time. I'm lucky to be able to see it over and over again. 

  

Here is Sarah, soaking in the sun herself. I just couldn't get enough of those beautiful, red curls. Gorgeous. 

And their happiness cannot be missed on each of their faces before seeing each other. There's always unmistakable emotions floating through before the bride and groom finally get to see one another; anticipation, nevousness, sheer joy, giddiness, disbelief that this is finally happening. 

This is Michael and his brothers (plus Rowdy). Can you guess which one is not related? :)

Sarah and Michael decided to do a first look before the ceremony. I always love these photos. Remember all of those emotions I just mentioned? If we zoomed up really, really close, I bet we could see every one of them all over their faces. 

A moment to themselves. One of the few times in the entire day where they will have this until they leave for the night. I adore these moments. Out of all of the ones I remember from my own wedding day, I remember my first look with Derrick right before the ceremony. 

My favorite image from their entire day: Sarah admiring her husband. 

Beautiful. 

Thank you Sarah and Micheal for sharing your amazing day with me. I pray you are so incredibly blessed for so many years to come!

**********

*Sidenote to all of my blog readers: Please keep Sarah and Michael and their unborn baby girl, Anastasia in your prayers. Little Miss Anastasia and Sarah have had complications in their pregnancy and we are all praying for miracles that she can remain safe in her Mama's womb. Sarah is a fighter and Anastasia has fought hard to grow as well. She's showing amazing progress so far! I believe in the power of prayer and believe that our Mighty God can bring complete healing and health to both Sarah and her baby girl! Thank you all so much! 

Our Family Photos // Stephanie Fay Photography

Words are not enough to express how much I adore the photos that my friend Stephanie took of my family last week. I am in complete awe and beyond grateful. I also can't tell you how many times I've looked through them already and she just posted them a few hours ago ;). Ridiculous, I know. 

I met Steph a little over six years ago, not long after I moved to Arizona through a small group that we both attended. I liked this girl from the start. She was a creative soul, much like my own, and someone that I grew comfortable with instantly.

When we met, Derrick and I had just got engaged a few months before and since Stephanie had just started her photography business, she offered to take our engagement photos. So, we have a little bit of Steph's work all over our house! It's been fun going back and forth making photos with one another over the years (we were blessed to be able to do their proposal and rehearsal dinner photos a few years ago). 

Fast forward almost six years of marriage later with a baby in tow. Maya is a year and a half and other than the photos I've taken of her, we have not had any professional photos of our little family done. Yeah, I know. It's high time, huh? Thank God for my friends that just so happen to be photographers that help push me a little to get it done. 

I have to say, I was a little nervous to be on the other side of the camera. And once we started, all of the nerves washed away and Stephanie and Stephen (her hubs and partner in photography crime) made it feel so easy. It almost felt like any other day hanging out with them and I secretly liked not being in control :). 

I could eat her up all day long. Oh wait, I do :). 

Maya was most interested in the rocks and dirt. Of course :). 

I still have a crush on this boy. I think I might keep him forever and ever. 

///]';l/*** (That was actually Maya typing that last little bit, which translates into she likes this one tons). 

Yep, we love. 

This little girl cracks me up! I love this picture!

Definitely a Daddy's girl. Through and through. 

I really like this family one too. Even with our little tired-I'm-pretty-done-with-pictures girl :). It's still her and I love it. 

This last one is my favorite of the three of us. I'm so glad to have that very moment right then and there captured. 

Thank you Stephanie and Stephen so very much. We love you!

Dana & Brian // Wedding // Part Two

If you missed part one, go here to see it!

This second batch of photos are my favorite photos of the day between Dana and Brian. They chose to see one another before the ceremony and that gave us a tremendous amount of time to do photos. 

Click here to see the slideshow of their day!

I just kind of really like this photo :). 

And the emotion of this one. 

One of my most favorite photos of Dana. 

When I first saw Dana and Brian's venue, I worried that we wouldn't have a ton of spots to shoot at. I think the value of being able to see each location before the actual wedding day is great and thank God I did, because I'm not sure I would've found this little area of trees had I not. I LOVE that we found it, I just adore the look of the trees here (hard to find in Arizona sometimes). We were also away from the venue a bit, which gave Dana and Brian some time to themselves without all of their party and guests around. Some just them time. 

Showing off his juggling skills ;). 

Beautiful. 

Dana and Brian share a HUGE love for sports, especially baseball. Dana's mom had this awesome idea to bring the blow up baseballs which turned out great for the wedding party shot!

....and then they through them straight at me :). 

Her dad putting the penny in her shoe. 

The signing of the Ketubuh. This was my first Jewish wedding to shoot, and attend for that matter, and I couldn't get over the traditions that they brought into the ceremony. Derrick and I just fell in love with all of it and loved the depth and meaning of everything. So beautiful. 

This moment chokes me up every time. 

Here is Dana circling Brian during her Seven Circles. I was getting dizzy just watching!

Dana was so excited about her Chuppah, the canopy above them. This is symbolic to the first roof that will be over Dana and Brian's head. The tradition of having no walls comes from Abraham and Sarah, who always had their home open to everyone. This particlar Chuppah is even more special as it has been passed down through the generations of Dana's family. So beautiful. 

See the Bobbleheads on top of the cake? :)

This happy couple took months of dance lessons to perform a choreographed first dance. I might have cried just a teeny tiny bit. 

And then I might have cried even a bit more during her dance with her Daddy, the second thing next to marrying Brian that she was most excited about. 

This is quite possibly the most fun I've ever had at a wedding! It was so exciting!

:). 

Thank you Dana and Brian for sharing such a fun and incredible day!!! Congratulations to you both! 

Dana & Brian // Wedding // Part One

I met Dana four years ago when we worked together for an incredible organization working with children with Autism. We became fast friends and I can tell you that she is one of the most intelligent, hard working people I know. I have adored that we have become friends through working together; sharing our lives and hardships and laughter (Dana, there are a million jokes that I would love to *insert here*, but none of them will be appropriate for my family friendly blog :). 

More than anything, I've adored watching Dana go through her process of marrying her best friend and soul mate, Brian. As cheesy as it sounds, the two of them complete each other (yes, I just said it) and compliment each other in just the right way. I think it's incredible when two people can find a love like that. And let me also add that I don't think I've ever seen anyone as happy on her wedding day as Dana! She didn't have a stress in the world (she's an uber organizer and incredibly on task...if only I could possess an ounce of that!) and had an unwipable smile a week before her wedding until she left the ceremony. 

I've also split this post into two, which I don't do all that often. I just couldn't cut my images down this time! Look for the slideshow of the wedding day in the next post too!

That beautiful smile..

I adore the look between Dana and her Mom in the above photo. 

Dana chose to put on her dress with only her sister and mom in the room. I love how intimate it was during their first look at Dana all put together. Putting on the dress always makes everything real.

And showing her bridesmaids.

I love the personalized hangers from etsy (not sure which shop).

I LOVE Dana's dress. 

This box held Dana's grandmother's ring. 

Beautiful, stunning girl. 

This moment between she and her sister makes me smile. 

 

Brian, you're pretty handsome yourself! 

The first look was breathtaking. I love that Derrick (my husband and second shooter) captured the image on the right. 

You can see their smiles from a mile away after seeing each other for the first time (or at least 20 yards). 

Ear to ear. 

You think she loves him? I sure do :).