molly is 32 weeks pregnant

Today we had the most amazing time with Molly and her cute-as-can-be pregnant belly! She is definitely one of the cutest pregnant woman I have ever met! She is sooo tiny at 8 months pregnant because she is so good about spending time in the gym & staying healthy...hopefully her motivated spirit rubbed off on me a little today! :) Molly is such a sweet girl. She was such a good sport, hanging with us while we played in our studio. She was so willing to do anything we asked...thanks so much, Molly! We wish you all the best in your last few weeks of pregnancy & in the future! Check out a few of our favorites from the shoot today...

mae and paul say i do

Yesterday morning we traveled down to Bloomington, Indiana to capture Mae and Paul’s wedding day. The reception was at the couple’s new home, which is where they were getting ready before heading to the church, so we headed there first to snap some photos. We turned onto their street, immediately started driving uphill into beautiful wooded areas. I did not know that property with so many hills and trees still existed anywhere in Indiana!!! We were amazed when we saw their home. They both designed and built it a year ago…and I could write for days about how beautiful it is. The home, which was built to be very modern with clean lines, bamboo floors throughout, custom built cabinets, very unique appliances, etc, etc, etc…also was built to feel very warm and comfortable. The view is simply breathtaking. From their back deck (which stands about 15’ from the ground because the home is built on a monstrous hill), it literally looks like you’re overlooking the Smoky Mountains. I told Mae and Paul we would trade them all of the photography for the house, but neither of them went for it. ☺ (I can keep dreaming…)

The ceremony was very sweet…only very close friends and family were invited to the quaint Beck's Chapel sitting in the middle of IU’s beautiful campus. Then off to the reception, where good friends who had flown in from all over the country, and even the world, shared intimate conversation, drinks, and laughter. Frank Sinatra played in the background while guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening. No one really seemed to mind the heat so much (and it was HOT), because they were enjoying their time with the bride and groom. Mae and Paul, thank you for inviting us to photograph your wedding yesterday…we hope you enjoy your trip through northern California!









...And the maid of honor brings out one of the cakes
...Oh no, she trips!!!
...JUST KIDDING...everything is okay!!!

leigh ann & kevin's album

Now that I am a Brand Photo & Design full-timer, I get to design all of the wedding albums....yea!!!! This is something I LOVE to do, and my first one was just released! (Dan is so good at them, but he is glad to have that off his plate! He has been doing them for some time now....I can't even remember the last one I did. I think it was early 2006.) See Leigh Ann & Kevin's wedding album by clicking on the following link or going to our website in the album section...

www.brandphotodesign/oneillalbum1

ryan orlie bodecker is born

We spent time this weekend in Fort Wayne to visit Dan's sister Jenny and husband Scott and their new little baby boy, Ryan Orlie...so cute! Orlie is Jenny & Dan's dad's name, so it was a very sweet tribute to him to give Ryan the middle name Orlie. They had not found out if he was a boy or girl during the pregnancy, and also did not tell anyone the name, so it was all a big surprise when he was born and made it just that much more exciting (can it get any more exciting?!?!)

We stopped in to cook them dinner and Dan snapped some photos of Baby Ryan while I worked on our famous guacamole for TACO NIGHT. :) Bradley, their soon-to-be three year old, is excited to be a big brother & is adjusting well! He decided during Jen's pregnancy that the baby should be named "Baby Mango", which is what he still calls Ryan. :) Congratulations, Jen & Scott!!! We are so happy for you and your beautiful new baby!





This "Baby Mango" came on a package from Ryan's Grandma!

merv and arda celebrate 50 years

On Saturday I was honored to be a part of Merv and Arda Warnock's 50th Wedding Anniversary surprise party. Their children arranged a family photo shoot at St. Lukes UMC on 86th Street as the way to get Merv and Arda to the party. After the shoot, they opened the banquet room doors to find many friends waiting for them! More and more friends continued to show up throughout the party. It was a great time! Special thanks to Alan Warnock for allowing me to be a part of their special event.

leigh ann and kevin say i do

When you put Gary Bravard behind the scenes of any event, you know it will be spectacular, as was Leigh Ann and Kevin’s wedding! Truly, it would take three pages to describe all of the intricate details of the ceremony and reception, put together with such care and perfection. Second Presbyterian Church is so beautiful in itself…the enormous flower arrangements made it breathtaking. The reception at the Indiana Roof Ballroom was unforgettable, and I mean that literally…no amount of weddings we do will ever cause us to forget how stunning this particular reception was. An amazing sushi bar added a unique flair to the cocktail hour. The ballroom was filled with flowers, lights, real olive trees with hanging candles, monogrammed cloth napkins, and on and on and on (seriously, three pages….) What we were most impressed with though, was the absolute love and closeness of both families. Leigh Ann and Kevin were just so much fun to be with all day. They share love and commitment to each other that is evident as soon as you meet them. Their families were so kind and loving. I hope that someday my children are as close as Leigh Ann and her sisters, and Kevin and his siblings. We really enjoyed being with them on the wedding day. One of the coolest moments of the night was when Mr. Lauth, the bride’s father, surprised the groom and his family with a performance by a professional Irish dancing group to celebrate the couple's Irish heritage. Dan and I were so mesmerized by the high-energy performance that we both had to keep reminding ourselves to keep taking pictures!!! ☺ These families definitely came ready to celebrate, and the energy throughout the evening made for a rockin’ party! A special thanks to Bob Ridge from IndyVisual. He was fantastic to work with and we would recommend him to anyone!














Ceremony: Second Presbyterian Church
Reception: Indiana Roof Ballroom
Wedding Coordinator: Gary Bravard
Flowers: McNamara/Enflora
Makeup: Eyemax By Kiralee
Videography: IndyVisual

lindsay and mike say i do

Lindsay and Mike’s wedding was our first trip to see the gorgeous University of Notre Dame campus. Lindsay and Mike met at Notre Dame, so it was only fitting the wedding would be on campus at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. In case you’re wondering what the difference between a Basilica and church is, Dan and I looked it up: the term refers to a large and important church that has been given special ceremonial rites by the Pope. Impressive! We did formals after the ceremony on campus…where I don’t think there was a “bad background”! Lindsay and Mike were sooooo great about being flexible and doing whatever we needed to get great shots. The wedding party was so sweet too! Constantly offering to carry equipment and help with anything we needed. The little bit of rain only lasted a short time and made some great photos under the umbrella. ☺ The reception was beautiful, romantic, fun, and classy at The Palais Royale in South Bend. A special thanks to Lindsay and Mike for reserving such a wonderful hotel for us to enjoy our time in South Bend!











Ceremony: Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Reception: The Palais Royale
Accomodations: Marriott South Bend