2017 has been a year filled with incredible highs and extreme lows.  My year got off to a rocky start when my soon-to-be-ex-husband left without a word, leaving me alone and absolutely terrified of what my future would look like.  For a few weeks, I don’t even know how I functioned.  I am so thankful to my team and my incredible clients who gave me love, support, and a welcome distraction during the initial phases of our divorce.  Those were the most challenging weeks of my life and I know I couldn’t have gotten through the stages of grief without those people in my life!

Fast forward 9 months and I can say with 100% certainty that it was the best thing to ever happen to me.  It took a long time to process once it actually happened, but in all honesty, it’s been a really good change in my life.  I was able to find myself again, which has been amazing.  I definitely lost myself in my marriage and it’s been great getting to know who I am at the core, outside of a relationship.  I’ve spent a lot of time nurturing relationships that had taken a back seat in previous years.  I started to really think about what I want and need for my future in terms of a new relationship.  I learned that I can take care of myself – emotionally, financially, physically.  I absolutely love where I am right now.  I am happier than I’ve been in years.

So personally, it was a crazy year.  I want to thank all of my amazing clients for bearing with me as I grieved the end of my marriage throughout the year.  Your grace, support, and unconditional love means the world to me – and photographing all of your incredible wedding days gave me hope that I’ll find love again someday.  What can I say… I’m a hopeless romantic!

It was another busy year with 57 total weddings – 54 shot by me and 3 shot by my associate photographer, Emily.  2017 marked the official end of my associate photography program.  The extra workload that came with my associate photography program was too much and I knew I had to give it up for my own health + sanity.  Emily found a new home as an associate photographer for another studio here in town and she continues to second shoot with me whenever I’m lucky enough to grab her!  She served my clients so well and I can’t thank her enough for treating them like her own over the past 2 years!

On that note, I have to say thank you to my incredible team because, let’s be honest, I couldn’t do this alone.  Emily, Sloan + Kelly… my main squad and dream team… I’m so so lucky to have you guys on my team!!  You guys keep me sane, help with my crazy workload, give me peace of mind, and serve my clients so well.  Thank you hardly seems adequate, but please know that I am so appreciative of everything you do for me – you guys really helped me SO MUCH this year.  You have no idea.  Ramsey, Caroline G, Julia, Lindsey + Haley Jane… thank you all for assisting me this year, as well.  Having an assistant there with us on the wedding day is a HUGE help and you guys have stepped in whenever I needed someone!!  To everyone else who second shot with me this year – Caroline, Alyona, Molly + Sydney  – THANK YOU for stepping up and helping me on days when I needed strong, reliable second shooters.  You all are so very talented and I can’t thank you enough for shooting beside me!  A big thank you goes out to the newest addition to my team, my AMAZING editor Emily Moore.  I am SO GRATEFUL that I found you… you’ve been invaluable to me this year and I can’t say thank you enough!!  Lots of gratitude goes out to Wanda + Kristin, my fabulous bookkeepers; Rebecca, my amazing contract lawyer; and the ladies at Align Album Design.  Without their help, seriously… I’d be lost.

Notable milestones + highlights from this year include shooting my 200th wedding, having my work featured in my very first NATIONAL publication – Destination I Do Magazine, and winning The Knot’s Best of Weddings award for the 4th year in a row – and being inducted to The Knot Hall of Fame!  This is such an honor because it’s all because of my clients and the amazing reviews they leave me after their wedding day.  On a personal note, the highlight of my year was my two week trip to Italy and Greece.  It was a DREAM trip with my mom and it reignited my wanderlust like whoa.  I hope 2018 is filled with a lot more travel – personally and professionally!

In 2017, I saw my work featured in print in Charleston Weddings Magazine, Destination I Do Magazine, A Lowcountry Wedding Magazine, and The Knot: Carolinas Magazine.  I was also featured online on Borrowed + Blue, Carats + Cake, The Knot, The Wedding Row, Style Me Pretty, Wedding Chicks, MOD Wedding, A Lowcountry Wedding, Southern Bride, Every Last Detail, Classic Bride, Virginia Grace Social, and Coastal Bride.

But it always comes back to my amazing couples… the ones who allow me to live this dream and trust me to document their wedding day.  I honestly can’t thank my #dcwbrides and #dcwgrooms enough.  Thank you thank you thank you for being so incredibly fabulous.  I love each and every one of you so very much!!!  Here’s a look at all of my fabulous couples from 2017…

Lauran + Alex // January 21, 2017 // St Michael’s + Rice Mill

Jennie + Jonathan // January 28, 2017 // St Philip’s + Magnolia Plantation

Miranda + Adam // February 25, 2017 // Upstairs at Midtown

Marisa + Scott // March 3, 2017 // Rice Mill

Ashley + Brian // March 4, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Liz + Thomas // March 5, 2017 // Magnolia Plantation

Jenn + Tyler // March 10, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Ammie + Alex // March 11, 2017 // Belin UMC + Wachesaw Plantation

Allison + Matt // March 25, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Kaitlyn + Paul // March 31, 2017 // Second Presbyterian + Boone Hall Plantation

Gemma + Brendan // April 5, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Elena + John // April 8, 2017 // Gadsden House

Maria + Noam // April 9, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Stephanie + Lukas // April 15, 2017 // Rose Hill Mansion

Sammy + Mario // April 21, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Lexi + Doug // April 22, 2017 // Creek Club at I’On

Stefanie + Nick // April 29, 2017 // Boone Hall Plantation

Kate + Stephen // April 29, 2017 // Christ Church + The Cedar Room

Amanda + Will // April 30, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Jess + Brad // May 4, 2017 // Cannon Green

Eve + Brandon // May 6, 2017 // Gadsden House

Ashleigh + Sean // May 7, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Erin + Chase // May 12, 2017 // Boone Hall Plantation

Katie + Scott // May 12, 2017 // Unitarian Church + William Aiken House

Ashley + Brandon // May 17, 2017 // Magnolia Plantation

Sarah + Anthony // May 19, 2017 // Boone Hall Plantation

Lauren + Cody // May 20, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Stephanie + Jesse // May 21, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Ashley + Travis // May 26, 2017 // Legare Waring House + Founders Hall

Jackie + Jimmy // May 27, 2017 // Rice Mill

Alyssa + Justin // May 27, 2017 // Gadsden House

Shannon + Andrew // June 3, 2017 // River Course at Kiawah

Jen + Billy // June 4, 2017 // Sonesta Resort

Amy + Jake // June 9, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Jocelyn + Justin // June 10, 2017 // The Cedar Room

Andra + Matt // June 16, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Lauren + Michael // June 17, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Molly + Elliott // June 24, 2017 // St Luke’s + William Aiken House

Shannon + Drew // July 1, 2017 // Grace Cathedral + The Cedar Room

Meg + Scott // July 2, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Kathryn + Clinton // July 8, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Julia + Allan // July 29, 2017 // Hidden River Events in Asheville, NC

Emily + Wills // August 19, 2017 // Ocean Course at Kiawah

Murphy + Mark // September 22, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Jenni + Chris // September 30, 2017 // Gadsden House

Laura + Todd // October 12, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Crystal + Lance // October 14, 2017 // Seabrook Island Club

Bridget + Campbell // October 15, 2017 // Thomas Bennett House

Caroline + Cole // October 20, 2017 // Lowndes Grove

Hilary + Duncan // October 21, 2017 // Seabrook Island Club

Katie + Brad // October 27, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Chelsea + Bill // October 28, 2017 // Thomas Bennett House

Lauren + Ian // November 5, 2017 // Summerall Chapel + Boone Hall Plantation

Hilary + Nathan // November 11, 2017 // The Cedar Room

Paige + Michael // November 18, 2017 // Legare Waring House

Megan + Phillip // December 2, 2017 // William Aiken House

Sarah Margaret + Michael // December 30, 2017 // Rice Mill