Worth 1,000 Words: Caroline Logan Photography

Mr. Cameron and Mrs. Alexandra Roberts on their wedding day
Photo credit: Caroline Logan Photography 

Welcome to the final feature for my "Worth 1,000 Words" series! It's been an adventure, wouldn't you agree? And now you can always visit my Summer 2015 archives to find wedding photographers who you can recommend to friends and family who are ready to get married! If you're not married yet then when you get engaged, you now have a lovely resource within this "Worth 1,000 Words" blog series!

Today, we're featuring beautiful photography from Caroline Logan, a destination wedding photographer who photographed her first wedding at the young age of 14! She's quite a brilliant, determined and wonderful person to know.

Enjoy getting to know Caroline today! Read on for details.

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What loves means to Caroline Logan as a wedding photographer: 

While I’m not yet married myself, I’m so grateful for the strong examples of God-centered marriages I’ve been able to look to. I’m especially thankful for my parents who have always taught me that marriage is not a point to be reached, but a process to be nourished. I believe marriage is a lifetime commitment and I am just as excited for my couples to celebrate day ten thousand and one of their marriage as I am about day one!

With that in mind, I believe wholeheartedly a photographer’s job spans beyond perfect composition, nailed exposure, or a technically flawless image (although that’s certainly important too). I feel that the foundation of what I do is to capture a joy-filled and genuine connection between a bride and groom that tells an authentic story of who they are together in that moment…so they can look at the images years down the road and feel it too. This is my heart and something I feel so incredibly passionate about.

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Photographer bio (in Caroline Logan's words):

Caroline Logan, photo credit: Anna K. Photography

I’m Caroline Logan, a wedding photographer, adventurer, story-teller, and believer in love. I like to think I’m a Southern girl at heart, although I was born and raised in the land I’ll always love and find most dear: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 

I started this journey at the ripe old age of fourteen when I took a crazy leap and photographed my first solo wedding. (Yikes, I was just a baby…I know!) I’ve come a long way since those early days in business, and today, have the joy and privilege of waking up each day to pursue my dream, pouring my heart into work that is truly my passion!

I’ve gotten to travel across the country photographing weddings, attending conferences, and meeting incredible people and it has truly been the greatest of adventures. However, for me, it has been the relationships I’ve built with each one of my sweet and amazing clients that has been the biggest reward that has come from running my own photography business. I truly feel so blessed and grateful to be welcomed into my clients’ lives, to learn their love story, to share in their joy, and to celebrate with them as they make this amazing marriage commitment!

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Connect with Caroline:

Website - http://carolineloganphotography.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/carolineloganphotography
Instagram - https://instagram.com/carolineloganphoto/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/carolineraush/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/carolineraush

Worth 1,000 Words: Alisandra Photography

"First Look" photo captured by Alisandra, featuring Mr. Jacob and Mrs. Laura Barker

Today we've got a different picture worth a thousand words, it's what wedding photographers call the "first look." Featured in today's picture are Jacob and Laura getting a "first look" at each other before their wedding ceremony. The first look is really for the guy to see how beautiful his bride looks in her wedding dress in a private moment shared between the bride, groom and their professional wedding photographer(s). But after seeing this picture, I believe Laura was just as excited to see her groom in his tuxedo as he was to see her in her wedding dress! 

Alisandra Williamson of Alisandra Photography captured the picture of The Barkers. Ali dreamed of a career in the music industry before wedding photography caught her eye. She's pursued her passion for capturing lovely wedding day memories with her camera and I'm delighted to introduce Ali to you today! 

Read on to learn more about Ali as a wedding photographer and feel free to connect! :)

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How Ali views love through her lens as a wedding photographer: When I started as a wedding photographer, I really just loved being around the raw emotion and energy of a wedding. But the more weddings I photographed, and teared up at, I realized the depth of what I do. LOVE propels the wedding day, and of course, it propels the marriage. I view my work as a tool in this process. As my couples look back at their wedding photos year after year, I believe they hold the ability to remind the couples of their vows, emotions, and their LOVE as it was from the beginning.

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Photographer bio (in Alisandra's words): 

Featuring Alisandra Williamson, photo credit:
Andrea Pesce Photography

I never had dreamed of being a photographer, in fact, I wanted to work in the music industry! 

I still love music, but I love my job even more. I began my career as a wedding photographer after a few years of second shooting under my belt. 

After attending photography school in the heart of Washington, D.C., I started my business in 2010, and now shoot an average of 20 weddings per year. I’ve had the privilege of meeting amazing couples and documenting their love. 

I view my job as an honor and a gift, just as I view marriage itself! I'm based in Richmond, Va. where I live with my husband, Chad. We'll be married 5 years in October!

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Connect with Alisandra:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AlisandraPhotography
Instagram - https://instagram.com/alisandraphoto/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/alisandraphoto/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlisandraPhoto

Website - http://alisandraphoto.com/home.html

Worth 1,000 Words: Nikki Santerre Photography

Nikki's clients: Mr. Adam and Mrs. Madison Teufel

Welcome creative photographer Nikki Santerre to the blog today! Nikki works two jobs and still manages to devote time to her wonderful photography business! I think you will love visiting with Nikki. You are welcome to leave a message for Nikki in the comment section and connect with Nikki through the social media links provided below.

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Nikki's view of love through her camera lens:

I think the thing that most adequately equips me to serve my clients on their wedding day is that before I am anything else, I am a wife. 

What marriage has taught me is that love is a choice, that everyday my husband and I wake up and choose one another. 

The images that I produce for my clients aren't just pictures, they are heirlooms. Heirlooms that are thoughtfully curated and meant to be tangible, to be passed down through the generations as evidence of the love and legacy that all started with saying, "I choose you and our love is worth fighting for."

What love means to the bride (Madison) before and after the wedding:

Knowing how detail-oriented and wedding-obsessed I have been for most of my life, I thought I would be a total ball of stress on our wedding day. That was certainly the case during the comically disastrous week leading up to the big day - which played out like something from Father of the Bride (the movie). Except instead of a supermarket meltdown over hot dog buns, it was a fluke back injury that almost rendered my dad unable to walk me down the aisle, a mysterious virus/food poisoning that made its way through the entire Steckler family, weather that wouldn't make up its mind, shoes that never arrived, staying up until 2 a.m. every night trying to finish the DIY projects (I blame Pinterest!), and the list goes on.

But somehow, the wedding day came and I felt a calm come over me. It suddenly didn't matter to me that my hair wouldn't cooperate or that I didn't have my perfect monogrammed Jack Rogers I'd ordered. All I cared about was getting to that church and making my best friend of so many years my husband. Truly, I think I looked in the mirror once before I walked down the aisle. I think that's love: not getting wrapped up in the things that just don't matter when you are surrounded by the only thing that does. When Adam took my hand from the other side of the door and prayed with me before our ceremony, his love and calm brought me to center the way it has so many times in the past. I am so grateful for that moment.

Now, as I sit on the couch across from my husband of almost two months, that same love is there and growing everyday. As Nikki captured so well, our wedding was beautiful and perfect despite the comedy of errors preceding it. But our marriage is so much more beautiful than our wedding. Everyday isn't glamorous or Instagram-worthy (ex: I'm currently wearing scrubs from work and eating rice), but it's finally ours to share with each other. And that's all that really matters to me.

What love means to the groom (Adam) before and after the wedding:

As a groom preparing to start life with my future wife, I knew I wanted to do everything I could to make her happy and excited for our marriage. Between the engagement and months of wedding planning, I tried my best to make her smile, and assumed that was the best way to express my love.

After our wedding and commitment to each other, wonderful honeymoon, and starting life together, I soon found out love is more than just seeking happiness together. Love became the mutually shared responsibility challenge, improve, and to be present in the little moments of each other's lives.

During marriage, love has become more exciting and fulfilling than I ever could have imagined. Looking at Maddie, I am reminded daily of just how lucky we are.

~*~
Photographer bio (in Nikki's words): My name is Nikki Santerre, and I'm a Fine Art Film Hybrid Photographer (that's basically a fancy way of saying I shoot both film and digital and I harvest light in order to curate beautiful and timeless heirlooms for my clients). I'm married to a handsome fella named Matt and we have two pups who have stolen our hearts, couch cushions, and my side of the bed. 

Nikki and her husband, Matt. Photo credit: Anna K Photography in Charleston

Earlier this year, I launched Love Came Down, a wedding blog dedicated to preparing for a marriage deeply rooted in Christ. I'm passionate about motherhood (although I am not yet a mother), serving others through my business, education (specifically educating other photographers regarding running a Hybrid digital/film photography business through my monthly newsletter, The Hybrid Society) and doing everything with love and to the glory of my Heavenly Father.

~*~

Connect with Nikki:

Website - http://nikkisanterre.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NikkiSanterrePhotography
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nikkisanterre/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/Nikki_santerre

Worth 1,000 Words: Annamarie Akins Photography

Mr. Robert and Mrs. Erin Preston

Today, I'm introducing the work of another wonderful wedding photographer. Let's welcome Annamarie Akins to the blog! 

I love the photo of Annamarie's clients, newlyweds Robert and Erin Preston! Don't you love the old town car in the picture and the way the bride and groom are perfectly positioned?

Annamarie is talented, right? I think you will like her view on love, photography and the people and things in her life that bring her joy! Enjoy her visit with us and interact with Annamarie by leaving a comment at the end of this blog post.

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Annamarie's view of love through her lens as a wedding photographer:
Love is the foundation of what I do as a wedding photographer! My vision is to remind couples of why they fell in love in the first place and to give them an heirloom to treasure for a lifetime. The wedding day is just the beginning of the story…it’s the love that is built in the months and years afterwards that I truly believe is worth celebrating everyday. It’s a love that grows from knowing a person so deeply and from sharing your highs and lows as well as the little every day moments of life together…It grows when you experience things that you love together no matter how big or small…This is the reason I also specialize in Anniversary Sessions! I think that true love takes a lot of sacrifice and it’s such an honor to get to capture photos that couples will hopefully look back on to remind them of where it all began…

~*~

Photo credit: Katelyn James Photography

Photographer bio:
I’m Annamarie, owner of Annamarie Akins Photography and am an International Wedding Photographer based in Virginia. I enjoy traveling to capture love stories and photograph around 25 weddings a year. I’ve been so honored to have my work published in magazines including Destination I Do, The Knot, and Washingtonian Bride and Groom.

In my experience I’ve learned that the best images result from spending time getting to know my couples and their story so that I can capture their love and laughter in a sincere way.

I live in an old house (with virtually no closet space!) just outside of the city in Richmond, Virginia, with my husband + high school sweetheart, Ryan, and our sweet pup, Lexie. Some of the things I love most include relaxing with them and friends in our backyard, a good coffee date, and trying new local restaurants. I’m a self-professed travel loving homebody — as deep as my love is for exploring new places, sometimes there’s no place I’d rather be than cuddled up on the couch with my french press and a good book.

But I love that my job is constantly allowing me to visit new places and build new relationships with the most incredible people!

Connect with Annamarie:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AnnamarieAkinsPhotography
Instagram - https://instagram.com/annamarie_akins/
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/annamariea/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/annamarieakins

Worth 1,000 Words: Katelyn James Photography (Part II)

Mr. Josh and Mrs. Katie Wootton, photo credit: Katelyn James Photography

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The beautiful images above are from the wedding of Josh and Katie, the newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Wootton.

The creative talent behind the camera who was responsible for capturing these captivating images is Katelyn James! She's a sweet person and smart business woman. I am delighted to feature Katelyn and her photography on my blog for the second time in this series! She takes such captivating, romantic and sweet photos of her clients that I had to double-book her for this photography feature. After looking at the photos from Josh and Katie's wedding, I'm sure you may agree.


Katelyn started her photography business in 2008 and never stopped shooting! She's come a long way since her college days when her dorm room was the base for her photography business. After graduation, Katelyn continued her creative work and chased her dreams. Now, Katelyn and her husband Michael (they are a team) photograph an average of more than 30 weddings annually. When not shooting weddings, Katelyn keeps busy with more of her favorite creative endeavors: blogging, speaking and owning a shop.


What loves means to Katelyn as a wedding photographer:


"My view of love has changed so much over the years. I recently watched a video that really encompassed all that I think love is. It was a video of a young engaged couple who got to see what they would look like 60 years from now and it was so amazing. I realized watching that video that my job is so important. I'm preserving memories in their purest form and that is such an honor!"



*See more photos of Josh and Katie's wedding by visiting Katelyn's blog, http://katelynjamesblog.com/a-mill-at-fine-creek-wedding/

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Photographer bio:

Photo credit: Michael Alsop (Katelyn's husband)

Katelyn James started her professional photography career as a Junior in college and was shooting 25+ weddings annually within her second year. After growing her business and gaining recognition in national publications such as Professional Photographers Magazine, The Knot, Southern Living Weddings, Southern Weddings and Eco Weddings, she began teaching and coaching photographers from all over the country and internationally.

Katelyn hosts workshops throughout the year and monthly coaching sessions at her home in Richmond, VA. Recently, Katelyn has been joined by her husband Michael and they are officially a husband/wife team. 

Since joining forces, Katelyn and Michael average 36 weddings annually. Their work has also been featured numerous times on national wedding blogs such as Real Simple, Style Me Pretty, Ruffled, Inspired by This, Grey Likes Weddings and Green Wedding Shoes.

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Connect with Katelyn:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/katelynjamesphotography


Instagram - https://instagram.com/katelynjames


Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/katelyn_james


Twitter - https://twitter.com/katelynjames
Website - http://katelynjames.com

Worth 1,000 Words: Emily Ross of Dreamy Elk Photography & Design

Photo credit: Emily Ross of Dreamy Elk Photography and Design, capturing the "first look" between the now Mr. Daniel and Mrs Jennifer Sakaida who were married on April 25, 2015

"The photo I chose was Daniel's immediate reaction to seeing his bride Jennifer for the first time that day. Reactions are always different for every couple, but I remember tearing up at this one. Some guys laugh, a few cry. But Daniel promptly kissed Jennifer's hand with all the grace of a gentleman completely in love with his beautiful bride."~Emily Ross, wedding photographer

What love means to Emily Ross, the wedding photographer: 

Every wedding day is different. Yes, they all have a ceremony, they all have flowers, they all have some kind of cake.

But love is present in different ways at each wedding. Sometimes it's in the dedicated hard work friends and family put into the weeks leading up to the wedding day. Sometimes it's in the whispered moments in the dressing room or on the dance floor. Sometimes it’s in the quick hug goodbye before the newlyweds drive off into the sunset.

Love is always present in the smiles and tears of everyone involved. It's always in the hand holding between parents as they watch their baby wed the love of their life. It's always in the way the bride and groom's faces light up when they finally get to see each other. It’s always in the sweet words spoken by maid of honor and the best man.

I don't always get the chance to get to know the bride and groom very well before their wedding day, but it's always very easy to see how well loved they are by their friends and family. When I see that, I get overwhelmed with happiness for them. That makes my job so incredibly easy. That makes me love my job even more than I already do.

What love meant to Jennifer (the bride) on her wedding day and what it means to her now (as a wife):

Love on my wedding day abounded in so many sights and sounds. I saw the love on my husband-to-be's face during our first look—the sweet unfurling of his smile, the way his eyes lit up as they took me in. I saw the love of my family and friends when I walked down the aisle—all eyes on me, the realization that everyone came here for us wanting to share in our joy with laughter and tears. I saw the love in our pastor's beaming grin—the knowing look of someone who'd watched us “grow up" before his eyes. Above all, the love of Jesus Christ surrounded us: hearing the various Scripture readings, the special music, and our pastor's loving, tailored-to-us sermon stirred up so many emotions in my heart, many of which welled up in my eyes.

Now, on the other side of my wedding day, love reveals itself in so many new, small yet profound gestures. Love is when my husband cooks me breakfast even when I am being an emotionally dysfunctional basket case (which is more often than I would like). Love is when I open up my lunch box and find my meals already packed into individual servings (because my husband knows I need the help). Love is this commitment my husband lives out every day to have and to hold me, for better and for worse.

Without Jesus, the love between Daniel and me wouldn't be possible, and with every passing day, I learn more about what it means to love and to be loved. Married life has been filled with many firsts and ups and downs, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

What love meant to Daniel as the groom on his wedding day and what it means to him now as a husband:

When I look back to our wedding day, love for me was about the future: the excitement of anticipating. Of course, I have known from day one that I loved her, but weddings are forward-looking by their very nature. Friends and family came from all over the country to see us begin our journey together; we made promises to each other and before God; and we stored away as many memories and photos as possible. Months of planning came together to celebrate the future we were yet to have.

Now, love is here in the everyday, woven into the variations the daily grind produces. Sure, we still look forward to spending the rest of our life together…but I get more satisfaction from realizing that we are spending our lives together now. There’s something beautiful about being able to love each other day in and day out as we imperfectly imitate Christ. The commitment of marriage gives us the freedom to accept each other, mistakes and all, and to bless each other daily in little ways from meal planning to going on simple dates. Maybe it’s not as “romantic” as our wedding, but I treasure this everyday companionship.

~*~

Photographer bio:

Photo credit: Emily Ross of Dreamy Elk Photography and Design

Emily is a wedding photographer based out of Austin, Texas. She’s been in the wedding industry for seven years. She is forever grateful to clients for trusting her with their special day, to her friends and family for their love and support and to God for bringing her the sweetest couples to work with. Emily loves design, the color wheel, Dr. Pepper, musicals, fancy dresses, DIY projects, her husband and Jesus, although not necessarily in that order.

Visit Emily's website to see her beautiful wedding photography and connect with this creative and brilliant photographer, www.dreamyelk.com

Worth 1,000 Words: Ilse Eisele Photography

Featured couple: Tim and Julie Vandeman
Photographer: Ilse Eisele

Today, our special guest is Ilse Eisele, wedding photographer. Ilse and I share a treasured experience--meeting my favorite wedding photographer Jasmine Star at her event "The Fix: D.C." which was held in the Gala Theatre in Northwest, Washington D.C. a few years ago. The event was memorable and Ilse captured a great photo of me with my role model (J* is awesome)! 

The photo above features Mr. Tim and Mrs. Julie Vandeman, friends of Ilse, on their wedding day. Today we're focusing on the photo above that's worth a thousand words and the photographer's bio. The lovely couple is beyond busy, as is the photographer so they did not have time to write a short essay on the meaning of love. 

Reach out to Ilse in the comment section, letting her know what you think of her photography. She'll visit to reply to any questions you may have for her about her work.

Enjoy! 

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Photographer bio:

Ilse Eisele is a professional wedding photographer whose love for horses and people gives her a zest for capturing memorable life moments with her camera. Ilse's photography of horses has been featured in magazines and her wedding photography is a cherished treasure by her brides and their husbands.

Ilse is a pastor's daughter and Auntie to her brother's and his wife's children. She loves helping people so much that she's in graduate school to become a counselor. 

Visit Ilse's professional website, www.ilseeisele.com to see her award-winning photography.

Worth 1,000 Words: An introduction

Dear blog friends,

I'm super excited to introduce my new series "Worth 1,000 Words"!

Every Wednesday, you can visit my blog to find a picture that's worth a thousand words and you can discover wonderful wedding photographers who captured that lovely moment. 

This series is meant to promote the work of wedding photographers who love God as much as they love capturing the true love stories of their clients with their professional camera.

Photo courtesy of Jasmine Star, http://www.jasminestarblog.com/

My ultimate favorite wedding photographer is Jasmine Star, pictured in action above this text. She is a sweet, sincere and business-savvy role model for creatives in the wedding photography industry! She's kind, professional and a great teacher. Jasmine hosts workshops and speaks for Creative Live. She has a heart for giving back to the community by mentoring aspiring photographers and helping them to build their business and reach new heights of success.

God made a way for me to meet Jasmine Star a few years ago but that's another story for another day! :)

I hope you will enjoy this new series! Here's what to expect every Wednesday on my blog until the end of Summer 2015:

1) A picture that's worth a thousand words

2) A write-up of what love means through the lens of a wedding photographer

3) A few words from the bride featured in the photo on what true love means to her as the bride on her special day and now as a wife

4) A few words from the groom featured in the photo on what true love means to him as the groom on his wedding day and now as a husband

5) Promotional details for the featured photographer and their professional business

*Please note: Sometimes there may be cases when then bride and groom could not be reached for comment. But you can still expect items #1, #2 and #5 every Wednesday, for certain!

So I'm excited for this new series! Are you?

I hope so!

Take care and God bless you! 

Love,

Alexis