Mike & Ann - Visual Storytellers » Getting To Know You Sessions

Getting To Know Holli & Scott :: Lake Eola Park, Orlando FL

Ann — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:16:41 +0000

” I had ALWAYS been crazy about him” Holli says about Scott. We met Scott as groomsman in Stephanie & Jon’s wedding in 2008. She’s had a crush on him since they met through Scott’s best friend about 7 years ago. Holli was at FSU and Scott at UF. I know, ANOTHER mixed marriage!! They’ll make it, though. There will definitely be some rough game days, but their love for each other shall prevail Well, after meeting and hanging out a bit here and there, it was several years later that these two reconnected after running into each other and hanging out all night in Downtown Orlando. They were both finally single and Holli “snatched him up” for herself. Forever…….

Their first “official” date took place at Wild Side BBQ in Thornton Park. They had dinner and then made their way around Lake Eola. They ended up in a local pub with Scott showing Holli how you really play darts. So, for their getting-to-know-you session, that’s just what we did. And what fun we had!!

Thanks, Holli & Scott, for a fantastic time hanging out with you guys. You are so awesome and we can’t wait until March for your Mission Inn wedding. It’s going to be amazing!

Make sure you visit Holli & Scott’s story page to see their slideshows.

Getting to Know Jill & Jonathan :: Baldwin Park Engagement Session

Ann — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:16:30 +0000

She called me an ambulance chaser, Jonathan recalls. He thought it was actually pretty funny and appreciated Jill’s honesty. After all, He was a PI attorney at the time. Jill & Jonathan met during the Moot Court cocktail party in law school- Jill thinking of how cute, tall & funny he was. But the cute, tall & funny didn’t keep her from going abroad to London to study. It was a couple of years later when they finally became reacquainted at a friend’s wedding.

It was just meant to be- as they say. The stars must have perfectly aligned for Jill & Jonathan to come together the way they did. Or, maybe it was that Jonathan stealthily arranged to have their seats next to each other during the wedding reception. Nonetheless, two years after their initial encounter, they began dating and very soon thereafter fell in love. And the journey continues…..

We had such a great time getting to know and hang out with them for their Baldwin Park session. Jonathan is a Guitar Hero fanatic, so that’s how we started. Their long-haired chihuahua puppies, Izzy & Mo watched as Jonathan opened up a can of whoop-ass on Jill. She’s not alone- he apparently does this to ALL his friends! He’s the Guitar Hero king.

We are so honored and excited to document their Omni at Champions Gate wedding & reception this October. Please enjoy some of our favs…

Thanks, Jill & Jonathan, for an awesome afternoon of Guitar Hero and hanging around Baldwin Park. We can’t wait until October!

Check out Jill & Jonathan’s Story Page by clicking the link below.

Winter Park Bride & Groom Session with Jenn & Steve

Ann — Sat, 01 May 2010 19:33:37 +0000

We met Brooke back in November at Amy & Richard’s wedding when she was a bridesmaid. Her best friend Jennifer was getting married soon and they had already secured a photographer. Brooke loved what we do so much that she gifted a bridal session with us to Jennifer. What a great best friend and maid of honor! In talking with Jennifer, it became clear that she really wanted her hubby Steve to be a part of this. So, the bridal session turned into a fabulous bride & groom session without the time constraints of the wedding day. The session happened after the wedding, so no worry about keeping the dress pristine! We went to downtown Winter Park in and around the gazebo where they got engaged. How romantic!

Jenn & Steve worked together and were friends a long time before dating. Jenn accompanied Steve to a business event in Miami and, well, they’ve been together ever since. They each love how smart the other one is with Steve being the smart-ass with a great sense of humor and Jenn being the more reserved one. Dinner (cooked by Steve), wine, and hanging out in the backyard round out a fantastic day for these two. We wish them the very best in their journey as husband & wife! Congratulations!

Getting to Know Emily & Jeff :: Orlando Session

Ann — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:18:51 +0000

It all started with a breakup and a Match.com free trial expiration. Emily knew she had three days before her time was up, so she got to work. Since the site had rejected Emily’s profile pic, Jeff sort of just wrote her off -”sketchy” was the word. But Emily emailed (surprising to Jeff) and pursued a meeting. This was NOT the protocol. But neither are protocol type people.

A meeting at a local coffee shop soon ensued. Emily is stylish and sophisticated intelligence sitting there reading her novel. In comes Jeff, a casual and confident (and VERY sarcastic) intelligence. Upon seeing Emily with her novel, he thinks this may actually be someone that can challenge, teach, and inspire him- question his ideas. Oh, and she’s drop-dead gorgeous. SCORE! A first date was set even though Emily was thinking Jeff was a little “boring” and “overly polite” in his emails. He was really just on his best behavior, holding back the sarcasm that seemed to so easily offend most people. After a picnic, a hike, HOURS of conversations, and a late-night quest for Chinese food, a spark had definitely ignited in these two. They currently live in different cites, each passionately engaged in their professions. Nonetheless, they find time to lovingly debate and banter back and forth, putting Jeff’s sarcasm that Emily loves to good use.

Being with Jeff is soothing and calming for Emily. And although he walks around in an intellectual dreamworld, he is surprisingly romantic while being very industrious. Jeff loves that he has the freedom to be himself and he doesn’t have to worry about getting it right. Emily usually knows what he’s trying to say, and sometimes she just puts him in his place They view the world in a similar way through a cynical, yet optimistic lens.

We were so thrilled to be able to document their love on this very chilly morning in Orlando a few weeks back. Mike thinks his brain grew and most assuredly his G.R.E. vocabulary readiness! Thanks, Emily & Jeff, for sharing your morning and yourselves with us. We are SO excited about your Rollins College Knowles Memorial Chapel ceremony and Circa 1926 Restaurant reception this October. It will truly be an honor to tell the story of your wedding day!

Check out Emily & Jeff’s Story Page by clicking the link below. You can also see Emily as a bridesmaid at Sandra & Brandon’s wedding almost two years ago!

Getting to Know Jamie & Gavin :: New York, New York

Ann — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:01:49 +0000

It was Paris, Summer of 2006. Their eyes discover one another at the bar. She thinks he is the most incredibly sexy man she has ever seen. For her, it’s love at first sight. He meanders his way through the crowd and buys her a drink. He is struck by her sophisticated elegance and remarkable beauty. She is attracted to his relaxed confidence, sense of humor and dreamy blue eyes. And they talk into the evening. They soon picnic in the park while lovingly gazing into one another’s eyes………

Ripped right out of a romance novel, right??? Well, sort of. This is the story of Jamie & Gavin, with maybe a little added embellishment by the author. Gavin didn’t actually buy Jamie a drink. You see, Gavin ordered the drinks then realized he was out of money, thus having Jamie actually buy the drinks!! Hence the picnic that Gavin took Jamie on to make up for it. And, thus, a love of picnics and for each other began.

There are so many other things that Jamie & Gavin love, one being New York. It was only fitting that we did their Getting-to-Know-You Session there, in this great and fabulous city that they live in and love. Mike traveled up there during one of the many super-cold snaps we’ve had this winter. It was especially chilly!! They were such great sports, but I’m sure they were glad to get back to their apartment and warm up snuggling on the couch. Here’s some of our favorites from their Super Bowl Sunday session.

Thanks, Jamie & Gavin, for a wonderful afternoon hanging out in New York. We are so excited about your Palm Harbor White Chapel wedding and Bon Appetit reception this spring!

Check out Jamie & Gavin’s Story Page by clicking the link below.

Getting to Know Lora & Lewis :: New York, New York

Ann — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:28:24 +0000

Lora & Lewis met a few years back through church in a round-a-bout way . The complete story is MUCH better when told by them! It seems that they sort of went on a first date without one of them not actually realizing it was a first date. Hmmmm, bet that was interesting! And well, after a couple months of dating, a breakup, some drama, and a wee bit of begging from one party to another, Lora & Lewis reunited and have been blissfully happy ever since. We are so thrilled that we have been invited to capture, document, and preserve their wedding day and love story for not only just them, but for also their children and grandchildren to enjoy one day.

We met Lora back in 2006 at Summer & Brandon’s wedding where she was a bridesmaid. We have also mentored her some in her own photography business, Lora Roney Photography. Lora has worked with us on a few weddings over the past few years. We feel blessed by her friendship and wish her and Lewis the greatest success in their marriage and business.

Mike traveled up to New York with Lora & Lewis for their Getting-to-Know-you session. They LOVE, LOVE, LOVE New York!!! Did I mention that they love New York? They wanted to get engaged in New York, but it just didn’t happen. There’s no better place to get to know someone than in some place that makes them happy and that they love. It was FREEZING up there last weekend, but they made the best of it galavanting around town and even having a snowball fight! It looks like Lewis may have one that one. Pssst- don’t tell Lora. They all had an amazing time and Mike really captured their love of each other and this wonderful city!

Thanks, Lora & Lewis, for inviting us into your lives and hearts. We are so excited about your Delaney Street Baptist Church ceremony and Sorosis Women’s Club reception next month.

Getting To Know – Evan & Nicole :: Sanford Session

Ann — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:08:40 +0000

People often ask us how we get our couples to do what they do in their Getting-to-know-you sessions. We don’t try to get them to do anything other than be themselves. Put people in an environment that they are comfortable in, and see what happens! �Most people have never been professionally photographed before and don’t quite know what they should do. We put Evan & Nicole in an urban setting, where they were most likely to be comfortable. See, they are both city people and hope to maybe live in New York one day and travel the world. Although Sanford is a far cry from a big city, it does have a very cool urban downtown feel with lots of unique architecture. So, we made it work and it turned out quite well!

Evan & Nicole have been together for a loooong time, and thus, are very comfortable with each other. They are best buds and have a playful banter with each other. When you’ve been together as long as they have, you sort of know that maybe �you’ll probably get married one day. Friends kept expecting Evan to pop the questions on this trip or that trip or on that “special occasion”. Well, it finally happened in New York on a beautifully soggy and rainy day while on a carriage ride. As Evan was down on one knee to proposing, Nicole was pretty much like “Are you kidding?? You’re getting your jeans wet! ” Hey, we do strange things in these situations.I asked the same thing of Mike as he knelt down in a lake and proposed! “Are you kidding?” The guy driving the carriage told Evan the ride was on him if she had said no. Well, Evan paid for the ride and a wedding is in the works! We are so excited

You can view Evan & Nicole’s Story Page with their Getting-to-know-You session slideshow and a guestbook design by clicking the link below.

Getting to Know Lindsey & Richard :: Winter Park Session

Ann — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 03:50:13 +0000

Well, Happy New Year!! I wish everyone a healthy and prosperous 2010. We are really looking forward to this year and all the changes that it will bring. We are also very excited about all the wedding stories we will tell!! The first wedding story of the year will be Richard & Lindsey in St Augustine in just two weeks. We met Lindsey as a bridesmaid at Jeff & Lindsey’s wedding back in 2007. Lindsey hadn’t yet met Richard, but she knew after that wedding that she wanted Mike there on her wedding day. Not just for his amazing talent as a photographer, but probably also his amazing talent as a person. People really enjoy having him around, especially brides on their wedding day. We don’t call him the “Bride Whisperer” for nothing!

Lindsey & Richard are that perfect balance of “Sassy Sally” and “Even Steven”. He’s a pharmacist (of the year, recently!) �and she’s a girls’ volleyball coach. Balance. We all need it and they’ve found it in each other.Richard & Lindsey are the best of friends and truly just enjoy being together. Isn’t that great! You know, where you can just do a whole lotta nothing but you’re doing it together…..and it’s awesome. Richard tries to go to all of Lindsey’s games and is her biggest cheerleader. They LOVE their dogs (AKA babies) Tanner and Jaxson. To celebrate life’s winning moments, they enjoy Houston’s in Winter Park for some obvious reasons you can see in some of the last few images.

You can enjoy Richard & Lindsey’s Story Page with their Getting-to-know-you session slideshow and guestbook by clicking the link below.

Getting To Know Amy & Richard :: Disney Boardwalk

Ann — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:34:20 +0000

Amy & Richard came into town from Lake City a few weeks back for their Getting-to-Know-You session. We met Amy as a bridesmaid at Amber & Steven’s wedding back in August in Lake City. Amy and Richard will unite as husband and wife next month, and we are SO excited!! We first wanted to spend some time getting to know them.

Amy finally met Richard after years of being the best of friends with his sister, Kelly. Amy spent a great deal of time Richard’s house hanging with Kelly while he was away at school, and they never met- until ONE day. After the two met, Kelly pretty much told Amy “Don’t you even�think about it”. Well, Amy doesn’t like being told what to do so she replied “Watch me”. After making it fairly obvious (or so she thought) that she was interested in Richard with little to no response, she just had to do something. She got things moving along- she asked him out!

About five years later, he proposed to her in front of all her family after asking for her father’s blessing. She had no idea it was coming!! She accepted his proposal, through the tears and surprise of it all, and we’ll be there to tell the incredible love story of their wedding day!

Here are some of our favorites from our afternoon together.

Thanks, Amy & Richard, for inviting us to capture this most precious time in your lives. We can’t wait for your �Our Redeemer Lutheran Church ceremony and Southern Oaks reception very soon!!

Check out Amy & Richard’s MBP Story Page by clicking the link below.

Getting to Know :: Courtney & Jason

Ann — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:14:29 +0000

Mike met up with Courtney and Jason last week near Lake City to hang out and get to know them a little better. What an awesome time! These two enjoy little more than just being together and being outside, amongst God’s creatures and creations. They love to fish and walk the woods- always exploring. It was only appropriate that they went fishing off their soon-to-be dock at their soon-to-be new home (a little lake house that’s been in Jason’s family and that he and his dad have redone).

Courtney and Jason met about five years ago through mutual friends. Upon meeting they each had the “he/she is way out of my league” thought. After talking on the phone a few days later, they eventually had their first date at church. They were actually “officially dating” at Christmas.

So, fast-forward a few years to a restaurant in Gainesville in a little corner booth with a very fidgety Jason (who has a custom, one-of-a kind- ring burning a hole in his pocket!). Courtney figures he’s just a little “off” that day. So, Courtney’s just talking away and basically when in mid sentence she turns away and then turns back to Jason on his knee asking “Will you marry me?”

“Are you serious? Are you serious?” She responded. Jason’s like Yes I’m serious and is that a YES? Well, (obviously) she said yes and we’ll be there to capture this beautiful and precious love story. Jason is so excited that, in his words, ” If I had a tail, it would be wagging”. I think that’s one of the most romantic things I’ve heard in a long time!!

Here are some of our favorites from Mike’s time spent with these two lovebirds.

Thanks, Courtney and Jason, for opening up and sharing yourselves and your relationship with us. You guys are awesome and we understand why others want a relationship like yours. We can’t wait for your wedding in just a few weeks!

Check out Courtney and Jason’s MBP Story Page by clicking the link below.