Photoshoot with a Little Princess

"A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires"  (c) Paulo Coelho

A little over three years ago heavily 8 months pregnant myself was at the pool with my son. As I was walking around the pool busy arguing with the management about their policies (no kick board allowed in the pool for children to use???)))) It's a pool for goodness sake!) I noticed a beautiful lady looking at me and smiling. I walked by a time or two and then I noticed she was expecting, too. So we started talking.. Turned out our due dates were just three weeks apart. We exchanged the numbers and promised to stay in touch.. Fast forward to now and our babies have already turned three!

Very thankful to Karolina for the three years of friendship, support, for always being there.
And thank you for allowing me to photograph Gaby! She is so precious. An absolutely happy beautiful child that has an amazing mom! ;) She has the most contagious smile! I hope I was able to capture some of Gaby's bright personality. Just precious!

"What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce." (c) Karl Lagerfeld 

Erika & David's Wedding Story. Conservatory at Waterstone, Acworth.

One of the most magical moments during a wedding day is watching a bride slip into her dress, that first look into a mirror, the sparkle in her eyes, the bridesmaids' gasp and something that has been anticipated for so long becomes reality. And the moment Erika slipped into her absolutely gorgeous dress was nothing short of magical. In the presence of her mother, sisters and bridesmaids, surrounded by love, Erika became a bride. Her dress, her hair, make up, shoes - everything was perfect, Erika looked absolutely stunning and I caught myself on a thought that I cannot wait to see David's reaction... and photograph it :)
 David asked for Erika's hand  in front of her family on the beach with the most perfect ring that he picked himself. Erika's sister was there to capture the romance of the beautiful moment. The pictures, that made the pages of their wedding guestbook, were filled with such love, joy and life... A truly happy couple..
 Today Erika and David are celebrating their 1st month anniversary and I would like to wish them lifetime of happiness, health, may your love always be your guide.. Erika and David, I think you're something kind of wonderful.  Thank you for allowing me to document your first day as husband and wife, thank you for trusting in me. It was an honor and I look forward to what the future has in store for you both.
 Much Love and Appreciation.. Olya

The ceremony and reception were held at a beautiful and intimate venue downtown Acworth, GA. The Conservatory at Waterstone. Special thanks to coordinator Jennifer for making the day run smooth and stressless.

All the beautiful detail I could photograph for hours if I could. Elegant with a touch of sparkle!

And THE moment. Erika, you are beautiful, inside and out!

The way David looked at his bride, the love, the tenderness. It melted hearts..

Every bride needs a perfect bouquet to complete her look. Love the color palette Erika chose for her flowers. 

The bouquets and flower arrangements crafted by the Conservatory at Waterstone florist.

The beautiful and delicious cake created by the pastry chef Sara Williams with Cakehouse at Waterstone.

The day was filled with many great moments, romantic first dance, heartfelt speeches and some pretty impressive dancing, no, I mean, DANCING! Starting with the introduction of the bridal party, to newlywed's dancing, kids showing some serious moves, to bride and bridesmaids doing an amazing dance-off. Girls, you rocked the dance floor!

  

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I have always been undecided about it. I like a good holiday, presents are always nice. And what better then a day to celebrate your love.. with your love! But on the other hand, I always thought this holiday was a bit.. well, cheesy.. with all the heart-shaped chocolate boxes, pre-frozen roses, pre-printed 'I love you's and giant bear commercials (so creepy)... It turned the holiday into an industry making it pretty much lose its meaning.  One thing for sure, though, that in all the monotony of everyday life we get so busy with work, children, problems, that it is nice to have a day to remind us that there is something more to life and that after all, it is all about love...

Love, marriage and wedding day.

Having celebrated 8 years of marriage, gone through ups and downs, happy times and challenges and being blessed with a great partner to share my life with, I started thinking about that one day in our life. The day we said I Do's...

When I was in college, long before I met my husband or even thought about getting married, I sort of frowned upon the whole wedding idea. I could not understand why one day in couples' life would matter so much. If people love each other and are dedicated to spend life together, what can one day really change? (beside being a legal formality) Are you going to love each other stronger because you had that big party, is your relationship now going to be guaranteed to last forever?.. No, marriage is a long windy road, filled not only with joys, love and laughter... So why does the wedding day matter so much to people? Have weddings just become a big industry, big party draining people's budget, or there is more to it?....Promise.. You promise to carry your love through the years, to care and to stand by each other. And throughout your marriage, you will look at the ring on your finger, at that wedding picture on your mantelpiece or maybe you'll stumble across the wedding dress in your closet... and it will remind you of the promise you gave to the person you love so much filling your heart with even more happiness. Or maybe in a more challenging time that promise will give you the strength not to give up, will remind you that it's worth the fight... And as years go by, as the bond sealed by the promise will only get stronger. 

That is why wedding day does matter... the promise, sincerely made on that day, will become a a beacon, guiding your journey through the years....

8 Years Ago Today....

8 years ago today I walked down the isle of a beautiful church to marry the love of my life. I knew I was marrying a great man, my best friend. What I didn't know then, is that he would become a great husband and even greater Dad to our two boys. And though  life is not always easy I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to share it with my husband and have such a strong shoulder to lean on.
8 wonderful years down... and a life time to go! 

Rebecca & Jake. 2 Years & Counting!.

           

           Sometimes, a glance at a couple is all it takes to see that unmistakable spark of  love. And it fills me with joy to get to document it and capture the feelings. At the end of 2013 I got to work with a couple like that right before their two year anniversary. Rebecca and Jake and their handsome little boy, what a beautiful family!..

            Despite it being a late December, we got an incredible break in rainy cold weather, with temperature reaching 70*F and rain stopping for the time of the session. I was thrilled (and, of course, nervous, again..))!
            Right from the beginning I knew, though, that was going to be a fun and great photo-session. Laughter, jokes, camera clicking, time flew by.. I might have taken too many pictures, but I was worried to miss even one of the beautiful moments between the three of them. I was so thrilled to captured their son's precious smile!
            I am so thankful for getting a chance to meet Rebecca and Jake. I felt honored to be a part their special occasion. I wish them many, many more years filled with love, joy and happiness! Treasure the spark! You, guys, are awesome!