AM Weakley Creative

Courtney and Billy [Wedding]

She had asked her dad if he would be strong at the wedding. It would already be hard enough to make it through the day she would marry the man of her dreams. If only he could keep his tears in check, maybe that would make it a little easier on her. Personally, I had a difficult time keeping it together. This family in some ways is like family to my husband and I. I have known Courtney for some time, but what a joy it was last fall when I had the opportunity to grab coffee with the newly engaged couple and get to know Billy a little as we enjoyed a windy fall day snapping engagement shots.

These two met in college.....right at the beginning. It wasn't until the second semester that they started hanging out and thought they might have something special. A trip to the mall and an hour conversation on the car ride home quickly confirmed that. Fast forward a few years later to July 28, 2012 where they promised to choose to love each other as Mr. and Mrs. for "as long as they both shall live." Billy and Courtney are so fun to be around! There is no shortage of smiles and laughter in these shots....and they are sweet too. Enjoy walking through their wedding day with these images.

Courtney's ring was modeled after the first ring Billy's dad gave his mom and it even includes some of her diamonds. It is beautiful!

Courtney wanted to get a picture of her hands with her mom's and Billy' s moms hand. What a legacy these hands hold. Her parents have been married for 28 years and his parents are going on 25. What a blessing it is to have them to look up to as Billy and Courtney start this new journey themselves.

There was no first look at this wedding. Billy was set on waiting to see his bride as she walked down the aisle. However right before the ceremony, I was checking my gear and look up to see Courtney peeking through the door. Come to find out, she and Billy are talking, eyes closed, through the door. They had each written each other something. Here Courtney is reading this very creative and meaningful journal from Billy. So sweet.....

He sang a song to his beautiful bride.

So we asked the ring bearers to give her a little kiss....one guy took that quite seriously!

Loved using the Bible as a guest book...Choose a favorite passage and sign your name by it. Very special.

Thanks to Amy Gibson for coming to shoot some of the wedding with me! Colleen couldn't shoot this wedding with me so I really appreciated her help. We have so many great images and I cant wait to share them all. Here is a slideshow that includes a few more than you already see here.

A Gift! [Family]

You know how frustrating it is when you want to give the perfect gift, but you just can't come up with anything new? ...for Mother's Day or birthdays or whatever day Hallmark has come up with ~ or even just because? These "kids" were on to something when they decided to surprise mom with a family photo shoot for a recent gift! Really - it is a gift that seemingly "stops time!" How many times do we wish we could just freeze life...right where we are (You younger kids may not appreciate how fast time flies yet - but you will. The older you get, the faster it moves!)? Sure there are times we would like to fast forward - but other times... if we could just take the moment and put it in a bottle and enjoy it again and again as time marches forward. Images from a photo shoot are somewhat like that, whether you display them in your home or office, create a book, or share them with friends via social media.

This beautiful family has a child in every stage of life it seems...one just finishing high school; another in college; one who recently had a baby and another expecting. I wonder what it would be like to have four girls growing up in one family. Zach and Terry, I am glad you had each other! Seriously, I am sure there was a bit of drama, but I cannot imagine the tight relationship you would form - the "sisterhood." I always wanted that special sister relationship. I looked up a few quotes on sisters...some were silly, some advice-giving, and some sentimental.

I smile because you are my sister, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it! ~Unknown

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden. Unknown

You can kid the world. But not your sister. ~ Charlotte Gray

Never look down on a sister except to pick her up. Unknown

A sister shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams. ~ Unknown

A sister is a forever friend. ~ Unknown

Mom and dad are really inspiring people. They live generously and lovingly. In fact, Kelly (the beautiful mom) is a wonderful example of a loving sister and forever friend. She truly lives that out. Thank you for letting me spend a beautiful (and HOT!) morning with you!

Mom and dad...

Sweet baby boy. Stayed awake for a little while and then was more than content to be held and to suck his thumb. Such a cutie!

Speaking of babies...Woohoo!!!! Emily and Travis, what a great way to announce the upcoming addition to your family! You couldn't have planned a better due date! They wanted to have this specific picture since they had been married less than a year ago and had a wedding picture in this same spot!

Pure sweetness...every mom or grandma knows this feeling...

Many blessings to this special family!

Time Captured

This is a special family. A mom, a dad and four beautiful daughters...plus a few foreign exchange students.

Four girls. All from the same parents. Yet each unique and each loved dearly.

This looks like a great engagement picture...except that they have been married for quite some time and are raising several children. I love the way they are looking at each other.

This mom works as a full time teacher. A full time mom. A full time wife. Etc. She has been sick, but is a testimony to the strength and grace of God.

I love belong able to take pictures of families because a captured image is a gift that they can then keep and hold on to for years to come. To relive those moments or to see where they have been and where they are now. Some memories full of joy. Some bittersweet. Some painful. Each picture captures that exact time, those exact feelings and the memories of that day and moment...whether it is a popsicle-faced little boy or a sweet family walking through a difficult time. Many blessings to you all!

Birth + joy

A birth is the beginning of something. A start to life; to a spiritual journey; to new ideas or new horizons. Anyone who has been a part of the birth of a child knows it is a miracle. Simply a miracle and there are no other words that do it justice.

God has given me a passion for women's health. I considered it as a field of study when I was in college, but didn't feel that was the journey God had scripted for me at that time. The changes we go through as we age and as some of us travel through pregnancy and motherhood run deep physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and I know there is so much opportunity to encourage and to minister to these women.

I had the rare opportunity to capture the first moments of a sweet little girl as she made her entrance into this world at the end of 2011. Really, there is nothing like those first few moments of a birth. Miraculous. Breathtaking. Unforgettable. Sometimes even heartbreaking. But new babies, new life...

Births are amazing.

Out of respect for these parents, I am just posting a few pictures, but I think they need no words.

What in the world have I been up to?

Really....four months since my last post??? Photographers with booming businesses are heavily intertwined with social media. I get it. Blogging, twittering, posting on Facebook - those are all musts!
I am not in that world right now.
I love where I am in my business in this stage of life. Sure there are times when I want to dive right in. I see an opportunity and want to put 110% on the line.
But the timing is not right.

And
timing
is
crucial
just
like
in
photography.

There is a time when it is exactly right to close the shutter and capture the perfect shot. Too early or a little too late - still can make a good shot - but not necessarily that perfect shot. A good photographer knows how to anticipate - survey the entire scene, study and understand all of the elements that have to come together compose THE SHOT. Anticipation involves patience, knowledge, a little bit of imagination, plenty of vision - and ultimately ~ it involves action.

For now, my family is my number one priority. That is the biggest job God has entrusted to me - right now. There will come a time - too soon I am sure - when I have less trips to the park, less clothes to wash, less mouths to feed, less books to read aloud, and less homework to help with. Then, I will have more freedom to pursue my own personal interests. Until then, my blog posts are going to be as needed. Maybe a few a week - or maybe a few a quarter. For now, I am okay with that.

If you have hired me to do a shoot for your family, a wedding, or a design project, you can be confident that I will give you my full attention. That is why I am selective and choose to do a limited number of any one of these things each year.

With that said, I haven't posted on my blog in these past few winter months, but I have still been quite busy doing various photography and graphic design projects! Many times, these things aren't what I want to share with the Internet world or would feel completely appropriate. For example, I had the marvelous privilege of taking pictures at a birth towards the end of the year and have wanted to respect the privacy and intimacy of that special family. I am excited to do a short post in the next week or two about that experience and to share some of the beautiful images. I also had the privilege of taking pictures at a beautiful event for a dear family friend who is battling brain cancer in which almost 700 people attended. Again, not images I would share on a blog like this. However also during these last few months, I have LOVED a few down weeks of time with my most important priority - my family and beautiful kiddos! Here are just a few pictures of some of the things I have done photography-wise...

Family Reunions...