We have heard AMAZING things about the beauty of Kirkland Manor on the Eastern Shore, but we have never had the opportunity to explore it ourselves. When Sarah from Intrigue Designs called us up and asked us to be a part of a styled shoot she was designing for Premier Bride Maryland Magazine, we couldn’t resist! Now, more than ever, we dream of photographing a Kirkland Manor Wedding! and if it looks just like this, even better! ;) Sarah, thank you for making our dreams really really pretty! ;)

To be completely honest, when we arrived at the Kirkland Manor, we were a little nervous. We were told over and over again that EVERYONE had high hopes for this shoot! They wanted “wow” and it was up to us to capture that wow. The editor escorted us down to the “Plan C” location of the reception table and we pretty much skipped the whole way there with excitement because we could see Sarah and her team working their magic from afar. It was such a windy day on the Eastern Shore- and actually quite chilly! They had to move the table around multiple times due to the crazy winds. But no one panicked- in fact, I believe we all agreed after the fact that the “Plan C” location of the table was absolutely perfect and even better than anyone imagined! Love when that happens! ;)

As soon as we saw Sarah and her team’s design, all of our nerves went away! The tablescape, ceremony set-up, and lounge cocktail hour setup were absolutely breathtaking! Every single detail went above and beyond (including the AMAZING paper designed by 2 Hands Studio)!!! We were as confident as ever that we could provide the editors at Premier Bride Maryland Magazine with WOW because that is all that we could see! ;)

It was such an honor to be a part of such a gorgeous shoot! Thank you Sarah and the whole team at Intrigue for working your magic and allowing us to capture it! Definitely go pick up your copy of Premier Bride Maryland Magazine… I think you might find some WOW in there! ;)

Ohh and if anyone is planning a Kirkland Manor wedding (or knows of someone who is planning their wedding on this gorgeous Eastern Shore property), let us know! ;) You could help make our dreams come true! ;)

We sat at MeMe’s house in a room full of love and warmth. The conversations were flowing while the kids were running around jumping in and out of huge cardboard boxes that took over any open floor space that was remaining! That pretty much paints the picture of MeMe’s house on Christmas Eve. Except, add to that my cousin Jenna reading T’was the Night Before Christmas, my aunts leading us in Christmas carols and then getting half way and realizing none of us know the words ;) (but we continue anyway), Santa arriving and the little ones mouth wide open AMAZINGNESS filling the room with joy! That might paint an even clearer picture for you! ;) It is pretty much magical!

Can you see where we get our magical excitement from?!? ;) You are never too old to BELIEVE! ;) Thank you MeMe! ;)

Every year, we exchange names and have a huge gift exchange where every family takes the “hot seat” and opens their gift in front of everyone! It is always so special to be able to see the excitement on everyone’s faces as they give their gifts and watch each other open them! This year, when it came time for us to be in the “hot seat” Mike came over and handed us our present from he and Jessie (unfortunately Jessie wasn’t able to join us because she was in NC celebrating with her family, but we knew she was there in spirit!). As we started opening the gifts one by one, we realized that they put together a little film developing kit for us!

Side note: Mike and his family created their very own dark room in their home. They have such a special appreciation for photography and the art that can often get lost in the “digital age!” When we were down in NC visiting with Jessie and Mike and photographing their engagement session, Mike showed us his collection of old film cameras that he had collected! Seriously, we were in awe and so energized by his passion and appreciation of these old cameras! Mike and Jessie frequent antique stores often and every once in awhile find a gem of a camera! Even if it is not working, Mike will bring it home and give it some love to bring it back to life!

So, we open each gift… chemicals, an empty bottle, random supplies needed to develop film using coffee (so cool!), a roll of film… (At this point, the whole family is looking at us saying what in the world is that!?!?) and then I reach in and pull out a beautiful leather case holding a gorgeous antique 35mm film camera! Enter the tears. Seriously, it hit me like a ton of bricks! I was so excited about the idea of diving in and developing film because that is something that Ryan and I have talked so much about wanting to experience one day that I was blown away when I opened the camera.

Ahh! The tears rolled down my face (as they are as I write this!) and I literally was speechless. I looked at Ryan and could see his eyes start to fill with tears. Normally when I am speechless he fills in my blanks… but in that moment, we were both at a loss for words! As soon as I was able to compose myself and actually speak, I tried to explain it to the whole family who watched me lose it and couldn’t figure out why I was so emotional (besides the Lorson genes that make me that way! ;) I mean, they knew we liked photography, but why the tears?!? ;)

I still don’t think I can put it into words, but I will try. When Mike and Jessie asked us to photograph their wedding, they asked for something special. They asked that we photograph at least part of their wedding using a film camera. Their dream was to have at least 1 roll of film from their wedding that they could develop together as husband and wife! How incredibly AMAZING is that!?!? I grew up using my mom’s old 35mm SLR camera. However, it has been forever since I have actually used it! Mike and Jessie were definitely challenging us, but believe me it was a challenge that we could not have been more excited to accept! Knowing that Jessie and Mike are going to have the experience of developing a roll of their own wedding photos is so exciting and so much fun to even think about! We feel so blessed to be able to give them that gift and the experience of creating a memory from their memories!

The way that Jessie and Mike appreciate photography is inspiring to us! We are completely guilty of taking the processing of photography for granted with the “digital age.” There is so much that goes into it and as photographers we definitely do appreciate that! We could not be more excited to pick up that old 35 mm and challenge ourselves to learn more about our craft!

Here’s the other thing that hit me… this camera was manufactured in the 1950s. To think about all of the images that AMAZING piece of equipment documented and all of the memories that are still cherished to this day because of that camera is awe-inspiring! We can only imagine the smiles, laughs, tears and huge life moments that have been viewed through that lens. And to think of the smiles, laughs, tears and huge life moments that we get to add to it… ahh! That is happy!

Today, cameras are pretty much in the hands of every single person… between iphones, point and shoots, cameras on computers, ipads, and even slrs, they are everywhere and we so often take them for granted! When I hold that antique in my hand, I am reminded that it is truly something special. It is a gift with so much meaning that we appreciate more than our tears can describe! The tears that flowed were tears of appreciation, love, excitement, anticipation, and awe! They certainly overflowed with the abundance of joy from the blessings that surround us and the AMAZING appreciation for the gift that we have to be able to capture that exact moment! Ahh! We could not be more grateful. Thank you Jessie and Mike for the Christmas gift that made me cry and will forever hold a special meaning in our hearts! XOXO!

Happy New Year! Hope you are coming off of an absolutely AMAZING break (or maybe you are still on break- better yet! ;) )! We definitely took some time to enjoy the holidays with our family and friends and it was AMAZING!… in fact, we are continuing that celebration with our family today on the blog! ;) Ahh! You have no idea how excited we are to share this cooking together engagement session with you! It is super special in so many ways!

Just before Christmas, in fact on our way back from Ryan’s birthday celebration in Charleston, SC, we stopped along the way to visit our cousins in Durham, NC! It is ALWAYS such a special treat to visit with them, but this trip was even more special because we had the opportunity to photograph my cousin Mike and his fiancé, Jessie’s engagement session!!! SO MUCH FUN! ;) Jessie and Mike wanted their engagement photos to capture the here and now of their lives! They wanted to always remember this incredibly special time enjoying the everyday of life!

Jessie and Mike cook together all the time! Jessie’s mom owned a restaurant as Jessie grew up, so we could say that being in the kitchen makes her feel right at home! ;) And Mike, well with MeMe as our grandmother, we will always have AMAZING food to look up to and try to recreate! (I think Mike would agree, we will likely always be working toward perfecting MeMe’s pies and crust! ;) )

It was such a treat for us to be able to spend the day with Jessie and Mike and Mr. Darcy (their super soft bunny that they rescued!)! They gave us such an incredible reminder of how simple love really is! We pray that these images will be an everlasting memory to Jessie and Mike of their love and happiness in the simplicity of their everyday lives! Love is pretty AMAZING, my friends! ;)

We have a super fun story to share from our Christmas celebration that involved these two! But we might just have to save that for another day because I am too excited to get this post up! We will definitely share that story soon… but just to give you a little glimpse, picture me in front of my whole extended family opening a present and busting into tears! Big tears! ;) I have more tears just thinking about it! Ohh gosh, I better go get some tissues before I start writing that one out! ;)

Jessie and Mike, thank you for bringing so much happiness to our hearts! It means the world to us that we are able to capture this incredibly special time in your lives! Honestly, it is gift that we will cherish forever!