JLS Photography Studio Blog » Engagements

Shannon and Mel Are Getting Married/ Gainesville Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:07:42 +0000

There are times when I am photographing a couple that I can just sense how absolutely in love they are. With Shannon and Mel, I felt this way during their entire session. It was impossible not to notice how unbelievably crazy they are about each other. Shannon is an RN and Mel is a flight paramedic so they certainly have saving lives in common, among other things.

Shannon and Mel were lucky enough to find a home in historic McIntosh that the previous owner had already restored. The two of them are incredibly proud of their beautiful home and will be holding their August wedding ceremony there with a reception to follow at Steve’s Cafe Americain in downtown Gainesville.

Not only do they have a beautiful home to be starting their lives together in, but a magnificent neighborhood as well. We didn’t have to go far from their front steps to capture these stunning photos.

Look at them look at each other- absolutely what love is all about.

I love the story behind Shannon’s untraditional engagement ring. Shannon and Mel found this ring in Germany while at a local market- and according to German culture the stones symbolize the joining of two families into one. It symbolized everything that they believe love is about. Mel bought the ring, and because it just felt like it was the “right time”, he proposed to Shannon in the church in Germany where Shannon’s parents got married.

We snuck over to their neighbor’s yard for this shot- and I LOVE these wildflowers! They are taller than Shannon!

McIntosh is known for its several hundred year old oak trees, so of course we had to incorporate one of them into a photo.

Shannon and Mel, I cannot wait for your wedding, and thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your special day!

Danny and Loretta Are Engaged!/ Gainesville Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:46:42 +0000

Danny and Loretta are planning their wedding for October of 2010 and this past weekend they celebrated their engagement at an party at the Hampton Inn in Gainesville. Here are two shots from our little mini E session before the party. Look for the full Engagement session to be done sometime this Fall.

And here is the fabulous Yvette, Danny’s stepmom who hosted the party. She is currently selling Avon as well as Essential Bodywear and needed some headshots for her site so we took a few pictures before the party kicked off.

Classy, Sassy and Fun!/ Gainesville, FL Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:12:22 +0000

Jessica and Sam were the first clients that I had book a wedding with me after I decided that JLS Photography would delve into the wedding side of photography. When you are just starting out in the wedding business, you need a few great couples to take a chance on you, and Jessica and Sam were willing to do that. Almost a year later we are quickly approaching their special day in August, and we finally got together for our much anticipated E- Session. I am posting an extra long sneak peek here because… well because I love these guys! We did a two part E- Session- part one was a more casual setting on the UF Campus and in the Gator Stadium. Part two took place in the beautiful downtown Alachua as the sun was setting. It was so much fun spending the evening with these two- they are just a lot of fun to be around and have some great ideas for pictures. Even better, they are willing to try anything! Jessica and Sam- I hope you love your sneak peek and I can’t wait to be a part of your wedding!

So In Love/ Gainesville, FL Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:54:03 +0000

Michelle and Robert are one of my Fall wedding couples, and we met one evening recently for their engagement photos. It certainly was a hurried session as we worked hard to get some photos before the thunderstorms were upon us. We all had our hopes set on a glorious sunset as a backdrop for our session, but once the rain clouds rolled in they were there to stay. We will be meeting again on a dry evening to finish up, so this is kind of a sneak peek to the sneak peek. Luckily they live in an apartment complex that has a great setting for photos so we didn’t have far to travel for this part of the session. It is so easy to see how crazy these two are about each other- and it is so sweet how in love they are with each other. Thanks for braving the weather with me you guys and I hope you enjoy your first sneak peek!

She Said Yes!/ Gainesville, FL Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:07:29 +0000

I have the most amazing job in the world. I honestly cannot think of anything better then being invited to share in all of these memorable experiences with my clients. Last week I was contacted by Madhava, who was planning to propose to his girlfriend of three years, and he wanted a photographer there to capture the exact moment that he popped the question. Of course I jumped at the opportinuty- one because I am a hopeless romantic and the opportunity to share in this experience was unbelievable, and two because I knew if it was important enough to hire a photographer for, it was probably going to be a creative proposal.

And that it was! Madhava had planned ahead of time to take Manjari to dinner at Chopsticks Cafe, a place they frequented. He planned to slip a note inside a fortune cookie that she would open after dinner, and the cookie would have a note telling her that he was about to propose. Madhava shared with me the secret of how to microwave the cookies to get them soft enough to open to be able to slip a fortune inside. There was obviously a lot of planning that went into this special evening.

Congratulations you guys! Thank you for inviting me to share in this with you, and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Love at First Sight/ Gainesville, FL Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Sun, 03 May 2009 04:28:19 +0000

One of the things that I love more than anything about photography is being able to connect with people during the happiest times of their lives. I love to be able to tell their story through photographs, and leave them with a tangible memory of a special moment. So nothing can possibly mean more to me then to have an old friend invite me to share in one of those moment by asking me to be their wedding or portrait photographer.
Emily was my roommate in college (it wasn’t that long ago!) and even though we have both lived in Gainesville since then our paths haven’t crossed that much. But thanks to the magic of Facebook we have been able to keep in touch, and when she began planning her August 2009 wedding she asked me to be there with her.
Emily met John in January, and her best friend’s wedding. Her best friend happened to be marrying John’s brother and the two met during the celebration in Washington State. She lives in Gainesville and he lives in Virginia, but they knew immediately it was meant to be. Fast forward a few months and one amazingly beautiful diamond ring later, and they are immersed in wedding and moving plans. After their ceremony this summer Emily will be moving to Virgina to start a new chapter of her life.
While they have been planning the wedding details for the last month or so, Emily hadn’t officially been proposed to yet. John surprised her the morning of our engagement shoot when he came into town with this ring… and it is officially official!

And how cute is John taking his own photos of Emily, compliments of the iphone.

Congrats you guys, and I hope you enjoy your sneak peek! I can’t wait until the BIG DAY!

Custom Designed Announcements/ Gainesville, FL Photographer

jls photography — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:23:23 +0000

Just a friendly reminder that JLS Photography offers custom designed announcements and cards featuring images from your photo session. These work great as birth announcements, graduation announcements, holiday cards, save the dates…. you name it and it can be done!

Custom Guest Books and Senior Autography Books/ Gainesville, FL Photographer

jls photography — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:05:38 +0000

Another new product! This book is perfect for weddings and graduates! This book will include photos from your engagement or senior portrait session. It includes up to 20 images (more can be added) in a custom designed layout with plenty of space for well wishers to leave comments for you. The books are 8 x 8 in size and are absolutely gorgeous. I am sharing pictures from a studio sample here- please let me know if you would like to see one in person!

After the Rain/ Gainesville, FL Engagement Photographer

jls photography — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:00:23 +0000

We had to reschedule this shoot due to last week’s horrendous weather, but luckily Friday was such a gorgeous day that it ended up being absolutely perfect for our session! In fact, it seemed the rain made the green grass and leaves even more beautiful! Mike and Jen have been together for several years and will be tying the knot April 18th in Virginia. We met at Lake Alice for their session- quite fitting since Mike graduated from the University of Florida and still calls Gainesville home. They also brought along their 16 month old daughter, and of course I couldnt help but want to get her in some pictures. Enjoy your sneak peek!

Love in the Country/ Bronson, FL Engagement Photography

jls photography — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:55:30 +0000

Kelly and Josh have also commissioned me to shoot their upcoming wedding on April 18th, which will be held at the Black Prong Equestrian Center in Bronson, FL. Sunday afternoon I headed out there to scope out the site and met with them for their engagement session. The lighting was gorgeous and made me so excited for their wedding which will take place in early evening as well.

This beautiful couple has been together for many years… Kelly even hinted about some photos she has from eighth grade that may make an appearance at their wedding reception. Good luck with your last few weeks of wedding planning you guys and enjoy your sneak peek!