Europe Overview

For those of you that didn't notice, I was out on vacation.  :)  My husband and I finally made it back to Europe.  We met there nearly 8 years ago, but haven't really been back to the same locations.  We didn't get to visit the place we met (yet), but we did make it back to where he was living at the time and some of our first date locations.

Not only do we love traveling, but we also love a good deal.  Combining these two, creates a pretty big rush for us.  Since we really did't have nice camera equipment back then, we really wanted to capture some of the sites this time around.  I will be posting a series of blogs about our trip.  Itineraries, costs, recommendations, gluten free options, and of course pictures will be included.  This post is big picture and should give you the overall view of our 12 day trip.

(All items listed below include both my husband and I.  Price is our TOTAL cost, not per person.)

Interesting Facts

1 rental car (Enterprise from LHR)

2 bus' taken (Paris and Rome)

3 different Metros (London, Paris, Rome)

3 Customs (Italy had no customs ever - bizarre)

3 hotels

4 Italian cities visited

5 different airlines (WestJet, Air Canada, RyanAir, Lufthansa, US Air)

5 Countries

6 flights taken (Orlando, Toronto, London, Paris, Pisa, Naples, Munich, Charlotte, Orlando)

6 Museums seen (Roman Baths, British Library, British Museum, National Gallery, Louvre, Sistene Chapel)

10 European cities visited 

11 Churches/Duomos/Cathedrals 

12 friends seen (McGregor's, Valiquette's, Marra's)

12 days

12 Trains/Subways

14 cities in all visited

54 unique events/attractions/sites/meals

Price Breakdown

             Transportation - 72%

$1482 - Roundtrip flight from Orlando/Europe

$970 - other transportation

$491 - Hotel - 15% (We stayed with our friends 6 nights.)

$247 - Food - 7%

$199 -  Entrance Fees to Attractions - 6%

$3,389 - total for two

Itinerary

Day 1 - Flight from Orlando to London

Day 2 - arrive at 6:30AM and travel to Bath and Oxford England

Day 3 - London

Day 4 - London

Day 5 - London and travel to Paris

Day 6 - Paris

Day 7 - Paris and travel to Pisa

Day 8 - Pisa and travel to Florence

Day 9 - Travel to Rome and continue to Salerno

Day 10 - Salerno

Day 11 - Salerno

Day 12 - travel home

Holiday Mini Sessions

The holidays are just around the corner.  Due to my schedule, I have limited availability between now and December.  Call today to schedule your appointment!

1 hour

1 location

20-30 final images

online gallery for viewing and sharing

50 cards, full-color, front and back (does not include folded or accordion)

$200

option to buy images w copyrights for $50

Below are the card options offered for 2012.

Many cards can be printed in a variety of shapes and sizes.

10,000 Reasons

We were so honored to be a part of Kendyl and Josh's special day!  Their families have been a part of the same church growing up.  Josh and Kendyl went their separate ways and after both moving 1,000+ miles away, they reconnected and started dating.  It's hard to deny God's perfect design in seeing them draw closer together and more in love with Him along the way.

Kendyl's father was diagnosed with cancer in January. Although the news was not what they wanted, they held on to greater Hope of Jesus.  Josh and Kendyl had "10,000 Reasons" playing during part of their ceremony.  Their parents came together to pray with them and their life ahead as these words played in the background:

And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore

Bless The Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship Your holy name

This was especially true for Kendyl's dad.  I can just imagine him singing his lungs out right now as he stands with Jesus.  You see, eight days after Josh and Kendyl said I do, he lost his battle here on earth and went to be with Jesus.  He walked Kendyl down the aisle.  He prayed. He danced to Butterfly Kisses and had us ALL crying...and laughing.  Most importantly, he shared the love of Jesus up until he passed with his family, friends, coworkers, and strangers.

Kendyl and Josh - thanks so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day.  Our hope is that we have captured some sweet memories of you two, your families, and friends.  We pray that this would be a time to draw you closer to The Lord and celebrate all the He has done.

Dream

These photos are like a dream!  We messed up a few pairs of shoes and faced several types of bug bites and adventures.  However, the outcome made it all worthwhile.  I have now learned to always keep a spare pair of shoes in the car.  Thanks to this lovely couple for being brave, adventurous, and good looking!  I can't wait to photograph their wedding in a few months.  

Trust in the Lord with all your heart...

I had the great pleasure of photographing these two early in the week.  TS Isaac brought lots of rain this way, but we were able to dodge the rain and set out for some photos.  I'm so excited to capture their special day later this month and spend the weekend with their family!

It's a Boy

This was a super fun shoot because it was for my sister.  I had a great capturing the special moment in their lives and I cannot wait to meet him in the next few weeks.

Haddie

Baby Haddie is just over a week old.  She is absolutely adorable and her whole family adores her.  Her two sisters really cannot get enough of her...even if she is crying it does not phase them.  Although I was out of town when she arrived, I was delighted to spend a couple hours with this family again.  Luckily, the oldest was a lot more excited to be in front of the camera as opposed to last time.  I have two older sisters so a family of three girls warms my heart.  Their lovely mother apparently makes a very warm and cozy home as all three have been late as mom and dad eagerly await to meet each bundle with joy.  One last thing, they all have the best names!  Very classic names, but shortened with their own twist.  I sure hope they have a list somewhere that they can share with me.  :)  So....meet baby Haddie and her family!

TGCW12

I had the great pleasure of working with the team from The Gospel Coalition a few weeks ago.  For the first time, they hosted a Women's Conference - "for women but not all about women".  It brought nearly 4,000 women to Orlando from all over the world to hear from God's Word. 

Below are a few highlights and a slideshow of the photos I took.  Check out #TGCW12 for a look at all of the photos from the event.  Then be sure to mark your calendars for April 8-10 for their National Conference.  

Pink & Blue

A fun morning (before it got too hot) to spend with some wonderful friends!  Here's a quick preview before bed and many more to see in the next week or so.

I love that little sister reached over to grab big brother's hand!

Yahaira & Marcus

A lovely evening with a sweet couple! Always thankful for beautiful lighting (and people) to make my job easy. Here's a quick preview of some photos from their engagement session last night. Stay tuned for a collecting of a 1st birthday and more of this couple!