...and sometimes you get thrown out onto the dance floor.

...this picture makes me happy...

...and the thought of swimming in the ocean in about 5 hours DOES NOT!  Ah.

I was nervous this time.  It was a little bit like waiting to go on a blind date.  We had never met.  

Ryan Marie and Craig booked me over the phone. We didn't even do an engagement session.  We had exchanged a mountain of emails and chatted on the phone a few times, but we had never met face to face.  

However, when I saw Ryan Marie for the first time, I knew immediately it was her...  She was glowing - just like all bride's do on their wedding day.  We embraced each other like we were long lost friends.  And the rest is history.

Ryan and Craig's day was unbelievable. The way they looked at each other just made me melt.  I just can't imagine how their day could have been any better.  Great location, amazing flowers, incredible coordinator, adorable & happy couple, a dynamite band, melt-in-your-mouth food, loving families and friends, etc.  Wow, I could go on and on!

A lot of work went into pulling off this magnificent event, so I'd like to send the following thanks out to the most amazing team of professionals.

Venue & Catering - The Four Seasons Biltmore

Venue Coordinator - Maria  

Coordinator - Rebecca & Liz with Imagine

Florist - Mindy Rice

Band - West Coast Music

Associate Photographer - Mark  

Second Shooter - The Amazing Andrejka

Videographer - Paradise Film and Video

CLICK HERE FOR A SLIDESHOW

Mark and I have finally picked our first dance song.  WHEW!  It was a lot harder than we thought.  There are so many songs that we love that were, 1) just not danceable 2) too depressing or 3) mentioned something about lying, cheating or stealing...(hmmm, not appropriate).

So, we finally found THE song!!!!!  I'm offering a $25 iTunes card to the first person to guess what it is!  Put your guess in the comment section below.  Amy Nave - you can't play.  :(  LOL.  I think she's the only person on the planet that knows.  But, she can be bribbed with chocolate or red wine.    

This picture is from the first dance of the wedding I shot on Saturday at the Biltmore.  Ryan Marie and Craig did a really sweet choreograhed dance, and I especially loved the dip at the end.  

Dance Lessons = $800,  the parents reaction in the background of this photo = priceless!

Stay tuned for more images from this amazing wedding - SOON!

This wedding had one of my favorite bands - West Coast Music out of L.A.  They are so full of energy and they can get the party rollin' like nobody else.  For this wedding they came out and sang accapella to the bride and groom!  So cool!

But, wait...is that a good thing?  

My hair was sooooo blonde as a child, almost iridescent-like.  I looked as though I was basically bald until I was 2 years old.

My hair has turned green on more than one occasion from long summer days at the pool and I've been the butt of more blonde jokes than I care to count.  Those were never really that funny, do you think?

So, what's the big fascination with being blonde?  

Do we really have more fun?!?!?!?!   Hmmmm, that's debatable.  But, very possible.

I got my hair cut and highlighted today.  I haven't sat in that chair in so long.  It's truly one of life's simple pleasures.  I like to sit there and pretend I'm someone else - just for a couple hours.  I don't answer my phone, I forget about everything I have to do and I just sit.  And sometimes, like today, I indulge in a little guilty pleasure I like to call PEOPLE magazine.

I always walk out of the salon with a little more skip in my jump - knowing FULL WELL I'm never going to be able to get my hair to look this good on my own.  That's life.  I'm dealing with it.  

But, for the time being I'm sitting at my desk, swiching my hair back and forth across my shoulders.  It's so soft.  I want it to be like this forever!  I'm getting everything prepped for an awesome wedding tomorrow at the Four Seasons Bilmore.  It's going to be gorgeous.  

So, if you're wondering.  I do still consider myself a real blone (is that wrong of me?)  I do get a few highlights - but I only have to go in about every 6-7 months.  So, does that really count?  LOL. Plus, the truth is in the roots, right?

Please forgive this self-portrait on my point and shoot.  Is it distorting my face or is that the way I look?  Who knows.  I have no make-up on, so I must really be feeling good about my hair...

- First time I've distance swam in the ocean.  Not a fan yet, but I'm getting better.

- First time I've biked with clip-in pedals - AND for over 30 miles.  

- First time I've ever wore padded butt shorts - and I was actually o.k. with my butt looking bigger.

- First time I've ever eaten Goo - (and to think...I actually considered having one for a snack the other day - wow).

- First time I've had a website built just for me - from scratch.  SOOOO EXCITED!  Stay tuned, I promise it's coming.

- First time I've ever been engaged. (and ever will be...).

- First time I've ever volunteered my photography services for something I really believe in.  (Operation: I love you)

- First time I've ever played 9 holes of golf...story to follow.

- First time I've written on my blog this much... I know there is more, but that's all for now.

Over Father's Day weekend, Mark took me to play golf.  I'm always up for an adventure, so I thought I'd take a swing at it.  I now have a new appreciation for golf - golf clubs, golf balls, and golf carts (especially).  I've never had so much fun being completely and utterly bad at something.  

It tickles me to no end - I would swing the club with all of my might and often times the ball would roll off the tee.  And other times, it would shoot off to the side and go frolicking into a swamp.  Well, I soon learned it's really not how hard you swing it, but how precisely.  I wasn't very good.  But, we finished 9 holes of golf and didn't cause any major traffic jams on the course.

The golf cart was fun, as well as the niftly ball cleaners.  Because I learned very early on, that a clean, shiny ball goes much further than one with grass-stains.  I guess it's a confidence thing.

All in all - it was a beautiful day.  I just loved hanging out with Mark, driving around on the gorgeous course and just taking it all in.  And for the first time in my life - I came home and begged to watch the U.S. Open!  Can you believe it?  And through it all,  I incidentally developed a small fascination for the infamous Tiger Woods.  Some of those shots he made we just unbelievable!

I'm loving this year of "firsts".  

I can't help but wonder what is next?

How many of you out there golf?  Why do you love it?