Ceremony and Reception: The W Hotel, Fort Lauderdale
Coordinator: Jennifer Valentine
Floral Design: Field of Flowers
Dress: Rivini
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Music: Liquid DJ / Shannon
Makeup Artist: Lauren Reyes
Hair Stylist: Signature Salon

I am driven in knowing that belief and love will never fail to deliver moments beyond measure. Every part of our lives is built on a stack of moments just waiting to be experienced while the world stands by as a witness with great expectation. Inspiration lives in belief… inspiration lives in the love that two people share, and inspiration moves us to live our lives with zero regret.

Amber and Eddie are just downright two great individuals who together, have begun to etch their legacy into the family tree. Eddie’s balanced persona and internal drive are only matched by his gorgeous brides loving affection and intellect while they share a fueled desire to start a new branch of their own.

Personally, I was moved by the continual reflection of both Amber and Eddies eyes in the presence of children throughout the wedding day as they connected at another level. Yes, the ceremony was beautiful, and yes the reception was spectacular, and yes everyone looked his or her best however at the end of the day, when you peel away the layers…I would have to say that the family-friend connection stole the show hands down.

From their beautiful details and emotional first look to the heartfelt ceremony and warm reception, our shooting time fell right into place.  Of course Mr. and Mrs. Winslow afforded us enough time to secure a handful of gorgeous images on the creative edge so we took full advantage at The W Hotel Fort Lauderdale to do just that. Here are some of my favorites from the day…

Amber + Eddie: We count ourselves privileged to have captured such an amazing day of your lives. Thank you for allowing us in to see first hand the most treasured parts of who you are and what you live for. We hope you will enjoy reliving these moments as much as we enjoyed catching them. Congratulations once again! All our love, Mike + Gi

With pending plans in place and the destined date set in stone, Ryan's next step was to check in with me on how I would play a part in his romantic weekend adventure. Maggie, the love of Ryan's life, was expecting nothing more than a get-a-way weekend in the Florida Keys as she watched the windy city of Chicago grow smaller and smaller from the airplane window... little did she know that her life was about to change forever.

These two met years ago in high school and as dating fate would have it, their "just friends" relationship was only the beginning to what would become a love filled future that no one saw coming. 

Ryan informed me of his scheduled surprise engagement at Palm Island months before which allowed us time to lay out the details for a post engagement shoot in Coral Gables. Well needless to say, I met this amazing couple at the Biltmore Hotel and Maggie was radiating with her infectious smile and warm persona. Ryan was calm + collected yet proud to show off his flower as they were up for anything I threw at them and dove in with both feet.  For the latter part of a gorgeous afternoon, we targeted a few keys spots and found our way around to find some stunning light.  Here are a handful from the day....  

Maggie + Ryan:  Congratulations once again on your engagement and thank you for an action packed day (sorry again about the car situation - looks like it was only a loose battery cable)  :)  I loved hearing about your story and spending the day with you guys as we look forward to watching your lives unfold together.

Some may call it unavoidable fate while others may simply call it destiny. Regardless what label, category and/or definition it may fall under, the undeniable chemistry connection that transpires between two individuals will captivate human interest far beyond any timeline we can imagine.

For Amber and Eddie, it all began with a sports fitness program that led the way to romance. While at first Eddie played his role as a speed coach for Amber's success, it wasn’t long until these two found themselves enjoying time together outside of the gym and bonding on a much more personal level.

With their mutual commitment to family tradition, enthusiasm for sports, and a passion to build a bright future, this gorgeous couple is planned to marry at the Fort Lauderdale W Hotel and we are super excited to shoot there. We met here in our backyard of Palm Beach to hit a few key spots for a casual lifestyle engagement session and walked away with life filled beautiful images of a beautiful couple! Here are a handful of my favorites from the day...

Overlooking the all-to-perfect Ormond Beach lakeside view, the picturesque wedding details flawlessly complimented a couple whose tender affections for each other are founded and rooted on the unshakable ground of solid rock promises.

Kelli and Ricky’s inspired love is simple and abundantly obvious to anyone who they spend time with. Their straightforward desire to make each other happy is a defining mark of their selfless love, which goes hand-in-hand with their adventurous outlook on life and aspiring dreams.

Setting the tone for the spectacular evening, her eyes were lit with laughter as Ricky performed a memorably energetic boy band routine with his groomsmen on the rear deck dance floor that ushered in the celebratory dance steps… “to the left, to the left, to the right, to the right… now dip”.

We of course took full advantage to capture the gorgeous couple at every turn as we watched the stunning sunset fall into place on this incredibly perfect day only wishing we had more time of course. What more can I say…we love to connect and express our creative vision with couples that trust and love our style.

Kelli + Ricky: ...boy am I glad you guys insisted on making that call! What potentially could have been a mistaken identity turned into a dear relationship that has proven to be so much more. We want to express our deepest gratitude for allowing us to play such a pivotal role in your wedding experience as we cherish the opportunity. Thank you for inviting us in to your lives and jumping in with both feet… we love you guys ~ Mike + Gi