As promised here are some pictures of my trip! We started out in Ohio and drove down to Versailles (pronounced Ver-sales), Kentucky. I make Chuck drive on the backroads because the backroads are SO much more fun! Here's a picture of the Cincinnati skyline. On the left is the stadium where the Cincinnati Bengals play.



I love Kentucky. It's only my second time there, but there's just something about it. I love that the skies are bluer. I love the southern accents and hospitality. I love the fresh clean air. I just love it. It's so beautiful there. I would live there if it wasn't so cold in the winter! I guess I love it so much because I'm from California, but my roots are from Kentucky :)









Versailles is about 20 minutes outside of Lexington. It's right in the middle of horse country. I highly reccommend watching the movie "Dreamer" with Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell. It's a little cheese, but it takes place in Versailles. I didn't really get the whole horse thing, but after watching this movie I love horses and horse racing. Next year we want to come back and see a horse race.







We stayed at an amazing B & B called the Storybook Inn. Bed and breakfasts can be hit and miss, but this inn was like staying in a five star resort. Elise, the innkeeper, did an incredible job of combining 19th century Southern charm with modern day amentities. Elise is very knowledgable about Kentucky and Versailles and horses. If you are ever in Kentucky you must stay here. The breakfast alone is worth the stay!





We made friends with some cats


Or should I say, I made friends with some cats. Chuck is allergic :)



We then headed down to Cannel City, which is the town that my grandparents, and their parents, and their parents, and their parents lived :) Cannel City isn't really a city. It's not really even a town. One of the main reasons we came to Kentucky was to find an old family cemetery. We couldn't find it the last time we were there, but we were determined this time. We talked to 5 different people in order to find it. Two of the people we talked to knew my grandparents, which is pretty amazing because they lived there close to 70 years ago. The road to the cemetery was blocked by a fallen tree and a broken down pick-up. My great, great grandparents are buried there and some great, great aunts, uncles, and cousins. It's a very small cemetery, but it was so cool to finally find it. It's really amazing to know that my grandpa had probably stood up there to attend his grandparents funeral a long time ago.

The long road we walked up to get to the cemetery.


My great aunt and uncles grave in the center


My great great grandparents


Tomorrow I'll have more on our drive through Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina!

Hi Everyone,

I've been out of town since Friday so I'm sorry for not updating my blog and I'm in the process of answering all my emails and returning phone calls. Chuck and I took a trip through the South- 7 states and over 700 miles in 3 days! I'll be posting pictures later this afternoon and tomorrow so please check back!

DrewB

Gina & Joel - Day After Seesion

On Friday I got to work with one my favorite couples again! Gina and Joel got married two weeks ago. As you may recall, they got married at one of their friends homes. And while the wedding was spectacular there weren't too many locations to get great portraits done. So, Gina and Joel scheduled a "Day After Session". These sessions are great for couples who may not have ideal locations for portraits or for couples who don't have time on their big day for all the pictures they want. And it's a great excuse to get to wear your wedding dress again ;)

The weather was perfect and we got one of the most amazing sunsets I've seen in a while (I know I always say that, but it's true!). I tried to convince Gina to get in the water with her beautiful gown, but she wasn't interested. She's going to shorten her dress so she can wear it again, which is a great idea! Thanks again to Gina and Joel! Here's your slideshow!

I had the pleasure of shooting the Fink family portraits this weekend. We shot in the front yard of their home and it was a perfect location and beautiful day. They have a new addition to their family. Baby Riley is 7 months old and she is adorable. A natural in front of the camera! Here's a small glimpse of your photos!

On Tuesday I headed down to the beach to shoot a family session with the Bengards and take advantage of this great weather that we're having. Jamie and Alex started dating in high school and got married 2 1/2 years ago. They had little Aiden last September. I've known Jamie since we were about 7 years old so it's so crazy to me that she's a mom with a little one of her own. Aiden's the cutest and a very happy baby, but we wouldn't have been able to get so many smiles without his Uncle Eric and Aunt Jamie helping us out. Thanks so much to the two of them for all of their hard work! Enjoy the show!







Thanks Jamie and Eric!

I don't know how I keep getting so lucky with my brides and grooms. Every week my weddings keep getting better and better. This week was no exception. Aimee-Marie and Nick tied the knot at a family friends house in Fullerton. The wedding was so informal, yet so formal at the same time. Aimee-Marie is one of four sisters and it was so special to see them next to their big sister's side as she got married. And they finally got the brother they've always wanted! I knew Aimee and Nick's pictures would be so easy because they did such a great job at their engagement session. They are pros! And I was lucky enough to have the amazing Jasmine Star come and shoot with me. She's awesome and we are pretty much in the same exact spot in our careers so it's great to have someone I can relate to.

Thanks so much to Aimee-Marie and Nick for letting us be a part of your wedding! Have an amazing honeymoon in Maui (I'm very jealous)! Here's your slideshow!




















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On Saturday Gina and Joel got married! They had a very intimate ceremony and reception at a house of two of their very good friends. No details were spared. Gina and Joel had pictures of each of their guests at their seat with hand written notes on the back. Wow! Fete Inc. did a great job coordinating the event. They did the whole thing in 6 weeks! They started out with a cocktail hour which Gina and Joel attended. Then Gina and Joel changed and the ceremony began. It was so great because they did it their way. They threw all the rules out the window and made it an event as fun and fresh as the two of them, which is how it should be. Congratulations Gina and Joel! It's been so great getting to know the two of you! Here's your slideshow. And for those of you who haven't seen their engagement slideshow you can view it here!
Yummy cupcakes!

Gina's ring was her grandma's. It's gorgeous!

The beautiful centerpieces.

The stunning Monique Lhuillier gown.