Heather & Leith: Engaged!

It was her first day. With a family move to Apex, NC, in the middle of Junior year, Heather found herself entering the uncharted waters of a brand new high school. What she couldn't have known was that Leith, the dear friend she met on that first day, would one day ask her to be his forever.

The buds of the high school romance didn't immediately bloom. Though Leith asked Heather to accompany him to prom senior year, they had an amazing time -- but Heather wasn't ready for a relationship. According to Heather, "he liked me more than I liked him." It seemed that their friendship was to be nothing more, and when graduation came and went, the two friends gradually lost touch.

Separated by years apart, lives lived, and Heather's time spent teaching in Nicaragua, it wasn't until Heather's sister -- on a mission to get Heather "caught up" with the 21st century -- encouraging Heather to get a Facebook page and reconnect with old friends -- that Heather and Leith once again found each other. Much like the long-term friendship that started on one fateful first day, Heather and Leith's first date, an extended session of laughter, conversation, and connection, was also a fateful first. They haven't left each other's side since.

And so, to announce their joyous news to friends and family, Heather asked us if we'd consider a quick shoot to grab "just one" good shot for their announcements. Somewhere between Leith's amazing blue eyes (seriously -- we did NOT have to touch these up!), Heather's infectious smile, and a "tickle-fight" or two (can we say semi-pro grass wrestling out of love?!), we snagged more than a few that we loved! As they prepare for their intimate wedding ceremony this summer (sadly, we'll be in India by then ...), we were more than honored to contribute in some small way.

Congratulations Heather and Leith -- may God continue to bless you in all that you do! Without further ado, meet Heather & Leith!!!








Leith "explains" to Heather how to tell the left hand from the right (the left hand makes an "L" shape, in case you don't know the trick!) At any rate, we're pretty sure it was only a distraction to get a kiss :)



And yes ... about that tickle fight ...



Tickling can be tiring, but Heather and Leith still look beautiful ... this one was our favorite ...



Congratulations, again, you two! We can't wait to hear about the wedding and see you again!

Jared & Shauna: Engaged!

So yes, while there was an earlier post about our dear friends Jared & Shauna, we wanted to give them the due justice of displaying their beautiful photos with our new blog format :) We will be doing photography at their upcoming wedding in August, and can't wait to take part in their theme, "A Royal Affair" -- only a couple as classic as Jared and Shauna can pull off a theme like THAT! These shots took place on a day that was surprisingly beautiful for the indecisive North Carolina spring weather, and we found some great locations as we traipsed around the Duke campus.

(Re)Introducing Jared and Shauna! They're historic, as they were our first engagement shoot!! Aren't they awesome?





So very GQ, in our opinion!







Those strong hands of Jared's can also be found writing songs, leading worship, and playing sweet melodies for gorgeous Shauna:







We're pretty sure that this one belongs in some sort of jewelry ad campaign ... maybe "Every Kiss begins with Kay" ... or, should it be, "Every Kiss beings with LEI-a Adelle Photography" lol ... (Yeah, yeah ... we know ... we're corny!)



Congratulations, Jared & Shauna ... it's going to be "A Royal Affair" to remember!

Dave & Bethel: Engaged!

2004. Just one day after Christmas. An underwater earthquake caused a series of devastating tsunamis in the Indian Ocean that pounded along the coastlines of more than eleven countries and inundated multiple coastal towns with waves of water.

Dave and Bethel, having not yet met, were both moved to join in the relief efforts. As it happened, on his first visit to this particular church - Bethel's church, he heard of the many mission relief teams going to Thailand to assist in the recovery effort. While there were multiple teams going, Dave signed up for the team leaving in February immediately. As it were, Dave had been vacationing in Thailand and had left the night before the tsunami hit. He felt that God spared his life, so he vowed to help in whatever way he could.

Turns out, Bethel too signed up for that February relief team. She had previously been unable t go, but when her pastor announced that they had changed the date, it coincided perfectly with her week break from her job teaching English. Working side by side in the midst of such devastation, they found themselves in awe of the power of loving and serving our neighbors. Though interest was stirred during the trip (Bethel denies it!!), they never could have imagine that one day they would stand in awe of each other.

Fast forward to this last fall. As their love and friendship grew through various ups and downs, Dave chose to take a leave of absence from his law school in Canada for a year to come and live in North Carolina while Bethel finished up her M.Div degree (how amazing is he?!) And, as all love tales heighten, Dave took the step to ask Bethel to be his bride. Over Thanksgiving weekend, Dave took Bethel to one of her most beloved college spots -- the infinity pool at Pepperdine -- asking her to walk infinitely into eternity with him. Dave, endearing and kind, created a beautiful proposal for sweet Bethel, including a slideshow of memories, video blessings from her closest friends, and three dozen roses -- red, yellow, and white -- to match her tri-colored gold ring.

Dave and Bethel have become treasured friends of ours, so when we were looking for couples to model, they eagerly agreed -- they are also dear friends of Word Made Flesh, and were more than happy to help us as we raise support. We will miss their wedding this August in Canada, but there may be a December appearance from us at their traditional Korean wedding in Seoul this December ... *smile*

Stay tuned! But until then, meet sweet Dave and Bethel!!!








A few artistic shots to play with color and texture:





These two are just so in love! Compassionate, caring, and genuinely committed not just to one another, but to working together to serve and love other people around the world. And, like you wouldn't believe, these two are hilarious. We found ourselves wandering through Brightleaf Square in downtown Durham. Bethel's favorite coffee shop was closed that day, so we just opted for some pictures outside of it!







There were yummy (abandoned) train tracks just out back ... lots of fun!







So happy! You would never guess the surprise that Bethel found after getting up from there ... yes, folks. There was a little "surprise" left behind, lol ... we laughed long and hard after that moment ...



They're wedding is on August 23rd, so this shot was a must-have ...



Warning: The following images are, simply, hot.





Congratulations, Dave and Bethel! We love you two so much, and can't wait to see you again (maybe on the other side of the world!!!)

Michael & Lanette: E-Session

I met Mike years and years ago while I was in high school via BlackPlanet** (a predated, pre-fab attempt at social networking ... those Facebook creators were probably still prepubescent at the time!!) I had connected with a group of creative friends -- photographers, musicians, web designers -- for a school project, and was soon "adopted" by my big brother Miguel. He was great -- there to help me through some really difficult "high school drama" moments, a bona fide mentor in everything from the piano to Photoshop, and super-encouraging about the possibilities of life (not to mention, Miguel sent me SO MUCH free software when I never would have been able to afford it otherwise ... everything I know about graphics, I got from Miguel).

In fact, Miguel was the first person I tried my "free postage" trick with (his idea, my lab test, lol). Did you know that if you send a card, putting your (the sender) address where you normally put the "to" (the recipient) address, and put your penpal (the recipient) address where you normally put the return address, and you drop it in the mail with NO POSTAGE ... that the US Mail service will stamp no postage and "return to sender" ... which will have been listed as the person you were sending it to?? Genius, lol.

At any rate, when he heard about what Leia and I were doing, he gladly signed us up for his forthcoming wedding (and I can't wait to show you those pictures!!) So, a few weeks ago, we headed up to Shockhoe Slip in Richmond, VA -- a halfway point between North Carolina and DC -- to capture some pre-wedding pictures. Meet Mike and Lanette ...







The skies dramatically opened and rain began to fall pretty soon after we began our shoot, which was of great relief to our pollen-laden landscape (seriously, in North Carolina and Virginia, everything turns bright yellow come April and May!), but was a little traumatic for our baby cameras! So, we ducked inside a cute restaurant for some salads, Shirley Temples, and this sweet moment:



We decided to bear the rain a bit, thanks to Mike's big black umbrella. He admits that he didn't exactly "see" what we were going for, but this little "let the love rain down" series made the wetness worth it:





Before heading out, we saw this great wall and thought of Mike and Lanette having superstar status. Unfortunately, Mike was quickly accused of treason, having jeopardized his status as an official Washington Redskins fan. To that, Mike has a brief statement: Before we took this shot, we verified with the Department of Redskins Fans Affairs that this wasn't a Cowboys star. I have the paperwork.

On with the Dallas Cowboys, er, I mean, the nice shots against the wall ... *smile*







Stay tuned for the wedding pictures ...


**Disclaimer: I can hear some of you now: "So, Amey ... you met this random older-guy-dude on the Internet in high school? " LOL. In no way, shape, or form do I think you should let your children run free online!!! I met Mike as I was looking for mentors to learn from, and was totally legitimized by his (a) willingness to communicate with my parents -- he *almost* made it to my high school graduation, and (b) that I didn't meet just one person, but a great group of friends who were actually friends of friends in the various MD/DC/VA Christian music circles, known then by aliases such as [insert shoutout] 6-3brotha, j276, latina_flava, 11-2-Heaven, springhonie, Altar_Ego, dragonflyy, Nsashible, cutieerica, and more [end shoutout] ... (That's a throwback for ya!!!) So yeah ... its not as sketch as it sounds, and after eight years, we look back on those relationships with awe ... thank for everything, BP fam!!! Love, Ava48140**

Ashley & Alex: In Love!

Ashley came to UVA to earn her Masters degree in Religion. Alex, a past undergrad, continued through the prestigious program at the Law School. Though they ran in similar circles for some time, once Alex finally laid eyes on Ashley (as their dear friend Charles Marsh put it!), he immediately knew she was the one. They soon were engaged to be wed, and two years later, "Mejiaz" (a sweet combination of Ashley's maiden and married names!) is going long and strong.

Ashley now serves as Director of Women's Ministries at the Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville. After graduating from law school and passing the New York bar, Alex looked into his heart and found strength to go against the corporate grain, pursuing his music career fulltime. His self-titled debut album dropped in January, a driving collection of songs located at the crossroads of a passionate pursuit and authentic engagement of the heart of God. Even with so much going on, he's one of the most humble and caring guys you'll run across -- so evident in the photos as he interacts with Ashley -- with a great sense of humor, too (also evidenced in the photos!) Definitely check him out at Alex Mejias Online and hit him up on iTunes!

A few weekends ago, Ashley and Alex stepped out on the downtown mall in Charlottesville for a few pictures. Since they never had an opportunity to take formal engagement shots before they got married, this was the perfect opportunity to casually capture their romance on film. A&A, thank you SO much for helping us out! We had a blast at your shoot, and even though it was unexpectedly short-lived (wink, wink), we had a great time anyhow! We hope to see you soon!

And now ... introducing Ashley & Alex!!!







Ashley cracking up at Alex's antics (oooh, check that alliteration!):








There's a quaint little park right by the downtown mall ... Alex decided to take a moment to work on his chess game. This man is intense, people! (Please note Ashley's expression ...)



Still in love ...






Ashley and Alex -- we love you and thank you for all of the laughter, encouragement, support, and prayers!