courtney jade’s blog

This was by far the most decadent, lush, luxurious affair I have ever attended. As a photographer, it was a dream. Every beautiful detail displayed with elegance, nothing forgotten. The amount of thought, planning and effort put into this event was obvious and could not be ignored.

If you remember, I shot Laura’s Bridal Shower earlier last summer. She sure likes to set the bar high!

Laura and John chose the very beautiful DeArmond Garden Estate to have their most special day. The Estate is a one of a kind location, tucked away and gushing with vintage chic romance. It was the perfect setting for them.

My lovely friend, the ever-fabulous Jessica of Modern Moments Designs designed and created all of the invitations, programs, graphics, signage, and more. The event’s styling was absolutely stunning, between Modern Moments Designs work and the bride Laura and her twin sister’s styling company, Double Take Events, this was hands down the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen.

I did not photograph the actual wedding. I came out for the day to shoot all of the details- and there are a LOT of them! If this post isn’t long enough for you, just imagine twice more what you see here.

I am proud to say that this wedding, and my photos were featured earlier this week on Style Me Pretty! One of the most prestigious and most viewed wedding blogs out there. So humbled to know that others want to see and share my images.

Without further ado, please enjoy every pretty little detail from this wedding!

I was lucky enough to get to work with Bryan a year and a half ago, when he did portraits for Mark and I. He is one of the most talented photographers in the area, and most definitely one of my favorites! His wedding work is especially stunning, make sure you check him out for some killer eye candy

Bryan and Leah are some of the nicest people I have ever met. Their son, Wellington, is a complete doll. He’s just 18 months old and has such a curious nature. He’s very smart, and extremely sweet. Not to mention those big blue eyes and his dapper hat and jacket! (Welly’s parents have GREAT style!)
At the end of the session he said “bye bye Courtney” and my heart totally melted. Pure, lovable, little boy.

I found this old barn over the autumn and was saving it for something special. It’s out by my house, and since Bryan and Leah live super close I thought it’d be the perfect place for our session! We only shot for about 20 minutes, and it was freezing outside, but I’m super happy with how the images turned out.

Enjoy!

Hearts entwined
Twenty fingers, twenty toes,
two sweet babies with cheeks of rose.
Born on the same day, two gifts from above,
lives entwined, two babies to love.
~Unknown

I was lucky enough to work on this session with my friend, and extraordinary newborn photographer, Erin Tole. One newborn can be challenging, but two is often very challenging for just one person, so it was nice to have an extra set of hands to help- and I couldn’t think of anyone better to have by my side.

It was a dream session- literally! Brooklynn and Madelynn were the sleepiest baby models for us, and I’m so happy with how the images turned out!

I can hardly believe I haven’t blogged this ADORABLE session yet! Time just flies these days. I’m so excited to finally be able to share these with you- this session was so much fun, and I couldn’t be happier with how the images turned out!

I got together again with one of my bestest friends and partners in creative-crime, Jessica, and we shot her son Emerson for his 2nd Birthday!

His theme this year was “Carnival”, so we thought that Oaks Park would be the perfect location to get some fun, colorful photos to use for his invite and party products. We picked an evening in the late summer/early fall, and shot this entire session in about 45 minutes. Emerson has always been super easy to photograph, ever since the first time I shot him at his 1 year session – which we shot start-to-finish in under 30 minutes! We are kind of a dream team if I do say so myself! It also helps that he’s just sweet to the camera, and to me, the little flirt

Looking over these images makes me even more excited for the summer and sunshine! I love how the warm sun played into his images and add that extra “happy” to them.  How can you not want to just smooch him?!

I ended up shooting his AMAZING carnival Birthday Party, which I will blog about soon… but for now, here is a sneak peek!

I’m sad to say that very early this year, we lost my aunt to her battle with cancer. She was diagnosed last year about this time with multiple myeloma. I remember getting the call that she had a seizure and was rushed to the hospital while out of state, and feeling so helpless and sad for her and my family. She ended up having a large mass, which was pressing on her brain and induced the seizure. She ended up having to have emergency surgery, and was stuck in a neck brace and back brace for a good long time afterwards. Multiple myeloma is a very aggressive type of cancer, attacking everything all at once. They said it could have started just a couple months back and already progressed significantly.

It’s still strange to really think that she isn’t here with us anymore, that she won’t be at the next family gathering or holiday. My dad’s sister (one of two), and my mom’s-brother’s-wife, she was my “double aunt”. I remember spending lots of evenings over at their house as a kid,  playing in the back yard, the swimming pool, tinkering around on the piano, having dinner. I remember every time we asked her “what’s for dinner?”, she would always answer the same way- “food.”

One time my sisters and I were spending the night there (I think my parents were going out of town for some reason), and I was on medicine for strep throat. I begged my mom to get me the swallow-able pills, but she ended up getting me the liquid medicine instead. I don’t do liquid medicine, to this day (just ask mark!). But as a child, you have no choice, and you have to suffer (or gag/almost puke every time- in my case) through it.

She called me over to the table, and had the bottle of medicine sitting there… she then pulled out this HUGE wooden spoon and said something like “time to take your medicine!”. She had an interesting sense of humor  The medicine was supposed to taste like bananas or something (who’s idea is that!?!?) and I think we ended up trying to mix it into some applesauce to mask it… but I just ended up with a bowl full of nasty tasting applesauce that I had to then eat ALL of… bad idea.

I spent my first year of college at the University of Hawai’i, and as most college student know, opening your mailbox to find something in there is like finding gold! My aunt would write to me on a regular basis, and send me little gifts, stamps, etc. It was always nice to get a letter or a note from someone, and always fun to write back. I have no idea what we wrote about, it seems so long ago now. I should look to see if I still have any of those letters.

When she and my uncle were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, they came up with the idea of hosting a “show” of sorts. Each person in the family could choose an “act” to perform, and that would be the entertainment for the event. I was in the 5th grade, and completely in love with Winnie the Pooh… so I got my sister and a few of my cousins together, and we compiled about 5 songs to perform for our “act”. I remember rehearsing in my aunt and uncle’s living room for my aunt- she had pulled out the vacuum cleaner for us to use as a microphone to practice. I think I wanted to do something like 12 songs originally- over filling my plate (and probably everyone’s fill of winnie the pooh) like usual. She helped us narrow it down to just a few songs, and then we practiced our choreography. My cousin made us all costumes – they looked great!!! The show was a hit, and other performances (that I remember) included a piano solo, a choreographed girls dance group, oldies songs sung/choreographed by my mom and aunts, a HILARIOUS magic show, some song parodies, and probably more singing… what can I say, we have quite the talented family
It wasn’t until YEARS later that she told me that the show only went on because I was so excited about the whole thing, and no one wanted to let me down, so everyone got their act together. It’s true, I probably would have been crushed if I were told the show was cancelled. I guess that’s the power of love… and a lesson in thinking before you speak, or at least tell a child

There are many more memories I have with her that I will keep close to my heart. Most recently, I remember going to visit her at home after one of her treatments. She had lost all of her hair, and a considerable amount of weight, but she was working on regaining her strength. She had her walker out and showed off to my cousin and I how she could get up and walk around a bit. It was great to see her up and moving again! She had a very optimistic attitude, explaining that positive thoughts and energy were the best thing for her. To see someone go through what she went through, and prevail with optimism is inspiring to say the least.

She took off her head wrap and showed us her bald little head. I never thought that was something she would do, but she did. Sometimes people surprise you.

I am sad for my family and our loss.  I do find relief knowing she isn’t suffering any longer. She was always very supportive of me and my endeavors, and always made sure to tell me so.

She wrote this to me in an email in 2006, and it’s something I have always remembered. Boy, was she right.
“Whatever happens, not to sound to blunt, but life goes on. Sometimes change is good, sometime change is not good, but change is always hard.”

 

<3

Some days i just want to quit. Give it all up and just walk away. It would be so much easier… I could have a life, spend more time with my loved ones, take my dog to the park more often, do things for ME.

When people find out that I have a full-time job ON TOP of photography, I often get a bewildered look, followed with a “seriously?? How do you do it?!” or the very common “are you insane??”. The answers to those questions are “I just do” and “probably, most days”.

The truth is, I work really hard. A lot.

Monday through Friday I wake up at 630ish, head to work at my day-job, where I am an Art Director/Graphic Designer/Marketing Assistant for 8+ hours. Then I come home, figure out what we’re doing for dinner, eat, and then hop on the computer and start working the night away- catching up on social media, editing, packaging client orders, placing print orders, and on rare occasion working on marketing materials for myself… however that always seems to get the short end of the stick. I stay awake, working by computer- glare until around 11pm-1am, then pry myself off of the computer to go to bed so I can wake up and do it all over again. Weekends are generally filled with photo shoots, commitments with family and friends, and hopefully taking my dog to the park. Also more editing, networking, and catching up on blog posts (which I need to work on!), editing, culling, more editing, and sometimes a little shopping

It’s a busy life, and sometimes, I literally stop and ask  myself WHHYYYYYYY???? I don’t like not getting enough sleep, or spending enough time with my boyfriend and pup, or ALWAYS being busy. But it’s what I do. Partially because I think it’s in my blood, partially because i’m a crazy work-a-holic, and mostly because in order to do what I love, it’s what must be done.

Regardless of how much I want to scream, cry, kick and scream and quit sometimes, I don’t think that’s even a realistic possibility for me. I love it too much.  Scheduling “days off” for  myself is a normal thing for me. I don’t remember what being bored feels like, and my favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations.

But it is a labor of love.

I know that while it seems like I am killing myself now, I am sowing a seed for the future. I am building my business, so that one day, when the time is right, I can focus solely on what is most important to me, what feeds my soul. I will have more time for loved ones and doing things I want to do, like travel more, read books, relax, and grow my business.

I am so thankful to have such a supportive, understanding man to call my own. He is ever-patient with my crazy schedule, and always supportive of me and my ideas/endeavors, no matter how crazy they may seem. He never gives me a hard time about not spending enough time with him, and always offers words of encouragement when I am feeling down. He believes in me, and I couldn’t ask for more than that.

So even though some days I’d rather throw my arms in the air and say “forget it!”, I just learn to take breaks. It can wait until tomorrow. Or the weekend. Part of being successful in anything you do is taking care of yourself. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s better to just take the night off, not worry about everything, and try again tomorrow. I think I deserve it, and I know it helps.

I could never quit. I don’t know how, and I wouldn’t want to.

“On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche

“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins- not through strength but by perseverance.”
- H. Jackson Brown 

“People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to.”
- George E. Allen 

This family has been with me from the start. She was one of my very first brides, first boudoir session, and one of my favorite families to photograph each year. It’s so fun seeing a family grow over time, and be there to capture the little in-between moments.

Shauna is a dear friend of mine, and one of the most supportive. She truly loves photographs. She gets it. And she’s always thinking of fun ideas to incorporate. I love going over to their home and seeing all of the photos I have taken over the years, literally everywhere! It’s one of the most rewarding feelings as a photographer. THAT is what I aspire to give all of my clients- photographs that they cherish so much, they hang them all over the place, and keep coming back for more!!!

I love you guys, and I’m so happy that you keep coming back <3 I hope you enjoy your photos, and here’s to many more in the future! (Corey, you’re a trooper )

I knew I would adore Kimberly and Kevin when they chose Monticello’s as their meeting place to talk over the details of their special day.

The two met at school, and through Kevin’s persistence, they ended up going on a date. She thought it went terrible, and he thought it went great… but in the end, regardless of how that first date went, Kimberly was won over by Kevin’s charm.

She smiles with her eyes when you mention him, and the entire morning, before she had seen her handsome groom, she was brimming with excitement. She was the perfect bride. Beaming with beauty, grace, and anticipation, you can see how in love she is with him. She is relaxed, but excited, a perfect mix for the perfect day.

He is proud. You can tell that he is full of joy, and he has been anticipating this very day for quite some time. He is confident in his decision to marry this beautiful girl, and ready to start the next chapter of their lives together. He too, is calm, but excited. He can’t help but smile anytime he hears her name, and he is anxiosuly awaiting the moment he first sees her walking down that isle, straight to him.

Kimberly + Kevin, thank you so much for choosing me to document your most special day. I hope that these photos serve as memories for years and years to come, I feel blessed to have been there for you both. Enjoy.

Last night I thought a BLT sounded delicious! So Mark and I drove to the grocery store and got all of the yummy fixin’s for a BLT, including avocado, cheddar and croissants! I was so excited, it’s been ages since I’ve has a good BLT, and I’ve never attempted making them on my own, but how hard can it be!?

So we get home, and I’m prepping the bacon. Mark preheats the oven, and I start cutting the croissants in half- which is much harder than you’d think! I slip the bacon in the oven once it’s ready, and continue to butter the croissants to toast them on the frying pan (we are so healthy sometimes!!!).

The next thing I know, I look over and the oven is smoking…. “what is THAT!?” I panicklly asked Mark. He give me a funny look and rushes over, opens the oven, and tells me that the bacon grease is dripping and I need to get it out of there- FAST!

In my mind, I was thinking “where are the oven mitts!?” but I think in reality I just stood there with a dumbfounded look on my face. So he flung open the oven door, grabbed the kitchen towel, and pulled the pan out- FAST.

In the meantime, the smoke alarm was triggered and Quincey was shaking (he HATES the smoke alarm, and smoke for that matter) with his tail between his legs, completely freaked out. I raced to grab a pillow to fan off the smoke alarm, then grabbed Quincey so he would calm down, all while Mark  worked on scrubbing the grease out of the 400 degree oven.

I thought BLT’s would be easy???

Anyways, Mark soon realized that while pulling the bacon pan out, FASTLY, he had dripped some grease on the kitchen floor, which I may or may not have stepped in…. It wasn’t a lot, but he is a little OCD (bless him), and made me take off my socks and recount everywhere I had stepped after I had maybe stepped in the grease so he could go clean it up.

Once things had calmed down, Quincey stopped shaking,  the mess was clean, and there were no more rogue pieces of bacon hanging off of the pan, I said to him “Haste makes waste”…. to which he replied “Haste keeps the house from catching fire.”

Touche.

Since I don’t like to post without some photos,

I feel so lucky to have such amazing clients turn into friends. Emerson’s parents are just that, and I am SO happy that we have gotten to know each other over the past year! It seems like just yesterday I was shooting Lexie’s maternity photos, and now Emerson is already so grown up!

When they decided to do my “Baby’s First Year” plan, I was ecstatic because that meant that we would be able to build and grow our friendship even more! Lexie has the BEST ideas!! She went all out for Emerson’s 6 month session and got some super adorable outfits. It totally paid off, as you can see!

I, personally, am a huge fan of that adorable red swimsuit and matching cap by Janie + Jack, and the adorable flower headband by the very lovely Sew Whimsey!

I cannot wait for one year cake smashing fun with you guys!!! <3 Thank you for being so so wonderful!