💙Baby Matthew Dedication💙

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Baby Dedications are such special occasions. It’s a time a family is deciding to dedicate themselves to raise their child(ren) up in the ways of the Lord. It’s something that is worth documenting to reflect back on years down the road.

This time last year, my dear friend wanted to have this dedication of her son during a visit to Arizona amongst family and friends. It was so awesome to be able to not only capture this gathering for her, but to call her my friend since good ‘ol college swing dancing days! :-)

Enjoy these select few images reflecting back of the celebration of Baby Matthew. . . 💙

– The Dedication Event –

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– The GREAT Grandmothers –

– The Amazing Parents –

🌵Desert Setting Family Photos 🌵

I had the pleasure of capturing this wonderful family in front of a gorgeous desert backdrop! When I found this hidden gem, I knew it would be a winner for their photo location. Enjoy! ❤

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– The Family –

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– The Children –

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– Mom + Children –

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For full photography portfolio:

[ CLICK HERE ]

Our Wedding (Part IV): Our Honeymoon

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

• Part I – The Preparation (Click HERE to view)
• Part II – Our Ceremony (Click HERE to view)
• Part III – Our Reception (Click HERE to view)
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon
• Part V –  Video (+ Photo) Highlights

Thanks for checking out my wedding blog series! We are on the brink of one year and five months into our marriage, and looking back on our wedding/honeymoon never gets old! Did you miss "Part III – Our Reception"? Click HERE to get the scoop on all of the details to our reception!  ❤ 

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PART IV: OUR HONEYMOON

– TEN "MAUI-WOWWY" THINGS TO DO –

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✔️ 1 – Stay (majority of your time) in Lahaina

We stayed in two different locations on the island, and I'm so glad we spent majority of our time based in Lahaina. It's a beautiful part of the island, close to a lot of beaches, and a great "home-base" when exploring elsewhere. We also saved by staying at a condo vs. hotel the whole time.

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✔️ 2 – Rent a Convertible and EXPLORE!

My favorite part about Bryan are the times he's able to legitimately surprise me (FE: Our proposal). This is another fine example. He surprised me by renting a red convertible for the week! The coolest part was how much of a God-thing the rental was...we ended up at the wrong rental car place, and when Bryan asked them about if they had a red Camero, they initially said how their location rarely ever gets the sports cars. But, low and behold...they had ONE left! 👌🏻

No matter the vehicle, explore the island! From the beaches to the back roads...plan some time to simply explore the island.

Surprising me with the Camero rental car!

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✔️ 3 – Eat Good Food

Here are my top five places to eat in Maui...

Our first restaurant we went to in Maui!

Amazing BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos (and fish tacos, so I hear...not a fish fan) :-)

The last-standing Cold Stone in Maui...being the ice cream fanatic I am, I say it's a must-visit! :-)

SO GOOD! Not typically a shaved ice fan, but this was a game-changer. Right off of Front Street...

An amazing place with an amazing view for our last evening in Maui... ❤

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✔️ 4 – If  You Take the Road to Hana, Take the Road with Dramamine...

Another term for this is the "Road to He...." nevermind :-) Let's just say, it's best to take a Dramamine if you get sick on wind-ey roads. Not sure if this contributed to my whoozy-stomach, but I will say that there is a place to eat half way, but I didn't think it was that good...so I advise bringing snacks!

UNLESS you want to see all of Hawaii's flowers in one place (kind of neat)...avoid overpriced "Phhokamoa Falls" .... Can't even get close to the falls, and the price was pretty ridiculous. Still, I got some great photos out of the visit!

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Finally, this is a great drive for lots of waterfalls, jungle-feel and TIGHT road corners...so drive safe! It took us a full day to do the trip FYI, and we didn't even see everything. So, if you really want to see something particular, plan ahead.

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✔️ 5 – Molokini Crater is Your Place for Snorkeling

Real moment: I strongly dislike fish: eating, swimming with...seriously. BUT...I will say that this was a neat adventure to go out to this world famous area for snorkeling! Bryan was super patient with me and helping me conquer some (for me, uncomfortable) fishy moments. A great bonding activity! :-D The snorkeling deal we got also included a boat tour on the way back to shore.

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✔️ 6 – Go to a Farmer's Market and Buy "Apple Bananas"

Go to at least one farmer's market while you're in Maui (but remember that you can't bring food back to the states) A must-have fruit is an apple banana!!! They are so good, and the next time we go to Hawaii, I am getting a bundle of 'em!

✔️ 7 – Take a Stroll Down Front Street. Multiple times.

This is just a neat beach town with lots of shopping! ALSO...savings alert!! I forget the name, but there is a little hole in the wall right there on the street that advertises CHEAP activities: all you have to do is spend about 2 hrs of I remember right at a "timeshare" event in a hotel. We were able to go snorkeling and attend a luau for 70% off original price!!

✔️ 8 – Attend a Luah

Go to one! It may seem super touristy, but it's an all-you-can-eat event and a culturally neat ️experience. Also, I must say it was extra special to us, as we met fellow newlyweds sitting across from us. It's crazy how God brings people together at just the right time, and that couple certainly fit the mold of a new lifetime relationship!

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✔️ 9 – Watch a Sunset. Or Two. Or Three...

Of course, it didn't hurt to see a few of these moments while we were out there...

✔️ 10 – Have a Professional Photoshoot on the Beach

Finally, I wanted us to have captured moments from a professional towards the end of our trip. So, we had Stu! If you want a good photographer for a beach shoot in Maui...USE STU! I am more than happy to send his number to anyone in need of this during their Maui trip. These are only a small collection I've posted here, and love them so much!

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❤  I hope you enjoyed these "Maui-Wowwy Moments" from our Honeymoon in Hawaii! ❤ 

Our Wedding (Part I) – Preparation

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

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• Part I – The Preparation
• Part II – Our Ceremony
• Part III – Our Reception
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon
• Part V – Photo Favs (a collection of my favorite wedding photos)

I am excited to finally share details to our wedding day (and details leading up)! For this particular blog, I focus on the pre-wedding preparations and parties.

There are many other "pre-wedding" items that were obviously done before the wedding, but they will be saved for the upcoming posts. 

I hope you enjoy! :-)

❤ Christie

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PART I: PREPARATION

Note: Extended vendor reviews will be at the end of each blog for my "engaged" readers!

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ENGAGEMENT PARTY

Overview: The engagement party was an absolute blast! I recommend any couple getting married to have an engagement party. Remember – this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of a celebration in your life. You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want!

Preparation: I made an informal postcard invite with photos from our engagement to both in and out-of-state family and friends. True, we weren’t expecting those in other states to fly out to the engagement party, however, it did open an opportunity for us to show them pictures of the proposal!

Engagement Party Postcards - details were added on the back

Final Product:  We had simple finger foods in addition to the ice cream and chocolates (the key to my heart)! I wore a dress from Macy's, and the location was in the clubhouse in my the condominium I was living in at the time. It was perfect for the number of guests we had, and also offered an outside patio area. We had a photo area in addition to a dear friend of ours who took photos for us (shout out to Ruben!). My brother gave me a selfie-stick to use for the night!

One of my favorite moments: The "proposal re-creation" hands-down won me over (shout-out thank you to my beautiful mom and her decorating talent)! Bryan put a lot of creativity, love and time into making it a very special moment (and complete surprise), and it was important to share that with our friends and family (as the proposal was in Ohio). We also did a live "performance" of the proposal from both our perspectives for a glimpse into the proposal. Good times! 

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FIRST ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS & SAVE THE DATES

Overview & Timeline: My dream was to have the farm-feel field look that was light and airy, fun and cute. Well...we got that moment! We didn't have an exact wedding date set at this time, so our save-the-dates went out about 5 months before the wedding. I love how they all turned out!

Save the Dates

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INVITATIONS

Overall: I am VERY pleased with how the invitations turned out! I am also very proud that I did what many decide to never attempt to do: DIY projects!! Yep. I am so excited with how they turned out, and have my parents to thank as they helped me with the assembly line in helping me put them together!

Timeline: This was an ongoing project, as the original one was not able to be printed without going over budget AND looking elegant and professional. So, the new design went out to guests about 1-2 months before the wedding.

Preparation: I went back-and-forth with this design, but finally came up with it. Elegance, sophistication and a touch of our personalities were the goals. The EKG heart represented Bryan: His passion for people (as a paramedic/firefighter and in general). The music heart represents me (my passion for music and heart for worship).  

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CEREMONY PROGRAMS

My brother was the brains behind the final design of our ceremony programs. I sent him an idea I had that would be too costly and timely to do at the time, and he was able to simplify it and piece together our final product. Thank you, Robert, for your time and effort to make our ceremony programs so special! ♥

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FINAL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS

I was excited to utilize Rizalde and his wife for a final engagement session. We ended up using a lot of the photos for items within the ceremony, reception and activities. I absolutely LOVE how they turned out! Enough chit chat...see for yourself  ♥ 

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 WEDDING EXPOS: DO THEY WORK?

I attended a number of expos, and overall I'd say they were helpful, but more of an "experience." It's fun to go with your bridal party or group of girls! We took advantage of photo booths (see example to the right :-)...) Expos help give you ideas of what you like or don't like...and, you get FREE SAMPLES!!! From the expos I went to, I only used one vendor that I met initially there (my emcee - I’ll review his services in a later blog).

My favorite part about the wedding expo? Being able to model wedding dresses! Ok, maybe it wasn’t related to my actual wedding shopping, but that was my favorite part about the expos! :-D A huge thank you to Kim Horn (she's a wedding planning extraordinaire) for her gracious heart to allow me to have these modeling opportunities! If you're in need of a wedding planner, her professionalism and way she treated us as models is enough for me to know she takes care of her brides! Contact her today!

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WEBSITE

We had a wedding website setup to help give more information for our guests. You can take a look at ours by clicking HERE. It was basic and made through a free website maker called Wix. I paid for a domain name as I liked it to be personalized, but that was it!

Click photo to see our full wedding website!

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BRIDAL SHOWER

Here's a showcase of one of the gatherings leading up to our wedding: the Bridal Shower! Thank you to my Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids and family members for putting this event together! :-)

• Attire: I loved the light pink skirt I found paired with my lace crop top (both found at Charlotte Russe)! Best part? My shoes! I found them at David's Bridal, and KNEW I had to find an outfit to match them :-)
• Activities: The afternoon was filled with a lot of good-times: amazing desserts, opening a collection of wonderful gifts, a "how-well-you-know-the-Bride" game put together by my MOH Aimee, sharing a photo book of a photoshoot I did in my mother's wedding gown, a "dress guess" game where everyone cut out a wedding dress from a magazine of their favorite and what they thought my dress would look like, and all-around good time with family and friends.
• Decor: The colors were soft and light with cut-out hearts, a wedding gown pop-up amongst other display items, a Bridal chair personally decorated and re-done by my MOH, and creative signage! The desserts I would also categorize as "decor" as they were so cute and personable!
• Parasol Umbrella: This was something past down from my Great-Grandmother that I absolutely loved having around as a special item of decor and memories...cherished moment ❤
• Desserts:  Jennifer (one of my bridesmaids) made adorable hand-crafted treats like the "wedding cake" cookies and rice crispy engagement rings pictured below! I'm a girl always ready for good desserts, and that we certainly had! :-D

Photos taken by Danitza Schmidt.

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WEDDING PLANNER

For some brides, it's not fun to plan. For me, it was what I always wanted to do! To know that I had an opportunity to utilize my gifts and abilities to make our special day one that we can look back at and feel special and personalized was totally worth it. I wanted to take time to plan out all the details to our big day, and I enjoyed the opportunity. Creativity is my passion, and what better way than to be able to than on our wedding day! :-)

With that, the wedding would NOT have been what it was without the sincere help of so many! You know who you are, and know that you contributed to make our wedding memorable and special. We had everything from family members (including my aunt that took the time to FLY OUT to Arizona to help), to the full bridal party and amazing friends. A HUGE shout-out to my (now) husband who was so supportive of everything going on every step of the way – especially during some of the most emotional roller coaster rides along the way. It was so encouraging to have a wonderful support team. I also appreciate the venue coordinators as well as my aunt's assistance on the wedding day, so that was a wonderful thing to have. Thank you, thank you...THANK YOU!

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Coming up next... OUR Wedding (Part II) – Ceremony

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VENDOR REVIEWS

 

[ Danitza Schmidt – First Engagement Photoshoot ]

My dear friend, Danitza Schmidt (SDS Photography) did a fabulous job capturing our first engagement session in Coolidge, AZ. She also has always been so amazing at making her clients feel comfortable in front of a camera!

• Product Itself: Very Pleased
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

 

[ Rizalde Sherwood – Second Engagement Photoshoot ]

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Rizalde and his wife for our final engagement shoot! We ended up using these photos taken for additional elements within the wedding, and thoroughly enjoyed his services. I would highly recommend him to others (and already have)!

• Product Itself: Very Pleased
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

 

[ VistaPrint – Save-the-date printing ]

We ended up using two of the engagement photo chalkboard photos (PS, Danitza ^^ does chalk art as well)! I did the additional designing you see and sent it off to www.vistaprint.com.

• Product Itself: Very Pleased
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable (when you find coupon codes that knock the price down)!
• Overall recommendation: 4 ♥/ 5 ♥

 

[ Invitations (Project Elements) ]

• Main Invitation: Sheet Music from a second-hand store, EKG strips, cardstock from Paper Source and Michael’s, and ribbon from Paper Source and Hobby Lobby. 
• RSVP Card: One side had the RSVP, while the other was a photo from our first engagement shoot.
• Wedding Rehearsal Card: I printed on shimmer paper and pink sparkly cardstock (not shown on the above photo, but was added for extra shimmer).
• Printing: Kinkos/Fed-Ex Office (Fun fact: Bring your own paper, and it will save you a little money)!
• Envelopes: The calligraphy for the envelopes was done by a combination of my friends Christina, Kim, and even my dad! Christina is, yes, a friend of mine, but equally does calligraphy as a business. If you'd like her to help with your project, contact her at chrissy7776@yahoo.com! I didn't post photos since there are addresses on the envelopes, but take my word: AWE-SOME!
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥  ( But I'm a little bias... :-) ...)

 

[ About Love Studios – Wedding Day Photographers ]

We had our photos taken by About Love Studios. Our photographers took wonderful and beautiful photos (as you will clearly see even more when I post day-of wedding photos)! We did have customer service issues, and eventually one of the specific situations was discussed and brought up with them. Even though the communication wasn't at a level we were expecting based on the reviews read, I am glad that the photos were so gorgeous and captured so many of the priceless moments created that day! In the end, we love our captured memories that will last us a lifetime.

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Fair
• Costs: We hired them through a benefit event, so our costs were different than regular prices.
• Overall recommendation: 3 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ The Story Is Told – Wedding Day Videographers ]

Our videography was provided by The Story Is Told (Abbey and Morgan). They were so amazing! I loved working with this husband/wife team! I was on the search for the right videographer, and if anyone knows me, they know how picky I am in this category (being that this is part of my personal career). I’d watch a wedding video 5 seconds in, and be able to tell it was a “no" immediately. When I ran across their company, I was instantly in tears over a STRANGER'S wedding! I knew they were the winner. :-)

Her attitude during a specific incident that happened I will forever appreciate – she was professional, calming and a definite smile when needed! Even my mom made a comment about how amazing they were. My husband equally commented on how he enjoyed their services and presence at the wedding. Believe it or not, I haven't even watched only but a few of the clips but still believe in their services (we bought just the raw footage at the time, and I don't want to see it until it has been fully edited to preserve the moment as a whole)! With that, I'm still comfortable doing this review without even watching their work in full.

• Customer Service: Excellent
• Product Itself: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

Nicole's Baby Shower

Here are some photos I took at my cousin (in-law's) baby shower! Nicole's special day was filled with cute decor, pink tissue paper and...*drum roll please*... amazing bacon (there was a buffet-style breakfast that was SUCH a cute and tasteful idea)! :-)

Surrounded by family and friends, it was the talk of the town how much love was around for mommy and her baby, Charlotte Sue.

Congratulations, Nicole and Tyler!

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DECOR & GIFTS

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FRIENDS & FAMILY

(For additional individual photos taken with Nicole, please contact her!)

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GIFT-OPENING

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Updates from Christie

Welcome to my new and improved website!

Notice something different? Why not change up my website in conjunction with a change to my last name! :-)

I am excited to finally get this new website design launched for my online community. I feel it is imperative to get the new look up and running!

 

Where have I been since the last post? How about...

• Wedding preparations...and more prep...and MORE prep
• Getting married!! 4.22.16 <3
• Honeymoon getaway in Maui
• Settling in a new part of town (still in Phoenix, but now with a hubby and new place!)
• Re-organizing and planning
• Seeing "what's next"
• Working on the side!

So...what's next (for the blog)??

1) Our wedding photos (and reviews): Since a good chunk of time derived of wedding planning and preparation from Jan-April, I figure once my professional photos arrive, I'll include a post of photos from my wedding (PS – Shout-out, as I am SUPER thankful to family and friends who captured moments like below to "hold us over" Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU)! I loved being able to plan out my own wedding, and cannot wait to share more about the journey!

My husband and I on our wedding day!

Our first dance... <3

2) "Mauimoon" photos: ALSO...be on the lookout for a post with an amazingly awesome photo shoot from our Honeymoon in Maui! I cannot wait to share those! Here are two sneak-peak pics in the meantime...

"Mauimoon" – Luau in Lahaina

"Mauimoon" – Last dinner in Maui before coming back to Phoenix

As a heads up for all my future clients reading this post, I like to combine a little bit of my professional work with personal "day-to-day" on my blogs. I love doing life creatively, so the two worlds sometimes inevitably combine. I hope this mix helps you get a taste of my personality, as I look forward to the opportunity of working with you!

 

So...what's next (for the business)??

As you can see, there are some newly listed business services I provide! I would love for you to explore each area. I make sure to provide excellence in each category, and I am also happy to send reviews to give you the best assurance of my professionalism and experience level. There are still areas under contruction, but I believe what is provided is a great base for launching the updated website design. Stay tuned for more updates! :-)

Until next time, have a creative day!

<3 Christie

Liz & Dan - Maternity Photos

I am so excited to finally post some of my favorite photos from Liz and Dan (& baby Jackson's) maternity photo shoot. 

First off, working with such an amazing couple was so much fun! I've known Liz ever since we were kiddos, so it was such an honor to do photos for her and her amazing husband, Dan.

Enjoy!

The theme of the mint converse shoes was a clever prop this couple brought to the table, being that they got married in their own converse shoes! I hope that's a tradition they will keep for years to come...because it's super cute. 'Nuff said :-)

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We wrapped up the evening with sunset "just mommy" photos along with some more fun "coupley" photos! 

Gear: Panasonic GH4 with Lumix 2.8 12-35mm lens

Location: Sahuaro Ranch Park – Glendale, AZ

<3 Christie

Photography needs? Click here to contact me!

Robert and Tricia's Engagement Photos

Though this comes belated, I decided it's a perfect time to post my brother and his Fiance's engagement photos I photographed last summer. We went to a park in Scottsdale, Arizona and spent the evening at multiple locations.

In just under three weeks, these two very special people will be married. Wow....it's such a surreal thing. God has gifted me with an incredible brother who cares and loves me. He has been there through all of childhood as a playmate, an older brother who looked out for me as we got older, and so supportive throughout all of my personal endeavors. He has shown me great love throughout the years, and through all the ups and downs, laughs and tears: I am SO proud to have him as my brother. It's an exciting time in his life, and I am so proud of my brother for who he is, and who God is guiding him to be for the future.

Enjoy! :-)

-Christie

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Location: Scottsdale, AZ