“As a photographer, going into an engagement session with a client that you haven’t met can be a little demanding as you aren’t always sure of your client’s vision, personality and expectations. This was not the case with Rachel & Rob. A few minutes of discussion before the session opened up and I couldn’t wait to get shooting! Rachel and Rob have a fun and relaxed chemistry together and were so easy to work with and open to ideas and a little guidance. They ‘re a great example to every engaged couple of how to work an engagement session… enjoy your moments together and your images will be natural, beautiful and show the true essence of why you fell in love with each other!” – Palm Beach Photography

Tonya Laker with Palm Beach Photography shot my friend’s wedding at Frenchman’s Reserve, and the photos were so beautiful that I decided to use her for our engagement session. We met at Dubois Park in Jupiter where we had the beach, boardwalks, palm trees, a boat, woodsy areas with sea grape trees, the Jupiter Lighthouse, and of course the beach – we had a great backdrop for the day! Tonya quickly made us feel comfortable behind the camera (after a few awkward silly shots and our nerves settled). She gave us just the right amount of guidance as far as how to pose, where to stand, where to put our hands, whether to smile or close our eyes – she made it easy and our photos turned out absolutely gorgeous and I can’t stop looking at them! We loved them so much that we decided on an z-fold invitation which had a place for five pictures and I can’t tell you how many nice comments I’ve had on them. It was a nice touch since we didn’t have time to send save the dates with a picture.

..Yes, I’m having a beach wedding, and since my sister (my MOH) is very artistic, we decided to hand paint our table numbers using a 4×4 card stock and water colors using a beach and sea critters theme. The first one she painted was a cute little seahorse, one with a branchy orange coral scene and another with a starfish. They are adorable and I’m so happy that my sister has been excited to help me with this and make it personal. We may also carry this theme to the escort cards and paint the edges with coral branches. Another DIY project I’m going to do is to make a mango scented salt body scrub as favors. It’s perfect for the beach and so easy to make! I will be using epsom salt as the base, almond oil, and a mango scented fragrance oil. We’ll be placing the scrub inside small glass jars and adding a personalized tag. Another thing I’m making is a beach themed card box for the gift table. I have a vision in mind of a burlap covered box decorated with some of the many shells and sea fans I’ve collected over the years from different islands!

..I am most looking forward to our beautiful location and seeing my grooms face as I walk to meet him! We decided against a first look because I want all of the nerves and all the excitement of seeing each other for the first time during our ceremony! We are being married on a bluff overlooking the ocean and surrounded by sea grape trees. I’m also excited about the decor my florist is providing. We will have glass teardrop shaped orchid blooms hanging from the sea grape trees surrounding the ceremony and also an arch made of bamboo decorated with coral, pink and white roses. And how could I forget my dress – I’m so excited about it! I wanted something beachy and flowy and not too formal, which was hard to find, but I finally found it on the Miracle Mile in Miami. It’s an off-white, strapless chiffon dress that has a small train that just pools around my feet. Both me and my sister teared up as soon as I put it on so I knew in that moment that it was the one!” – Rachel, the bride-to-be