It was a cold January night, the stars were so bright, and Lauren and Justin were game when Bob asked them if they were up for an adventure! They braved the weather and this is one of the images that he captured. One of my favorite images from the day!

Ready for Day 2 of 3 of our Real Wedding Workshop? The BIG day.... Lauren and Justin's beautiful wedding at the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. We certainly were... all 19 photographers. Yes, this is always crazy... but crazy fun!

Lauren and Justin visited Hawks Cay Resort in Florida every August around his birthday since they started dating in 2011. Little did she know when he made it a couples trip with three of her best friends and their husbands, in 2013, that he would be planning a little surprise for her that would change her life forever. Their first day there, they all spent the day boating. As they were walking back to the resort, hand in hand, she said to Justin that she wanted to make this an annual trip for them and bring their kids one day. That's when he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him with the promise that the resort would always be their special place.

A year and a half later, their wedding day had arrived. The most beautiful day - picture perfect! The sun was shining and everyone was smiling. Lauren and her bridesmaids have an incredible bond, they love each other like they are sisters. Justin and his boys are equally tight, and his dad was his best man. How cool is that? The love that surrounds them is undeniable. Lauren looked incredibly beautiful in her stunning Rivini gown with a gorgeous pair of satin red Badgley Mischka shoes with an embellished peep toe. The Rivini jewelry she wore was equally beautifully. All her college friends have been passing down a Gator garter, and they each have it monogramed after wearing it. I mean seriously, that is the best! Her girls all wore Amsale with a faux fur grey wrap, while Justin and his boys were looking dapper in their slim fit tuxes by Black by Vera Wang. I'd say this was a beautiful bridal party!

Their first look was like no other! It took place on a spectacular bridge, surrounded by trees everywhere which made for a romantic setting and so many photographic opportunities. Lauren and her daddy headed to the Christ Our King and Savior Catholic Church in a white 1966 RR Princess Vanden Plas. Can it get any better than this? The service was beautiful. I think I cried through the whole thing, it's a good thing I wasn't holding a camera... lol.

The cocktail hour took place in The Forest on the Ritz property, with hanging bistro lights, beautiful lanterns everywhere, and beautiful lounge furniture, not to mention the view of the lake in the background. The cocktail hour music was dedicated to Lauren's late Grandmother who loved Frank Sinatra. The food served had a southern flare including tomato soup with heart shaped grilled cheese... just incredible!!! Their winter southern wedding was romantic and classical with beautiful red roses everywhere! Their reception was in the Ballroom and the decor took your breath away when you walked in. The entertainment, the cake, the dessert table, the first dance, the speeches, the sparkler exit... OMG...

I think I've said too much.... so why not discover for yourselves how incredibly beautiful this wedding was. A huge thank you to Lauren and Justin and their families for welcoming our group with open arms. They treated us with such grace and I just can't thank them enough for all their kindness. Same to Ashley Scott at the Ritz, who was truly an amazing coordinator! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Then we have Tracey Taylor and Dee Green who also assisted us as well. They came all the way from Japan to help us. We met them at our 3rd Real Wedding Workshop in Nashville, and these beauties have become dear friends. Without this them, we would the coverage of this wedding would never be what it is... so thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!!

Lauren and Justin, we love you both and wish you a lifetime of happiness together!!!!

xxoo!!!

~ Dawn and Bob

Ps: Be ready for Day 3 of the workshop up next...

After an incredible wedding day, we began Day 3 of our Real Wedding Workshop reviewing images from the wedding. Also, recapping what Bob had shared on Day 1 and the wedding day. After that, I shared how we grew our small town business to success and my love for sales, marketing and branding. It's awesome when you learn how to attract the client that appreciates your talents and doesn't try to micro manage your business.

We're certainly not perfect, but with the mistakes we've made we have constructed building blocks that have brought us further than we ever imagined. I believe that everything happens for a reason and if we look at mistakes as lessons learned, they are not mistakes at all. It's like dating someone that is not good and breaks your heart. You learn what is not acceptable for your next relationship. And if you're lucky, you'll meet the person of your dreams. I've had a few not-so-good relationships that weren't right for me. But they all prepared me for what I knew I wanted in my husband. I'm a lucky girl.

Anyway, we spent the morning talking business. I know it's not every photographer's favorite thing, but it's a necessity. Most would rather be out shooting and learning how to take better photos. That's great, but truth be told, you can be the best photographer in the world and fail if you don't know how to run a business. It's equally important, if not more, to learn the business side.

After lunch, we later joined Lauren and Justin for a final photo shoot, this time on the Ritz ice skating rink. They were champs, they partied all night and were still up for more photos the next day! How cute are they?

Another once in a lifetime experience. Thank you to all our amazing photographers who joined us. Jensen Bell, Pam Bell, Whitney Bower, Marisa Carey, Christina Corneau, Melissa Del Vecchio, Greg & Theresa Favello, Jasleen Kaur, Chrissy Kruger-Gruendyke, Greg Moran, Sebastian Orr, Felix Peter, Shayla Samples, and Rochelle Wilhelms WE LOVE YOU ALL...!

Bob, I, and our team, Michele, Tracey Taylor and Dee Green left exhausted, as I'm sure they did as well, but we left with such happy hearts. We had many repeats attendees and made several new friends. We are blessed and so happy to share our love in an industry that is filled with so many creative people!

Lauren, Justin, and your families.... thank you again for trusting us with your wedding! And letting all our photographers share in your day! We love you and can't thank you enough for your kindness!!!

All our love,

~ Dawn and Bob

"What is a Real Wedding Workshop?" is a question we get asked frequently. Well, it's basically when an engaged couple asks us to photograph their "very real and incredibly beautiful" wedding and make it a workshop where up to 15 photographers can be educated on how to shoot a wedding, while second shooting alongside Bob. This type of workshop is designed to be educational on Day 1 and Day 3. Wedding day is all about the wedding and capturing the moments for our couples. All photographers are considered 2nd shooters. We encourage them to team up with another photographer to make sure they are covered so they can get all the images they need to complete a fine art book of the wedding. It's a pretty amazing way to add a beautiful destination wedding to their portfolio. Everyone is very respectful on wedding day and we all work together beautifully. That's the technical answer... now for the emotional, overly gushy, girlie answer...

Our 1st real wedding + workshop was in Las Vegas in 2008. The 2nd one was in St. Simons Island, Georgia in 2009. The 3rd one was in Nashville, TN in 2011. The 4th one was in the Umbria region of Italy in 2012. This past May 2013 was the 5th wedding Real Wedding Workshop we've hosted, where 15 photographers, and our 2 second shooters, photographed Jenni and Stevn's wedding alongside Bob, in Charleston, South Carolina. Yes, you read that right.... 18 photographers total at this wedding! And yes, we are absolutely crazy!

I can't even begin to tell you how incredibly amazing these experiences have been on so many levels. Lifelong friendships have been made throughout this journey. Life changing moments have occurred. Long nights of talking into the wee hours and even some night swimming, not to mention, some fun moments that will.... well, let's just stay, what happens at a Davis Love Story Workshop stays at a Davis Love Story Workshop! You know who you are!

Stevn's mom, Pam Bell, is a very dear friend of ours. We met Pam at our St. Simon's Island workshop in 2009. I'll never forget when she called me about attending the workshop. She was the last one to sign up. We talked for quite awhile, as she wasn't sure this was the right workshop for her. Well, since then, she and her sweet husband, Wade, have attended our Real Wedding + Workshop in Italy last year, and also asked us if we would be interested in making her son's wedding a workshop, of course with their approval. Their family has become our family, we just love them so very much. When she shared the details of their wedding with us and sent us photos of Jenni and Stevn, we knew immediately this was the perfect fit.

We had the most amazing photographers join us for this adventure as Jenni and Stevn said "I Do!". Thank you so very much, Raul Castro, Courtney Clouse, Kristi Coil, Melissa Del Vecchio, Randy Dickson, Davis Macias, Samantha Oulavong, Jeni Rone, Crystal Schmidt, Tiffany and Miles Stelzig, Vivian Strayer, Mary Wessner, Becky Williamson, Julie Wooldridge for believing in us and trusting Bob and I to provide you with an educational and fun experience! Please remember to keep in touch with us. We know that we provided a ton of information and if you ever have questions, always know that we are here for you!!! We want to see you succeed!

A huge thank you to our Operations Manager, Michele, for helping us along with every step of the way with this workshop. We don't know what we'd do without her.... truly, everyone needs a Michele! And a huge thank you to Arlene and Doug Beets who 2nd shoot this wedding with Bob. Also, major contributors were their daughter and son-in-law, Tiffany and Miles. And, Stevn's mom, Pam and his sister, Katrin who shared some photos with us as well. We love you all so very much!!! Thank you for contributing as our 2nd shooters! You are the best of the best!

We hosted our workshop at the Charleston Center For Photography which was a fantastic location! Andy and his team were amazing and so gracious with us. We were also blessed to have Brandon Heiss from Westcott Westcott join us to help with lighting setups. Thank you Brandon!!!

Day one, we all headed to Battery Park in Charleston with everyone, which is famous for its beautiful cobblestone walkways and Antebellum homes. As you can see in the photo above, there were a lot of light stands! Jenni and Stevn were amazing as they were being photographed like celebrities! I really loved the gazebo at White Point Gardens and all the . Their love for each other is undeniable! And every photographer there was taken in by not only their beauty on the outside but their kindness on the inside too!

After Battery Park, we were off to cover the red carpet entrance to the rehearsal dinner at the 1940's deco American Theater. Look familiar? In my all-time favorite movie "The Notebook" Noah and Allie go to see Buster Keaton in Li’l Abner at this theather. Pam & Wade were hosting the rehearsal dinner and wanted to do a red carpet entrance. Bob thought it would be fun to have a paparazzi style entrance. And Jenni looked amazing in her BCBG Maxazria dress!

So, this is Part 1 of a 4 part blog post of our last Davis Love Story Real Wedding + Workshop. We hope that you can experience how incredible this adventure was for us all through our photos! Enjoy!

Much love everyone!

~ Dawn and Bob

It's the BIG day, the 2nd part of our Real Wedding Workshop... AND Jenni and Stevn's wedding! They've planned for this day for over a year. I'm sure when Jenni was growing up she never imagined she would have 18 photographers photographing her on this very special day in her life. Talk about crazy! And crazy fun it was! Her and her bridesmaids were amazing together. You could feel the love they all have for each other. They were up for anything and they always had great fun in front of the cameras. And Stevn and his guys were always whooping it up for the cameras as well. Jenni's Amsale gown was stunning! I love the capped sleeves and it fit her tiny shape perfectly! She wore her mother's veil which was very sentimental to her. Everything from the flowers, to the hair and makeup, to the amazing pair of Christian Louboutin shoes that Stevn gave his bride... yes please!!!

The love between Jenni and her daddy is priceless. The moment before he walked her down the aisle, shedding a few tears, and then breaking out in dance with all the bridesmaids after a private prayer. It was just perfect. The love of these two families joining together was such a blessing. Hugs from the grandmothers were something I will never forget. All in all, I would say it was a perfect wedding!

Here's part 1 of 2 of their wedding day! Bob and I hope that you enjoy looking through all their wedding photos!!! Be ready for part 2 and Day 3 of the workshop...

xoxox!

~ Dawn and Bob

Here's part 2 of 2 of of our Real Wedding Workshop AND Jenni and Stevn's wedding day. After the ceremony, we headed off to celebrate at the beautiful William Aiken House. Sara Hosch, Sr. Event Planner, from Southern Protocol made every ounce of Jenni's wedding a dream come true! There wasn't anything missing from their puppy, Jackson, greeting them with his bow tie, to every single perfectly placed candle and hanging chandelier. She and her team did an amazing job! The William Aiken House is the perfect location for a Southern wedding and I love that the movie "The Notebook" filmed the wedding dress fitting scene in the room that Jenni and Stevn cut their cake.

The love in the house was overwhelming... and it's no wonder. Jenni and Stevn are nicer than they are beautiful and that says a lot because they are both gorgeous. After everyone danced the night away, Mr. and Mrs. ended the evening with a sparkler exit and off they went in a rickshaw... so much fun!

Day 3 of our Real Wedding Workshop was quickly upon us. We spent the morning at the Charleston Center For Photography looking through images from the wedding and recapping what Bob had shared on Day 1 and wedding day as well as going through our approach to sales, marketing and branding. I love this part of the day because it's where I get to share how we run our business. Bob and I have made our fair share of not so great decisions in our business that have brought us to where we are today. I'm grateful for those mistakes as we've learned a lot from them. It's nice to be able to share what has worked for us and what hasn't.

After lunch we hit the streets of Charleston again for another session with Jenni + Stevn. I'm amazed they were up for it as they had a long evening dancing the night away at their beautiful wedding. We began at the United States Custom House and ended at the famous Pineapple Fountain. I love these images because the kids were so amazed that Jenni and Stevn were in the fountain all dressed up! It was so cute to see their reaction.

This was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Jenni and Stevn, we are so happy for you and wish you both and your beautiful families a lifetime of happiness. Thank you so much for trusting us with your very special day. We love you both!!!

xoxox,

~ Dawn and Bob

It's hard to believe it's August 1st... where did July go? Where did June go? It's been a crazy busy summer and we're so excited for Skip Cohen University August 11-14, 2013. This is a conference you will not want to miss. It's at the Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Oakbrook, Illinois which is not far from where we live! It's a close ride from O'Hare and Midway airport, so no excuses! Come and join the fun. The group of speakers is incredible. There will be so much to learn and the networking possibilities are amazing! Last year Bob and I spoke on the husband & wife panel for married photographers. What a blast! The energy this conference brings will be sure to set you up for success for the rest of the year!

The list of speakers is crazy cool from, Clay Blackmore, Michele Celentano, Bob Coates, Joe McNally, Adam Sherwin, Zach & Jody Gray, Dixie Dixon, Justin & Mary Marantz, Jen Rozenbaum, Ryan Schembri, Suzette Allen and of course, US, there is sure to be some amazing sharing of knowledge going on.

A HUGE thank you to Skip Cohen for organizing this event all these years! I know this is going to be one of the BEST conferences yet! Thank you for providing an incredible atmosphere of learning. We have never been more proud to be part of such an amazing industry!

There are MANY big incentives going on right now to sign up, so please check it out. You will be glad you came! To register, click HERE.

We can't wait to meet everyone and share the love and passion with everyone who will be attending!!!

xoxo,

~ Dawn & Bob

Well friends, this is way too good not to share! If you're struggling with finding the time to blog, like I do, then you need to know about BlogStomp. It's an amazing tool created by photographers for photographers... and bloggers! It's so simple and so fun... you will just freak out! I'm totally serious! And for the whopping price tag of $49 for the app, you will agree that it's so worth the money. After one blog post, you will get your money's worth. If my testimony doesn't convince you, then go to BlogStomp's website and download the free trial.

You just drop your images into BlogStomp, and once you have your image(s) selected the way you like it, just click "stomp" and it automatically gets renamed and saved into a "Stomped!" folder on your desktop! You can select how many images you want to have stomped into a collage, select with template you want to use, and click "Mix it Up!" until you get the desired effect you're looking for. Easy peasy! You're going to LOVE this!!!

There are so many reasons to love this program, you are just going to have to try it to see for yourself! Not to sound like a Men's Warehouse commercial, BUT, you're gonna like the way you look... I guarantee it!

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It's a new year and a time to challenge yourself to get your flash out of the hot shoe and start mastering off-camera flash. Bounce flash is great, but after a while it all looks the same, flat and dull. My goal for you is to create images that sparkle with depth and dimension. I'm excited to share my NEW online class that begins with the basics to form a solid foundation and quickly get into one, two, three, off-camera speedlights with lighting techniques for weddings and location portraits. I demonstrate the equipment I use to create stunning images no matter kind of lighting situation comes my way. My editor, Bob Kotalik, at the Chicago Sun-Times used to say, "Come back with a good picture or don't come back at all. We don't publish excuses."

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