Jessica Riehl Photography

The Fab Wedding Of Dottie and Ryan

A couple of weeks ago, I photographed the wedding of the fabulous Dottie and Ryan. They were a ton of fun hamming it up for the camera.  Once again, I was honored to photograph a couple full of personality and spunk.  I should say spice, since they walked down the aisle after the ceremony grooving to I Feel Good by James Brown.  They also had one of those amazing hollywood kisses...should have been in the movies, I tell ya! The kind that gives you goose bumps and makes you reach for your spouse's hand, cause you know it is meant to be.  And, they aren't scared to show it!

Enough said...

Cheers,
Jess

P.S. I forgot...they sang Karoke to each other at the wedding!

The Kiss...

Ryan...you better behave!

Ryan's grandmother who is 94 and I just couldn't help but share this gorgeous photo of her:

Anastasia...

Meet Anastasia. She lives just outside of Boston with the world's largest cat. Ever. She can barely pick him up and I had to make sure I had a good hold on him before I received my cuddle.  His head is not too much smaller than her head and he is ultra sweet.

But, more about this beautiful little girl. Anastasia is one of my favorite girls to photograph, she loves the camera and has her own ideas about what we should do.  She has an amazing backyard and when I arrived she already had her art easel and chair set up and was just waiting to bring me into her world.    She also picked out her own clothes and gave me her best America's next top model looks. Anastasia is a half princess and half tomboy and with a pinch of silliness and a dollop of sweetness.

Until we meet again fair princess....

Love,
Jess

Jeff and Ann-Marie

Jeff and Ann-Marie tied the knot two weekends ago at a fabulously casual wedding on the sound in Duck, North Carolina. I introduced you to Jeff and Ann-Marie in August when we did their engagement session in Hampton, Virginia.

Jeff and Ann-Marie brought their own special talents to make the wedding so special. Jeff made the cheesecakes, which were to die for and Ann-Marie arranged all of the flowers. She received a special gift from her uncle who is an orchid grower in Florida...90 orchids. They were everywhere and in every color, it was like being transported to a tropical paradise.  I even got to bring a couple home ;)

I am a sucker for all things old and that have a special meaning, so I have to tell you about Ann-Marie's dress, it is over 100 years old and was made by one of the women in her family.  It was gorgeous, so detailed and it is made of linen.  She looked amazing in it and I think it suited her so perfectly.  Her wedding band was made from a ring that Jeff's grandmother wore and Jeff's mother now has part of.

Jeff and Ann-Marie, thank you for allowing me to celebrate your wedding with you.  You will have an amazing life together.

Cheers,
Jess

My Trip To Malaysia...

As many of you know, I recently traveled to Malaysia and not to just have fun.  I went to photograph the adorable 5 month cutie known as Jenise. Jenise has a heritage that spans two hemispheres...her father's family in the US and her mother's family in Malaysia.  This trip was all about her first taste of Malaysia and what an amazing trip it was.

There is so much to say about my trip, that I can put it all in one post so I will have to let my photographs speak for themselves.  Each slide show is about a different part of the trip.  Since Jenise's dad has not partaken in some of the glories of Sabah (where we were), he took this opportunity to take us along as his  partners in crime.  Because of that we were truly privileged to see so many wonderful sights and believe me we didn't see them all so I just might need to go back.

It is such a touching and intimate experience to be so completely let into the life of a family. It is the ultimate compliment to be entrusted with so many memories all at one time. Jenise met her aunts and uncles for the first time, her dad climbed a mountain for the first time, Jenise met all of her mother's childhood friends, and she was able to play with her cousins for the first time. And, we recorded it, so now Jenise will have the most amazing gift from her parents...images that show her first trip to Malaysia and all that it encompasses.

If you are interested in talking to me about visiting Malaysia, just send me an email. J's family owns an amazing tour company that helped make our experiences so awesome and easy.  They can do the same for you!

I can't not say thank you enough for the trust you have placed in me to bring me half way around the world to photograph your daughter. You are an amazing family and I can't wait until our next adventure together.

To view the photos:
Tran Family  (Jenise's family)
Kota Kinabalu  (the city of Jenise's family)
Mt Kinabalu  (our climb up South East Asia's highest mountain)

Cheers,
Jessica

Here's your appetizer:

The Meaning Of Life...

I’ve been puttering around my house and home office for the last 5 days trying to regain my foothold on life and the business after two months of traveling here there and everywhere. I have struggled to get over the exhaustion and belly aches that come from a journey half way around the world.  I have stared at my mounds of admin, emails and photographs trying to find the energy to get it all done. I’ve gone over my business plan and met with my business coach, praying that this venture allows me to create the life of my dreams.  I have gone to bed lonely every night this week, as I have all summer long, just waiting until my husband can come home from school 545 miles away.  I wonder why I just didn’t go with him, life is short, right? 

All of these musings have lead me to question why am I torturing myself?  I could get a regular 9-5 job and be done with the severely disorganized home office, late nights editing and working seven days a week. I could fly to my hubby every weekend.  If you are my friend on Facebook, you’ve noticed that my status for the last two days has been...contemplating the meaning of life.  A few of you commented giving me a few answers and encouragement on my quest.

My answer came in the form of a Christmas gift from my husband. It is a solar powered rainbow catcher.  It’s only purpose in life is to create these beautiful rainbows that dance around my office when the sun is shining.  That’s it.  That’s the meaning of life...to create something beautiful. It doesn’t matter what that something is...a love, a photograph, a home, a friendship, a plate of food, a family, a pint of excellent beer, a poem, a rainbow, or a book on marketing. It doesn’t matter what the thing is.

As with the rainbow catcher, the sun doesn’t always shine.  But there is the promise that tomorrow the sun will shine. If I didn’t quite achieve my goals today, tomorrow I will. It’s the dream of creating something beautiful that drives me on. My beautiful “thing” just happens to manifest itself most prominently in my photography and relationships.  Photography is my way of creating something beautiful and giving it back to the universe.  It is the backbone of my life.  It gives me sustenance, hope and meaning.  I’ve lived without it and I was not a happy person.  My relationships give me the ingredients to make my photography.  Everyone I know has contributed to the process of creating my beautiful thing.  A tidbit of information, a family session, a chance to travel, a heartfelt talk on photography, and encouragement to follow my heart. 

That’s it...that’s the answer.  My fortune cookie says create something beautiful.  Now, I am off again. I am renewed.  Onward, because there are mountains yet to photograph, children to fall in love with, and cups of coffee (or pints of beer) to be shared.

Peace, love and happiness,
Jessica