The Colon Family in Chadds Ford (Maternity)

Meeting, dating, being engaged to and getting married to my husband is one of the richest blessings God has ever given me. But not only because David is pretty spectacular, but also because I've had the most wonderful time meeting and getting to know those that are most dear to him. Jeff (also one of Dave's groomsmen) and Jenny are prime examples of just what I'm talking about!

To say I was excited when I received Jenny's inquiry about a maternity session would be a gross understatement. And as she described what special touches she planned to bring in her arsenal, I thought I might have just died and gone to photographer heaven. Besides being beautiful, loving and just generally happy people, inside and out, from Jeff all the way down to little Sophia, Jenny might as well have slain us all when she decided to step into her ivory-hued whimsical gown that seemed to be perfectly constructed for her and her little one on the way. I mean, seriously…this is how we started our session. And believe me, it just got better from there (an extra touching moment was definitely when we saw an adorable elderly couple strolling along, hand in hand, draped by gorgeous fall light).

Without further delay, I hope you enjoy looking through some of my favorite memories from our time together (including a little goofiness from Jeff)!

Dana and Chris in Philadelphia (Engagement)

I'm not sure that I've ever had so much trouble writing a blurb for a blog. There's so much I could say about this couple, but I am afraid that if I write it all, you'll still be reading this tomorrow morning.

Dana came into my life as a young, fiery red-headed girl in youth group when I was just getting my feet wet as a leader. She somehow became the first student to confide in me, trust me and want to hear what I had to say because she thought I had something to offer her (even if it wasn't very much). I can't remember how or when we clicked, but I do remember that she was "my girl" and I became hers. Over the years I've watched her face the good stuff and bad with that same fiery spirit and trust in the Lord that she had when she first marched her way into the Upper Room, and now, seeing her prepare to be a bride, I couldn't be more proud of the vibrant, (still) fiery, comical, sincere, tender-hearted, passionate young woman that she has become.

And we certainly can't forget about her "boothang". He's kind, super sweet, a strong leader, devoted Christ-follower and completely in love with his woman! I don't think it will take too long to recognize "that look" beaming right out of his eyeballs. As they prepare to join in marriage on Valentine's Day, I can't wait to see God's plan unfold in their life as one.

Please enjoy a few of my favorite morning snuggles and silly giggles from their sunrise session on Sunday!

"So, we should commit to tickling for five seconds too, right?!"

Dang girl.

Meredith and Rob in Wayne (Engagement)

As this week kicks off our wedding week celebration, what better way than to showcase the love between these two!

In all honesty, it was impossible to not feel completely overcome with joy by being around Meredith and Rob. They were ADORABLE. Both of them! Now again, I'll be completely honest. Normally, I find myself catering a bit more to making the men of Aaren Lee Photography feel comfortable, but not this guy. Rob was a total goof- full of laughter and love for his woman from the second I lifted my lens in their direction. Meredith too! What a blast it was to follow them around for a few hours with my camera. And in just a few short weeks, I'll be able to do it AGAIN! Yes please!

I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites from their charming excursions in Wayne.

Favorite.

An elephant bracelet?! Be still my heart.

And then there's always that ring….WHOA.

Adorable.

So. Much. Fun.

Jackson Burdett Thomas (Birth Day)

Over the past three days, I've been asked so many questions and have been approached by so many people with their thoughts on my most recent previews on Facebook. Chances are, you've seen them too, and they've brought you here. My common answers have been "Yes, I photographed a live birth", "No, it wasn't scary (for me at least)", "No, it wasn't gross", and "No, I didn't pass out". I also couldn't have predicted the emotional impact those images would have on my viewers as they remembered their own birth stories.

Now, to be completely honest, I was scared of all of those things. And when I saw Julie in pain, I struggled to fight off tears. I even assumed the traditional crouch pose of photographers at first, with my knees slightly bent to avoid the silent, but rapid light-headedness, followed by a nice session of sucking the hospital floor that I feared (I mean, seriously…who wants to tend to the unrelated photographer who can't keep it together while there's a woman in labor in the room?). But as soon as Julie said it was "go time", I couldn't think of anything other than how amazing this moment actually was.

That brings me to the stars of this show. I still can't believe that from when I arrived at 5:00 p.m. to when Jackson made his debut at 6:13 p.m. the amount of peeps that came from Julie could be counted on one hand. And after less than 30 minutes of formal pushing, Jackson was born. Now, I'm certainly no expert, but from what I hear of first time birth stories, Julie was an absolute ROCKSTAR! And who could forget her steady support system, breathing coach, encourager and hand-holder? James handled the stress and fear of the moment like a champ and never faltered by his wife's side. Last, but certainly not least, I must mention Jackson. He arrived exactly when he was good and ready (despite the dancing antics of his mother), and once he was here, was seriously the sweetest newborn I've ever laid eyes on as he quietly looked around and curled into his Mama's chest.

Julie and James- THANK YOU for trusting and allowing me to share in the moments of your lives and for letting me share them with the world. This was an absolute honor and one of the most incredible moments that I've ever experienced. And Jackson, welcome to Aaren Lee Photography little buddy, I look forward to having my lens pointed in your direction again soon. :)

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves on this one, friends.

Justin and Stephanie in Philadelphia (Engagement)

It seems like so long ago...a sunny, 64 degree day at the tail-end of March (especially when a few more flurries are so fresh in our minds), but trust me, it was sunny. It was 64 degrees. And it was a BEAUTIFUL day for an engagement session last Saturday.

Meet Justin and Steph. Two of the cutest little love-birds you'll ever meet. Here's a little snippet from one of our planning emails to help give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

"I'm going to try to explain this the best I can…Stephanie to me is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Why? Because she can pull off any look. She can be in PJ's in the morning, cowgirl boots and jeans, standing in the mud fishing in the afternoon and then she can wear a princess dress in the evening and every single moment, I still look at her completely speechless."

I mean, seriously?! What woman doesn't want to have that effect on her man?

Oh, but when you look at Stephanie, it's almost as if you can see love beams shooting straight out of her eyeballs every time Justin comes near. Yep, these two have the stuff dreams are made of! And as we explored the areas in and around the Art Museum, I had a front row seat to exactly what makes their love special.

With that said, please enjoy a few of my favorites from their gloriously golden sunset session in Philadelphia!