NC meets NZ. One night while living in Queenstown, New Zealand, Drew and I were paying for parking after a great night eating downtown. Drew got to the parking machine first and I said, "thanks for paying Drew!", the guy behind us then said, "oh, so you're paying for parking for us all, thanks man!" and we all laughed. Normally, when we're in this situation the next question is, 'Where are you from?' or 'What brings you to this side of the world?' Normally, we say, we're from Miami! Because no one knows where North Carolina is, bless their hearts. But this time, we hinted a slight southern accent and we said, "We're from Raleigh, where are y'all from?" and they said, "NO WAY we're from Kinston", which is only about an hour outside the city. What are the chances?! Like good North Carolinians, we proceeded to chit chat for literally another hour and had to repay for parking because our tickets already expired. It turned out, these adventurous souls were on a delayed honeymoon! They had never had professional photos taken, so I of course had to take their photos in the most beautiful location on earth! They came to our lake from bach, Kiwi for itty bitty tiny house by the water, and we talked about how they met, how he was on a TV show for the restaurant they worked in, how she is helping Dreamers in her city stay focused on the right path. What I loved is how clearly in love they are. He was constantly complimenting her and she was giggling left and right. It was the most amazing afternoon followed by a fun night out on the town with our new North Carolina friends :D They jumped out of planes, off cliffs, and got tattoos, but I think this was the most exciting adventure :) 

While living in Christchurch, New Zealand, our very first hike was to the surrounding Port Hills. We drove up some winding roads (this is day 2 of driving on the left side of the road and it was crazy scary) and found the most amazing views. It was the most amazing Kiwi welcome we could have asked. It became my mission to photograph an engagement or a cool couple at sunset and frolic through the fields together! Thankfully I met Tiffany and her fiancé and my dream location came true! We had so much exploring the trails that wove up and down next to the Tasman sea. They even brought some champagne to celebrate! He is in tech working for a start up and splits time between NZ and San Fransisco, and she has a heart of gold and teaches preschool. We instantly clicked and my little artist heart was so full! They're world travelers too, and for their summer holiday, they are exploring Europe. They happen to be visiting a near by town to us in Sweden and we can't wait to meet up!! Love how massive yet small our beautiful world can be. 

I so loved this day with Keran and her partner! They met at Canterbury University near Christchurch, New Zealand on the South Island. He's in tech and she's a school counselor. Drew and I were coming up on our last few days in Christchurch before moving down south to Queenstown and I was really hoping to photograph a rad couple in town. I was talking with a local wedding planner and she connected me with this amazing duo! Once we started talking the only time we both had available was literally today, in 10 minutes, sun was setting, go go go go! Keran convinced her partner to immediately hop in the car and we met at the beach! We had the pier, sand dunes, and massive beach to our selves!! I knew it was going to be an amazing session because of how chill and go with the flow they were to spontaneously be down to be photographed by an overly enthusiastic American.  We skipped, and twirled, and laughed our way into the setting Kiwi sun. Thank you both for such a magical afternoon! I hope our paths cross again soon! 

Massive boulders - check
Matching jort outfits - check
Meeting the sweetest Sweedish couple who are now my muse model inspirations - check check check 

I love being a wedding photographer in Miami and I miss photographing on the beach in and the ocean. But, I also love hills and rocks and unique terrain! Castle Hill is a super cool location on New Zealand's South Island. It was one of my bucket list locations because The Chronicles of Narnia were filmed here! It's a quick drive outside of Christchurch and in 2002 the Dali Lama himself visited, loved it, and labeled the area "Spiritual Center of the Universe". How cool! While hiking and watching some rock climbers and boulderers we started talking with a couple from Stokholm (we all may or may not have been lost in the maze of hills and rocks). Our next stop is Sweden so we were asking them all kinds of questions, promised to meet up in Stokholm, and then I got to take a few fun pics of these love birds! They're traveling around New Zealand in their van and I was so thrilled to be able to give them this gift!

​The sunshine was out and we had so much fun laughing and skipping around this stunning location!! 

Down 30 kilometers of dirt road is the trailhead to a very special 10k uphill hike that takes you past aqua blue rivers, over golden hills, through cow pastures, and finally to the foot of Mount Aspiring topped with glaciers and surrounded by waterfalls. The views are so worth it! It's like a real life Rivendale for all my LOTR nerds. (I mean how can you not be when you live in the country where 2 stunning trilogies were made!!) I got to meet Melissa and her partner who are traveling around the South Island for several weeks. Melissa is a social worker and living in Christchurch and her partner came to visit! I was so excited to take photos of them in such a special location. They were immediately lovey and cuddly and giggly - my favorite! When a couple forgets the camera is there and they melt into each other, that's when their true genuine selves shows! We took these in 10 minutes! That's all you need for some life long memories :D

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a rugged land of ice and rock, with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. The Maori name for Mount Cook is Aorangi or Aoraki, meaning cloud piercer. EPIC. I love adventure and hiking with my couples because you get to know them while walking and if feels less formal. Like we're just friends and you're just hiking and I'm just snapping photos. It's the absolute best to adventure and explore in such beautiful places all over the world. I'm all about getting to know your soul so you I can better tell your story! I've always loved hiking and exploring and being able to combine photography has been a dream come true! One of Drew's and I's lifetime goals is to visit all the US National Parks, so even better to check off a few in New Zealand too! 

In between Christchurch and Queenstown lies Lake Tekapo famous for it's summer lupine fields. Here in the south, the seasons are flipped, so peak is around end of December. We missed the peak season but still found a few stragglers! It's also known as a Dark Sky Sanctuary so there's minimal light pollution and the stars at night are unreal! We were stoked to adventure into the hills and hike up to University of Canterbury's Mount Saint John Observatory. The golden fields and view over Lake Tekapo were stunning! As a space nerd, I also loved seeing the observatories! Lake Tekapo gets its intense milky-turquoise color from the fine rock-flour (ground by glaciers) which is suspended in the water. It's so stunning!! While hiking to the top we met an awesome couple who's traveling the world too! They met in Australia, did some farm work to earn visa and a living, then saved up to camp around the South Island! We meet so many couples who are taking a few weeks or months to visit all the incredible sights. Camp sights here are super duper nice. Shower and bathrooms are clean and most even have wifi, laundry, and communal kitchens. So if you're thinking about visiting tons of stops, we suggest renting a camper van and bopping all over! 

​We took these in probably 5 minutes! It only takes a few minutes to capture love! 

On our way from North Carolina to Christchurch, New Zealand we had a 10 hour lay over in Sydney, Australia! We took the train from the airport to the bay, ate at a restaurant on King Street Warf overlooking the water, toured inside the Sydney Opera house, and walked the Royal Botanic Gardens. We were exhausted after the 14 hour flight but stoked to be on a new continent! While there, I was lucky enough to photograph two couples for a few minutes in front of the iconic building. One was on their honeymoon and the other was in town visiting family. I feel so luck to meet couples from all over the world and photograph in the most beautiful places! Being a traveling elopement and couple's photographer has been a dream and I can't wait to keep sharing photos from our time in New Zealand! 

I can tell from the first few minutes of walking into a venue how the day will go. I knew from the moment we stepped inside the stunning garden villa and saw Zoie beaming, that today was going to be a perfect day. Zoie is a school psychologist and gives and gives every day. So I was just thrilled that she was able to be pampered and loved on and celebrated!

The wedding location is the stunning Mediterranean style Villa Woodbine in Coral Gables, steps from the ocean but tucked away in a lush garden. Zoie was getting ready the the gorgeous upstairs room and looked like a classic Hollywood movie star with her vintage waves and lace dress. I so love her and her father's first look up on the balcony because her brother and mom were peaking around the corner to witness the emotion too! The sun started to set and the lawn's bistro lights started to light up for their ceremony! Nick and his guys walked in and we all waited for the big moment. Nick's jaw dropped and when Zoie turned the corner with her dad and covered in a the most ethereal veil. My favorite was the lazo ceremony because it was used in Zoie's parent's wedding and both moms came up to put it around them while they exchanged rings. After some stunning sunset photos, the amazing team light all the candles and transformed the gardens into a fairy tale. I for real got chills see the flickering flames with the twinkle lights over head. The rest of the night was a blast too! Toasts, limoncello, amazing food, and lots of dancing. I love smaller/medium sized weddings because couples can see everyone and just enjoy their wedding without having to play host. I so loved seeing them laugh and smile and twirl around all night. That's how its supposed to be! Everyone was sooo excited for Nick and Zoie not only because are they clearly so meant for each other, but they impact and inspire everyone they're around. I think their genuine love and joy is so evident in the pictures, and it was truly a blessing to be back in Miami and document this amazing couple! 

Follow these awesome vendors on Instagram!
Photography: @lauramemoryphotography
Venue: @villa_woodbine
Catering: @billhansenluxurycatering
Planner: @jessicasevents
Florist: @anthologyco
Hair and Makeup: @beautyby_renata
Cake: @earthandsugar

I am so honored to be a part of this special project. Isla Atropa reached out to several photographers all over the world to join forces in a special collaboration. Isla Atropa is a bridal fashion brand that emphasizes fair trade products and works to promote social issues, mostly through human trafficking awareness and donation. She designed and created 3 special dresses to be sent around on an Eastern US tour, Western US tour, and an international tour. The idea is for the dress to be passed around and each photographer would be able to create a unique story with the goal to raise awareness about human trafficking, forced sex work, and illegal child marriage which are all still very prevalent today:

I was thrilled when my dear friend Lyndsey agreed to model this dress at the Colosseum. She from Virginia and is studying law in Italy with a particular focus on the international side and goals to fight against human trafficking. So of course she was the perfect model for this project. She was able to masterfully show beauty yet vulnerability beneath the complicated shadow of the Colosseum. Such an iconic location, but with an infamous past of violence, sexual exploitation, and slavery. We also wanted to show the trafficking side by going underground to the metro showing how easily someone can be overlooked. But it's not all dark, there's always hope. As the sun dipped and tourists scattered, we wrapped Lyndsey up in lights and she transformed into a beacon of strength and resilience.

​I will let the rest of the pictures tell our story: 

Ways To Help:

• Educate yourself on your town and area of the world
• Get involved in a local chapter to raise awareness, help victims, and fundraise for law enforcement efforts
• Make informed purchasing decisions like ethically made clothing and fair trade goods 
• Be a good neighbor to the struggling teen or substance abusing friend 
• Get political, write and call your politicians to let them know the issue is important to you and ask how they're implementing policies to address the issues
• See something off, say something!