51/365 A gorgeous bride

Another one of my girlfriends has left the Land of the Singles and entered the State of Matrimony this month.

Danielle and I became friends in college. We met our sophomore year, when she joined the sorority that I had pledged my freshman year. I remember her being fun and freely willing to let go and just be silly, which -- when mixed with a good head on her shoulders -- I find to be great qualities in a girlfriend.

We didn't become close friends until the next year, when we ended up as roommates in a suite of four. I had different sets of roommates every semester from sophomore year on, but when I look back on those years, my semester with Danielle (and our other two roommates) was my favorite setup. We all got along marvelously well, a group of girls that respected each other's space and knew when to turn down the volume on a weeknight (or quit hitting snooze).

And now? Danielle is back in Indianapolis after a few years in Tennessee, and it's great to have her back! She was a gorgeous bride, and the wedding was beautiful.

And how about that getaway car? Beats a limo, in my book!

Congrats, Danielle!

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000

34/365 Decked out in pink from head to toe

I'll be attending my second wedding in three months in a couple weeks, so that means the time leading up to it is spent celebrating and sending this gal off into the land of the marrieds!

That, of course, includes a bachelorette party. And what bachelorette party is complete without a tiara and a sash? 

Danielle, the bride-to-be, was a great sport. She wore that tiara and sash all night, as well as a pink feather boa, pink and red Mardi Gras beads, and a blinking pin -- all of which matched her pink dress. She also wielded a pinching device that incited some amusing moments throughout the evening.

Danielle, what fun we had celebrating with you!

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000

356/365 Looking down: together

How about a photo of a person looking down for today's themed photo? And not just any person, but a beautiful bride on her wedding day.

I've had several friends get married (we have indeed reached the age where it becomes a regular occurrence), and I've been a guest at one friend's wedding. But this was the first of my close friends -- a friend who I've seen recently and regularly -- to get married.

It's hard to believe! I think about my parents, particularly my mom, and the things she was doing at my age. At that time, she had me -- a toddler -- and a baby boy on the way.

I can't imagine how different my life would be if I were married with children (plural) already. It certainly puts some small worries into perspective.

Think about it: what was happening in your parents' life when they were your age? 

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000

351/365 Something seasonal: sandals

I'm tired of wearing a coat. And scarf. And gloves. And tights. And socks. And boots (not that I don't love my boots). And long underwear to the office (yes, you read that right). And a warm hat.

I'm ready for t-shirts, tank tops, light skirts, sandals, shorts, sunglasses, baseball caps, and driving with the windows down and the radio turned up.

I went to a wedding this past weekend and took a chance when I planned my attire. A light, brightly colored dress, with sandals. No tights.

Yes, it was March 20 and that's definitely risky in central Indiana. I probably would have sought an alternate plan if the day had dawned cold and snowy, but I wasn't going to go down without a fight!

Luckily, I didn't lose any toes to frostbite and was actually quite comfortable in the 65-degree weather. I committed, doing my shoe shopping ahead of time (love, love, love Zappos and its two-way free shipping). I felt a little indulgent ordering four pairs of shoes in one sweep, but I swear I had no intention of keeping all of them.

And I didn't. You can check my highly organized shelves of shoes, I swear. I only kept the one pair.

Now, let's get some warmer weather so I can wear them again!

Camera: Canon 40D with 430EX Speedlite, 1/125s, f/4.5 at ISO 640

109/365 Sneak Peek - Kelly & Matt's Engagement

Kelly and I know each other from our days on the ballroom dance team at Butler University. I haven't seen her in several years, so I was surprised -- and completely honored -- when she emailed me, asking if I'd shoot her engagement photos.

It didn't take me long to respond, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

She said she and her fiancé, Matt, have been following along with SightSalad and wanted to support a fellow BU alumna. How in the world could anyone turn that down?

I asked them a series of questions to find out more about how they relate to one another and what they had in mind for their photos, and Matt said his dream would be to have a photo of them sitting at center court in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Well, let's see what we can do about that!

We met for Part 1 of our session at Hinkle last night, and we're planning to head back to campus on Saturday for more outdoor photos. (Cross your fingers that the weather holds out.)

You get a sneak peek today, with one of my favorites from the Hinkle series. And yes, they are indeed at center court. Stay tuned for more shots in the days to come!

Camera: Canon 40D, 1/60s, f/4 at ISO 640 in halogen gymnasium lighting.

155/365 Ben and Stephanie tie the knot

Surprisingly enough, for someone in her mid-20s, I've attended very few weddings and/or receptions. I can almost count them on one hand. I only have two cousins (both married, so theirs are two of the handful), just one brother, and my closest friends haven't yet tied the knot.

The number increased this weekend, and the story actually begins many moons ago.

My parents met two of their closest friends at work before any of them were married. After they got married, they moved to within a few miles of each other, then Ben and I were born six months apart. Our parents have the customary babies-kissing and toddlers-playing-(naked)-in-the-kiddie-pool pictures of us that somehow come up in conversation every time we're all together.

So Ben is, literally, my oldest friend. And now he's married!

Ben and Stephanie tied the knot on 08/08/08 at 8:00 p.m. with only immediate family present. Their reception was a backyard affair this past Saturday and was lovely.
They were both polite and resisted the America's-Funniest-Home-Videos thought of smearing cake on the other's face. (thank goodness)

Congratulations, Ben and Stephanie! I wish you great happiness!

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD1000 outdoors at about 3:30 p.m.