I used to book 10-13 weddings a year while working a full time job. After a few years I realized that I was getting burnt out. I still loved the wedding industry and serving my clients, but I was balancing a lot. 

Since then I decided that while I love shooting weddings, I didn't love the stress of working full time and shooting weddings as HGP. Through the years, I've always been a second shooter. I came to realize that I don't need to be the primary shooter. I love being able to serve other photographers on wedding days! I strive to make the wedding day easier for the primary shooter; carrying bags, keeping track of the timeline, calling out family names during family formal time, fluffing dresses, you name it...​I've probably done it.

I love being a part of proposal stories and this one is no exception. He was flying his girlfriend in from Colorado for a birthday trip at Mountain Lake Lodge for their Dirty Dancing Weekend. All she knew was that they were going on a trip. Not where. Not what. Nothing. Dirty Dancing is one of her favorite movies (mine too, actually) and he wanted that to be part one of the surprise. 

Since they were in town, he decided to plan a hike. I took Kyle along with me so it wouldn't look too suspicious (girl following couple, snapping pictures). We left the parking lot ahead of Tiffany and Al; stopping to play in the creek. The next thing we knew Tiffany is asking me to take a picture with her cellphone of her and her boyfriend on a bridge. Once we reached the top she said "I'm so sorry to bother you again, but would you mind taking one more picture of us". It wasn't long until Al dropped to one knee in front of the Cascades. Once he got up, he told Tiffany "By the way, this is Hillary and she's actually here for us". 

Make sure you come back for part two of Tiffany and Al's engagement portraits at Mountain Lake Lodge and Bald Knob! 

​Over the summer another photographer friend of mine passed an inquiry to me. Cue, Craig and Joyce. A 65 year-old couple from Michigan that have married for almost 45 years.  I almost didn't take this session. They wanted me to pick them up from a hotel and drive them to a "remote" location to shoot. Sounds sketchy, am I right? 

So I called up a friend and her and her husband went with me, you know just in case. Joyce and Craig had been hiking the Appalachian Trail when she sustained an injury which kept them from continuing. For those of you that don't know, the Appalachian Trail runs from George to Maine and is about 2,200 miles long.  

Dismal Falls in Bland, County Virginia is a far as they got...this time. Making it over 600 miles is nothing to be ashamed of, that's for sure. They really wanted a session to celebrate how far they got and I am so happy that I decided to meet up with them.  They also wanted a to send back some pictures to some of their favorite people in Michigan. 

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​Nathan and I have been together for nearly ten years. A decades worth of loving my high school sweetheart. In order to celebrate with all of you, I’m now offering Anniversary Sessions. 

I know some people have questions about anniversary sessions and I want to take a little time to explain more about them. 

There is a special offer for all Anniversary Sessions, so make sure you read the full post below.  

I can't wait to celebrate with you!


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​The first snapshot I took, I'm pretty sure I squealed a little. These two are seriously the cutest and I'm so excited for their 2018 wedding at Doe Creek Farm. 

Two high school sweethearts currently going to different universities, in different states. She goes to WVU and he goes to Liberty, it was certainly a special occasion for us to meet in Roanoke for their engagement portraits. 

I'm so thankful they were so trusting as we walked all around the campus at Hollins University and it didn't' disappoint. I loved how easy it was for Aaron to make her giggle. Oh and just wait until you see her ring (cue all the heart eyed emjois).

I've been looking forward to this wedding for quite some time and even more excited since I shot Cassidy's bridal session (more from that session to come). At one point during the sunset portraits, I literally stopped everything I was doing to tell them how much I've working with them.

They made my little photog-heart happy with how much time they gave me for portraits. It's definitely one of the perks of doing a first look. But they didn't stop there. They also gave me sunset portrait time (which is one of my favorite parts of the wedding day).

The way Cassidy radiates so much joy every time that she smiles at Camden and the way he can make her laugh in half a second is the sweetest thing.  They met during their time at Virginia Tech, by chance at a intermural basketball game. One of my favorite parts of their wedding ceremony was a "tree planting" ceremony. They took dirt from her home in Grayson County and his home in Danville and poured it around a tree that they will plant at their first home. You see, Wildlife Conservationist and he's a Crop + Soil Environmentalist...trees and dirt are right up their ally. It made their ceremony...theirs.

Alex grew up in the New River Valley, but after college she started traveling as a nurse. Her first stop was Boise, Idaho and that's where she met Mark. These two love adventuring together, which makes me love them more because there is nothing better than adventuring with the love of your life. 

Alex came back to Virginia to get married at the historic Hotel Roanoke. Friends and family from near and far join in the celebration and what a joyous day it was. 

They both were up for anything and I loved getting to explore the hotel with them. We had so much time for couples portraits and my little photographers heart was so happy. I love when my couples give me so much time for just the bride and groom. 

Alex and Mark, it was a joy to celebrate with you.

​We both watched the weather all week. Tropical storm was moving in from the Gulf of Mexico and it looked like it was going to rain all day. Nope. It was sunny, warm, and stunning. Seriously, the day couldn't have been nicer. 

When the doors opened at the War Memorial Chapel and we all saw Lauren standing there with her dad...one of the best entrances! It was a classic "church door opens and there stands the most beautiful bride straight out of a movie" kind of scene. Perfect. 

I'm a huge fan of long flowing bridesmaids and these ladies definitely knew how to pull them off. There is just something about having a dress blowing in the breeze that makes my photographers heart happy. 

This wedding was also a great day for HGP Brides from the past. Laura who's wedding I shot several years ago, was the makeup artist. And Taylor who's wedding was just a couple of weeks before Lauren's, was helping at the Chapel.