I'm Emily and I'm so happy you're here! This blog is a journal about my life and my latest work. Stay a while and say hello!

They first met in high school. They were in gym class together–she was a freshman, he was a junior–and also in band. They started dating in February 2008 so, do the math, they’ve been together for over 10 years now! Because of their two-year grade difference, they ended up going to 4 proms together and […]

They met back in the spring of 2012 in college through her best friend. “It was basically a handshake,” she says. It wasn’t until later that year, in the fall semester of college, that they met again. “When I returned for the fall semester,” Derek says, “A friend of mine–and now ours–convinced me to go […]

The forecast was terrible. There’s really no other way to put it. It was 90% change of thunderstorms all day long and, indeed, on the drive there that morning, my windshield wipers were on the highest speed as everyone on the interstate was struggling to see through the downpour. But then! Something miraculous happened. It […]

We’ve had the most rain-filled weeks here in Iowa and it’s really stepping on my fall-loving toes. More importantly, however, October is packed with photos and the rain has been a constant threat. And so it was on Anna & Travis’ wedding day. They had hoped for an outdoor ceremony at Ashton Hill Farm, but […]

They grew up in the same small town, attending the same elementary, middle and high schools, and knew of each other, but had different circles of friends. She describes having a crush on him, but that was all it was. Their families both moved away from the area after high school and they hadn’t seen […]

With their wedding coming up next month and both of them working busy schedules, we had a very limited time to get their engagement session in. Thankfully, we had the most beautiful sunlight (!), but it was incredibly humid and hot outside and we were all sweating so much and batting at bugs between every […]