Trust. It’s one of the most important parts of every relationship, because it’s the down payment on a lifetime of happiness. Trust requires you to be vulnerable with someone else, to let them hold your heart, to fall without a harness. You can’t have lasting love without total trust – and they have it.

Dinka and Dan are the embodiment of trust. The way he holds her, and the way she lets him. The way she laughs, and the way he looks at her. The way they are together every single minute. When the camera is clicking, and when it’s not. From the moment we met Dinka and Dan, they trusted us, too. We gave them permission to be themselves, and they gave us permission to document it. We trusted each other, we fell together, and the camera caught them… falling in love all over again.

Dinka and Dan, we had so much fun with you because you reminded us of how much fun life is when you trust. When you laugh. When you love. And, after all, the best way to be swept off your feet is by the very same person who’s going to catch you.

It seems like just yesterday that we were huddled with Katie and Todd in coffee shop on a cold, November evening, warming-up over festive drinks and listening to them dream about the future. We laughed (a lot), talked more about life and love than photography, and probably overstayed our visit; but we left with new friends, and that’s why we love what we do. Springtime came quickly, and the brightness of Katie and Todd’s personalities infused their wedding day with color and character.

Katie and Todd, someone told us recently that the best way to preserve memories is to remember them forward. Here’s one of our favorites to remember and take with you into that future, the one we heard about on that November night so many months ago. Happy anniversary.

When Gotham needs a hero, it lights up the sky with wings and calls Batman. When Phoenix needs to plan a P-A-R-T-Y, it lights a candle on a cupcake and wishes for Elisa Brenly, the Valley’s sweetest, classiest, most tasteful event planner for doing fun right. Elisa’s creativity is original and inspired. Her professionalism is first class. Her detail and determination are unmatched. Her heart is big, open, and ready to serve.

Elisa launches her newest endeavor this summer: BASH! by Brenly. The menu of offerings will leave no client deterred from hiring an event planner for the first time, but determined to get started right away. From wedding and baby showers to children’s birthday parties, and from intimate dinners to themed get-togethers, BASH will do it all. Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” We say, “If you can dream it, BASH! can plan it.”

Elisa, we fell in love with your passionate pursuit of perfection the first time we met you, when BASH was just an idea waiting to erupt from your soul. Your energy exploded that night like glistening bits of confetti shot out from a cannon. We know that you’re going to be a success, and a smashing one at that.

We had the pleasure of taking Elisa’s pictures for her new website, which is still in the works and is sure to be fabulous. In the meantime, you can follow her on Instagram @bashbybrenly and take a look at a few of our favorites.

It was love at first keystroke. From the moment Alyssa emailed us to photograph her engagement party (we love parties!), we fell in love with her humor and happiness (our two favorite qualities in people). We looked forward to every email exchange as Alyssa shared more details (and laughs) with us, and we couldn’t wait for the big night. (Did we mention that we love parties?)

When the night finally arrived and we walked into Alyssa’s home, we felt more like family than photographers. The warmth and kindness were as authentic as the Arizona sunset that evening. The decor was perfect. The food was delicious. The love was everywhere. As we watched Chris and Alyssa kick off the beginning of their life together with a bang, we couldn’t help but stop for a minute, take a deep breath, and remember why we love what we do. We can’t thank the Lernors enough for opening up their home to us. Here’s a little sneak peek of some of our favorites.

If you can get over the idea that it’s always winter in Narnia, we’re pretty sure we found our own little Narnia right here in Scottsdale. Don’t get us wrong, we love the desert, but every once in a while, it’s fun to feel like we’ve been transported outside of our usual desert terrain. When we found this spot, we literally had to climb our way straight through thick brush, and pull back bushes that were as tall as we were. When we made it through, though, we weren’t disappointed. It was magical. Like lamppost in the snow, talking faun kind of magical. We knew it would be the perfect spot for Grant and Holly.

Grant and Holly are expecting their first little boy in just about a month. We were honored when they asked us to capture this special time in their lives, and even more thrilled that they trusted us enough to forge into the wilderness with us. They were so much fun to photograph. They are a beautiful couple, inside and out, and we loved every minute working with them. Even the moment when Holly spotted a rattlesnake and screamed, “Shoot it!” At that moment, we believed Grant must have been packing heat, only to realize she was talking to us! She didn’t want the rattler dead, she wanted a photo of it! We happily obliged, and we all left the session unharmed, with laughter abound. We have so many favorites from our time with Grant and Holly. Here are just a few.

This is a session we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Anna and Ryan are expecting their first little girl, and we felt so honored when Anna asked us to document this special time in their life. We had so much fun taking advantage of the beauty the desert offers in the springtime. For a little while, it felt like we were the only people in the world.  Anna and Ryan are beautiful inside and out, and are going to be incredible parents. They are sweet, patient, kind, and most importantly, madly in love with each other. She is one lucky little girl.

She was having one of those days. One of those terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. It was her parents’ anniversary, and everyone was missing her sweet mother. Her mom recently lost a courageous battle against cancer, and on that particular day, the hurt of missing her was extra deep. She was cooking dinner for her family, her back to everyone, as she was lost in thought. She turned around for a split second to find a sea of family members all pointing their cameras directly at her. Stunned for a moment, she didn’t know what was happening. As she looked down, she saw him there. On one knee. With a diamond ring in his hand. And as he asked her to spend the rest of his life with him, she noticed her mother’s diamonds on the band that he was holding. Her heart fluttered, and the rest of the day was nothing but a celebration of new beginnings.

We couldn’t be happier for Morgan and Ryan. They are perfect together, and it was so fun to capture their joy from behind our cameras. The four of us spent the whole shoot laughing, and then laughing, and then laughing some more. We found killer light, and they rocked it. Our only regret is we have to wait until next spring to get them in front of the cameras again. Until then, we’ll be counting down the days ’til their wedding!

It’s official. Spring is here! And oh, how glorious it is. Springtime in the desert is nothing short of magical. Everything is so lush and green. With a handful of maternity sessions ahead, we couldn’t be happier with spring’s timing. It’s just the perfect setting for parents-to-be. So you can imagine we were excited when Robert and Jamie told us they were up for some exploring.  We navigated some pretty treacherous terrain, but really spent most of our adventure lost in good conversation and laughter. It was such an honor to freeze this moment in time for them. They’re expecting their first little girl in just about a month’s time, and we can’t wait to meet her.

She spotted him from across the dance floor. His confidence on the dance floor was matched only by his skill. This boy had moves. She was drawn to him. With a little encouragement from her best friend, she decided to go for it. Surrounded by mason jars and country music, Heath and Rachel took a chance on each other that night. He twirled her around the dance floor and swept her off her feet. Little did they know, their love story was just beginning.

As they walked hand in hand on the beach, Rachel’s heart was pounding. This might just be the moment. Heath had made dinner reservations and everything had been perfect. They walked together along the shoreline at dusk, and as they approached the end of the beach, she became more and more sure. This was it! She watched him bend down… and dump sand out of his shoes. Deflated, Rachel felt silly for thinking this would be the night he popped the question. Heath knew exactly what he was doing. They headed back the way they came, and just when she least expected it, he surprised her with a ring.

Heath and Rachel’s wedding day was absolutely perfect. Their love is so tangible, and their smiles were undeniable. Their family and friends were elated, and the party was electric. They danced all night, and he swept her off her feet all over again. Heath and Rachel, we can’t even begin to tell you what an honor it was to get to spend the day with you.

Venue: Eagle Mountain Golf Club | Florist: Lena’s Flowers | Hair & Makeup: Vu Salon | DJ: Universal Disc Jockeys