Fall and Winter are my favorite times of the year. With the gorgeous weather, holidays, celebrations, and food, what can be better? I usually spend the first half of the year anxiously awaiting the sign of pumpkins…cause that most certainly means the fun times have arrived (and much cooler weather)! Thanks to loads of inspiration from Pinterest and some Martha Stewart channeling this year, our Halloween party was a spooktacular success!  I must admit, I didn’t know I had it in me to create such spooky delights. It was my first time doing so many DIY Halloween projects, including finding a way to make those icky mice stay in my hair, but it was lots of fun! Yummy marshmallow witches, a creepy ‘ice’ hand in the punch bowl, and home-made “choco-pumpkin pops” were some of my family’s favs. The kiddos loved decorating their pumpkins and cutting out the bats! The night was filled with dancing, laughter, some of our close friends, and lots of sugary treats! With guest appearances by Dexter (You can imagine my excitement!!), Batman, Superman (I may be a little biased, but he was my favorite ❤), Wonder-woman, and all the other creative costumes, we definitely had an amazing crowd!

After this evening, I’m thinking about becoming a red-head, what do you think? ;) Happy Halloween!

As unreal as it feels, Kismis Ink is just a couple months short from its 2 year anniversary. It’s mind-boggling that in such a short time, we’ve had the privilege to work with amazing clients, vendors, build a stronger business and travel quite a bit this year. An ‘Alice in Wonderland’-inspired wedding in Georgia, a new Mr. & Mrs. session in Vegas, an intimate courthouse wedding in Miami Beach and we are looking forward to our first international wedding at the exclusive Nachi Cocom Beach Club in Cozumel, Mexico this November!

As we are getting closer to year-end, I recently took some time to revisit our 3-5 year business goals and realized that we met most of the goals listed already! That just makes more room to add some new goals, but I’m thankful and excited for what’s in store for 2012 and beyond!

This time last year, I was conceptualizing a gorgeous wedding editorial with the help of some super-talented vendors. It was our first creative editorial and we were humbled with the support and trust we received from local and international vendors. It gives us such pleasure to share that a selection from our first wedding editorial can be found in the inspiration galleries of Grace Ormonde and the editorial has been selected for a 3-page print feature in another one of our favorite magazines to be released early next year!

I am eager to share the images, details & absolutely stunning creative film by Tampa Wonderworks Film but we’ll have to wait until after the publication comes out.

A huge thank you to everyone that has supported, believed, and worked with us. We put our heart into everything we do and we’re blessed with your relationships.

One of the many satisfactions of being a wedding photographer is the opportunity to experience and document love in so many ways. We are each unique individuals and one-of-a-kind…and so are relationships. It’s a true blessing to see how different couples plan their special day. Some celebrations are intimate while others are extravagant…but what they all have in common is two individuals vowing their love to each other.

When Frances contacted us for her Miami Beach intimate nuptials, she expressed how important it was for her special day to be captured in an intimate, very personal way where the images felt natural and candid. As a graphic designer, composition of the images was also really important to Frances. We were beyond thrilled to oblige!

More than 80 years old, Miami Beach’s historic Old City Hall, with its beautiful Mediterranean architecture, was the perfect location for Frances and Felipe to say their I-Do’s. Frances’s parents flew in from Puerto Rico and along with France’s lovely sister, they witnessed Felipe and Frances become husband and wife.

We were privileged to spend some time before the ceremony at Frances and Felipe’s gorgeous high rise apt (with a stellar view of Miami, as you can see in the first image below) and get to know a little more about them. We also met Chewie, their cute lil pug and sweet baby Valentina, Frances’s niece.

Thanks to Frances, I am now addicted to CB2, West Elm, and I plan on moving to a high rise apartment with an amazing view…very soon.

Frances and Felipe, thank you for having us as part of your special day. We hope you have an amazing adventure on your New Zealand and Fiji honeymoon!

Happy Wednesday! For the last few days I’ve been laying low, taking some time away from social media and doing some ‘soul-searching’. I’ve also been reflecting on 2011. What has affected me (and our business) negatively and positively this year, what lessons I’ve learned, what goals I’ve reached, etc…

Hopefully, these reflections will help me plan my vision (and focus) for 2012. Have you reflected on your past experiences? Feel free to share in the comments below, I’d love to read them.

Here’s a small preview of our wedding this past weekend at the absolutely gorgeous Cross Creek Ranch. The rain created some obstacles but we kept in mind, “An obstacle is often an unrecognized opportunity”. We were thankful and blessed for all the opportunities the circumstances created.

Thanks to Bonnie, Nancy, Tamara and the rest of the CCR crew for all their dedication and hard work. We look forward to sharing more from this lovely wedding soon.

If you’re on Facebook, be sure to head over to our page where we posted a beautiful sneak of the bride last night, taken just seconds before she walked down the aisle.

Hold the phone. I’m throwing a party in the office today. I’ve blogged…wait for it…3 times this week! That seriously calls for some celebration, don’t you think?

I’ve said ’goodbye’ to my perfectionist syndrome…well, maybe just a ‘see you later’? Hoping it’s the former not the latter.

This week’s highlights:

Calling out all former and current bridesmaids out there! Check out our contest which ends tomorrow!

Steve Jobs was a remarkable inspiration to so many, including myself.  He created tools to help us succeed and his passing brought much sadness. You can view one of my favorite Mac commercials and Steve Job’s 2005 Stanford Commencement Address (I encourage anyone to take 15 minutes out of their day to view it. A very powerful and inspiring speech) here.

Photogs, do you have friends asking for photo advice? For anyone starting out in photography or wanting to feel more comfortable with their camera, check out Peachpit Photo Club.

Tampa peeps (and anyone visiting the bay area), we had the opportunity to check out a new local restaurant when we met with Leslie of Vertical Magazine for dinner earlier this week. It was a phenomenal experience! Gorgeous interior design, amazing service, delicious food, and iPad menu/ordering system…need I say more? Definitely check out Carmel Cafe, and be sure to try the Basque Jumbo Lump Crab Cake and  Pound Cake with Strawberries. Yum!

Everyday is an opportunity to try something new or different. Wednesday I traveled to Miami for a corporate shoot and took a taxi from the airport to the law firm I’d be shooting. My first time in a taxi and the highlight? The sweet 75 yr old cab driver’s history lesson on Miami: it’s origins, politics & Cubans. I’d say the experience was very educational. :) When was the last time you did something for the first time?

We’re gearing up for Alison & Matt’s wedding this Saturday and looking forward to having an awesome time capturing their special day! How are you spending your weekend? Whether it’s at a wedding, working, traveling, or relaxing, we hope you enjoy it to the max!

Happy Friday!