I wanted to post this much, much earlier this morning but I have had a hard time determining how I was going to announce the winner of the contest today. You see, I woke up this morning to an email from the company who does handles the voting for the contest. Their email was to inform me that not one, but TWO of my contestants have had friends and family members who were cheating for them to win the prize. I was immediately saddened because the point of the contest was all in good fun and it was so nice to see family members and friends of the contestants reposting the link and encouraging others to read their story. The point was not for people to hack the voting system and falsely inflate the votes so that the honest entries had no chance to win.

In good faith I cannot announce a winner for the contest because I do not believe in cheating. However, I know the contestants were all looking forward to trying to win a free engagement session with me, and I did promise a prize for everyone who entered. I do not believe that the newly engaged couples were the ones specifically responsible for the hacking of the votes, and I hate for them to be punished because of the actions of those who they may not have known were cheating.

I have struggled with this all day…. back and forth on what is a fair decision for all involved. I thought about doing a random drawing, about canceling the contest completely, about offering everyone a credit towards a session, so on and so on. This is what I came up with….

There will not be one specific winner. Everyone who entered the contest is going to win an engagement session with Sweet Serendipity Photography. I am really looking forward to working with everyone. When I do the session for the couple I will include their story with their sneak peek, and of course a pro photo of that gorgeous ring!

A few conditions….
- the session must take place before August 31, 2012.
- it is better to book your session early because weekend availability is extremely limited as we enter wedding season. Weekday evenings are always a fantastic option for a session!
- if you were thinking of using Sweet Serendipity for your wedding you will receive a credit for your engagement session if one is included in the package you choose. This credit will expire after 8/31/12.
- the session must take place in Alachua County. I am more than willing to travel to alternative locations however the winner will be responsible for a small travel fee.

Brides and grooms- send me a message at info@sweetserendipityphotography.com for info on how to claim your prize! You can also use the contact form on this page. I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Well, if rain on your wedding day is good luck then Stephanie and Amanda need to play the lottery! Not only did it rain on their wedding day, it was a tropical depression on their wedding day. Since their hopes for beautiful outdoor photos were crushed, they opted to do an After Session at Lake Alice on the campus of the University of Florida. Not only did it give more time for photos, it also was a much more relaxed atmosphere.

Amanda wanted to surprise Stephanie with a necklace… so it made a perfect photo op.

Lori and Ryan planned and created every last detail of their wedding, and every last detail was absolutely fitting for their backyard affair. The two married October 15 at her parents home in Dunnellon. Here are a few favorite details as well as some of their bride and groom photos.

When you plan a wedding during the summer months in Florida you expect that plans may change due to rain. But early October? Generally not an issue. However Mother Nature played a trick on all of us and the day of Stephanie and Amanda’s wedding was just plain nasty, cold and torrential downpours. Originally they had planned to get married in a garden overlooking a lake at the beautiful Town Manor Bed and Breakfast in Auburndale,FL. The staff of Town Manor did an amazing job moving their ceremony indoors when it looked like the weather was not going to clear up, and both Stephanie and Amanda were such great sports about their ceremony plans changing at the last minute. They exchanged vows surrounded by their closest friends and family and that was what mattered. Here is a sneak peek of their wedding day. Due to the weather we are going to do an Encore Session at the end of the year so look for more of these two lovely ladies then. Also special thanks to Misty Martin for acting as my assistant for the day and braving the rain and cold with me.

Gown Boutique | Jay’s Bridal

Makeup Artist |

Hair Stylist |

Ceremony Venue | Town Manor, Auburndale, FL

Reception Venue | Town Manor, Auburndale, FL

Event Coordinator |

Ceremony Officiant |

Floral Designer |

Cake Artist |

Catering |

Entertainment |

And a slideshow…

So the HARDEST thing about bridal sessions for me….. not being able to share the images right away! We shot Nicole’s bridal session in early October and I have had to keep these under wraps for an entire month! But as of today Nicole is now a married woman and I am free to share.

When Nicole scheduled her bridal session she knew she wanted something “different” for her photos. Since she is from South Florida she wanted something with a really upscale feel to it, and not just another bride in a field or pretty garden type session. While eating dinner at Sabore Restaurant in Town of Tioga one night she got the inspiration to have her bridal session there. A few phone calls later and she set the entire thing up. The owner and managers of Sabore were more then accommodating in letting us use their space and moving tables around while we shot.

Here are a few of many, many favorites from this session…..

Michelle and Stephen are planning their wedding for April of 2012. They are such a fun couple to be around and this session was full of laughter and good times. Here is a sneak peek and slideshow…

Katie and Kyle were married September 3, 2011 at Camp Weed in Live Oak, Fl. Not only was their venue nothing short of spectacular, the love shared between their family and friends was so evident during their wedding and reception. Everyone was so incredibly welcoming that myself and my assistants immediately felt like part of the clan. The details of Katie and Kyle’s day were so well thought out and fitting- right down to the mason jar toasting glasses and favors of jars of honey. Here is a much anticipated sneak peek of their wedding and slideshow.

First I have to share this photo because I think it is so beautiful!

Here is an image I took at their engagement session.

I loved the image so much I chose to use it on their custom guest cards that were included in their wedding package. Unbeknownst to me a family friend used that image to make a custom drawing for Katie and Kyle to use as in lieu of a guest book.

Ceremony Venue | Mandy’s Chapel, Camp Weed

Reception Venue | Cerveny Conference Center, Camp Weed

Gown Boutique | Jay’s Bridal

Grooms Tux |

Hair Stylist | Salon Eye Candy

Makeup Artist | Friend

Officiant | Friend of Family

Catering | Camp Weed

Cake Artist | Share Your Cupcakes

Entertainment | Friend of the Family

Florals | Thompson’s Flower Shop

Ceremony Venue | Covenant Presbyterian Church

Reception Venue | Jolie Events

Gown Boutique | David’s Bridal

Grooms Tux |

Hair Stylist | Friend

Makeup Artist | Friend

Officiant | Matt Gordon

Catering | Zuzu

Cake Artist | Dream Day Cakes

Entertainment | Friend of the Family

Florals | Friend

Sarah and Matt met several years ago when they were introduce at Bible study. Their friendship blossomed into love and on August 6th- in front of all their family and friends- the two became husband and wife. There wasn’t a dry eye in the church as Sarah and Matt exchanged their vows. Here is a sneak peek of their day and a slideshow.

And a slideshow of their entire wedding…

Kristin and Mike have known each other for most of their lives and Kristin admits to having had a crush on Mike for the majority of the time growing up. Many, many years later the two were married at Gainesville Country Club on a gorgeous summer evening. The ceremony overlooked Payne’s Prairie and they were surrounded by 200 friends and family members. Gainesville Country Club did an amazing job designing the details of their black and white themed wedding and the dance floor was hopping from the start of the night to the very end.

Ceremony Venue | Gainesville Golf and Country Club

Reception Venue | Gainesville Golf and Country Club

Bride’s Dress | Jon’s Bridal, Tampa, FL

Grooms Tux |

Hair Stylist | Bridesmaids

Makeup Artist | Lindsey Wirth Makeup

Officiant | Friend of Family

Catering | Gainesville Country Club

Cake Artist | Ms. Debbie’s Sugar Art

Entertainment | Southbeats DJ

Florals | Crevasse Regency Florist

And a slideshow…

Ceremony Venue | Historic Thomas Center

Reception Venue | Historic Thomas Center

Bride’s Dress | Jay’s Bridal

Grooms Tux |

Hair Stylist | Beach Break Salon

Makeup Artist | Beach Break Salon

Officiant | Our Simple Ceremony

Catering | Springwater Events

Cake Artist | Publix

Entertainment | Shea Michaels

Florals | Family and Friends

They say that rain on your wedding day is a GOOD omen, so if that is the case this couple will have plenty of years ahead of them. It rained off and on all day, but miraculously cleared up about an hour before ceremony time so Nicole could have the outside wedding that she dreamed of. The backdrop of the Historic Thomas Center was fitting for this elegant black and white styled wedding. Here is a much anticipated blog post! If you missed their sneak peek check it out HERE.

And a slideshow!