it was a wonderful week for their family and friends to be in Sun Valley……

love these custom gifts bags for her girls….

Elia is a very stylish lady…….

love…love… this moment….  “a special gift for my sister and Maid of Honor.  She earned it!”

hair and makeup by Jamilynn and Jana from Vertu…..GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!

the requirement to be Elia’s bridesmaid….be BEAUTIFUL and fun!!

“show’em how it’s done Kristin“  She’s my secret weapon for all the awesome groomsmen shots we get…

Elia says……”there were so many memorable moments!  But if I had to pick just one, it would be entering Our Lady of the Snows.  We did a grand entrance from outside the church, and I will never forget that first step inside the doors.  Seeing James at the end of the aisle, our family and friends packed in to the pews, and having my dad beside me….I felt overwhelmed with love.”

married…HELLO HAPPINESS….jumping into a classic 1967 Rolls Royce right after the ceremony….

Home Sweet Home on the prairie…Mr and Mrs Robinson….

yes…. I LOVE horses.  I couldn’t resist grabbing this big guy for a photo opp and as a prop  (:

the way they are with each other is wonderful to see

So STOKED to have Max on our team!

With so much happening on a wedding day the toasts, ceremony, funny moments, etc… may blur past you. So now we have it all covered with stills and video! HD video is here…. and now HUGE for wedding coverage. It’s also a cool way to get a glimpse into the real lives of those we photograph.  And our ability to create is enhanced and challenged as well to tell these stories in a new way. Seriously we are having an AWESOME time combining the two. Can’t wait to share their slide show…soon!

hello amazing Sun Valley light…..

both wedding planner and caterer, Taylor Sturges and Judith McQueen, outdid themselves on details!  The lemonade stand was a favorite — it turned out to be a hot sunny day, it was PERFECT entering into the reception….

….the Oregon O ice sculpture was a huge favorite detail.  James was surprised and delighted to see his beloved Ducks well represented.  And that ice luge got A LOT of use!!!……

during the toasts….

Any advice for future bride and grooms?
….enjoy the day.  Stop often and take mental images.  And most importantly, spend time with your new spouse.  You get pulled in a million different directions, so make sure to set aside time for yourselves.  James and I took a walk in the middle of our reception.  We grabbed 2 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and took a stroll through the woods for 15 minutes.  It was one of my favorite parts of the day.

Elia and James,  Max, Kristin, and I have become HUGE FANS of yours!!  You two are the sweetest, totally in LOVE and ADORABLE together! We had an AMAZING time with you,  and can’t wait to hear about your honeymoon to Thailand and Bali!  Much love, Hillary  XOXO

P.S. more tomorrow

Love this couple and this session.  Morgan and Bray are a ridiculously good-looking couple, which makes my job very easy! They wanted simple and outdoorsy photos — this is the perfect time of year for that! So I took them to a favorite location #1…..

Isn’t she going to be a beautiful bride?….

favorite location #2…..

seriously….you two are so HOT…….

and cute! They have so much fun together….

love…..

yeah, yeah,  they make a totally gorgeous couple

favorite blue wall location #3….

Bray and Morgan, I am more than excited for your wedding coming up late August.  — you two are going to make awesome wedding shooting for us! Can’t wait to see you soon.  XOXO

WOW —this was an awesome wedding on Saturday! Can’t wait to share more soon…..

I am stoked to be photographing this beautiful couple this coming Saturday!  What makes me so happy about them, they are a very easygoing couple, they love photography, and they have chosen some of the top vendors here in Sun Valley to make their day amazing.  The word is…. details are going to be fantastic…location…weather…of course beautiful couple…etc….

Attitude. Think confidence. Think hot is my advice I give couples when we shoot (and yes have lot’s of fun too)!  We started the session out with a fabulous pair of Christian Louboutin’s…. “think fierce!”….love it….

anyone who has ever shot with me knows how much I love  “wind-in-hair”….

Check out their slideshow + video and how they met…..

RJ and Rikki met when they were 15 years old at a dinner party his mother was throwing. Five years later they ended up going to the same college and had a geology course together. They went on a date and the rest is history! RJ told Rikki he had to do an extra credit project for astronomy and had to go star watching, so he took her to their school’s football field (he was a football player at the University of Colorado) and when they got there…….. the big screen lit up with a message saying “Rikki, will you marry me?” And now, two and a half years later, they are finally tying the knot here in Sun Valley.

To see more from their wedding click on the slideshow below….

RJ and Rikki, I can’t begin to express how much I truly enjoyed photographing you, your amazing family,  and friends.  Your day was absolutely perfect!  Love, Hillary  XOXO

detail’s CENTRAL!!!!…..

….the flowers at their wedding were AMAZING.  Brides, if you want these beautiful peonies and more, call Taylor at Taylor’d Events …she is really that good….and can make your day come together perfect….

Aloha,  beautiful ladies….

and Aloha….handsome groomsmen football players…

one of my favorite moments when Rikki and RJ try to see each other for their first time coming down the aisle….

Goooooooooo team wedding!……Rikki’s throwing the bomb…..

Rikki’s twin sister Rachel giving a toast….

definitely some parrrrrrrrrrrrty and dancing going down…..

everyone is a fan of my 2nd photographer Kristin Cheatwood, even Rush Limbaugh is a follower…..

meet the new kid Max on our team…..and an FYI…. I can be very hands on when working with cutie groom’s like RJ….

Mahalo you two…it was wonderful to be a part of your day….and more to come….

XOXO

from Rikki and RJ’s fabulous wedding we shot on Saturday. The exit photo on a wedding day is one of my favs to capture every time…

YUM… a magical dessert fairyland…..

XOXO

Lauren and Travis, thank you for inviting us to photograph your fabulous wedding in Zihuatanejo, Mexico!  I hope for the two of you an amazing and incredible life together! I wish you guys nothing but the best…big hugs, love Hillary  XO

Lauren and Travis, thank you for inviting us to photograph your fabulous wedding in Zihuatanejo, Mexico!  I hope for the two of you an amazing and incredible life together! I wish you guys nothing but the best…big hugs, love Hillary  XO

I LOVE this new album I just put together with Meghan and Matt’s wedding photos! I think this layout would also be a blast for Canvases, my Image Boxes, and kids especially!!!  …..because each session is truly a work of art and this fun-vintage-inspired album layout is a new favorite for me. I just received the 10×10 album yesterday, it truly looks so great I had to order another one for my studio!!!

this is the matching portfolio box

cover of the album….

and here are the 30 side pages… starting with side 1

Happy Thursday!  XOXO

It was a PERFECT sunny day!  (such a bummer because Monday thru Friday it was dark and rainy…I had 2 moms cancel their mini-session because they wanted to wait for better weather, 1 kid got the flu, and 2 other families canceled because they were all so pale from the lack of sun we’ve been having). Don’t worry…I promise to do more Mini’s later this summer!  Here are 3 AMAZING families that were coming rain or shine, they all have 3 kids, and were FABULOUS and fun to photograph!

Here are the Rushton’s….

seriously this family deserves a big reward….the water was FREEZING cold!   Oh, and how this next one makes me smile : )    “Kyle, your a good dad and husband!”

The Watkins….

beautiful kids….

and now the Thornton family. Sharma is an amazing mother with 3 wild and fun boys! I think one of these photos should be their Christmas card….

love this photo…..such a feel good summertime photo for me…

so tough being the youngest….

another Fave from the day….

As always, it was an absolute pleasure working with you all.  I’ll have the full gallery ready soon!!!    Happy Wednesday,  XOXO