Merry Christmas!

My dear bloggy friends,

As the end of the year draws near, I’d like to extend my gratitude for your business and support in 2012. I feel so, so blessed to work with such wonderful people doing what I love. I will continue to strive to provide nothing less than the best photography and customer service to help you cherish your memories for years to come. Plans are already unraveling for 2013 and I am beyond excited to have another year to capture wedding and family memories and share them with you right here on my blog.

We also have grand plans to connect with you more in your email inbox, too. If you'd like to stay connected and receive emails from us, subscribe to our mailing list.

From our little team here at Sincerely, Liz, Inc. to you and yours: We hope your holidays are full of love and laughter and wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Sincerely, The Cook Family & The Sincerely, Liz, Inc. team

Chris & Hannah | Lynchburg Christmas Pictures

A few weeks ago I was aimlessly browsing the web in the middle of a work project and I came across a picture of a family at a Christmas Tree farm. I was super inspired and decided I wanted to shoot a session at a Christmas tree farm at that VERY MOMENT. So I did something I have never done before. I offered a free mini session to my Facebook fans. (If you're not a Facebook fan you are missing out!) Usually when I work with clients we discuss locations and styles that works for them, and looks that are most reflective of their personality or their family. But this time I wanted to have all the say. Of course, I would never insist on that with a paying client, so I offered this as a free session instead. A style shoot, if you will! Meet Hannah and Chris. Hannah's sister, Kelly, was actually the one who entered and won the giveaway. She gave it to her sister because Hannah was having a stressful semester in college and Kelly wanted to do something nice for her. How sweet is that?!

Chris and Hannah met up with me and brought their sweet pup along for a few shots as well. This session turned out exactly how I was hoping... the colors, the chill in the air, the love between the two of them and the sparkle of the setting sun all created a perfectly magical session. The only thing we were missing was some steaming hot chocolate! (Next time!)

If you love these images, it's not too late to have a session of your own at a local Christmas tree farm! Contact me in the next few weeks and we can hash out all the details! I would LOVE to shoot in the midst of the beauty of winter again!

Equipment used for this session:  canon 5d mark ii // canon 50mm f/1.2 lens // canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens

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Liz Cook is the owner and photographer of sincerely, liz: photography. She is a virginia wedding photographer and virginia portrait photographer who loves virginia weddings, family portrait sessions and couple photography.

To see more of Liz’s work, check out her latest work as well as some of her favorite weddings. To hire Liz, simply fill out this form.

This Little Man | Fredericksburg Portrait Photographer

He has the cutest dimples

And the most charming smile.

He is the most laid-back child I have ever met.

He really only ever wants one thing:

To be held and cuddled each and every day.

He loves his momma

and trucks.

He is a loved little man.

The cutest, most loved little man on Downstream Court.

Andrew & Erin - Top Ten | Westmoreland Wedding Photographer

Ahhh... Every time I sit down to blog about a wedding my heart is flooded with happy, happy thoughts of the couple, their preparation for their wedding day, and the big day itself. I always want to start every wedding post with "I LOVE these two!" Because I really, really do. Watching each couple experience all the excitement leading up to their day and then seeing the pure joy on their faces the entire day through... it creates a very happy place in my heart. I love each couple I have the opportunity to work with, and that is the truth.

So these guys? Ahh I love them!!

Erin and I go WAY back... what, like 11-12y/o summer swim team age group? Maybe even before!  And Andrew and I brushed paths a few times in life, too. (One of his aunts was my kindergarten teacher and another one was my co-worker/supervisor at a previous job. His cousin married one of my best friends from college, and he went to high school with my brother. Hmmm... he has a big family! haha... I digress.) Watching them become husband and wife was an honor. Their wedding day was absolutely beautiful and I am very happy to share it with you through pictures. :)

I'll stop chatting now and get to the photos! I present to you...

Our Top Ten Favorite Things About Andrew & Erin's Big Day (and the day before :))

1. Their rehearsal dinner! A Crab Feast? Are you serious?! I grew up eating crabs every year for my summer birthday parties! When I found out Andrew & Erin were having a crab feast and they wanted us to be there to capture this event, I was sooo excited!

2. The rehearsal dinner cake. This cake was unreal. I'm kind of speechless about it. :) Everything except the "W" was edible!

3. Andrew and Erin requested a First Look. As a photographer, I can't help but think of the benefits of having a first look! It gave us plenty of time for portraits, including bridal party and family portraits. Because we were able to get a lot of portraits taken care of ahead of time, they were able to hop on the last trolley to their reception without making their guests wait!

Not to mention, the emotions during this moment are irreplaceable and I LOVE that we are able to capture them in such a private setting. It's a win/win!

4. Loved Erin's choice of shoe color!

5. It's not often we have the opportunity to take formal family portraits outdoors, but when we do, they turn out to be some of my favorites. I loved that Andrew & Erin had an outdoor ceremony which offered the opportunity for outdoor family portraits as well.

6. The reception venue and the team behind events at Ingleside Winery were ah-mazing to work with. Not only did Andrew & Erin have wonderful things to say about working with Jennifer and her team, but they were also pleasantly attentive to us as vendors. They were all so helpful and hospitable and the venue was beautiful.

7. We LOVED the beautiful little cottage on the water where Erin and her girls stayed the night before. They all got ready together in the morning and it was so perfect for them! The light was beautiful, the cottage was secluded, and the entire environment was so refreshing!

8. We thought it was really awesome that Erin had two Maids of Honor. I love it when brides aren't afraid to break the rules and do what they want to do. Erin couldn't choose between her two best friends, so she chose them both! And they both did a wonderful job being her right (and left) and hand ladies all day long!

9. Another one of our favorite things about their big day was the wine elements everywhere. Andrew and Erin chose to give personalized wine glasses as their favors, and each table was named after a bottle of wine. What a fun idea!

10. The country dance party! This was, by far, the most sing-a-long reception party we have ever witnessed... and it was So. Much. Fun!! The DJ played a lot of songs by request which meant there were a load of country songs playing all night. We loved that the party was so true to their personalities!

Here are a few more of our favorites from their big day:

Their wedding pictures have been posted. Please click here to access them.

If you do not know the passcode, you will need to contact the bride or groom for the information.

Matthew & Shannon Wedding - Top Ten | Lynchburg Wedding Photographer

Matthew and Shannon's beautiful celebration started with a God honoring ceremony at Lynchburg College's Snidow Chapel. After the ceremony we went out to the dell on campus for pictures and then quickly made our way to the reception in the Hall Ballroom, also on campus. This is one of my favorite wedding locations in Lynchburg and this couple filled the setting with love and joy all day long. Check out their Top Ten!

10. Shannon's grandmother was a photographer and we were able to see some of her work the morning of the wedding at Shannons' parent's house. After being taken away by the beautiful photographs (she was soooo before her time), we got the idea to try and duplicate a few portraits. This made for bridal portraits that not only captured Shannon's timeless beauty, but also created even more memories for the family.

9. Speaking of memories... the dress that Shannon wore to the rehearsal was actually her mom's wedding dress! It was redesigned and transformed thru the alteration talents of her grandmother (Ann Buss) and then tied off with her grandmother's scarf. Seriously. Could that be any sweeter?

8. And while I'm discussing the rehearsal... :) Shannon's wedding coordinator suggested that she and her bridesmaids wear their wedding day shoes to the rehearsal as a way to break them in a bit. Genius!

7. I wish every single one of you could have heard the musicians Matthew and Shannon invited to perform during their ceremony. The small chapel was filled with pure, powerful worship music. It seriously had EVERYONE in the room smiling. We loved it so much we actually asked if they had a CD for sale. Guess what? They had never performed together as a group before - they were just a group of friend’s that Matthew and Shannon pulled together for the big day. I can still hear that sound as I type. And my heart is smiling.

6. Shannon’s bridesmaids were exactly what all bridesmaids should be. They should write a book! They waited on her hand and foot. Never once complaining about how they looked, or how hot is was, always carrying her dress, offering a drink, running errands, and reminding her of how beautiful she was and how very happy they were for her.

5. The love that each of the guests had for Matthew and Shannon was so heavy in the air. You really couldn't not feel it.  There were two different last minute emergencies that were true testimonies to how important this day was to everyone involved, not just the bride and groom. No matter what the situation, their friends and family did whatever it took to make sure Matthew and Shannon had an amazing day. We were blown away by that.

4. The Best Man, Matthew’s brother, gave a truly unique toast with such meaning and passion. Flying in from the Republic of Georgia, he brought with him a native charge and invited crowd participation. It was not only entertaining, but moving and memorable to say the least.

3. Dance Party!! The DJ was a friend of the bride and groom and he rocked the house from the first song to the last song. So fun!

2. We loved that Shannon stayed true to her love of cupcakes and had them in lieu of a cake. So cute!

1. The grand sparkler exit was the best we have seen. They searched high and low for the long sparklers and had plenty of them. They passed them out along a path leading up to the getaway car and made sure to have lighting torches available. The fact that the dance party would not end helped in that there were tons of people left at the end of the night for a long line of cheers, smiles, sparks and well wishes. It was spectacular!

Here are some more of our favorite images from their big day!

Their wedding pictures have been posted. Please click here to access them. If you do not know the passcode, you will need to contact the bride or groom for the information.