Mr. & Mrs. Hafley

Like so many of our couples...Adam and Daniela are AMAZING!  It's great to be able to go to weddings and witness and document one of the best days of someone's life!  I really believe everyday for Adam and Daniela is one of their best days...but their wedding day was a celebration of their love and it showed.  When we met Daniela a year ago for our consultation I knew I REALLY wanted to photograph her wedding...from her bubbly and laid back personality to the silly expressions she made when talking I knew I'd capture some amazing images.  We had to reschedule their engagement session twice because of bad weather and finally by the third time we just decided to go and see what would happen!  We photographed the couple at the EXACT location they met during a tailgating party at UCF...a storm rolled in and we started hiding from the rain until a BEAUTIFUL rainbow appeared and we made it work.

The day of the wedding the forecast called for a CHANCE of rain...and as soon as Daniela arrived at MetroWest Golf Club we began praying for RAINBOWS. 

We had no visible rainbows...only a tidal wave of rain and lighting, so their outdoor golf course wedding was moved inside to a beautiful "plan b" location inside the golf club. The room was lit naturally by windows and Daniela's smile! Adam had trouble keeping it together when he saw his beautiful bride and Daniela did just fine! 

With the massive amount of rain...even the formal photos had to be inside, but just as I was about to give up hope for getting these two outside for any photos...the clouds parted and I had about 10 minutes of sun before it set. The rain made this photo even better...the wet brick with the light was heaven sent and I really believe this moment was their wedding day "rainbow"!

The reception was amazing...filled with suprises from the bride and groom to their guests and a surprise from the bride's sister and maid-of-honor. Adam and Daniela and their guests were treated to a bellydance...a TOTAL suprise to them (as captured by Daniela's expression in the photo below)!

Daniela's father/daughter dance certaintly reflected her personality...it was happy and spirited, followed by the most entertaining cake cutting I've ever seen and then the surprise La Hora Loca (The Crazy Hour) as Adam and Daniela had stuffed crazy hats, instruments and costumes under the tables for all of their guests!

We wish you two an eternity of happiness rooted in your deep love for each other!  We'll always be here anytime you need us (wink**wink)!

Your Photographers for Life,

Bill and Rachel

Special Thanks to all the vendors who made this wedding so amazing:

Venue: MetroWest Golf Club

Coordinator: Francine Burruezo, fburruezo@metrowestgolf.com

Officiant: Rev. Kevin Knox, http://www.abeautifulceremony.net/

Cake: Sprinkles Custom Cakes, http://www.abeautifulceremony.net/

Flowers: Peddles Wedding Flowers, http://www.peddles.com/

DJ and Lighting: DJ Michael Paul, Rhythm of the Night, http://www.therhythmofthenight.com/

Entertainment/Professional Bellydance Artist:  http://www.bellydancebyjennifer.com/

Inspiration starts early

For me I started very early.  I'd beg my mom to let me go stomping through the woods with her.
"You're too little and mommy has to walk too far today for this picture".
"But when?" I would whine....

The whining didn't last long...soon she started taking me on her walks...her photo shoots of trees, old barns and endless waterfalls.  She showed me how the shutter opened and closed...how to adjust the lighting, how to zoom and focus.  She showed me how to be an artist.  She never shut me out, she always showed me how to be safe, how to have fun and how to see everything in a different and unique way.  Later she taught me the tricks of advancing film, cutting the strip and dredging the papers through chemicals...to make MY photo come to life on a sheet of Kodak photo paper. 

I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to make a living from something I loved so much.  I worked hard at saving the world and "changing lives"...and enjoying learning everything I could about art and photography while I pursued my education in the environmental field.  Fast forward to so many years later...as I sit in my home office and take a break from editing more photos in my digital darkroom , I decide to rearrange...and I get an unexpected visit from my mom.  She showed up on an old 8x12 piece of Kodak paper...a picture that captured one of the best memories of my life...standing next to my beautiful mother as she taught me how a camera worked in one of the most comforting places in the world.

In this little packet of pictures I found...she had tucked away (for safe keeping) my first OFFICIAL photo project when I was 14 years old...a positive/negative image I took of my key chain (complete with Kings Island FILM picture viewer)...the first photo I developed in a professional dark room, that wasn't my laundry room at home (where I learned the art of developing film).

Mom, I miss you more than you'll ever know but thank you for setting me up with a true gift that supports me, my family and helps me to change lives...one photo at a time.

Me and my beautiful mom, Sharon...somewhere in Florida!