Vilano Beach Family Photography | The Pelose Family

“A well developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.”

— William Arthur Ward

When a giant wave suddenly and unexpectedly comes crashing in over top of you, soaking you from head to toe in the middle of your photo session and you just laugh it off as just all part of the fun of life, you know you're a happy, well contented couple. 

I met Danielle and Frank at Tony and Amber's wedding a couple years go as we were both bridesmaids and she was prego with little Frankie. It was freezing cold and we had to move the wedding indoors but she had the very best attitude the entire time. Yesterday was no different. When we found ourselves in the middle of a stinging nettle field (I've never experienced this plant before) she calmly described what it was and we slowly backed away. (Then she taught me a ton of new information about Florida plants, I was super impressed!)

After bypassing a wedding ceremony on the beach we made it to Vilano's beautiful rocks where we were all laughing and dodging the incoming waves and right as we moved into the next spot, completely without warning, a giant wave crashed over them and there was nothing to do but laugh and keep shooting! We had the very best time, and of course little Frankie was the star of the show! Hope you guys love these images as much as I do!

If you enjoyed these you might also enjoy: Chrissy and Chuck's family session or Heather and Kyle's Vilano Beach Engagement.

Jenelle and Billy Trash the Dress at Vilano Beach

“You don’t have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring!”

— Lumière, Beauty and the Beast

Oh my goodness! Where in the world do I begin! There simply was not a better way for Jenelle and Billy to top off their fairy tale wedding than a trip to Disney and an EPIC trash the dress session on their way home!  

I seriously cannot express how much I adore these sessions. I wish I was clever enough to come up with a different title for it because it frequently scares people away, but they are THE MOST FUN SESSIONS EVER! Maybe that's what I'll call it from now on. :)

You cannot look at the smiles on their faces and think it was boring in any way. We all were laughing til our sides were hurting! One of my favorite moments was when I was taking a shot of Jenelle with my back to the ocean and apparently a giant wave was about to take out all our stuff and Billy dived to "save the photographer's stuff" and neglected his own shoes (which were holding his phone). We had to give him a hard time because I had all the important stuff in my backpack, he just saved my step stool and towel. Totally heroic effort though Billy! Love you!

The schnanigans were in full swing as we didn't have to worry about their clothes (or mine), we basically just had to keep the camera out of the water. These two ran, danced, jumped and played their way down the coast line as we chased the sunset.

This might be my favorite set of outtakes ever... I'll let you decide who started it and who won ;) 

(The answer is BOTH of them. Both started it, and both won. They are the perfect match through and through). 

Now for the romance...

Jenelle and Billy you two are ROCKSTARS! Thank you so much for coming to Viola's for lunch with us and just being SO freaking fun! If California keeps acquiring our favorite people, a move may be in store...just sayin... Congratulations on the rest of forever! 

Vilano Beach Engagement Session | Heather + Kyle

“Love has nothing to do with what you’re expecting to get – only what you’re expecting to give – which is everything”

— Katharine Hepburn

I'm so excited I finally got to meet these two cuties who won the giveaway last month! Heather said she had never won anything so it's super fun they were able to squeeze in an engagement session just nineteen days before their big day! 

When Hurricane Irma took out a good chunk of Vilano Beach and the homes lining it's shores, we weren't sure we were going to be able to meet there for our session (or that they would be able to hold their wedding ceremony there) but Irma cut us some slack and left just enough of the beach around its famous rocks and we were able to have a beautiful session. 

I couldn't be more excited for you guys!! Congratulations again!

Amber and Tony Trash the Dress at Vilano Beach, FL

“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it.”

— Mandy Hale

Oh my goodness! I must say I was a *little* nervous about the move to Florida and what I presumed would be a ton of beach photography, but this first session was FAR from ordinary! St. Augustine is amazing!

When Amber said she wanted to do a Trash the Dress session I was, of course, ecstatic, it's always been one of my favorite sessions to offer. I figured we'd finish on Vilano Beach with the sunset, but I was curious what else St. Augustine had to offer. Amber decided to include the Fort and St. George Street and now I'm totally hooked. This place is a photographer's dream! I cannot wait to get more couples and families out here to play! 

Of course, I could not have asked the universe for a more perfect couple for the inaugural session, Tony and Amber have been dancing in front of my lens from the moment they got engaged. This 1.5 year anniversary session was perfectly suited to their fun-loving character and style. A Trash the Dress session tends to pull the adventure out of people and the sheer audacity of it makes you feel wild and free for a day. Capturing all that wild emotion and love of life is what makes this job a dream come true. Thank you Amber and Tony for trusting me on rocky cliffs and in a wildly high tide. Your carefree spirits are everything. Love you both!