Hard to believe another year is coming to a close. 2013 has been so good to me. It feels like I have finally found that sweet spot where family life & work life can happily coexist. I set a cap of 12 weddings for this year & ended with 14 extraordinary couples. Only one of those weddings has shown up on this blog, so its time to play catch-up a bit and share more of 2013’s magic. Lana & Rizan are the perfect place to start..

A few years ago, I made a “bucket list” of venues I dreamt of working, in various locations around the world. Over the past 2 years I’ve worked two of them, and in March of 2014 I’ll be shooting at #4 on the list. The thing about having dreams become reality is…there’s always an unexpected truth that surfaces along the way. For me that truth is one I’ve known for a while: venues are great, but people are better.

As far as people go, Lana & Rizan are as good as it gets. These two are everything about my job that I cherish all wrapped up in one shiny, happy package. They give so freely that you feel loved the minute you meet them. It took all of 45 seconds into our first conversation to just know…they are my kind of people. Two stunningly soulful humans who are seven-hundred percent in love. Two adventurous spirits who have been inseparable since their first (not so stellar) tennis match. Until their wedding weekend in Turks & Caicos this fall, I had only heard little snippets of how they love each other through our conference calls & emails. Let me tell ya, to watch it in real-time is something special. If you don’t know Lana & Rizan personally, you might think the fact that they call each other “Angel” is silly, but its actually quite endearing. Their friends & family brought up the “angel talk” more than once throughout the wedding day, poking innocent fun at their nickname for each other. But what they all know to be true is this: two humans have never been more perfect for one another. After spending an entire weekend with Lana & Rizan, I witnessed firsthand how they light each other up, challenge each other & put each others needs before their own. An angel (according to the thesaurus) is someone who manifests goodness, purity & selflessness…and that definition fits Lana & Rizan perfectly. I’m blessed to count them as friends & will always be grateful they chose me to document their first memories as a family.

While in Providenciales, I learned the term they use to refer to the locals & it has stuck with me ever since. They are called belongers. How fitting that Lana & Rizan chose this heavenly place to join their lives. They are two incredible people who make everyone they meet feel like belongers. Lana & Rizan: thank-you my friends. So much love to you both.

To see more of Lana & Rizan’s day & watch their wedding film from Inkspot Crow, you can check out their Style Me Pretty feature here.

Venue- Gansevoort Resort
Hair- Tangled Salon
Dress- Enzoani
Sash- Romona Keveza
Wedding Shoes- Manolo Blahnik
Grooms Tuxedo- John Varvatos
Floral Design- Flowers by EA
Reception Dress- Cymbeline Paris
Reception shoes- Jimmy Choo
Veil- Boutique De Viole
Event Planning- Tropical Destination Management
Stationery- Envelopments
Cake- Grace Bay Pastry Chef
Cinematography- Inkspot Crow Films