SIMPLY SMITH
I CAN’T WAIT TO TELL YOUR STORY
LATEST
WORK
Sharing all the latest sessions and whatever else is happening over here. I started blogging when I first ever began this journey, and now that the boys are grown I am feeling such a pull to get back into it. Thank you so much for being here!
xo- Amber
COREY AND MELISSA: HISTORIC SEVEN SYCAMORES WEDDING
This fall wedding was one for the books! From the actual leaf place cards to the exquisite floral design, I was completely swooning when I arrived to see all the goodness.
Melissa and Corey hired the talented Katie Kalendar of Ribbon and Leaf Events to design and execute their vision of a an elegant meets rustic fall wedding, so it was no surprise to me that every detail from this wedding was carefully articulated and gave you a warm, cozy fall vibe.Historic Seven Sycamores has the most gorgeous overgrown trees all over their ground and Katie used the leaves from the venue, which had already fallen during the changing season, and teamed up with The Scribble Shoppe t to add some beautiful calligraphy to them with each guests' name as their place card. My favorite thing Ive seen to date. Rustic Roots blew us away with the brides bouquet along with the ceremony and reception floral design. Tres Bien provided guests with a wonderful and delicious display of a burger buffet (so yummy!) and all guests enjoyed sweet treats from the ever so talented Goodies Cookies and Cakes!
This was a wedding to remember and I'm so excited to share it here with you all!
Vendor love:
Planning & Coordination -
Photo-
Videography-
Venue-
Flowers-
Catering
Rentals -
&
DJ -
Cake & Cookies
Welcome sign
Calligraphy
Hair @alliiiv
Makeup @cassmakeup
Dress
PAYDEN + TAYLOR
Such a bright and sunny day it was on April 2nd in my good ol' hometown, Bakersfield! I set out to a private residence and had no clue what to expect other than the fact that I knew the bride and groom from their engagement session a few months prior and I knew they were a stunning couple and as sweet as could be. As I pulled up the road, the yard was being set up and my jaw had dropped, it was greater than anything you've seen on Pinterest! I walked around drooling as they were placing the final touches on things while I waited for Taylor to arrive with her bridesmaids from hair and makeup. The day went on so beautifully and the entire wedding group was so fun. Taylor took us out to a eucalyptus field after they exchanged vows and signed their marriage license and boy am I glad she did! We got a little behind schedule but the photos out there were worth the drive!The entire wedding was designed and coordinated by the ever so talented Shannon Hough Events, if you are planning a wedding look her up immediately!The reception was a great time had by all. If I didn't have a long drive ahead of me, I would have stayed even longer. The DJ kept things rolling and had everyone on the dance floor as soon as the money dance ended. Seriously, so much fun.This is a super long post, but I just couldn't leave anything else out. I hope this gives a nice walk through of what the Grove wedding felt like :) Congratulations Payden and Taylor! Thank you so much for having me document every bit of your wedding day.and Ps. shout out to Ashly Layne for shooting with me, I had to show off some of her talent in this post!
KRIS + AARIKA
So excited to share a few of my favorites from the Dollinger wedding! This entire wedding took place at the bride's family barn in Tulare, Ca. Almost two years ago, I had the pleasure of photographing her older sister's wedding reception on the same property, yet somehow Aarika and Kris were able to make the space unique to their own interests. Leaving us all just as impressed as we were with her big sister's event. It's amazing how a seasonal change and a different perspective can make the one location feel like two.Special thanks to Theresa Wooner for shooting along side me at this one!
JOSH + EMILY
So antsy to share this little highlight of the Vannette/Vanderbyl wedding tonight!! I have fallen in love with these winter weddings; cold and gloomy add so much more drama to the pictures and I can't get enough of them. Plus, Josh and Emily are SUCH a stunning couple. So radiant and so snuggly with one another. I'm pretty sure the smiles did not go away AT ALL the entire day. Even with El Nino stopping by for a visit, Emily happily walked out of her parent's home to find her groom. With her umbrella in her hand, she truly could not hide her excitement. Her exact words were, "It's part of the story, right?" :)And it poured buckets of rain on this day. Somehow it paused in the exact hour we had scheduled to take all of the formal photos though! And it definitely goes down as one of my favorite weddings yet!Huge thanks to Theresa Wooner for second shooting this day with me! and Kayla Carlisle for some awesome reception images!!
how gorgeous is that gown!?
BRENT + JAMIE
So the first wedding for 2016 happened on the second day of the year! And I could not be more thrilled with the turnout! I anticipated gorgeousness after meeting this couple at the engagement session, but this day was beyond my imagination. Here is just a little highlight of the day.. their entire wedding gallery will be a little more private.The day started out at Jamie's parents home where the girls got pretty for the day (Make-up by Kailee Akin)
Best decision of married life so far: The First Look. And Jamie requested a longer session for these.. so naturally, theres quite a bit! Theresa Wooner stood along side me to capture all of this & she deserves a major shoutout for so many of these images! 
I'm pretty sure Jamie designed these bridesmaids dresses.. velvet swooped down their backs.. so dreamy!
And now the fun stuff! Reception at the lovely Koetsier Ranch in Visalia
Gorgeous, right?
Amber
Just added a new "Meet the Photographer" link to my site and blog. It might be a bit too much, but I like it. In case the link doesn't work, I've pretty much copied & pasted the eeeennntttiiiiirrrrreeeee post here too ;Pwww.simplysmithphotography.com/meet-the-photogHow do I begin describing myself without including my family?! These boys are my life. We are together 7 days a week and the only hours away from the little guys are when they are in school until 3pm (that is of course if Grama hasn't stolen them for a sleepover, which happens more often than not).
First off, there's my husband, Chad.
We have been in a relationship for over 11 years now. We have been blessed with a marriage that begins with our friendship and the love just manifests from there. I would have to say, the number one thing that attracted me to Chad was his face, most definitely his big smile and then his ambition. He was a confident 17 year-old boy who knew he would somehow be successful and able to take care of himself and I absolutely *adored* that about him. It is being around him that I have developed the desire to work hard and chase dreams. You cannot help but be motivated when you are around him. Now on top of that, he enjoys a good margarita on any occasion and I could definitely live with that!This handsome young man is our first born, Landon.
When we found out we would become parents we were 20 years young! I was a student at Porterville College chasing a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Studies while Chad was going through the final steps of entering the Academy of California Corrections. We were living in a two bedroom condo. During our pregnancy we found a larger home in Tulare, Ca so Chad would be closer to work (Corcoran State Prison). We brought Landon home from the hospital there and boy was I overwhelmed with love. I specifically remember an exact moment when I walked by him as he was laying in his swing at just two days old and having to stop and take deep breaths to compose myself of this feeling that I had never felt before. I still have not been able to describe that feeling, but I remember it all the time. This little boy has been the most agile, quick, competitive, athletic, flexible, and fun little boy I could have ever imagined. He takes life very seriously and is not quick to trust others.. if he considers you a friend, it is a huge compliment.
When Landon was just a few weeks old we were able to buy our first home. *yay* It was something that we did not think would be possible for another few years, but thankfully we were given an opportunity that we just couldn't refuse. Chad was working full time at the prison while I stayed home taking care of our little Landon and was about half way finished with school. Landon and I would play during the day and I would do homework late at night. Life was simple, but my goal was to hurry up and get an education so I could work too! lol. It was during this time when Chad had surprised me with my first real camera! It was the Canon Rebel t2i I believe.. the perfect starter camera for any Mom who wanted to capture every single moment of her little ones. I began posting all of my pictures that I would take of Landon on Myspace. Remember Myspace?? LOL It was nothing great, just candids of him at the park, or playing baseball, or swinging on a swing. After a few weeks I remember getting messages from old friends and followers of my Myspace account asking if I would take some photos of their little ones. I was shocked. Never did I ever think that was thrilling. I wanted to be a teacher, not a photographer. But I tried it out anyway.. and I. absolutely. loved. it.
Landon was just a year and a half when the surprise happened. We found out we would be expecting a second child. I cried. I felt like everything was happening so fast and I did not think I was capable of finishing school while raising while raising two children... all while starting my own little photography business! Mind you.. I was only 21 and Landon was not a quiet or slow child. He wanted to play catch, chase the cat, do summersaults off the couch, yell at birds from the window.. he was everything a boy could be. I was scared for two.But then came Bryson..
Boy was I wrong.. Bryson came and lit up our lives. He was all smiles from the day he was born. Bryson lives for hugs and cuddles.. not backflips or baseball. He enjoys a good puzzle or craft. He gets along with everyone and lets you know when his feelings are hurt. God knew what he was doing when he put these boys in our lives. I was able to finish school with a BA in Liberal Studies from Brandman University and the photography venture has been one I would have never been able to dream of. All the tears and anxiety led to a ton of love and laughter.
Before Bryson's first birthday in 2010 we were fortunate enough to upgrade to a bigger home in Visalia, Ca
My husband is now a real estate investor while I run this business full-time. I have since upgraded the Canon Rebel, obviously! So much has happened in nine years, lots of growth, a ton of learning, great experiences, and leaps of faith.“What if I fall? Oh,but my darling,what if you fly?”- Erin Hanson
Raeanna + Dean
A preview of the beautiful Dean wedding in Visalia, Ca. I hope you two enjoyed your honeymoon.. now it's time to recap on the most memorable day of your lives. You two are such a perfect little match made in heaven and I wish you nothing but the best in your marriage together! :)Enjoy..
