..Serving up Clyde Flier Volleyball..

It’s hard to believe that I was in 6th grade when I became an Aunt for the second time.  It’s one of those moments that I will always remember.  I was supposed to stay the weekend with my sister Denise while my parents were out-of-town.  I was going to help her get “the baby’s room” ready.  I can remember that I had a volleyball game the next day and was being taken by a friend’s mom.  I was suppose to be dropped off at Denise’s later that Saturday afternoon.  On Friday night we got a phone call from my parents that Denise’s water had broken and that they were on their way to the hospital.  It ruined my plans of helping with “the baby’s room.”  So after the game on Saturday my mom drove back into town after my game to get me and meet my new niece.  Oddly enough I met my new niece Kayla in my Clyde St. Mary’s volleyball uniform and bright red knee pads!  I should have known that she was a destined volleyball player then!

As Kayla and her sister Paige got older I can remember when I was in high school playing volleyball, Denise would bring the girls to watch me play.  I always told them that they would be in my place someday and that I would in turn be coming to watch them.  Well here I am.  Kayla is now playing volleyball for the 8th grade team of the Clyde Fliers, my home town and alma mater.  She has already surpassed all of us sisters in height and we always joke about her “two-hour feeding schedule.”  She towers at 5′ 9″ and is already making herself a very accomplished volleyball player.  I can’t wait to watch her serve up some great play in the continuing years!

Serving us some points…

This is Kayla’s teammate Autum, also Brad’s younger cousin.

Kayla up for the block…

This one is my favorite!

She already has a great vertical!

I had to get a pic with her since I came from Dayton to watch her play!

Kayla and Autum good luck with your last game and SBC this weekend!  Wish I could be there to cheer you both on!

..SERVES UP..

love, (aunt) echo

..The Ray Family..

I pulled into Hayes Memorial Center and was greeted by the cutest thing, two little blonde cuties were dancing “on stage” putting on a show for their Mom & Dad.  I didn’t want to interrupt as they were having so much fun without me!  Mom and Dad were in the audience clapping away as the girls danced and twirled.  And then they saw me, almost instantly they both became a little shy.  

This is the Ray family,  Ty & Janelle and their two beautiful girls.  Kylee at almost 5 years old and Kelsey at 2, they happen to be from my hometown.  Janelle is my friend Janetta’s sister from high school, so we became acquainted pretty quickly!  And the girls instantly felt more comfortable with me when Aunt “J” was mentioned!  Needless to say even though the fall foliage wasn’t in full swing like Janelle wanted we still had a fun time during their session.

It always starts with two…

This is just so precious to me!

I love the girls as they were putting on a show and skipping along for me…

Thank you to the Ray’s for allowing me to capture your family!  Many blessings to you both as you continue to explore life with your precious girls!

..PUTTING ON A SHOW..

love, echo

..The BIG Reveal..

Wow I can’t believe I am finally revealing it all!  I’m laying everything out there and putting everything on the line!  All my hopes and dreams are being so delicately placed into your lap.  Everything that I have been working towards since high school graduation.  Something to call my own.

God birthed this dream within me back then and has laid out the steps for me to do this today.  He made me blow the dust off of it as it sat in the back corner for so long.  He kept tugging at my heart and telling me it was time.  He was calling me to something bigger and better for myself.  I got you, he would tell me.  And I’m not letting you go, he would tell me.  You deserve this because this is what I have called you to do, he would tell me.  But I was comfortable where I was, I didn’t want to move.  And then I read a book and it changed my whole life.  It was called In a pit with a lion on a snowy day by Mark Batterson.  It challenged me to chase my dreams and asked questions I would have never thought to ask myself.  It re-birthed the dream God had given me, and more importantly created the drive forward into making the dream possible.

The challenge to getting to this point wasn’t easy.  There were adversaries and many questions, and oh so many fears.  The biggest thing I had to get over was ME!  I was holding ME back all this time.  A couple months back on a rough day my mom sent me this quote,

There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.

I was afraid to try.  What if I failed?  What if I quit both of my jobs for nothing?  What if I didn’t make my family proud?  What if I couldn’t make enough income to sustain my standard of living?  What if…what if…what if?  They kept coming and finally all I had to do was shut it off!  I couldn’t think of the what if’s anymore.  I wanted to do what I wanted to do.  I have always been a strong-willed lady and coming from my parents one could see why.  My Dad is about as bold and honest as they come, and my Mom is one of the hardest workers I have ever met.  My sister’s and I always tease ourselves telling our husbands they chose to marry stubborn women.  So then I asked myself, what am I waiting for?

So here it is without further ado…  I give you my heart and my business, Echo by Design!

Along with a new name and logo comes a brand spankin’ new website!  Check it out at www.echobydesign.com!

There are so many new things to come, stay tuned and see all the new changes that are being made!  Thank you so much for stopping by!

..DREAMS..

love, echo

..Kelly Said Yes to JT..

First off I would like to say that you should be very pumped about what this week has to offer on the blog, it’s very exciting and you should definitely stay tuned!  The big reveal is just a few days away!

Also what could be more exciting than seeing your engagement photos?  And for Kelly and JT who think they aren’t “great picture takers,” it’s even better.  I have been so honored to photograph this couple.  And like most people on my blog I am connected to them in a very big way.  I met Kelly back in high school when we played club volleyball together.  Our families traveled together a lot for four years and bonded very well, and over that time we have been happy to call them family friends.

So when Kelly called and said a ring made it onto her finger, as always I got giddy for them.  We made plans to meet up for dinner with a few others to celebrate.  Of course everyone wants to hear how he proposed, but I love hearing the story where it all began, especially this story.  Kelly and JT had mutual friends and they agreed to be set up on a blind date at the bowling alley!  Brave souls they were, but Kelly wrote, “We met at the bowling alley and the more we hung out the more we realized we had something special!”  So after sitting down with them and getting to know their story we decided that the bowling alley was the perfect place to start this engagement session!  We met at Sportsman’s Lanes in Findlay who were rock awesome and let us do whatever we wanted!

Check out these “not so great picture takers” AND JT’s gift to Kelly.

Who doesn’t want to cuddle on the alley?

We moved outside for a change in scenery…and found the only green door in Findlay 😉  Kelly loves the color green!

I LOVE her look.

You guessed it, they are rivals!…But since I was the “third wheel” in all of this OSU came out on top 🙂

JT and Kelly I can not wait to have fun with you next July!  We are going to rock out that “no good picture taking” skill of yours!  Congratulations again and happy planning!

..NO GOOD PICTURE TAKING..

love, echo

..Emelia Fe’s Debut..

The phone buzzed on the desk indicating a text had come through, I picked it up to read,”Missy’s water just broke.  Please pray for her as we are on our way to the hospital.”  Instantly I started informing the chain of people on my end that wanted to stay updated on the arrival.  It was eleven in the morning and now my focus in the office equaled just about zero.  But I knew with this being Missy’s first, that the baby wasn’t just going to arrive in a blink of an eye.  (Although we all wish it would have.)  Hours went by and I was dying for an update.  About six o’clock she was still in labor but no serious progress.  They figured the baby wasn’t going to come until about ten at night.  About that time is when the updates started to come, “She’s pushing.  She is nine mm dilated.  Still nothing.”  I waited by the bed with my phone nervously in hand, praying for Missy during this beautiful yet exhausting time.  “Lord give her strength, let her pains be few,” still nothing.  And then just as I had given up waiting for the news, the cell buzzed again.  “IT’S A GIRL!,” the text read at 10:42 p.m.  I was floored and excited, none of us expected it to be a girl.  But she was here and healthy, but now I had to figure out with all the excitement how I was going to fall asleep.  I couldn’t wait to meet her, but I had to wait for two days!

So finally when I held this tiny little gem in my hands I was overwhelmed with joy.  They say only 4% of babies come on their due date, and this little one made it right on time.  Missy has already determined since she was on time that she is already like Jon.  She even looks like him over and over.

Meet Emelia Fe, one beautiful little girl who has already captured my heart.  You may remember their maternity session just a few months back.

This was hand-painted by Missy’s brother-in-law Lloyd.  Didn’t he do just an absolute fabulous job?  It hangs right above Emelia’s crib.

Another gift from great grandma Nancy.  I love it!

Sleepy time…

This was a book that was printed in the 1920’s with children’s stories and nursery rhymes.  It was Missy’s grandmothers book that she use to read to her kids.  The story of the Sugar-Plum Tree was a favorite of Missy’s and one that will be read to Emelia very often.  After her grandma found out that she was pregnant she gave her the book, as you can see from the pages it is VERY delicate and old.

Brand new parents…

Stretch…

Emelia, I promise to love you and uphold you all the days of your life right along with your parents.  To Jon and Miss congratulations on your new baby girl, you’re going to be fabulous parents.

..SUGAR-PLUM TREE..

love, echo

..Sarah & Ben’s Guestbook Album..

Sarah and Ben are on the countdown for their wedding, it is just a few short weeks away!  If you don’t remember we had a great engagement session back in July, some good ol’ country fun as I like to call it.  And because we had so much fun, Sarah and Ben decided to put a handful of their favorite images into a guestbook style album.  It features plenty of white space for each one of your guests to write a unique handwritten message instead of just signing their names.

This is one guestbook that will no longer be shoved back into it’s box in the closet.  It is one that is meant to be displayed on a coffee table in your home for any guests and yourselves to enjoy!  I hope you like it 😉

First page displaying name and wedding date…

Featuring photos with great white space…

Great binding…

Art book style lay flat pages…

As always making a great album for you to enjoy years to come!

Guestbook Album Recipe for all you bride’s wanting details:

Sarah  and Ben’s guestbook features a photo hardcover design with a single feature photo on the front stretching all the way around.  The album is a 8.5×11 in size when closed.  It holds 30 pages with each page personalized with photos from their engagement session.  It also showcases plenty of white space and lots of room for family and friends to write a great message to the bride and groom.

Ask about our Guestbook Albums today!

..GUESTBOOK..

love, echo

..Bridgette Said Yes to Charlie..

It was a hot and muggy day on BGSU campus and the swarms of people were enough to make you claustrophobic.  It was the day of move in and the belongings of 300 plus 18 year olds were being shoved into Kohl Hall.  Furniture was coming up the stairwells and boxes upon boxes were being loaded into the elevator.  Everyone was in a busy rush to get everything into their room first to start unpacking before roommates arrived.  Parents hugged their children good-bye some living so far away they wouldn’t see them till Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Others only living a couple of hours away and knew they would be home soon enough to do their laundry or get a home cooked meal!

Everyone went back to unpacking, except Bridgette and I!  Bridgette’s room was just across the hall and one room to the left, cadi corner you might say.  After dark hit it started to storm, we took turns in each other’s rooms introducing ourselves into each others lives.  Then we decided we wanted to meet people, first it started with the girls in our section of the hall.  We went door to door and knocked, introduced ourselves and chatted for a bit and then moved right along to the next door.   Before we knew it we were done with our hall, so without even thinking we went on to the next and just kept on trucking.  Third floor done, now down to the second, and then to the first.  We met every person that was either home or that answered their door, and even had a few people join us along the way.  We started something, a friendship.

We lived in the same hall for two years and after she decided being an RA was no longer for her, we roomed together with 3 other girls our senior year.  After graduation Bridgette moved to Urbana for a teaching position and roomed with a friend.  Her friend then introduced her to the love of her life, Charlie.  Bridgette says, “We fell in love on a family vacation to Lake Cumberland in Kentucky.  We were watching the sunset over the lake while taking a walk and realized that we would be together forever.”  So after a few years of dating, Bridgette received her ring exactly a year away from the day she wanted to get married.  Charlie took Bridgette for a walk to get ice cream after dinner.  When they got back she went to pack his lunch for work, Charlie then called Bridgette into the living room where he was down on one knee!  He had taken the night off work so that he could propose to her!

Bridgette’s gift on June 25, 2010.

Bridgette chose the North Market in Columbus for her and Charlie’s session.  Oddly enough Brad’s grandparents have been selling produce there for years!  I was so excited when she told me that’s where she wanted to meet.

Snuggling…

Her laugh is just too cute!

I wanted to show how busy the market was, what do you think?

Plenty of fresh produce around!

And always room for a goofy photo…

We then moved into the Arena District only a hop, skip, and a jump away.

I love playing with dramatic light!

Bridgette and Charlie I can not wait until next June to share in your wedding day as a friend first and foremost, AND as your photographer!

..KOHL HALL..

love, echo

..Patrick & Jessica’s Parent Albums..

As if you haven’t seen enough of this couple, once again Patrick and Jessica are being featured here on the blog!

I know that couples always have a really hard time picking out gifts that represent the gratitude for their parents on their wedding day.  I have the solution, why not place 100+ of your favorite wedding day images in a well bound book for your parents as a gift?  Patrick and Jessica have three sets of parents and chose to do one book per parent.  The great thing about doing individual books for each parent is that each book can have 100 images chosen specifically to their family.  For example when Patrick chose his 100 images for his parents some of the same images were used in Jessica’s parents books.  However, the great part about is that family photos can be unique to just Patrick’s family or just Jessica’s.  When speaking with Patrick and Jessica all of their parents loved the albums and thought they were great and unique gifts.

To my bride’s, I’m telling you this book is really cool to give your mom’s because it’s small enough that they can shove it in a great handbag.  It’s an easy very light display of your wedding day that she can share with co-workers, family, or friends.  It doesn’t compromise your personal album from being ruined or lugged around to each place!  Especially since our great leather bound books are solid and heavy!  Enjoy and as always let me know if you have any questions!

Parent Album Recipe for all you bride’s wanting details:

These parent albums feature an all black hardcover design with a single feature photo on the front.  The Burkin’s chose to display their names as well as their wedding date below their favorite image. The album is a 5×5 in size when closed.  It holds 100 pages with one image per page.  The inside displays an all black page and a white keyline border all the way around their horizontal or vertical images.

Ask about our parent albums today, these albums also come in 8×8!

..PARENT ALBUMS..

love, echo

..Elise Said Yes to Bryan..

Elise found me through her friend Katie whose wedding I am shooting next June.  It’s amazing the trust that comes through a friendship.  Without meeting me or having a consultation Elise decided that I was perfect to cover her and Bryan’s big day.  When I told Elise that she was a very brave girl for doing so all she said was, “I trust Katie.”  Enough said for me, this wedding is going to be gorgeous.  It is going to take place in Cleveland at a beautiful vintage boutique inn, I can’t wait!

I’m just going to say some people are just meant to be, it’s the plain and simple truth.  Elise and Bryan are one of those couples.  They met in Toledo during Medical School after an exam on Cinco de Mayo.  They say,”We were amazed how much we had in common.  We had our first date over ice cream.  After that we decided to see each other more and more.”  Now she is studying psychology and he is studying neurology and they both are in their 4th year and gearing up for placement for residency.

They chose to have the session at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus because they love botanical gardens.  And after seeing how beautiful it was, I wasn’t going to pass it up!  These two are so smitten with each other, that it was not a task to get some great shots.  I loved watching the adoration that they had for each other!

Elise’s gift from Bryan.

In the bride’s garden…

They couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

It is written all over her face, can you see it?  It is love!

All smiles for these two, I didn’t even have to coach them.  They fell right into each other.

He adores her…

We moved inside, it got pretty steamy.  Literally and figuratively…

I just love their expressions!

Elise and Bryan, I couldn’t THANK YOU enough!  I had an absolute blast with you two!  April couldn’t come soon enough!

..SMITTEN..

love, echo

..Happy Anniversary to Mark & Erica..

Mark and I met a couple of years ago before we went on our mission trip to Guatemala.  The whole group bonded and for that next year leading up to the trip we all were pretty much inseparable.  Friendships rose and we all stayed in touch.  So about a year and a half ago when Mark proposed to Erica he asked me to photograph their engagement session and fun we did have.  They had another photographer shoot their wedding, but when Erica said she wanted to celebrate their anniversary in a special way…well lets say that I was up for it all!  She wanted to have a little fun with her dress by putting it back on to get into the Maumee river, play with soap suds, and water guns.  When she first asked me I wanted to jump in and do it right away, but we planned well in advance for a date in late August.  Plenty of time for me to get them for her to see by their anniversary of September 19th, which falls this weekend.  I’ve been waiting ALL week for this post and I couldn’t wait to share, but I really did want to make it an anniversary present for them!

Mark and Erica couldn’t be a more perfect fit for each other.  They are both fun, lovable, and if I said slightly goofy it would be an understatement.  They are willing and up to do anything that creatively came to mind.  Which is why I was thinking of naming my “trash the dress” session something along the lines of “My Photographer Made Me Do It.”  What do you think?

This is almost too much excitement for one blog post!!  Are you ready to see how much fun I had with this amazing couple??

Hence, “My Photographer Made Me Do It!”

Mark was shifting his glasses while I took the shot, but I like it!

Hello Mrs. Montgomery!

One of my FAVORITES!

Or should I say this one, I can’t decide…

Time to start getting fun…I love that Mark was willing to jump in and do it all too!

We moved to a local park and had some extra unordinary fun!!  Their game faces…

Taking three paces apart…

And shoot!

Washing Mark’s dirt bike became an all out battle…

Erica says to the ladies, “It was just that easy.”

Mark and Erica THANK YOU!  I love you both dearly and I had the absolute BEST time.  Have a wonderful anniversary weekend and congrats on your one year of marriage 🙂

..ONE YEAR..

love, echo

P.S. My husband and I also have room to celebrate.  Today marks our relationship of being together for 11 years.  Yep, you could say it is a long time but it’s nothing when I love him so much.  Love you Brad!