John & Madison’s Hillside Barn Wedding

John & Madison’s Hillside Barn Wedding

Mar 8, 2026 | Session Stories, Weddings

There’s way too much I could say about John & Madison’s northern NJ spring wedding! I went to school with John, and although we weren’t in the same classes, at a small school, you get to know everyone eventually. We had some overlapping interests like band and computer programming, and I never heard anything but positive things about him, including when he continued to take my uncle’s trade survey program after graduation.

But I couldn’t tell you how many times we had spoken in high school, and I had never even met Madison, so I was a sweet surprise when he reached out to me about photographing their wedding! As soon as I started talking to the two of them, I knew it was a great fit, and that they were a perfect couple. We made sure to keep up over text throughout the planning process, but I was disappointed that I never got to meet Madison in person before their wedding day. The second I walked into the bridal suite that morning, all of those feelings disappeared, and I felt like I was meeting a long lost friend. She was grounded and warm, thoughtful and present, relaxed and visibly excited all at the same time.

Their ceremony was deeply meaningful, and they took the time to greet each guest as they left for the reception. The rest of the day passed in a joyful blur, taking pictures, soaking up sweet family interactions and a lively dance floor. The barn at Hillside Park was rustic, warm, and inviting, and perfectly fit all their guests, not one of whom seemed to feel out of place. It was a perfect day from start to finish. And my favorite part of all of it is that Madison and I have stayed in touch since the wedding and she truly is the sweetest, most intuitive soul. I’m so thankful for her friendship and so excited to see where God takes them in this next chapter!

The Izyk Family at Fallbrook Barn

The Izyk Family at Fallbrook Barn

Mar 7, 2026 | Portraits, Session Stories

Oh, how I adore the Izyk family. They were my first family session after moving to Oswego, and I was so honored they trusted the new girl in town with their memories. Their boys, only 1 and 3 at the time, were the cutest things, and loved their Mamma and Daddy, and each other, so much. I learned some great technical things from their session, and working with them left me with a new confidence about moving to central New York.

Flash forward to October, and needless to say I was excited to work with this sweet family for the third year in a row, and to meet their new addition! We met up at Fallbrook Lodge in Oswego, hoping to take advantage of the awesome upstate NY foliage (and it didn’t disappoint). We started off near the tall grass for some nice layering, then headed over toward the barn where we could capture the fall leaves behind them.

One of my favorite things about working with families is seeing their kids grow from year to year, and I found myself enjoying watching the boys’ personalities emerge. Their oldest had become so responsible, and both boys were excited to show off their listening and sitting skills they’d been learning in school this year. They were both so affectionate and attentive to their sister; poor thing will probably never have a boyfriend! It’s easy to see that Kaitlyn and Dalton are present and intentional parents, their boys were so sweet and well mannered, and even offered to carry the blanket for me, like, are you kidding?

I went into this session planning for sunnier skies, and the heavily overcast day we ended up with warranted some location and background changes, but honestly, I’m so in love with the glowy dimension we got in these images, I wouldn’t trade it. I think the one of Kaitlyn and her baby girl is one of my all-time favorite images.

We ended our session watching the boys race down the hill back toward the car, and I left Fallbrook lodge thinking, “This is why I love my job!” Izyk fam, I’ll work with you anytime.