Sometimes, before you even click the shutter, you know.  It’s a combination of the subject, and the setting, and the light, and the buzz in the air.  And you just know you’ve gotten something magical.

Nicole and her new hubby got married last month at the  Blackstone Country Club in Vistancia. Check back soon for their Sedona engagement images and their beautiful wedding.

Inspirador Chandler: Two Thumbs Up!

We’ve clearly established two things here in the last month:

1. I’m not all that great at staying on top of this blogging thing.
2. I’m a tiny bit behind.  Like waaaaaay behind. Terribly, horribly, procrastinating-ly behind.

So, it should come as no great shocker that I’m about to post an event that happened in March (she ducks her head sheepishly and hopes this comes off as endearingly honest rather than hopelessly outdated).

About a hundred years ago (or March 24^th to be exact) I happened to be in Chandler for a portrait session.  I had been hearing quite a bit of buzz about the Inspirador, a way cool wedding venue in Historic Downtown Chandler.   It seemed serendipitous when I checked their facebook page and found out that they had an open house planned for that very night.  Not being one to ignore a lovely coincidence, I headed over to check out the action just as soon as I wrapped up my session.

First thought: This place rocks!
Second thought: Damn, nice peeps too!
Third thought: OMG – they have a display of framed GRASS on the wall outside.  I’m officially in love.

The Inspirador is a truly unique option for your Arizona wedding, with an urban vibe and modern style.  The Poet’s Lounge is a dreamy, candle lit spot for your romantic wedding ceremony, while the Tryst Art Gallery, Courtyard and Symphony Hall provide numerous options for cocktail hour, mingling with guests or a sit down reception.  Beyond the amazing venue, downtown Chandler provides numerous fantastic spots for killer urban portraits before or after your ceremony.  Bonus!

The Inspirador has also partnered with some of the most fabulous wedding vendors in the valley to bring together regular open house events, which are beneficial for engaged couples and wedding professionals alike.

I connected with several people during my visit, including event planners Rebecca Coberly and Jessica Martinez of Embellish, Design For Entertaining.  These two super cool (and incredibly sweet) Phoenix wedding coordinators created the beautiful white on white buffet and table display featured below.   Check out their website and blog for more information and images of their inspirational work.

My attention was immediately captured by the floral arrangements on one table.  Phoenix Floral Designer Jan Dekker created this bold bouquet and I had to snatch it and run outside to take some photos.  I love the intensity of the color combo and can just imagine it being carried by a bride who was looking forward to stepping outside the box a little and working with a rich, deep color scheme.   I do so love a bouquet with a bit of attitude!

To make a long (and late!) story short(ish):

If you are a stylish modern couple looking for something a little different for your wedding venue –  add the Inspirador in Chandler to your short list of places to check out in person.  They are having their next Open House next week on the 23^rd (remember what I said about not ignoring lovely coincidences?) so make sure you drop by.

Unfortunately, I won’t be there (I’ll be cooling off in Nova Scotia) but you’d better not miss it!  To sweeten the deal (beyond the free food and fabulous vendors) they are also offering a gift bag to the first 25 brides, and a chance to win over $1000.00 in prizes!  Check out their facebook  page for details!

A few months ago (which translates to about 857 years in internet time, if you’re counting) I was thrilled to be contacted by the fine folks at Southwestern Bride (the wedding guide for the modern Southwest Bride).  They wanted to feature my bridal session from the incredible Scottsdale wedding venue the Boojum Tree.  Of course I was tickled pink and flattered as all heck*, so I said yes right away.

Southwestern Bride is an awesome wedding resource for Phoenix brides, as it focuses solely on weddings in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas – so  you’ll be sure to find lots of area (and climate!) appropriate ideas and inspiration.   If you are planning a wedding in Phoenix, make sure you check out this website!    And while you’re in the planning stages, take the time to visit The Boojum Tree – it’s an oasis in the middle of the desert, with beautiful light and countless tucked away spots for private moments (and amazing photos)!

From the Boojum Tree Website:

Boojum Tree is Arizona’s most unique and exotic wedding, reception and corporate event destination.  While you enjoy your stroll through our property, you’ll be in awe of the thousands of tropical plants, multiple water features and our new Palm Forest.  Imagine your special day in our hidden gardens.

From the Southwestern Bride Blog:

“The Southwestern U.S. is a unique mixture of colors, tastes and textures that sets itself apart from anywhere else in the world. It is a land of enchantment, adventure and the spirit of days gone by. It is also an area of thriving cities and the perfect blend of contemporary and classic styles.

Southwestern Bride celebrates this area and was created as a resource for brides in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas that would give them access to the very best professionals the Southwest has to offer them.”

*Yes, although I am now a big city girl, I sometimes slip up a talk like a country bumpkin.  I also two-step (and I’m not ashamed to admit it).

Yes kittens, I’ve been MIA again.  I know, I know – it’s not exactly a surprise.  Despite all my good intentions and my frequent promises, it seems I am an inherently bad blogger.   I think I’ve had “Blog.  Just Blog, Dammit!” on my to-do list every day for the last several months…and if you look at my posting record you’ll know just how well that is going for me.

So where have I been?  Living in crazy-busy land – that’s where, and somehow this blog seems to be the first thing to slide.  It’s been go-go-go for months now, culminating in four weddings+one charity brunch+ a one year old session in downtown Phoenix in an eight day span last week. Whew. Who knew wedding photography was an endurance sport?!

I’m starting to realize that it’s not going to slow down any time soon.   I’m also admitting that I’m unlikely to get caught up in the foreseeable future (do you know I have weddings from last year that have not been blogged?  Last year, people!).   So, instead of waiting till I invent a time expansion machine that miraculously converts each day to 48 hours while simultaneously maintaining my sleep needs at a solid eight hours (how you like that run on sentence?)  I figured I’d better take the opportunity and splash up a few random images while I have the chance.

Here’s just a slice of my life over the last few months – weddings, weddings, weddings (both my own and second shooting for the amazing Justine Miller and Keri Doolittle at amazing Phoenix wedding venues like  Sassi, Firesky, Wigwam as well as Oasis Ranch in Tucson), miles upon miles of location scouting, gorgeous seniors, three beautiful girls under the age of three (with tutus! and ice cream!), glorious glowing mama’s-to-be,  edgy urban fashion shoots in downtown Phoenix, crazy-cool families, spunky-silly- up-for-(almost)-anything engaged couples, fiesty photographers/branding gurus, off camera flash on the roof of the Orpheum Penthouse and the most knock your socks off beautiful mother-daughter combo I’ve ever laid eyes on.  And of course, just enough downtown, urban, grungy, junkyard shots to keep me happy.

It was such a delightful surprise to discover that the lovely Angela of Swatchbook Weddings – a Phoenix-based wedding invitation design firm -  had featured my bridal shoot at the amazing Phoenix wedding venue the Boojum Tree on her  blog.

We connected on Twitter and Facebook and then discovered, by total coincidence, that we already had clients in common.  Angela just happened to be the designer Andrea and Andrew had chosen for their beautiful yellow, white and grey wedding invitations.

Here is a closer look at the fabulous invitations:

Make sure you add the Swatchbook Weddings blog to your RSS reader – Angela posts all kinds of inspiration, from jewelry to makeup to photography – not to mention samples of her amazing designs – and my favorite feature Tuesday Shoes-day (seriously – check out this weeks shoes.  I’m not getting married, but I so need those)!

Location.  Location.  Location.

It’s as important to wedding planning as it is to real estate.   Every bride and groom want to find the perfect backdrop for their wedding day – and in a city the size of Phoenix, there are plenty of options for an amazing wedding venue.  Although a good photographer can create a beautiful image just about anywhere, the right location can bring your photographs to an entirely different level.

I was thrilled when the lovely Keri Doolittle invited me to join awesome local wedding photographers Kimberly Bee and Tina Burnham, along with some beautiful models, for an afternoon at one of the valley’s most stunning wedding venues.    The Boojum Tree is a hidden jewel, tucked away at the end of a little street, and full of more photographic yumminess than we could possibly capture.  Every time I turned a corner I stumbled upon yet another deliciously vintage, lush, romantic spot.  Tremendous variety, quirky, unexpected touches, private hideaways…

It was, quite seriously, a little slice of photography heaven.

I saw this phone booth and thought ‘Are you kidding me?’.   How to make a wedding photographer happy….give her a stunning model, a beautiful dress and a vintage red phone booth.  I tell you, I was giddy!

The flowers were BEAUTIFUL!

One of the things that matters most to wedding photographers is light, and The Boojum Tree has the most beautiful light almost everywhere – it’s like magic!

Oh – the shoes!  The hoes!  I leave almost all bridal sessions and weddings with the inexplicable urge to go shoe shopping!

Credits:

Many thanks to all the amazing vendors who made this session so incredible!  You all ROCK!

Venue:

The Boojum Tree – Phoenix

Flowers:

Endearing Floral Design @ Thee Wedding Warehouse

Dresses:

Jennyvi Dizon

Jewelry:

Two Sisters Jewelry Boutique

Hair/Makeup:

Tina Burnham

Things I know for sure

1. I am the worst blogger ever. Period. End of story.
2. I would apologize and say I’m going to change.  But I might not probably won’t, and I’d hate to tell you a lie.
3. I’ve been so busy my head is spinning, but holiday order deadline is almost here so I’ll be coming up for air soon.
4. My family will be VERY glad to have me back.
5. I’ve got the coolest, most beautiful, utterly stylish,  totally inspirational, utterly incredible clients in the world.
6. They make it worth staring at the computer for hours upon hours at a time.
7. I’m a photographer. I get to pay my bills with my camera.  How cool is that? I still get giddy thinking about it.
8. Big changes ahead in 2010 – a new assistant, studio manager, new products, new partnerships, new direction.  Watch out Phoenix – ya’ll should stay tuned.  Seriously.
9. It’ll probably be June by the time I get around to blogging about it, unless you nag me.
10. Life is good.  Very good.

And since no blog post is complete without pictures, here’s just a bit of what has kept me busy over the past few months.  Check these out, and then re-read #5 above….see what I mean?

This family was amazing!  I was so in love with these girls!

Little girls in pink rain boots…. Who wouldn’t be utterly charmed?

Um…so I probably don’t have to tell you that I was totally giddy when I saw this one.  Did a little happy dance…for reals.

Happy Mama-baby shots always make me smile.

Ah, baby Max….I melt.

A beautiful bride in a vintage phone booth at an incredible location….What more could any photographer want?

These kids were a RIOT.  The first year of my annual summer Nova Scotia Photography Sessions (yes – I’m a Snow Bird….once the temp gets over 100 degrees…I am OUTTA here!)

Oh, sweet little Lucy – those lips…those eyes, and a rare quiet moment.

My wee nephew Hayden.  I miss him so much!

Tamara rocks her urban maternity photography session in downtown Glendale… so much fun!

I love kids.  The sillier and goofier the better.  Alex and I got along wonderfully

This wedding at the Anthem Country Club was so beautiful.  Thanks to Keri Doolittle for inviting me to second shoot!

Jeanette LeBlanc Photography | Recent Weddings from Jeanette LeBlanc on Vimeo.

I have had the pleasure of providing wedding photography and bridal sessions to brides and grooms in several amazing wedding venues.  As you can see from the images, I have been blessed with some spectacularly beautiful couples and some amazing locations in Phoenix and Flagstaff.

Featured Vendors Include:

Venues:

The Boojum Tree – Phoenix

The Nordic Center -  Flagstaff

Flowers:

The Garage by Ivy

Endearing Floral Design @ Thee Wedding Warehouse

Dresses:

Jennyvi Dizon

Jewelry:

Two Sisters Jewelry Boutique

Hair/Makeup:

Tina Burnham

Yesterday I had the honor and privilege of capturing Melissa and Kris at their beautiful Flagstaff wedding.  They chose The Nordic Center just outside of town for their wedding and reception venue – and brought all their family and friends together to create a truly amazing and memorable day.

{Phoenix brides, let me tell you, Flagstaff makes an amazing spot for incredible wedding photography!  The options were endless, and the weather could not have been more perfect.    If you’re looking for a destination wedding but don’t want to go too far…check out Northern Arizona!}

Before heading to the ceremony site, the girls made use of some great character-filled spots in downtown Flagstaff  for portraits of the bride and bridal party,  while the guys began their day with a coffee at Late For The Train.   Then, amidst a stand of tall white Aspen, the couple pledged their commitment to one another in a ceremony so filled with emotion that even the wedding photographers had to stop to wipe away tears.  It was a day filled with laughter, love, family and friends, and was a true celebration of community in every possible way.

The happy couple leave tomorrow morning for a dream honeymoon in Greece, so I wanted to quickly post a sneak peek of their wedding photography for them to see before they take off.  More to come soon, I promise!

~~~

They were so in love you could feel it.  This is the kind of love that impacts everyone around them – such a beautiful thing to witness!

Downtown Flagstaff proved the ideal location for some great urban bridal portraits…

Just as we were about to head back to the reception, the most beautiful hazy sunset light came through the trees….

I once swore up and down and back and forth that I would never, no matter what, not in a million years, be a wedding photographer.  There were enough amazing talents in the Phoenix wedding photography scene – I was going to stick with what I knew best.  But then I got the opportunity to assist one of those talented wedding photographers, and I found myself thinking “hmm…that was actually kind of fun” (which, I should have known, is always the beginning of a great adventure).

So, when Shiloh and Ian contacted me and asked me to be their wedding photographer – I didn’t have to think long before saying a resounding “Heck Yeah!”.   This Saturday I got to photograph their beautiful wedding in downtown Phoenix (there was a junkyard! and an old school bus! and rusted turquoise dumpsters! – be still my beating heart), and although I may never imagined a future as a wedding photographer – I think I may have to reevaluate.

I haven’t had much time to review all the photos from the day, I wanted to take a moment to post a quick sneak peek of a few favorite images.

Shiloh and Ian – thank you so much for honoring me by including me in your wedding day. It was truly a blessing to witness the power of the love you share as a couple, and with the strong community that surrounds you. Clearly, you are two gentle and beautiful souls who have already impacted many. You, and your families, are some of the most gracious and welcoming people I have had the privilege of meeting. It was truly a joy to be your wedding photographer and play a role in your celebration.

To all you veteran wedding photographers out there – hats off to you! Wedding photography is definitely an endurance sport, especially in the Phoenix heat!  I read a quote recently in a photography magazine from a wedding photographer who said he runs every day in order to stay in shape for shooting weddings. I thought he was totally exaggerating, but now I totally get it!

And I can’t post this without a shout out to my girls. Thanks to Kimberly Bee (whose assistance with preparing was invaluable) and to Maggie McDonald (the best darn second shooter a gal could ask for)…I love you girls! I’ve gotta say, we make a fabulous team!

PS: Make sure you check out Maggie’s blog for a few of her photos too – she made my jaw drop when I saw them this morning.  STUNNING!