With THAT many photographers in one place (46 couples) at the Connect Retreat last week, you can guarantee there was some photo-making going on! This post highlights two couples we had the honor of photographing, but is also a celebration of marriage and healthy community. This "family" inspires our love, life, and business on so many levels.

When Chad and I said "I do" at the altar 7 years ago, unfortunately there was no Magic Relationship Wand waved over us that ensured a perfect marriage from that point on. "Happily ever after" is something we have to work at daily. We make appointments each year to ensure we have clean teeth, a good bill of physical health, and a well-maintained car. Since our relationship is even more important than those things, how much MORE important is it for us to have a marriage check-up each year? These are the highlights from our marriage retreat this week.

Darren and Kelly became first-time parents in January when little Eliza Rain made her entrance into this world and into their family. She's gotta be the most adorable addition ever! As you can imagine, the Quelettes' daily routines have been quite different in the last three months, but they're loving their new season of life. ...And they're quite good at it, too!

Greg and Trudy truly are amazing parents. I've had the pleasure of getting to know them at church a little bit through volunteering together, but after spending an entire day as an extra member of their family, I have even deeper respect for them! Gabby (8 years old), Riley (6 years old), and Gracyn (4 years old) are three of the luckiest daughters I've met! This Real Life Full Day Session shows their family's story—from wake-up until bedtime routine—it its most genuine way. Check out these beautiful highlights...

"Don't worry, we're professionals," goes the joke which is usually followed by some kind of ironic foreshadowing to a job gone wrong. It seems anyone with a nice camera is a "professional photographer" these days. Yes, Chad and I have been full-time "professional photographers" since 2010, but that's not a phrase we take lightly. 

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as much as you live.”

When I think about the challenging journey this newlywed couple has been through, I am amazed and inspired by their joyful spirits, their strong love, and the ways they care so deeply for one another, no matter what comes their way. We’re honored to be close friends of Kyle and Samantha and to witness [and learn from!] their unconditional love for one another.

This post is a testament of enduring love and a praise report for one who beat cancer.

Amber has graciously allowed me to write on the Langhoff Creative blog. Usually, I don't do this too often because my skill set is more around handling gear than writing heartwarming posts, but sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to express how much you love someone. 

Today is an amazing day because it's Amber's 31st Birthday.

"The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." –Matthew 7:25 NIV

Chad and I have been married for seven years. We do NOT consider ourselves marriage experts, but we have learned a few things along the way that have made our relationship stronger. In this post I shared about the foundation of our marriage, why it's important to us, and how it allows us to face storms together.

This year, one of the things we're most excited about are our Storybook Albums. Whether a wedding or an everyday family session, we believe in the importance of printing images. With our graphic design background, creating custom albums is a passion for us. We'd love to hook you up. Most of our new packages include a credit toward an Album, too—up to $250!

Are you thinking spring? We're now booking March, April and May Real Life Sessions. Each passing day is filled with little, seemingly mundane moments that are fleeting and irreplaceable. We love capturing sweet, everyday family life in a photojournalistic, documentary style. See details on this experience with us for Full Day Stories, Half Day Stories or Short Stories (1hr).

Every photographer needs a personal project to keep their creativity and passion alive. For me and Chad recently, the opportunity to capture the stories of what God is doing through our church in Raleigh (Elevation RDU) has been so refreshing. We look forward to volunteering every other week in this way, and it's exciting to be growing a team of photographers & storytellers for our campus. All so that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ. If you're interested in joining us, let us know! 

We're passionate about people and their stories. We believe life is beautiful—flaws and all—and should be captured and preserved in its most genuine form. We take joy in making artful photographs of unique details and candid moments that tell true, visual stories of the people we meet.

You can learn more about our philosophy, how we met, and see some of what we do when we're not working on our About Us page.

I have a tendency to be forgetful. You? Sometimes I seem to forget the things I've struggled through in my past and all ways I have grown. Sometimes I need to slap up a big fat reminder of what God has told me so that I don't forget it. Sometimes in order for my heart to see clearly, I need my eyes to see Scripture before my head has a chance to invent distraction.

I wanted to share the Scripture that Chad and I are clinging to this year as our mantra and also challenge you to do something similar.

It's finally snowing in Raleigh! I know, I know.... it's only two inches deep so far, but I'll take it! This is our first winter in Raleigh, North Carolina since moving here from Wisconsin five months ago. If you know me well, you know I L-O-V-E snow. I left work at my desk for a quick half hour to snap a few photos of my favorite season. Here are a few of my image highlights... 

Meet Erin. She is Chad's beautiful, athletic, intelligent cousin who graduated a semester early from her central-Illinois high school, Prairie Central. You'd never know by looking at these photos, but her Senior Session on the farm was SUPER cold with biting winds pulling the temp down to 17°F. Check out her Session highlights and read a little more about why we love this girl.