me: “So, uh, do you know what you’re getting Patti for Christmas yet?”
my dad: “Ehhh, I have a few ideas, but I don’t know yet. Why? You got any ideas?”
me: “Dad…(in an are-you-kidding-me-right-now tone, followed by a long-ish pause)…how about a diamond ring??”
my dad: “What kind of diamond ring?”
me: “An ENGAGEMENT ring, Dad (same are-you-kidding-me-right-now tone)…you’ve been together long enough. It’s OK.”
my dad: “So, you’re ok with it then? What about the other kids (my sister and brother)? Are they ok with it?”
me: “Dad, (same overused tone) we’re all ok with it. We all love Patti; she’s part of our family…and she’s a really good person.”
my dad: “She’s a very good person. I wasn’t going to say anything until one of you kids brought it up.”
me: “Well, consider it brought up. It’s time. Have you looked at rings?”
my dad: “A little…why? You know what she wants?”
me: (sigh) “White gold or platinum, a classic setting with a round stone, and nothing smaller than 1 carat…she’s going to be so excited!!”
my dad: “It’s the last thing she’s expecting.”

Fast-forward one year (and a few months), and here we are.  All of the wedding arrangements have been made for their fabulous October wedding.  Naturally, Ben and I will be the photographers at this event, so as we do with all of our wedding couples, an engagement session was scheduled.  My dad (hilariously) decided that he would like their photos to have a sophisticated look and feel to them (again, if you know him, you are probably rolling right now), so we headed over to Route Glen at Hamilton College, which is an amazingly gorgeous little park with well-groomed, wooded trails – the perfect location.  I knew that Patti would look gorgeous (as she always does) and offer us her best effort, but I had no idea what my father (that rascal) would do in front of a camera. I had to growl at him a few times to keep him on task, but overall, he exceeded my expectations, and the resulting photos speak for themselves!  They both look fantastic, happy, relaxed, and in-love…I couldn’t be more thrilled for them. :)

Patti, you are STUNNING!

I made up this scenario in my head (purely for my own enjoyment) while working on this next photo:

“Ring-ring, ring-ring”
“Hello? Ayres Photography…This is Jenn.”
“Yes, hello, this is VOGUE magazine calling. We have a special edition of VOGUE in the works right now, it’s set to be released this summer under the title VOGUE – The High-Fashion Baby Boomer’s Edition. We happened to come across a photo on your website of a charming high-fashion couple, who absolutely embody everything we’re seeking for this issue. We’d like to offer you a ridiculous amount of money to feature it in our special edition.”
“Well, Mrs. Editor of VOGUE, here at Ayres Photography we specialize in photographing Baby Boomer Fashionistas. We and our fab models would be honored to be featured.”

I crack myself up…but seriously, though, how great is this photo?





LOVE these…

…soooo much!!



This darling child is my niece, Lana, who came as our assistant, and did an AMAZING job at holding our reflectors for us!  Thank-you, Lannie!  :)

Dad and Patti, all jokes aside – I am so, so happy for you! Looking through these photos only confirms to me that you have both found your true soul mate. Patti, you and your girls are a welcome addition to our family. We love you so much, and are so grateful to you for loving our dad as much as you do. He is a better man because of you, and I hope he knows it. Dad, you’re a rascal; but you’re the best dad in the world, and we love you so much! Looking forward to being a part of your wedding day!

This past year was an amazing one for us and for our business! We have come so far from where we first started, and we are incredibly grateful to all of our friends, family, and clients for their loyal support. We would not be a successful business without all of you! We both feel so blessed to be able to do something we love to do; and, as we are flooded with phone calls and emails, we are constantly reminded of how truly fortunate we are.

Here are just a few of our holiday photos for your viewing pleasure!

Harold, the Christmas cat…

Lily, the snow dog…

Ben and Jenn on an early Christmas morning walk through the woods! It was so beautiful there, and we got some pretty sweet shots.


The family farm and surroundings…





L-O-V-E this shot!!!

We got some flippin’ sweet new lighting accessories for Christmas from our families, so of course we had to immediately set up a light in my father’s living room and take some test shots! This one is my favorite from the test set. Can’t wait to use this gear at weddings!

So, here’s to doing big things in 2010! Happy New Year, everyone!