Derek & Laura!

Welcome to the wonderful, Idaho Spring wedding of Laura {Paul} and Derek Belschner!

Look at this gorgeous wedding party in front of the only green stuff around... it's just beautiful!! There's so much construction going on around the church building, but I scouted out this place right before the wedding... so maybe we trespassed just a little - so worth it!

 Literally kickin up their heels before the wedding!

A girl from Idaho + a boy originally from Texas... this seemed just perfect....

Pre-wedding nerves? I really don't think so... just complete joy and excitement.

The amazing mother of the bride, Dawn, was able to turn a warehouse garage area into a beautiful, light filled reception hall! Now that is talent. (The food was incredible, by the way!)

This little flower girl just giggled all the way down the isle, another one grabbed Derek's face during the family pictures and gave him a big smooch on the lips...  absolutely precious!!!

Laura has this explosive smile and contagious joy... cant help but love her from the start...

... and did I mention they can dance?? I mean the kind where there is no rehearsal needed because they can just dance kind of dance? Yes, they dance.

Congratulations to my wonderful nephew and his beautiful new bride! I can't wait to share with you all the many images from this day that made it so unique and special ~ I will be uploading to a gallery real soon, so if you'd like to see the rest, just email me, and when it's ready I can send you the link.

THANKS!! ~ Teri

BIG Announcement!

Alert the media now, for some of this info has already been leaked...

I have officially joined up with Keller Williams Realty Team in Springfield, MO, and plan to jump all in with Real Estate sales again! Yes, I am quite excited about this, and look forward to seeing what God has in mind with my future in this great company. If you'd like to contact me about a home, just click on the link on the right hand side of this blog page....

The FIRST question I get from everyone I've told, is "but what about photography?" I'm STILL DOING PHOTOGRAPHY... but that has been my hardest question to answer. What about it? I have learned, and grown, and gained in tech skills, and built my business... I have loved it all, every last session, and every minute (hour) of editing! And I will still love it all!!  You see, I have done photography since I was ELEVEN years old, and functioned as a  legitimate business since 2009. I feel it's time to specialize in one area in the photography industry. I can still do portrait sessions, but my first love is actually anything and everything to do with weddings.  I already have some wonderful weddings on the calendar for 2014 and have select dates available for more. Also, I will be at the Metropolitan Bride show in August, so you can see me there, too!   I have lots of information on my website about what I offer, so if you or someone you know is interested - go check it out www.teriroy.com Click on Prices, and then Weddings and Events. 

I am thrilled about this and I know by doing fewer portrait sessions, I will be able to focus more attention on my brides, all their needs, and planning their big day! Woohoo!

So look for a few changes in the near future with my branding and website - this blog is still gonna be a mix of all things, just like the heading says. :) How does one balance Wedding Photography and Real Estate sales? Stay tuned and watch it all unfold! 

Oh BABY!

Meet LaYla!  I emphasize that Y in the middle, because leave it up to me to spell her name wrong on the cake for her momma's baby shower! So, here is her name, correctly spelled:

Layla Beth...

Isn't she adorable??? And her momma is one of the sweetest people I know. I couldn't be happier for this young family ~ Congratulations on this precious new little life that God has put in your earthly care. You are already wonderful parents. :)

 Oh those baby wrinkles!

Derek & Laura ~ 3/15/2014

I'm so excited for these two to get married!! Being one of my sisters' boys, I take so much joy in photographing this special family event, coming in March! I just officially met Laura this weekend, and have watched them hang out at the house a little - they are truly beautiful and so perfectly designed to be together. We are gonna have some fun at this wedding!

Oh, did I mention that it was COLD out for this session??!! 10 degrees. Yes, TEN.
In spite of this super freezing weather, they just wouldn't stop smiling, even as we moved from one location, to the other...

Grant ~ def.:"Great."

I agree.
With the meaning of his name, that is.
He is truly a wonderful, and great individual, with much talent and a blessed family! Enjoy these images of Grant's Senior photo session!

Introducing... Carla!

I so love her sweet, sweet smile, and deep brown eyes. She places great value on her family heritage, and the things that matter most in life. And well, quite frankly, any girl who loves Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and actually brings a copy of this book to her senior photoshoot, is a girl after my own heart.      

I try very hard to make sure every photo session is different. Different locations, poses, props, etc... but one thing is for sure:  whether I try hard or not, every photo session has it's own set of challenges. This particular evening, we started shooting with lots of sun in the the sky, and just a few fluffy white clouds. Within minutes, though, ONE cloud crept in, and it rained. And we waited. and it rained some more. You know - it was one of those sun shining while it's coming down kind of rains. So, we did headshots on the porch... & found a fun umbrella and did this...

Gotta be flexible, people. Sometimes things just don't go the way you plan, and you have to come up with something else - and I just LOVE the way that something else turned out!

Rarely does this girl not smile... but I do love this one very thoughtful expression...

I hope you enjoyed a peek at Carla's photos! And please, if you are needing your family photos or senior or baby/child session done this Fall, please contact me ASAP. Time slots are filling up FAST! 

Survivor Photo Shoot ~ "Making Strides Against Breast Cancer"

I want to write while this is all still fresh on my heart. This particular evening was a tremendous blessing to me, on several levels. Let me explain.

This was a photo shoot designed to capture the beauty of 5 lovely ladies who have battled, or are still battling breast cancer. Not too long ago, Kim, from Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, emailed me and asked if I could help out with this. I must admit, I did hesitate... I am busy these days. And the turn around for the photos is super fast - but I said yes. You see, I lost my Daddy to brain cancer almost 12 years ago in August, and although I have wanted to do something to get involved, I just haven't  - till now. And I know that taking pictures last night does not help brain cancer fighters, but it's CANCER... I don't care what part of the body it invades. It's bad, it must be fought, and it must be overcome. Sadly, my Dad didn't get to fight his cancer for very long. From diagnosis to his final going home was only about 4 weeks. I don't know why we didn't have to opportunity to really go to war against this invader, but according to a plan already laid out by God, our family had a short journey in our battle.
Getting involved to help others is about the only thing I can do now.  So, when I was approached to do this, I just had to say, "YES!"

We had very enjoyable time getting to know each other on this hot, July evening. We decided to do pretty, outdoor, summery photos for this fabulous group of 5 women.  When the ladies began to arrive, I had my kitchen filled with refreshments and snacks (thanks Mom!!)...   they each needed a little time to share a bit about who they are, and where they came from. Val, Debra, Gail, Melanie, and Tina. Each with an individual journey. Each with a story of survival to share. It even turned out that Val was a student of Gail's ~ way back when...
There were only a couple of tears, but lots of laughter in the works for this evening. There is a matter-of-fact spirit that I noticed, each just shared openly  - "this is how I dealt with it, this is where I am now.." all that good stuff. But the overwhelming thing about each lady was a positive spirit. Evidence, that a merry heart does make good like a medicine! (Proverbs 17:22)

I can't say enough, how wonderful and inspiring this photo project was for me to do. I am reminded that, cancer or no cancer, we have been given the gift of a certain number of days on this Earth. Are we using them wisely? Are we loving on our family? Are we enjoying what we do for a living? Are we making a difference in someone else's day? Are we laughing?? I'm all for that last one... There may be dark valleys along the way & I've been through some of those myself, in different ways. My precious Momma has fought a different health battle, but she is a survivor too. So, I guess I've been reminded of something here:  we don't just survive to get through it - we survive for a reason:  to inspire and bless others... kinda like these ladies just did for me.