Bear with me as I take you through this thought process…

I was going through our honeymoon pictures (really hoping to get a book together and printed this summer!), specifically the ones from Versailles when I had a crazy thought: How amazing would it be to shoot a wedding there??  And I realized that it can’t be that crazy because I saw a blog post on the French Wedding Style blog where a bride HAD HER WEDDING AT VERSAILLES!!  So that brought me to dreaming of where else I’d like love to shoot weddings.  And as my friend Abby said on her blog the other day when she had a similar post, it never hurts to put dreams out there because you never know who you’ll meet or run into that could help see your dreams into reality.

So – We were in Paris for our honeymoon in November of 2011, and crowds were no where near as crazy as they are at other times of the year, specifically spring and summer. But, there were still people all over the place.  My most favorite part of the entire castle (other than the grounds) is the Hall of Mirrors.  It’s just… spectacular!  And the thought of having that hallway empty with no one but a bride and groom makes my heart skip a beat.

Maybe this post is coming from the fact that I’ll be flying across country on Monday.  Maybe it’s coming from the fact that I have an empty passport waiting to be filled again.  Maybe it’s coming from the fact that I love to dream and it’s fun to share those dreams!  Or maybe I’m such a romantic that the idea of traveling the world with my husband to photograph couples on one of the happiest days of their lives makes me swoon.  Whatever the case, I’m really loving this post!

So, here it goes… Domestically, I would love to shoot a wedding in these places…

• at the Biltmore in Asheville.  Oh my wowzers, it would be like photographing Matthew and Mary’s wedding from Downton Abby.
• in California.  Anywhere.  California light is just dreamy!
• in New England: Boston, New Hampshire, and Maine.
• IN New York City.  Like, walking through the streets and Central Park. *sigh*
• in mid-town Atlanta.  I lived there some during college and just love it.
• somewhere up north and in the snow.  I just think it would be beautiful!
• on an overlook in Hawaii surrounded by palm trees.
• in downtown Charleston, SC.  I shot my cousin’s wedding at the Citadel a couple of years ago and just loved being down there!

Provence – 2009

Internationally (you knew this was coming)…

• at Versailles.  Yes, we talked about this above, but it’s like adding something you’ve already done to your to-do list so you can scratch it off (sort of).
• in Paris.  A bride and groom at the Place du Trocadéro with the Eiffel Tower in the background.  Enough said.
• in the south of France.  Anywhere, but mainly somewhere in Provence.
• the Caribbean.  Have you seen the blue water down there??
• in Greece.  Have you seen Mama Mia??  So dreamy.
• in Sienna, Italy.  We only stopped there for less than a day on my trip with the high school orchestra in 1996, but I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind since.
• somewhere in Australia… and then in New Zealand.  We’ll be down there anyway so why not make it a double header (although probably not in the same weekend)?
• in Surry, England.  And that is solely based on the adorable little cottage that Iris (Kate Winslet) lives in in the movie The Holiday.  Shake your head if you must, but all dreams start somewhere ;-)
• in Prague.  I went there in 2010 for my last international trip before I switched jobs.  I fell in love and can’t wait to go back.
• in Canada… anywhere!  I’ve been to 5 of the provinces and enjoyed all of them.  And everyone is so nice up there!!

Provence  – 2009… can’t you just see a bride and groom in that opening where the path bends to the left??  Oh, the light!

Clearly, travel has been on my mind this week.  And clearly my passport is burning a hole in my pocket!

But let me also say this… if you haven’t ever had the chance to get out of the country (whether you’re in the states or somewhere else), find a way to do it!  Leaving your comfort zone is tough and I know some people don’t like to fly in airplanes, but I promise you that seeing another part of the world, experiencing another culture (meaning you’re doing more than just stopping at the tourist sites!), and doing things you’ve never done will be SO worth it.  It will stretch you, grow you, and impact you in ways you never imagined, but I promise you will never regret it.

Happy Thursday… and hopefully I’ll be able to say Happy Travels to each of you soon too :-)