KELLY + FRED// THE FOUNDRY INN ATHENS, GA

When you meet "the one" and then get married, you truly become "one" in every way.  It's amazing how without even knowing, you get so influenced by your loved one's hobbies, the way they speak, the way they eat, what they eat, the expressions they make, etc….  After being married for a little over 7 years now, my wife and I have realized how much we like what the other person likes… things that we never have thought of having interest in before we got married.  Let me tell you… before I met my wife, I had no interest in musicals or anything broadway related, but my wife is a huge fan, and now, so am I!  I can't wait for the next musical, and I can't believe that Les Miserables is now my fav movie.  :)  And my wife, never would've wanted to sit and watch a documentary or watch any reality TV shows, but now, she absolutely loves them and can't wait for the next "Survivor" episode.  :)  I think that's one of the beauties of marriage… just sharing each other's interests and joys and wanting to share what makes you happy with them.  I recognized this aspect of relationships with Kelly and Fred from when I met them.  See, Fred's favorite hobbies is golf and hunting and now she loves them too:)  When you love someone, you will at least give some things a try, and before you know it, you'll love it too.  :)hehe  You had to be at the wedding to just see how they are just so natural with one another, and they are one of those couples that I can totally see them growing old together.  I loved how they had a live band to show off their moves on the dance floor all night, and oh!  I see where Fred got his moves from!  His parents!  Yes, he definitely has the coolest parents in the world, and I hope to dance like that at my kids' weddings too!  They were surrounded by supportive family and friends, and it was encouraging to see such a tight community around them that will help and support their journey in life.  Kelly and Fred, your wedding was just awesome!  I truly mean it… from your wedding dress to the flowers, to your awesome bridal party to your family and friends celebrating with you, you guys are going to have an amazing marriage that will bless so many!  We really enjoyed your wedding so much, and we hope that you will enjoy the pics FORVER!

For more information on our wedding and portrait packages simply visit www.craigobrist.com.

Kelly Fred Wedding from Craig Obrist on Vimeo.


Venue - The Foundry Park Inn
Dress - Bride Beautiful
Cake - Henri's Bakery
Flowers - Gardenia Floral Design
Violinist - Athens Wedding Music

MARTIN FAMILY PORTRAITS// SMILE, SMILE, SMILE:)

Many people ask us who takes our pictures all the time and for awhile, it was always me who ran back and forth from my camera on a tripod. :) It's not the best experience haha but it got the job done.  Well, one day last year, my wife came home from one of my daughter's school program and told me that she met one of Emma's classmate's mom who is a photographer!  They got into the conversation of how they both wanted someone else to take pics of their families and came up with the idea of doing it for one another!  I was so happy that I could just be in the picture and look pretty. :)Hehe So, Christy took our pics last fall when my wife was prego with our son, and we just had the best experience with her. The weather was great, and Christy was simply a professional.  She made us feel so comfortable and it was good for me to experience the client's perspective in a photo session.  I still have yet posted some of those pics :( but definitely will soon!  We loved them all!  Well, spring came and it was now Christy's family's turn. It was a delight meeting her family especially her youngest who has the brightest smile I've ever seen on a baby!  They're such a picture perfect fam, and so awesome to work with. I mean, what did I expect?  This family is in the photography business so they were just so experienced in front of the camera!  I see the pictures that she posts on facebook all the time, so her kids needless to say were pro models. :) Christy and Matthew, thank you for the opportunity to capture your fam and to get to know you all. You guys have a wonderful family, and we hope to do this again in the future!

For more information on our portrait packages, simply visit www.craigobrist.com.

YOWLER FAMILY//OUR FAVORITE MIDWIFE FAMILY:)

One of the things that I've learned as I've gotten older is to really appreciate what people do and what they're passionate about.  It's truly a blessing to be able to do what you're called and designed to do and to be able to make a living out of that is a double blessing!  Another thing that I've learned is that even though you like it, it's definitely not easy; in fact, nothing is easy especially if you want to be successful at it.  When my wife first got pregnant, I got to learn a profession that I've never heard of… midwives.  So, when my wife told me that wants a midwife, I had no clue what she was referring to.  Then after we had our first child, I was so awed by their knowledge and all the guidance and coaching that they provide pregnant women throughout their pregnancy and especially during labor and delivery.  Well, I say all that because this blog is about Deena, the midwife that delivered my son on New Year's Day.  She was 35 weeks pregnant, still working, and gave the best service to my wife and I.  Now if you're not passionate, you couldn't do something like that in such an excellent way when you're 35 weeks pregnant yourself!  My wife cannot stop telling people of how amazing she was.  She keeps talking about how Deena was so confident in her, herself and the situation.  That she was so calm and patient.  She's one of those people whom you can't imagine getting angry.  My wife was very scared to get a c-section because the Dr's kept saying that the baby was so big, but Deena said, "no, you're going to have this baby by 4pm".  Guess what?  He was born exactly at 4pm!  Some people may see baby delivery as just an everyday thing because you just hear about it, but when you go through it yourself, it's literally a miracle, and these professionals seriously know what they're doing.  You may see Deena as a midwife, but for me and my wife, we see her as a hero who delivered our son.  My wife sees her as someone who saved her life!  :)  (She really thought she was dying… yes, natural birth…. yes, no epidural… yes, she's crazy).  Anyways, when we received her inquiry wanting to do photos with us, we were so stoked and honored!  As mentioned above, she was 35 weeks pregnant, so a few weeks after us, she herself had a baby boy as well.  I got to meet her older daughter and her husband too, and they're one of those families that people look at and say, "Wow, I want that in my life!"  As you'll see, they're simply just "oh so sweet".  Paul and Deena, congrats on an absolutely beautiful family!  You guys are making a difference because you made a difference in us.  :)  Thank you for everything… Enjoy the pics for all the days to come! 

For more information on our portrait packages, simply visit www.craigobrist.com.