I can’t believe it’s already been a year. Wow, time flies.

And boy, do I need to apologize about the delay in getting Images for a Cure up and running this year! I’m soooo excited about what the future holds for our little event, and this year, I took some time to go through a major overhaul of the event. New logos, buttons, marketing materials – and coming very soon, a brand new website. I was hoping to have the site up before launching registration, but it got delayed just a bit and now we’re looking to launch it Oct. 1 with a brand new crop of sponsors, photographers and beautiful ideas.

Last year, I spent about 70 hours a week for 6 weeks prepping the event, promoting, doing paperwork, fixing and updating the website and blog, and of course, hosting my own sessions.When the Director of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation called me after the event to congratulate us, I was so proud to be a part of such a ground-breaking event. When I was asked to continue the event, there was absolutely no way I could say no.

But this year, I knew I just couldn’t do it alone (not that I was alone last year, but probably should have delegated a bit more… ). Running my own budding photography business has taken a lot of my time, so I reached out to a group of local photographers who stood by me the whole way this year. They’ve been a valuable resource for me, and I honestly couldn’t have done it without them. So, from the bottom of my heart – thank you so much.

Some changes you’ll see this year include the incorporation of Images for a Cure, a new website and logo – done by Karrie Pyke Designs, and a brand new website that we’re currently working on! We’re also going to be planning a workshop for Spring 2011 to start planning and ideas for next year.

We have 3 levels of participating photographers (platinum, gold and pink). Each level has some amazing benefits and will help us support this amazing event. So please review the photographer participation media kit and see which level best suits your business.

Also, we’re getting ready to file official non-profit status before the end of 2011 (fingers crossed!). It’s a huge undertaking – but I know we can do this!

I can’t do it without the amazing photographers and sponsors that participated last year – so I’m asking to join me, again, to do something amazing for our community. Be a part of the second annual Images for a Cure. Help us support the event and our amazing charity.

Download the complete Participating Photographer Media Kit here

Ready to register? Click here to join us!

If you’re interested in sponsoring this year – please email me at info@imagesforacure.com. The new Sponsorship media kits are being finished up and will go out mid-week. This includes anyone in the industry, bridal blogs, coordinators, etc. Thank you so much for helping us achieve our goals and supporting our amazing group of photographers!

Thank you, a hundred times over. I can’t tell you how proud I am of being a part of such an amazing community of artists.

Melissa and Sean have been so patient with me as I got these done, and I really wanted to thank them for that! I had 4 sessions that day, which means I have to be an editing Superman…. everything about their session was perfect (except for the heat and impending storm), so I was really excited to finish these up for them. They’re both so beautiful – and have such a great heart to donate to our Images for a Cure event.

You can read a little bit more about Melissa and Sean on their Images for a Cure interview on our website! Just visit this link: http://www.imagesforacure.com/personal-stories/we-make-a-life-by-what-we-give/

The entire heart of Images for a Cure is from women like Jessica. An avid supporter of Breast Cancer research and awareness, Jessica’s family has been affected by the disease for generations. It has never hindered her, but made her passionate and willfull to find a cure. I owe a lot of the success of the event to her, for her own silent battles, and for motivating me to be a better person.

I can say, with the most confidence, that no one knows Jessica and Tim quite like I do.

I met Jessica in college, when she pledged Kappa Delta. We became fast, and close, friends. We just always seemed to get each other, and I knew from the moment I met her that she had the most amazing heart. We went through a lot together; our first apartment, sharing stories of boyfriends and horrible first (and last) dates, my 2 crazy cats, failed relationships (mostly mine), scary medical hallucinations (lol), the death of a friend and her parent’s divorce. She was always there for me in those hard times, and for that, I’m beyond grateful. Her friendship meant the world to me, and for whatever reason, we found ourselves on 2 different paths and slowly grew apart.

I met Tim the year after I met Jessica. He was a new freshman, and I was a senior in college. I wouldn’t say we were fast friends, but he ultimately won me over with his goofiness. We spent late nights rounding up Heidi and Acurry for a challenging round of Chicken Foot, and spending weekends at the beach (Heidi, Tim and I shared a car. Heidi from Mass., me from Ohio and Tim from New Hampshire were elated to find a “beach” right off the Causeway. The car carrying all the Florida girls laughed as they realized we weren’t actually at Clearwater Beach, but at some crazy gravel pit near the water where we watched a mass-baptism. We didn’t care.) Actually, most of my good stories of Tim involve bikini tops and high heels (which, um, Tim – I found the bikini top picture! I won’t post it…yet). But I won’t share those, so he can have a little dignity left on my blog.

I can’t remember the exact moment that I introduced Jess and Tim. I think Tim told me he thought she was cute, and I wasn’t wanting to get involved (having just set Jessica up with another friend over the summer, that became a massive failure – I wouldn’t be held responsible for this one, too). I think it wasn’t until a little break when I was going home with Jessica for Easter that we invited Tim to come, too. We spent the weekend on the boat, eating pancakes and enjoying Southern Florida. Whatever happened, worked – and Jessica and Tim have spent the majority of the last 6 years together.

I don’t know that I would have initially put them together – although they have always seemed to be a great compliment to each other. Tim is grounded, a financial guru and practical – but with this funny kid-like demeanor and good spirit. Jessica, traditional but a dreamer, brings him back to earth. She’s managed to bring out the romantic side of him, though – which has been quite impressive for us on-lookers. He proposed at his family’s cabin in Maine, on the beach with chocolate covered strawberries flown in from San Francisco and champagne.

One thing I’ll always have faith in, is that no matter their paths, they will always find each other’s hearts. Some people just belong together, and it has been a privledge watching their love grow and blossom over the last 6 years together. I love them both, no matter how far apart we are, and I hope they remember that

They drove all the way out to Oviedo from their home in St. Pete to spend some time with me. They were even interviewed by In Motion Video Productions for our documentary and Jillian Caro did Jessica’s makeup, her time donated as part of her Images for a Cure sponsorship.

And because I couldn’t write this without showing some of our best moments….

Sharing a Tall Cake at Ruby Tuesdays

Jessica and I going to the beach with Amanda in her sweet little Molly!

Jessica, me and Amanda at some function for school.... it was important, but I can't remember what it was

Tim and I at some Greek event

Tim, sticking his head out of the sunroof on our way back from the infamous beach trip!

Easter, with Jessica's family in Englewood

On the boat in Englewood

Jessica and Tim!

Ok, so now, on to their engagement pictures!!

I wanted to share some of the great shots that we did manage to get – heat and all.