Melinda- “Put the Dress Back On” aka “Trash the Dress”

Who doesn’t like Melinda? She is fun, outgoing, owns a smile that will cheer up anyone on a bad day, personable, hard working, caring, dependable and a great mom to boot! When she called me with her idea of “Putting the Dress Back On”, (my spin on a “trash the dress” session), I was psyched! You see, as an artist, we are always looking for those sessions where we can be creative…you know, fly, be free…..dream it, do it! To get to work with Melinda made it that much more fun. She showed up to Sly Park Lake in her wedding dress and boots with the full intention of just having fun and to “score” a surprise Christmas gift for her husband (a 10th or 11th wedding anniversary, I believe). There just seemed to be endless possibilities and even the limitless sky was on board. We did everything from playing in the forest, to climbing on the rocks, and even swimming in the lake, which was so cold I just can’t even imagine (especially since it’s a week later and there is about a foot and a half of snow on the ground!) She was a trooper the entire time, and we just had so much fun. She had the kids show up for the last bit of the session, so we could capture them with mom in the dress, and it took some major convincing to get them to stand in the water for more than 10 seconds. Our intention was a mud fight but the kids thought their mom was crazy. They’ll soon become clear(if not already) that this a beautiful trait in a mom and how very lucky they are to have here. You looked beautiful Melinda, and I hope your husband loves these!

Many thanks to my fabulous assistant Anna, who completely understands “fly, be free” and eager to help facilitate it each and every time!