The photography blog of Carissa Uribe, an international wedding photographer based out of Park City, Utah and Conroe, Texas.

Going For Gold

Jake and I have been trying to squeeze in as much of the Olympics as we can the last few days. Unfortunately, this usually means snuggling up at night and watching everything in triple speed so we can delete enough for our DVR to record more the next day. If it were up to me, I would spend the entire day watching all the amazing athletes and cheering for USA loud and proud. They might not be able to hear me, but I’m irrationally convinced that the louder I yell encouragement at the TV, the more it will help them perform. Yes, even though what I’m watching has ALREADY HAPPENED. Still, I yell.

Last night while we were watching some dressage, Akiva’s ears perked up and she started staring at the screen, her eyes following the little horse and rider around the arena. I’ve never really seen her watch TV before, but somehow I think she was subconsciously jealous that horses get to be in the Olympics and dogs don’t. (Because clearly I know everything my dogs are thinking.) So I decided to invent a few categories they could compete in. To make them feel better, of course.

Akiva would take the gold medal for Fastest Eater. And maybe silver, too, if that were possible. I’m pretty sure she can eat two and a half cups of food in a minute flat. It’s impressive, really.

Zuka would win the gold for Loudest Singer. I’ve never known another dog who croons as loudly as he does. Particularly if I’ve been gone all day. He gives quite the welcome home. I would post a video of it, but it’d probably break your computer speakers.

And Frisky? He would crush the competition for Best Sleeper. But really, when you’re 119 in dog years (that’s 17 in human years for those who don’t want to do the math), you’re kind of a shoe in…

Go Team USA!!!!

Newpark Hotel Wedding: Jenny + Johnny

“I’m so excited!”

“This is awesome!”

If there are two sentences that sum up Jenny and Johnny’s day perfectly, those would be it. From the minute I arrived in the morning, Jenny could not stop telling me just how thrilled she was to be marrying Johnny. All through her hair and make up appointment, a smile never left her face. Well, it never left her face all day, really. And whenever anyone asked her how she was doing, she would simply say, “I’m so excited!!”

Johnny’s phrase, on the other hand, was “This is awesome!” Although sometimes he added a “so awesome” in there. Ya know, for variation ;) All during the First Look, he kept making note of how amazing it was that the wedding day had actually arrived. The day that they had spent so much time planning for, working toward, and looking forward to, had finally come. Exciting and awesome, indeed :)

Enjoy a few (or a lot) of my favorites from their day! (And I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the wonderful Amy Lashelle, who assisted me during the wedding. Thanks Amy!)

After hair and make up at The Golden Door, we headed back to the hotel for Jenny to put on her lovely Augusta Jones gown.

Love this :)

Once the dress was on, we headed over to the White Barn to meet Johnny!

Not be a broken record, but…. I LOVE First Looks! So much. And I’m very glad these two decided to do it :)

They were so sweet :)

And did I mention excited? Yes, super excited, too!

SUCH a beautiful couple, no?

They just couldn’t stop smiling at each other.

After the First Look we made our way to the beautiful St. Mary’s for the ceremony.

If you’ve ever wondered whether or not doing a First Look takes away from the groom seeing his bride walk down the aisle, I think this face will answer your question ;)

Married!!

You could literally feel the joy radiating from them as they walked back down the aisle :)

We hurried to snap the family pictures after the ceremony, and then it absolutely started POURING rain. As you can see, though, it didn’t put any damper on their spirits! (And I have to add in a HUGE thank you to Amy here, because she held an umbrella for me so I could finish up the last few family shots during the downpour!)

Newpark Hotel provided a wonderful atmosphere for the wedding!

Rather than having a guest book, they had a custom snowboard made and had all their guests sign it. How great is that?!

Instead of table numbers, all of the tables were labeled with places where the bride and groom had been, and a memory to go with it!

After the first dance, a party broke loose! Thanks to the talented Joe Muscolino Band for bringing down the house!

Johnny and Jenny let me sneak them away for a few minutes to catch the beautiful light, just as the sun was setting in front of the hotel. I feel so fortunate to have clients who care about their pictures and allow me to do this :)

I’ll finish up with this shot of the glowing couple! (Pun might have been intended.)

Congratulations again you two!! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your wedding! The day was a beautiful testament of your love, I know your life together will be just as beautiful :) Xo

Juice Me

I did a juice cleanse last week.

I know what you’re thinking… Me, the carb-loving food junkie who can’t say no to french fries and salivates at the sight of sprinkles? Yes. I did a juice cleanse. Ever since I found out that my stomach ~~HATES ME~~ can’t handle gluten, I’ve been a lot more conscious about what I put in my body. Still, a juice cleanse? Five years ago I would have laughed in your face at the idea. Two years ago I would have been intrigued, but never acted on it. This year, though, a lot has happened that has made me really think about what’s really important… Namely, my faith, my family, and my health. I’ve been blessed with pretty good health, and I don’t want to take that for granted.

It’s not that I’ve been particularly unhealthy. Just… not as wholesome as I could be. (Ok, ok, I might have had 75 too many Peanut Butter M&M’s while I was at the lake house.) Anyhow, I decided to make a change. But I realized that if I was going to make a change, I needed to quit just telling myself that I would, and actually DO it. (I am the queen of “I’ll start that tomorrow.”)

I heard about Blue Print Cleanse from my brother Carl and his wife Summer. Summer also has a sensitive stomach, but she said this cleanse was awesome. They both did, actually. I figured it would at least help me get a start in the right direction, if nothing else. So I ordered it. And then I prepared to consume nothing but six bottles of juice each day for 3 straight days.

I was a little worried I would be hungry during the whole thing. Surprisingly, I wasn’t. I was also a bit worried that the green juice part of it would be gross. Not surprisingly, it was. Like a plug your nose, close your eyes, and chug without breathing kind of gross. But by the end of the third day, it was worth it. Completely. I felt energized, alert, and my body was definitely happy. I just felt good.

So the point of this post? I’m not even sure, to be honest. Except maybe to say, if you’ve ever considered doing a juice cleanse, go for it! Even if you don’t do Blue Print Cleanse. (Although I highly recommend them, they make things about as easy as you could ask a juice cleanse to be.) Seriously though. If I can do it, you can. And you might even like, too.

Yeah, they even idiot-proof the bottles so that you know for sure what order to drink them in. I thoroughly enjoyed lining them up in my fridge and taking them out number by number. I also enjoyed their clean graphic design. (Not sure which one of those things makes me more of a nerd…)

Happy Tuesday :)

Salt Lake City Engagements: Kristin + Chris

Normally, smacking someone with a stick doesn’t lead to anything good. But Chris was working at a pizza parlor, and while cleaning one of the ovens, he yanked a stick out of it and accidentally smacked Kristin. Normally, a co-worker might not react so kindly to this. But Kristin was a good sport and laughed it off. (Although he didn’t live that one down for a while!) Normally, that kind of bizarre happening wouldn’t prompt hanging out and getting to know one another. But it did. And normally, after hanging out all summer and enjoying each other’s company, a couple will stay together. But they didn’t…

Life came in hurry and swept them different ways. Yet somehow, during the next couple years, they always came back together again. Like magnets, they couldn’t stay apart. And now, 8 years later, they’re not just stuck like magnets. I’d say they’re stuck more like glue. Super glue, at that.

So even though life brought its fair share of ups and downs, through it all, they always found a way back to each other. Which makes their relationship, and their love, anything but normal. On the contrary, it’s extraordinary.

We started out at Liberty Park in Salt Lake, and I was a big fan of Kristin’s yellow dress!

UH-dorable.

Love this.

After a quick change, we headed out to the Great Salt Lake to use up the last bit of light.

My word, Kristin… you are SO beautiful.

At the very end they pulled out some champagne. These are by far some of my favorites!

SO cute.

Work it!!

Lurrrve these :)

Chris and Kristin, thanks for SUCH a fun evening!! Can’t wait for your wedding! Xoxo

59 comments

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Sarah Knight - July 23, 2012 - 10:28 am

I LOVE love love these!

Kristin - July 23, 2012 - 2:51 pm

what a great time!!

Ana - July 23, 2012 - 2:58 pm

I know where she gets her good looks from…

Jordan - July 23, 2012 - 3:14 pm

you guys looks great

Andrea - July 23, 2012 - 3:23 pm

These pics are gorg!!

Michelle Tarter - July 23, 2012 - 3:44 pm

Kristin, I love them, gorgeous as always!

Melissa Ramirez - July 23, 2012 - 3:49 pm

Amazing!!!
Absolutely love the pictures!!

Christian - July 23, 2012 - 3:57 pm

Awesome pics, nice work on ring dude!

Sarah - July 23, 2012 - 4:00 pm

These pictures are amazing!!! You two look great! Kristen you are stunning!!!

Sarah Balkany - July 23, 2012 - 4:07 pm

Someone should have warned me that looking at these was sure to make me cry! Gorgeous pictures suitable for my gorgeous friends!!! Wow…I need a tissue.

Jules - July 23, 2012 - 4:09 pm

First engagement photos that made me smile instead of gag at the cheesyness. These two are adorable, and genuinely in love!

Omar - July 23, 2012 - 4:17 pm

Congrats guys! You look great!

Elizabeth - July 23, 2012 - 4:19 pm

Ohhhh the pizza place!!! Love u guys, u look amazing :)

Lizzy Kemp - July 23, 2012 - 4:22 pm

Love this couple do very much!!! The photos are fun, stylish and charming–a perfect mirror of these two!!!! These two were ALWAYS meant to be together!! Waaaayyyy back;).

Kari - July 23, 2012 - 4:35 pm

You both look amazing and so happy! Great photography and great subjects!!!

Kristen - July 23, 2012 - 5:20 pm

amozballs!

Manuel - July 23, 2012 - 5:41 pm

great pictures guys

Heather - July 23, 2012 - 5:49 pm

Beautiful couple! Love love love!

Chris - July 23, 2012 - 7:07 pm

Kristin looks phenomemal…

Mikey Cicero - July 23, 2012 - 8:13 pm

Great pics, can’t wait to see the wedding pics down the line!

Rachel - July 23, 2012 - 10:01 pm

Hottest couple on your blog!

Allison - July 23, 2012 - 11:10 pm

The pictures are amazing! You guys look so happy! :)

diana fernandez - July 24, 2012 - 3:44 am

truly a love story…like no other…

two amazing lives enlaced by love to make the world a better place…forever after has begun.

love you guys.. Christy and D:)

Maria DELEGAL - July 24, 2012 - 4:34 am

You guys look great!

Ando - July 24, 2012 - 7:55 am

Wowee wow wow. Everytime I look at these I get so excited to see more of you two sharing your life together! You need to put this photographer on your payroll! Love you two!

Allison - July 24, 2012 - 8:47 am

So pretty…

Manny - July 24, 2012 - 9:09 am

cant wait for the weddine!

Mike - July 24, 2012 - 9:12 am

Great pics!!!

Liz - July 24, 2012 - 9:14 am

Wonderful pictures for a wonderful couple

Emily - July 24, 2012 - 9:17 am

I wish I would have done something like this! they look great

Angela - July 24, 2012 - 9:30 am

Incredible beauties…

Erika - July 24, 2012 - 9:37 am

picture perfect!

Kirsti - July 24, 2012 - 10:01 am

Love them!

Esther - July 24, 2012 - 10:26 am

Nice choice in bottles :)

Ema - July 24, 2012 - 10:43 am

Timeless…

Alex - July 24, 2012 - 10:47 am

I cant wait for the wedding! its going to be great

maureen adelman - July 24, 2012 - 11:34 am

Great pics, Kristin. Muy romantico.

Padrino - July 24, 2012 - 1:46 pm

Estan Soplado

Carolina - July 24, 2012 - 1:54 pm

Beautiful!!! Congrats, Kristin!! You’ll be a gorgeous bride! :)

Lily - July 24, 2012 - 5:27 pm

This is so exciting!

Dave - July 24, 2012 - 5:30 pm

Unvelievable!

Joey - July 24, 2012 - 5:31 pm

So happy for you guys!

Eli - July 24, 2012 - 5:42 pm

Great pics. Congrats!

Marissa - July 24, 2012 - 5:52 pm

Love the pics! Can’t wait for a wonderful wedding with a beautiful bride.

Debra Volpe - July 24, 2012 - 6:53 pm

Delicious!

Chief and Mami - July 24, 2012 - 8:55 pm

The pictures are gorgeous!!! You both look so natural having the time of your life. We love you xoxoxo

April - July 25, 2012 - 3:28 am

So beautiful

Lauren - July 25, 2012 - 10:20 pm

OMG! OMG! OMG!

Pete - July 25, 2012 - 10:22 pm

DAAAALLLLEEE! looks awesome

Vivian - July 25, 2012 - 10:30 pm

Just stunning!

Nicole - July 25, 2012 - 10:37 pm

uhhhh dorable is right! what incredible shots:)

Sandy - July 26, 2012 - 1:23 pm

There had better be more of that champagne when I get up there…

Myrna alfonso - July 26, 2012 - 1:37 pm

Kristin the pictures are beautiful! I can’t wait to see you as a bride! I love you your madri

Yesenia - July 29, 2012 - 9:17 am

Congrats my sister best wishes muah

Samantha - July 30, 2012 - 8:41 am

<3 <3 <3!!!! You guys are the definition of true love!!!!

Ricky - July 30, 2012 - 8:42 am

I love your photos Kritter!

Jessica - July 30, 2012 - 8:45 am

You guys really got some captured moments! Awesome pics!

Laura - July 30, 2012 - 8:47 am

Gorg!!

Lauren Alfonso - August 1, 2012 - 7:36 am

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!! My favorite was the black and white one under “love this”! cant wait to go up for the wedding!! Love you guys!!

Old Mill Golf Course Engagements: Jessica + Gavin

Jessica would probably tell you it was his charm. Gavin would probably tell you it was her ~~swimsuit~~ smile. He saw Jessica across the pool at a friend’s BBQ and knew he had to talk to the stunning blonde. So he walked right up to her and did just that.

Did sparks fly? Maybe. Or maybe it was more like fireworks. An instantaneous explosion that, quite simply, doesn’t happen every day. But then again, Jessica and Gavin aren’t your everyday couple. Their love is so sweet it makes a red velvet cupcake look salty. And that, my friends, is saying something. They’ll be tying the knot this September with lovely backyard wedding, complete with a pool. Quite fitting, if you ask me ;)