Sweetheart session - Nicole and Paul

Nicole jumped out of her car and hugged me. My face lit up into a gigantic smile and I hugged her back.

We had never met.

Yet it didn't seem strange to welcome each other in such a way. Nicole has a way of making you feel so comfortable and so special at the same time.

Paul stepped out of their car too, and beamed. I could tell that what I was seeing from Nicole was one of the very reasons Paul loves her so.









Paul and Nicole met on Nicole's first day of university. She was arriving at her new dorm for the first time, and Paul was there to help her with her bags. One week later and they got together. That was eight years ago now, and they're getting married.



Paul is an adventurer at heart. He's lived and worked in a myriad of different countries, including a recent posting in Laos. 'You can never stop travelling," he said to me, advice which I'm more than willing to follow.













Nicole admitted that she wasn't one to dream about getting married when she was little. I wasn't like that either so I could see where she was coming from. "But Paul and I talked and talked and talked and talked. About everything. Everything. Something in me changed, and I knew I wanted to get married," said Nicole.















2011 is going to be Paul and Nicole's year, and it's going to be sensational.



I'm so glad Paul and Nicole walked into my life and in front of my camera.

* Meaghan



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Sweetheart Session - Ashley and Richard [Melbourne, VIC]

Over a cup of tea, I asked something difficult of Ashley and Richard - I asked them to be themselves while I took their photograph. It's no easy feat. I know I'm guilty of over smiling, generally over doing it myself. So I knew I was putting ahead of Ashley and Richard no simple task.

But Ashley and Richard looked relieved when I asked them to be themselves. I'd inadvertently taken the pressure off them, the pressure to be some idea of perfect, and instead allowed them to relax and enjoy spending some time together. They chatted freely, laughed loudly, loved warmly.









For a fleeting moment, Ashley looked exactly like Rose Byrne.

















My heart melted when I pressed the shutter on these next two photographs. I asked Ashley and Richard to show me their love, and they really really did.









I can hardly wait the 29 days until Ashley and Richard's wedding. It's going to be, well, there's no other way to put it - it's going to be beautiful.



* Meaghan

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2010 - A year in review

I was chatting late at night to my friend on the phone. 'Late at night' really is the best time for phone conversations that meander and wander, and sometimes stray into that murky deep and meaningful area. And this was one of those murky conversations. I commented that 2010 had been a good year. A solid year, I think perhaps was how I phrased it. 2010 has been completely void of drama. No catastrophes, no feeling like I was wadding through spaghetti. It cruised along, it had highlights and there are no glaringly obvious lowlights that spring to mind (except when I was sprung polishing off a tub of Nutella in the pantry, with the evidence all over my face Augustus Gloop style.

I've pulled together some of my photographs from the past year. They are ones that I like, for any number of reasons. It could be because the photo is pure love, or because two seconds after taking it I fell over my own camera bag. There's also a few photos of Miles and Ryan thrown in for good measure (mainly so I can see how much, or how little in Ryan's case, their hair has grown). There were so many more I could have chosen, so so many more.

The Boutique is closing for the break on Friday. I'm shutting the doors to my office and taking a few quick steps backwards as I retreat down the hallway.

For now though, here's to 2010. Thanks to everyone of you who has visited the blog over the year. Your support has not gone unnoticed, and I appreciate it ten fold.













































































































And to all of you who I've had the honour of photographing, a thousand thank yous. It's you guys who have made my year so incredible.

* Meaghan


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