David + Danielle // A Rehearsal

Included with all of our 2016 weddings is a complimentary session. Couples can choose between engagement, bridal, River Story™, or rehearsal evening coverage. Just because Thomas and I are more than a little bit in love with being behind the camera, and we love our couples to the moon and back. 

Danielle and David's intimate and classic vineyard rehearsal dinner ended with awesome s'mores on the beach. Kind of perfect, right? 

Venue: Chamard Vineyards 

All Photographs by: Thomas Gardella

Annapurna Woman // Featured

So honored to be the featured Annapurna Woman this week. 

I love this woman, and this blog, and everything they are doing for spiritual, sacred Mamas. 

They interviewed me and gave me the space to just BE. So, if you are interested in my current idea of the perfect song or my favorite paleo roasted chicken recipe, click here! 




That One Time With the Garden Hose

One of my best friends recently came to Austin, and whenever we are together things get weird in the best possible ways. She tells me to curl up like a naked baby shrimp in her gold coffee table bowl, I do it. She asks me to stuff my mouth with doll heads, it happens. We dance in our underwear and have Thomas take our photos. We jump in snake infested waters and laugh our heads off. And this time, when she was dreaming of a River Story, I asked her to, instead, play in the community vegetable garden with the hose. 

With her it's never about the pictures. It's the experience. It's two Mama artists reminding one another that we don't have to play by anyone's rules. It's just for F U N. 

I sometimes hesitate posting my non-wedding artwork here because in my head this is how it goes down:

Bride: Hey Mom and Dad and Grandma, there's this awesome wedding photographer I want to hire and her name is Michelle Gardella. Let's go look at her website together. 

(clicks on Blog)

Mom and Dad and Grandma: Is that a naked person with a hose? Is that a nipple? Can't you find someone who just takes pretty pastel photos? Isn't there anyone else available who is more wedding-y?

But alas, this is the year of no more hiding, and my art is my oxygen, so, here we go. Three frames from that one time with the garden hose: