I Do Believe Photography

New Blog!

2009-10-01T22:30:00.001-07:00

I Do Believe Photography has a new Hawaii photography blog!

Julie & Ben

2008-11-19T17:25:00.000-08:00

These two were out in Hawaii for their anniversary but we got all sorts of attention on the beach from people wanting to congratulate them on their engagement! They are just too young and beautiful to be an old married couple :) It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time getting some beautiful pictures....

More Grace & Mike

2008-11-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't resist showing a couple other photos from this awesome wedding.

For a few more favorites from Grace and Mike's wedding click here

Grace & Mike's Album

2008-11-16T12:16:00.000-08:00

This was a fun album as Grace and Mike wanted all black and white's. It was fun to design something unique and different for them. Here are a few pages. To see the full layout click here.

Rhonda & Paul

2008-11-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

These two lovebirds were here in Hawaii for their anniversary. We met up on the North Shore for a fantastic photo session. It wasn't hard to get them smiling or to coax them to get their feet wet. They looked like newlyweds out there!

Nicole & Brian

2008-11-14T19:08:00.001-08:00

To see more from this wedding click here

Mika & Gaur

2008-11-14T18:53:00.001-08:00

To see more from this wedding click here

Myla

2008-11-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

I have the pleasure of being the photographer of choice for this adorable little one's parents. I shot mom and dad's wedding, the pregnancy photos, and even made it to the hospital to snap a few of newborn Myla. So it comes as no surprise that mom and dad asked me to come out for 6 month old baby photos! We had so much fun and I look forward to future photo sessions as we watch her grow!

A Hundred Flowers

2008-11-06T23:18:00.000-08:00

This beautiful Kaneohe garden was a wonderful setting for Katie and Mike to join as husband and wife...

To see more of Katie and Mike's day click here

Nicole & Joseph

2008-11-06T22:51:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of favorites from this Paradise Cove wedding...

A New Family Forms

2008-11-06T22:21:00.000-08:00

Valerie and Rosco said their vows on a balmy day on Lanikai Beach. Their union not only bound the two of them together, but their three children as well. The kids played a big part in the ceremony and we got lot's of great shots of them on the beach. Still had a little bit of light left for some gorgeous romantic shots of the happy couple, as well.

Want to see more? Click here

A Whole New Look!

2008-11-06T14:44:00.000-08:00

I am so excited because after so much hard work I am happy to introduce my new website and blog designs! With everything all shiny and new I can't wait to get started blogging all of this summers weddings and updating portfolio's! Have a look around. I would love to hear your feedback on the new look. Aloha!

Mother To Be Contest with Alohaparent.com

2008-05-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to have connected with Ann of AlohaParent.com! Aloha parent is an fantastic place to get connected with family events and resources on O'ahu. It is a great place to find babysitters, preschools, get parenting tips and ideas and a whole lot more!

This week I have teamed up with AlohaParent.com in their Mother's Day Mother To Be Contest. One lucky winner will receive a two hour pregnancy portrait sitting from I Do Believe Photography! So get your entries in mom's to be! I can't wait to meet the big winner!

Aloha and Happy Mother's Day!!

Mainland Trip Part 3 - Ohio

2008-04-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Off to Youngstown, Ohio we ventured for some good family time. This was the focal point of our trip. I got to meet the lovely Ruth Birskovich, Gabe's grandmother and an incredible lady to say the least. Grandma showed us the most wonderful hospitality. We visited a couple of local museums, my favorite was the Looney Toons exhibit at the Butler Institute of American Art. At Gabe's insistence we made sure to visit a true Italian Deli, Jimmy's, were we stocked up on meats and cheeses, roasted peppers and marinated olives, cheesecake and cannoli, what a feast! I got to meet Gabe's Aunt Noni, and his cousin Teri with his daughters Karen and Kristen. Grandma even honored me by helping with my wedding dress shopping at a local David's Bridal. It was so nice to meet everyone and we had a wonderful time. Next time I think we will try to visit during warmer months!

Hanging with the Penguin outside the Butler

A cool mirror at the museum

BURRR, Gabe was mad because I refused to participate in a snowball fight. It just wouldn't be fair, he would kick my butt! I did end up starting a small one in our room though ;)

Thank you Grandma for a wonderful visit!

Mainland Trip Part 2 - Chicago

2008-04-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

I was too cold to hold my camera while we were in Chicago so thank you to the fine artists who submitted their pictures for me to post here :)

Despite the biting cold, Chicago was so much fun! Everyone is ready for winter to be over but I was ridiculously excited to see the smallest snowflake :) It was so good to see my old college buddy Sarah and her husband Nick. The happy couple is expecting their first little one the very weekend Gabe and I will be joining in holy matrimony. I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl and I wish I could be around to take pregnancy pictures! Nick keeps very busy as a talented tattoo artist at his shop The Chicago Tattoo Company. Gabe was hoping to take advantage of Nick's skill but we were all just too busy, maybe next time!

Sarah and I got some awesome girl time in shopping for wedding dresses at the Brides Against Breast Cancer dress sale. I didn't find my perfect dress but I still highly recommend the sale to anyone out there looking. They had beautiful dresses! Some were worn once others were brand new, donated by designers and bridal boutiques across the country. Everyone was so friendly and happy to be there. It is a wonderful cause that I am happy to support. I am considering donating my own dress after I tie the knot this summer. Thank you so much Sarah, for being an amazing friend and dress helper. You are the best!

Snow!!!

Sarah and I on our way to the dress sale. Check out the snowflakes!

BURRRR!

We also had a great time hanging out with my Chicago cousins. I am so happy I got two introduce everybody to Gabe. As expected, he loves you all. Thanks to Barbara and Stu for all of the rides, Lauren and Benji, Elisa and Kevin for the hospitality. With two year olds Rosie and Haley running around and one very bouncy 5 year old Albert how could it not be a good time. Plus Elisa 9 months preggers and ready to pop...is my next little cousin born yet? We even got to attend little Hallie's 2nd birthday party. What a treat!

Cousins

Baby Cousins

Haley, the Birthday Girl

We're ready to party!

Thank you everyone! We will see you here in Hawaii next time!

Mainland Trip Part 1 - San Francisco!

2008-03-26T14:31:00.001-07:00

Gabe and I had the pleasure of touring across the mainland for a couple of weeks, visiting friends and family. We had a fantastic time! Our first stop was San Francisco to visit with his sister Hallie and her family, my Aunt Laurie, some great old friends, and the Mission district for burritos! Nephew and niece Zach and Isla were so much fun and we got to be there for Isla's 1st birthday! Thanks everyone for making us so welcome!

Isla is truckin!

Zach shares Uncle Gabe's dislike of having his photo taken...tough!

Sister & Bro

Lil Troublemaker

Daddy's little angel

She wasn't quite walking yet so Isla was easier to catch!

But I caught you Zach!

Then there's us big kids

I even managed to get out one day and take some pretty pictures in the neighborhood.

Stay tuned for Chicago and Ohio!

Wedding Photography Contest Nomination!

2008-03-03T10:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends!

Two of my photos have been nominated as finalists in a wedding photography competition! Voting is open to the public so have a look and cast a vote!

Wedding Photography Contest Finalists

Check out the nominated images below :) Thanks Megan & Chris and Nicole & Brian for being so gorgeous!

Aloha,
Michelle

Katja

2008-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

Everyone is having babies! Katja is one of my very best friends so naturally her baby shower gift from me was a maternity shoot. I was so excited for this one because for one, Katja is gorgeous, two, because I photographed their wedding not long ago and it I'm glad to be a part of the next big step, and three, because it's always great working with friends! I can't wait to meet the little girl in a few weeks!!!

Akasha

2008-02-22T15:45:00.001-08:00

I had the fantastic experience of working with Akasha to create some amazing images. Akasha is an incredible belly dancer. Her costumes were gorgeous, she is gorgeous, and combined with a couple of beautiful Hawaii locations and an awesome sunset we couldn't go wrong! We had a great time and the pictures are stunning! Here are a few samples, for more look at my Flickr page. Thanks Akasha!

Happy Valentines!

2008-02-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

A day late...but that's when it is fun to talk about what you did! Gabe and I like to avoid the Valentines restaurant crowds so we had a nice romantic evening at home. We indulged in truffles from The Honolulu Chocolate Company and watched my new favorite movie Across the Universe. If you are a fan of The Beatles, musicals or love stories this movie is a must see!

I hope everyone else had a lovely and romantic evening, too. Any new engagements out there?! I would love to hear your story...Call me!

Kanani

2008-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

I LOVE maternity photography. It is such an amazing privilege to be able to capture this unbelievable time in a womans life. Every mother should do this because it is so beautiful! Kanani was amazing. At 9 months pregnant she was bounding around Kailua Beach like an Olympic athlete! Kanani and her boyfriend Peter had a great time and we have the pictures to prove it! Congratulations on baby Alexander guys!

Blue Hawaii

2008-02-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

ALOOOOOOOHA!
Kim and Ken brought me to Kauai last weekend for an amazing experience! The ceremony took place at the very location of Elvis's Blue Hawaii. It was so beautiful, so unique and so much fun! On top of that, Kim and Ken planned lot's of times for photos. They had all sorts of ideas and we had plenty of time to get some gorgeous and artistic images. Thanks Kim and Ken and CONGRATULATIONS!

Lisa & Jon's Engagement

2008-01-08T21:42:00.001-08:00

Finally, the holidays have passed and I am catching up on all my work! Back before all the Christmas craziness I met up with Lisa and Jon on the North Shore for a fantastic engagement session. These guys were naturals! The hardest part of this shoot was choosing which ones to display here!

Megan & Chris

2007-12-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

A lovely wedding on Kauai, fantastic people and wow, what a sunset! What more could anyone ask for? How about a new album design...

Ashley & Erik

2007-12-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

At long last I am updating my blog! Starting with the beautiful pictures of Ashley and Erik from their Veteran's Day wedding at Koolau Ballroom. What a fun day! Beautiful weather, a gorgeous bride, crying parents, adorable children, a whole lot of glass clinking, and to top it all off... a stunning impromptu rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by the wedding party. Thanks guys, what a fun day!!!

My Turn to be the Bride!

2007-04-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

That's right...no longer am I just the wedding photographer, I'm a future bride too!

It was my birthday and we were in the middle of the Pacific ocean on a fishing diving trip with friends. Everyone sat and watched a gorgeous sunset. Then Gabe asks for everyones attention, turns to me and asks me to spend the rest of his life with him! I was so surprised! I was laughing and crying and shaking, but I finally managed to say yes. Then it took about 15 more minutes until I could breath!

So I'm engaged! All of you brides out there feel free to send your advice for the big day!

Here's a couple of shots that friends took...

Gabe has his own take on the event plus some other highlights from the amazing trip on his blog... http://kaimanadivers.blogspot.com/

Masami and Isaac!

2007-03-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

Masami and Isaac are good friends and although they didn't have an official photographer, of course I brought my gear along. And am I glad I did because A) the officiant conducting the ceremony pictured below is the love of my life, that's fun. 2) Masami and Isaac are GORGEOUS. And C) It was on a boat in the middle of the ocean! How cool! Masami's procession was actually riding on a speed boat to the larger boat where Isaac and all us guests waited. Take note that the wedding ceremony took place upon the boat where they first met :) Aaaaahh. After the good reverend used the power vested in him to pronounce them husband and wife, the happy couple hopped back into the speed boat and cruised off into the sunset together! Very cool way to get married.

So Many Little Ones!

2007-03-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

Wow! That's the only word that comes to mind when I think of the swarms of beautifully dolled up flowergirls and ringbearers traipsing through the Waikiki Marriot last week. Six flowergirls and four ringbearers! There was cuteness everywhere I turned. Phoebe and Lem were looking gorgeous, the wedding party was huge and tons of fun and the wedding was beautiful, but I must say, the little girls and boys were showstoppers!

Okay, there were some adults around too...but they were sillier then the kids! Here's two groomsmen practicing their dancing skills pre-reception!

And of course the main event...

A Veil of a Tale

2007-03-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Marty and Elsie had a lovely church wedding followed by some fun at Kapiolani Park.... and yes, a veil big enough for the entire wedding party!

A Simple Beach Wedding

2007-03-08T11:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am well behind on my blogging...just been so busy taking pictures! So this is a wedding I shot back in December. Yamiler and Alvaro were a gorgeous couple and I just have to share some of my favorites:

They brought all the family and friends over from California and yeah, they're here to party.

Yamiler looking GORGEOUS!

Alvaro showing off his ring.

The sun was a bit too much for the flower girl

The Bouquet toss... she was just going to hand it too her but I thought she might as well toss it! Staged to say the least, but it was fun :)

The happy couple had a great time doing romantic pictures

A Cultural Experience

2007-02-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

I had the honor of taking part in a Hindu wedding ceremony and what a new experience it was! Splashes of color and ancient traditions combined with a friendly and very outspoken family and a bit more rain than we had hoped for! The wedding took place under a giant banyan tree (and a tent due to the rainy conditions). The ceremony was the shortened version...only 3 hours long instead of the traditional three days! So many interestiing things to see. Everyone looked gorgeous and had a great time while I got to learn about the beautiful ceremonies of an interesting culture!

Vaishali Looking lovely...

The colorful flower girls
When the bride comes in she is hidden from the groom. A cloth is held between them by close relatives. This is the moment when the cloth is dropped and Vaishali and Dale see each other for the first time.
Vaishali's Mother and Father joining hands with the couple. A beautiful moment of union.
Bride and groom walk around the fire four times, alternating in who leads.

A private ceremonial moment between husband and sister.

Vaishali and Dale face look out towards the sun.

When the ceremony was over I stole them away for a bit of fun!

All the Beautiful People

2006-12-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to write about a great wedding I participated in. Now every wedding that I attend I am surrounded by so much beauty, but this one was just exceptional. There was something like 600 guests so perhaps it was just the enormous amount of beautiful people around me that made it so overwhelming. Or maybe it was the locations... the ceremony was held at the chapel at Iolani school, I'd never been here before and in case you are wondering it is GORGEOUS, and the reception in the Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt in Waikiki. Whatever the case I felt I just had to show off some of the pictures from the beautiful wedding of Ruthie and Kevin.

Ruthie had to hide behind a sheet because the chapel is all windows. It was very cute.

Did I mention that there cake was made of Krispy Cremes?!

In the Backyard

2006-12-13T20:14:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun because I got to participate in Heather and Sean's "Simple Backyard Wedding". Simple except for that it was the multimillion dollar backyard on Kailua Beach of a close friend of their's! It was a stunning setting for a small and intimate ceremony and reception.

Heather and Sean are friends of my boyfriend, Gabe, and all his diving buddies (Check out http://kaimanadivers.blogspot.com/ to find out more about his scene). So, I was friends with a lot of the guests..an added bonus. The best part of this day was how relaxed everything was...no timelines, everyone was comfortable hanging out in the backyard by the ocean or kicking it in the house, Heather was laughing about how girly she had to be (nailpolish, agh!) while she hid from Sean in a room upstairs.

The ceremony was beautiful with the ocean behind them as they said their vows (tears and laughter from everyone). Afterwards, Heather and Sean and I headed around the corner to an awesome spot for couple pictures--huge waves crashing against lava behind them!

Then back to the house to kick back, eat food, and throw cake at each other! Best cake fight I've seen yet--Way to sneak it in there Heather! But Sean got you back pretty good though.

A good time was had by all...

Renewal

2006-11-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to write about a very touching ceremony that I got to take part in a few weeks ago. Terri and Russ have been married for 10 years. They had a huge wedding in California. A great time they said, but pretty stressful. In the midst of the chaos Terri said to Russ - we should have just gotten married on a beach in Hawaii, to which Russ replied - Okay, we'll do it! In 10 years.

So on the 11th anniversary of there first date they got (re)married on a beach in Hawaii. Isn't it nice when we fulfill those dreams? Terri and Russ wanted a beautiful and traditional Hawaiian ceremony for their vow renewal and the found Pahia to preside over the special event. Pahia is amazing! The ceremony was the most beautiful thing I have seen to date (well, the footwashing was pretty good too. This was great in it's own way). Pahia's ceremony involved so much Hawaiian tradition and beauty. She brought in the elements with maile and flowers, koa, natural pearls, water, a conch shell blower and above all of that so much love! I can't begin to describe how wonderful the effect was! So much to take pictures of!

A Wedding in Kauai

2006-10-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the priviledge of photographing the wedding of Dennis and Kristin on Shipwreck beach in Kauai. If anyone out there is looking for the perfect place for an intimate and private wedding ceremony this is the place! I couldn't believe how beautiful it was there!

These two left the family at home so it was just the pastor, the happy couple and me, snapping away. After a quick downpour the crazy kids got hitched.

After that I got a good hour and a half with them all to myself...It was great! We had plenty of giggles, and we even saw a Hawaiian sting ray swimming in the shallow waters along the shore! I have such an awesome job!

Thanks Dennis and Kristin for making me a part of your day (and letting me run you guys all over that beach!)

My Very First Blog - The Footwashing

2006-10-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hi There, My name is Michelle Davies and I am a wedding photographer and first time blogger. I've done a couple myspace blogs in my day but never anything serious or important so this feels a bit new and strange! I hope to join the craze of people who love to write endlessly about the exciting moments in life. I do come across penty of amazing moments with my job! So I will start with one of them.... Janelle and Kaleo!

I have been to a whole lot of weddings and sometimes there is one that just sticks out for some reason or another. Janelle and Kaleo's was one of those. They were such a happy couple, so much fun! But it was this moment in the ceremony that had everyone tearing up--including me! What's happening here is a footwashing. If you don't know the signifigance of this here's the basics... At the Last Supper Jesus washed the feet of all of his disciples. In the days of dusty roads and open-toed sandals, feet often became dirty, and it was the job of the lowest servants to wash the guests' feet. This act is meant to show devotion, humbleness and love. To see this as part of a wedding ceremony was incredibly beautiful. Kaleo was humbling himself before Janelle in true love and devotion. It was truly the most moving thing that I have ever experienced in a wedding ceremony so far.

Ah love, what a great job I have!