If you’re in the wedding industry, there is no doubt you’ve seen Emily, of Emily Gerald Photography, at one time or another; she and her handsome husband, Mark, have been models countless times for several photographers, including myself (oh you know, just here, here, here, and here — Emily, I so owe you.)! Sure, from the outside, Mark and Emily seem like easy picks for models: a great looking, all-American couple, who is clearly in love. But there is so much more to these two than meets the eye. They are the type of people who would literally do anything for you (which is why they’ve modeled for me like a million times). The kind who go out of their way to help and are there for whatever you need. Emily and I only met a little over two years ago, but I am so lucky to call her one of my closest friends. Read a little bit more about Emily below and find out why I love her heart so much! 

Name | Emily Gerald
Age | 26
…I always get complimented on my smile, but my favorite feature is actually my nose!
…I haven’t always been proud of my forehead, but I’m learning to embrace it. 
…I feel most confident when I get dressed up for a date night with my husband.
The last time I felt truly beautiful was…
after seeing this series of images. I have plenty of images from other shoots I’ve been a part of and it’s easy to feel beautiful when you’ve had hair and makeup done by a professional, and are dressed in a fancy gown. But after seeing these images, I was able to appreciate my natural beauty, not just in a physical sense but the kind of beauty that comes from loving yourself through the ups and downs of life.
If you could give one piece of advice to other creative business owners, what would it be?
I would tell them to remind themselves of the reason they started their business in the first place. Things will get tough, you’ll feel discouraged and consider giving up but always remember the reason you began the journey.

Film was scanned and developed by Richard Photo Lab.
If you’re interested in going makeup free to be photographed for The Portrait Project, please e-mail Alicia at Alicia@AliciaLaceyPhotography.com — sessions are typically under 30 minutes and all images are shared with you first!