Courtney Dellafiora » xocourtney.com

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Joslyn and I have been on three different European trips together. And it has become our tradition to do a photoshoot of her wherever we go. We went to Greece recently and woke up super early one morning to shoot at our hotel in Santorini. I just LOVE how these photos turned out.

Isn’t she stunning?? Such a beauty.

Miss you Jos!

I can’t wait to go back here!!

  • Malerie VeillonJuly 28, 2013 - 5:53 pm

    Courtney, these are absolutely gorgeous. Your work is truly the primary reason that I became interested in photography. You continue to inspire me even after all the years of being intrigued by your photography. Can I come and shadow you one day? I would love to watch you work and pick up as many tips as I can.

    Keep up the amazing job.ReplyCancel

Greece was a dream. I knew I would like it, but I had no idea how much I would LOVE IT. It was so beautiful. Everything. The scenery, people, the food, the weather. Even entering the country itself was a breeze. Everyone in this country was so nice, so kind. I honestly felt like I was in a dream the whole time. I kept saying all week, “is this real?”. It was like a fantasy. Paradise.

I met two of my best girlfriends, Joslyn and Alison in Greece and our adventure began…

97% of these photos were shot with my iPhone.

We flew into Athens and spent a day there seeing the ancient Greek ruins. It was definitely neat to see all of this but it can all be seen in literally a couple of hours. Athens was definitely not my favorite place. The city itself is dirty and full of graffiti and there isn’t much to do and see. If you’re planning to visit Greece, you can definitely live without Athens. The islands are where it’s at. : )

We flew to the island of Mykonos the next day. I wasn’t sure if I would like Mykonos, but I fell in love!! What a beautiful island. It’s super small and hardly any people there. Super intimate island. We stayed at this amazing hotel called Ostraco Suites. It was literally 3 minutes from the airport and was truly the cutest most perfect little place!! The staff was beyond nice and helpful. You couldn’t help but fall in love with them and the hotel.
This was our cute little suite that overlooked the water:

I absolutely loved this place. It was so relaxing. And even though it is hot in Greece, Mykonos is extremely windy so the weather just felt unbelievable the entire time we were there. Absolute perfection. Like a dream.

We explored the city a little on the first night and found the most romantic little restaurant to eat at and watched the sunset right on the water.

The next day we rented mopeds to explore the island. SO MUCH FUN. We went and found the prettiest beaches that had hardly any people at them. It was beyond perfect! And the water in Greece is truly the bluest, cleanest, prettiest water I have seen anywhere. There are no fish or creepy things in the water either.

After a full day of exploring Mykonos, we went back to our adorable hotel and watched the sunset from our room. Does it get any better that?

Next morning we flew to Santorini! This was the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most.

We arrived to our incredible hotel, Andronis Luxury Suites. I cannot begin to explain how amazing this place it. My pictures will never truly show how awesome it was. I will definitely be back to this place. The staff was unbelievable. I felt like a goddess the entire time I was there. This place is amazing. A lot of celebrities stay there. (The Kardashian family stayed here recently during their trip to Greece — that’s how amazing this place is!)

The views from every angle of our hotel were absolutely breathtaking.

The first evening we went and checked out the city a little.

I LOVE Santorini. LOVED IT.

We found the most perfect little spot to sit and watch the sunset.

The next day we did a whole lot of laying out in the sun and working on our tans and being served by our waiters in white. Can I just say, it was perfect? That evening we got dolled up for dinner at our hotel.

That night was truly romantic and perfect in every way. The food was to die for and the service was the best we have ever received. The food manager loved us. He was so sweet and came and told us stories about all the celebrities he had worked with. We drank, ate and laughed while the billions of stars looked down on us. It was a night you dream of.

The next day we went out on an all white sailboat. SO MUCH FUN. Our captain was hilarious and just amazing. It lasted from morning til late afternoon as we explored around the island.

I cannot say enough good things about the country of Greece, the people, the food and of course the scenery. I will definitely be back. It is pretty much the most perfect vacation spot on earth.

  • AbbyJuly 22, 2013 - 6:15 am

    What beautiful photos! We are thinking about going for our honeymoon, but aren’t sure because of the turmoil we’ve been hearing about over there! But I can’t wait to get there some day!ReplyCancel

Okay, so people weren’t lying when they said that their 30s were their best years. I have only been 30 a little over 4 months and I can already feel a huge difference in myself. I am totally loving being 30 and couldn’t be happier with my life. I feel so much wiser. I feel as though all of my 30 years of living, all the in between stuff, has been preparing me for right now. I have learned SO much in my life. And because I’ve allowed life lessons to teach me, I have never been more content then right now.

One thing I’ve noticed about being older, is how much more I appreciate the people in my life who are genuine real friends. I’ve always appreciated them, but I don’t know… I just feel something even deeper and more special. I’ve noticed a huge change in my relationships with my friends as this new decade has begun. I think I have truly realized their value as I have slowly let go of the people who I came to realize, weren’t ever true friends. Getting rid of poisonous relationships in my life has been so refreshing. It has opened my mind and heart to a whole new amazing world. It’s made me appreciate the ones who are true and genuine on a entire new level. I value their love, care and loyalty like never before. A real friend is one of the most precious things we can ever have in life and I feel as though I scored the jackpot with mine. I honestly look forward to every moment I spend with each of them. I deeply cherish every memory we make together and the many more we will share in the future. I am truly beyond blessed for many things in my life. My friends are Godsends in my life and I am thankful to Him for every single one.

You know who you are, and I love you each deeply.

Life is so beautiful. I cannot wait to continue this lovely journey I am on and find out what new adventures I will take. I look forward to sharing precious moments of life with the people in my life who mean everything to me. Every breath, every moment, every smile, every sunrise, every tear. It is all so beautiful. Life is so precious.

Grateful.

(photos below taken on a recent girls weekend in New Orleans with just a few of my best friends)

Soulmate:
A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet — a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before. As this connection develops over time, you experience a love so deep, strong and complex, that you begin to doubt that you have ever truly loved anyone prior. Your soulmate understands and connects with you in every way and on every level, which brings a sense of peace, calmness and happiness when you are around them. And when you are not around them, you are all that much more aware of the harshness of life, and how bonding with another person in this way is the most significant and satisfying thing you will experience in your lifetime. You are also all that much aware of the beauty in life, because you have been given a great gift and will always be thankful.

Beautiful, deep passionate love. It inspires me. It ignites the fire that burns inside of me. It pumps the blood that flows through my veins and it is truly the root of everything I am and everything I do.

Brandi and Rickey are soulmates. Without a doubt. It’s so obvious how much of a perfect match they are. How beautifully their souls are intertwined. I am truly blessed to call them my friends.

They were recently married and asked me to document their love story through my art. We began planning our ideas and together, we created something so beautiful. Something I am so proud of and something I know they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Brandi and Rickey thank you for letting me a part of your lives and your love. It was a true honor to photograph the beautiful, intimate love you both share. I am so happy to be your friend. XO

Please enjoy the story of Brandi and Rickey’s love and marriage.

My heart to you is given:
Oh, do give yours to me;
We’ll lock them up together,
And throw away the key.
-Frederick Saunders

I love this quote so much for these two. Brandi has a heart locket tattooed on her chest. And Rickey has a locket key with the name “Brandi” tattooed on his leg. It’s so perfect.

Don’t mind us, we love unicorns and like to randomly throw it in the shoot.

Hahhaa

When I am with you, the only place I want to be is closer.  -Author Unknown

 

  • LezandraMarch 31, 2013 - 12:58 pm

    These are sexy and gorgeous! I love the flow to this series!ReplyCancel

  • Kerry VaughnMarch 31, 2013 - 1:22 pm

    ABSOLUTLY GORGEOUS!!!! I can definitly see thier love and passion for each other. I am so proud to know Ricky and hope one day i can meet his gorgeous wife. These 2 are an awesome match and true definition of true love!!!! :)ReplyCancel

  • SaraMarch 31, 2013 - 8:19 pm

    Hot, hot, hot! I seriously could not love this more. Amazing. Their love and passion is SO evident in this series, and you captured it beautifully. Well done!ReplyCancel

  • Matt LandryMarch 31, 2013 - 9:08 pm

    WOW………SO HOT!!!!! Beatiful ART! Ahhhhh!ReplyCancel

  • Catherine GuidryMarch 31, 2013 - 9:22 pm

    Very nice! It looks like a lot of thought and effort went into this! Great work. :) :)ReplyCancel

  • Angie HealyApril 1, 2013 - 10:55 am

    This is so beautiful!! I want my story captured like this <3 WowReplyCancel

  • NatashaApril 1, 2013 - 12:01 pm

    Wow! Love every shot! This is such a hot couple!ReplyCancel

  • LauraApril 1, 2013 - 12:10 pm

    Oh, all of you had so much fun with this shoot! Lovely – and hawt! oh, my!
    The venue was really beautiful, too – is this their home?ReplyCancel

  • Stacy HughesApril 3, 2013 - 8:23 am

    Courtney,
    Best photo shoot ever! Loved it!!!! Well done.ReplyCancel

  • Christine DelkMay 18, 2013 - 4:11 pm

    AMAZING!!! Gorgeous couple and beautiful photos!!!ReplyCancel

  • HeatherSeptember 24, 2013 - 10:27 am

    I absolutely love these! They tell a beautiful story of love and devotion. The location is gorgeous as well and fits this vibrant couple perfectly.ReplyCancel

  • Kimmie RicoApril 1, 2014 - 6:24 pm

    I am in awe of this. Absolutely stunning. I have never seen such a beautiful and passionate couple as these two. I can only pray to find something as special as this…here’s hoping :)ReplyCancel

  • Brenda ClevengerApril 2, 2014 - 8:15 pm

    Sexiest couple EVER!!!….everything in all these photos are spot on perfect, congrats. :)ReplyCancel

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