building trust with your vendors
This year has brought to me MANY amazing experience working with my beloved clients. But, I want to highlight two of them, in particular, that stand out in my mind as absolute gems of the year.
when it comes to your wedding, you’re IN IT for a long time before your wedding day. If I remember anything, it’s that when the wedding day finally arrives, you finally feel like you can let out a big exhale + relax! This is a great thing, and a great feeling to get to have with the people you love the most. I believe I can help you get a little bit of the exhale started weeks, maybe months, before your wedding day with this little bit of how to.
I’ve never been a big social media guy. I think that it’s just a glimpse, and I don’t have my phone out for reel-ing or BTS because what’s more important to me is being present with you. BUUUUUT. (ooof, did you expect that!?) this year I’ve found that the people who are the first likes on my insta…their weddings were extraordinary experiences for me, and for them.
What does it mean?! It means that what you can do to help build your own confidence in how smoothly your day will go is follow along on some level: Facebook, Instagram, Blogging, email, text…with the vendors you’ve chosen. Be invested in them. See the work that they do on a consistent basis leading up to your wedding…and then be confident in your choice to have them be a part of your day. Trust yourself to know you did your job + made a wise choice. Do not micromanage ;) Be the couple getting married, and fully immerse yourself in your wedding, while you let the things around you unfold beautifully!
does this resonate with you!? are you in your planning process? get in touch today, I’d love to serve you!
Jorgensen Farms, The Gardens, Engagement session
engagement session taken at Jorgensen Farms The Garden Venue in harvest season. Flower fields and a beautiful couple walk barefoot around the farm for photos
It’s such a fun time getting to know couples during an engagement session. Truth be told it’s as much a get to know you session as it is make photos for an engagement session. I love the slower pace of meandering around, with the couple trusting me to catch pretty locations to stop and make some images that will serve to show this time in their lives. Talking about the wedding, but mostly just learning about their lives, love, and of course PETS. Enjoy a few from Gina + Ryan’s engagement session at Jorgensen Farms Garden venue. A year from today they’ll get married at Oak Grove!
enjoying your day AND the best portraits
an easy how to schedule your wedding day to maximize your presence in enjoying your wedding day
Comin’ atcha today with another how to! If we’ve talked, you’ll immediately know how passionate I feel about being present enough to never, I mean NEVER, feel or even think for one second MAN I WISH I WAS DOING SOMETHING FUN INSTEAD OF PHOTOS! It’s like my second most promise to you, after the obvious first promise that you’ll fully love your entire photo gallery completely!
a generic timeline to maximize your presence on your wedding day
first look (ALONE) with your partner. Do you have to do a first look? absolutely not, but if you do, you have more time together (for pictures!) that is natural and happens organically. Why alone? Isn’t it cute to have your friends and family in the background? well, I mean, sure in THIS moment, maybe…but think forever? When you look back on your wedding day, what’s it about? Throwing a great party for your loved ones, sure…but celebrating your love with YOUR LOVE, that’s it!
take a moment alone together after your ceremony. Call it a breather, call it a break..but you can take 7 minutes while the guests get moving from ceremony to cocktail space…and I don’t even need to be there the whole time. Give me 3 minutes of that exhale when you realize you’ve done it! you’re married! then actually get to enjoy those quiet moments with each other!
During cocktail hour, I’ll offer you a chance to step out and “take a break” from the crowd - because mingling is HARD WORK. (I always tell couples how this is the hardest part of the day, the introverted-extrovert in me is overwhelmed with wanting to photograph people but also v. much wanting to retreat to my long lens and just get candids :) )….and I bet you’ll totally enjoy just a quick second to recap with your partner with some magical shots!
THEN finally! you’re usually the first people fed during the reception. If you’re willing to step out for - you guessed it - another chance to be alone + take it all in, I’ll come along and capture some naturally happy-to-be-together moments of you + your partner!
what do you think? have you thought about how you want to spend your time on your wedding day? If nothing else, I hope this has helped you realize that not one single “how to do your wedding day” guide will ever fit perfectly for you. You should consider your personality, your love, and your season of getting married and do it exactly how it feels right!!
welcome to Ingrid! | in home newborn session
Look at me blogging, like this is really my job or something (some time management, and adding a babysitter to our lives will allow for things like that, but that's a different post for a different time!). I'll often get emails, "do you still shooting lifestyle/family sessions?" YESSSS! I most certainly do.
Most recently I was able to meet little Miss Ingrid, little bebe of Signe and Drew, who's wedding I shot in 2013. I loved them back in 2013, and now I am happy to report I love them as parents, too. They were so calm, so natural with Ingrid, and it was wonderful to get to spend some time with all three of them!
I won't shoot newborns super posed, but I think, as you'll see, a lifestyle session works just perfectly.
Like I talked about in my intro post, getting to make my own schedule and all, I have much more time for these type of in home, true lifestyle sessions this winter. If you're expecting this fall, don't hesitate to get in touch, I would love to capture these precious moments for your family as well!
Enjoy!
