KENDAL+TIM WEDDING DAY
Kendal and I were great friends in high school so when she reached out about photographing her wedding, I was so honored. We met up at a Biggby where we were able to catch up and I was able to meet Tim! Their engagement photos were so much fun with their cute little puppy Perrin, who was able to make an appearance for some wedding photos!
Brides dress - Beckers Bridal
Bridesmaids dresses - David’s Bridal
Groom/groomsmen tux - Men’s Warehouse
Flowers - J’s Flowers
DJ - Nate Valentin
Ceremony & Reception - The Cheney Place
These Two Met at This Photoshoot
Would you believe that these two met right before these photos? I put out on Facebook and Instagram that I wanted one single girl and one single guy and was graced with the Ariel and Derek. I didn’t even tell them the others name before we met up because I didn’t want them to search the other person on social media and get any opinions, can’t judge a book by it’s cover right? We all met right in the parking lot of this gorgeous park and started walking. We got to know each other a little bit and were able to get some great shots! They were both open to doing anything I asked them to and the connection was definitely there. It’s so awesome that two humans can look like #goals but don’t even know each other. They fit so well and who knows, maybe there’s a future there! If not, it was still a fun experience. As much as I’d like to say this photoshoot idea was mine, it was not. Many other photographers have done this “challenge” and I was excited to try it! You might see another one soon even.
DAVID + CASSIDY
These two were such a BLAST to work with. With their ceremony at a beautiful home on Lake Bella Vista and a reception full of dancers, what more can you ask for? It made my job easy!
Brides Dress: Bridal Elegance
Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal
Mens Tux: Bunny Tuxedos
Food: Dicky’s BBQ
Cake/cupcakes: Nicole Duvall
Flowers: J’s Flower Shop
Hair/Makeup: Amanda McGrail Salon
DJ: Jeremy Bolker
Party Bus: Affordable Limousine & Party Bus
Reception: Rockford Sportsman Club
DAN + TINA
I’ve come to realize that every wedding this year, including Dan and Tina’s, had rain in the forecast yet they’ve all turned out to be gorgeous dry days. I was especially excited that it didn’t rain because I got to learn about a (new to me) game, bocce ball! The guys were able to head outside while the ladies got ready and play for a while. Once the girls were all set, Dan and Tina met up for a first look that was very special. It was so wonderful to be able to photograph this wedding and get to know these two a little bit, they were such a joy to work with and I’m excited for what the future holds for them.
Reception Venue: Postma Center
Dresses (Brides and Bridesmaids): David’s Bridal
Suits: Jos. A. Bank
Brides Flowers and Boutonnieres: theepapergirl
Bridesmaids Flowers: Mycottonbranch
Caterer: West Michigan Caterer
Cake: Made by the brides brother, John
CHRIS + STEPHANI'S WEDDING
Working with these two was such a blast! The love between them is so radiant that I barely had to pose them because everything was just natural. While the rain held off, the temperature was still pretty chilly but the wedding party did a great job keeping it together for pictures out on the golf course. They were great to let us take the carts and ride around to different spots for photos and everything was beautiful.
Dress- Mothers wedding dress with alterations from Bridal Elegance
Bridesmaids Dresses - Birdy Grey
Suits - Men’s Warehouse
Cake - The Cake Girl
Flowers - Gail Vander Laan Floral
DJ - Rhythm and Lights
Ceremony - St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church
Reception hall - Blythfield Country Club
Introducing Maddi!
I’m so excited to introduce you all to this lovely woman that I’m teaming up with! I’m adding a package to my boudoir sessions that includes hair and makeup done by the gorgeous and talented Maddi Lineberry.
Maddi has been doing hair and makeup now for four years. She started at Douglas J and now really enjoys her current position at Fusion Salon. When Maddi isn’t at the salon, you might find her binge watching the Office or documentaries on Netflix. Maddi is a foodie and would love to travel more often!
I’m so thrilled to be working with Maddi and hope you all are as well! Let me know if you’d like to schedule a boudoir session and we’ll get something set up.
Megan + Tim Get Engaged!
I’m not sure if anyone remembers this cutie puppers from a session I had not too long ago but his parents are engaged now and I got to be a part of the proposal! After Hudson (the cute dog) had his session with me, Megan and I had chatted about doing Christmas photos soon after, including Tim this time. Well Tim being his wonderful self, knew that this is something Megan wanted. He ended up messaging me and asked if I could do their pictures and that he had a “surprise” but never wanted to say what it was on the off chance Megan would find out! I assumed he was proposing and was so excited, but didn’t want to be TOO excited in case I was wrong and my happiness would be crushed (lol) but I am so glad I was right.
Brooke + Cody Wedding
Immediately starting off by saying these two are so much fun, I’m so glad I got to be the one to photograph their wedding. Brooke had found my photography page on Facebook but we found out shortly after that we actually work in the same building! It was so convenient to be able to quickly stop by each others desk to ask any questions or bring up any thoughts. We ended up with a gorgeous October wedding and couldn’t have asked for anything else.
Kendal + Tims Engagement Session
Kendal and I were great friends in high school so I was ecstatic when she wanted to sit down and go over wedding photography details! It was nice to catch up a little bit and meet Tim (he even had to ask about why my drink was taking so long because I was too scared haha). We planned the engagement pictures shortly after and were blessed with some beautiful snowfall and it wasn’t too cold either. Their little puppy Perrin joined in on the fun and was able to make it in a few shots, she is just so darn cute. We also had some other pups photobomb us because they wanted to play! Overall it was a smooth session and I cannot wait until their wedding day!
Calley + Tyler
Calley is the younger sister of my brothers best friend who grew up down the street, so we’ve known each other for quite some time now! Last year Calley had asked me to do her engagement photos and I was so thrilled because it was right in the beginning of my photography career. We walked through some trails in the snow, captured some cold but cozy photos of her and Tyler, and just had a blast hanging out. When we were done with the session, she had asked about me taking her wedding photos! At that time, I was still so new that wedding photography really wasn’t on my mind and I hadn’t planned on doing any weddings for the year of 2018 (I’ve done 6 though). I just told her, “wait until I deliver your engagement photos to decide if I would be a good fit as your wedding photographer.” Once I sent the gallery over, she didn’t hesitate to ask me to do her wedding, I was ecstatic! Calley and Tyler were so great to work with. They’re such an easy going and fun couple and I think that’s pretty easy to see in their wedding photos.
Stephanie + Bobby
I started this blog forever ago with every intention to keep up on it but here I am, months later finally writing a blog (palm to face). Well I figured today is a perfect day to get this going because I am cuddled up, sick in bed with Moose, and really starting to get bored. Lovely right? Eh, not so much. This wedding, however, was very lovely! Stephanie and Bobby had such a gorgeous day for their wedding. I’m extremely grateful that I not only was the photographer, but a guest. I have known Stephanie since I was a baby because our parents are good friends and I was so honored that she asked me to be the photographer for their wedding day! We started out with the first look in downtown Rockford, walked around for some wedding party photos, then ceremony, and ended at the reception!
Non Profit Organizations-Donate Now!
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my posts about International Women's Day. I had the chance to take some photos with very beautiful and inspiring ladies! If you didn't see the pictures I shared, I have a couple here. Other than that, I thought I could extend on that and list a few non-profit organizations we could all donate to and help out many different women around the world.
The first is called "Every Mother Counts". 303,000 women die every year during pregnancy and birth. This issue is prevalently known not only abroad but also in the US.
Another is "Girls Not Brides". While you may think that children aren't being forced into marriages at young ages anymore, that it's just something that happened in the past, you are unfortunately mistaken. Girls Not Brides is a global partnership and is hoping to raise awareness and put an end to child marriages, enabling girls to fulfill their potential.
The last I have for you all is "She Should Run". In the US, less than 20% of the congressional seats are held by women. Donating here helps connect women to resources, community, and leadership roles. This is very encouraging for the future of women in office.
Click on the links below to go to the sites for these organizations. Even if you don't have any funds to give at this time, it is beneficial to learn about these topics and spread that knowledge.
What to Focus on in 2018
New Years is always the best time to collect yourself and set yourself up for a good year. That's what a "New Years Resolution" is for, right? Right. It's almost like life is your job and it's time for your annual performance review. Time to reflect on the previous year, how you can improve this year, and create new goals (and hopefully don't forget about them).
I've spent a while thinking about this (if that's not obvious since I am writing this on the 17th or January, oops..) because I wanted to come up with a few different things that aren't so basic. While working out and eating healthy are extremely important, that's always my goal and doesn't change much as the years go by. This year I want to focus on a few different things, and hopefully now that I'm sharing those ideas here I will stick to them! I've found that I am definitely a list person, I enjoy the satisfaction of crossing things off and completing as much as I can.
So here it is:
- Start a blog (just did, yay!)
10 seniors, 5 family, 3 engagement/couples, and 2 maternity/newborn photo sessions -If you know anyone that may fall into these categories, send them my way :)
- Start a referral program -Keep your eye's open for the announcement!
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle -I'm planning to buy a pack of those cool metal straws, drink less from plastic water bottles and refill my own, and bring bags to the store instead of using the plastic ones. Those are my steps to start off with and maybe I'll learn more and make it a habit!
- Travel more in Michigan -Our state is so beautiful and I am so eager to explore this year! I already have a few places on my Summer 2018 bucket list (photos below of areas I'd like to visit)
Now that I've listed them all out for you all, you guys can help hold me accountable! I'm truly so excited for what 2018 has in store for myself, my family, and my business! What are some things you'd like to accomplish this year?
