Jared turned 26 this past Sunday.  Yep, on Mother’s day.  It made for a weird day because I didnt know where I should be focusing.  Of course we went to visit Moms and that kind of thing, but then when was it time to focus on Jared?  It was hard to figure out, but it was a good day to say the least.  For Jared’s gift, I chartered a private canal tour for him!  We will bring dinner, and some fun drinks and hang out on the canal boat just the two of us while the tour guide tells us the history.  I am SO EXCITED!! Jared had mentioned it off hand a few weeks ago, and I thought it was perfect.  We’ve never done a canal boat tour before, and we love our city…sounds like a win win to me!

Its been a good week….here are the Highs and Lows!

Highs:

• I have a Sunday wedding this weekend! Which is fun because I have a Saturday off!  I know that means that I dont have Sunday off, but there is something about Saturday that just says weekend to me.  Its a treat!
• Jared survived another year.  Love that guy.
• Kefir Smoothies.  Just discovered Kefir thanks to my girl Stepha, and I am in love.

Lows:

• Ran out of contacts.  Do you know how irritating it is to shoot sessions and weddings with glasses on? There are two terrible things: first your body is super warm, so that heat creeps onto your glasses, like when you breathe hot air onto a window and draw on it? Yeah, that just happens throughout the day to your glasses.  Also, when shooting sometimes you press your nose up against the camera right?  And you leave oil on the LCD screen? Well that also happens to your glasses, so you end up cleaning them all day long.  Good grief!

Here is a peek from the session last night… coming to the blog soon! 

Happy Weekending!

One of the main things I noticed at Reid and Kelly’s wedding, was the color.  It was everywhere!  The flowers, bridesmaid dresses, the reception… color was everywhere.  Which, I tend to think, makes things pretty happy.  Reid and Kelly planned a beautiful, sentimental, and happy wedding day and I was so honored to be a part of it!  We started at the beautiful reception venue, before heading over to the church for the ceremony.  Fun fact: both Kelly and Reid’s parents were married in the SAME church within a month of each other.  2nd fun fact: Reid and Kelly were married in that church as well.  How awesome is that?!

Reid and Kelly took a chance on each other.  You know how your friends try to set you up with someone, and you resist because it could get weird?  Well, Kelly and Reid met because their friends urged them to, and the rest is history.  :-) Enjoy some of my favorites from their day, and a huge thanks to Karen Allen for all of her help… many of these images are hers!

Kelly’s grandmother putting on her strand of pearl’s given to Kelly… Such a sweet moment!

Time to get married!

Married!!

Reid and Kelly’s banner!

First dance…

Kelly had the DJ read a letter she had written to her dad. She didnt think she would be able to get through it if she read it herself. It was unbelievably sweet! I was tearing up!!

On to the dancing…

Maraca’s… it was Cinco de Mayo after all!

The end!! It was such a fun night, despite the torrential downpour that made its way onto the dance floor! Congratulations Kelly and Reid!! Thank you for letting me be a part of your wedding day, it was an honor!!

Vendor Info:

Venue: Amber Grove
Dress: David’s Bridal
Flowers: Dana’s Florals
Cake: Baker’s Kitchen
Men’s Wear: Jos. A. Bank

As a photographer, I am afraid of not being photographed myself.  Does that make sense?  I know a lot of photographers feel awkward or nervous in front of the camera, because you lose the control, but I think Im the opposite.  As a photographer, I know the power and importance of having pictures of the people you love, the things you love, and also some of yourself.  Not in a vain way, but Im afraid that one day Im going to be 50 years old, and my kids will be grown.  I am a photographer at heart, and so they will have thousands of pictures of them, with their dad, with their friends, being silly… and none with me or of me. Rational fear? Maybe not.  But, either way, its something I think about often.  Im afraid that one day, I will want to see the beauty of my youth.  The beauty of being a mother, and a woman. The beauty of being healthy and happy and that I will be left wanting because I never let or asked anyone to photograph me.  Because I was too afraid.

At the cemetery the other day, we made it to the lookout of the river.  I started taking some pictures of Jared and his parents playing around, and I had these thoughts.  So, I handed the camera to Jared and I asked him to take a couple of me.

Those pesky bangs.

I am BEYOND excited to share this vineyard wedding with you! It was gorgeous!!

Check the blog next week!

This one is going down in the books as a favorite!! Cant wait to share more!

Also, its going to be a busy week on the blog, check back tomorrow for a peek at this past weekend’s wedding!

Today might be one of the busiest days of my life.  Just kidding… kind of.  I am being dramatic, but it is shaping up to be a full day.  Two things I am most excited about: a super fun e-session in the city, and we are celebrating Jared’s bday tonight by going to a squirrels game.  Should be good times!!

Another fun thing that happened this week was Jared’s Mom and Step Dad coming for a visit.  We went to lunch at a local place near our house (SO GOOD) and then headed up to Hollywood Cemetery.  I had never been before and it was a nice day.  I really loved the couple hours we spent there!  Cemeteries dont really bother me, I actually think they are really beautiful.  Especially the historic ones.  The grave stones are all unique and it’s peaceful. Think Im weird?  Just wait, there’s more.  We walked to the edge of the river and marveled at the skyline of Richmond.  It was a great afternoon! Now, you might think Im a freak but I think I came up with a really good idea while walking around there… I told Jared when we are ready to have kids, we should take a walk around the cemetery to find a name.  Jared looked at me like I had stepped on our cats face on purpose or something.  Okay, okay, so it might sound a little strange.  BUT! I stand by it.  There were a ton of unique names all over the place, and while some were a little too old world, I liked a lot of them.  What do you think? Am I creep? Or, are you secretly liking my idea?  Either way… here are this week’s Highs and Lows!

Highs:

• Spending time with Family.  Its always very energizing and refreshing for me.
• Jared’s birthday!
• Dots Back Inn.  Where we ate lunch…sooooo good.

Lows:

• Jared pretending my baby name idea was weird and terrible… he knows its pure genius!

Happy Weekending!

I first heard about Katy and Mark through Heather and Birch.  Katy is a nurse just like Heather, and they have been good friends for quite a while.  I had the chance to meet Mark’s sweet kids several months ago during a family photo session.  I dont offer them anymore, but I absolutely loved my time walking around with Mark, and his family!  I remember talking with Katy at Heather and Birch’s reception about how it was her turn, teasing of course!  Well a few months later, Mark proposed to Katy and now it IS her turn!

We walked around Mark’s alma mater, the University of Richmond, for a couple hours for their engagement session and I am so glad they picked this spot!  This place certainly holds a lot of memories for Mark, but a lot of Katy’s family went to U of R as well! They are getting married at Cannon Memorial Chapel in a couple months, and I cant wait!! Enjoy some of my favorites!

The picture on the right was a test shot…not exactly straight, but I had to include it.  Katy has the BEST laugh!

Mark too!

Loved her shoes!! So flirty and colorful!

Pretty ring!!

Eeek!  Katy you are going to be such a gorgeous bride, and Mark, such a handsome groom!

Can’t wait for June!! 

FINALLY! I have office curtains.  And, they are so pretty.  I love walking into my office and seeing them!  It actually took a while to get these done because…premade curtains are expensive!! Did you know that?  Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, West Elm, the list goes on… they all wanted upwards $50.00 per panel.  Yeah, no.  So I finally found some on sale at the Company store.  Still a pretty penny, but more doable.  We needed 108′, so I quickly discovered that is why they are so expensive!

I love how they drape the floor a bit.  SO PRETTY!! It makes the room feel a more finished even though I still have a lot I would like to accomplish this year in this room.

Things left to do: finishing up the craft/storage closet, ordering some canvases, setting up the production wall, and finishing the client area.

One step closer!!

This might be a long post… if you are not interested in this sort of thing, check back tomorrow for a peek at my evolving office!  Its pretty!

After last week’s post on Client Folders and my Filing system, I received quite a few requests for more information on the Wedding Questionnaire.  I am happy to oblige!  I first have to give credit to Erin Rexroth though, because she is the originator of the questionnaire.  My very first second shooting opportunity was with her, and she graciously shared with me her questionnaire.  Over the past 2.5 years, I have tweaked it to reflect me and what I need from clients, but it all started with her! So, lets get to it!

The very first thing I ask for on the questionnaire is a detailed Itinerary.  I always give my clients a copy of a Mock Schedule so they can see how much time I need for things, and to help them construct their wedding day timeline.  It also helps them understand what I mean by detailed.  The Itinerary section is broken down like this:

• When I should arrive at venue’s, what time I will be completely finished, please be specific.  This varies betweens weddings. The finish time isn’t nearly as important as the start time.  I am looking to find out if I am starting at a certain time because that is the precise moment the makeup artist is starting, or the couple is on a budget so we have shortened the hours and we need to pack as much in at the beginning as possible. 
• Please include specific addresses for each location.
• Where should I report to initially? Not “the church.” Please be specific, like “The brides room, second floor.”
• Who should I contact in case of emergency? Phone number?

Then we get into logistics of the day… Here is what I am looking for, my thoughts in italics:

Where will the bride be getting ready and who will be with her? This is helpful so I know who to expect in the room when I arrive. If its all the brides sisters, cousins, grandmothers, Mom, etc… I can be prepared for a little extra commotion. The more the merrier!

Where will the groom be getting ready and who will be with him? Same deal.

How should I travel throughout the day? Will I need my own transportation? This is especially important if there are multiple locations for the day.

When and where will the groom first see the bride? Would you like to consider a First Look? I sing the praises of doing a First Look from the beginning, but sometimes couples arent ready to make a decision yet. This gives them that chance.

At what time will the bride and groom have private time with me for portraits? How long will we have?

When will group portraits be done? Where will group portraits be done? Probably the most important question on this thing. Couples have (most times) never been married before. You have to talk with them about family formals, how long it takes, and why. SO IMPORTANT.
• Please provide a detailed list of all group/family shots you would like. Know that each shot will take 2-3 minutes, keeping your full days schedule in mind.

Would your wedding be described as secular or religious? What tradition? If there is a prayer, may I photograph it? Now is not the time to offend anyone. Make sure you ask if you can photograph certain parts of the ceremony.

Is the ceremony indoors or outdoors? What is the setting like? Are there aisles? How many? Aka: what lenses will I need?

Is flash allowed at your ceremony? When?

Are there any special traditions you will be honoring during your ceremony, like a unity candle? So I can make sure I am ready and not changing my card or lens when this happens.

Will anyone special be performing during your ceremony? Same as above.

Please discuss any special touches you have added to your wedding to personalize it. Example: your grandmother’s veil, your mother in laws crystal jewelry… I need to make sure I am getting shots of the personalized pieces. Another SUPER IMPORTANT one.

Please discuss any planned exits from ceremony and reception. Confetti, doves, vehicles, etc…

What is planned for the reception? Toasts, dancing, band, etc… So I know when I can go to the Ladies room.

Are there any images you must have at your wedding? College friends, special family members or mentors, etc…

Is there a vendor meal provided? This is outlined in my contract, but I put it in there in case they need to speak to the caterer one month out as a reminder.

Please provide a list of vendors. Dress, shoes, tux, flowers, venues, catering, cake, hair, makeup, event planning, music, etc…

Anything else I should know?

And that’s it!  I have found it to be supremely helpful for me.  I know this isn’t for everyone.  Some photographers work really well walking into a situation and figuring out the logistics like lens choice, scheduling, etc… on the spot.  That is awesome!  However, for me, the thought of that is making me sweat through my t-shirt.   I hope this is helpful to someone!  Maybe just a bit of it is, or maybe the whole thing…  I thought I had hit the Jackpot when Erin shared this with me!

Anything you try to know before the wedding that I dont have listed? Id love to hear! Thoughts, questions? Leave them below!

Also, here is an embarrassing picture of me:

Many more to come next week! Stay tuned!

My house is a mess right now.  Last night, the kitchen floor was finished and Jared and I got to work furiously wiping up the fine layer of dust that has moved in on every surface of our downstairs.  Everything that belongs in the kitchen and dining room is siting on one side our living room.  And.  Its driving me crazy!!!!!  Please excuse my freak out.

However, I want to finish the kitchen.  I know that painting the cabinets and walls will be much easier with nothing in the dining room or cabinets.  I know it.  So, I will deal with it.  Which brings me to this weeks Highs and Lows!

Highs

• Kitchen floor is done! 3 years in the making.  Done!
• The kitchen floor is pretty.  Really pretty.
• If we can keep to the schedule the entire kitchen will be ready for its reveal in 2 weeks!

Lows

• Painting cabinets takes a looooooong time.  Sand. Wipe. Prime. Cure. Sand. Wipe. Prime. Cure. Sand. Wipe. Paint. Cure. Oh boy.

Last fall I had the pleasure and opportunity to second shoot for one of favorite people, Tori Watson, of Marvelous Things Photography.  Be sure to check out her post, here. We drove up to Maryland together through the colorful leaves, wondering when the leaves would start to change in Richmond.  This wedding was a breath of fresh air for me.  No detail was left undone.  Janelle and Danny’s families and friends all worked together to create something truly beautiful.  It was an honor to have been able to photograph a piece of it.  Thank you to Tori, for allowing me to tag along!  And, thank you to Janelle and Danny for letting me a part of the day!  Enjoy some of my favorites…

Janelle was radiant…

Janelle’s Dad was so happy to see her!!

Such a unique cake topper! And super affordable too, if you felt comfortable decorating them!

Time to get married!

The one thing I learned about Danny and Janelle during their ceremony… they love the Lord. It was a beautiful ceremony and my favorite part was their hand written vows! I felt like I really knew them a bit after hearing them!

Another neat tradition they did was planting a tree together.

And then Danny prayed for them…

A chocolate milk toast!

The floor was literally bouncing during the reception!

The end!

It was so fun being able to second shoot this wedding. I just loved all the colors!!

Congratulations again to Danny and Janelle!

I am a weird blend of Type A and Type B.  I know that I probably lean more towards one side (coughtypeacough) but I also have this “lets lounge around all day and eat cheese and watch TV” tendency.  So, see?  Not completely Type A.  One thing I do love about Type A is being organized.  I LOVE having things super organized.  Exhibit A: My inbox.  And today, I would like to talk about Exhibit B: My client folders and filing system. I hope this can help someone out there who doesnt click with organization very well and finds themselves crying at the thought of trying to find the ceremony address on wedding day.

Once I book a client, meaning…deposit cashed in the bank and signed contract in hand, they get a folder.  I write the Bride and Groom’s name and their wedding date below.  That folder goes into a hanging file.  Each month has its own hanging file.  I have weddings this year in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October.  So I have 8 hanging files for weddings.  There might only be one wedding in that month, but it still gets its own hanging file.

Here is what goes into the folder, in this order:

• Folder Checklist
• Contract
• Wedding Questionniare
• Banner Questionniare
• Deposit Receipt
• Copy of Deposit
• Payment 1 Receipt
• Copy of Payment 1

And I go all the way through to Payment 5.  I havent had anyone make more payments than that yet, but I would probably just write it in.  Also, in the very back are the notes I took during our initial client meeting.  If we didnt have a meeting, and just emailed, I write down some things from those emails.  Things like: how they met, how they got engaged, how many attendants on each side, wedding theme, colors, flowers, food, DJ/Band, their favorite hobbies, their pets names, if they get along with family, etc… Anything and everything that might help me photograph them better, its written down.

I check the “Folder Checklist” off as things come in so I can see what I still need, and what is in the folder I am holding.  I take the ENTIRE folder with me to every wedding.  Why? I honestly dont know, but it feels right.  Just in case.  And, just to break it down a little bit further…the wedding questionnaire holds every logistical detail that could happen on a wedding day.  Its about 20 questions long.  What room # is the bride getting ready in? Who will be with her? May I photograph prayers during the ceremony?  And the list goes on… There should be no surprises on wedding day.

I hope this has helped at least someone out there!  Maybe you havent figured out a filing system yet, or maybe you need to rework yours… Figure out what you NEED to see, and customize it to fit you! Happy Wednesday!

The weather has been trying to get the best of my couples this year.  So many rain days!!  We lucked out with Mark and Tegan’s session, but it was a close one!  On the drive home I posted a picture of the huge storm that was brewing, and it started raining about 30 minutes after I got home.  Im so glad we didnt have to postpone the session because it was beautiful!  Mark and Tegan are lovely in front of the camera and I cant wait for their wedding this Fall!!  Enjoy some of my favorites…

Why do I love these guys? Because Tegan is wearing WHITE pants and sat on the ground for me.  LOVE that!

One of Tegan’s good friends sent this from England and they thought it would be fun to do a toast at their session! I loved it! Drinking in public…no big deal. Were rebels.

Cheers!

Outfit and location switch…

You are so beautiful Tegan!!

I love the city.

Such cute shoes!! Cute couple too…

The light changed, and I kept shooting. Definitely different than my usual work…but, I like it.

The end. I could have photographed them all day!! Soon… I will!

Congratulations Mark and Tegan! See you soon!

More coming soon…next week!!

Last night was interesting.  The cats were unusually annoying.  They kept ferociously pawing at the office door (that we keep door jammed closed with a small opening for air to circulate) and crying as if something was dying.  Several times Jared and I sat up to tell them to be quiet, or get away from the door, or stop it.  Then, at some point Jared groggily suggests something to me.

“Hey….I think we locked Chief in the office.”

“What?”

“I think Chief is in the office.”

A few moments later…

“Could you go get him out?”

Yes.  Cat parents of the year award here.  We locked little baby Chief in the office and yelled at the both of them while they tried in vain to get him out.  I seriously thought something might be wrong with Duncan the way he was crying last night.  Nope, his bff was just locked in a room.  Chief forgave us thankfully and immediately came and got in bed once Jared released him.  Duncan on the other hand will hold a grudge for the rest of the day. Which brings us to this week’s Highs and Lows!

Highs:

• A forgiving cat.  He didn’t even care… just got right back to his normal routine.
• This Saturday is my last free Saturday until the middle of July.  Im going to soak it up!
• We are dog sitting for some friends this weekend.  Were excited to pretend she’s ours for a few days

Lows:

• Duncan.  He is still mad at us about locking away Chief and now we are bringing a dog into the house for a few days… Its going to be bad.  I doubt we will see him again until Sunday night when Lilly the dog leaves.
• The Scion makes a grinding noise when I break to a complete stop.  It sends shivers down my spine every time.  Another trip to the mechanic next week!

The view from Libby Hill. Happy Weekend friends!

Kara told me from the beginning that she wanted her wedding to be relaxed and colorful, just like she and Sam are.  When we met at Starbucks almost a year ago, I was so excited that Kara wanted to work with me.  The way she described the wedding she was planning sounded like it was right up my alley, but even more so… I loved Sam and her’s story.  It was completely a God thing that they met and were brought together.  And that right there… thats when I knew I had to work with them.

I walked into a quiet church and quickly got to work photographing all the sweet touches that Kara and her friends had spent months thinking of and creating.  I watched patiently as her Mom and bridesmaids laced up her gown around her teeny tiny waist.  Everyone was in such a joyful mood.  And, its great to work in that kind of atmosphere.   But the best part of the whole day was when I got to witness Kara and Sam’s first look.  They were SO EXCITED to see each other.  They marveled at one another.  It was beautiful.

Enjoy some of my favorites from the day…

Getting into a corset takes a village…

Thanks for these images Katie, and for all your help throughout the day!! She hung out with the guys, while I was with the girls!

First look!

I have to give a small shout out to all of these men.  They were SO cooperative and easy going.  One of the best groomsmen experiences I’ve had!!

The glasses were a hit!

One of my favorite bridesmaid images ever!

Kara you are stunning!

Time to get married!!

Married! Everyone skipped out of the church…made for some funny images!!

Kara is an Elementary school teacher at a school that pulls from a few rougher neighborhoods in Richmond.  I LOVE this picture.  She invited her whole class and we were able to grab some super sweet pictures with the ones who were able to come.  These kids love her, and she loves them.

Family formals outside are the BEST!! Such pretty light.

Kara and Sam’s Banner…We Win!!

I loved their centerpieces.  They had envelopes with blank sheets of paper for people to leave notes of encouragement or advice for Kara and Sam to open on that tables corresponding anniversary! So creative!

Sam’s toasting glass kills me!!

First Dance…

Sam’s parents were adorable dancers!

I know this isnt the most beautiful image out there, but I CANNOT stop giggling about it.  :-)

And we will end with some dancing!  What a fun wedding!!

Congratulations Kara and Sam!! It was an honor!! 

This kind of post makes me feel very vulnerable. Showing you a piece of our home…just seems a little crazy! When Jared and I first bought this house and moved in, we literally had nothing. I’m not exaggerating to make this sound like a better story. We had a mattress on the floor in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and a futon in the living room. That. was. it. Slowly our parents and their friends started donating things to us. We went quite a few kitchen tables and living room seating. And even more slowly, we started to buy furniture to fill our new home. We have been in the house 3 years and I am finally starting to feel like this is the year that our home will really feel like ours. We have only painted two rooms in the whole house, the living room and my office, and we still have paper blinds in almost every room that the house was sold to us with. We have a little bit of spare money this year to put into investing in furniture we really love, small decor items, and curtains!! Who knew curtains could be so transformational?!

As things come together, I will be showing you. So, without further adieu… here is our entryway:

We recently bought this shoe cabinet from IKEA. Jared had built a shelving system in the basement entry (the door to the right) but it slowly filled up and it was time for my shoes to move. We are actually kind of lucky because I had planned to put this guys somewhere else and it didnt fit! Yep, I went to IKEA and bought something without measuring!! Scandalous!

I think I have boring shoes… they are all the same!! So, thats it. This is what you see when you first walk in the door. Its warm and welcoming I think. I really like clean and tidy spaces with bits of color. No clutter. Please excuse the slowly dying tulips. I tried the old penny trick…no help in this case!

Jared and I like to do most things ourselves.  We are happy to build shelves, paint walls, landscape our yard, etc…  We enjoy it.  Well, lately I have had the itch to pay OTHER PEOPLE to paint our trim (in the entire house) and clean our house amongst other things.

We are about to start a small kitchen redo, mainly because the people who renovated our house cut corners in the reno, and we have been living with a jigsaw puzzle of a tile floor for the past 3 years.  So many of our poor unsuspecting friends have innocently dared to step onto our kitchen floor only to break several ceramic tiles in the process.  Basically the cats are the only “people” in our house that have not contributed to the mutilation of our kitchen tile. Truly there is not one tile on our kitchen floor that isn’t either cracked, or completely broken.  So we are finally fixing it.  Thanks IRS!! Well, if youve ever had a floor removed and replaced in your house, or really just done any type of construction indoors, you know there is dust and debris.  A lot of it.  And so when this lovely Living Social deal showed up in my inbox yesterday, I thought Fate was speaking to me.

I mean… right?!  I shared it with Jared, and he was a little hesitant.  Should we go for it?  Has anyone ever even heard of Cottage Care before?  Should I hold out and hire one of my friends cleaning people?  What do you think dear blog readers?  I need your help.

Oh, and I will share Before and After Pictures of the kitchen, dont you worry!!

More coming soon!! Next week!