Love stories and more
Tips and tricks for planning a meaningful and joyful wedding day that feels like you + inspiring love stories from real couples celebrating their own milestone moments
Rothschild Pavilion Wedding / Rothschild, WI / Kelly + Matt
Kelly and Matt’s summer wedding at the Rothschild Pavilion was the perfect way to kick off the season! I couldn’t get enough of the classy European vibes the entire day featured, like a wedding venue with rock arches, Kelly’s stunning dress and handmade bouquets (yes, she made them herself!), and the waterfront point where we watched the sun dip below the horizon in the evening.
How to Plan a Bridgerton-Inspired Wedding
If you’re like me, you are eagerly anticipating the release of season 3 (part 2) of Bridgerton on Netflix; not only because the classic friends-to-lovers trope is *chef’s kiss*, but also because it’s just so gosh darn beautiful to watch! The set, costumes, hair and makeup, music…every element has a rather posh and slightly extra vibe and I am LIVING for it.
Madi and Raven’s day at The Lowlands in St. Paul is a perfect example of how to infuse a little Regency era flair into your own wedding. Let the planning commence!
Late Night Wedding Photography
One of the challenging things about choosing a wedding photographer is deciding which wedding package makes the most sense for you. Every photographer offers something a little bit different, so it’s no surprise that it can be a confusing journey to figure out exactly what you’re looking for, especially if you aren’t sure how long you want them to stay into your dance for late night photos.
How to Plan the Perfect Sunset Photos
Have you ever noticed how golden, glowy sunset lighting is often used to set the scene in movies when those two characters that you just KNOW are supposed to be together finally realize it for themselves? They might be sitting in front of a window in a Paris cafe when it suddenly hits them, or perhaps they’ve realized they can’t bear to be apart any longer and are running to each other on the beach, but lighting in the film is an intentional choice to enhance the warm glow in your heart that they’ve finally realized they’re meant to be.
Does it Matter if Your Wedding Photographer Hasn’t Worked at Your Venue Before?
I’m going to share a controversial opinion:
It doesn’t matter if a wedding photographer has worked at your venue before or not.
It’s a question I see on many checklists of things you should ask when you’re hiring your wedding photographer, but it’s one that I don’t think is actually all that important. While there are certainly benefits to your wedding vendors having experience at the venue you’ve selected, there are also benefits to a photographer coming in with fresh eyes for the first time.
How to Look Good in Wedding Photos
By investing in quality wedding photography, you’re ensuring that the moments and memories from one of your most important days are documented and will stand the test of time. But it’s fair to say that if you want to display your favorite images on your walls and get out your wedding album when your grandkids ask you to tell them about the day you got married, you want to feel like you looked your absolute best in those pictures!
How can you make sure that happens? Well, I’m going to let you in on the secret.
Why Choosing the Right Venue Matters So Much
There’s a saying that we wedding photographers are QUITE familiar with, but I don’t know that it’s something that most couples hear while they’re wedding planning.
Your venue becomes your photos.
To some it may be obvious. But it’s honestly so easy to overlook (and I almost missed it while planning my own wedding!) that I want to make sure you put some thought into it, friend.
The First 4 Wedding Planning Decisions to Make
Wedding planning checklists can get craaazy long, so it’s no surprise that many of my couples tell me they feel overwhelmed even as they’re just starting the planning process!
It can be hard to know where to begin, so here are four of the big ones that I have found to be key to making my wedding clients feel like they’ve got a handle on things.
Door County Vow Renewal / Baileys Harbor, WI / Marlana + Matthew
If you didn’t already know, I’m obsessed with Door County. It’s this gorgeous area in Wisconsin - the “thumb” of Wisconsin, if you’re looking at a map - between Lake Michigan and the bay of Green Bay and is well-known for its cherries, lighthouses, and state and county parks. Not surprisingly, it’s a popular destination beloved by many and was actually where Matthew and Marlana traveled for their honeymoon when they got married.
It makes perfect sense that Door County is also where they chose to renew their vows nearly ten years later.
Santa Monica Soft Launch Session
Soft launching a relationship on social media isn’t a new concept. Folks have been sharing teasers about their new partners - without giving their followers too much detail - ever since social media was invented. But if you fast forward to the last few years, we now have a name for those little sneak peeks into relationships: the soft launch.
Now, y’all know I love being included in secrets and surprises, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that I was over the moon to take the photos for James and Andrea’s cutie lil’ soft launch session - the fact that it was in Santa Monica was just the ultimate cherry on top!
Your Wedding Shouldn’t Feel Like a Photo Shoot
There is a statement going around social media these days that I’d like to chat about. It’s pretty simple: “Your wedding shouldn’t feel like a photo shoot.”
And I agree. To a certain extent.
(You knew there had to be a catch if I’m writing about it, right?)
3 Wedding Traditions to Skip
We’re living in an incredible time. We’re finallllly seeing this incredible shift in the wedding industry that allows couples to THRIVE and create a wedding experience that truly reflects the day that they want to share…not one that was born out of the pressure to do everything in a certain way or to please the people around them. This is honestly the best time for you to be planning, because we’re all rooting for you and are ready to jump on board and support the uniqueness of your relationship - and therefore the uniqueness of your wedding!
3 Things To Do Within Driving Distance of Los Angeles
I’m headed back to Los Angeles in a few weeks to meet my cousin’s first sweet little baby (and to take as many pictures of those tiny little fingers and toes as possible while I’m there!), so it feels like a perfect time to look back on my favorite places from previous visits. If you’re headed out to LA but aren’t entiiiiirely sure the hustle and bustle of the city is what you’re most excited for, here are a few spots to consider adding to your itinerary…
Joshua Tree National Park Engagement
When asked what emotions they want to feel when they look back on their photos, Jody and Remington replied, “Joy. Warmth. Steadfastness. Oneness. Overall, we want to feel that there is evident delight in one another through the photos.”
Little did I know that a dusty desert path and the setting sun were all we’d need to shine a light on their love…sometimes it really is as simple as that.
What is Golden Hour?
Wedding planning often involves hours of research, countless decisions, and more than one moment which makes you go, “Wait. Am I supposed to know something about that?!”
As a wedding photographer, it can be all-too-easy to talk to my clients about their photography experience and forget that, while I am capturing special moments all year long, you’re not being photographed every weekend. It’s important for me to to remember that things I’m excited to share with you might not make much sense without a bit of extra context!
Planning Your Walk Down the Aisle
In my experience, if there’s something about weddings that lives up to the hype (well, okay, there are actually quite a few things that do, but this is a big one), it’s your walk down the aisle.
A truly magical moment that you’ll never forget.
It’s not a moment I realized I needed to plan anything special for when Kevin and I were making arrangements for our own wedding, but now I know better - and want to make sure you’re prepared too!
Choosing Where You Propose
To quote Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally, “…when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
When you’re lucky enough to find your person and want to make your proposal extra special, here are four suggestions for choosing the perfect location.
How to Use Lanterns in Your Photos
There are two things to keep in mind if you want to use lanterns during your engagement session or on your wedding day:
Selecting Lanterns
Using Lanterns
Let’s dig in a little deeper…
What Your Wedding Photographer Needs to Know
As a wedding photographer, it’s my job to capture the moments - big and small - that make up your wedding day. No two weddings are the same and, while I do love the variety, there are a few things you can tell me ahead of time that will help me be prepared to make sure your wedding is documented exactly how you hope it will be.
Feeding Your Wedding Photographer
It’s a common question that pops up during the wedding planning process: “Are we supposed to feed our wedding photographer?”
YES. Please!