Wedding Day Bridal Tour :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

Yesterday was the culmination of a lot of time, effort, and... (let's be honest) money. It was my very first bridal show at the Grand Wayne Center downtown Fort Wayne!

It was a super early morning. Ryan and I got up at 6:45, left the house by 7:15, and were unloading our cars at the loading docks by 7:30.

We arrived at my booth, and it pretty much looked like this:

Joining the Wedding Photojournalism Association

I'm excited to announce that yesterday, I received my acceptance into the Wedding Photojournalism Association. The WPJA is an elite group of international wedding photographers whose work focuses on candid and unobtrusive documentation of the wedding day.

Hiring a Professional Photographer and Avoiding Red Flags

Most of my blog posts are planned out ahead of time. But this topic is so extremely urgent, that I had to interrupt my blogging schedule to write about this instead.

There has been a large upswing recently in photographers doing shady business. They take deposits, then don't show up for the shoot. They stop answering calls and emails weeks before the wedding. They break their contract and don't provide your photos until months after they promised.

Canvas Giveaway Contest :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

This contest has ended. Congratulations to Melanie Hurley!

To celebrate my new website, I'm giving away a FREE 16"x20" canvas to one lucky winner (a $130 value).

This is totally 100% no obligation... meaning, you don't have to be one of my clients to win, and once you do win, you can use whatever photo you want on your canvas (it doesn't have to be one of mine!).

It really couldn't get any better than that.

Wedding Do's and Don'ts - Favorite Things :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

DO sprinkle your day with some of your favorite things.

Your wedding day is one of the most important and remembered days of your entire life. You want it to show off not only who you are as a bride and groom... but who you are as everyday people.

I picked out some adorable examples of this based on things that mean something to my husband and I.

I saw this one and I died. They used race bibs as their table numbers. How totally perfect for a couple who's into running or triathlons like I am...

Source

Coming Full Circle

This time last year, Ryan and I were deep in the throes of wedding planning. It was taking up a lot of my time, a lot of our money, and it was all I could think about.

While designing our wedding invitations, I stumbled across numerous examples of professionally-created wedding maps that I thought were just fabulous. I can draw and use Photoshop, I thought. So why not draw and Photoshop wedding maps? I posted an ad on Weddingbee offering to create 3 free maps to build my portfolio.

This was the first map I ever created...

Blogged on Be U Weddings :: Grand Rapids Wedding Photography

Today I have the honor to have my photos featured on Be U Weddings...

Vendor Spotlight: Lillian Rose

Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting up with Kari, the owner and head floral designer at Lillian Rose.

If you haven't been to Lillian Rose yet, you have to make the trip. From Fort Wayne, it's just straight up Lima Road in downtown Avilla. Kari's shop is exquisite and has an amazing vintage vibe going on that of course looks completely effortless... much like the fantastic flower arrangements they create there.

If you're looking for a florist for your wedding (or other event... I'm pretty sure they do everything!), I can't recommend Lillian Rose highly enough. Kari has a fun, outgoing personality, and a discerning eye toward the newest and greatest trends. I couldn't resist taking some photos around their store.

Sarah and Brandon :: Kalamazoo Wedding Photography

It was an October wedding if I'd ever seen one. From the handmade fall bouquets to the pumpkin-themed reception decor... Sarah and Brandon's wedding really captured the season.

Despite all the wedding day commotion, Sarah and Brandon seemed to only see each other. Shooting their portraits felt like I was capturing the first intimate moments between husband and wife.

Donna and Adam :: Grand Rapids Wedding Photography

Donna and Adam are young, fun, and so obviously in love. And it was a pleasure shooting their wedding day with Misty Minna Photography.

It was a Saturday in late September, and it was supposed to rain all day. But the rain held out just long enough for us to get the most amazing "first look" shots. I think sometimes the weather gods really are listening.

Lessons from a Bride :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

As you may (or may not) know, I got married 2 months ago to my husband, Ryan. Here is some photographic evidence...