VLV Photography

This past weekend my sister-in-law {Loretta} wed the love in her life {Bryan} and I couldn’t be more happy for her.  The sneak peek will be posted on Friday as they are now on their little getaway.  And I can’t believe it’s already going to be the 4th of July soon!  Where the heck did June go?  It totally flew for me.

Today is certainly a recovery day from the weekend!  It’s been quite a while since there has been a wedding in our family and I’m reminded of what my clients, their family and friends probably feel like come Sunday, then Monday when the work-week starts again.  I.AM.SORE.  I don’t think I left the dance floor once!  My youngest often wouldn’t let me dance without her so if you can picture me dancing to ”Black Eyed Peas:  Tonight’s Gonna be a Good Night” with her on my hip and jumping around, I’m certainly feeling it!  But I’ll talk more about this awesome wedding on Friday.  It was nice to be able to dance though.  It’s like torture for me when I’m photographing wedding dances and I’m on the sidelines.  I just really love to dance.  I don’t know how anyone can hear a beat and not tap their toe or bop their head or tap their fingers.  So yeah, you can imagine how I look when I’m in my car and have the music on!! LOL!  I create my own little dance parties!  Where would this world be without music?  And how about those that have never had the privilege of even being able to hear it because they are deaf?  I can’t even imagine.  Oh, and my good luck charm streak continues-50% chance of rain on Saturday and not a drop from the sky and it was actually hot out Saturday!

Back to the past week though, I’ve been plugging away at trying to get several projects completed and now I realize the wedding guide I’ve spent close to 2 months on, still needs tweaking.  Ugh.  When you look at something for so long, you just don’t see typos anymore.  Then one day when I just decided to look at it, those typos stuck out like a sore thumb.  It’s not a quick task either to make corrections as I then have to do the entire flipbook on my site all over again.  BUT, it has to be done so I’m hoping this is the last time I have to mess with this thing!!!!  Here’s a little sample of what I’m talking about.  This can’t be viewed unless you’re granted access, so you won’t see it just by visiting my website, but thought I’d share a sample.

I’ve also been busy with editing and I have a gallery that will be finished up this week {Carrie-if you’re reading this, yep-it’s yours!} and I also introduced my new product-slideshows!  I should actually add this to my wedding guide while I’m already having to make changes.  I just need to set up the pricing and how I will offer these and that’s good to go.  There are so many uses for slideshows and I plan to use them for maybe showing products or I don’t know, the possibilities are endless!  If you don’t Facebook and you missed the link I shared, I did post a slideshow I created to my blog-you can view it here if you missed it.  I’m lovin’ that song!

Well, I’ll close today’s post with a “What to Wear” for summer.  As it sounds like this week we’ll actually have summer-like weather!  Enjoy it everyone-take the kids swimming, set up the sprinkler, lather on the sunscreen, and stay hydrated!    Welcome Summer-we’ve been missing you!

Catch ya’ll back here real soon!  Until then, Live, Laugh, and Love the one you’re with and dance like no one is watching!

Happy Thursday everyone!  Just a quick post today to share a little something I created yesterday.  I’ve had this program to create slideshows for a few weeks now but hadn’t touched it.  Yesterday I was editing images from Krista & Nate’s wedding and decided to take a break.  I then remembered this program I’ve had sitting around “collecting dust” and thought I’d put my creative juices to the test.  I spent about an hour just looking through music when I stumbled upon a name I’d never heard before-Ryan Huston and his song titled “This Life.”  I about cried just listening to it.  What a PERFECT song for a couple in love.  Just thinking about the life my husband and I have built together over the past {almost} 8 years, made me really feel the song.  I have NO IDEA why this song isn’t on the radio but I KNOW women would go gaga for his beautiful voice and poetic words and make his music their “couple” song.  I could so hear this song played acoustic and some other lovely-voiced man {accept that Ryan Huston would never be singing at your wedding} singing it during a ceremony.  After reading his bio it’s clear that this guy is going places, and after you hear him sing, it’s no wonder!

So I had the song chosen and thought of these two lovebirds-Sami & Dion.  They will be married next month and I’m told there will be a bike-built-for-two involved!  EEK!!!  I seriously loved how this slideshow turned out and at 11:15pm or so last night I took a shot-in-the-dark that Sami may still be up.  Well, I went back to editing pictures, and long story short-we missed each other and told her to call me this morning.  I was so excited to share it with her and I’m sure it was torture for her going to bed not knowing what the “surprise” was I had in store for her and Dion.  Anyway, I can’t wait to work on the next one and for all of my lovely clients to have a new, fun, and exciting way to view & share their images with family/friends wherever they may be.  These will also be available for purchase, although I haven’t ironed out the details of that just yet.  So share the love, Ryan’s music, and enjoy!  And Sami & Dion-I’m already looking forward to your wedding slideshow!  Hello!!!  I say again….”a bike-built-for-two!!”

What a fabulous family-so relaxed and easy-going.  I think they knew though that I was a bit worried at first.  The sun was so high already and the buildings were just not cooperating with the light where I wanted it….BUT, as I always do, I found a way to make it all work.  They were fabulous about offering up suggestions and ideas as well.  Even though I may not always use my clients’ ideas, they are often the inspiration for another idea.  So I guess it’s safe to say that I usually get inspired by my clients and their stories and their lives, as well as the location.

This session was actually a Christmas gift from 3 daughters to their dad.  I love that they thought to give their dad the gift of photography.  What better gift can you give someone that will last FOREVER?  You KNOW they will never throw it away, replace it, or recycle it.  It’s theirs….to look back on, remember, cherish, and FOREVER.  Did I mention the gift of photography is FOREVER?  I think it’s just an amazing gift and not because I’m a photographer, although, that’s a “no-brainer,” but because we never know if we have tomorrow.  And why hold off for tomorrow what we can do today?  I know that’s a song or something and it’s cliche, but it sounds good.  And not only is this a gift for these womens’ father, but also for themselves.  So I made a point to get a picture of each one of these young ladies with their dad separately.  I KNOW someday they will look back on that picture of themselves with their dad and be grateful.

I’m so glad you all enjoyed the session as much as I did and I hope you love your sneak peek!  Keep an eye on those ladies when little Brevin is older ‘cuz that boy has got some beautiful, lady-killer eyes!  He is just too cute for words!  I think it’s pretty awesome you three ladies all got the same tattoo too.  I think if I EVER mustered the courage to get a tattoo, it would probably be with my sister and my brother too.  I’m actually the lone ranger when it comes to not having one.  Just call me a chicken [insert naughty word here]. 

This is one proud grandpa!

What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined
for life – to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.  ~George Eliot

Wow, this post is late today!  Well, this is what happens when it’s summer vacation, I guess.  I’m not yet behind but I sure feel like it!  I’m shooting my sis-in-law’s wedding this weekend and so it’s crunch time to get as much done as I possibly can before then.  My post today kinda got the backseat to my to-do list.  Also, I got a new blogging program that makes blog posting a SNAP!  I LOVE it!  It’s done lickity-split!  But of course, I had to learn it a bit and then play a bit.

Anyway, I was going to do a sneak peek today but since this post is so late, I will save the images until tomorrow.  The images are ready to blog but I will instead share what I did over the weekend and save the good stuff for tomorrow.  And tomorrow’s post will be created tonight so that for sure will post in the am!  It’s sure nice to have summer but with the rainy days and the kids stuck inside I just get NOTHING done!!

I enjoyed the weekend though with my little family.  We had a very nice Father’s Day and took the kids for ice cream.  I always have the same thing-a Reese’s PB cup and cookie dough blizzard-yum!  There’s just never enough “not-good-for-you-stuff” with just one flavor!  Once the wind died down in the evening we had a “fire camp” {a.k.a. camp fire}.  I also finally got this cute little chair painted.  I forgot to take a before pic.  I actually got this chair back when I did Krista & Nate’s engagement session in MT at a little antique store that I instantly feel in love with-”Trinkets-n-Treasures.”  It’s solid wood and just the perfect size for my kiddo sessions.  I included an image with my daughter so you can see the scale of it with a 2 year-old on it.  It was a coral color but the paint was chipped in a lot of spots and I wanted something non-gender specific.  I used the paint I had left over from when I painted the kids’ bathroom in a frog theme.  I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

Later last night I was sitting at my computer and I felt something crawling on my back….somewhere I ended up getting  a tick on me.  I wasn’t even near tall grass.  The day before at the family session, I came home with a tick as well.  I have never in my life had a tick on me as much as I can remember and within 2 days I had 2.  If this is any indication of how nasty those little disease-carrying things are going to be this summer, then I guess I’ll go get myself a dog collar to put on my wrist!! lol!  Ugh…they just make you itch everywhere after you have one.

I wanted to mention the very sad news I learned over the weekend involving a photographer-friend through a closed group on Facebook.  I’ve never met Erin Phillips of Erin Phillps Photography;  however, in a small group of just a little over 100 people, you get to know each other over time.  I’m a member of several closed groups and these are a great place for photographer’s to share ideas and just talk “shop.”  Just a couple days ago Erin lost her dear son in a swimming accident.  He was only 3 years old.  Just two months ago she had a family picture taken in the hospital after the birth of their 3rd child, a daughter.  This is the post that simply just broke my heart.  If two months ago someone would’ve told her she would be attending her son’s funeral in two months, she would’ve packed as much in those two months as she could’ve and really soaked up every last ounce of her boy’s love, happiness, smiles, and hugs.  You just never know if you’ll get tomorrow.  So today, I donated to her family in the hopes that whatever I can give will help them in some way, because I cannot imagine walking in her shoes.  Today I just sat with my kids and talked to them, hugged them a little longer, kissed them over & over, and listened more intently.  And just today on the national news they talked about the high incidence of backyard pool drownings.  I really don’t know what the situation was for Erin and her family but I do know that I feel better about our children taking swimming lessons and I feel better about not having a pool in our yard.  It really just breaks my heart.  I cannot imagine.  So, if you feel so inclined to help this family, please do.  If you would like to donate, another photographer-friend has set up a paypal option and you can do so HERE.  If you can’t donate, just say a little prayer that little Ayden’s family may be lifted from their deep sorrow.

Well, I suppose it’s going to be a late night of editing tonight!  I’ve got deadlines to meet!   Check in the am for the family session sneak peek of the Nagel & Orr families!

I have been working on this blog post off and on but kept getting “little” interruptions.  Heck, I can’t even talk on the phone with clients and my youngest has to at least say “hello.”

Anyway, Carrie & Brian’s wedding was simply fabulously FUN!!  What a great group, wonderful families, and just the willingness to try just about anything, and sometimes…actually, most of the time without being prompted.  And I just get lucky with the most beautiful, photogenic brides!

There are some “viewer discretion advised” images mixed in and a series of 4 images that I REALLY wanted to post but I really don’t think the city cop would’ve liked that too much!  Ha!  I thought of a pretty funny prank Carrie could have played on Brian and really, having the cop participate REALLY would’ve been convincing.  I’m not sure Brian would’ve been laughing seeing an image of her cuffed but I’m sure he would’ve later.  SHUX!  I sure wish I would’ve thought of that one sooner! LOL!

But these two are too sweet and I can see their marriage will be filled with sarcasm, jokes, laughs, and  lots of love.  I knew they had met while Brian was on leave from the military but I didn’t learn the full back-story until their wedding night.  Carrie had actually asked Brian’s father for his address over-seas in order to write to him.  So really, they fell in love through letters.  Awwww….that really is too sweet.  That is also, coincidentally how my mother and father fell in love while he was serving in Vietnam.

So from the couple, to the families, to the bridal party, and the {yet again} perfect weather….another awesome wedding down and 3 more to come for the year!

Thank you so much Carrie & Brian for putting your trust in me to capture your beautiful day….the first day of your together forever.

BTW, the charms on the bouquet are in memory of their loved ones who have passed on.  I LOVE these.  I offer these charms to brides;  however, in this circumstance Carrie’s friend made them.  Just beautiful.

I had to throw this series shot in…too funny-but hey, when mom calls you have to answer!

THE END.

I hope you two love your sneak peek!  And also, for those future brides reading….all the decorations you see in the reception images are for sale.  Just contact me and I will get you in touch with MRS. Nelson!

Well it is Monday yet again and today it’s beautiful out!  So it’s going to be a great Monday!   Also, I had a fantastic time shooting the wedding of Carrie & Brian on Saturday and yet again, the weather was NOT an issue!  Woot!  I’m glad the 25 mph winds we were suppose to get held off as well.

Anyway, there’s a lot in the works in the “darkroom” of VLV Photography.  Seriously, I should post a pic of the dreadful office I work in.  Saturday’s Bride, Carrie saw it and I think I apologized for all it’s hideousness.  BUT, I should be thankful I even have an office, which I am.  Although, I would be super-excited if my office were in an all natural-lit room with beautiful decor and huge prints on my walls and oh yeah, all my newborn session gear in its own place.  {sigh}  A girl can dream.

Anyway, onto my post today.  I think today I’ll talk a little bit about how I prepare for a wedding/portrait session.  After that I’ll share an over-due sneak peek for Krista & Nate.  They were to get back from their honeymoon on Friday but with the wedding Saturday, I didn’t get to it on Friday.  Plus, most people actually view blog posts in the beginning of the week rather than the end.  It’s a fact.  Hence, “My Life Monday.”  Plus, it just sounds better than “My Life Friday!”  Maybe I could do something like “Fun Fact Friday.”  I like facts, so maybe it’s a quick, fun post to end a week.  I’ll jot that idea down along with my 3-mile long list of other ideas I’ve yet to touch! ha!

So…how I prepare for a wedding/session goes something like this.  I check to be sure I have the file for that specific client first.  I’m terrible at remembering names and I was always taught it’s not nice to point, so I usually try to reference what a client is wearing or simply “mom,” “dad,” but I DO try my VERY best to remember the kiddos’ names.  Kids respond better when their name is actually used.  The file comes in handy on my way to the session/event as I study the names as I drive.  No lie.  I’ll probably hit the ditch one of these days doing so!

The night before though is when I also check to be sure all my CF {compact flash, which are the dslr version of a point and shoot SD card.  I would put what SD stands for but at this very moment I really don’t know} are clean and formatted.  If you have a dslr or even a point and shoot, it’s always good practice after you remove any images that you format your memory card.  This helps prevent any errors.  I’ve used the same cards for a couple years now without any issues but it may be high time to switch to some new ones.  It’s always good to start fresh from time to time.

So my cards are good-check.  Then I be sure I have my basic settings already set on both my primary camera and also my back-up.  I make sure the batteries are all charged.  I also check to be sure the batteries for my external flash are good to go.  The last thing I make sure is in my bag is some gum/mints, the shot list {if it’s an event}, my cell phone, and my lip gloss/chapstick.  I usually have a Fiber One bar as well if it’s an event as this holds me over from lunch to supper in most cases.  If it’s a family/children session, I also make sure I have my “goody bag” for the kiddos to pick out a treat & prize at the end of the session.

Also for an event, I make sure I have both my lights, in case one takes a crap on me.  I also bring an extention cord and all my tripods and stands.  This last wedding I was unable to get all my stands and umbrellas to fit the same way they were initially placed and it would’ve been rather entertaining for anyone watching me to try and get this bag zipped.  I ended up walking out with my bag wide open.  So much for being smart and trying to fit everyone into one bag!

Oh, I can’t forget my step-stool for all sessions and also I bring a white sheet and towel with on weddings. If we come across something wet, which was the case with this last wedding, we certainly needed it.  I also have to mention that on the way to the event/session, I’m usually jamming out to some Justin Timberlake or some other dance music to get me energized.  I usually have my mug of coffee too.  See, then I of course, need the gum! lol!  I wouldn’t want anyone to keel over with my coffee breath!  Just a weird factoid while I’m talking about drinking coffee;  I had a teacher in high school that would drink coffee but then have fireball candy in his mouth at the same time.  Funny-the things you remember.

Okay so now that you know how I prepare for a session, how about I share some images from Krista & Nates fabulous sunset wedding!  This wedding was not just a wedding for those attending but I really felt it was an experience as well.  It’s kinda like you go to your favorite restaurant because of the experience…well, this is really up there as one of my favorite weddings simply because of “the experience.”  I really felt like I was part of something really special as it was such a personal ceremony.  To be invited to and be a part of a wedding like this was really something I’ll remember for years to come.  Not that I don’t remember all the weddings I photograph, but of course, this was the first wedding I’ve photographed at sunset, on a cliff, overlooking the river…so yeah, not sure I’ll get to photograph a wedding like this for quite some time!  So, it will of course stick with me.

These two are so sweet to each other and together.  Also, their families were down-to-earth and made me feel welcome, not just there hired to do a job.  I’ve been very lucky with all the families of the brides and grooms.  I probably seem more like the quiet, shy one but once I know it’s ”okay” to joke and so on, I can usually dish it out pretty good as much as I can receive it!   I’ve always said I don’t take myself too seriously but I am surprisingly more of an introvert.  I prefer small groups to large and I prefer one one conversation as well.  At this wedding though, everyone was so open and came up to me and started conversation and that’s usually what I need to get talking.  Anyone who knows me well though knows that I do love to talk, once you get me going!  lol!

This day was gorgeous though.  As I was driving there I could see storm clouds and had a few drops hit my windshield.  I was getting  a little anxious for the bride.  I was aware of a plan B, but I was really hoping this day was going to be for them, everything they imagined and more.  And really, it was, and then some.

I’m so happy for you two and also that you chose me to be a part of it.  Everything about it was breath-takingly-beautiful.  I told my husband if were ever renewed our vows, that’s how I would want to do it.  I loved it that much.  Like the minister said, and I don’t remember word for word but it went something like this, “..You can’t get more beautiful than this than in God’s country….”

So now onto the beautiful couple and all the pretty details…..the little lanterns lit up, and rather than a traditional unity candle, Krista & Nate had a “unity rope” that they braided together {in the middle image it is hanging on the hook}, and the arch was adorned with antlers and lilacs.  I would personally love the cream-can arrangement in my own home-love it!  The groom’s mother did the flower arrangements and she did a fabulous job!

The Krista’s brothers surprised her and Nate with fireworks after they were pronounced husband and wife!  How awesome {not to mention sweet} is that?!!!

The bridesmaids were so sweet too!  One of them had broken her foot {well, a horse broke it} not long before the wedding and she did a fabulous job getting around dispite having a 2 pound boot on her foot!  She even made it down the aile without her crutches!  That’s what bff’s are for….no matter what, right?

Thanks for the amazing experience you two!  I wish you more happiness than your hearts can hold.

What a glorious weekend I had!!  I headed to Montana on Saturday for the sunset wedding of Nate & Krista.  Their sneak peek won’t come until after Friday because these two love birds are away on their honeymoon until then!  So…in the meantime, I’ll just talk about my week without my children for the first time ever and what’s cooking in my head about my business.

So…anyone that knows me knows that I’m with my kids 24/7 unless I have a session or unless I’m out of town for a session/wedding.  This has only happened a few times where I’m gone overnight for work;  however, this is the first time EVER where I was without children for more than one or two nights.  My uncle passed away recently and over Memorial weekend was his funeral.  My sister came home from MN for it and previously we had discussed her taking the older two rug rats back with her.  She wanted to have them last summer but they didn’t want to go…and that was with a resounding “NO!”  This time, though, they were more excited about the idea.  They’ve been having a wonderful time and I’ve been enjoying listening to the lack of screaming with them fighting! lol!  Now, I must add that my sister owes me because every summer from the age of 12-18 for two weeks I watched her kids and they were younger yet!  So yep, I’m eating this up! lol!  Now, I still had my youngest {and she’s also the firecracker of the bunch} until Friday when my mom took her.  I will be leaving to meet my sister half-way in Fargo to pick up the older two and then pick up my youngest on my way home.  So today is my last day of freedom from motherhood obligations and I have to say…..it was a MUCH needed break.  For those moms out there who are with your kids 24/7, who don’t work outside the home full-time…..get a break.  You NEED it.  Your sanity will thank you later!  I feel so refreshed and I have been so productive in my business that I have so many ideas that I want to try and such.

Driving to Montana offered me a lot of thinking time and being without the kids for this long has also allowed me to get a lot of the thoughts about my business that I’ve had stuck in my brain finally down on paper.  I have ideas for a ton of blog posts with info that will hopefully be helpful, marketing ideas, and just business in general.

So with all this thinking time….I got to thinking….lol….I’m trying to find the answer to one question that keeps bugging me about my business and that is “What is my style?”  I know my shooting style….I fly by the seat of my pants and use locations that I’ve never been at as inspiration, my clients are my inspiration, and sometimes I think of things to use as props that you’d probably use in your home.  I just go with the flow and that’s my shooting style.  However, when it comes to editing style, I think I’m having an identity crisis.

When you see an image, I want you to know it was me that took it.  I want my galleries to all represent my editing style.  I really feel like I’m all over the place.  What I’ve been doing since I started was always editing the images for color, then when I see an image that screams black and white to me, I edit it for black & white also.  I also see an image and get a general idea of what I want to do with it in order to get the look I’m going after.  What I have found when I looked back at past client orders is that it’s a pretty even split between those that ordered images that I specifically edited how I saw them and then just color.  There are photographer’s out there that are only black & white photographer’s.  As much as I LOVE black & white, it really takes a special image for me to be black & white and not ever image, for me, fits that bill.  There are photographer’s that edit with a vintage style.  My problem is is that I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to choose one editing style and stick with it for every single image that isn’t just color.  I would love to, but for me every single session is different and offer different results so I’m not sure how I could be consistent with one style of editing unless it were just full color.

So….I want your feedback.  What do you think about choosing a photographer based solely on their editing style.  If you knew you loved the vintage look, would you choose a photographer who shot that style specifically to have all your images with that look?  Or do you want the classic color images that gives no hint to time-frame or fads?  I don’t know that I follow fads.  I know vintage is hot right now in the photography world and I love that style but declaring it as MY STYLE is difficult for me.  So instead I edit an image I see fit with that style and that may be 5 images or just one.  But again, does this do me a dis-service as no one will ever really be able to look at an image and know I took it?  {sigh}

So to give you a visual aid, this is what I mean…………

My latest blog post shows Kristie & Matt’s sneak peek and for the following images I wanted something soft that didn’t take away from the image like maybe if I would’ve made this image have a lot of contrast or boosted the color.  I do like my color images to have a little boost but I think for this image, I wanted to add to the “lighthearted” mood and that meant lightening up the image a little and making it a little on the “pastel-ish” side.  Yep, “pastel-ish” is now a word.

For the following engagement session which took place last year {btw, Miss Carrie & Mr. Brian are saying “I DO” this Saturday-Woot!}, this image just screamed 1950′s ice cream parlor to me…I wanted this image to have that “back in the good ol’ days kinda love” feel to it.

This following image just screamed COLOR to me…so that’s what I did and boosted it, big time!  And I knew what image to choose to reference  for color boost in this post immediately…check out those baby blues!  Wowza!

Then of course, the classic black and white.  I do prefer mine to have a little contrast.  And in general, more contrast in black & whites is more eye-appealing according to various photography publications/web resources.

Here’s a classic head shot with my black & white post-processing.

So this is what I do but I’m not sure if I’m wasting my time as only 1/2 the time the images are actually purchased.  So really, I’m playing with images for me but I honestly have to say am a little sad when they’re not purchased.  So what do I do?  Do I post the most common editing styles I use and you let me know what style you like best and that’s what I go by when I edit?  OR do I continue doing what I’m doing and NOT have a particular editing style?

I’m tempted to just go straight color with some having more contrast than others and the occasional black & white.  I love color images that are ”full of life” in color {i.e. a little boost to them} and  I feel that way my clients may get their galleries faster and I possibly won’t be wasting my time on edits that never get purchased.  So PLEASE…..I want to hear from YOU!!!!!  Let me know what you want!  I would really have to practice some restraint because editing images can be so much fun but I also have to remember that in order to maintain a business and a normal family life, something has to change.  So give me your input and maybe I can come up with a solution where you, my clients are happy, and so am I {and my family}.

Until next time, Live, Laugh, and Love the one you’re with or next to….no matter what color they are!

This was my 3rd session with these cuties…well, first session with little Miss Nicole.  This clan is so much fun and they certainly keep me on my toes.  This session was in mid-afternoon but because of the over-cast acting as a giant softbox, we were free to go anywhere and not have to worry about squinting or hot spots on faces.

The session began at these kiddos’ farm and then we ventured for a little drive.  These are some lucky boys to be able to go to grandpa and grandma’s and see horses that will soon have some colts.  Why is it that just about anything newborn is adorable?  As a kid I always loved when I got the opportunity to bottle-feed calves too.  I grew up wishing I had lived on a farm and if I did now I would probably have a zoo of animals.  So I’m always envious of children that grow up on farms.  Although the grass seems greener;  farm kids probably wish at times they lived in town, right?

Anywho…onto the cuteness.  Thanks for the fun V.V. clan!   I really had a hard time deciding what to post!!!

That was your dose of cuteness for the day!  Aren’t those little piggies and wrangler butts just too cute?    See you next time with a sneak peek of Krista & Nate’s Montana wedding!

This was seriously a fabulous day.  We were anticipating a soaker with a 70% chance of rain and I was expecting to get some “romantic” shots with the red umbrella we used in Kristie & Matt’s engagement session.  However, the clouds parted and it was truly a beautiful day all around.  On top of the beautiful weather, the bride was dressed so classy with her imported rose high-heels, and the groom made me wish my husband wore a gray suit on our wedding day.  I am a lover of gray suits now! lol!  The matron-of-honor and groom were down-to-earth and seemed so relaxed and obviously dressed to impress as well!  Kristie really did a fabulous job of choosing attire that really went with the overall look….just simply classy.

The flowers and the reception decor was no different.  Kristie’s mother Joyce did the flowers and she really did a fabulous job.  I bet you can’t even tell they’re not real flowers, can you?  You would practically have to smell Kristie’s bouquet to know it!  So, if you’re looking for the hook-up for some flowers for your upcoming event…I know some people!   {Joyce-get those business cards!}  As far as the rest of the decor, Kristie has a creative side to her and really pulled out all the stops.  This was an intimate event, so on a grand scale I can see how pulling this off would be more of a challenge and you certainly couldn’t do it alone but Kristie did a fabulous job with the details.  I hope I did her justice with my images capturing those details!

Well I seem to not know when to hush up so here are the images already!  Get ready for some fabulous people!

It’s all about the details that tie the entire day together!  I plan to start putting together a vendor list for my brides when they are in the planning stages of their wedding to make planning a bit easier {hopefully}.  Another sneak peek is coming at you tomorrow with some half-pint cuteness times 4!

FYI-if you’re a bride and you’re looking for someone to do your flower arrangements but don’t want the expense of real flowers, contact me.  I can get you in touch with Kristie’s mom who did the flowers you see in this post for her daughter’s wedding.  She did a fabulous job, I think!

Well I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth, I’ve just been an editing machine this week!  I had two weddings, two engagement sessions, a senior split session, and a children’s session take place around the same time, so I figured I best stay on top of things.  I have 3 weddings coming up in June as well, not to mention orders to place….so all the more reason to get everything squared away.

My sister took our oldest two kiddos over Memorial weekend.  My uncle ended up passing away and she came home for the funeral.  It seemed like the perfect time to get a little break, although I still have my little spit-fire {Jozlyn}.  She’s seemed like a different kid though since they’ve been gone.  There is so much more quiet and peace in the house….{sigh}….but I couldn’t imagine life without those other two rug rats.  They’ve called every morning and every night to say “good morning” and “goodnight, don’t let the bed bugs bite,” but they are having a good time.  This is the first time they’ve been away from us for more than just one night and it’s really going well.  So far so good anyway.

This weekend I head to Montana for the wedding of Krista & Nate and then next week Tuesday I’ll be driving 1/2 way to my sister’s to pick up the kiddos.  I am plugging away trying to get as much done as I possibly can before Saturday.  I want to get some portrait session guides created but the session images come first.  So that’s the skinny on what I’ve been up to over the weekend and this week so far.

I have three sneak peeks to post-Kristie & Matt’s wedding, the Vander Vorste kiddos, and the following engagement session for my sister-in-law Loretta and her sweetheart Bryan.  So anyway…onto the images from Loretta & Bryan’s engagement session!

Their wedding is just a few weeks away.  This was a fun session as we took motorcycles out to the locations.  Okay, I was a passenger but it was a lot of fun anyway!  Loretta, my sis-in-law, has had her motorcycle for several years and was a kid in a candy store when she got it.  I’m not sure I would ever be brave enough to even ever learn to drive one so I give Kudos to her for following her passion for riding.  This day it was actually pretty nice with mostly sunny skies but it’s a given to have windblown hair when you ride motorcycle so I guess a pic with the do-rags was a given!  On a serious note, I’m glad this biker-babe finally found her biker-boy soul mate.  Looking forward to the big day you two!

Tomorrow….Kristie & Matt’s sneak peek from their wedding will be posted right here to the bloggity.  And I had the hardest time choosing images for their post!  The blushing bride, the colors, the groom’s attire, the bridal party, and the light….all so amazing!  Check it all out tomorrow!