I am so lucky to have a hubby that is so supportive of me and my efforts to expand my business. Jon and I don’t believe in going into debt to do something fun or exciting, which includes this business venture of mine! So thank you dear, for your willingness to always talk through and work out these business adventures with me.  

Making friends!!

This was Joseph’s first trip going that far out of the city. He absolutely LOVED the cows and spent a good portion of the afternoon going over to wave at them  

Could this cake be any more adorable?!?! Nathan’s mom Julie made it from a picture a friend created for them. Too precious!!

Time for presents!!

The parents setup these huge slides to keep the older kids entertained. Boy, did they have a good time on those!!

Skye and Nathan we love you guys and can’t wait to meet our beautiful niece Raelyn!! And as I heard quite often on Saturday…..PLEASE LET HER HAVE RED HAIR!!!  

A little over a week ago I headed up to Joliet, IL to meet with Brittany and Kevin on what turned out to be a rather windy  (supposedly) spring day. Brittany and Kevin were SO much fun to work with! They were up for anything I threw at them and kept me and themselves laughing the entire time!! I love seeing how happy and in love they are with each other and cannot wait to photograph their big day.  

We started our day at the Bird Haven Greenhouse in New Lenox, IL. With spring making such a late appearance this year, Brittany and Kevin really wanted to find a location with a lot of color. This place was perfect!!!

With the plethora of laughter going on, it was difficult to get a good straight-faced picture, but these two nailed our one attempt at it. I LOVE this picture!!

Brittany made this save the date banner for our session! Isn’t it ADORABLE?!

See?! This was totally unscripted and I’m lucky I got my camera up to capture it! I’m also lucky it isn’t blurry, I was laughing so hard  

These next two just make me melt! Aren’t these two so CUTE?!

Brittany and Kevin truly have a house divided! She’s a White Sox fan and he’s a Cubs fan. What will their children do?!

Why yes, we do kung fu on engagement sessions….why not?!?!

Brittany and Kevin, I had such a great time with you guys for this session and I can’t wait to capture your wedding day at your AAAA-MAZING venue!! Much love to you two  

So before they can repair the huge hole in the kitchen ceiling, all the sub-flooring and beams have to be dried. This required 4-5 large blowers and 2 huge dehumidifiers to be placed both upstairs and downstairs, which were SO loud! It sounded like an airplane was trying to land in our home. Jason was, of course, not a fan of any of this nonsense and spent most of the time hiding from the dryers…

With the holiday weekend and all the drying that needs to take place, we were told this would be a two week process to get everything fixed. Thank GOODNESS I have some awesome bosses who were able to book Jon and I some place to stay while the water heater was out and we had to keep our heat off. The dryers and dehumidifiers were packed up and left yesterday, so hopefully the rest is taken care of quickly after the holiday weekend!!

Weddings are costly affairs. With the average wedding costing around $25,000, brides and grooms are constantly looking for a way to cut costs in their budget. Wedding photography is often the first victim to suffer! Let’s be realistic, photography is a HUGE hobby around the world and many strive to do it professionally. It is a very competitive business and there are many options out there for couples. I understand a family member or friend has a “good enough camera” and would gladly shoot your wedding for dirt cheap, if not for free. The thing to remember is, as with anything is life, you will get exactly what you pay (or don’t pay) for. Here are some reasons to make room for a professional photographer in your budget and not leave it to Uncle Steve and his point-and-shoot camera.

1. Experience

Weddings are fast-paced, exciting affairs, crammed full of logistical twists and turns that keep even the most organized, detail-oriented brides up at night. Would you trust your family or friends to perform the duties of your doctor or dentist? Working with a professional photographer means you will be provided with the advantages of their knowledge and experience of working in and understanding the complexities of the wedding industry. They work to make sure you follow your timeline down to the minute, make sure you look your best at all times and keep you laughing and calm as you celebrate your day. A photographer has to be on-point from the second they arrive to catch you getting your hair done in the morning until you make your grand exit through a stream of sparklers and well wishes, often foregoing food, water and bathroom breaks for obscene amounts of time. So while Uncle Steve has a “great” camera, chances are he’s going to put down that camera to sit and eat dinner and catch up with cousin Sue while you and your new hubby are busting a move on the dance floor or cramming cake in each others’ faces. Experience alone is worth the price, as it is the difference between having someone there to support you through your day or leaving you with yet another person to keep on task.

2. Quality work

Your wedding photographs will be valuable mementos of one of the most important days of your life. Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable leaving this in the hands of someone who has the experience and understanding of all of the ins and outs of their high-end camera gear instead of someone with a simple point-and-shoot camera? These photos are a physical documentation that should be high quality, as to provide future generations of your family a detailed story of your special day together. You want to be left with photos you treasure and want to showcase, not ones you feel no excitement for, a complaint I hear most often from bride’s who chose to cut costs on their photography.

3. Full coverage

Wedding photography is a great way for brides and grooms to look back on their day and enjoy the details they might have missed being caught up in the celebration. Professionals are trained to look for and capture those special moments, such as the groom getting ready, a teary-eyed mother of the bride during the ceremony or the wedding party sneaking off to decorate the couple’s getaway vehicle. A professional is 100% focused on YOU, not only during the day of your wedding, but also with the hours of pre-preparation for your day and the days spent afterwards sorting, editing and designing products for you. They get to know you before your big day and work to learn the style that you want for your images. They are there in the early morning hours as you begin your bridal preparations and often there until the last guest leaves the dance floor. They have the experience to help you overcome the obstacles and drama that are ever-present on a wedding day. Uncle Steve is there to enjoy the day with you and your family, which leads to missed moments you may have wanted captured!

4. Details

Professional photographers are detail-oriented people. They have a great focus for the details others might miss. They will photograph every last aspect of your big day, often knowing better than you what you might want captured. All of the flower arrangements, the cake, the decorations and the dress you spent so much time and money on will be documented so you can enjoy them long after your day passes. The cake goes quickly, the flowers fade and your dress is packed up for storage or passed onto the next blushing bride, but your photographs will be around to help you remember your special day forever.

5. Products & Services

One HUGE thing couples forget about when they decide on a family member or friend to shoot their big day is the products and services a professional would offer them. Most people I talk to think the photographer’s job is the single day spent capturing the wedding and that’s it. Oh so wrong! Professionals spend days after your wedding sorting, editing and retouching your images to make them look perfect for you. I have spent many days barricaded in my office working away on someone’s photos!! In addition, professional have access to products not available to everyday consumers. I offer many different hand-made albums and canvases in my packages, made of the highest-quality materials to help preserve your memories forever.

You will only have one magical wedding day.  There is no “redo” or hitting a rewind button for a disaster or missed moments. You put so much time and effort into every detail of your day, make sure a professional is there to capture this joyous occasion! Once the dust settles and you have your beautiful photos in your hands, you’ll realize hiring a professional was worth every single penny.

Let’s take a look at the top trends being used!!

Making their first appearance on bridal gowns in 2011 before the Royal Wedding, illusion necklines are now moving to bridesmaids dresses! These necklines, made of a sheer panel of fabric and designed to create a second, higher neckline, give these dresses a seductive, romantic feel.

Peplums were THE top trend for the 2013 bridal gown season and women’s fashion in general. These short over-skirts add a touch of modern to any gown and it is no wonder they quickly made their way to this year’s bridesmaid dresses!

This bright, bold color is not just for the bride this season! With the introduction of Vera Wang’s red wedding gowns, this color has quickly grown to one of the biggest trends this year.

A trend that seems to be reemerging in 2013 is the pleated gown. Designed to give freedom in movement and an airy feel, they’re a simple yet stylish choice.

The most unique big trend for this year is the incorporation of print gowns for bridesmaids. Bold, beautiful prints and patterns make the maids stand out in a unique way. These atypical styles also make it easier for maids to reuse the gowns after the big day!