I am so excited to share Rachel and Jake's engagement session! In June we met up at Rock Creek Park in Washington DC for a gorgeous evening. This park is so cool. There's so many different mill areas, hidden monuments, and a beautiful river. It's an amazing spot that I'm really happy Rachel and Jake introduced us to.  We have been looking forward to meeting Rachel and Jake for months. We actually had an earlier session date scheduled, but with the crazy weather of Maryland, it got pushed back. Thankfully, the end of June was much better with its rain and we were able to FINALLY meet. These two are as sweet and kind as we imagined they would be. They are so easy to chat with! Strolling around Rock Creek Park with them we got to know them so much better, which as everyone knows, is the reason we love engagement shoots! Now that we are in the wedding month for Rachel and Jake, I am so happy to share their engagement session and kick up the celebrating to a new level! This time next week, Rachel and Jake will be Mr. & Mrs. and I for one, cannot wait! Cheers to the wedding countdown <3. Enjoy their Rock Creek Park Engagement ...

There hasn't been too many glorious, gorgeous days this summer. There's been a few, but not enough. It's been so humid that sometimes it's hard to breathe. However, that all changed for Michelle and Arby's engagement session. On the morning of their session, it was breezy, sunny, and cool. It was honestly the most perfect morning to be out and about at the Tidal Basin. Every second spent outside was enjoyable and - for once this summer - we didn't leave a session needing to tap into our spare clothes that we keep in the trunk :P.  This will be the 6,403,692 time I say this, but it rings true all the time: make your engagement session location special! Michelle and Arby chose the Tidal Basin for their engagement because it was where Arby asked Michelle to be his wife. They were surrounded by cherry blossoms and the cool spring air. There wasn't another place for their session to take place at because the Tidal Basin WAS it. It's such a sentimental place for these two. So when they mentioned they were interested in doing their session there, I was immediately on board. We also don't get to do too many sessions in DC, so a change of scenery was very welcomed :P.  Getting to spend the morning both of them was so great. They are easy to chat with and, um, REAL adorable. They just look at each other and start giggling. If that doesn't...

This is the time of year when a lot of our couples are planning their engagement sessions. Whether they are dreaming of a "lost in the wood" session or high fashion city shoot, timing means everything. For Shawn and I, breaching this subject is a point of contention. We are both night owls, so whenever the thought of early morning comes up, we both kind of shudder. However, we recognize the beauty in small crowds and fabulous light. Our couples, though, don't always know of those benefits as well as we do. It means so much to me through chatting with our couples that we are able to provide them with loads of session information. One of the biggest things we cover before an engagement session is the timing for a session. So what better way to benefit everyone than through a blog? There are pretty images below, so everyone stick around until the end :P. What is proper timing? One of the first things I want to touch on is the best hours of the day to be out. We have found that for sunrise sessions, we want to be shooting 30 minutes after the sun has risen. For sunset, we like to give ourselves 2 hours before the sun has fully fallen. These times are typically called the "golden / magic / perfect hour," but I just like to say "ohhhhh, mah gawsh! Best!". Here's a cute little info graphic I've created...

Is it seriously time to start writing a new number on everything? I feel like 2016 flew by, and I'm not really sure I'm ready for the new year. I mean, I guess it doesn't really matter if I'm ready, because it's here. The time cannot go backwards, so it's time for me to think about my 2017 goals. I'm not really a fan of making resolutions. They terrify me and I feel they are counterproductive. You set a resolution once for the entire year. When the countdown hits zero, you either succeed or you don't. Even if you came close, you still feel the crushing defeat which is very demoralizing. Any deviations are just "excuses" for not accomplishing your predefined resolution. Basically, a resolution motivates by guilt and the negative feelings associated with anything short of success. That's not a healthy mindset when trying to grow and improve, since it's harder to take big risks when you have the fear of failure. Instead, I prefer to set goals for myself, which are similar but different than resolutions. Goals aren't all or nothing. You can come close to completing your goals, and still feel accomplished. They can adapt to any changes in lifestyle or priorities without having to feel like you failed and started over. Also, I feel like it's much easier to exceed your goals but keep going without putting your work down and feeling like you're done. Goals are just a nicer concept that - given the...

  The words yes and no are very powerful. Couples and vendors alike can get hung up on the negativity of the word no, which can make both sides feel insignificant during wedding planning. I've had plenty of situations where I know that I shouldn't be saying yes. Yet, since I didn't want to step on anyone's toes, I bit my tongue. Occasionally, my inability to voice my opinions caused a hiccup in my business. The biggest problem with this is never feeling in control of my success. I would do things for my business because it's what everyone else was doing, or because it's what was being demanded of me. It wasn't until this year that I took the reins and began exercising my right to say no. Shawn's and my main priority with couples is to have a friendship that is fun and enthusiastic. If there are certain goals or relationships that aren't being positively fostered, reflect on the situation and weigh the pros and cons. We don't want to tell people we aren't going to do something without reason. We have a thoughtful process that we follow in order to make sure our couples (current and potential) are aware that we are looking out for them. Saying no to things that add stress One of the biggest things that I think couples and vendors need to ask themselves is if certain requests will add too much stress. Weddings already carry a lot of pressure with...