Post-Wedding Blues

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Aloha from Maui! Just wanted to check in and share another sneak peak of our wedding photos. I really can't wait to share more with you when I get them. However, I must admit, I am suffering from a bit of the post-wedding blues. My wedding was less than 2 weeks ago but it already seems like it was ages ago...at the same time, it's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that something I planned (and thought about for the better part of every day) for almost 8 months was over in a matter of hours. I don't necessarily miss the stressful bits of the planning process but it does feel weird to not ''have'' to wake up and instantly check blogs for inspiration, e-mail vendors, work on diy projects, etc. I know I should relax and enjoy our honeymoon but I can't help but be a little sad that the wedding is over. Do any of my married ladies out there have any tips for getting over these post-wedding blues?

Puppy Love Engagement Session

I'm loving this awesome engagement session. One of the things I love the most, besides this fabulous outfit of hers, is the brilliant photographer behind this shoot. Elaine Palladino got some great shots of this couple that are just too pretty to pass up. And if that wasn't enough of a reason, that dog is the most ridiculously cute thing ever. I mean honestly, dogs can be this cute?

 

Nautical Engagement Shoot Inspiration

First of all, I'm am SO EXCITED for my fellow blogger brides who have their weddings coming up just around the corner! Kate is getting married first, in just a few days!! Then Christina! Thinking of you guys :) Now that we've booked our to-die-for photographer, Sequins and Candy, we're starting to think about some engagement shoot ideas! Engagement shoots are awesome for many reasons. So many, in fact, I was easily able to convince my camera-shy fiancé to get on board... so to speak. They allow you to capture some "real" photos of you and your beloved doing somewhat normal things (I mean, we all hang out in fields wearing cute heels and holding giant balloons all the time, right?), but most importantly, they allow you to get to know your photographer, and do a photo session run through. This is really important, as the last thing you want is to be uncomfortable with your photographer on the day of your wedding!

Since Kyle and I met sailing in Long Beach (he was my sailing instructor), we thought it would be apropos to do an engagement shoot on a sail boat. More specifically, a classic wooden schooner he sailed for many years. Now, this is just an idea for now, but that doesn't stop me from searching for inspiration! So here's some of our vintage nautical themed engagement shoot inspiration photos.

 

top left: 'After Glow' by Brent Lynch, source; top right: The Cherry Blossom Girl, Glamour; bottom: Jasmine Star

The Nautica perfume ad on the right was shot on the boat Kyle used to sail in Long Beach. Now I just need to master how to look like Katherine Heigl...

 

top left: Nautica ad; top right: Nautica perfume; bottom: Martha Stewart Weddings, Snippet and Ink

 

top left: GlamourSplash; top right: West Elm; bottom: Jose Villa

What do you think? If you know of any more gorgeous sailboat photos, please mention them to me on Pinterest!

This is just one theme idea, so I'll be running a couple more past you over the next few weeks. Let me know which is your favorite!

Picture Perfect

Picking our photographer was a stressful task. I actually put it off for a bit because I was afraid I wouldn’t find what I wanted – a photographer who is able to capture one of the most special moments of our lives with beautiful images and also has an amazing personality that you wouldn’t mind spending 8 hours of your wedding day with them! Oh and all within our budget of course. Not at all a tall order…

After meeting with several photographers, reviewing website after website and blog after blog, I concluded that every photographer fell in one of two categories:

1. They were in our budget, but we didn't love their images;

2. They took beautiful pictures, but at a cost that could be a substantial down payment on a house!

After weeks of feeling extremely frustrated, I decided to head to one of my favorite wedding photography sites and just start searching for photographers in San Francisco. If their images were on the website, then I knew I would love their photography. Why had I not thought of this before? Low and behold, I found her!

Gladys Jem manages to capture the exact sentiment that I want in my wedding photos: love, excitement and it doesn't hurt that she manages to make all of her subjects look like models!

But don't take my word for it, just check out some of her stunning images...

One of my favorites...

 

And when we finally met Gladys, that kind of sealed the deal. She’s got an awesomely, bubbly personality that I know will bring out the smiles in all of our guests.

I can’t wait to see the images of our special day! First up - engagement photos!

All photos courtesy of Gladys Jem: http://gladysjem.com/.

A Beach Engagement by Carlie Statsky

Carlie Statsky is one of those photographers that could never do wrong in my eyes. Every single shoot impresses me more and more. And seeing as she shoots a lot of Holman Ranch weddings, I know when something is just so unique and different and awesome. She has this ability to make everything more beautiful and captures some of the best shots I have personally ever seen. And now, enough about the fabulous photographer and let's talk about this beachy engagement session. It is refreshing to see such beautiful imagery without props to make the photos "interesting". This couple, just wearing white tees, are so beautiful and so in love, you just can't stop staring. Take a good long look through these images as they just keep getting better and better.

View more of Carlie's work on her website! Thanks so much to the happy couple and to Carlie for allowing me to feature these images.

A Passionate Dessert Engagement Shoot

This one comes to us from Chelsea Nicole Photography. It isn't filled with DIYing or tons of details, and that is almost what makes me love it more. I don't think I have ever seen engagement photos like this, with such passion and so much love. These two definitely have chemistry and they definitely know how to work with a camera. How about you? Is this a shoot you would be able to do? I'm pretty sure I don't have the confidence to pull this one off!

The Gift of Engagement Photos

Happy holidays, everyone! A few days before Christmas, I got a wonderful gift in my email inbox: our engagement photos!

Before the shoot, I spent a lot of time picturing a cozy and wintery shoot. This was easy to imagine while in blustery San Francisco, but when we arrived in San Luis Obispo (a town near the beach in central California), we found ourselves in gorgeous, 70 degree weather!

That didn’t stop us from cuddling up at a coffee shop and wearing cozy sweaters. I’m SOO happy with the photos and couldn’t be more excited for Ken to shoot our wedding! It is wonderful to have these casual, personal photos to commemorate this happy moment in our lives.

We started off at an eclectic coffee shop downtown.

We then headed to a gorgeous bluff overlooking Avila Beach and the ocean.

Photographer: Ken Kienow

I would highly recommend taking engagement photos, if not to capture this happy moment, then at least to get to know your photographer. Now he will be at the wedding as a friend versus a stranger. Plus, we got a little bit of experience being in front of the camera, an experience that can take some getting used to.

Anyone else have great engagement photo ideas or experiences?

 

Pink & Lace Engagement Shoot

This is a such a fun engagement shoot. It could definitely pass off as a styled shoot with all the wonderful details these two added. Vintage lace, wood treatments, cupcakes, and a whole lot of awesome flowers. I'm loving just about every piece of this just wonderful shoot. Take a look through this collection of Velvet Owl Photography.