Wedding Wednesday | Unplugged Ceremony

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I know I've talked to all of my couples about this and had a whole hearted agreement from them that their ceremony will be unplugged and that I won't have any issues. From a photographers standpoint its just annoying, and then you have hurt feelings if you didn't get shot A or B because Aunt/Uncle Bob were using their flash while you walked down the aisle. Trust me, it sucks. 
Now I'm on the other side of the lens, literally and figuratively, and while I see the excitement in going to a wedding and wanting to hold onto that moment forever I would much rather you hold onto it through the trained and professional eyes of my photographer. 
 I don't want to have to go through my wedding ceremony and see that my family was too busy taking pictures with their iPhones to enjoy the fact that I was getting married! I definitely don't want the risk of losing shots because so-and-so decided to be a "professional" and shoot with flash. 
I don't want hurt feelings or a sad photographer, because I didn't scrape the bottom of the barrel with hiring her. I went through over 100 different photographers local and out of state before deciding on a who I would trust with this day. 
And that's why our ceremony will be unplugged and if I see my grandmas phone come out, I will walk down the aisle and confiscate it. Kidding, but seriously, I will cry ugly Kim Kardashian tears and you'll have to live with that for the rest of your life. 

Hello Snow | Engagement Session

A few months ago I met with Brandon + Maggie for a pre-wedding consultation and during our meeting I could tell that Maggie and myself were kindred spirits. Not only are we both bubbly, outgoing and totally hilarious (uh duh) but she's also from Arizona and we could relate on so many levels!

We talked for a few months about what kind of engagement session she was looking for and when we sat down to sign the contract she said "I WANT SNOW!" and, as luck would have it, it snowed the day before her session AND it wasn't windy. This is absolute insanity because ND is known for 2 things:

1. Cold

2. Wind

So to have perfect conditions for her dream engagement session was pretty much written in the stars! We had originally planned to shoot out in Hatton by an old red barn, but Maggie was able to talk to a local shop owner and had permission to use their cattle farm! I don't think anyone besides Eric and people who've been in the car with me knows how much I love cows. I moo at them, no matter how many times we've passed the same cow and when I got to pet one? OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! Eric said I looked like a 2 year old with a kitten. So to be able to shoot on a farm with cows, tractors, horses, trees and a mini pony? Oh my little kid heart was ecstatic! 

Plus Brandon had this genius idea below:

How funny, right? I'm glad that they wanted snowy engagement pictures! 

Please feel free to pin, share and of course follow my work on Facebook! 

Photography services available in: Grand Forks, Fargo and East Grand Forks areas. Available for travel. 

Wedding Wednesday | HELLO!

This is my first link-up for Wedding Wednesday, but definitely not my last! I should probably preface this with that I've been not-so-secretly planning my dream wedding on Pinterest for the last year. Let the crazy year of wedding planning begin! 

So this is a cute picture, I happen to do photography and happened to have conned this man into a kissing picture. #score. 

First things first I am a planner. I make lists, so I went out to find the perfect planner that didn't cost a fortune. Thankfully TJ Maxx has my back in this department and I found this gorgeous 2016 planner for a fraction of the cost a day designer would cost. Best part? It's got both Whitney English AND Emily Ley esc styles involved! 

I can't complain about the quote on the front either, 2016 is gonna be the bees knees! 

The Date: 10-8-16

Second thing we figured out was the date. In our small circle of family and friends there was one or two things we had to keep in mind for picking our date: 

1. Eric's mom's birthday 

2. Harvest

Unfortunately the first date I thought would work was his moms birthday and I immediately changed it.. Harvest is either going to be just beginning or getting ready to begin on our date and since its close to home for all our farming family I think we'll be okay! 

Last thing I figured out, aside from where was the colors. I used to be all about the summer wedding, and then I realized that fall/winter held so much more for me from the fact that it was fall when I met Eric, and technically fall when we started dating, and the color schemes work better for me too. So without much further ado, our colors! 

I can't wait to share more with you guys as the planning process continues. Next week will be a glimpse into ceremony/reception ideas and decor! 

Linking up with To Travel & Beyond

We're Engaged!

So I dropped a bombshell that we got engaged, I'm sure that most of you are dying to read how/when it happened and I don't want to disappoint so here are the major details: 
It was a Monday a week before our anniversary and I had no makeup on.
Seriously. I mean, sure Eric was nervous when I got home and had texted me earlier to find out where I was, I didn't think anything of it. I figured he was hiding my gift -I snoop, get over it- and he wanted to make sure everything was hidden when I got home. 
Instead when I walked through the door I said "where were you at?" because I knew he was buying my gift, and he asked if I wanted my gift then and to help him stop being so nervous, so I said yes! I am not one to turn down gifts when offered.. so he comes out of our room with a ring box and says "I went and got this ring, and I was wondering if you'd marry me?" 

SAY WHAAAAAA! 


I was incredibly shocked! I mean for real, I asked him "seriously?!" and he said yup! I said "yes, yes, of course!" and then he put the ring on my finger. There were happy tears and smiles, maybe a trip to target, and I got to run down the hall to my best friends apartment to tell her/show her the ring! 

the wonderful engagement gift from Shay :) 

Now we didn't announce it for almost 30-ish hours because we couldn't get ahold of my dad, but thankfully everyone was very happy and are excited to come party with us in North Dakota! 
So here's to planning a wedding and becoming a Reinhardt in 2016! 

Long time, no blog!

Hello, hello! 
I should probably start out this blog with an apology, but I won't. See I stopped blogging because my heart wasn't fully invested, my time was being spent camping with Eric and his family and spending boring Friday and Saturday nights watching way to much Super Natural AKA "soups-natch" and I enjoyed not being "here" in the online world. 
A lot has happened since July, can I just say I am sorry for leaving you hanging mid summer, is that cool? Sorry! Eric and I continued on adventuring, from more long weekend camping trips to "running" 5k's, turning 27, moving to a new apartment, starting a new job (me).. oh and we got engaged too! Crazy, right? Like a week before our anniversary we decided to kick our adventuring up a notch by jumping into the world of wedding planning! I'll share more of our engagement story in another post, but for now I just want to let you know that this past year was not only fully needed, but I'll give massive praise hands to God for it. I am incredibly blessed, not only because I have my best friend and now fiancé by my side, but cause He's helped grow my business and my friendships and really everything. 
It was good to step back and spend time with my loved ones and to throw myself into work in a good way. I'm so grateful that in 2013 I chose to move here not knowing the outcome and now I plan to live here for the foreseeable future, get married and maybe have some kids! Now stay tuned for wedding stories, planning and life in general. I hope to share some photography stuff too since that's been getting crazy busy too!
See you all soon!

Currently | July

Hooray for a linkup! I've been fairly absent from link ups recently, and blogging. The last week my bosses were in Amsterdam without the kids and I've been, you guessed it! With the kids. For starters, kudos to all moms everywhere and second.. I think I can be a mom now. This experience has been challenging and amazing, but more on that later. 

Currently I'm...

CRAVING | Sleeping in and a nice dinner out. These kids get up between 5 and 630 in the morning and I am the kind of person who gets to bed around 12am. A nice dinner to my favorite Mexican place would suffice as nice, and grownup time.. I miss grownups. 

GRILLING | So we don't have a grill, but I would love Sunday breakfast on our cast iron skillet if it's over a campfire ;) 

LISTENING | I've been rocking to late 90's early 2000's music, bring on the Britney! But also turning on Rend Collective and Bethel music for the kids and myself during breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

PLANNING | A maternity session and engagement session. I have a session for a lovely girl that's having twins on Wednesday and Monday is an engagement/pre-deployment session for a couple referred to me. I'll be bringing the bug spray this time, since my last session I was eaten alive! 

DECORATING | There isn't a lot to decorate, but I recently acquired a night stand that needs to be refinished so that will be my project next week. I'm thinking of going with grey or mint color, but not completely sold. 

Thank you to Jenna and Anne for an awesome linkup! 

Lake Weekend

A few weekends ago Eric's nephew Bill (lil' Bill) celebrated an entire 5 years on this great green Earth and to celebrate he "planned" a pretty sweet family day at the lake! 

Well, he actually met us at breakfast and let us know that we could do some farming, if we wanted to, but that there would be cake and presents too! But as soon as the word "lake" left anyones mouth it was lake this and lake that with a mixture of "I'm gonna go fishing!" and I said I'd join him because in all of my 26 years.. I'd never been. 

Shocker, right? Big city girl like me, never fishing! In my defense, these guys have never gone surfing or explored the beauties that is hiking with my family. Can you feel the sarcasm with the family comment? Don't get me wrong, love them, but my sister hiked in a skirt once and I haven't heard the end of it since. 

So we headed out to a damn lake (that is the technical term) and from the shore I proceeded to swim and feel at home for the first time in a very long time. Water is my life and always has been. I luckily got to swim with lil' Bill and Bailey for a good while, even in a short rain storm, which was heaven! There is nothing like sitting on a beach, drenched, having rain fall from the sky and be totally okay with the fact that you are the only one there because everyone else is scared of a little rain ;). 

Now there wasn't a lot of picture taking on my part, I've been trying my best to leave the phone and be in the moment, but thankfully others caught the glory of me catching my first fish! I mean, it was a catfish and my goodness was that sucker ugly. I wouldn't take it off the hook or touch it, but I was more than happy to pose. I promise that as the summer goes on, I will learn to unhook a fish and even clean it. I wish you could see my face. 

Actually, that up there is a great picture of my face. That fish re-hooked itself about 4 times before Eric could get him back in the water! 

Showing Bailey my fish, which she was much braver and willing to poke it. 

All in all, it was a wonderful day! Cut short by some thunder and lightening, but what else can you expect from the Midwest? Sorry, Northern Plains. 

Until next time! 

**PS** lil' Bill did not catch a fish, but that kid is seriously good at casting! 

Summer Beauty Faves

It is summer time and if you're like me you are looking to minimize your beauty routine. It's time for lighter makeup and that bronzy glow, which I don't hate to say is how I feel the entire year should be! But I am a sucker for a paler complexion and those berry colors come fall/winter, so I suppose we can save the glow for the summer.  These are the things I reach for on a daily basis when getting ready, day or night: 

1//2//3//4//5//6//7

I love the hope renewed lotion because it's light, doesn't clog my pores and smells amazing! Think of a very light, floral, scent that you just want to be smothered in. That's this moisturizer. Creepy? Nah. 

As for my "foundation" I choose to use Tarte's BB because it's natural, enough coverage to make me look like a human and doesn't make me feel like my face will fall off from the heaviness. Pair that with boing by benefit and you have a duo that works for 90% of the people in the world. I usually use Tarte's amazonian bronzer as a contour-type powder and dust the apples of my cheeks in Nars' orgasm. Use Make-up Forever's HD mineral powder and top off with gifted (Tarte) mascara and you basically have everything on my face in seven products. I may add a smokey light eye with my Naked 3 pallet and definitely use the Bite Agave Lip Mask (yum) for just a little color to my lips, but not all the time.

On top of sharing my favorite beauty products with you, I wanted to share this: 

Yup, cut my hair! Summer usually was a time for me to go from brunette to blonde, and then realize that I can't afford to be blonde. This year I've decided to go from medium-long hair to collarbone length! It is definitely a lot lighter and I feel like works well for me with my get up and go type of personality. 

Until next time! 

**I should mention that this is in no way a paid advertisement for any of the products above. I just love them and like to share!** 

Wild + Free | Photography

Since getting into nannying I have had a lot more time to do sessions that are more for me and my business style and less for getting in that one or two sessions to make ends meet. About a week ago I went out to East Grand Forks with my friend Laura to do a mini-styled session with the flower head wreaths I made. This session made me incredibly excited because it turned out fantastically! I can only hope the other sessions I have planned will be just as wonderful. 

No Tribe

I remember when I was 12 and starting the 7th grade? If you're anything like me you had to go to a whole new school -holler to AZ being one of the only places that puts 7-8th in its own school- and I was nervous. The night before my first day I mapped out the bus route, both of them, and I put on the new outfit my mom bought and showed up extra early so that I wouldn't miss anything. 

I walked off the bus and into the courtyard and saw hundreds of people I didn't know and some you did. I immediately latched to my big brothers group of friends and quickly realized that these guys think I'm Keelan's dumb little sister, and I do not belong. 

I had no tribe and I would never really have one. I am a loner-extrovert, the girl who can be the center of attention but stand on the outside, never getting close to anyone. 

I found friends, don't get me wrong, and I still talk to a few of them.. but we aren't close. These people can tell you my first and last name.. possibly my birthday and that I like dinosaurs.. but they don't know the nitty gritty. I knew from a very young age that you do not let people close because people can hurt you and it's better to be lonely than hurt. 

Now that I'm in my mid twenties the ramifications of not ever having a tribe, a group of people I could count on, has hit home. Not only have I distanced myself emotionally, but physically. I don't live near anyone I know and when I want or need to talk to someone.. I have to either wait until the weekend to call my dad or try and reach out to one of my siblings. The ones I'm not close to and who I just don't feel I can bare my soul to, or ask to pray with me, they aren't that kind of people. 

So here I am, 26 and no tribe. While most of my friends are busy finishing up grad school, starting families and planning weddings I'm in this weird middle ground of not those things. 

But I want a change. I want a tribe, or a friend here, that I can call on and vice versa. I want friends who serve each other as God calls us to and who want to have lunch or coffee, not just take pictures of their kids. These are the things I look forward to most as I creep ever closer to 27 and further away from those I grew up with. So I'm trusting God with this, I'm making the efforts that I've been called to and hope to meet my BFF4LYFE (I had to) on this journey.

Eric's Birthday Weekend

This last weekend Eric turned the big 3-1 and since we couldn't head over to the Twin Cities like originally planned, we did a little local celebrating. 

Grand Forks had its annual art festival going on downtown, so after spoiling Eric with a breakfast and spending almost 2 hours at the dealership getting his oil changed, we headed that way. I'll give Grand Forks some credit with their festivals, they do a good job! Eric was excited to break in his birthday gift of a Vivofit and get in his steps, which we definitely did.. and then some.

After walking around for a bit we went down to the Toasted Frog for dinner. An amazing restaurant that never, ever disappoints. I had the grilled fish tacos and he had a steak gorgonzola pizza. Desert was a pear pie with cinnamon ice cream. The pie was eh, but the ice cream was so so soooo good. After dinner we were definitely tuckered out so we headed home because the next day we were to take the 2 hour drive to Itasca State Park with Diane, Eric's mom, to finish up the epic birthday weekend. 

The next day we woke up incredibly early to get on the road which included lots of talking, Starbucks and of course Eric and his mom pointing out that I'm a terrible navigator. I hate to say this is true, but it's because I refused to read maps and only look out windows and now I move to ND and have to watch for deer?! But I digress, while pulling into Itasca we saw this grumpy lookin' guy! Sherman is his name and no I didn't get close enough for him to snap my fingers off. 

So a fun fact about Itasca is that it is the headwaters of the Mississippi! It's a little crazy to go into the waters of the Mississippi since I spent my early childhood playing at the banks and in a creek down the way from my grandparents.. and no, the water wasn't cold. Now for a photo dump! A few things we did: Hiking the headwaters trail, taking the Charles Chester II and had some walleye chips at the Douglas Cafe. The only thing I would not do again is the Charles Chester, we figured it was an hour long ride, nope, it was 2! Took up most of our day, but because it was raining it was okay. I like to think this was a great birthday, and I'm sure Eric would agree.