Spring Break in San Diego

Before wedding season starts this weekend and before I start posting new content of gorgeous venues and amazing couples in love. I wanted to share a little piece of our life with you that is not wedding related. 

Sometimes it feels like our life is going a mile a minute.  People say "how do you do it all"? heck, I even say it sometimes. But I never feel overwhelmed. I never feel like I don't sit down on the floor with my boys and play legos or read bedtime stories, I never feel like I don't get enough sleep or downtime.  I think we have a great balance in life. Sometimes less balance than others but with 7 + months off shooting weddings or photography in general, we have a good balance. 

Summertime is when life gets a little crazy.  Rookie Ball, My husbands softball league, soccer, yoga, WEDDINGS! I try to always come home the night of a wedding and take Sunday off to hang with my boys or I even try to take them and we make a fun weekend out of it!  Even though we do these things to achieve this unicorn of balance, we still want to take a vacation or getaway completely wedding-free where we can not only be free of work but also school, bills, dental and doctor appts, SNOW! dishes, laundry, phone calls and text messages, all those daily commitments we can't get away from...unless we jump on a plane! 

This year I chose San Diego. We did Disney a couple years back and weren't ready for a return visit. We wanted somewhere warm, with the ocean and just one or two touristy/ theme park options.  I looked at several spots including Florida, Charleston, Texas, etc.. but I kept coming back to this San Diego idea. Hello San Diego Zoo and Seaworld were great options plus California has MILES of oceans, tacos and craft beer. We're in!  It was a good for the soul kind of trip. We had a tough winter, and sometimes vacations come at the most needed time.  We spent our days eating at Woodys (pictured below) best coffee and breakfast in the world, we had no timelines or schedules.  If we weren't in the ocean we were in the pool at our awesome resort. We never ate a meal indoors and did I mention tacos? ALL WEEK LONG.  We did hit up Seaworld and the San Diego Zoo other than that, we were beach loving hippies in flip flops.  Here's a small recap in photos, I made a promise to myself not to drag a big camera around and waste away my vacation behind it. You may notice, I took the camera along on one day full of beach / our hotel. Otherwise it stayed in the room and I was fully present (other than a few Iphone snaps) and I shot some good old film on vacation and got the scans back. I can still shoot film! and of course digital too.  Can you tell which is which? 

Paul and Bri Spring Day Engagements // Madison WI Engagement session

It's official. I'm attracting the right clients and loving it. Paul and Bri are amazing and I like them like I like beer! Bri is from Seattle and met Paul in Madison and then they had a long distance relationship while Bri traveled for work and lived in different states, now they are back in Wisconsin and enjoying being engaged and drinking craft beers (which they brought me an extra glass to share! ) getting married at The Lageret!  A fantastic venue in Stoughton, I cannot wait!  This was my first engagement session of the year, it felt wonderful getting outside and shooting and having a blast with this couple.  I'm So ready for wedding season!

Wedding Advice from Erica // The Waterfront Lacrosse, WI

Steven and Erica are the sweetest couple. They have this calm nature that I really love. Erica got ready at the gorgeous Charmant Hotel in Lacrosse on the most beautiful September Day.  I loved her gorgeous dress, her hair down and mismatched bridesmaids dresses. I loved their patio ceremony with the backdrop of the Mississippi. I loved their kings table at dinner and all the fun speeches and the timeless details that really made their day simple, meaningful and about them. When I think back to their day I remember how beautiful the weather was, how calm the timeline went,  how I watched people ride bikes and enjoy the park, I thought to myself how much I really like downtown Lacrosse, and how lucky I felt to be part of this day.  Erica's wedding advice is particularly great because she adds an article that I think speaks true.  Enjoy! 

1. What was your favorite memory from the wedding? Undoubtedly, our first look. It was one of the only moments of the day where it felt as though time actually slowed down. That moment where all of our stress and worries of the morning melted away and we were reminded of what the day is really all about- each other. 
 

2. What could you have done without? We wouldn't have changed a thing. From favors to decor, we were very intentional about our choices. We wanted an environment that was reflective of our style and values. We agreed from the start that we would be true to ourselves, even if that meant breaking some wedding "traditions".

3. What is your best advice for planning brides? This article captures it all: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/danielle-rothweiler/your-wedding-is-not-the-most-important-day-_b_9739500.html
The author says it best...."When you look at your wedding as not the “best day ever” but as “the best is yet to come,” you will free yourself from the pressure of everything having to be perfect, and instead you will realize one thing: it already is. Because you found each other. Lucky you."

4. Looking back, what was the MOST important? Cliche as it is, the most important part was being surrounded by all of our friends and family. In 5,10,50 years you will likely forget all of the little details that you agonized over, but it's the feelings and emotion attached to that day that you will always remember. Our guests brought so much love and laughter to our day. It wouldn't have been the same without them. 

5.  What did you plan/Book first? Dress, venue, Photographer? We knew we wanted a September wedding but eventually chose our date based on the availability of Dani and the venue. We considered photography to be our most important investment, followed by food of course :)