Randi Kate & Brad Wedding - Decorah Iowa

Randi-Kate and Brad were high school sweethearts who said I do to forever at Decorah Lutheran Church in front of all their family and friends. The amount of support and love they had from their family and friend was so sweet and very evident throughout their wedding day. Although it was oddly warm and there was no snow in sight these two still had a beautiful winter wonderland wedding day 🙂

For their reception Brad and Randi-Kate celebrated at T-bocks located in the heart of downtown Decorah.

The Loft DSM Wedding Styled Shoot

I thought planning this styled shoot was exciting, but coming together with all these different amazing vendors was a whole other level. It’s always so fun to collaborate with other creatives and everyone knocked their contributions out of the park for this bridal shoot. Not to mention the models drove three and a half hours just to come to the shoot. Usually I’m the one driving to weddings, so it felt so foreign to have them come to me, but I’m super happy and thankful that they did!

Thank you to all the amazing vendors who participated!

Venue: The Studio at One Source Events

Hair: April Marie

Makeup: Cassidy Ariel

Tux: The Tux Shop

Florals: Lavender Blue Floral

Decor: Drift Salvage Decor

Table Setting: Karla Lewenczuk Events

Cake: Creme Cupcakes

Stationary: Full Bloom Creative

Models: Miranda and Collin Barker

We started the day with hair and makeup. Both of these ladies are super talented and are at the top of my lists when brides ask for vendor help. They know their stuff and are so easy going and fun to be around.

I’ve always swoon over Miranda’s ring and it was even more gorgeous than I remember. She even cleaned it just for me. 😍

Next we did a few portraits of Miranda and Collin separately. The Studio at One Source has the cutest bridal room. Miranda was literally glowing thanks to all the amazing natural light the windows provided.

Collin looked super dapper in his suit. The Tux Shop fitted his look perfectly to him. The suit literally looked like it was made for him. We were all so impressed, especially because he didn’t get to try it on before the shoot!

At the last minute, we decided to do a first look. These two were so cute and smiley. You would assume it was the first time Collin had seen his bride in her dress. It’s clear their love has only grown stronger since being married which is what I pray for all my couples!

Don’t even get me started on the details. Every single detail fit together perfectly. From the gold silverware to the gold candlestick holders and gold accent on the cake. The flowers, the blush glasses, and cake stand complimented the blush undertones in Miranda’s dress so well.

Overall this shoot surpassed my dreams and all the vendors knocked my socks off. I would highly recommend any of these ladies if you are in the beginning stages of wedding planning! To say I am ready for wedding season after this shoot is an understatement. My first wedding is in June and I am pumped. To all my couples, I cannot wait to have a blast with you on your wedding day. Let’s do this 👊

The Story of How I Almost Went Full Time in Photography

According to Miss Congeniality today, April 25th, is the perfect date. So I figured it would be the perfect day to share a little update. 😊

If I’m being honest I never know how much to share online.

Especially in my business. I want to be open, honest and real with others, but I also want to be professional and keep some of my personal life, personal. This month I was super active for 2 weeks, then super quiet and I want to share why.

A month ago my position at my day job was terminated very suddenly. It was a total shock. Once the initial shock wore off I was upset. Because justice. But the more I let it sink in the more I felt free and the anger completely faded away.

For two weeks I focused on Taylored Company every day. I worked on things I never had time or energy to even think about before. I slept in, I made myself breakfast every day, I spent time outside, I had long talks with God, I did laundry, I cooked, and I met up with friends. It is safe to say I did a lot. It was good and I needed that downtime more than I realized. I even prayed and considered going full-time with Taylored Company.

In a perfect world, I would have. But we are living with our in-laws to help save for a house right now. (Glamorous, I know 😉) So I prayed a lot and asked for specific signs. I was patiently impatient (being patient is hard guys) and God provided the perfect job for me in this session of life.

For every story you hear/read of someone being fired or leaving their desk job and going for their passion I’m sure there is an untold story just like mine. Just because others are doing one things one way doesn’t mean that is going to be your path.

This is something I have to constantly remind myself of.

It’s easy for lifestyles and business paths to look glamorous online. I want to share my story with you to remind you that everyone’s story is different. Even if it all seems the same via the internet.

The beginning of this month was hard, but some amazing things for Taylored Company have been happening at the exact same time.

I booked three more weddings.

My goal this year was to book three weddings total with Taylored Company. This puts me at five for 2019 wedding season, one for 2020 already. You guys rock. Seriously I couldn’t do it without you. God has already blessed me beyond my limited imagination in my first official year in business.

Because of this I was able to invest in two of my dream lenses and plan to buy a laptop by the end of summer, which I didn’t think I’d be able to do until next year. I have officially closed my books for weddings in September and November already, which I also didn’t think would happen.

Every session and wedding I book helps Jon and I take one step closer to buying our first home ❤️ So from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Lastly, I want to encourage anyone pursing any passion “on the side”. Just because you don’t or can’t spend all your time on your passion doesn’t make it any less. It just makes it different from others who do and that’s okay. Enjoy the session of life you are in. You won’t regret it.

This experience reminded me my worth doesn’t come from a steady paycheck, job title, passion, or others. It comes from the freedom found in relying solely on Jesus Christ.

Also to all my couples: I’m pumped for your wedding and cannot wait to experience and capture it for you!

5 Things to Consider When Planning Your Wedding Day | Wedding Timeline Tips

Planning a wedding is a lot of work and can get overwhelming real quick. There are a lot of things to take into consideration when trying to make major decisions about your wedding day timeline. Here are 5 things that can help make your planning a little easier once decided.

The SEASON OF your wedding.

During the winter the sun sets much sooner than the spring and summer time.

If you are having the wedding ceremony the afternoon or early evening and want outside photos you will most likely need to take the family portraits and bridal party before the ceremony. Having a first look is a great option: you have special individual time together and can take a majority of the portraits right after.

If you are set on not having a first look, an option is to still take family portraits and part of the bridal party photos before to save time.

THE WEATHER.

Unfortunately, I cannot control the weather. If I could it’d be sunshine and blue skies every day with a killer sunset :) If you plan to do an outdoor wedding a tent, umbrella’s or backup location may be something to consider. If your wedding is in the winter and you want the majority of photos outside prepare your bridal party and wear warm shoes. A cute fur shawl or blanket scarf is always a great way to keep the ladies warm.

Do you want the bridal party photos AT your venue or do you have a specific spot IN MIND?

I’m all for fun and creative spots, but practically this adds to time of the portraits. So make sure to factor in driving or walking time to and from this location back to your venue. Typically it takes 1.5-2 hours to take all the photos: bride and groom portraits, family portraits and bridal party photos.

Are you havING a cocktail hour?

A cocktail hour is a great way to utilize time to talk with guests instead of doing a formal receiving line or you can use it to take portraits if the rest of the day is already full.

Are you PLANNING a grand exit?

Do you want a grand exit but plan to keep the party going into the night? Having the exit after the ceremony ensures all your guests will be able to participate and your photographers will be there to capture it. My personal favorite exits have included: balloons, sparklers, lanterns, lavender/leaves/pedals, and tissues.

Miranda + Tyler: Camp EWALU Engagement Session | Strawberry Point Engagement Photographer

I met Miranda and Tyler at Camp EWALU in Strawberry Point for their engagement session: the spot they met, worked, their relationship blossomed, and they plan to have their wedding. Tyler and Miranda knew the camp like their back hand and they were able to show me the best spots around the huge grounds. This session was a little chilly, but their sweet and fun personalities made the cold air fade away pretty quickly during their session. I had a blast getting to know them and am pumped for their wedding this year. Scroll through to see just how fun these two are together.

Associate Work for Grace T. Photography