Alison and Caleb Engagement Session | Des Moines Engagement Photographer

These two. Where do I even start. With lots of heart eyes for sure.

I met Alison and Caleb behind the Des Moines Art Center at The Clare & Miles Mills Rose Garden. They specifically requested a nature filled engagement session because like me they enjoy spending their time outside. As soon as we started the session I knew we were going to have a great time together. These two are so sweet and genuine with each other and all their tender moments together were so stinking cute. I was saying “Oh my gosh you guys are the cutest'“ every other photo and they’d just smile and continue to be the cutest.

By the middle and end of the session Caleb asked for few specific poses which I LOVED. Can all guys be this into their engagement session? 😉 These two were so trusting of me and were up for whatever which had my heart pitter pattering and it paid off big time. Scroll through to see for yourself!

Okay, story time about the next set of photos.

At our second location, Caleb had a book under his arm and explained when they were in South Africa they would go to book stores and buy different books together. When family visited they made them take books back because they had so many. So now they have all these books they collected in their home and mementos of their time in South Africa together. He wanted to incorporate one of the books because they spent 6 months together in South Africa. My sentimental heart about exploded.

I love how intentional these two are with their relationship. From the stories they told me to the way the held each other during their session; I cannot wait for their wedding at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden this August.

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 👊

Yabsira Des Moines Senior Session | Des Moines Senior Photographer

Yabsira is graduating this year and realized she wanted to schedule a session after seeing some of her classmates photos! So for all you seniors who think April is too late for senior photos it definitely is not. Plus I can guarantee you won’t regret the memories you make during your session :) We met up at a local downtown shop that is basically a mini jungle to kick off her session. Luckily the rain decided to hold off and we finished with a second outside location. Yabsira told me she was nervous in the beginning, but was totally posing herself by the end. Which is one of the reasons I love photographing seniors. Giving them confidence through simple prompts and empowering posing does so much for a person’s self esteem. Yabsira was practically glowing by the end 😊 Scroll thru to see for yourself!

Let’s talk about Yabsira’s outfit choice for a minute. I love that she chose to combine polka dots and stripes in her look. I’m a big fan of stripes (check my closet for proof) and love seeing them at sessions.

The thing I loved most about her outfit was that it was bold, but classic at the same time.

The patterns are both great on their own, but the combinations of them together wins major style points in my book. The reason this works so well is because they are complimentary black and white. Meaning her top looks more white and her pants are predominately black.

The pairing of gold hoop earrings, bracelet, and accent on her shoes also makes the look that much more polished.

So this is my little encouragement to you bold seniors. Don’t be afraid to have fun with your outfit and accessories! 😊

Yabsira and her cousin agreed that typically she is pretty silly but she wanted to try and few serious ones and she totally killed them. I mean look at these 😍

Also, you can always expect a few candids from me. I’m a sucker for the real moments, even in senior sessions.

I had a great time getting to know Yabsira during her session and hearing about the final months of her high school career. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future!

To all you 2020 seniors it’s not too early to start thinking about your senior session! 😉👇

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!

Mayson Downtown Des Moines Senior Session Part 1 | Des Moines Senior Photographer

We started Mayson’s senior session in downtown Des Moines and the sun even came out in the end. I love the urban feel and the yellow mustard sweater she picked out. They couldn’t have paired better together. After her senior year, Mayson plans to go to school in the fall to study theatre and pursue her dream of becoming an actress. I can say with confidence if she ever wanted to go into modeling it’d be a great option, because she KILLED her session. So much so that I’m breaking it into two parts, because I have so many favorites I want to share.

Those eyes! #ModelStatus

I always love incorporating movement into sessions whenever possible. This girl twirled a few times of me and I love the smile it brought to her face. Sometimes there is nothing better than acting like a little kid!