Lately I've been very focused on figuring out a morning routine that will get me into alignment before I start my day. I want to do things that make me feel joyful and peaceful before I do work, because from what I've been learning about how energetic vibrations of matter work (spoiler alert: we are made of matter, so our bodies have a vibration just like everything else on the planet), raising your vibration BEFORE you work will help you achieve more effortless results. Why? Because then you aren't working against the natural flow of positive energy. You aren't working from a negative place of fear or worry, and you aren't trying to strong arm your way into success. Instead, you are getting into alignment with your higher purpose, and as a result everything will flow more easily.
Do you have a cup of coffee in hand? Because we are about to dive head first into Part 1 of a three-week series on Big Scary Questions, and the first question is “How the heck do I even find clients?!” (Good morning! Did that wake you up?!)
Last week we talked about allowing yourself to take steps backwards in your business in order to strengthen yourself mentally, physically and emotionally for a giant leap forward. But taking time off from your business brings up some scary questions that you might also have if you are moving to a new city or venturing into a new business niche…and y’all, a few years ago I was actually was faced with ALL THREE of those business challenges at once.
Last Monday, I briefly mentioned a particularly difficult phase of dream-chasing: the tear-streaked, anxiety-filled, doubt-fueled phase of not-enough-sleep.
I know, I really know—it’s a tough phase to be in. And there are probably many of you reading this right now who have thought recently “do I even want my dream badly enough to doing all of this!?”
I remember when Friday was the best day of the week. The anticipation of a full weekend of freedom ahead of you was almost like Christmas Eve, and it felt like Monday was ages away.
But you know why I used to crave Fridays and dread Mondays? Because...
I remember the very first time I ever shot a wedding like it was yesterday. I was a second-shooter (basically an assistant photographer) for a well-known wedding photographer in Gainesville, FL back in 2010. I could barely sleep the night before, and I spent the whole wedding day with excited butterflies. I can still picture the room the bride and bridesmaids were getting ready in, because it was the first spot we shot in that day and I couldn't believe I was really there.
And then when it was all over, I spent the drive home on such a natural high that I felt almost dizzy. I called one of my best friends on the way home, shaking with excitement and just wanting to tell someone about it this FEELING I had stumbled upon...
A dear friend recently gave me some fantastic relationship advice that is SO beautifully simple, but it had just never occurred to me until she said it...
Client consultations are a given in my book, because how else would they know whether I was someone they wanted to spend their entire wedding day with?? Yes, that sometimes means I’m investing my time into someone who won’t ultimately book me, but my booking rate is absolutely higher for having put the time and attention into my couples from the first moment they contact me.
So, let’s talk about client consultations and there why, where, when and whats that make a wedding consultation go from formal encounter with a vendor to casual, comfortable coffee date with a new friend...
Back when I very first started shooting, I remember seeing other photographers win awards and feeling like that was an impossible feat. At the time, taking my business full time felt like a pipe dream, much less actually winning anything.
But this week, I won three awards. THREE!! I am over-the-moon excited to see my business baby validated in this awesome way, and I want to share with you the philosophies that are the reason why I went from a girl with a nice camera who had a pipe dream to a full-time award winning wedding photographer.
Have you ever noticed that the “end” of a romantic comedy is always the beginning of the actual relationship? You spend the entire movie watching the couple fall in love—you witness all the exciting moments that happen before the actual relationship even begins. You see the butterflies, the obstacles they overcome to be together, and then BAM—it ends with a first kiss, or a wedding, or some other big romantic event that signifies “making it.”
When Christa + Tim are together, you can just tell it's right.
They fit each other, they compliment each other, and they really enjoy each other's company...
...and more than anything, they love each other. <3
Tonight's mini shoot with Amanda + Lance was pure Savannah loveliness. Sweeping oaks, a pretty braid, a couple in love, park benches and brick pathways...I didn't want it to end!! Pulaski Square is an absolutely dreamy location for photos, and I want more of you to have the chance to book a shoot here!
(Click through to book a Savannah mini shoot on Sept. 15 or Oct. 1, or a Gainesville mini shoot on Sept. 17!)
I was listening to Rob Bell's podcast ("The RobCast") this weekend, and one of his latest episodes is called "Seasons." And it's about, you guessed it--navigating the changing seasons of life. Specifically the necessity of grieving the passing of a season, even during positive changes in your life. He said that even when a really wonderful new season is beginning, it still means that we have to say goodbye to an old season--and as humans, that causes feelings of grief that need to be processed in order to be fully present and appreciative in the new season.
It was a perfectly timed episode, because this week is one of those season-changing periods in my life, and I'm feeling all sorts of mixed emotions about it.
Megan met R.J. in chemistry class her freshman year of college--but that wasn't when the actual chemistry began. (Hehe, I couldn't resist!!) He was simply the nice guy who helped her with her homework and played baseball for their college team.
Late one afternoon two years later...
Melissa and Seth Engagement Photos
After Jimena booked me as her wedding photographer, one of the first things we planned was a trash the dress shoot on the beach outside Delray Sands Resort -- the place where she and Keith would begin their marriage adventure together. Jimena has been one of my best friends since I was living in Gainesville, FL just after graduating college, and she's been a willing guinea pig for many just-for-fun shoots as I built my business over the years. I wasn't surprised at all when she jumped at the chance to be up at the actual crack of dawn the morning after her wedding to catch the sunrise and play in the waves--all in her wedding dress.
Hello, sweet Savannah + Gainesville friends! I am officially booking fall mini shoots, and these will close out my family shoot season for 2016. I know, I'm bummed my family photo season ends so early too, but I've got a full wedding season calling my name this fall. (YAY!)
Click through for all the details! :)
Photo by Apt. B Photography (www.aptbphotography.com)
Morgan describes Max as her "Brad Pitt"--you know, that guy in high school who you had the biggest crush on, but you never dreamed he'd notice you, much less actually date you. But in Morgan's case, not only did she get to date her Brad Pitt, but she also gets to spend the rest of her life with him. A childhood friend turned high school crush turned husband...all the ingredients for an epic love story.
It's not often I get to meet my clients for the first time in the exact spot they will say "I do," but with Anh and Trey, that's exactly what happened. We met in front of the Forsyth Park fountain for our consultation, and I got to hear all about how Anh + Trey met at 3 a.m. in Washington, D.C., as they walked home from a night out with their respective friends. That chance encounter turned out to be the moment they had both been waiting for--the moment when they met their forever person.
Hello, sweet friends! I Every now and then I share fun facts about myself over on Instagram (you can follow me here!), and I thought it might be fun to do a round up of some of those facts here on the blog!
Ronnie and I had been planning her photo shoot for months. We emailed, FaceTimed, and pinned to create the perfect travel-themed photo shoot to celebrate her and Steve's two-year anniversary. On the day of the shoot, storm clouds gathered as we met outside their hotel. I told them I was still game to shoot if they were, and...
Kayla and Travis met at Saddlebags on River Street in Savannah, Texas Two-Stepping the night away. After a six month whirlwind romance, they decided to commit their lives to each other at big wedding with tons of friends and family in attendance. But, when they began to put together all the details for their big day, they realized quickly that a big wedding just wasn't right for them.
Melissa and Seth Engagement Photos
Hey, sweet dreamers out there. Are you sitting in a cubicle under fluorescent lights? Are you desperately wishing you were anywhere else? Are you just glad it's Friday because the weekend means you'll have time to work on your side hustle? Are you swallowing the anxiety of not knowing whether you'll ever make your dream job a reality?
If you are, then I want to tell you something super important...
Are you planning your wedding and you're still not sure if you want to do a First Look? I've shot weddings both ways, and I can assure you--there's no right or wrong way to do it. But, in case you are on the fence, here are a few reasons my couples LOVE doing First Looks...
Photo by Apt. B Photography (www.aptbphotography.com)
Every time Ivory + Beau comes to me with an idea for a styled shoot, I know it's going to be even more creative and beautiful than the last. I don't know how to choose favorites from all the shoots we've done together, but if I haaaaaddd to choose, it might be this one we did last summer. It's the perfect boho blend of 70s meets vintage chic with a modern twist--oh, and did I mention the whole thing took place out at Savannah General Aviation??
Just click through....I promise it will have you shopping for a boho wedding dress or picking out a flower crown in no time. ;)
The first time I met Kristin + Matt was on their wedding day. I already knew from our conversations that I was going to love this sweet couple, but you know what sealed the deal? When Kristin hugged me hello like she'd known me for years. (My mom taught me that a good hug is a tight hug, and that hugging when you greet someone is the best way to make them feel welcomed, so I've always been a "hugger.")
Let’s be honest—even with our best intentions and hardest work, we all get a little behind on things sometimes. And one of those things for me this past year was the Apt. B blog. I had such good plans to blog consistently last year, and it just never happened. BUT, I don’t want you to miss out on my lovely 2015 weddings and shoots, and now that I’m consistently blogging again, I thought that it might be fun to do a #tbt series every Thursday! I’ll post weddings, engagement shoots and styled shoots that happened before the current wedding season so that we can all relive some of the lovely moments that have taken place in the last year. And first up in the series is Alex + Ricky’sOglethorpe Square ceremony and Soho South Cafe reception!
As promised, we are wrapping up the three-part “Big Scary Questions” series today, and I’m so excited to talk about how to build your referral network!