i can’t even believe it’s time to wrap up another wedding season. this year, my 6th, took me to louisville (twice),  shakamak state park, to a beautiful new venue in paoli and obviously filled in the gaps with jasper weddings in between. i feel so blessed that i continue to be able to work, both in and outside jasper, with such amazing clients and now friends.

as i become reflective on this past year i am so proud of myself and the images i’ve created. but that doesn’t mean it was all smooth sailing. running a creative business can be tricky at times and i definitely felt that a lot toward the end of this season. while creatives flourish when actually creating, client relationships, taxes and vendor management can get in the way of that and cloud your brain. what this past year has taught me is that it’s ok to set boundaries and clear objectives. and that surrounding myself with the best of the best will only yield success. it’s ok to say that you’d rather not work with a certain vendor and it’s ok to know what to look for in a prospective bride. by continuing to “just deal with” things that bother me or stifle creativity, i’m really doing a disservice to my client and myself.

is that all gloom and doom? it’s not meant to be. what i’m trying to say is that this year has brought a maturity to my business and i’m proud of it. i’ve shot over 70 weddings in my career and i’m headed into my 7th wedding season. that’s a lot of trial and error and growth. my clients and business relationships mean the world to me and it makes me endlessly happy to cultivate those relationships.

what’s ahead for 2016?

for one, finding a better balance of working mom/wife and business owner. i started out really great in that department but sort of fell off the bandwagon when fall hit. saying “no” is ok.

along with that, i’m about <-this-> close to begin the process of bringing on an assistant. i’m starting to do really think about what this means and how it looks.

i’ve got a really great year of brides to look forward to. i’m seriously excited to work with each and every one of them. and still have a few spots left!

josh and i are hoping to take some time to do a trip to europe. it’s been a few years and it’s so time. details and whatnot are still in the air.

i’ve got some really exciting projects in the works, thanks to some new vendor-friends. when like-minded, creative brains get together, magic happens. you’ll see.

and i’m kicking off 2016 by taking part in a really awesome bridal event in evansville. i’ll be one of an exclusive list of vendors with The Wedding Party. it’s a bridal show disguised as a really fabulous party and is the only bridal event i’ll be part of this year. i’m giving away a free engagement session and i’ll have champagne gummy bears. what else do you need? seriously…

so i’ll wrap this up by saying, “thank you.” not only to my clients but to all of you who read this little space of the internet i call home. it warms my heart every time someone tells me they read my blog. my business wouldn’t be what it is without you.

with that said, here are my personal, completely biased, favorite bridal photos of 2015.

ashley was one of those brides with whom i knew i would click immediately. she is so genuine, sweet and thoughtful. every time i get a text from her my heart swells.

it doesn’t get much better than this bridesmaid photo. i mean, that light, the texture from the differently toned dresses, all the perfect smiles…perfection.

you’ll be seeing a lot more of this family when i shoot madelaine’s wedding in august!

i mean……that body language…..

this year brought a lot more deconstructed, free-flowing bouquets. it made me really happy.

bridal portraits aren’t all about the ladies! aaron looked so handsome.

there was something about the simplicity of this photo that i loved even as i was taking it. blueberry hill provided the best little nooks for me to use for detail photos.

sometimes it’s hard to really capture raw emotion. too much posing often kills any of those vibes. when paula quinn opened that door and showed off her gown for the first time, there wasn’t a dry eye (including mine) in the whole place.

let’s take a minute to admire that bokeh! 85 1.2L, i do love you so…pq you’re beautiful too.

if only every wedding had an outdoor reception, under a tent, facing west.

this is probably one of my favorite bride/groom photos of the year. coming from a groom who hated everything about taking photos. 🙂

never have i ever had a more excited groom. if you know derek, this should come as no surprise. his level of excitement made me teary. moments like this are why i do what i do.