I’ve always heard planning a wedding is one of the hardest and most stressful things you’ll ever do in your entire life… and that always made me sad to hear. About 90% of the time, in asking brides if they’re excited on their wedding day, they respond, “Yes, but I’m so glad it’s going to be over today.” Again… that makes me sad every time. But now, I suppose I’m older and wiser… and in planning my own wedding, I’m realizing why so many brides have a love/hate relationship with their wedding days–making huge wedding decisions SUCKS. I’m sure that if I was a lot easier to please and less informed on all the options there are out there, it would be easier to choose, say, a date and venue… but since I’m neither easy to please, nor un-informed…. it’s been a rough go thus far.

All this to say… I’m not giving up. I’m not letting these mammoth decisions and the weight of this “once in a lifetime event” convince me that mediocrity and settling is worth it. Being older and wiser doesn’t mean I can’t choose to fight for the magic in my wedding day. It will be a day like no other. The magic will be painted perfectly, accenting the intentionality and our hard work of putting together a day to celebrate…. us. After all, my wedding day will be the day I promise to share my heart and my life with my prince…. everything else fades away. It will be about him and me… about us. That’s all that really matters, right? Right.

This is a shot I took after Chris and Chelsea’s wedding on Saturday…. I’ve always wanted to do this… and, as always, Chris and Chelsea were excited and up for anything. More images from their wedding are coming soon! Happy Tuesday.

There’s nothing that terrifies me more than doing something I’ve never done before when I’m expected to succeed. When they asked me to shoot some new stuff for their up and coming album, I was excitedly nervous… and totally taken aback that they’d chosen me without a shadow of a doubt that I’d help them create something remarkable.

Long story short, we met up in the mountains at 4am to start shooting. Bleary eyed, we made our way to the spot I had scouted and they prepped while I set up some lighting. We spent the hour between 4am and 5am shooting, experimenting, running around, and shoo-ing mosquitos off our necks… and this was the final product…. the journey of The Good Kids in one image.

Many thanks to: The Good Kids (for being the perfect Band clients and for putting up with no sleep, flashes, and bugs), Danielle (their devoted and amazing stylist), Christopher (my devoted and amazing lighting crew of one), Angie Horn-Andreu and Annie Ludes (for trusting me with so much), the girls living in the cabin of Boulder (for allowing us to shoot so early in the morning outside your living space), and the mosquitos of Forest Falls (for not eating me alive and for not giving me West Nile Virus).