It’s almost March!
Happy “Season of Love” friends. It’s that time of year where some of us still have Christmas lights up, some of us traded those for that classic red & pink decor, and some of us just are trying to survive the long cold months ahead. From right before Christmas all the way up til now the struggle has been real with the seasonal depression. It’s something that happens every year but it seems to have hit harder this year. My husband & I were sick over Christmas so the traditional things went out the window for our first holiday as a married couple. I think that made things a little harder than normal since we weren’t able to celebrate like we usually do with family. December is a busy month for us in general because we have multiple family birthdays and get-togethers all throughout the month.
I was hanging on until the end of this month though. Within the next few weeks I have lots of meetings with 2024/2025 brides and classes/workshops. Having these things to get me out of the house has been slightly annoying because of the cold, but has also got me on a more normal work from home rhythm. It also has helped to get the creative juices flowing again. I found myself scrolling Instagram & wishing to create rather than actually getting out there to create. Anyone else relate? I just really hate going out in the cold!
Bridals in Grand Rapids
This is from the latest styled shoot I attended at the end of January. Shelly was our bridal model for the day and she did her own hair & makeup. For my brides reading this and wondering what a “styled shoot” is- it’s really a time where photographers and other wedding creatives come together to create concepts. It’s not a real wedding, but it’s styled as one. I usually attend these in the winter months when I don’t shoot many outdoor weddings. Styled shoots like these are where I test out new equipment before your wedding day, too. While I’m not afraid to try new posing techniques or flat lay styles on your wedding day, you will never see me just whip out a new piece of equipment without knowing how to use it. A wedding day is not the time to practice new & experimental things for me.
This was our second session of the day- if you haven’t seen the Valentine’s Elopement session you can check it out here! A bridal session is unique and I don’t see these often done in Michigan. I’ve heard this is more commonplace for New York. Basically a bridal session is where the bride gets into her gown with her hair and makeup done for portraits of her in her gown. I love bridal sessions and would love to encourage brides to do this more often! We have the gown so why not use it more than once? A bridal session like this can also include the groom. A benefit to doing a couple’s bridal session prior to your wedding day would be more time spent with your guests. Typically couples miss cocktail hour because that’s when they are taking formal portraits, but if you do this on a day before your wedding day then you can attend cocktail hour with your friends and family!
Session Vendors
Venue: WestEndGR located in Grand Rapids Michigan; Gown: Timeless Bridal Boutique located in Grand Rapids Michigan; Florals: Mary’s Bouquet LLC located in west Michigan.
