Don't Forget to Pack These for Your Wedding Day

Medications

These can be very important and yet one of the last things on your mind. Whether you take prescriptions regularly or have allergies, don’t let these slip your mind and ruin your perfect day.

Bobby Pins & Hairspray

It’s almost guaranteed that someone will have one piece of hair that doesn’t want to stay. Maybe your updo starts to come loose after the hair stylist leaves.

Super Glue

There’s very little this stuff can’t fix. Maybe your cake topper breaks or someone’s heel of their shoe comes off. Super glue will save the day.

Tissues

Even if you’re not going to cry, which you very well might, someone will cry.

Powder, Lipstick, etc.

Any makeup things you may need to touch up throughout the day. You might sweat. You have to eat food, so don’t worry about messing up your lipstick. You can always reapply.

Phone Charger & Speaker

I don’t know about you, but listening to some happy music while getting ready just adds another level to the excitement. Make yourself a special Pandora station or Spotify playlist to help it set in that you are getting married!

Snacks

Whether you’re a nervous muncher or can’t eat when you’re excited you need to have snacks handy. Please do not forget to eat on your wedding day. It may end up being a blur that goes by too quick and your body needs to be fueled properly to keep up. Even if you have a granola bar or something small, please make sure you feed yourself.

Also, don’t forget about the amazing people helping to run this wedding. Any setup crew or your bridal party that are getting ready with you will be there for a good part of the day. Please make sure they eat too so they can dance the night away with you on the dance floor.

What did I Learn from Being a Bride?

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Photo by Ashton Imagery

I learned a lot. So much so that I had to organize it all in a series of blog posts that break down all the things you might need to know. I hope that you find it helpful. Here are the general bullet-points and if you click on them, you might just find a whole blog post on the topic!

If you want to have the smoothest wedding planning journey, here’s…

How to Start Wedding Planning

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How to Avoid Wedding Planning Anxiety

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The Websites that Made Wedding Planning Easier

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The week before you wedding can get a little crazy. I am a pretty organized person and it still snuck up on me. So if you’d like my advice on…

How to Survive the Week Before Your Wedding

Photo by Ashton Imagery

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Don’t Forget to Pack These for Wedding Day

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Being a photographer, I knew a lot about being behind the camera on a wedding day, but not so much about being in front of the camera on a wedding day. I learned…

Why it is so Important to Have an Engagement Session with Your Wedding Photographer

Photo by Ashton Imagery

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Mistakes you Shouldn’t Make Regarding Bride & Groom Portraits

Photo by Ashton Imagery

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Why it is Worth Every Penny to Hire a Professional Photographer

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Why it is Worth Every Penny to Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer

The maid of honor has a pretty important job, right? They help fix your hair and straighten the train of your dress. The help you pick out a getting ready playlist and make sure you don’t lose your sanity on the day of your wedding.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Now imagine if you had two of these amazing people. That would make your day go really smoothly…

A professional photographer can be that second maid of honor. They are so much more than just a photographer. They have been to so many weddings, so they know how things go.

They an help you put together a wedding timeline and help factor in how photography will fit in best. They can pick out the best lighting and location for portraits. They know how to best pose all body types and flatter every angle.

Just because someone has a camera does not mean they should be your wedding photographer. Just about anyone can put a camera on Auto and take pictures.

But have they studied art, lighting or posing?

Can they grab a low-resolution shot for an Instagram story, or will they tell your story through pictures for generations to come?

A professional wedding photographer knows the flow of events and your vision for the day. They will be ready with the right equipment and settings to capture every moment. This is crucial because there is no re-do of the first kiss. There is no way to recreate the genuine tears of joy when your family sees you in your dress.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Your special day will go by very fast. You will be getting ready and things will be happening that you won’t be there to see.

Your photographer could capture every moment, every piece of your love story and preserve it for eternity.

You’ll want to be able to look back on these pictures years later. You bridesmaid probably will not be able to describe all your wedding details from memory in ten years.

If you paid for quality pictures, you won’t need your memory.

You and your loved ones can relive these special moments for years to come. Professional wedding photographers are more than just photographers and professional wedding photographs are more than just snapshots.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

How to Begin Wedding Planning

Congratulations! You’re engaged! This is such an exciting time in your life, so make sure to take the time to soak it all in.

The number one question you will get asked the most once you become engaged is…

When’s the big day?

Even if you have been engaged for one day, people will still ask this question. So this might be one of the first questions you need to answer for you and your partner.

I say might because it is tied with this other important question…

What is your budget?

I say this because, you might have your heart set on getting married at the peak of “wedding season”, but your budget may not agree with that.

Budget Tip:

Getting married in “the off-season” , January, February and March, can save you a good bit of money. Because it is not the busy season, to encourage business, many vendors offer some kind of discount for their services during this time. This is especially true for venues.

Sitting down and coming up with a realistic budget is so very important to do as soon as possible. Even if you are equipped with a beautiful Pinterest board of wedding ideas, if you try to start planning too much without your budget planned, you can set yourself up for disappointment when you can’t afford your perfect Pinterest wedding.

Set aside time to sit down with your partner and possibly your families to discuss who can contribute how much to the wedding fund. Be realistic. If you want a small, intimate event, you can expect to pay less than if you want to invite everyone you know to an elegant ballroom. Educate yourself on what the average wedding in your area might cost.

According to Real Simple, “The national average cost of a wedding in the US comes in at $29,200.”

This brings me to another. very important question:

What are your priorities?

Once you have decided on a general budget, it makes sense that you choose what you HAVE to spend it on. What are the things you cannot live without. There are lots of little things that can be a part of a wedding that can be left out and be opportunities to cut costs, but some of these things are must haves for other people.

Do you have to wear your dream wedding dress?

Do you have your heart set on having your favorite restaurant cater?

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Do you need to hire a photographer or videographer that you trust?

Do you need a great DJ to keep everyone out on the dance floor?

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Do you want to order a beautiful lace garter off of Etsy or do you want to skip that whole tradition?

There are many more questions you can ask yourself, but these just show some to consider.

Hopefully this post can help you start your thought process or prepare you for wedding planning that may lie ahead!

The Websites that Made Wedding Planning Easier

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Zola

This one was my favorite. They have a great wedding planning timeline. If you wonder how far out the average person schedules their dress fittings or when to get final headcounts, this app will be your best friend. It also made it easy to make a wedding website that was easy to navigate. The best part was that you could order invitations that perfectly matched the design of your wedding webpage! It felt so satisfying to have eucalyptus on our webpage, invitations and at our actual wedding.

You could even have guests RSVP through the wedding website, keeping your guest list all organized for you! And don’t worry, if they aren’t on the list, they can’t RSVP. You can even set up the website to be password protected and include the password on your wedding invitations if you are worried about security.

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Target Registry

Who doesn’t love Target. Mindlessly wandering through its beautiful isles of home decor and losing track of time. Now imagine doing that with your loved one, imagining your dream home, and adding anything your heart desires on your registry. You can make this happen. You can download the Target Registry App on your phone, or stores have scanners/phones that you can use at the Customer Services desk.

I liked that your guests could view the items on your registry by price range. Some of my favorite things that we got off our registry can be found in this blog post.

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The Knot

This app was helpful because it also had a good timeline list to follow. The main feature that it had that Zola did not was the ability to help you find some vendors in your area. You could specifically search through DJs and officiants and venues, etc.

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Etsy

Oh, I love Etsy. There are just so many beautiful things here. You can find beautiful decor, jewelry, bridesmaid gifts, and veils. You might need to have a chaperone so you don’t have too much fun shopping in Etsy.

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Pinterest

Disclaimer: Do not expect to have a Pinterest perfect wedding. Pinterest can give false expectations and lead to disappointment.

Now that I’ve put that out there I will tell you that Pinterest did help play a large part in my wedding planning. Starting with a mood board, I picked out colors and vibes that I wanted to incorporate into my wedding. I suggest you use it in this way instead of trying to make each picture match up perfectly in real life. It is helpful to create a board because you can make it private (to keep a secret from guests) but invite those that will help with planning or decorating so they can easily see your vision.

Don't Make These Mistakes with Bride and Groom Portraits

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Photo by Ashton Imagery

I think that Bride & Groom Portraits are the highlight of the day photography wise. Whether you do a first look or run away right after your ceremony, it is full of such excitement and joy. It is time that you get to spend with just your special person and your photographer. So how can you make it as perfect as possible?

Don’t forget to hide from your loved ones.

I know this sounds silly. But this is supposed to be an intimate moment that can easily be made a little less magical when you know other people are watching. Plan to go somewhere slightly secluded and away from the party so you can truly enjoy it. It can also make it hard if you are trying to take your Bride & Groom portraits right after the ceremony, where everyone can see you because they will all want to come over to congratulate you and take pictures with you. It can be helpful to have your officiant make an announcement that you will be back to visit and take pictures after your pictures.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Don’t forget about your guests

If you are doing portraits after your ceremony, while you are running off into the sunset for pictures, don’t forget about your guests. Plan some ways to keep them entertained in the meantime. Whether this is games, entertainment or snacks, you don’t want them anxiously and awkwardly waiting for you to return.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

If they’re having fun, then the good vibes can continue into the rest of the party!

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Don’t forget to set aside enough time

If you want to make the most of this time together, it only makes sense that you set aside enough time in your wedding timeline. Discussing with your photographer certain poses and plans can help you determine just how much time you may need, but it is always better to hae too much time than not enough. This will ensure that you get a plenty of great pictures, but that you enjoy your special day that will go by too quickly.

Don’t worry about your clothes getting dirty

This one was hard for me! I love being clean and when you spend so much time picking out the perfect dress, especially if it is white, you want it to stay that way. But instead of stressing about it, have some fun adventuring with your loved one. If you are concerned about a little dirt on a dress you probably won’t wear again, some bridal stores offer special cleaning and preservation options.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

Don’t forget to make sure you have fun!

This day is something that you’ll hold on to, and these pictures will help you to do so. Have fun and enjoy this special time!

Why is it so Important to have an Engagement Session?

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Photo by Ashton Imagery

Some people don’t take engagement pictures. And while that is fine, let me tell you why I found them to be so important.

Let’s call this your wedding practice. Your warmup. The ice breaker.

This gives you an introduction to posing and getting comfortable in front of your photographer’s camera. You get to know them better and they can become your friend. You or your future-spouse may not enjoy being in front of the camera and it is much better to get those nervous jitters out at an engagement session when you have more time to play with…than on your perfectly scheduled wedding day.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

You’ll get great pictures.

You can have a beautiful picture (or many to choose from) to update your social media on the fact that you got engaged. Show off that bling in high-quality. You can also use these pictures on your wedding invitations, wedding webpage, and many other things. Some people choose to have these printed, framed and displayed at their wedding reception.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

I loved having these images by Ashton Imagery to choose from when designing and ordering my wedding invitations. Some of my relatives that live far away were not able to meet Taylor before our ceremony, so it was a good opportunity to share with them a wonderful photograph showing our excitement!

I even had some of these framed and hung up in my home, and some stayed up even after I got my great wedding pictures. It’s nice to have a different “flavor” or style of images to contrast with your wedding photos that may be more formal.

It was helpful for Taylor to get more comfortable with our photographer, Kayla, because she was already a good friend to me. Taylor isn’t the biggest fan of being photographed, so it was good for him to warm up to the idea.

Some of my wedding photography packages include a complimentary engagement session and it can be added to any package that doesn’t normally include it. If you have any questions or would like to book your engagement session, let’s chat!

How to Survive the Week Before Your Wedding

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Photo by Ashton Imagery

I’m going to be honest, the week of your wedding can be such a wonderful time of excitement, but it can also be full of chaos. Here’s my list of important things to remember that I hope help you survive (and enjoy) the week before your wedding.

• It is important to stay in contact with your vendors and keep them updated with any plans to possible changes.

• Designate family members to help you get final headcount numbers.

  • Yes, you should have people send in their final RSVPs at least two weeks before, but there will always be those people who will try to let you know the day before…so enlist some loving family members to handle that drama for you.

• Figure out your clean up and setup crew/strategy.

  • Depending on your venue, you may be able to set up the day or night before, but you may also have to setup the day of. Either way, it is important to have people who are willing to help and that understand how you’ve envisioned things to be set up. Having pictures, lists and items organized with similar items can help keep the team working smoothly. If you are looking forward to getting to go home with your spouse and relax after your wedding, you will need to find your MVPs that are willing to stay and help after the party is over. Designating where decorations and gifts will go and who will get them there is an important step.

• Break in your wedding shoes, if you haven’t done that already.

  • You want to feel beautiful and comfortable. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. So wear them around the house or go for a mall walk.

Photo by Ashton Imagery

• Pack your bags for the morning of it you are getting ready at the venue or a friend’s house.

  • You can get ready at your house, but I got ready at the bridal suite at the venue. It was crucial for me to try to think of every possible thing I might need the morning of the wedding and pack it ahead of time. If you’d like to see what kinds of things I packed, here’s my blog post about that.

• Take care of yourself by:

  • drinking lots of water

  • continuing to take good care of your skin, ex. washing, wearing sunblock, moisturizing

  • do not try out any new skincare products in case of possible allergic reactions

  • eat your fruits and veggies

  • exercise, but not too much

  • check in with your mental health

  • don’t be afraid to ask for help with last minute things

  • don’t get too caught up in the details, enjoy this special time in your life

20 Things You Should Try While You're Stuck at Home

1. Paint a nature scene (or an abstract blob)

2. Draw a cartoon character from your childhood (or adulthood)

3. Write a poem

4. Write a short story about a person stuck inside their house

5. Bake your favorite dessert

6. Cook your favorite meal

7. Try a new recipe

8. Read a book you love

9. Find a new book to read

10. Water some plants

11. Practice breathing exercises

12. Try some yoga (and no, you don’t have to be able to touch your toes!)

13. Write someone a letter

14. Clean out your email inbox and unsubscribe (at the bottom of most emails) from those you no longer want to receive

15. Plan out some life goals

16. Think about a time when you were at your happiest

17. Call a loved one

18. Check out these virtual museum tours

19. If you’re feeling the need to get outside, there are virtual hike tours of National Parks

20. Try on your entire closet (not all at once), and get rid of clothes that no longer fit

I hope that you try and enjoy some of these activities!

How to Avoid Wedding Planning Anxiety

Wedding planning can be so much fun…but it can also be very overwhelming. There’s so much to do, and depending on your length of engagement, there may not be much time. But I promise everything will work out and at the end of that special day and it will be okay.

But here’s some advice to help things go as smoothly as possible.

1. Remember to Breathe

Okay, this might seem simple, and it is. But trust me, it is easy to forget in regular day-to-day life and especially during the excitement of wedding stuff. Whenever you find yourself getting overwhelmed, just take a few big, slow, deep breaths. Make sure that you set aside time for yourself that isn’t related to wedding planning and definitely make sure that not all your time with your future spouse is centered around planning.

2. Start Organized & Stay Organized

The more you start to plan, the more you realize how many different pieces there are. Find a method of organization that works for you. Whether it is a binder or bullet journal or something else, there are so many options. Staying organized will help you feel like you are actually putting the pieces together.

3. Communicate & Delegate

It is also important to remember that you are not doing this alone. Get your partner involved. Don’t feel like you have to make all the decisions all by yourself. This wedding is about the both of you. They might want to let you have all the power to make decisions, but remind them that this wedding is about both of you and you value their opinion. Think of it as a team building exercise!

As long as you are not eloping, there should be some people in your life, whether family or friends, that are willing to help. I know it’s not always easy to ask for help, but trust me, this can make your life a lot easier. Find people that you can trust and find pieces that they would be a good fit for. Maybe your future sister-in-law is crafty and wants to help design centerpieces or the dessert table. Maybe your brother is a loud person who would be helpful in rounding up your family members for family portraits. Everyone has special traits that can help them best help you get ready for your special day. So DON’T be afraid to DELEGATE. If trusting people you know worries you and you want a professional to help keep things organized, consider a wedding planner or day-of-wedding coordinator.

4. Know that there will be something that goes wrong, so just expect it

Perfection is unattainable. Just start to accept this and it will make your life easier. No matter how many perfectionists and professionals work together to plan a wedding, there will always be room for human error and crazy family members. A groomsman might spill some food on his tux. Your bridesmaid might lose an earring. You might get blisters from your beautiful heels. There are so many things that could go wrong, so instead of worrying about all the possibilities, just try your best to be prepared for them and expect them.

5. Know that most people will not notice the little things that go wrong

While you may have spend endless hours of planning and designing, most guests have not looked at your Pinterest board, so they don’t know your exact vision when they walk in. That’s why if the flowers aren’t the perfect shade of blue or someone didn’t set up a sign in the right place, they will never know that anything went wrong. You have this perfect wedding in your mind, and no one else has seen the whole picture, so keep in mind the previous point and remember that things will go wrong. Just do your best to not sweat the small stuff and play it off like nothing went wrong…nobody will ever really know!

6. Stay focused on the Marriage and not the Wedding

It can be so easy to get wrapped up in all the fun (and chaos) of wedding planning and lose sight of why you’re even having this event. Do everything you can to remind yourself daily that the point of all this is that you are marrying your best friend. That’s all that truly matters. That can still happen if the flowers aren’t the right kind of blue or you run a couple minutes late. At the end of the day, people won’t really remember these things. They’ll remember the way that you both looked at each other. The joy in the room when you were officially pronounced married. The way your mom cried when she saw your father-daughter dance. These are the things that will stick with everyone. Hopefully you have picked the perfect photographer to capture these moments so that you can hold onto them forever and hang them up in your living room. No matter what happens that day, these little moments will be the precious things that you’ll hold on to and walk away with, other than your spouse!

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Featured Wedding Blogs

Band Together for Christ 2019

This is an event that I love to attend and photograph every year. It is such a great way to bring the community together. From all the different churches to non-Christians to local businesses, it is such a uniting event.

If you would like to see my posts from some of the previous years you can view them here: 2018, 2016

This year was a little more adventurous than usual…

It started out like any other day, but the weather was especially nice. It was quite cooler than usual, but it was an appreciated break from the hot summer we had.

There were so many great things for the kids to do. There were physical activities, art activities and the Faith Christian school mascot was walking around for pictures!

I thought this “slug bug” had a beautiful paint job and lots of people stopped to admire it with me.

It was great to see all the families involved with the event.

Life Hack: Never grow up so much that you forget how to have fun!

Then the concert itself began!

A special moment that I enjoyed watching was when they asked veterans and active-duty military to come forward. I watched a veteran help another veteran get out of his chair. They stood next to each other in such strong brotherhood, it was beautiful to watch and photograph.

One of my favorite parts of being a photographer is the people-watching from afar. Knowing how to pose people is an important part of the job, but there is something so fun about capturing moments just as they happen naturally.

One of those moments was seeing this woman worship in the crowd.

I could not have planned her recklessly joyful worship at the exact moment that the words on the screen said “Who the Son sets free oh is free indeed…” But I am thankful to have been there to witness it and capture it.

When I wasn’t having fun watching the crowd react to the music, I took some time to enjoy the music myself.

While capturing these shots, I was enjoying the beautiful blue skies in the background. But sadly, they would not last much longer.

Soon, a torrential downpour began and the event was forced to end. But God is still faithful and reminded us of his promises…

It looked like Rosie’s Sno Biz was at the end of the rainbow!

The event will be continued on October 19th at 5 pm at the Five30 Event Center in Marysville.

More information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/BandTogether4Christ/

We hope to see you there!

Wondering What to Wear?

Have you spent a few minutes staring into your closet?

Or are you avoiding thinking about outfits until right before your session?

Either way, I promise it’s going to be okay. I’m here to do everything I can to help you feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera…and that starts way before you get in front of the camera!

(And if you are feeling prepared, don’t stop reading! A few of these tips may still help you.)

1. Wear Something Comfortable

The best way to feel mentally comfortable is to first be physically comfortable. So instead of reaching for that cute dress that you’ve never worn, maybe consider one of your favorite outfits.

While what might find most comfortable may be loose and airy, when it comes to being photographed, it is more flattering to have clothes that are more fitted. While this may be intimidating, loose clothing can make you appear larger than you really are.

If there are any particular body areas that you are self conscious about, please let me know so that I can pose you accordingly.

(For example, if your arms are not your favorite part of you, I can include poses that lift the arm away from the body, making it appear smaller.)

2. Keep in Mind Your Location

If your photo session includes taking the path less traveled, you might not want to wear your new stilettos or white Vans.

To maximize your posing options, it is important to choose clothing that does not limit you. If you only like the way you look while standing in a dress, it will limit us to poses of you standing.

3. Be Mindful of Colors

While in fashion, we think that everyone looks good in solid black or white, which might be true, but in photographs, it can make you appear more pale than you really are. Try to think of colors that might compliment your eye or hair color. If there is a green orchard of trees that you want to have pictures taken at, wearing a red or orange could make you contrast beautifully.

4. Accessorize!

This is one of the most important things in my opinion. Think back to the cliché and monotonous high school senior portraits they put in the yearbook…I think that even if we all had to wear that same black shirt, we could have greatly improved the images if we had been given the option to bring our own accessories. A pair of earrings that match your shirt can tie the image together. Or maybe you want to wear a simple dress, but with a dramatic necklace. The more accessories you bring, the more variety we can add to your images. Just the switch of a necklace or the addition of a headband can give the images such a different feel.

While this isn’t considered a fashion accessory, I think that when it comes to your photo session, bringing items that mean something to you can help to tell your story.

A guitar can be an accessory if you wear it, right?

Still Unsure?

That’s fine! I am happy to help with any wardrobe selections before the session. You can message me ahead of time with any questions or bring multiple options to the session.

She Matters 2019: Day 2

After Day 1 of She Matters, it wasn’t hard to wake up early to come back! I made sure to enjoy some of the cute details and decorations of the event that might have been overlooked in the rush of the first day.

The meals of the event were provided by Clark Avenue Coffee, Sunflower Market, and Cool Hand Lukes.

After food, we made sure to start off the right way with some more worship!

Our second speaker of the event was Hannah Payne. She is a UCLA student that has been acting and modeling for the past 10 years and recently appeared in the Netflix original series, 13 Reasons Why.

She shared some hilarious stories about life to start off and then went on to share advice that has helped her to stay connected to God while attending a non-christian college.

Our next speaker was Ruthie Bolton, a 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist, a USA Basketball Female of the Year, the Sports Illustrated Best Woman Athlete by home state, and one of only 4 players to be named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2011.

Ruthie credits to her successes to God. She believes that her purpose is to use her gifts to inspire others to do their best and be a light in the world.

“If I am only remembered for being a basketball player, I believe that I will have failed in my job on this planet,” - Ruthie Bolton

Our final speaker was Mayor Preet Didbal, mayor of Yuba City. She is the first Sikh woman to hold the highest elected office in an American city. She shared her amazing testimony, which moved numerous hearts.

We had so many great speakers and volunteers, but what truly made this event so special was each and every girl that attended. There are no words to describe seeing young women believe in themselves and support each other.

This event became so big that we had to keep adding tables and tables until the room was full! I hope that this movement only continues to grow because every young girl deserves to hear that she matters.

She Matters 2019: Day 1

I was so blessed to be able to serve at this event this year. She Matters is a conference, held at Hope Point Nazarene Church in Yuba City, centered around discipleship of young women.

We are passionate about speaking worth, acceptance, and love into the lives of teenage girls.

As daughters of Christ, we are not alone! We are all created in the image of God. - Hannah Maddalena

My mother, Stephanie Scellato of Scellato Designs created the floral design pieces for this event.

I was so blessed to be a part of an event that had such a powerful and positive atmosphere that brought women together.

True sisterhood isn’t a clique, it’s a team.

We started the evening off with some wonderful worship led by Chanta Apodaca and Jessica Suarez.

Our first speaker was Tara Armstrong. She founded She Shifts Culture with the following tagline:

WE PRAY. WE EMPOWER. WE UNITE.

WE ASK, "WHAT CAN WE DO?", AND DO IT.

WE WALK IN LOVE, WE WALK IN AUTHORITY, WE WALK IN INFLUENCE.

WE LOOK WITHIN OURSELVES AND THEN BEYOND OURSELVES.

......AND SHIFT CULTURE.

Tara spoke about how we all have some little personal flaw that we don’t like about ourselves. She compared it to a little dot on a big white page and brought up how we fixate on the dot, and not everything else around it. We are our own worst critics, so she made each girl write down a lie that they believed about themselves.

She then asked if anyone would like to share theirs. In a giant room filled with young girls. It was intimidating.

But Mikayla, shown below, bravely volunteered to go first. If sharing a personal detail wasn’t intimidating enough, Tara requested that she stand on a chair so everyone could see her. She confessed the lie that she believed, that she was not pretty.

To combat this lie, Mikayla needed a truth to hold onto. To help her, the whole room erupted with female voices saying, “MIKAYLA YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! MIKAYLA YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL! MIKAYLA YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”

This was such a powerful moment, banishing this negative self talk and replacing it with God’s truth and love. After Mikayla, many other girls volunteered to share their lies with the group and Tara invited everyone to nail their lie to the cross.

A rush of young women came to the altars, they were all packed side-by-side, united. I’ve never seen the altars this full at a regular service. It reminded me of my mission trip to Brazil, where the the altars became so packed that the isles were filled with people!

The first day was obviously a big success and I was so excited to see what God would do the next day!

A Sneak Peak in My Camera Bag

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Among many of the most common questions I am asked, questions about what gear I use tend to be the most frequent.

If you would like to see what I use, why they matter and where you can find them, keep reading!

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Nikon D5300

This is my baby. I have grown so fond of it I have a hard time going places without it. It has so many wonderful qualities including:

• capable of capturing 1080 HD 60p/30p video

• built-in GPS and Wi-Fi

• functions well in low-light situations

• light-weight

Those are just a few. I could keep talking about it…but I’ll move on…to lenses!

*If you would like to see example images from each of the different lenses, scroll down to the bottom.

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My favorite lens: Nikon 85mm 1.8

This lens is such an important tool of mine because it can be used to create super pretty circles of light in the background (called bokeh).

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Nikon 35mm 1.8

This is a great, wider angle lens when compared to the 85mm. You can get more in your field of view with this lens and you can also get closer to your subjects with its shorter focus distance. This also can go down to an aperture of 1.8 and can create some beautiful blurry backgrounds.

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Nikon 18-140mm 3.5-5.6

This was the first lens I bought and I forget about it sometimes! While it does not have a very low aperture, it is still very multi- purposeful. The best feature of this lens is its zoom. It can be a very wide angle lens or be close up with just the move of a hand.

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Nikon 70-200mm 2.8

This is my most recent purchase and my dream lens. I fantasized about it for so many years and finally gave in and got it. This lens is so important for wedding ceremony photography. It helps me get close up shots of the vows and first kiss, while staying at a good distance to not disturb the moment.

This lens also specializes in separating your subject from the background.

If you want to learn about the Photographer’s Workout, this is one of the best pieces of equipment because it is super heavy!

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Neewer Speedlite 750II

While my favorite lighting is natural sunlight, a good photographer needs to be able to adapt to all situations. Whether it is just to even out some lighting or add drama to your shot, this will do the job. This is a reliable flash that won’t break the bank.

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Extras

High-quality photos and video take up so much room digitally, so your computer might need a little extra help handling them. This also gives me a peace of mind knowing I can save my files in multiple places (in case something happens to one). I have had an external drive die on me and it is just mind-boggling that so much can disappear so fast, so just be smart and get two!

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Nikon 85mm 1.8

Nikon 35mm 1.8

Nikon 18-140mm 3.5-5.6

Nikon 70-200mm 2.8

First Look: Do you know the History?

It’s your big day; it’s finally here. It is just so exciting…and maybe a little overwhelming. Good overwhelming, but you might find yourself a little stressed.

You are going to spend so much time talking to so many people today, it’ll be like you have kids: you won’t get much time with your new spouse.

This is why some brides choose to do a first look. You can get to see your special person and get to have a moment (almost completely) alone before everything else starts.

The History of Wedding Tradition

There are many different superstitions that come along with weddings, but one seeming to be held the most high is: “It is bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

We don’t want bad luck right? So why would we consider doing a first look?

Well, if we do some research, this superstition originated from old school arranged marriages. Often the couple did not meet in person until they were at their wedding and this was to keep the groom from trying to back out of a marriage if he didn’t like what he saw.

Interesting, right?

So if that information has you considering a first look, keep reading on for more benefits of a first look.

Smooth Wedding Timeline

Often brides who choose to not do a first look will have their bride and groom portraits taken after the ceremony and before the reception. This leads to a break in the timeline where guests must have something to do or some form of entertainment to keep them busy. Your guests will be eagerly waiting for greet the newlywed couple, so don’t keep them waiting too long!

If bride and groom portraits are taken before the ceremony and after the getting ready, then you don’t have to worry about guests waiting for you. This will also lead to greater freedom in your schedule to ensure that you get your money’s worth out of a session. If you are stressed about the timeline, it will show in your pictures. If the photographer is crunched for time, you may not be able to get all of the poses or specific shots that you wanted. Planning an allowed block of time for your wedding portraits will ensure that your session is as stress-free as possible.

It’s Okay to Cry

The time of the day that you will look your best is right after you finish getting ready. You will probably not have had a lot of time for your fake eyelashes to become unglued. Family members haven’t squished you in love-filled hugs, so your hair is untouched. You won’t have to worry about crying during your ceremony and messing up your makeup if most of your portraits have already been taken!

Either Way, It’ Gonna be Great!

Whether you are interested in a first look or want to stick to tradition, it is truly up to you. Once you decide, just let your photographer know so you can sit down and plan a perfect timeline for your perfect day!

Unplugged Wedding: What is it and is it Right for You?

It’s your special day. One of the most important days of your life, because it is the beginning of a whole new life. It’s kinda a big deal.

Take a moment to imagine it. You’re wearing your dream dress, hair perfectly done, standing in front of people you love and staring deeply into the eyes of your soon to be spouse. They are reciting their beautiful vows and promises to you, as a tear slides down to meet their enthusiastic smile. It’s perfect.

And then someone’s ringtone interrupts your fantasy. And they don’t know where exactly in their purse the phone is, so it keeping on ringing. You could patiently smile and wait for them to give you your moment back…but it is something that you’ll never truly get back.

An unplugged wedding invites your guests to embark on a retreat with you, where they can truly live in the moment. 

Want to get your money’s worth when it comes to your wedding? Then go unplugged. Photographers put a lot of time and thought into the exact angles to best capture your day. When the day actually happens, the moments fly by and they have just a few seconds to capture them. No matter how much planning may be done beforehand, photographers can not anticipate your aunt pulling out her iPad to capture a low-resolution picture (I wish I could say that this hasn’t happened, but it is real!) If you invest in having a professional photographer at your wedding, wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to make sure they are able to capture it beautifully? No matter how much patience your photographer might have, it gets very old trying to photoshop out mobile devices that kill the wedding vibe.

If you want to see a few examples, I’ve included a few fun ones below…

Please don’t let a Lion King reenactment occur at your wedding…

So maybe your guests will have the self-control to keep their devices away during the ceremony…What about the rest of the wedding day?

Refreshing your Instagram feed mindlessly. Scrolling through Facebook’s cute cat videos. We’re all victims of it. These are things that we may do on a normal day to day basis, but this is no ordinary day.

Help your guests savor your celebration by removing any unnecessary distractions.

Your guests’ attention should be on your marriage and not...their phones. The best gift they can give you is their presence. Their undivided attention. They have the honor of witnessing this special moment. Let’s make sure they do it through their eyes and not through their phone screen. 

Still unsure?

I’d be happy talk about it more, so we can figure out how to make your special day the best day possible!