Amazing Vendors:
Venue & Caterer: Hazeltine National Golf Club
Florist: Studio B Floral
Cake: Sweet Treats by Jeff

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So, why do a first look?  A first look is just so great because it is intimate. It is special. It is just between you and your fiancé.  When we shoot them, no one else is watching and Johnny and I will even shoot with longer lenses which allows us to stand a little further away so that you have privacy.

A first look is your MOMENT together to soak up the day and take it all in!!  The day you get married is such a strange whirlwind of emotions.  it goes by so fast!  You will not remember every little bit of it.  it will feel like a daze.  it seriously is the weirdest thing ever how fast it flies by.  So a first look can be a time to take in all the senses, to really FEEL the moment and to not let it escape you!  I like to take these first looks very slow.  They are just so special.

After the first look I love to take some of the “standard” portraits of you two while you hair and makeup is fresh.  These are just some simple bridal and groom portraits.  Once we get these we can focus on the fun stuff.

I did a first look during my wedding and I cherish those private moments where I was able to see Johnny for the first time.  I was so nervous!  I just wanted to see my best friend.  Even though we did a first look we both still cried during the ceremony when I walked down the isle.  A first look can never replace that moment.

I hope this helped you in your decision!  If there is something else that you would like to see me write about regarding weddings, let me know!

The post Wedding Wednesday: Why You Should do a First Look appeared first on Minnesota Wedding & Portrait Photographers.

Congratulations, Kelsey & Joe!!  Be sure to wish the couple some love in the facebook comments below. xoxo

The post Kelsey & Joe appeared first on Minnesota Wedding & Portrait Photographers.

Some of the biggest questions that I get during consultations are: “how many hours do we need?”, “how long does family portraits take?” or “how long does the wedding party portraits take?”

Here are some of my tips:

• All portraits–family photos, bride & groom photos, & the bridal party photos–take roughly 2.5 hours
• It is best to do the family portraits before the ceremony if at all possible.  Why? Because after the ceremony everyone can get quite excited to see distant relatives and start chatting and forget where they need to be after the ceremony!
• Plan for a 45-60 minute break prior to the ceremony.  You will want the time to take a break, freshen up, pray, and spend time soaking it all in with your family & bridal party.  The ceremony is the most important part of the day! You will want to be ready for it. This is also a great time for Johnny and I to capture some detail shots, guests arriving, and to prepare for the ceremony.
• Saving some Bride & Groom and/or Bridal Party portraits for after the ceremony will add a lot more energy and excitement to your portraits.  Why? Because you are officially MARRIED!! Exciting!  This is my favorite part of the day.

Given those tips, here is a sample timeline:

12:00  Johnny & Joanna Arrive
1:00  Dress on, Finish Touches
1:30 First Look/Bride & Groom Portraits
2:00 Family Portraits
2:30 Bridal Party Portraits
3:00 Break
4:00 Ceremony Begins
4:30 Ceremony Ends
4:45 Bride & Groom Portraits
6:00 Grand Entrance to Reception

You will notice that this timeline includes a first look.  What is it and why would you do it?  A first look is the opportunity for you to see your fiancé before the ceremony in a more intimate setting.  There are many reasons for and against it!  We personally LOVE them.  Next week I will be sharing why first looks are amazing and why you should do them.

Thanks for reading!  Do you have any tips and tricks for planning out your wedding timeline?  Feel free to share them below in the comments!

The post Wedding Wednesday: Crafting the Perfect Wedding Day Timeline appeared first on Minnesota Wedding & Portrait Photographers.

What DID work:

-Finished reading the “E-Myth” — which I HIGHLY recommend to all you photographers or small business owners.  It has changed how I look at my business.
-Social media free weekends!
-Go bed early/wake up early — I didn’t wake up as early as I wanted (the real goal is 6:30am consistently) But this is a lifelong struggle for me.  I have routinely been waking up between 6:30am-8am.  Even 8am is early for me, friends! Super excited!!

What DIDN’T work:

-Pretty much everything else.

So for May, I will be focusing on crafting and executing a portion of my ideal day, every single day.  And continue to wake up early.  Reach my 6:30am goal at least 3 times.  I can do this!  Because there hasn’t been many photos on the blog lately (they’re coming, I promise!!  Wedding & Portrait season is upon us, friends!), here are some photos from a walk that Johnny and I took recently.

This is us.  Walking in our neighborhood. Johnny practicing his long board.  I gave it a shot.  It was fun!  I am makeup less. But I am sharing these anyway.

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One of the things that brings me so much joy I can hardly STAND it — is Irish dancing and photographing dance!  This makes my heart leap and sing and want to explode.  I am a happier person when I make time for dance.  So, it’s worth it for me to schedule it and actually make the time for it.  No excuses!
I haven’t achieved all of my April goals yet.  I have gone to bed earlier and waking up earlier than normal — this is definitely a work in progress though, waking up early has been a life-long struggle for me.  I have practiced dance weekly, although not always 2x a week — again, a work in progress, I’m just being real! And I also have opened up my etsy shop!!  Below is a little preview.

To see the rest of the shop, head here!

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I want to start creating goals for each month and share them with you at the beginning of every month.  This will help me be accountable and I hope it will also inspire some of you to set goals for yourself so that you can do the things that fire you up and bring you joy!  Do you have an activity that you love but just don’t have the time for?  Even just 5 minutes in a day can make a difference, friends.  Once you start, it becomes addicting and you will find creative ways to make time.  I want to take back control of my life and experience JOY again!

So, here are my goals for April:

Monitor spending every single week
Practice Irish dance 2x a week
Launch etsy shop for fine art dance photographs
Go to bed early so that I can start my day fresh
Read my bible every morning and spend time with the Lord
Schedule three personal photo shoots
Continue social media free weekends (except for Saturdays when we have a wedding)
Finish reading E-Myth & The Power of Starting Something Stupid

I am so excited!  Do you have any goals for the month of April?  Share them below and we can encourage each other!

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I do Irish dancing with O’Shea.  Do you also go to O’Shea?? You can receive SPECIAL discounts on prints and also a FREE iPhone custom skin!  If you contact me and schedule your senior portrait session by the end of MAY, you can receive a special discount as well.  Sessions must be scheduled by the end of MAY, but can take place anytime during the spring, summer or fall.  Do not wait to schedule your session.  I primarily photograph weddings so my summer is filling up quite fast!  I can’t wait to capture some AWESOME dance shots for you.  It’s going to be so much fun.

I am also looking for fun, energetic, soon-to-be seniors (GRADUATING IN 2014) to be senior representatives for Joanna Day Photography.  If you would like to become a 2014 senior representative/ambassador, contact me and let’s talk!  You will receive your session for FREE (a $200 value!!)  In order to take advantage of this, you MUST apply by May 31st.

Contact me to schedule your session today! I can’t wait!

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So what is Making Things Happen?  It is a conference to fire you up and get you focused on what really matters in life.  It helps you make your dreams happen and crush your fears.  You can’t achieve this just by attending a workshop or listening to Lara Casey’s advice and gentle nudging.  You have to do the hard work.  It is about feeling your fears and doing them anyway.

I feel re-focused.  Centered.  I am so grateful.  I have been so focused on my goals for my business that I lost track of my life and what matters the most.  Fear of what others thought was crippling me.  I was caught in the comparison trap of looking at other photographer’s work, wishing that I were booking as much as them, had as many followers…. yada yada yada.

One of my biggest desires is to help and to encourage others.  I am so excited to do more of that here on this blog.  I want to share my life with you–my struggles, joys, goals, path to debt freedom, photography tips, my walks around town, my family, etc.  Sharing about my life on my blog has been on my heart (I’ve mentioned this before here) for a while.  But I have been afraid.  Afraid of what?  Writing–I don’t feel that I am a good writer.  Sounding stupid.  I don’t know.  Fear is silly.  All it does is hold us back, but we hang onto it because sometimes it is the only thing that we know.

I am saying no to being afraid of being vulnerable.  I am good enough.  I am blessed.  I am grateful.  I am debt free.

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” – 2 Tim 1:4

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