Happy New Year everyone! Now that the holiday season is over, it’s now engagement season! So many of you received some shiny new pieces of jewelry from the love of your life and are now starting to dive into the whole wedding planning process.

First off, CONGRATULATIONS! I couldn’t be happier for you, and I know that you’re probably on cloud 9 right now! One thing to remember: enjoy the process! If I remember anything from planning my own wedding, it would be that I didn’t take the time to enjoy it. I let too many factors stress me out.

“You’ve been engaged a week and haven’t started looking for your dress yet?!?!”

“Have you picked a location yet?”

“I don’t particularly like this arrangement, so we shouldn’t do this…”

My point being: DON’T LET OTHERS SWAY YOU! At least, not too much. This is YOUR wedding. This is the day you’ve been probably dreaming about for a long time! Let’s see your vision come to life.

Now you’re probably wondering: What does all of this have to do with wedding photography? Well, I’ll tell you! One of the things you have to figure out during the planning process is, who’s going to document your day? Whether it be photography or videography, you want someone who’s going to capture this amazing memory. These are the people who are going to capture all the hard work you put into decorating. These are the people who are going to capture the love and joy and craziness of your day.

When you’re going through the process of choosing who to give this AMAZING HONOR to, keep one thing in mind: CONNECTION IS KEY!

This is something that I heard from photographer Benj Haisch, and it has just stuck with me. And it’s so true! One thing I’ve been learning in this business, is that couples and photographers need to go together like peanut butter and jelly!

When you can let loose in front of your photographer and show you’re crazy side, that’s when we can get these fantastic behind-the-scenes photos that you’ll love looking back on!

If you can’t be crazy and ridiculous in front of me, then let’s face it, I’M NOT DOING MY JOB! If you can’t dance in front of me, make crazy faces, or contort your body into weird positions, I’M NOT DOING MY JOB!

If you can’t grab your late grandfather’s pipe and smoke it; I’m not doing my job. These are the things I want to capture! I want to showcase who you are as an individual; I want to showcase your uniqueness as a couple. This is what the world wants to see! This is what you’ll look back on and laugh at in 20 years.

Now if we hang out and we’re just not gellin, then that’s ok! I promise you, I won’t be offended. When you meet with your photographer, it should be easy as pie. It should feel like hanging out with a long lost friend you haven’t seen in FOREVER! You should form a relationship with your photographer that allows you to let loose, grab a drink, get crazy on the dance floor, or hang out at home with. And if we’ve decided that we’re long lost best friends, maybe even watch some LOTR or HP with… because let’s be honest… I would just die a happy person.

Here’s a few more fun photos for you to peruse. And remember, if you’re not feelin it, then that’s ok! Find someone whose work you love, BUT ALSO love the person. It seriously will make all the difference in the world!