Website Relaunch - 2015!!!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015


Ahhh! The new website is HERE! Wow, it honestly is so surreal actually writing that we are done. That massive to-do list is finally completed! This website has felt all the hard work and love that we have poured into it. After a month filled with new goals, new dreams, and new to-do lists!

How we began the process was like any other, we desired something fresh and new. A website that completely fit us in every way, something clean and timeless. I can't tell you how much we fell in love with this website. The website idea came to us before even met our dream photographer, Katelyn James! Along with getting our photographs taken, she worked with us in a coaching session to revamp our website and our brand. There were some days that it was difficult, but the long nights were incredible worth it! Sara and I have revamped this website to be better for YOU! This is about how we can create a lovely experience for you when looking for wedding photography! Along with creating a new site, we have created a new Timeless Wedding Experience, just for you!

Sara and I would really love to thank our husbands, Joe and Jake, for helping and supporting our dreams! They truly are the support system to each of us and we couldn't be more thankful for them! To our friends and families who have listened to our ideas, rants of frustration, and encouraged us! Our friends at Showit, who helped us out throughout the process of this website relaunch! And to Katelyn, who encouraged us to dream higher and serve more!


Want to experience the new website?! CLICK HERE. :)

Mother/Daughter Girls Night Out Ideas

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Sara and I cannot even begin to explain how much has been going on behind the screen!! We have been working hard (we promise!!) to bring you guys something special!! Yet, we will reveal what we have been working so hard at the end of this blog so just a little longer!

One thing I love about my work is working with my daughter. We make such a great team as we know what each other thinks and how the other works. Yet, family businesses always have a difficult side especially when we live with each other! We can disagree with how something is supposed to look or how a workflow needs to flow.  Something that we learn to do is discuss with each other how we feel about this or that, and we talk it through.  We don't leave the room until we work through whatever needs to be discussed. And honestly, this does not happen that much which is why I really do love working with Sara. 

However, we all need breaks! We need those times to recoup and have a turn off the brain from thinking anything to do with work/business! And when this time comes around when we need a break, Sara and I have Mother/Daughter Date Night! We wanted to share a few of our ideas we do at least every month to help us have a quality, personal, and carefree date night with your daughter (or mother!). 

1. M o v i e  D a t e : Whether this is inside your own home or at a movie theater, pick a funny movie that will make you laugh and just laugh away! Laughing is something that is so helpful with releasing tension and stress. Sara and I just went to the movies to see the Minions with a LARGE tub of buttery popcorn and our favorite candies! I haven't laughed that hard in a while and it just helped put everything into perspective. We also have movie nights at my house where we wear our comfiest outfits and watch old black and white movies. Of course we have popcorn and candy, that is a must!

2. R e a d i n g : Sara and I never get the chance to read something other than photography books and other blogs we love, and when we do its is very rare! Is that how it is with you? Because honestly, I don't know how some people even get a chance too! Yet, when Sara and I need a break, we read together. It might or might not be the same book, but we sit down in a quiet room together and read. It helps clear your head of everything you might worried about and leaves you focused on something else. Oh, don't forget the beautifully soft music playing in the background, because I can't read in just a died quiet room. Are you like that too?

3. S h o p p i n g : Okay, this might get us into a little bit of trouble with the Husbands, but who doesn't need some retail fun every once and a while?!  Sara and I really do have similar taste in A LOT of things...we even have matching purses. (We love Target so much, maybe a little too much?) But this doesn't have to mean shopping for clothing or journals, this also could mean taking a trip to Trader Joe's for flowers and cookies. For us, this is an hour drive round trip and in this time we have time to talk about everything and anything (except business!).

 (Say hello to our beautiful mugs from Pier 1! Sara really loves her #calithecoffeecup!)

4. T a k i n g  S e l f i e ' s: I love this because it doesn't cost any money, but it is the funniest thing to do! Selfie's don't always have to be beautiful, but can be goofy! You can make silly faces and just laugh at yourself and each other (and no one has to see them!)!! Just have fun and have no expectation! You could also do this at a photo-booth if you have one near you and keep the pictures in your memory box! Afterwards, you could pick up some ice cream and ask for extra sprinkles to share. :)

5. P i c n i c  T i m e : In North Carolina, it is SO hot lately, but when it hits the evening hour it can cool down enough for a picnic! Now, you don't have to travel, but have one in your yard! It can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. That is beautiful thing about picnic's! Our favorite thing to put in our basket is watermelon because we ALWAYS eat it all up. Just take your favorite snacks, sit down and enjoy the beautiful outdoors (we try to do this without our phones, but always have to take photos)! Some fresh air is perfect so helping tension especially being caught up in front of a computer/phone screen.

With how crazy life can be, take some time out to enjoy some of these date night ideas with someone that you hold dearly. I know that I can't wait for next week because Sara and I are going to take a day off to enjoy the hard work we have been working on! Which leads me into talk about our secret! 

Everyone better keep a look out because by this time next week, Sara and I are releasing OUR NEW WEBSITE!!! Along with this beautiful new website, we will be releasing our new PRICING and new LOGO COLOR. We have been working so hard since June to do this and it has been even harder keeping it from you! We want you to get excited because these changes will help YOU out as a bride with new resources and more for you to experience!! We hope that you are just as excited as we are and will stick around to see the transformation!!!

10 Things You Want To Know About Us!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

It has been such a busy few weeks on the blog! Why you should say YES to an Engagement Session, meeting the beautiful Pasha who does even more beautiful wedding invitations, and our blog mission statement! Not only just on the blog, Michelle and I have been working hard on a secret project!! Don't worry, we will soon be revealing it to you soon! Keep an eye out for a blog post on Tuesday! BUT, today we wanted to write a fun blog post for you to enjoy! Of course you know who we are, but we want to tell you even more about the quirky fun facts of us!

5 Things to know about Sara:

1.  My favorite store to shop at is Trader Joe's! (Oh goodness, I could be in there for hours buying everything!)

2. I am OBSESSED with journals. I always have an abundant amount on hand!

3. Even though I got a bachelor degree in Medieval and Ancient Roman History, I always wanted to go for the study of Italian. I took a total of 4 classes before I had to switch! (Ciao, mi chiamo Sara! Io amore a parlo Italiano con tu!)

4. I really do love going to as many fairs as I can throughout the year!! The ride I love the most? The Ferris Wheel!

5. My favorite guilty snack is a large spoonful of Cookie Butter. (Okay, make it two!)


5 things to know about Michelle:

1.  I love pretty journals and ink well pens. One of my favorites is a pen my husband brought home for me from Germany.  It is a hand glass blown pen!

2. I'm in love with being in love. That could a big reason why I love movies that always have a happy ending. So needless to say I love the Hallmark Channel!

3. When I was 16 I found a pen-pal in England.  We still write and talk to each other!! (Hello love!)

4. My favorite homemade dish would be Gnocchi with meat sauce, I learned how to make these from my mother and she learned from her father. Favorite takeout Chicago Pizza or Portillo's Beef Sandwich. 

5. Dogs! There has always been a dog in my life since I was 3! Starting with a German Shepperd named Sable. I couldn't imagine my life with out my furry ones! 

We love to know something wonderful about you please share with us in the comments below! 

Why Every Couple Should Do An Engagement Session!

Monday, July 13, 2015

As a wedding photographer I understand why a couple should have an engagement session . . . but maybe you are wondering why you should have a session and what is it's importance? I am excited then you stopped by!! An engagement session is so much more than having your photographs taken.  It is a time that our clients can begin to experience what they can expect from us! Also, it is a great way for us to connect even more with each other! We believe that your time in front of the camera should be fun, easy going and relaxed. So here are a few reasons why you should have an engagement session!

Engagement sessions are a great trial run! This is the time for you both to just relax and get comfortable in front of the camera. An E-session affords you the time to learn posing, gain confidence and have fun doing it!  It usually takes a couple about 15-20 minutes to warm up and after that, everything clicks beautifully. On your wedding day, you shouldn't have to try to learn or worry about posing, you already are a pro from the engagement session! It is amazing then how everything flows together and the bride and groom are showing off with the best poses!
 
An engagement session lets us get to know one another!  An engagement session is a fun and relaxed time in which you get to know more about me and how I flow, work, but also have fun! I also have this time to get to learn more about the two of you and it the love story began. By the end of the session, we all are comfortable with each other and ready for your big day! By getting to know my bride and groom, creating a connection between us, it allows me to truly capture their personalities!

Boost your confidence for the wedding day! Besides learning to be more comfortable posing as well as in front of a camera, this time will help you build confidence. Once you see your engagement photographs, you will have confidence to pose without us even helping and know how to rock in front of the camera! If the session is taken at the wedding venue location then you could remember your favorite(s) spots you loved! You will remember what your favorite poses were, be a PRO, and it will feel like a piece of cake! You won't even need to worry about anything when it is time for your romantic session images.

Images to use! Don't get me wrong, Sara takes a lot of pictures of us all the time and I do love them! But I really do love when we have professional pictures taken of us. Isn't that the same with you? You probably have tons of self-taken images of you two, but when have you gotten your images professional done together? The quality of these images are what add to memory of the image, even still viewed in digital form! With quality photographs from your engagement session, you can do some many things with them! You can hang some beautiful prints on the wall in your home or to keep one your desk at work! You can also include these photographs into your wedding by creating “Save the Date” cards, at the wedding have an engagement book for guests to sign, or even a photograph to display at the reception!


Still wondering if you should have an engagement session?  Oh, YES! (In all caps too!)

I highly recommend it, so much so that we have some big changes coming! So keep posted as we will be sharing that quite soon!

Invitations Inspiration

Thursday, July 9, 2015

When you're planning your wedding, you have everything in the world to think about! The dress, the colors, the invitations, the decor, the venue (either one or two locations), the cake, the flowers, the photography, and the list never ends! But honestly, don't worry!! Taking it one step at a time and asking for help is a wonderful thing! Also, professionals in the wedding field are a great resource for you to use to help you!! Not to run over your dreams, but to help make those dreams a reality.

One of the first thing your guests will see a preview of the wedding is the invitation! It sets the stage of elegance, beauty, and how timeless your wedding will be. Pasha Davis, with Davis Design LLC, has created beautiful invitation sets from Charlotte, North Carolina. Pasha sent us a few of her favorite invitations she had previously created for her past brides. The invitations held so much beauty and each one was unique in their own way! Different fonts, colors, sizing, and shape! It makes my head spin with how creative she is when designing these!

Pasha took some time to share her thoughts with you:

 1. Why should a bride have her invitations professionally done?

A bride should have her invitations professionally done for many reasons. The biggest reason is because her time and effort is valuable. A professional ought to be able to take a bride's vision and create a stationery set that showcases the personality and style that the bride wants, which takes stress off of the bride. Just like with their floral arrangements and table setting, a bride ought to be able to find the stationery set that they love and a professional ought to be able to replicate it while personalizing it for the happy couple.

2. How far in advance should she begin working with her professional?

Depending on what stationery pieces a bride wants will depend on when she should begin working with a professional. For those brides that can't wait to send out engagement announcement, they ought to begin working with a professional soon after the engagement. For those that are sending out save the dates, then she would ought to start working with a professional 9-11 months before the big day. For those brides that are just sending out invitations, then she should begin working with a professional 6-8 months before the big day.

3. Can you tell us about yourself, what you do, and why you love it?

I'm Pasha Davis, co-owner of Davis Designs. We're a small design boutique located in Charlotte, NC; but we serve clients worldwide. We love working with couples and bringing their personality and style out in the stationery we create for them. Everything we do is custom because we feel no two brides are alike and it should show in their wedding stationery.

While our website is being revamped, take a moment to check out our Instagram page for a look at our past work: http://www.instagram.com/thedavisdesigns


Sara and I really had a BLAST pulling out our cameras to photograph! If you are getting ready to start your invitation planning, here are a few ideas to help you along your journey!

















Thank you Pasha for letting us photograph these gorgeous invitations!


We're On A Mission!

Tuesday, July 7, 2015


Our Blog Mission Statement.
Our blog has been rejuvenated, with a new look, new postings as well as more photographs of Sara and I.  You may have noticed that we have been posting quite a bit lately and now that we have gotten into a groove, I wanted to share with you where we are taking our blog over the next year by giving you our purpose or ‘mission statement” as to what you can expect!  
 
1.  God first! Why I may not always know where He is directing me, I trust Him first and foremost to do so.  I have felt for a long time that I have needed to find my writing voice again and share more, so I am so excited to start really blogging again. 

2. This blog will:
o   Be a community for all of our brides.  Where they can come to learn more about bridal education posts and sharing their images and stories.
o   Be a leader in our area to educate, inspire and help others. 

3.  The posts you read will be to:
o   Inspire
o   Educate
o   Share
o   Entertain        

If we are on a mission, this is what you can expect: 
 
1.  We're on a mission to post at least two blog posts every week!
o   The blog will be filled with all of the sessions we photograph; as well we want to provide education for our brides! We want to connect, inspire, and post helpful tips that you might need for your big day.         
o   We not only want to provide education for our brides, but for aspiring photographers!
 
2.  We're on a mission to encourage woman! We want to encourage them as they work in this busy lifestyle with helpful tips we have learned by owning a business. 
 
3.  We're on a mission to spice up your life by getting a little personal!
o   We want to show more of how Sara and I work together, but also how we keep our mother-daughter relationship fresh, fun, and laughable! #mommaandbabybearadventures         
o   Being Italian, you have to love cooking! And we cannot wait to share with you our love of cooking!         
o   Not only do we love cooking, but we also love decorating, painting, and gardening!         
o   We can show you all of these loves with how transformed our backyard into Sara’s dream wedding and so much more! 
 
4.  We're on a mission to show you what the first year of married life is like!   Sara will be posting on the blog too!  As a new bride/wife she knows what the first (and going on the second) year of married life is like. You will get to read all about #riversmarriedlife soon! 

Photo Credits: Katelyn James

Is there something special you would like to hear about? Let us know by leaving a comment below.  We hope that you will stick around for all the exciting new things as we CANNOT wait to share our next post!

A Love That Lasts

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Your wedding day is a day that you will remember for the rest of your lives, it is true! And you hire a wonderful photographer to capture that day, but what about after years have passed? What about when life swirls around you and years later you own a home and you have kids? Spending time with your love is something SO important. It also is wonderful to celebrate the length of your marriage (no matter how short or long)! One way that you can do this is to go have a romantic and fun couple session to feel those butterflies again! Along with have a wonderful time, you also get pictures to remember!!


We recently just had a wonderful time photographing a fun, yet beautifully romantic, mini couple session with Doug and Susan. This past May, Susan and Doug just celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary! (Congratulations!!) Sara just loved this because she is close friends and church members at the same church with the couple! She actually could NOT stop talking about how excited she was to photograph it. And we really did have a BLAST.  First, they knew exactly how to flow with each other, and Doug just knew how to make her smile. It was too precious. Secondly, it was right in our backyard and that sun flare came right at the perfect time! Here are just few of our favorites! :)


Of course you have to get one of the kids in there. ;)  


LOVED this time we were able to spend together!
 
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