Mandy & Sean

New Location, New Direction

I was absolutely sure that 2009 was going to be a defining year for me. And it was, just not in the way I had expected. The last year and a half has brought a lot of changes to our business and family.

One change I was not expecting was to have such a staggering amount of our portrait sessions take place at locations other than the studio. And I have learned that I love it, which was such a huge surprise to me.

Also, we welcomed our fourth child in December of 2009. At a time when we already had a 2, 3, and 9 year old, Leo's arrival took more planning and organizing then we thought, and was actually easier than we imagined. Having four children is more work than three children, but we are learning to adapt to the constant level of chaos and wouldn't change it for the world.

As 2010 moves forward, we have come to realize we need to allow our business to evolve to move forward with the changes within our lives. While we completely adore the beautiful old building that currently houses Appleby Photography, we have decided that it is time to relocate the studio back into our home (and perhaps a bigger one), as it was 6 years ago. This will allow us to more easily work with our clients on location and in their homes, while allowing us to spend our production time with our family.

And knowing that the only constant is change, we are looking to the future with new ideas and directions for Appleby Photography, as we feel we have more changes ahead. We hope you will stay tuned!

Wedding Traditions

Real Simple has a fun article about getting creative with wedding traditions:

Something Old

• A locket containing a picture of your great-grandparents
• A family Rosary for the ceremony
• Antique combs, pins, or barrettes
• A baby bracelet from a family member used around the base of your bouquet
  

Something New

• A key to your new home, if you're moving in together for the first time, hidden in your bouquet wrap
• A lucky penny minted in the year of your wedding
• Everything else!
  

Something Borrowed

• A flower from a loved one's garden, "borrowed" for your bouquet
• Dad's handkerchief, tucked under your bodice
• A fur stole, for a winter wedding
• Any jewelry you've been eyeing on a friend or a family member
  

Something Blue

• The sash on your dress
• A bouquet of blue blooms
• A blue garter or undergarment
• Sapphire jewelry
• A blue pen, for signing the marriage certificate

Gina and Charlie

I loved their reading:

Faults

They came to tell your faults to me,
They named them over one by one;
I laughed aloud when they were done,
I knew them all so well before, --
Oh, they were blind, too blind to see
Your faults had made me love you more.

By Sara Teasdale

Perky Polka Dot Sunscreen Favor

Sunblock is the perfect favor for your outdoor wedding! It's one of those "most needed, often forgotten" things. Now, no burning regrets later!

Perky Polka Dot Sunscreen Favor

Summer Bridal Show

Happy June! This is such a great month- school is done, the weather is warm, weddings are plentiful!

If you are planning a wedding, the Wedding Planner & Guide has a fabulous bridal show this Wednesday, June 9th. They will have a fashion show, prizes and hors d'oeuvres. It's at the Marriott Madison West from 4pm to 9pm. Click here for more info.

Sign up for your chance to win a wonderful wedding- we are including an engagement session in the prize package!

Please come stop by our booth, we are near the door- we would love to say "hi"!

A Verse By Any Other Name....

Saturday's ceremony readings were delightfully fresh to my ears and brought tears to my eyes.

I love when couples take the wedding day and personalize it to make it their own unique event. And the ceremony is a beautiful place to do just that. It is wonderful to get a glimpse into their love by seeing how they express it in front of their family and friends. Bible verses are lovely and traditional, but passages from favorite poems, plays or stories show you the personality of the couple. Peek here for some inspiration. I had never thought about using "The Velveteen Rabbit," by Margery Williams, though I adored the story as a child!

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

I am looking forward to next week's wedding- their reading is coming from a favorite children's book- I can't wait to find out what it is!