This weeks Friday Pinspiration is all about making your session unique. So here we go! From the top left...

• Pets are family too! Think about including them in your next session. Even a senior portrait session if your pet is your BFF! Just remember to bring a handler to help when they aren't needed for a photo.
• Jackets, Cardigans, Vests - oh my! - I love layering outfits. For senior sessions, this is a great way to change-up your look quickly. For toddlers, layers are a great way to show some personality with your tot!
• Bring your hobbies for senior portraits - maybe you are an amazing ballerina. Bring your point shoes and show off a bit.
• Coordinate, don't match-   Mix textures, patterns and add accessories but stay with in the same color palette.
• Kimono - Maternity sessions are all about the bump. Show it off with a tight shirt or dress and then add a casual, loose sweater or kimono for an extra pop.

Happy Thursday! One of my goals with going full time in my photography business was to blog more! So this week I have been throwing back to various sessions from this summer and fall. After a fun but hectic season, I took a few weeks this winter to relax and set my intentions for the year. I'll be sharing my goals on the blog soon! Then it was back to website updates and office maintenance to prepare for what is sure to be the busiest year yet! Here is a recap of all of the sessions from last year:

7 Seniors sessions 9 Newborn sessions 24 Family sessions 5 Weddings 13 Weddings as a second shooter 23 Mini sessions 4 Cake Smashes 4 Couple/Engagement sessions 1 Maternity session ...for a grand total of 90 sessions and a whole lot of memories! Whew. I wonder what 2016 will bring...

Five years ago today, I married my best friend. My high-school sweetie. The Star-to-my-bucks. I am by no means a writer (if you couldn't tell from my terrible grammar in my blog posts) so I am going to narrate our wedding photos Pop-Up video style. What can I say? I was a child of the 80's and VH1 was a big deal back then.  

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The preparations. It seemed like this part of the day took forever! But it was so fun having my mom, my college bestie, my cousin, and two of my oldest friends by my side. We prepped, danced, and drank champagne all morning. It was perfect.

While we chose not to see each other until the ceremony, we did have time for photos with our bridal party and some with our families.

Our wedding was before Pinterest exploded on the wedding scene. So my 'pin board' for inspiration was a piece of foam core with magazine clippings glued to it. I carried it everywhere with me along with my wedding binder and Michael's coups. These are a few of our decorations.

The venue was Chestnut Ridge in Blairsville, PA. It was so nice to have everything in one location since we had family coming from out of town. The ceremony was on the golf course, cocktail hour on the patio, and the reception in the ballroom. After our ceremony, we got to hop on golf carts and ride around for bridal party photos! Our families decorated our golf cart before the ceremony and we had no idea. It was so fun walking up to that afterwards.

The final part of the evening: our reception. It. went. so. fast.  But it was the best time I have ever had. The speeches. Our first dance to Michael Buble - 'Everything'. Dancing with my dad. Cigars on the patio. Our crazy families and friends dancing all night, to every song! All of it was perfect. Fun fact: we cut our cake to the song 'Love you Madly' by the band Cake!

Even though the wedding had to come to and end, our adventures haven't. We have done a lot in five years. Bought our first car, raised a puppy, bought a house, started a business, switched jobs, and traveled to Italy. And at the end of every day, the person I want to call first, see more than anyone, and walk with until I'm old and gray, is him. I'd say that's a pretty good first five.

{photo credit to Milla C. Photography - I will cherish these until the end of time}