Well hello there! I know I’ve been mute lately but don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you. I’ve been working around the clock finishing up 2011 orders, booking lots of amazing couples for 2012 AND not to mention planning my own wedding. Woo, I’ve been a busy bride, but alas, I am here to share with you some of the details we’ve been working on to make our wedding unique. I thought I’d share after one of my 2012 brides (Stephanie D) asked me this very question:

“WHAT DETAILS ARE YOU PUTTING INTO YOUR WEDDING?”

I don’t really have a wedding style…but If i did it would be a mix of being raised on a farm and on antiques, my love for the Adirondacks and all thing rustic, white sparkly and glimmering…

1. HANGER – Your dress is the main component of your wedding style, right? right. Obviously after shooting over 100 weddings I know the drill… hang the gown while I’m finishing up getting ready and let the photographer have at it. Perfect. I wasn’t about to have my gown photographed on a plastic hanger I hang my everyday clothes on.

2. SLIPPERS – Since we’re having our wedding in the winter (BTW, this was the best/smartest decision I’ve ever made) I received a pair of fuzzy white slippers from my girl Gaby… so I wouldn’t get “cold feet” on my big day, haha. I thought it was a great idea and perfect for keeping my tootsies warm while I was getting glam’d up.

3. PERSONALIZED RING PILLOW – My BFF Jenny gave me this as a shower present and I loved the idea! It’s tiny enough for little hands and can transform into a Christmas Ornament for your tree!

4. CAKE…SPOONS? Yes, we don’t have cake forks, but we have cake spoons! What’s the difference really when it comes to dessert? Let me tell you the story… When Justin and I first started dating we were down on the Cape walking around and he said to me “why do people use the word ‘pumpkin’ as a term of endearment?” my answer was “well people used to really like pumpkins, I guess” he said “well, you’re my ice cream because ice cream is my favorite thing in the whole world” So when I saw these wedding spoons I had to have them for our day!

5. SIGN MY SKIIS, PLEASE – Instead of a conventional guestbook we went for something that had meaning to us. I know, I know… as a wedding photographer I should conventionally be pushing the photograph guest book filled with engagement photos, which I absolutely LOVE… But 1. we didn’t have time to get our engagement pictures done (fortunately for us we have lots of experience in front of the camera + lot’s of high quality professional pictures of the both of us together) 2. I’m not conventional… I love antiques and I’ve always wanted antique skis to hang in my living room…this was my chance, man!

6. WEDDING BOOTS – I can rattle off 10 good reasons to get married in the winter and this is def. a top 3….Winter = boots… and that’s just what I wore! So comfy and warm, these $hit kickers helped me float through my day comfortably. Also, since all of my girls wore them too, we had a few country song stomp sessions in the barn! (for you city kids we were banging our heels on the floor of the barn to the beat of the song)

7. Since the girls and I wore all different Cowgirl Boots, the guys needed a little something to snazzy up their outfits too. Initially Justin and I agreed upon the plain jane “claret” colored ties for the guys because we couldn’t find 7 of the same ties we liked. Well, 4 days before the wedding I decided plain ties were too boring and I wasn’t very excited about them. I made a trip to the mall and between 2 different stores I found 7 similar ties in the same “claret” color family. I was so much more excited about them, they set off the girls boots and went with the “eclectic” theme!

8. BEER CRATE CARD BOX – Growing up on a farm and around antiques my whole life this was only fitting. This old beer crate has been in my family for generations and my mom suggested we use it to put the cards in. She, being the farm girl that she is, fashioned a lid made of chicken wire.

9. SOMETHING BLUE – Well, I was searching high and low for something blue and I came up with this idea. Originally these boots had leather laces in the back so I replaced them with this sharp blue ribbon!

Not pictured:

10. LIFE SIZE SEATING TREE’S – I put my in-laws in charge of the seating “branches” and I’m so glad I did. Tradition would have it that seating cards are to be placed on a table. Well tradition doesn’t really bode well with Justin & I and it seems the creative bone in Justin’s parents really broke out. They did a phenomenal job coming up with 3 waist size hand blown red glass vases, each equipped with a tree branch (picked from outside and spray painted white) to hang the nifty place card on.

11. SOMETHING OLD & BORROWED – I wore my sisters and my mom’s wedding bands on my right ring finger for something old & borrowed. It was very special to me since they all have very successful and loving marriages!

I hope this post can give you inspiration to take the things that make you happy and incorporate them into your wedding day!

I am really happy that I decided to start posting about my pregnancy here on the blog because I’ve had SO MANY women reach out to me telling me their stories and sharing their experiences. It’s so awesome for me to experience while I’m pregnant but just to hear these stories, in general. What’s even cooler is a few of my past brides are now pregnant and it’s become a real “bonding” experience! I love talking about this with all you ladies, so if anyone has anything to add to any of these posts, by all means, share with us all!

Pregnancy is a very unique experience for every woman.  In my experience, there seem to be 3 categories of pregnant women:

1. Those who absolutely love being pregnant and want to do it over and over and over again. {accounts for maybe 5% of the population}

2. Those who don’t mind it but can think of 100 things that are way better.

3. Those who absolutely hate the process and it doesn’t agree with their bodies.

I would pin myself as a category 2 pregnant woman, though each stage of pregnancy I really struggled with something within myself.

The First Trimester: It was May when I found out, which immediately means no more drinking… right before the hot summer time. Ooo was that hard! To go all summer, the long hot days, with out one ice-cold brew to quench my thirst. Talk about a challenge! I also struggled with fatigue… I’m talking I was a narcoleptic through and through.  I have SO MUCH respect for those pregnant women who trudge into corporate day in and day out; I know my sister told me she used to go out to her car and nap. I would be sitting at my computer editing away and it would set in… I could just put my head on my keyboard and pass right out. Suddenly my hardwood desk was the most comfortable spot in the house! In addition, the fit and trim body that I’d been working on for years was starting to vanish. There went my 4 pack abs {I mean who really can get the last 2 abs on the bottom to show without being crazy about it?!} bye bye to my fit legs and waistline. I simply looked like I had raided the shelves of Dunkin Donuts for the past 3 months. Talk about sexy!

The Second Trimester: Finally, I was getting my energy back gradually and starting to go to the gym. I was energetic again and feeling great, just in time for the majority of my weddings to take place. I was running around these weddings like “it ain’t no thang”. I still wasn’t over the whole not being able to drink thing, but I did let myself have a glass of red vino every now and then.  By the end of this trimester I was finally starting to grow my belly, which really made me happy and I truly started feeling pregnant, feeling the baby kick for the first time and all. Perfectly named the “honeymoon trimester” it was just that for me. Happy, glowing, energetic and eating every type of fruit in sight, this isn’t so bad.

The Third Trimester: Ooook, when is this gonna be over? Clearly pregnant with an ever-growing belly to prove, I am still feeling energetic at the beginning but that dwindles down by the last month. In my last month I’m pretty tired, not as tired as the first trimester though, but I’ve definitely been hibernating. I don’t sleep at night because you have to lay on your side and that causes my bum to go numb {sciatica}. I get up about 5 times/night to pee and in between tossing and turning my body simply just doesn’t want to sleep. There have been nights where both Justin and I are completely wide awake, we got up and ate breakfast at 4 a.m. Mother nature is really gearing us up for what is about to happen. The baby is getting heavier inside of me, which is causing lower back pain. The only relief I’ve found from aches and pains of pregnancy, is doing prenatal yoga. I bought the DVD of Heather Seiniger’s Yoga Pregnancy and it’s helped my sciatica and lower back pain as well as the small aches and pains that come with the whole package. Those once, wee flutter kicks, now feel like she’s droppin’ ‘bows into my rib cage and finishing me off with a 1-2 sucker punch to the gut.  Let’s just say, I don’t think she’s dainty by any means! haha.

Pregnancy is definitely not only a physical process but also a mental process. From watching yourself grow larger and larger right before your very eyes is enough to drive any woman mad! TRUSTING IN THE PROCESS…this is a phrase used among the creative realm I work in… but it’s certainly true of pregnancy. I have consistently been telling myself “you’re not fat April, you’re pregnant” but it’s hard not to feel like a 2 ton beached whale while you’re getting out of bed or up off the couch. I think for me it’s the lack of being my normal fast moving and flexible self, I feel stifled and stagnant. Now I TOTALLY understand why old people move so slow… their poor bodies. I miss the gym, I miss lifting weights, I miss running… did I ever think those words would come out of my mouth?! In the time it used to take me to run 4 miles I can now only waddle/walk 1 mile… and at this point {2 weeks away from due date} I can’t walk very far at all unless a bathroom is on the way! {Oh and btw, I totally pee’d my pants on accident for the first time the other day… lol this will happen once or twice to all of you still in early pregnancy… and when it does I hope you laugh your ass off}.

Oh ma nature, you’re getting the best of me right now.  I know it’s all in the process and I’m trusting the process will bring me a happy and healthy baby girl!

Peace, Love & Waiting….

April K

Amongst the chaos in my life I always try and find a little bit of peace & quiet to stop and realize what’s actually happening right before my very eyes! This is my blog letting you know what will go through your head right before the big day comes… (or maybe they won’t, maybe I’m weird, IDK).

Holy shit, I’m about to get married to the person I respect and adore so much…

wait a second… I’m getting married?

Am I old enough for this?

Woah, it costs how much?!

Is that an extra zero?

Do I really value drapery that much?

I hope the DJ doesn’t suck

I hope nothing catches on fire, eek that would suck!

Man I can’t believe it!

**Starts blowing nose** Life goes so fast!

I love you babe, ugh you’re so magical (lol)

These feelings may or may not be normal, but that’s pretty much been my roller coaster of emotions lately. Today we both started writing thank you cards to the bridal party and I found myself laughing in one sentence and crying in the next. I feel like having a wedding is more than the pony show some people make it out to be.

Weddings are about realizing your achievements, relishing in the moment of being in love with such an amazing soul and energetic about the journey you’re about to take on together! They’re also about making time for what’s most important in your life; family and friends.

Lately, for me, life get’s moving way too fast, I can hardly keep up! That’s why it’s great to have a celebration this vast to show your gratitude and appreciation for the people who mean the most to you.

Art. Love. Life.

…all go hand in hand. “the real work of art is the result of a magnificent struggle.”  What makes life so magnificent? Love.

April K

One of my New Years resolutions is to stop being a slave to my phone and to stop wasting time on Facebook. I’ve often thought of downgrading to the run of the mill “drug dealer” phone that can simply take incoming and make outgoing calls… and that’s it. Before making that drastic change {because sometimes I do need to answer client emails on the road}, I tried this little cleanse first… here are my results.

Step 1: Preliminary “leaving the phone behind”

I am sick of being so attached to a stupid phone, which is more like a computer that takes over my life. I need to be spending LESS time with my phone and MORE time with people IN PERSON or via Skype for those long distance folks! I need to be focused on what I’m doing and to stop and smell the roses.

I was so accustomed to looking at my phone for no reason. It was like an involuntary thing, even if I were in a conversation with someone in person, I’d look at my phone and listen at the same time… how rude. One thing that really started to annoy me was that if I was alone, waiting for something or someone I’d immediately go on my phone to distract myself. I think this is a horrible thing for an artist to do. Artists of any kind should double think the next time they do this, you are a visual and creative person, you need to be paying attention to your surroundings. I personally have the need to look around, observe things, shapes, colors, shadows contrasting with light, people’s expressions, all the little details that an average person coule care less to notice. I felt I needed to take in the life that I’m living and be more present and aware.

So now, when I leave the house with Justin, I leave my phone at home. This wasn’t THAT hard for me considering I was so fed up, it was rather liberating. After a few weeks, low and behold, I’d come home to a screen full of missed calls or text messages but guess what? No one died because I didn’t answer right away. As a matter of fact, no one even noticed! It has since been so liberating leaving home with no phone. I no longer feel like I’m a slave to whoever wants to get in touch with me when it’s convenient for them. If it’s important they’ll leave a message for me to call them back, plain and simple.

Step 2: removing the facebook app from my phone

Admittedly, this was really hard for me at first. I would go on facebook while lying in bed, the first thing I did in the morning and the last thing I’d do at night (Justin would not like this). I’d even bring it into the bathroom with me… what? What is wrong with me? PUT THE PHONE DOWN APRIL! As crazy as it sounds, by removing this app I was one step closer to taking my life back and treating this phone for what it is… a phone! Not a lifeline. I would still go on facebook, but only when I’m sitting at a computer.

Guess what happened after that?

THE WORLD DIDN’T END!

I would go on facebook a few times a day if I was sitting at my computer or sometimes not at all. No more wasting time on stuff that I don’t even care about! Facebook has started to become more annoying to me than anything.  And what’s more, a portion of the people I’m “friends” with on Facebook I’ve never even met in real life! How’s that for a reality check, um April, how about catching up with people you’ve actually met in person.

Step 3: Well apparently all I needed was a 2 step cleanse

Over this month my phone has really faded into the background of my life. I’ll leave it in the other room, not hear it or pick it up and I’m completely fine with that. I have voicemail and can call people back and believe it or not, it’s totally acceptable by those who call me! And guess what, no one cares that I don’t answer their text messages as soon as I receive them. I no longer feel like I’m slave to this mind numbing piece of plastic.

I’ve started to bring my real camera with me when I go out instead of using the camera on my phone {also one of my goals}. This has allowed me to practice the art of photography rather than the art of iphone snapshots.

I have been skyping a lot more with friends and family, getting that sweet facetime in.

I have become more focused on what I’m doing.

I’ve become more aware and present in my own life from day to day. I don’t live my life in front of my phone anymore. I am more aware of what’s going on around me; I notice details and the little things again. I’ll have small talk with the lady at the cash register or the guy bagging my groceries. I make it a point to say Hi to people in passing. I know I probably sound uber dramatic, but man, this was really happening to me and it needed to change.

So…I challenge you, my trusty reader – who may be facing cell phone addiction, to take this challenge. Start out small and take baby steps, you’ll be amazed at how much better your own life is and stop living life through your phone or facebook.  If you’re brave enough to actually do this I’d love to hear your story and what actions you took and how it affected your daily life moving forward.

Peace, Love & Focusing on what matters,

April K

My Humble Beginnings – A Biography

Straight out of college I was on my own (in every way possible) and in a new city. I landed a job at an advertising agency which seemed amazing, until I realized it’s true meaning… I was trapped behind a desk all day, not being creative.

Now, I’ve always been a wild woman, a free spirit, a creative soul, so sitting behind a desk in Corporate America was not how I wanted to spend my life. As an Art major in college I knew I wanted to do something creative but I couldn’t put my finger on which medium I wanted to persue. I remember a specific moment, sitting at my desk, next to the window thinking to myself, “I cannot live the rest of my life like this”. I thought, “what is the one thing that I could eat, breathe, live?”

Aha! Photography

So (living near Albany, NY at the time) I googled “Albany Wedding Photographers” and emailed the first person who appealed to me on the long list of photogs. After some correspondence I went and met with my first mentor, Tom, and the next thing I knew I was booked for several weddings… carrying his bags around! (Hey, ya gotta start somewhere!). Tom was generous enough to lend me his old digital camera so that I could practice at home. He also was caring enough to take the time to sit and teach me the basics of owning a photography business.

I then met another local photographer, Niki, who hired me for several weddings as a second shooter. This was an amazing opportunity, allowing me to actually take control of some photographic situations at weddings. I still had to carry bags around but this time I was shooting too! (bonus)

Working full time during the week and second shooting on the weekends was my life for about 3 years. I loved every minute of being a second shooter. Very rarely did I ever think to myself “I just worked all week, I don’t feel like working all weekend”. Shooting weddings became my passion and I looked forward to it every week. On my own and hardly paying rent, I put aside every penny I earned from photography so that I could someday buy a better camera. About a year later that someday came and I bought a brand new Nikon D300 with a Nikorr 17-55 prime lens. Woo Wee!

Life was great. I landed a new full time job at an Online Media company and was rocking (more info here). I even started booking my own weddings, booya. About a year into this role and a few promotions later, to my dismay (or was it?), I received word that my full time job was promoting me (Yes!), shutting down the Albany office (No!!!) and moving us to the headquarters in Boston (Boston?).

In my first year and a half in my new city of Boston I was doing really well, blowing my quota out of the water month after month and building a new portion of the business like woah. It felt as though all my dreams were coming true, I was masterfully executing the “corporate ladder”. After a while this extremely demanding role and the whole Corporate America feel was wearing away at my soul. In the words of Jonathan Fields “I was becoming more and more successful on a path that was making me less and less happy.”I knew it was time to throw in the towel the day I started referring to myself as a “caged song bird”.

In June of 2011 I took the leap of faith and brought April K Photography full time…and never looked back!

Why Wedding Photography?

Love…

…and the fact that love has no words great enough, and no explanations or descriptions that truly encompass this emotion.

I believe that we, as a society, have been raised to believe that words are the most powerful form of communication. Sadly, this is not the case when it comes to love. Love is an un-spoken emotion that is globally understood and no words are needed. It’s a language understood by all of mankind.

Chances are, no author can capture the essence of love… but if my clients, no, strike that, if YOU are truly in love, there is no doubt I can capture and turn it into a work of art.

I look forward to hearing your story over a beer or cup of tea!

Love Sparkles,

April K

I’m going to be honest with you… For me, looking at bridal blogs does not creatively inspire me as a photographer.

Sure, as a bride, I look at them all day long deciding what table numbers are the coolest or what brides maids dresses are the trendiest.

As a photographer, looking at the same type of setting and similar composition day after day is hardly a source of inspiration.

So what is an artist to do when she is not feeling inspired?

In the winter months I go snowboarding… Yes, creatively and spiritually it is the one place I can clear my mind.  I almost feel peaceful while the wind is freezing my face; plummeting down the mountain, snow swishing back and forth under my board.

What is it about this sport that makes me feel this way?

I believe it’s the freedom of having no rules (and the fact that no one can stop me but a tree that god planted, ouch).  Most people love rules, but me, I hate them. haha. Maybe that’s why I’m so excited to see my life of photography un-fold…

With no rules there are no limits.

Some of the best photographers in the world followed all the rules of photography… but some of the most memorable and awe-inspiring photographers threw the rules right out the window and went with what was in their heart.

Here is to a winter filled with lots of Snowboarding, inspiration and forgetting our limits in 2012!

Let the games begin!