About 365 days of marriage

I started this blog in April of 2011. At the time, Bret and I were wedding photographers and it was a way to share how marriage is more about the day to day and so much more than the wedding day itself. For about 5 years, I blogged about the joys and sorrows of the Christian walk, marriage, work, family and friends. I’ve blogged every day since a few weeks after I started. In May of 2015, we photographed our last wedding. Now, I have become passionate about simplicity, particularly in marriage, Christianity, business, travel and life. For a number of reasons, we have become minimalists. I’ve found that having simplicity makes life so much deeper, refreshing and joyful. I hope that this blog will help others see the benefits of living simply.

Day 1445 – Our Ideal Clients – Baltimore Maryland Wedding Photographers

Posted on June 25, 2013 by 365 days of marriage

I mentioned a few days back that our most recent wedding was so covered in prayer and how cool we thought that was. Well, as I was editing, I realized the Ranneberger wedding (the ceremony specifically) was very similar to our wedding!!! It was so fun to relive our wedding while I was editing this one!

The first was a fun thing….the bride was barefoot! All day! I LOVE her feet jewels! Wish I had known about something like this when I was married.

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They sang It Is Well. I have a special place in my heart for this song. I have known the story behind the song for a long time and it always moves me.

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They used one of the same verses we did.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I LOVE that they braided the cord while the verse was being read!

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Now, we didn’t skip down the aisle, but I am crazy about this picture. If you look close, you’ll notice all four feet are off the ground!

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Are YOU our ideal client? We’d love to chat with you!

Day 1444 – A Personal Post – Personal Trainer Husband

Posted on June 24, 2013 by 365 days of marriage

When I first got married, I thought I was in pretty decent shape. I went rock climbing pretty regularly. But then, I tried to work out with Bret. I could barely run half a mile without taking a break. I would say almost every time we tried to run together, I would start to cry. Looking back, I know it’s because I put so much pressure on myself to be “the perfect workout buddy.” I also wanted to impress my husband….if you’ve met him or seen him, you know he’s in GREAT shape. He loves to work out…hence why he started a personal training business. It took me a long time to realize that all he wanted was just that I tried. If I did 2 miles, but only ran half of it…it was still getting out there and doing it.

Over the past month, I’ve been working out about 5-6 times a week. I’ve been doing an increasing mileage run program and an increasing time body weight program. I wasn’t really seeing the results I’d like….mostly because one of my weaknesses is beer. I wasn’t really tracking my food intake either….not that I do much of this anyways, but I was changing my diet a little bit and eating WAY more than I realized. It’s crazy how quickly it adds up if you don’t realize it.

So, I’ve been wanting to try something new…and drink a little less beer. 😉 What better new workout than asking my husband who is a personal trainer!? Seriously Jen, why didn’t you ask him before? Well, mostly because of the reasons above. I hate not being able to keep up with him. But then, when I think about it, he’s in MUCH better shape than me and can do MUCH more. Why do I think I can keep up with that??

Today, we worked out together. At first, I was doing pretty well at first, but then it was taking a lot out of me. That’s when he said, ok, that’s the end of one set. I’m all, um, what? How many more?! TWO MORE! Ah! We took a little break and started the next set, which was half of the first. When we had about 2-3 exercises left, I took a little break and thought I would pass out. I got the stars, than the lightheadedness and then I said, I HAVE to sit down and get some water. He walked me to the porch, got some water, rested and I finished both sets.

What I absolutely loved about the last two sets is that Bret was very gracious. Taking it slow and telling me multiple times to not beat myself up (he knows me SO well!) Thankfully, I wasn’t beating myself up. I was more just pushing myself to my limit and it did feel good….you know, besides almost passing out.

I also loved getting a look at what one of Bret’s clients gets when they work with him. I’m so proud of him….I’m also thankful for the resource that he is!

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Day 1443 – Repost – Guest Post – Bridget Moore of K&B Bridals – Bridal Boutique in Bel Air, Maryland

Posted on June 23, 2013 by 365 days of marriage

I was looking through some of my old/popular posts and thought I would reshare this post about finding your wedding dress!!…

Today’s post comes to us from Bridget Moore of K&B Bridals and Moore & Co. Event Stylists (formerly K&B Events). Bridget is one of my highest recommended vendors and she is one of my dearest friends. (She was also one of my brides!)

K&B Bridals and Event Planning offers LOTS of things! Today Bridget is going to talk about the all-inclusive bridal boutique.

When I say all-inclusive, I mean it! They offer wedding dresses, accessories, bridesmaid dresses, mother’s dresses, flower girl dresses, tuxes, and prom gowns! If you’re looking for a one stop shop, THIS is it!

I can personally attest to the amazing service you will receive from this bridal boutique! I have been in the store when brides have been trying on dresses and the staff is SO attentive and really takes the time to find the perfect dress for YOU. There is such an awesome vibe in the store, it’s hard to leave!

I could talk for hours about how awesome they are, but I’ll save that for another day! I’m passing the blog over to Bridget!

What is one thing that would surprise most brides about your business?
When it comes to finding a wedding dress, about 99% of brides buy the complete opposite of what they come in looking for. It helps to be open minded when looking for your wedding dress. Most brides think that there will be that moment when they cry and know it is the one, but very few brides cry when they find the perfect dress. It usually comes down to the dress that fits the bride’s style and personality and makes them feel the best when they are in “the one.”

Walk us through what a bride will typically experience working with you.
When working with a bride we usually encourage them to start their bridal gown shopping 12 months in advance of their wedding. The whole process take about a 12 month period, and the wedding gown tends to set the tone for so many other parts of the wedding.

When we meet with our brides we try to find out about their style and the style of their wedding. We first start with trying on the 4 basic silhouettes that all bridal gowns are created from to help narrow down the search and keep it from being so overwhelming.

Once we know which silhouette the bride feels the best in, we work to pair her with the dress that makes her feel and look the best and brings together her personal style with her wedding… creating her “BrideStyle.”

After helping the bride find her dress and accessories, we work with her to find her attire for the bridal party that will compliment her wedding.

What is your favorite thing about weddings?
All of the excitement around the wedding, and hearing the love story behind it all. It’s so fun to hear the bride talk about their fiancé and the wedding and all the details surrounding their big day. One of my favorite parts of the actual wedding is that moment when the couple sees each other for the first time! I love to see the look on their faces!

Since this is a blog more about marriage than the wedding day, what is one piece of advice you’d give to future brides and grooms?
Not to stress too much about the wedding itself. This is just a small step to the beginning of the rest of your lives. It’s so easy to get caught up on the wedding, and the stress that can come along with it, that you can lose sight on the reason you are getting married.

If you could go back and change one thing about your wedding, what would it be?
I don’t know that I would change anything about our wedding… Maybe just that I would have had it closer to home so that more of our guests could attend.

If you got married while you were working in the wedding industry, did you make a change in your business based on what you went through?
I realized how expensive and stressful weddings can be, so we made the concept of our boutique to be an affordable boutique as well as all inclusive, so it is less stressful by doing everything all in one place.

Would you like to offer any special deals on your post?
I would be willing to offer $100 off a bridal gown purchase.

Now that you’ve heard how this bridal boutique can help you find your “BrideStyle” go make an appointment at K&B Bridals and Event Planning!

If you’re not convinced, check out a few of their dresses!!

Day 1442 – Trying Something New – Long Exposure Night Shots

Posted on June 22, 2013 by 365 days of marriage

A few days ago, a fellow photographer friend shared a fun article about night shots. Since I’ve been outside almost every night practicing with my new flashes…I figured I’d try out some of the shots!

Here’s a few fun ones! I can’t wait til I get this technique down! Especially making sure WE are in focus too! 🙂

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Day 1441 – Ranneberger Wedding Sneak Peek – Mt. Felix Winery – Havre de Grace Maryland

Posted on June 21, 2013 by 365 days of marriage

What an amazing wedding! As a long time reader, I hope you know how much I love my Lord, if not, I need to share about that more! I LOVE photographing weddings where the couple loves the Lord as much AND want to glorify Him in their day. Ben and Lyndsay’s wedding day was surrounded by prayer and much glorifying of our Lord!

A few minutes before the wedding, we brought Ben inside and put him on one side of a wall and Lyndsay on the other. They didn’t see each other, but held hands. They said hello and then Ben prayed. Such a sweet moment.

Before Lyndsay walked down the aisle – the bridesmaids prayed with the her.

In the middle of the reception, both sets of parents took the newly married couple a little ways off from the tent and prayed for about 5 minutes over them. It was an amazing moment. To know that these parents prayed for their child’s spouse before they even met….and are praying for them now as they start their new life.

AMAZING! 🙂

Here are a few of my quick favs from the day! I can’t wait to share the rest!!!

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