The Blog is Back!

Well, Hello There!

Wow! How do we even start? For the past year and a half we have religiously blogged our couples’ weddings, but have only shared a few sessions here and there. Personal posts? None. And to be honest, we MISS it!! Why did we stop blogging like we used to? That’s easy. We did it for us. We had buried ourselves so deep in work that our marriage and our personal health were suffering big time.

The Turning Point

Late one Sunday evening, Brittany was sitting at her desk in the office staring at a blank computer screen. Our Marriage Monday blog series had been going for several months and readers were loving it! It seemed like it really did offer encouragement to people, which was our goal! Reid walked in, looked at Brittany and said “I miss you.” We got into a somewhat heated discussion about how we hadn’t spent uninterrupted time together in weeks, and we were about to start over with a whole new work week. Brittany was frustrated because she was clueless on what to write for tomorrow’s Marriage Monday, and here was Reid distracting her. And then it hit like a big stack of Acme landing on top of Wile E. Coyote. Our marriage was suffering because telling other people how to have a great marriage was a bigger priority. HELLO! It was in that moment that we decided to take a look at what all we were giving our time to and why.

Action Steps

First, we agreed that Friday nights were date nights, and totally off limits to work. It’s hard when our work is fun, but we knew we HAD to make our marriage priority! We also examined our business, what is most important to us, and what is most important to our clients. There were many other tasks that were crucial to giving our couples an incredible experience, and blogging was just a little too far down the list. We continued to blog their weddings 3 days after the wedding, but all other blogging was put on hold.

Why Now?

After a year hiatus, a lot of planning for 2017, talking, and praying, we are nervous and excited to be bringing the blog back! So, why now? What has changed? WE have changed. We have grown tremendously as individuals, as a couple, as photographers, and as business owners. We are healthier, happier, smarter, and have a better grasp on time management. We also recognize that our blog can be a helpful tool for newly engaged brides who are being bombarded with ten thousand decisions. It can give inspiration for girls looking for engagement outfit, location, and wedding decor ideas.

As we have spent a LOT of time digging deeper into the “why” behind our business and what we want to accomplish this year, it was VERY clear. Your story. Without the story behind the photo, it’s just another pretty wedding photo. And that’s not good enough. A few months ago, Brittany got a message from a childhood acquaintance who explained that she was getting married and we were her first and only choice for photographers. The reason she gave? She loves our blog, she has a really cool story, and she wants US to tell it. It was in that moment that our “why” was staring us boldly in the face. Stories change lives. Our little blog can be a tool to change lives… HOW can we not be using that?! (FYI- that childhood acquaintance is now a dear friend!)

So, here we go!! But on one condition. We aren’t going to smother ourselves by creating a “schedule.” Our life is crazy right now (if you missed the announcement, we’re having a baby!) and putting the pressure of a blog schedule would just be unwise. We do, however, promise you this: we will share stories that can change your life. That’s what this internet journal is about. It’s not about a checklist, or a “photographer must do this to be successful” standard. It’s about making a difference in people’s lives. Because people are what matter.

Love,

Reid & Brittany

Photo credit: Ilona Barton