Dreaming Big Creative Business Dreams

So, we're well into the new year....at least it feels like it. I intentionally avoided making resolutions because I know myself and by February I'll be looking at a list of these resolutions thinking "Hey girl, what were you thinking?" I tend to live an unplanned life, open to change and new directions, and while goal-setting is an admirable practice, it just hasn't been for me. I wind up disappointed in myself for not losing the weight, saving the money, keeping my house spotless and the other 5-10 things I try to convince myself I am capable of while running a business from home with a 4 year old and a baby on the way. 

Call it self awareness? Maybe I'm giving myself too much credit and I'm actually just lazy. It doesn't matter. I know myself well enough to know that setting goals is not my forte. 

But goodness gracious, I'm a dreamer. 

When I started my business 7 years ago, I dreamed of a day I'd be able to work from home and have a flexible schedule and do the mommy things I knew I'd want to do and live a life doing work I was truly proud of - and now I'm in the midst of that dream. It's reality. It's a lot of hard work and constantly trying to find the balance between working and being mom, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It seemed so far away for so long, I had so many days I'd come home from my office job feeling defeated, like I'd never actually reach the point where I could leave the life of working towards someone else's vision. 

And it's not easy, not by a long shot. There are still days of feeling defeated or uncertain, where I question if I'm actually kidding myself and should go get a job with regular hours and regular pay. But there's that part of me that will never give up because I hand over photos to a client and know that I am giving them something so incredibly special, that they'll treasure the way I treasure photos of my own family. It's about so much more than hours worked and money and the physical and mental wear and tear this job takes. It's having the privilege of witnessing some of the most special and personal moments in someone's life and ensuring that those memories are documented and treated like they're more precious than gold. 

So I keep showing up and dreaming big dreams, because I want to keep reaching higher and seeing where I can go from here. Instead of resolutions for a year, I dream of where I want to be next year, or five or ten years from now. Here are a few of my big, badass dreams on the horizon...

Open a studio.

I'm dreaming of having a space of my own where I can work, shoot and meet with clients privately. I'm picturing industrial, exposed brick with tall windows, maybe an old mill building. Funky but comfortable vibe. 

Get published.

I need to step outside my comfort zone and start collaborating with so many of the amazingly talented local New England vendors to make some big and beautiful shoots happen.

Shoot elopements worldwide.

Whether they're in Hartford or Boston or NYC or the Caribbean or Paris. Just saying. I'm not picky. Any day of the week, I love photographing couples who are eager to get started on married life. 

Shoot more documentary sessions with families. 

Raw, emotional, active, playful photos without a bit of posing. Tell these stories and inspire people to want more of these kinds of sessions. 

Hire an assistant.

If I had someone else to do more of the business end of things, I could spend more time on the art. 

And on a personal note, I'm going to add:

Buy a house.

Like a studio space, I want a home that we can call our own. A place that we can paint, knock down walls, do renovation projects, and really make our own. So the kids can come home from school and have a yard to go play in and a neighborhood to go bike riding and where we have some space to breathe. 

What are you dreaming of in the near to distant future? What steps can you start taking to make them a reality? How can I help and cheer you on?

Keep showing up. Keep doing the work. And please keep dreaming. 

Carrie + Patrick | Pomfret Connecticut Wedding at Tyrone Farm | New England Wedding Photographer

Carrie and Patrick's wedding was a dream to shoot at Tyrone Farm in Pomfret, Connecticut. It is always fun photographing weddings at a new (to me) venue, and it was a perfect early September day in New England. When I met Carrie and Patrick last winter, we clicked pretty fast bonding over mutual fandom for all things geeky. The more they told me about themselves and their plans, the more excited I got. Superhero groomsmen? Yes, please. Comic book boutonnieres? Amazing. A playlist of geeky film music? I'm in love. 

The day started at the small cottage on the Tyrone Farm property where Carrie and her ladies were getting ready. It felt like an at-home wedding, very comfortable and cozy and laid back. Looking out the windows to the property, there was a gorgeous view everywhere you looked. Fields and stables and gardens and the barn...it's everything I love about rural New England. 

The ceremony took place in the back field with hilly, wildflower views. Carrie giggled in excitement and there was so much love and support in the air for these two. What I especially loved in that they included all their nieces and nephews in the wedding party along with their daughter, Roslyn, and it really felt like a special family celebration. 

We had a blast taking family and wedding party pictures, and then I happily had Carrie and Patrick all to myself to wander the grounds and give them some quiet moments together. It was like photographer heaven, everywhere I turned I wanted to shoot. And they were so kind to let me do my thing, I did my best to just guide them place to place and then let them snuggle up to each other, laughing and exchanging sweet kisses along the way. What I love about Carrie and Patrick is how easy it is to spend time with them. They're such happy, kindhearted people, and they surround themselves with equally wonderful friends and family. There was no stress, just enjoyment of the day, which is what I love. 

Carrie and Patrick danced into their barn reception to the Ghostbusters theme, and I couldn't stop smiling. That was the same song Sean and I chose for our own wedding introductions, and it just made me so happy to be around fellow nerds who know how to have fun and be themselves. Their guests were equally smitten with their music choices, cheering and laughing and gasping whenever another song came on that they recognized and enjoyed, like music from Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, or Rocky. 

There is nothing I love more than connecting with my clients so that by the time their wedding day rolls around, it truly feels like I'm hanging out with friends. I wear my heart on my sleeve and usually spend the day laughing, crying, cheering and giving people hugs because I can't help it, it's how I roll and that's how it should be. A wedding is a celebration and with all the planning and moving parts that go into making a wedding day happen, you have to love what you do and care about the people you work with. And I really do. 

Venue: Tyrone Farm // Pomfret, Connecticut

Catering, Decor, Flowers, Cake: Pranzi Catering

Videography: Classic Video Productions

Here are some of my favorite highlights from Carrie and Patrick's Tyrone Farm wedding. 

Mt. Greylock Massachusetts Wedding Sneak Peek :: Lauren + Eyvi

What an amazing weekend. Driving up to Mt. Greylock, the skies were clear and that perfect September blue. Everything about the day was sweet and simple and wonderful. I have just a couple pictures to share as a sneak peek as I start the editing process. I can't get over their joy. It's infectious.