When I became a photographer in 2017 I absolutely did not want to photograph weddings. I felt that they were way too much responsibility for one or even two people to handle. The job of photographer at any wedding, no matter if there are two witnesses in a court room or 120 guests in a ballroom- is a big one. It falls on the photographer to professionally, artistically and astutely capture the most important elements of the entire event, from start to finish. The idea that photographers signed up for something like that, willingly, seemed so brave to me but so scary!
Well a year and a half in to Writer & Beloved Photography, I was asked to photograph a wedding. I told the client, ” I would love to do this, but you need to know, if I photograph your wedding, it would be my first wedding I’ve photographed ever”. Not wanting anything to be hidden. I spent the next year leading up to that wedding, learning everything I could in preparation. I began assisting professional photographers, and then second shooting and worked my way up to shooting weddings as the lead photographer. From the moment I photographed my first wedding, I realized that weddings made my heart beat a little faster, awakened my senses a little more, and from an artists perspective, provoked a ton of inspiration and awe in me. Not only that, I’m a romantic, I looooooove romance, I love sweet stories, meet cute’s and the awkward & fun encounters that turn childhood friends into husband and wife, and so on. Weddings have become my thing. They move me.
What also moves me is that my brand be honest, thoughtful and beautiful. Weddings are so special and because I market to engaged couples I always want for them to know, from the moment they interact with Writer & Beloved Photography, that a lot of thought & work goes into my brand. And that, that effort isn’t just for me, or so that my business can be more desirable. The caliber I want my brand to stand on has a lot to do with what your wedding means to me. Weddings are so important. And you should feel special and cared for by a strong brand that respects the importance of this life event.
I share all of this in order to explain why & how I chose my heirloom keepsake photo box. As I learned more about business, and how I wanted to run my own, I knew that just as I wanted my brand to speak to my ideal client, I had brands that spoke to me. They sent a message that I heard, appreciated and admired. I wanted to share the beauty I saw in them, with my clients, in order to show them how meaningful it is me that I get to work with them & for them.
The first thing I chose was the gift. I knew that I wanted to gift my clients tangible, physical photos from their wedding day and I needed to put them in something. I had seen many different photo boxes out there, but none that spoke to me the way the Larousse Photo Box did. I found Larousse through an Instagram ad I believe, and instantly fell in love with the timeless, delicate look of their brass box. I love brass and it’s even, kinda one of my brand colors.
(Disclaimer: at the end of 2019 when I went to make my order, they were sold out of my favorite box, the gold photo boxes, so I had to order the photo boxes pictured below from another source. As beautiful as these are, and as visually similar, I’m super faithful to the brands I love, so in the future I hope to continue with my Larousse boxes, as I have given to my previous wedding couples).
Once I found Larousse, that led me Artifact Uprising. I love how they honor physical photos, and I absolutely love the quality of their prints. They produce my favorite prints ever and I couldn’t imagine using anything else for my prints.
I buy all of my silk ribbons from The Poetry of Silk. Early on in my career, when I first discovered fine art photography I noticed the photographer’s I admired the most, used silk ribbons for styling at weddings. While I was not shooting weddings at the time, I found it so interesting how ribbons could add charm, color, a touch of the whimsical, texture, and so much more to the story of a photo. When I first purchased The Poetry of Silk’s hand dyed silk ribbons, I immediately could see why silk costs what it does compared to any other type of ribbon. Silk ribbons are just another element of delicate, timeless beauty that really inspires me. It evokes the romanticism I want to embrace in my brand. The Poetry of Silk specifically markets with an air of simplicity I just adore. I have a whole collection of their ribbons right now. I also couldn’t help but love a company that celebrated writing in their name, just like I did.
I like to send my clients about 25 photos from their wedding day. The gift arrives in the mail and my client’s get to be surprised about what images they are about to hold in their hand.
I sell custom heirloom wedding albums and that’s where couples like to choose specific photos & bring together the entire story of their wedding day. I find that these prints are special in a different way because they can rest on a coffee table or dresser, in a delicate glass box, for them to add onto with special life moments, or simply to hold on to & enjoy for a lifetime. For me, they are just another special way that I can communicate that their wedding day was unique, remarkable and deserving of honor.
I love writing to my clients & I love my wax seals! I always include a personalized note my logo note cards or on one of my favorite stationary cards by Creations de Paris.
These boxes mean a lot to me because they are a statement of gratitude from me to my client’s through out the years. I don’t know if with time I will change the gift to something else, but right now this is what speaks to me, and how I can speak to the people who trust me to capture their special day, that their moments matter and deserve lots of love.
I pour lots of love & thought into these heirloom keepsake boxes & I hope that they are enjoyed & cherished for generations.
cheers,
