Skin Detox

Sam and Ian welcomed baby Jax toward the end of December! By far, the best Christmas gift anyone could ever receive. He was absolutely perfect during the session and barely made a sound. Sam and Ian, you two have this parenting thing down! Congrats again on your baby boy, he’s absolutely precious!

When I ask couples if they’re doing a first look, they either fall into one of three categories: A definite “NO!”, a “Maybe, we haven’t really thought about it”, or “What’s a first look?”

So what is a first look anyway? A first look happens usually a few hours before the ceremony where the bride and groom see each other for the first time, instead of waiting until the bride walks down the aisle. It’s usually prearranged by the couple and the photographer and is built into the timeline of the day.

But Maria, why would we want to see each other before the wedding? Wouldn’t that ruin the tradition? I get it! Trust me, my husband was very traditional that way as well and we did not have a first look at our wedding. But do you know where that tradition stems from? Back in the day, when arranged marriages were common, the bride and groom were not allowed to see each other at all before the wedding. The ceremony symbolized a done business deal between two families. The father of the bride feared that if the groom found his daughter unattractive, he would call off the wedding, bringing shame to his daughter and the family. So the two were not allowed to meet until the day of the wedding. And the wedding veil over the face? That was so the groom couldn’t see what the bride looked like until the officiant announced, “You are now husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.” Romantic hey?

If I could do it all over again, I’d definitely have a first look and here’s why.

1. Seeing each other beforehand takes some of the pressure off. I was so nervous walking down the aisle that when I got to the end and saw my future husband, I gave him a hug and a big kiss, because that’s naturally what I would do when I see him. He backed away from me like, “We’re not supposed to do that yet,” and it made for an awkward situation.
2. It’s a special moment and more time for just the two of you. Believe me when I tell you, the day flies by. If you’re having a later ceremony (between 3:30-4pm), you are spending more than half your wedding day apart from each other. The first look gives you more time together and more photo opportunities.

3. You get to enjoy your entire reception!  This one is huge and probably one of my biggest regrets. About 50% of your entire wedding budget goes to the reception, you literally owe it to yourselves to be there for it. To this day, I still hear so many great things about our cocktail hour, but we barely got to experience it between we chose to take our pictures between our ceremony and reception. Enjoy your cocktail hour and those who are there to celebrate you!

4. You will still get your walking down the aisle moment. Every couple (grooms especially) say they’re so happy they decided to do a first look and that it took nothing away from seeing their bride come down the aisle. You will still be just as excited to see one another and you won’t have the urge to give each other a big hug and kiss after being apart all day.

No client of mine has ever told me that they regretted doing a first look. I’ve always gotten the response, “I’m so glad we did that!” I understand that first looks aren’t for everyone but it’s something that you should really consider doing. It frees up time in your day and makes the wedding schedule a little less hectic. Chances are your marriage isn’t arranged, you two know what the other looks like and you’re not backing out of anything.

Did you decided to have a first look? Comment below!

It’s a new year. A chance for a fresh start and a season of goal setting. I’m not one for making resolutions, but I do like to create goals. Last year, at the start of my business, I discovered Powersheets. It completely changed the way I looked at and set my goals. Powersheets was created by Lara Casey. It’s a planner that breaks down your goals by season, month and day. It’s based on intentional goal setting and making sure you take those little steps every day to help work towards the goal. Even in a digital world, I will always be a paper and pen girl, so I love all the space to write, doodle, etc.

In Powersheets, there is a place to write your word of the year. I thought long and hard about what word I wanted to represent my year.

Presence. I want to show up in everything I do. In this day and age, it is so hard NOT to be distracted by something. We are constantly checking our phones for an e-mail, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, typing Facebook into our web browser without even realizing why we are going to it. My goal for this year is to put the phone down and be more intentional with how I spend my time.

So how to do I plan on being more present in 2018?

• I have set specific business hours for myself and a schedule with how I’m spending those hours.
• When I’m spending time with my kids the phone is away, unless I’m taking a picture or posting something cute on Instagram Stories…like Isla trying to tell Alexa to stop.
• I’ve limited my web browser tabs to just 2. I want to give whatever I’m doing my full attention so that I can get it done and move onto the next task.
• Date nights without phones. Whether it’s date nights in or nights out.
• I’ve shut off all notifications on my phone and when I’m at the gym I set it to sleep mode. Because there’s nothing more annoying than being on the treadmill and getting stuck in a group message about nothing at all.

So these are just some things I’m doing to be more present in my business, my life and the lives of others around me. It’s definitely going to take work and a conscious effort-these little devices and a need to constant be connected is addicting! But it actually feels good to disconnect and set some limitations.

What’s your word of the year? Any good goals for 2018?

To the many, many families I was able to serve over the course of the year. THANK YOU! Thank you for trusting me with your families’ most cherished memories and for giving me the opportunity to laugh, play and run around with your little ones.

To all of the lovely married couples and engaged couples…THANK YOU!!! Taylor and Kyle, you will forever hold a special place in my heart as being my first ever wedding. Thank you to all of this year’s couples who trusted me with documenting their most important day. For booking me and putting your faith in me when I had yet to shoot a single wedding.

If I had to choose one word to describe 2017, it would be incredible. Never did I think a long time hobby could turn into something like this. I’m so excited for 2018 and can’t wait to work with more wonderful families and couples. Thank you to all of my clients, my family and other seasoned photographers for all of your love, support and advice! 2017 wouldn’t have been this amazing without all of you!

Jess & Chirag celebrated their October nuptials with their closest family and friends during an intimate, New York City wedding. Chirag is originally from India and all of his family still lives there. The two planned on traveling back to his country to have their big Indian wedding (a first time visit for Jess) but they still wanted to celebrate with Jess’s family and all of their New York friends.

For a city with such a crazy, “on the go” vibe, the weekend was very laid back. Their wedding festivities kicked off on Friday evening when Jess hosted a henna party in their apartment. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know these two on a more personal level. Their friends and family are so wonderful and I feel like I’m best friends with Jess’s grandma. She was quite the storyteller and we got along wonderfully!

I can honestly say that I loved everything about Jess and Chirag’s wedding day. The two got ready together in their NYC apartment. The details were on point and her dress was simple but gorgeous. An absolutely perfect choice for an unseasonably warm October day. Although there were a few hiccups throughout the day, Jess and Chirag handled everything with such grace and just laughed it off. Things like having a ceremony start almost an hour late and having no music to walk down the aisle to couldn’t sent someone into a meltdown, but these two just laughed as their friends and family hummed, “Here comes the bride” as Jess walked into the room. The couple wrote their own vows which were very heartfelt. There was even a Game of Thrones reference thrown into Chirag’s.

Jess and Chirag had their ceremony at the historical 3 West Club in the gorgeous Solarium room, which opened up to a patio that overlooked St. Patrick’s Cathedral. After the ceremony, everyone headed to Tarallucci E Vino for dinner and polenta party. I highly recommend checking this place out if you’re in the NYC area. The food was phenomenal and the cheese display was out of this world amazing. I can’t even begin to describe. Just scroll down to see its’ awesomeness. As a girl from Wisconsin and lover of cheese (and wine), my heart skipped a beat.

I asked the couple what they were looking forward to most about being married, and they said “just being together”. Having nothing to do but hang out on the weekends and to start their lives together. Congratulations to Jess and Chirag and thank you so much for asking me to be part of your amazing day and the start of your new journey as husband and wife!

Vendors that helped make this day amazing:

Wedding Dress: BHLDN

Florals: Alma Floral Design

Ceremony: 3 West Club

Reception: Tarallucci E Vino

Invitations: Minted

Kristin and Bryce met while they were each out with friends. It’s so funny to hear the story according to Kristin, because it just reminds me how much communication and the dating world has changed since I started dating my now husband. Bryce actually called Kristin as opposed to texting her! These two hit it off and the rest is history. We headed down to the Milwaukee Lakefront for their engagement session and I can’t wait to hang out with these two again at their wedding next summer.

It was a beautiful September day. Unseasonable warm for this time of year in Wisconsin. One of the hottest days we’ve had all summer. When I drove down the wooded driveway and approached the house, there was a sense of calm. None of the hustle and bustle you’d expect on a wedding day. When I walked into Mauria’s mom’s house, the girls were sitting around the table, finishing up breakfast, drinking mimosas, laughing and listening to chill music. They had under eye patches on-the same ones I had been wearing earlier that morning. I knew right then and there that I was in great company. Mauria introduced me to everyone, but because they were all so close, I had a hard time keep track of who her real sisters were when I first got there.

I met Mauria for coffee a few months back. She told me about her wedding, her bridesmaids and what they were wearing. She went on to describe her wedding as a simple backyard wedding with about 100 of their closest family and friends. When I arrived on site, it was much more than what I had envisioned. The property was lined with tall trees and fields. Mauria and Sarandi were married under a willow tree in her parents backyard and it was perfect. On our coffee date, Mauria had mentioned how artistic Sarandi was. It was one of the things she loved about him. Sarandi was responsible for painting all of the table numbers at the reception. They were beautifully done.

Mauria’s sisters went on to talk about the many phases of Mauria. There was lots of laughter in the audience. Some of these phases I could even relate to. And then they talked about the Sarandi phase, which is her forever phase. Sarandi and Mauria lit each other up the whole day. If there was a brief moment of stress that arose, Sarandi instantly brought a calm to Mauria. It was as if the two just kept front of mind what the day was about: the two of them starting their lives together and nothing else mattered.

I asked them toward the end of the night if there was any last minute pictures they wanted before I headed out. They said no, so I went inside and packed up my gear. When I came back to find them to say goodbye, they were dancing off in the distance by themselves. I always advise my couples to take a few moments by themselves to just take in the day. It goes by so quickly. I’m glad they listened and had their own moment separate from me taking them out for pictures.

Sarandi and Mauria, thank you so much for choosing me to document your wedding day. Congratulations to you two! Cheers to a lifetime of love and happiness!

Special thanks to these vendors for making these photos possible:

Photography: Maria Campbell Photography

Hair: Betsy Arsnow

Dress Designer: Cristiano Lucci

Bridal Boutique: Amelishan Bridal

Groom Attire: Calvin Klein at Men’s Wearhouse

Caterer: Saz’s

Flowers (Bouquets,boutonnieres, corsages): Parkway Floral

Flowers (Centerpieces, Table arrangements): Shoua Vang’s Bouquet

Jeweler: Custom designed at A Trio

Bakery: The Cake Lady

Planners: Cara Turkowski and Dianne Hofmann

A few weeks ago, I booked a flight out to NYC and wandered the streets by myself. Getting on a plane and exploring a city completely solo is something I’ve always wanted to do. Definitely the introvert in me. I went out to New York for the day mainly to scout locations for an upcoming wedding I have booked for early October. I’m so excited for this wedding and to say how I know the bride is so incredibly random. I met Jessica while I was standing in line with an old college friend of mine nearly 10 years ago. Megan and I had driven down to Illinois to meet Sarah Jessica Parker. She was signing autographs at Steve and Barry’s to debut her clothing line there. Jessica was there with her cousin. We got to talking and became Facebook friends. Our love of SJP and New York City kept us in touch throughout the years, so I find it very fitting that I will be photographing her wedding in NYC.

My first stop was Central Park. I’ve visited Central Park 3 times now and each time I’ve discovered something new that I have never seen before. This park is HUGE! After spending a few hours walking around there, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), walked around the Upper West Side, took a cab to Chelsea Market, then walked back up to Central Park area. My Apple Watch told me that I clocked in just a little over 14 miles! I ended my trip with a visit to Sprinkles for a cupcake sundae. It’s a cupcake top cut off with ice cream in the middle. It was amazing! I had a pumpkin cupcake with salted caramel ice cream. The closest Sprinkles to Milwaukee is in Chicago, but they don’t offer ice cream, so I had to try this out. It didn’t disappoint.

I’m so happy that I decided to go out there and scout. I feel more comfortable now knowing the places I’ll be shooting and having seen them. As much as I enjoy the quiet at times, my heart will always belong to the hustle and bustle of the city.