Love // K&B

Started the year living in Wisconsin and found comfort in the fact that this is where we plan to spend the rest of our picture-taking years :)

Set optimistic dreams for ourselves, and worked from our heart to make them a reality!

Made new friends who we are so grateful for! We love escaping what can sometimes feel like a crazy schedule to spend time with people who make us laugh!!

Photographed amazing couples in love all over Minnesota and Wisconsin :)

Had our couples featured on 7 different wedding blogs and published in 4 magazines!

Attended WPPI for the very first time in Las Vegas, and maximized the trip by photographing a styled shoot & attending the Making Things Happen Intensive!

Realized that even though we take pictures for amazing people all the time, we can’t forget to photograph the silly nothings that make our lives special too :)

Used too many exclamation points in all of our blog posts… we hope you don’t mind! ;)

Traveled to Chicago, Louisville, Omaha, Tulsa, Playa del Carmen, Ear Falls Canada, Door County (lots!), and Las Vegas!

Opened our very first studio in Wausau’s adorable downtown! We are super excited about this and will be sharing much more about our new studio in the coming weeks!

… It’s easy to look back at the year that was and think: Gosh! We took a lot of pictures! … But then we think back to each beautiful wedding day we were a part of, and we are reminded how truly blessed we are! We met and connected with not just our brides & grooms, but their lovely families and crazy friends too! We are so lucky to live and work in this incredibly rewarding industry together. All day, every day we are able to do what we love together, and we have our clients to thank for that!! Thank you for an awesome 2011!!! :D

Love // K&B

Please enjoy a few of our favorite moments from a handful of our 2011 weddings!

Happy Wednesday to you!

Love // K&B

Love // K&B

Availability: When you are planning your wedding, your date is the only one that matters to you. How dare someone you long to work with not be available, right? Sad but true, vendors book up. Make sure you inquire with the ones you know you want to work with right away to reserve your date on their calendar! The very first thing a photographer will want to know is your wedding date so that they can respond appropriately by getting to know you & your wedding plans, or recommending another photog who may be available for your date.

Contact: Many brides come straight out and all they want to know are the details of our Collections. This is often not the first thing we want to share with you! Working in the wedding world is all about relationships. How can we form a connection together if the only topic of conversation is cost? Yes, of course we understand working with a budget in mind, but remember that you’re not shopping in the Gap. You are viewing and considering that photographer’s work… that photographer’s passion… and most importantly, who that photographer is and how they will connect with you. Photography is kind of a huge deal in our world, and we want to establish that connection with you before we ship off our investment details ;)

Experience: On your wedding day, it is inevitable that you are going to spend a looooong time with your photographers. Pretty much all. day. long! This is why it is important to meet with your photographers (or chat on the phone if distance is an issue) to assure that you are compatible. (Wow, we sound like we’re giving relationship advice here, don’t we!) But really, that’s what it is: the beginning of a relationship!

Deciding: There are a few blog posts written by Lauren from Every Last Detail that we completely identify with. She gets to the heart of finding a wonderful photographer, and we wanted to share her words with you! They include: 5 Things to Know About Photographers as well as Choosing the Right Photographers Part 1 & Part 2. *Thank you Lauren for reading our minds* ;)

Choosing your photographers should be an easy decision. When you find the ones that you click with (no pun intended!), the experience you create together will make your wedding day even more memorable. The comfort level established between you and your photographers will be reflected in the images of your wedding day. After all, your photographs are the one thing that remains after your day has passed. Find the photographers that you can laugh with and make fun of. Whose work you have confidence in. The ones you know will capture who you and are as a couple!

Love // K&B

Love // K&B

Happy Monday, everyone! We hope your week is off to a great start :)

Love // K&B

Here’s a {sneak peek} of some of the new additions to our line of wedding collateral!

Love // K&B

My turn came, and it fit perfectly into our calendar. Like it was meant to be. I was meant to attend the Las Vegas intensive. Last Wednesday, in the midst of a crazy week at WPPI, I gathered in a room with 20 other creatives, and we shared our hearts. We shared our greatest fears. We shared our biggest goals. And we spoke openly about what needs to change in order for each of us to achieve our goals. Lara Casey, Gina Zeidler, and Natalie Norton led our 12-hour discussion, and the atmosphere these amazing women created for us was unbelievable. It was so easy to be open and honest, to speak your passion, because you were in a room with people who understand. People who understand that being self-employed brings its own kinds of challenges. People who understand how difficult it can be to find balance when your work is always there, always an option. People who also want to push themselves to be on top of their business, because they want to give their clients the very best of themselves. What we all came to realize, regardless of the issues we were facing individually, is that in order to achieve any of the successes you dream of, you must be PRESENT. At all times. What does that mean? Being invested in every moment. Being yourself in every moment. Because that is what being present is — being your best self in real time.

This is one of the biggest things I was hoping to find — BALANCE. Since Butch and I are in this business together, it is often too easy for us to pick up our computer after dinner and answer emails or finish that album design. But this is when we should be focusing on us, cuddling on the couch, having tickle-attacks, going to a movie, taking a walk hand-in-hand, or doing any of the other things that are all about the two of us and our love. Life is too short not to do all of those things, all the time!

One of the most powerful parts of our day was when Lara asked us to close our eyes and picture ourselves five-ten years down the road, having achieved our goals. The images I created in my mind were filled with joy! Keeping in mind we had achieved our goals at this point, I ran with my dreams when this vision was created. We were in Italy, in our vacation home, and we were surrounded by beauty. Not just our immediate surroundings (because really, in Italy isn’t everything gorgeous?) but those who were sharing the space with us. My parents. Butch’s parents. My brother. Butch’s sister. All laughing together, enjoying each other’s company. The evening light was soft, golden, and stunning. But that isn’t all. We had a child! A little girl, who was the most adorable thing we’d ever seen! We were all so happy. We filled the room with life, and I thought my heart was going to burst! Hugs, cheers, more laughter… And you know what the best part is? I can see this day happening frequently in our lives. I truly can. Whether in Italy on vacation or in our future home :)

This exercise was an eye-opener. Once you sit down and pre-visualize your dreams, you truly feel like they are yours to achieve! Afterwards, we took a moment to free write, and looking back at the words I put on paper, I am proud of myself. To share part of that with you, “We can build a successful business and loving, happy family, and find a harmonious balance among both. One infuses the other, and in order to do so, we will practice our ideal day, healthy work-life habits, and continue to challenge & inspire each other. We are forever fortunate to do what we love, affect the lives of others, create beautiful art, laugh at the little things, and just LIVE side bye side. Our family will see our love, best-friendship & passion, and we will have a home overflowing with joy.”

To those who may feel overwhelmed or exhausted, I encourage you to focus your attention on the little things. Slow down, clear the clutter, and spend extra time with the ones you love. Take time away from work, and just be. Thanks to Lara, Gina, and Natalie, that is what I am doing. I am forever grateful for them and the amazing friends I experienced Making Things Happen with. Thank you for your encouragement, and I can’t wait to see what each of you make happen in your lives! We are all destined for greatness, and we can help each other get there.

Today I can stand up and proudly say: I am confident, centered, optimistic, happy, and present! Because every post is better with a picture, here is me, feeling inspired and powerful after 12+ hours of Making Things Happen work.

Love // K

We are fortunate in that we had an amazing first trip to WPPI. We made new friends. We put faces to names we knew only online. We spent quality time with old friends. We enjoyed amazing food with friends. We made it to the early classes. We drank a lot of coffee. We ventured out at night to experience Las Vegas. We maximized the time we had, the opportunities we had. And WOW, are there ever a lot of opportunities to be had! We opened ourselves up to the possibility of better products and albums for our clients and fell in love. We had the honor of listening to the words of Jose Villa and Elizabeth Messina, among many others, and we spoke of big dreams. Together.

We are already looking forward to next year… but also happy that it is a good 12 months away because there are so many bits & pieces we took away that we can’t wait to work into our business! Truthfully, we are also happy we have time to process everything that we took in and focus on getting heathy again (apparently it is customary for people to get sick after leaving WPPI… late nights + mucho walking + early classes + recycled air is not the best recipe!). So next year we will bring EXTRA airborne and be sure to get more sleep… or at least try ;) We also want to participate in more styled shoots next year and get our toes out into the desert! If you’re planning a dessert shoot, count. us. IN! Cheers to the friends we came home with this year, and to all of those we will make in the future. We can’t wait to meet you at WPPI 2012! Stay in touch :)

Love // K&B