Engagement Session | Governor Nelson State Park

Most wedding couples opt to do an engagement session before their big day. We love being able to do engagement sessions, as it allows us to get to know the couple better. We see how they interact together and in front of the camera. We also get to learn more about them, as a couple. We find out if they are reserved or playful, outgoing or a little shy. They will often tell us if they are nervous about being photographed and this gives us the chance to show them that the process of a portrait session is a lot easier than they think!

Nicolas and Laura picked Governor Nelson State Park as their location for their engagement session. The 422-acre Wisconsin state park in Waunakee sits on the shore of Lake Mendota, across from downtown Madison. 

Parenting Is Exhausting: Lessons From Home

Just when you get one problem figured out- or even before that problem is fully taken care of- the next one comes at you, stealing your attention and robbing your sleep.

Being a parent means life is always filled with chaos and messes, both big and small.

Recently we were on vacation when my daughter had several seizures, which is a heart-wrenching experience for a mother to witness. This started a round of hospital visits. Monday afternoon we finished up an MRI and EEG, done for the purpose of diagnosing Lydia with epilepsy. It felt like a relief to have jumped that hurdle and for us to be able to move forward.

But no sooner had I gotten messages out to family that we would have to wait several days for the final test results than the next thing happened.

The burgers were not even off the grill for dinner Monday night when panicked screams came from Henry in the backyard. He had fallen from a swing and broke his arm, snapping both the ulna and radius forearm bones. He had to be sedated for the doctor to set the bones and put on a cast, with the warning that he may still need surgery for the arm to heal correctly.

So, Monday had me sitting in hospitals for nine hours, first with Lydia and then Henry.

You try to be a good parent. You want to sacrifice a part of yourself to protect your kids. You dream of putting your kids in a magic bubble to keep them safe.

You try to not make the same mistakes twice. You try to teach your kids the lessons you had to learn the hard way. You want to make life easier for them.

As parents, we freeze. We stop living. We think that if we can do this or control that, we’ll keep the bad stuff away, our family will be safe and happy. But the only thing it really does is keep us from truly being happy ourselves.

And, like all parents, I am reminded that I can’t stop life from happening. My youngest will go off to kindergarten this fall, whether I want him to or not. My oldest will be taking driver's ed as she gets ready to get her license, even if I'm not ready for her to drive.

Things happen. Things change. Wounds heal, pain goes away, life goes on.

You realize there is never a good time. There is never a time when you can count on everything being calm.

And if I try to make things easy or think I can stop my kids from hurting, life will step in to remind me I’m not in charge. It’s not up to me. I can’t control life.

You can’t wait for the right time for things because it never comes. There is not a perfect time. You can’t hope to keep things easy or neat. There is not a magic bubble.

Life is messy. And hard. You can’t protect your kids from everything.

And the real kicker is: They don’t even want you to.

I can’t prevent my kids from ever feeling pain. No one can. And we all need to embrace that.

Living in fear of the next big disaster only stops us from living. We have to move forward even if it’s with just the hope that everything will be okay, that it works out in the end.

We owe it to our kids, to ourselves.

So I hug my babies and keep them close while I can.

I tell them I love them.

And I promise myself I’ll catch up on sleep later.

Make Your Own Wedding Bar: From Candy To Popcorn!

Everyone loves options. Especially when it comes to what they eat.

What is a Food Bar?

A trend at wedding receptions is to have a food or dessert buffet (or commonly called "bar," as in "candy bar" or "baked potato bar") as an addition to the meal being served.

The idea is to let your guests pick what they want. 

Couples like to include a food bar as a way of entertaining their guests. It gets people up out of their seats and mingling at the reception and lets them make some decisions around a menu that is already set.

I've seen this done with everything from pasta to mashed potatoes served in martini glasses with topping to dress them up and with an array of desserts that go far beyond just wedding cake.

The Ever-Popular Candy Bar

Candy bars are popular and can be a lot of fun for both kids and adults. It might surprise you that I often see more adults get all giddy over filling up a bag with sugary treats than the kids- and trust me, the kids love it. A candy bar seems to bring out the nostalgia in adults and grant them permission to enjoy those childhood favorites because everyone is at a party and enjoying the evening.

Sometimes the couple will match the candy to their wedding colors, but, in my opinion, the best candy bars just go for the good stuff, without regard to wrapper colors.

Beyond Candy

But what if you are looking for something beyond candy, something different?

Easy: pick anything that can be customized and run with it.

If you can easily change ingredients or add toppings, it will be perfect for your guests.

• Set out seasoned tomatoes, olives and cheeses for a bruschetta bar;
• Skip the formal meal and do a taco bar;
• Casual barn weddings would work well with a casual sandwich bar;
• Help guests stay up late with a caffeine fix at a coffee bar;
• For the daring, set up a mixology station and let guests create their own cocktails;
• A s'mores bar could mix traditional and sophisticated into one dessert; 
• Serve ice cream and toppings for a sundae bar (I really wish brides and grooms would serve ice cream with the wedding cake-they were meant to be served together! This is a trend that needs catch on...)

Recently, I saw a popcorn bar. This was completely new to me, but made total sense to do as a bar. (I loved this! I now want to have a party, just so I can have a popcorn bar!)

There were flavored powder seasonings, like ranch, buffalo wing and bacon cheddar. There were also peanuts, m&ms and reese's pieces to sprinkle in.

When you give your guests to ability to choose what they get to eat, it adds a little interactive entertainment, they mingle with other guest and they have a great time. It's a win-win.

Wedding Planning With A Beer Theme

I love when a couple takes the time to personalize their wedding style with the things they love. And when they love beer, it makes for a very fun theme.

Andy Sparhawk, over at CraftBeer.com, shares his ideas for his own beer wedding - and encourages you to steal them for your own.

Check out his article, So You're Marrying a Beer Geek.
While you're at it, take a look at a wedding we did last fall: 
Cheers to this Brewery-Based Big Day.