Appleby Photography's Aqua Colored Wedding Inspiration Board

I just loved all the color details of this wedding! Even the candy buffet was all perfectly matched with the colors of the wedding!

Baby Julius | Baby Badger

Baby Julius has no choice. He WILL be a Wisconsin Badger fan. Both of his parents are huge Badger fans, and Julius' Badger apparel collection was started well before he was even born. It's a good thing Baby Badgers are so cute!

Mike & Kathryn

The month of May kicks off our "wedding season"! We started this year with a wedding in Dubuque, Iowa. The weather was absolutely perfect and the day was relaxed and fun.

Sisterly Love

I love to photograph girls, and three sisters were even more fun than just one. These blonde cuties absolutely loved my pettiskirts, which always makes for a fun session!

Simple Details

"Like the little things that you appreciate about your partner, it's the simple details that make the biggest impression on your wedding day. Those personal touches are what your guests will walk away remembering. By hiring qualified and trusted wedding professional who understand your vision, you can have peace of mind that all the details will fall into place, and your wedding will be as unique as your love for each other."

-Kerri & Eleni, Boston Bridal Lounge, Boston, MA

What do you want to be when you grow up?

The pressure of picking a career often begins as a child, with adults asking children what they want to be when they grow up. And some people feel like they are still trying to figure out their career well into their adulthood.

In elementary school, I remember wanting to be an art teacher when I grew up. By the time I was in high school, I was trying to decide whether I should go to college for social work or photography. Trying to be practical, I chose social work, but after only one year, I knew I had to change paths and switch degrees. I have been a photographer ever since.

I think it's fun to see how children see themselves in the future and how their ideas change. I like to ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up, just to get a peek into their minds. Theories suggest that children go through a fantasy period in which their career choices are based solely on their interests and desires, with minimal attention paid to their abilities or the selectivity of the career.

Madalyn, who just turned 11, says she would like to be a artist, specifically, a painter.

Lydia, who just turned 5, says she would like to be a mermaid.

Henry, who is 3, says he would like to be a "race car head".

"You mean a race car driver?" I asked.

"No," he said, "a race car head. Like Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen."

"So you want to be a car with a face?"

"Yep, and I'll go really fast!"

So, what do you want to be when you grow up?

[Painting by my grandfather, Galen Lint]

Sienna | Newborn Portraits

I absolutely love photographing newborns! It is amazing to me how babies start out so small. Even after having four children of my own, newborns still seem so tiny and truly mesmerizing. There is nothing like holding a sleeping baby cuddled in your arms. Little Sienna was a doll to work with during her session, and I love the images from the session. She was just 6 days old when I had the honor of meeting her!

For more images from the session, check out our facebook page.

Sonia | Pregnancy

Sonia looked absolutely adorable with her pregnant belly! The first of these three images is my very favorite from the maternity session. Jason and Sonia were a sweet couple to work with- and we felt a instant friendship, as they are Cedar Rapids, IA transplants to Madison, WI! Very soon, I will be posting images from their newborn baby session!!

You’re either going to love me or hate me...

...because when you make these, you won’t be able to stop eating them!

Kids love to help in the kitchen, and when you bake, they are drawn to the kitchen like a moth to a flame! A bowl of batter or cookie dough is so hard to resist. But, Chris is especially strict on the “no raw egg” rule for the kids, making the tradition of “licking the bowl” non-existent. (Well, for the kids, at least.) Occasionally, I’ll use a pasteurized product, like Egg Beaters, when baking with them, because sometimes the dough or batter is better than the final cookies or cake.

I came across a recipe that I tweaked a bit for frozen cookie dough balls that excludes eggs, making them the perfect treat to prepare with kids, and even better to eat!

“No-Egg” Frozen Cookie Dough Balls

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon water

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in vanilla, water, flour, salt, baking soda and chocolate chips. Roll into bite-sized balls. Place on baking sheet and freeze 1 to 2 hours.

If desired, melt chocolate candy coating and dip each dough ball into the chocolate to coat. Return dough balls to baking sheet and freeze 1 hour.

Store dough balls in air tight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Enjoy!! :)

Great Save-The-Date Advice

This great advice for Save-The-Dates comes from eleGALA.com

Save-the-Dates

Our save-the-date cards guide includes rules, etiquette, trends, and save-the-date wording samples.

Although save-the-dates are not absolutely necessary, these cards have increased in popularity with the rise of destination weddings and modern guest lists spread over the country. Since they are a relatively modern concept, no real rules apply – a fact that sometimes causes confusion for brides when planning their wedding stationery. We’ve sorted through the information that’s out there to bring you the real ins and outs concerning save-the-dates…

Who Needs Save-the-Date Cards?

If your guest list includes a number of out-of-towners or if your wedding takes place during a holiday or other peak time, you are a prime candidate for save-the-dates. Since invitations don’t go out until six or eight weeks before the big day, save-the-dates are the perfect way to give wedding guests a preliminary heads-up so they can begin making travel arrangements. These days, however, more and more brides send these cards regardless of the time and location of their wedding. Why? Save-the-dates provide a fun opportunity to get the word out and foreshadow the style of your big event!

Rules & Etiquette

Again, few rules apply. The only information you must include is your names and the wedding date, although we suggest including location information as well so wedding guests can begin their travel plans. Aim to send save-the-date cards soon after you secure your date and venue, or about six months prior to your wedding. Remember, everyone who receives a save-the-date also receives an invitation, so have your guest list finalized prior to sending them. Although formal replies are not required, you can get preliminary attendance estimates through word-of-mouth.

Trends & Ideas

These cards will be the first impression of your wedding festivities, so take advantage of this opportunity to build excitement amongst your wedding guests. If you already know the colors and/or theme of your wedding, now’s your chance to provide a sneak peek. Or try including a favorite love poem or quote that symbolizes your relationship. Here are some of our favorite ideas and trends:

• Use vibrant colors that will “pop” as soon as guests open the envelope.
• Incorporate graphics that correspond with the season and/or location of your event. See Unique Wedding Invitations for Every Season for motif and color suggestions.
• If the timing is right, turn your save-the-date cards into holiday greetings. Incorporate your engagement photo or another photo taken shortly after the proposal.
• Who says they have to be printed stationery? Set yours apart by turning them into scrolls, pens, stickers, magnets, or a creative calendar-marker.

Wording Samples

The content of your save-the-dates should be short, sweet, and to the point – providing a basic who, what, where, and when. There is no standard wording; they can be as formal or as whimsical as you’d like. In any case, make sure to include “Formal invitation to follow” somewhere on the card.

Here is the basic layout for the save-the-date cards:

Save the Date: [bride & groom’s name] are getting married on [wedding date] in [city, state]

Here are some other wording samples you might want to consider:

Traditional
Please save the date:
May 4, 2006, for the wedding of
Mike & Ansley in Charleston, South Carolina

Fun and cutesy
We’re Tying The Knot!
Justin popped the question, and Katie said yes.
Please join us on October 2, 2006
Orange County, California

For a destination wedding
Please join us in paradise on June 17, 2006
when Lisa & Jay say “I Do”
in Maui, Hawaii

Brittany | High School Senior

I am so excited to show off this session- I absolutely love how these turned out!

When Brittany requested "snow pictures" for her prom dress, I wasn't sure she was really serious. But not only was she serious, she was enthusiastic! The day of her senior session, we had the good luck of having it snow all day, in perfect fluffy flakes. Brittany was such a sweetheart about traipsing through the snow in her strapless dress and standing with slinky high heel shoes in that snow. Her father made an excellent assistant, helping to keep her warm and to keep as much of the snow off her hair as possible between shots! It definitely made a memorable session for everyone!

You can see more of the images here.

Newsletter Feature - Wedding Planner & Guide

We absolutely adore The Wedding Planner & Guide, with their beautiful printed book, easy-to-use website and large, professional bridal shows. Their team is so wonderful to work with and we feel they are such a great source of information to couples planning a wedding. So, we were thrilled to be featured in their March newsletter! You can check it out here, and, of course, you can sign up for your own monthly newsletter to help with all your wedding planning. They send out great tips, ideas, and keep you up to date about upcoming events.

Please take a look! We are so excited to be featured!

Cherish

Children will not remember you for the material things you provided, but for the feeling that you cherished them.

Family | Downtown Madison

I have "hair envy".

Two year old Devin has the sweetest little curls, just like ones that I hoped my boys would get. They didn't, so I had to make do with enjoying Devin's curls, along with his smug, shy grin. Together with brothers Brady and CJ, these boys were so cute! They made perfect subjects for an Downtown Urban session!

Sunflower Fields

Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun.
-- Kahlil Gibran

Colleen knew right away where she wanted to have her family portraits taken- next to the field of sunflowers that she could see from her windows. She wanted to always remember the fantastic view that she see each summer. Getting siblings and cousins together was an extra bright part of the session.

Drew | Too Old For Two

I have photographed Drew since he was a 3 month old baby, so it's neat to see him grow. Of course, it's hard to see him look older than his two years. I usually like images where children look "grown up". (Except when it's my own children. I was a bit sad when a client told me my daughter's three year old portrait made her like a six year old. I want to keep her a baby forever!) But, even I felt a tug on the heartstrings to see Drew looking more like a three year old because, as a parent, I think it's hard to see your child grow up before you are ready!

Riley | Newborn Baby

We photographed Wendi and Brian's wedding years ago. So when they welcomed their third baby boy, I was excited to photograph their whole family together. Little Riley will get plenty of love from his brothers. And, I'm sure, will be one tough little cookie!

Family | Downtown Madison

Michele and Kim have three sweet girls, who all loved the camera! I love to be able to photograph the whole family together, as well as the children together and separately. It's so much fun when their personalities show!

Family | Madison

Neomi's family recently moved to Madison. When it was time for her family's portrait session, she wanted to include the character of city of their new home. The Wisconsin State Capitol was the perfect place. And while they may not be Wisconsin natives, they are certainly Packer fans!

Kate | Baby

We photographed Sara and Ty's wedding several years ago. I was delighted when they came back with their newborn daughter, Kate. Sara happily sat back and let me have fun photographing Kate, who dozed through the whole session. It was a win-win for everyone!