Print of the Week: Week 5
We've been taking photos for quite a while now, and unfortunately most of those photos end up sitting on a couple of different hard drives never to see the light of day.
Each week we're going to dive into the Krom Photography archives to try to find some cool photographs to print for you all. If you don't like what you see one week then it may be worth coming back the next because the print of the week will cover many different genres.
As we head into February with Valentine's Day quickly approaching we thought it fitting to highlight the City of Love! Paris was one of the handful of places I was able to visit while I was studying abroad in Europe. It was such a crazy adventure! This is possibly my favorite photo from the entire month abroad, and I love that I'm getting the opportunity to share it with everyone else!
Click the "Print of the Week" link below to take you to the page.
Here Comes the... Reality
Some people dream about their wedding day their whole lives. Others may not, but one thing that is probably true for most everyone is that their wedding day is something they form a vision around at some point. There’s a pretty picture in our minds of what the perfect wedding would look like whether it comes to us at 5 years old or we don’t see it until we find that perfect person and get engaged.
You finally get there and you’re so excited then you start planning and there’s squeaky breaks screeching you to a halt. Wedding planning is no walk in the park. For anyone that’s been through it that’s a reality you know all too well. Sometimes I’m sure (most likely with an unlimited budget) it goes exactly as planned, but for most people there are bumps in the road.
Venues aren’t working, the date you wanted isn’t available, things are too expensive, it’s getting harder to find the perfect dress in your budget, the bouquet looked weird the first time you saw it, finding the photographer for you seems like an endless search, or maybe adding it all up is just getting a little too stressful to deal with. There’s so much to think about.
Well Leo and I are just getting started. I’m not sure about him, but I definitely went in thinking it wouldn’t be that difficult. I felt like it would all just sort of work out right exactly how I had envisioned it. Wrong! When you’re on a budget you can’t just have whatever you want. So when reality hits, sometimes it hits hard.
For us it was the venue. I had in my mind this perfect place, and just seeing it online I fell in love with it. I wasn’t trying to get so attached without having gotten a quote yet, but it was seemingly perfect. I couldn’t help it. When the quote came it was painful. I knew in that moment that it wasn’t going to happen. I was crushed. I’ve always been the person that is disappointed when something doesn’t work out exactly how I thought it would, so chances are this isn’t the only time I will feel this way during the planning process if I don’t redirect my thoughts.
So if you’re planning a wedding or you’re about to start there’s one question you need to remember, and what I’ve had to focus on. What is most important to you? Be real with yourself, because it’s so easy to get caught up in all the little details.
When it comes down to it the tiny details don’t necessarily matter for me. I’m marrying the person I love. We’re inviting the people that are most important in our lives. We will be celebrating together, and there will be the perfect photographer there to capture it all. That’s really all that matters. Your wedding day is about love and celebration, so let’s keep it that way and I would venture to say some of the stress will go away.
Helping HALO Animal Rescue
It has been a busy couple of weeks, but I was finally able to get started on something that Nikki and I got involved with last month. That is HALO Animal Rescue.
We had been looking for somewhere to volunteer our time with for a while, and since Nikki is in love with all animals this seemed fitting. After following their page it became apparent that they may be able to use our help. We reached out to them and got in touch with one of their coordinators who set us up with an orientation time at their main location in Phoenix. Once we had gone through the short orientation we were ready. It's really that simple!
Now for a little bit about HALO Animal Rescue. HALO is a no-kill animal shelter here in Phoenix, Arizona. They take pride in providing refuge for animals that may be destroyed at other shelters for reasons such as an injury, illness, or simply because they are too young or scared to go up for adoption at the time. They're a passionate group of individuals that really care about the animals that they serve.
At Metrocenter Mall resides one of their secondary adoption centers for a handful of animals, and this is where they held their 21st birthday adoption event. I had the pleasure of documenting some of the event. Without further ado here are some of those photos!
As a little bonus here's a quick video montage of some of what went on.
A Vaninetti Wedding Weekend
Over the weekend we had the wonderful pleasure of being part of my older brother's wedding weekend. On Friday night we had a rehearsal dinner at Rustler's Rooste, and on Saturday we enjoyed the most beautiful wedding.
I had never heard of Rustler's Rooste before. It was quite the atmosphere. It was definitely an interesting place, but the view wasn't bad at all. It was actually really pretty, and a very nice night out. After the sun went down, we enjoyed hanging out on the balcony. Most of the people attending were on my new sister-in-law's side from out of town. So we really didn't know anyone there. We banded together with my little brother, and enjoyed each other's company for the most part.
The week leading up to all the fun was hectic, but well worth it for the result. Friday night was nice, but Saturday was one of the best moments in time that I could think to be part of. I love weddings as it is, and when it's a wedding in the family it is that much more special. I love that my brother hung out with us at the house beforehand. I thought it was cute that he wanted to be around us all day leading to the big "I Do." We were all preparing for the wedding, talking about the anticipation and excitement and how it all came so fast. Mostly we smiled and laughed and spent genuine time as a family before such a big moment in my brother's life, and that's really special.
It came time to head over to the venue to finish getting ready. As we arrived I thought about how it felt like just yesterday that we were shooting their engagement photos in that same location, and what a privilege that was. You can see the pure joy on each of their faces just being around one another, which is one of my favorite things about doing all of this.
We arrived mid-afternoon and my mom and I went to the Bridal suite. Savannah was getting her hair and makeup done, and she already looked so beautiful. I had the honor of being one of her bridesmaids, so I got to be part of the whole process. Getting into her dress was a process because of all the eyelets, but once she had it on it fit so perfect. There was a moment where she walked over to the mirror, and the train of the dress was laying nicely behind her where I just couldn't help myself from tearing up a little. Savannah looked so stunning, and it hit me that my brother was marrying this beautiful woman, and she would be my new sister.
Then the wedding planner came in and it was time to line up for the ceremony. I was really excited, and it became so real in that moment. I was able to walk down with my younger brother, and we were the first bridesmaid/groomsmen duo to walk. We had the opportunity to see my older brother, and look up at his nervous yet incredibly excited smile first. It was such pure joy. Savannah walking down the aisle brought tears to everyone's eyes, because she was absolutely stunning, and the smile on my brother's face couldn't have been bigger. That moment in any wedding cannot be described. It has to be seen and felt, because there is so much love. The ceremony was short, sweet, and incredibly meaningful for the two of them sharing their love for each other and God.
The reception was so much fun! Our favorite part was probably the photo booth. Photo booths at receptions always sounded like a fun idea, but it is honestly the best idea ever. All of the guests were having a blast with all the props, and there were little print-outs immediately after.
We aren't much for dancing, but we did get a couple in there. There was one fun song, then we ended the night with a slow dance. That balanced it out. We were satisfied with just the two. The food was amazing, the cupcakes were just as tasty, and everything came together beautifully. We sent them off at the end of the night with sparklers and cheers. Altogether an incredible day, and an absolutely beautiful wedding.