I ask all of my couples this question: What was the moment you knew he/she was "the one"?
I ask because it's truly fascinating - is there actually a moment? A word, a glance, a gesture that tells you "Yes, this is the person for me... forever."
Most of the time it's hard for people to pin down. Most of the time they tell me that it wasn't a singular moment, but rather a series of moments collected over time. And that makes sense to me... But when I asked Marie this question, she gave me an answer I will remember forever because it was so simple, so beautiful.
"We were grabbing a bite to eat at St. Francis in Phoenix. We sat down, looked at the menu, and like I usually do, I asked Peter what he was getting. He told me he wanted the Iron Skillet Pancakes. He then asked what I was getting and I told him that I was torn between the Pork Chile Verde or the Chorizo Flatbread. The waiter arrived and I picked the Pork Chile Verde. When it was Peter's turn, he ordered the Chorizo Flatbread. I was a little surprised because a minute ago he seemed very set on the pancakes. I asked him what happened and he just said he changed his mind. But I knew he just wanted me to be able to have both and gave up his pancakes for me."
That's how she knew. In that simple choice, in that single gesture, that's how she knew she would love him forever.
And I think that is beautiful.
On Saturday afternoon, as Peter put on his jacket and bow tie, he was SO excited to marry his bride:
I loved how calm the bridal suite at The Arizona Biltmore was. Marie has such a gentle spirit and puts everyone around her at ease.
I am crazy about Marie's veil! I had a lot of fun shooting it in this gorgeous light:
I couldn't get over how stunning Marie looked! She was glowing as she read Peter's hand-written card to her.
Marie & her mom traveled to the church in a 1966 Rolls Royce:
Marie's parents walked her down the long aisle to meet her groom:
Yay! Husband and wife!!
Marie just kept being gorgeous all. day. long.
And it was so much fun to shoot some portraits with these two at the Arizona Biltmore:
The ballroom was regal and elegant:
Peter proposed to Marie in a hot air balloon. And they gave each of their guests a balloon ornament in commemoration:
Peter & Marie waltzed for their first dance:
And the guests celebrated the night away!
What an amazing day! Congratulations Peter & Marie! Thank you so much for allowing me to capture your wedding day!
Frivolous: playful, lighthearted, trivial; the little things in life that should be savored.
Highlight of the week: Attending and speaking at the largest convention for professional photographers in the world. WPPI was, as always, overwhelming, but I was inspired by amazing speakers, encouraged by friends and colleagues, and have come home with a lot to process and implement!
Yes, I did this:
1 -- Felt slightly intimidated at the prospect of speaking to THIS.
2 -- Removed these heels the moment I finished my presentation.
3 -- Found myself crying on the bathroom floor twice. This is ironic because only a few weeks ago my friend Jordan asked me if I've ever had any "crying on the bathroom floor" incidents with my business. My answer at that time was, "no." So much for my clean record on that front!
Celebrating: I was reminded again this week of the amazing clients God has blessed me with. One of my past brides attended WPPI as a photographer and we got to hang out quite a bit. And then upon returning from Vegas, I was greeted by a sweet card and gift from another bride whose wedding I photographed last fall. It completely blessed and humbled me. I have the best clients!
WPPI is also a great excuse to reconnect with some of my workshop alumni who attend each year. I loved meeting up with this crew for lunch and catching up on them and how far they have come since attending. So proud!!
Feeling Blessed: There are SO many exciting things to look forward to in the coming weeks, but first up -- I get to shoot this cute couple's wedding tomorrow!!
With over 160 MJ2Day alumni now taking over the globe, I thought it would be fun to do a series on my blog to check in on past attendees and see what they're up to now and how their businesses, lives and photography have been impacted by their experience at the workshop. I've heard so many fun stories from past attendees that leave me beaming with pride at their coolness and I can't wait to share!
Today, I'd like to introduce you to Bernadette Pollard -- an attendee of the February 2013 workshop in Phoenix. Bernadette is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and specializes in weddings -- both national and international. This is cute Bernadette (left photo by yours truly and right photo by Jen Harvey):
We get photographers at all stages of their businesses at the MJ2Day and Bernadette was in her first official year of focusing solely on weddings. She had been in business for a while, and was generally happy with the amount of weddings she was booking and the type of clients she was attracting. But she was seeking advice for more growth, with an interest in expanding her business far beyond what it was at the time. She was in need of systems that would help her maximize her time more efficiently and help her serve her clients better.
I interviewed Bernadette for this post and I appreciate what she shared in answer to my first question:
Q: What is the biggest difference in your photography since attending the MJ2Day?
A: I implemented two main photography techniques following the workshop:
1. I started using MJ’s off-camera flash set-up: I had played around with this a little before, but now I had specifics on gear, lighting diagrams, and camera/flash setting recommendations. These guides gave me the confidence to more deeply experiment with crafting better reception and dancing photos. My imagery created with flash quickly became more dynamic and interesting. It allowed me to worry less about where to “bounce” the light and it gave me much more control in many difficult lighting & venue situations.
2. I began shooting wide open. I already knew that this was something I wanted to do more often, in order to produce the type of romantic imagery I was aiming for. But, again I was a bit hesitant to trust my creative intuition. Following the workshop, I shot almost an entire wedding at f1.4 and found that it gave me much more of a creative “voice” – in being able to better see + utilize the natural light and to the draw attention within my images towards specific details and a more genuine mood that I was attempting to a capture.
Here are some examples of Bernadette's work before the workshop:
And here is a sample of her work since the workshop:
Amazing improvement in one short year!!
Q: What is the biggest difference in your business since attending the MJ2DAY?
A: The most significant difference is the QUALITY of couples that I am booking. Quality meaning that, because the photography within my portfolio has improved to a place that I am very proud of, I am consistently attracting brides and grooms that appreciate my ascetic and resonate with my ideal imagery.
Q: What are some of your goals that you set after attending the workshop that you have since completed?
A: One of the most important business/marketing tips that I implemented was the consistency of my blogging. MJ drove home the fact that if I was not sharing blog posts regularly, my blog was, in fact, out-of-date to potential clients. I began pushing myself to blog full wedding previews {my favorite 30 images} within 3 days of the event, riding that wave excitement surrounding the recent festivities and encouraging interaction. My blog went from containing one post every 2-3 months, to a new post every single week. And I also went from ZERO comments to 20+ comments per post. This provided me with lots of positive encouragement for my work and was also really fun feedback for my newly married couples.
Q: Have you changed or raised your prices since the workshop? And have you seen a change in your booking rate or the type of clients you book since the workshop?
A: Yes! I streamlined my package options and raised my prices by about 30%. It was very scary at first, but I found that not only was I able to book more weddings, but those couples valued the photography a great deal more and trusted my process. Despite raising my price points, my booking rate has remained consistent AND the type of client that I began attracting fit my personality much more succinctly. I attribute a lot of this to the fact that my previous couples were gracious enough to provide helpful/honest reviews of my work and client services {due mainly to MJ’s client workflow tips!}.
Q: Are there any cool connections or events that happened as a result of you attending the MJ2DAY?
A: Absolutely. I’ve been able to recommend fellow participants to some of my clients in other markets. One of my Minnesota wedding couples had a need for a photographer in the Washington, DC market and I was more than happy to recommend an MJ2Day Attendee. I’ve also hired a second shooter from the workshop for an upcoming wedding in the Chicago area!
Also, there were so MANY fun giveaways from the workshop sponsors! I was lucky enough to win an advertising spot in Destination I Do Magazine -- and this particular bride who was featured in my ad was especially thrilled. I received some great leads from the placement and booked a wedding in Florida for Fall 2014!
(Bernadette's full page ad that she won at the workshop is on the right side of the spread below):
Q: Are there any other changes or exciting developments you'd like to share?
A: Since I’m blogging much more regularly, I’ve been able to focus on getting that work published! It’s very easy now to point publications to my own blog posts to see more imagery. Some of my recent press includes:
Incredible Bernadette! Thank you so much for sharing! I'm so proud of you and everything you've accomplished since the workshop -- you are putting in some serious work and it shows!
If you're a photographer and would love to take your photography and business to the next level like Bernadette has, join us at an upcoming MJ2Day! We still have spots open for June in California! It promises to be beautiful and life-changing!
I posted about our job opening a few months back, and we are still on the hunt for the perfect full-time office manager for MJP!
As with any small business, this employee will be asked to wear many hats and work on a variety of tasks within the business. If you or anyone you know is interested, you can find a full job description by clicking here.
Please note that I will not be entertaining any applicants who have their own photography business or aspire to start their own business at any point in the future. While that may sound harsh, I want to be clear that I am not looking to train someone who plans to leave and start their own business. I teach workshops and offer one-on-one coaching for current and aspiring business owners, so if you fit this description, I would encourage you to look into one of these avenues for further training. This position is open to those who would like to be a part of our team, preferably for the long-term, and who will be thrilled to be an employee of a growing business where their gifts and input will be highly valued and utilized.
This employee will be required to work from the MJP office located in the Arcadia area of Phoenix, just north of Sky Harbor Airport.
Please forward any questions or resumes to melissa{at}melissajill{dot}com. Thank you!
Frivolous: playful, lighthearted, trivial; the little things in life that should be savored.
Highlight of the week: Massage Tuesday followed by lunch and shopping for the perfect WPPI speaking outfit with my trooper of a friend, Kari. Either I was far too picky or the stores are currently against carrying anything cute, because it was LONG and largely unfruitful. One way or another I will be clothed though.
Yes, I did this:
1 -- Sent out invitations for my dog's birthday party.
2 -- Bought a lifetime supply of Lysol wipes.
3 -- Drove around with my neighbor for a half hour trying to help rescue a lost dog we saw in our neighborhood. Watched it get hit by a car and bounce off. We tried to catch it after but it was too stinkin' fast. So sad! Hope the little guy is ok and somehow made his way home!
Shopped at LuluLemon for the first time. Bought the most expensive pair of black leggings I've ever purchased. We'll see…I'm still not sure what all the fuss is about.
Celebrating: The arrival of new referral gifts!! These are the most beautifully sculptural works of art made of heavenly chocolate that I've ever put in my mouth. And of course we needed to order a box for the office for quality control purposes. Yum.
Should I feel self-conscious that 80% of my instagram photos from this week are consumer goods, and 1/3 of them are made out of chocolate? I also bought 2 more boxes of girl scout cookies to add to the two I have already consumed. They went directly into the freezer, though. AND I have new leggings for all the working out I have planned, so I figure the situation is under control.
Feeling Blessed: Ahhh! Life is crazy and exhausting, but I can't wait for what's in store this week! I'm heading to Vegas for WPPI and am so looking forward to seeing old friends and making some new ones! Should be amazing!
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