Tag Archives: Kingwood wedding photographer

My 2017 Word of the Year

Posted in b.marie.photography, Personal by

It’s a new year. I could go through the whole “how did that happen already?!?” thing, but I think we all pretty much feel like time is flying, so I think that’s covered.

Once again this year, I’ve picked one word to try to guide me through daily moments, business decisions & growth. It’s always so hard for me to narrow it down to just one word because I feel like there are so many areas in which I can push to grow more.

After lots of thinking & reflecting, I’ve chosen “abundance” as my word for this year.

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I’ve heard lots of podcasts & read lots of posts on the abundance mindset before but never really took the time to think about it more deeply. When I took a minute to think about what an abundant mindset really means for me in business & in life, I realized that this might just be the perfect word for this year.

So heading into 2017 I am going to challenge myself to stop thinking in terms of scarcity. There are lots of Houston & Kingwood photographers, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t enough clients for all of us to serve. I will focus on finding MY ideal clients who I can impact & bless the best & bring those clients into the b.marie.photography family. The clients I don’t get? They’re better served by another photographer & that’s a blessing to all of us.

In my personal life, I’ve already seen what thinking of abundance can do for me. Living with a 3 and a half year old and a 14 month old is tough. When they’re fussy or stubborn it can be downright exhausting. But in the moments when the fits are happening (usually for pretty much no reason) & I want to snap, I’ve thought about the fact that there is an abundance of patience. I’m not limited in that area other than the limits I put on myself. So taking a breath & consciously thinking about bringing in more of that abundant patience has seemed to help tremendously!

 

So here’s to 2017, and to recognizing & appreciating the abundance all around us!

If you’ve picked a word of the year, I’d love to hear what it is & why you chose it in the comments!! 

 

Previous Words of the Year:

For Brides: Intentional Planning

Posted in b.marie.photography, For Brides, Wedding by
Kingwood wedding photographer - 4 tips for wedding planning with your relationship in mind

It’s engagement season (which I don’t know that I’d really recognize if I wasn’t a wedding photographer), and my heart is so full thinking of all of the couples grinning every time they try out the word “fiancé”!!

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Wedding planning can be an intense experience. Some people LOVE it. Some people just want it to be over. Some couples plan everything together. Some couples have one party who doesn’t make a single decision. Regardless of the way wedding planning looks for you, it’s still easy to get caught up in it. To lose sight of the marriage in light of the wedding day details. To lose sight of your partner in light of vendor emails and Pinterest boards.

So if you’re one of the lucky ones who recently said “Yes!” (or just nodded through happy sobs), here are a few tips from my heart to yours to keep your focus where it should be:

  • If you’re a to-do list kinda person,  build in a meaningful reward that involves your soon-to-be spouse once you cross a certain number of things off the list. Ex: For every 3 vendors you lock in, plan a special date like a gourmet pancake baking competition or re-creating your first official date. The intentional time together will start to build a good habit of continuing to date each other, and the rewards will be so good, you’ll blow through that to-do list in no time!
  • Sit down together & really think about what you want life to look like in 5, 10, 20, 50 years. Then look at what keeps coming up – is it time with family? Is it traveling to new places together? Whatever it is, come up with a plan for how you’ll make that happen together, and start now!
  • Think about your favorite things – maybe it’s waffles with peanut butter & chocolate chips, or maybe it’s old, weathered hardback novels about love & life. Then incorporate those things into your wedding or reception. Have a waffle bar for dessert. Pick your favorite quote from a classic love story to include in your wedding vows.Figuring out how you can bring your favorite things into your wedding day helps remind you of the things that make your fiancé who they are & why they’re the only one for you. Having them present on the day you say “I do” brings a deeper sense to your details & reminds you that it’s just one day – and the truly important thing is the life ahead of you.
  • Take one 0r two days off every week from planning. Don’t open the binder or the spreadsheet. Don’t email, call or meet with vendors. Take the time off from planning to be with the one you love & remember that the wedding isn’t life.

 

For more in the For Brides series, check out these posts: 

Love Is In the Little Things

Posted in b.marie.photography, Personal by

Ok y’all, by no means what-so-ever am I claiming to be a marriage expert… I am the first to admit that I still have a whole lotta learning left to do on that front, but in the 3.5 years that Max and I have been married, there are a few things I’ve learned.

And one of the biggest is that, at least in my opinion, the best kind of love is found in the little things.

 

It’s Max making extra eggs in the morning so that they’re ready for me when I wake up (even after I forgot about them the other day and had to toss them out – oops!).

It’s me taking the time to turn Max’s dress socks right-side out & matching them after pulling them out of the dryer, even though I’d much rather just toss them into the drawer as-is (and I admit that does sometimes happen…).

It’s sneaking to the bar in the restaurant for one quick drink together, just us, after my Mom & Dad brought the girls home at the end of dinner.

It’s Max ordering me a pretty teal Rtic tumbler because he saw it on Amazon and immediately thought of me & thought it would make me happy.

It’s both of us trying to choose our morning Nespresso flavors around the other’s favorite.

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There are the big, grand moments like our wedding or weekend trips together or perfect birthday gifts or fancy date nights. There is so much love in those moments, but there’s just something so much better about the little, everyday choices to show that we love one another. That almost 4 years into this, we’re still choosing each other everyday.

 

So to all of y’all, I challenge you to not only show a little extra love in the little things today, but to take the time to really recognize & appreciate the way that your loved ones are showing you how they feel through the little things.