I'm Giving Away a Wedding!
My mom died before I was even engaged, which was truly heartbreaking to me. Her biggest dream was to see her daughters get married. Growing up, we talked a lot about weddings. We talked about gowns and rings and how she prayed for us to marry the perfect person.
We talked. I miss that.
The anniversary of Mum's death is July 16. 5 years. So, sometimes, July sucks. But this year, July is going to be awesome. Why?
Because I'm giving away a wedding.
Yes. For real. This is not a joke.
I'm giving away a wedding package for the upcoming 2017 season.
Dana + Tyler // A Memorial Day Weekend Wedding in Hyde Park, NY
I love weddings.
Maybe that's cliche for a wedding photographer to say, but it's the honest-to-goodness truth. I honestly, really, truly do.
When I tell people I photograph weddings, they usually say, "Oh, but that's so stressful!" Maybe it is. But I never see it that way. I see the little things. The small details. The love. The laughter. The tears. The excitement. The "oh my goodness, I love my gown moments." The "oh my goodness, I love this woman" moments. The "I can't hold back these tears" moments. The "we finally made it" moments.
Emily + Michael // A Rustic Wedding at Hollow Brook Golf Club in Cortlandt Manor, NY
I think I must call everyone "dear" and "sweet." But seriously - Michael and Emily truly are some of the most dear people I have ever met. They are genuine in everything they do and take care of - their work, their families, their friends, their love. Even on her own wedding day, Emily scooped me up and made me feel welcomed and appreciated, all while scurrying around, gathering last-minute items, and hold a glass of champagne.
How to Plan a Styled Shoot, Part 3: As You Learn, We All Learn
Okay. Now that you've been all up in my brain with my scaredy-cat feelings and my type-A planning tendencies, I'm sure you'd love to know the ups and downs of working on my recent styled shoot. Below are things that went REALLY WELL, as well as things that I could have done better. As Ben Sassosays, As you improve, we all improve. Community over competition, friends. :)
How to Plan a Styled Shoot, Part 1: Feel the Fear
I wrote styled shoot across the top of the page, and made categories within the list that I knew I could populate - hair, makeup, cake, invitation design, accessories. Within this list, I also had a few categories that I knew I needed to find - venue (v important), gowns, florals. My heart literally started beating hard and fast when I finished my list, I was that excited. But I was also nervous - what if I got my people on board, and couldn't pull together the rest?
Sarah + Bobby // A Bright Wedding at McLoone's Boathouse in West Orange, NJ
Sweet Alice
I get a lot of emails addressed to Alice. My name is actually Erica - surprise! Lol.
Animals have long been a love of mine - especially sweet kittens. I just adore them. I think they are the cutest, dearest, most adorable things. I love puppies too, but kitties hold a special place in my heart. Whenever I see kittens, I feel like my eyes turn into huge hearts - just like the emoji. All I want is cats and cats and cats. And I know that makes me sound just a little crazy.
When I first started this business, I named it Erica Scott McGrath Photography - my maiden name. Also, a mouthful. After moving to New York, I knew my name would change, and spent a good amount of time thinking about whether or not I would change the name of my business. I loved, loved, loved my maiden name, but was also unsure as to whether or not I wanted to keep this name as a part of the business.
A year after graduating college I had adopted the most adorable baby kitten, and named her Alice. She was the cutest and sweetest kitty - all she wanted was to snuggle and spend time with me. She was very friendly, purred easily, and rarely scratched. She had a great personality; I loved having her as my roommate. It was obviously a natural progression to name my business after her.
When I registered my business in New York, the clerk asked me how I named my business. I told him the story above. And he said to me, "Must be some cat!" Haha, he was right.
