A Big (But Tough) Announcement // Wedding Photographer in Irwin, PA

Hello my friends!

Today, I’m writing one of the most difficult & challenging posts I’ve ever written.
(no, I’m not quitting wedding photography)

I’ve tried to figure out how best to start this post so many times – should I be super formal, more casual, not address it at all? But then I realized that I’m not just writing to the big huge world – I’m writing to my friends: real life amazing people whom I love! So, imagine that we’re sitting on the couch across from each other, with big bowls of ice cream in our hands (because, duh) and we’re chatting face-to-face.

Here’s the backstory:
I built my little business in North Eastern Pennsylvania. When Derrick & I got married, we moved to Sayre and started our lives together. We lived there for 4 years and made so many wonderful friends (y’all know who you are!).

When I had my lightbulb moment in 2012, I had no idea where my business would take me. In 2013, I photographed 3 weddings, in 2014, I photographed 6 weddings, and in 2015, I photographed 11 weddings. I became good friends with so many of my KAP Couples & they loved me. So much so, that they referred their newly engaged friends to me. It was amazing & I was blessed to take my wedding photography business full time at the end of 2014.

2015 was the year of big change for us: we had a baby (!!) and we moved back to my hometown of Irwin, Pennsylvania – 5 hours away from where we first lived.

I was determined to continue shooting weddings in North Eastern Pennsylvania. My business was literally booming there – even though I no longer lived in the area. It didn’t seem to bother people that I lived 5 hours away – their friends had spoken so highly of me that they would have no one else. Talk about a huge confidence boost! I couldn’t believe it.

So, in 2016 & this year in 2017, I’ve continued to book weddings in the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania & New York. This year, I have 14 weddings booked (2 above my goal for the year – what?!) and only 4 of them are in the Pittsburgh area. Yes, I am traveling for 10 weddings this year!

I’m not sure how those numbers sit in your brain (do you think that’s a lot? do you think that’s not many?). To be honest, it’s a lot. Especially considering this: I love to meet with my couples before they book me so we can get to know each other in person first. Wedding photography is a huge investment and my goal is to exceed each of my client’s expectations, so I definitely want to make sure that we’re a good fit! I also do engagement sessions for each of my couples. So, now do the math and realize that those 10 weddings actually equal 30 points of personal connection and maybe now you can realize just how much traveling I have on my calendar for this year!

I am not complaining – definitely don’t take it that way. I absolutely love what I do! I love the friendships I form with each of my KAP Couples & that I can show up on their wedding day, feeling more like an old friend than a “vendor”. It’s wonderful!

However, it does take a huge toll on myself & my family. Especially once you realize that I’ve become such good friends with most of my clients, that they want me back every year for anniversary photos, maternity photos, newborn photos, and family photos! I love serving my KAP Couples beyond their wedding photography! But from 5 hours away, you can understand that it gets a bit tricky to manage!

Every single weekend that I’ve been up to the Twin Tiers this year has been absolutely packed out. I’ve found myself shooting a session on Saturday morning, then a wedding all afternoon/evening, then up again for another session the next morning before we leave around lunch time on Sunday. It’s a lot. I love it! But it’s a lot.

Derrick & I have some big ideas and dreams. And lately, we’ve really been trying to take steps forward on those ideas and dreams to make them a reality. We’d also like to expand our family. All of that to say, staying grounded here in Irwin, Pennsylvania is truly the best thing for us.

That’s not to say we won’t still travel – we will. We love traveling! Derrick’s family lives in North Eastern Pennsylvania (which is literally the only reason I’ve been able to continually book weddings up there!) so, we will still be traveling up to visit with them. However, we’d really like to spend time visiting with them when we’re there, instead of spending an hour with them when we arrive, and an hour with them at lunch on Sunday, and being off on photoshoots the rest of the time. It’s not fair to our relationship with them.

That being said: I will be severely limiting the amount of weddings that I photograph in North Eastern Pennsylvania from here on out.

It breaks my heart – truly. I’ve already turned down several amazing weddings, simply because I can’t keep up this pace. I feel bad, but I also feel like if I booked those weddings, that I’d be doing those couples a disservice by not being local & able to serve them best.

I will also be severely limiting the amount of portrait sessions that I photograph in North Eastern Pennsylvania from here on out. Like I said, I love when my past KAP Couples text me to tell me the good news that they’re having a baby or that they want anniversary photos taken. I love it! But it’s so hard to schedule those sessions in & around the weddings I have booked. It means doing sunrise sessions and pushing forward rain-or-shine because I have no other “plan B” to fit them in. It’s simply not fair.

Here’s my plan for portraits: the last few years, I’ve come up & spent a week in the Twin Tiers in the fall & done the best I could to book family and anniversary sessions that week. I want to continue to do that. However, my goal is to funnel everyone into that week. Sessions will be first-come-first-serve & they will only be open to past KAP clients (so, sorry, but don’t tell your friends).

My plan is to announce that fall portrait week by mid to late summer, so adequate preparations can be made. If you would like to receive an early “heads up” email (before I make any announcements on my Facebook page or blog), you can subscribe to that email by clicking here! I highly suggest getting on that email list, because if I send out that email & my calendar fills up, I simply won’t be announcing it anywhere else.

But back to weddings-
I so appreciate my NEPA KAP Couples! Seriously, I have tears in my eyes thinking of y’all! You all are the reason I have a business. You all trusted me with capturing your wedding memories. You all have referred your friends to me with the highest praise. I literally cannot thank you enough. It goes without saying that I would not be anywhere near the wedding photographer that I am today without your support along the way.

Thank you.

Of those 14 weddings I am photographing this year – exactly half of them are for KAP Couples who fall into one of two categories: I have either worked with them before (either they were a bridesmaid/groomsmen for one of my previous KAP Couples or I have taken their family’s portraits or senior portraits) or they are immediate family of my previous KAP Couples! Can you believe that? Seven weddings where I get to hang out & celebrate with families & friends that I’ve already hung out & celebrated with! How fun is that?!

Those are the best kind of weddings & the ones I want to continue to book. So, if you have a sibling or a bridal party member, or I took your senior photos, please don’t hesitate to contact me! I will definitely take special consideration to your situation & see if I can make it work to photograph your wedding day!

This isn’t goodbye.
(although, I’ll admit, it definitely feels like one!)

I simply want to keep y’all in the loop & informed. Like I said at the beginning, this is a really tough post to write, but it needs to be written, because y’all are my friends. And friends talk to each other, and listen to each other, and understand each other, and support each other.

I so appreciate each & every one of you and your support over the last few years as I build my business. I would not be where I am today without you!
Thank you!

PS – If we currently have a session planned together or your wedding is in the works, please don’t think that I am leaving you! This only applies to new inquiries & new projects – but you knew that because we’re friends & know that I wouldn’t just leave you hanging!