by Emily Wenzel | Jan 22, 2019 | WEDDINGS
You may remember Katie + Ben‘s sweet wedding from the preview I blogged last spring. Remember how I basically said nothing about the wedding because I was called in to jury duty? Yeah, that was a crazy week.
Katie + Ben wanted a small wedding, but they also wanted to get married at St. Al’s. Ya’ll know how much Gonzaga weddings make my heart sing, but this one was extra special because Katie and Ben were sent my way by the lovely Laura (whose wedding you might remember from a few years ago) and if you peek at a few of the photos, you’ll find Laura and John in a couple photos. :) Katie and Ben blew my mind by creating such a sweet little wedding, and it was so absolutely perfect. They had their siblings stand up for them, one on each side, and we spent just a couple hours taking photos before and after the ceremony. [Side note: most weddings at Gonzaga happen when the students are out for the summer, so you have an empty campus. But Katie and Ben got married in the spring, when the students were still around. So there were lots of cheers as we made our way across campus to some of their favorite haunts. And, as almost any GU alum will tell you, the music was blasting from DeSmet on this sunny, spring day, and when they saw us walking across campus, the Wedding March was cued up and we couldn’t stop laughing.] One of the things I love most about taking weddings at a location that means so much to you is that you get photos at places that have significance to you. Like pointing out the room where one of you used to live, and the bench where you’d often wait for the other. If you can’t do something like that for your wedding, it can be such a blast to do it for your engagement session.
After taking their portraits, Katie + Ben headed over to Luna for an intimate dinner in the private room there with their guests. So, I guess what I’m saying is: this wedding is the perfect example about how you take the wedding stuff you love and plan a wedding that is perfect for the two of you. A classic ceremony, a small guest list, a simple dinner with your close family and friends.
Katie + Ben, thank you thank you thank you!! It was wonderful to meet you both, to play a small roll in your love story, and to celebrate this special day with you in a place that holds so many memories. I wish you both all the best in live and love!!
Vendors:
Dress // The Wedding Bell – Tacoma, WA
Groom’s Apparel // Men’s Warehouse
Florist // Special Touch Florist
by Emily Wenzel | Apr 7, 2017 | PERSONAL
It’s April this week, and it finally feels like spring is on it’s way to Spokane!! Looking back over my March photos made me realize what a busy month it was. We got a lot done in March after hibernating for most of January and February. I’m sure some of that was because of N’s arrival, but I think a lot of it had to do with all of the snow!!
March started with a couple of sunny days! Or at least, moments of sunshine. N’s room faces west, so we get the most glorious sunshine in the afternoons. It’s really amazing. N isn’t a huge fan of the sun streaming it, because it lands right on the glider and sometimes blinds her. Oh gosh, I have to rave about the glider we got. We ended up buying it secondhand from another mama, and it’s been seriously the best thing we’ve purchased. if you’re planning on having a baby, buy the best glider you can afford. I promise, it’s worth it. I spend so many hours in ours!! Anyway, there’s just something about soaking up that sunshine while nursing my babe. Sometimes I just want to rush through those moments so I can get back to whatever we were doing, but I remember that she’s only going to want to snuggle me for so long, so I’m trying to soak up the moments — and the tiny baby toes.
We’re heading to Germany in May, and so we decided to fly down to Portland for a single night (we’re crazy, I know) to test out this whole “flying with a baby” business. It was a good learning experience, for sure! N did pretty well on the flight, and we learned a ton from our adventures. Portland is a fantastic airport for kids and mamas. There is a lactation/pumping room near the Alaska gates (just past security). We popped our heads it to check it out — it’s roomy! — but didn’t need it this time, plus they have a nice family bathroom near the Starbucks and the Alaska gates, which is where N and I grabbed this quick selfie. Also: hallelujah for babywearing. We went to Portland without a stroller, but with two baby carriers! N didn’t nap very well, with all the travel and new adventures, so being able to snuggle her in close meant she would nap on us. She even slept through her first adventure at Powell’s, but don’t worry, we bought her a book to commemorate it.
Since we knew we were staying in downtown Portland, we traveled extra light — no stroller or carseat — and just took the MAX down to our hotel. Surprise, surprise, our super travel baby was bored and slept. It was a little annoying at times, but for quick trips, I think it’s great to travel so light (we were still carry on only, even with bring N’s travel crib along). She was pretty worn out from the trip – we all were – and napped a lot the next few days. She doesn’t normally fall asleep after nursing that often, but she did that week. Lola and Shadow also decided to come snuggle up in N’s room while she napped on me. I took advantage of the free hour to start reading a book, The Secret Life of Violet Grant, which I ended up devouring and stayed up late to finish.
March also was the end of my maternity leave, and I started working again regularly, instead of just trying to keep up with my emails. Thankfully, H has been able to make his schedule flexible and has been home one afternoon a week, but I end up working late in the evenings too. That’s not going to work long term, so I’m working out a plan for the summer. Eventually, I’ll even actually get things together and do work. Anyway!! Of course, I swear, on the days when I needed to get a bunch of work done, N would realize that. She won’t nap and she’s super fussy, and needs to be held all the time. So, mama naps and baby wearing are the only way I can get even the littlest things done.
I had my friend Alyssa (check out her Etsy shop) make this sweet Gonzaga headband for N, and she wore it all through March Madness! She was very unhappy to find out we didn’t win the championship, but she’s a Zags fan for life. She was super fussy during the final 4 game, until I turned her around to watch the game. Starting her young! ;) In business news, my new business cards and thank you cards arrived from the printer, and I can’t wait to send them all out to my couples and new clients this year!!
Miss N was wearing her Gonzaga outfit a lot for March Madness, we were super happy about that, for sure! My brother came up for a day to help us build a real fence around our veggie garden. We had put up some fencing last year, after we realized that Shadow didn’t know the difference between the garden and the grass, and just ran through all my plants. :( But he started jumping that little fence, and we had to build a new one! Shadow, being the quirky pup he is, decided that the pile of sawdust from the table saw was a great place to lay down. Crazy pup! Lastly: some gratuitous chunky baby legs. N had such skinny legs when she was born, but now it’s all rolls! I can’t believe how fast she’s growing, and I am so thrilled that it’s April and spring is here!!!
Some of the links above are affiliate links, but all links are to things we love and use.
by Emily Wenzel | Apr 5, 2016 | PERSONAL
March flew by in a haze of sickness for the first half of the month, and then in the struggle of recovering from it in the second half. Whew. Last weekend we got outside and got some spring work done on the house for the first time since fall, and the fresh spring air felt amazing.
The month started off with me crying about vet bills. Well, okay, me drinking lots of wine to cope with vet bills after we took Shadow in to the emergency vet because he had kennel cough (read: puppy cold) and then took shifts for the next three days as he coughed so hard he threw up nearly 24/7 (read: I know know how people with small children feel). The next week I took Lola in for her annual kitty check up and we had to run crazy blood tests. She’s fine, but we had a scare and now I feel broke. I’ve informed our pets that they need to stay healthy for at least 6 months, because I can’t handle too many more vet bills.
Bonus: the walk-in vet in Spokane happens to be next to this random rock with a decent view of downtown Spokane. Since Shadow wasn’t supposed to socialize with other pets, we hung out up here for most of the time.
The only exception to my no-Tv-during-Lent rule was college basketball. So, basically all Gonzaga games and then March Madness. In a surprising twist, I won the bracket challenge I was part of (winning prize: bragging rights). That’s the first time I’ve had a team correct in the final, much less won the final or a bracket! :)
I also had the chance to tour a great new place in Spokane that is being renovated, check out these tile floors!! One of the greatest perks of my job is getting to tour all these great spaces in Spokane.
In the midst of all the crazy vet bills, we also pulled the trigger on something we’d be saving up for: a new car. We’ve officially gone over to the dark side, and I am in love. This baby is a dream, and as a bonus, we have a car that our poor pup fits in.
I popped over to Gonzaga the other day to chat with a few of my old mentors, and it felt so good to be back. One of the many, many, things I love about GU is that I can stop in and chat with my old professors and mentors to get advice, even though I graduated nearly 6 years ago. It’s nice to know that the community extends for years afterwards. I don’t know many schools where you can drop by and catch up with old professors, and get advice from them on what you’re currently working on!
And, that was March! Easter was low-key, and we have been working on some spring cleaning and trying to finish – and start – a bunch of projects around the house before wedding season really ramps up again…which means finally blogging the last of my weddings from 2015. Oops.
What did you do in March?
xoxo,
E.
by Emily Wenzel | Jul 16, 2015 | PERSONAL
It’s Christmas in July.
Also known as: this is what you get when I finally get film developed and then eventually get around to blogging it, plus some random other thoughts on life. :) A few weeks ago, I got some film scans back, and I’ve been getting ready to blog some of those images over the next few weeks, in between weddings and portrait sessions. I’ve rarely ever shot film indoors because it’s usually not bright enough, and the colors never seem to look as good. This is a big murky, but it makes me think back on the days when we cuddled up under blankets on the couch with cocoa and enjoyed our tree. Getting film scans back is sometimes like getting a little time capsule. It’s one of the things I enjoy about film.
A few Links:
— If you live in the Pacific Northwest, and you’re in any way on social media, you probably saw the article by the New Yorker on The Really Big One. To sum it up: a huge earthquake is overdue for the fault that runs off the coast of Washington & Oregon, and it could spell trouble for most of (Western) Washington and Oregon. It’s got us thinking about how prepared we are, and wondering if a 9.0 earthquake could cause problems here in Spokane.
— My friend Pam shared this beautiful piece last week, If on a Summer’s Day a Traveler to Ladakh Should Pass, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I feel like we’ve all got places that stay with us, and we dream about visiting.
— Lastly, if you’re looking for something to do this summer in the Pacific Northwest, I recommend checking out (and checking off) the Discover the Northwest Bucket List: 100 Adventures in the Pacific Northwest.
A July Update:
Above: a few images from Bloomsday weekend, below a couple photos I took when a friend was in town and we traipsed over to Gonzaga, and then played some bocce at Grant park.
I’m fully into wedding season right now, and it’s been great. I’ve already started booking for 2016, and you guys, I’m always in awe that this is my job. Sometimes, I contemplate doing other things with my life (usually when I’m working on taxes) but honestly, I don’t think I could be as happy doing anything else. That might change as time goes on, but lately, I’ve just felt like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be. If you know someone getting married in 2016, I really would love to chat with them.
We’ve been working on the house. Sometimes I want to blog about our house, but I don’t know that anyone else would find it as hilarious as we do. We’re in no way the kind of people who can give advice on renovating, because usually we’re just trying to not get killed by our my klutziness and finish the projects. I think living in a house you’re renovating takes a special kind of person, because it’s kind of like living in constant chaos. Every time we get a project almost finished, another one crops up. Or, in order to make one thing better, you have to destroy something else. I’ve learned a lot about patience, the power of letting go, and that nothing happens on the schedule we want it to. At the very least, our veggie garden is thriving, and we’ve got a place to hang the hammock in the backyard. Life is good.
by Emily Wenzel | Jan 16, 2015 | PERSONAL
I had planned to post Ann & Michael’s Oregon wedding yesterday and write a little more about the bridal show today, but I didn’t get there. And this has been on my mind. So…
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I feel in love with photography when I shot black and white film. Of maybe, that’s not really the truth.
I’d always wanted to be an artist, to create things. Early on, someone told me I didn’t have the skills to be an artist, and I pushed that part of my dreams into a dark, dusty corner of my heart. Too many of us spend years of our lives thinking we’re not “good enough” to do something. To follow our dreams. In middle school, I discovered that I could take better than average photos, and no one told me I couldn’t be an artist.
At Gonzaga, I took a ceramics class. They have a different professor now, but my professor, he was amazing and terrifying at the same time. He was big and loud and honest. I sucked at ceramics. I made these ugly, lopsided pieces not even my mother loved. But I also made some fabulous pieces. Pieces that my professor told me to be proud of. And I was. I ended up taking two ceramics classes from Professor Gieber. I made a lot of ugly pieces. Those recently finally were donated to charity – enjoy those ugly coffee cups, Spokane! But there are a few pieces that are decent, and even fewer pieces that are amazing. Some are boxed up in our spare room. Some are displayed in my home. Some are displayed in my parent’s home.
I enjoyed my ceramics class. And it taught me that you have to do some crappy work before you can make beautiful work.
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