When you grow up in the high elevation desert (I mean…), you learn that there is truth is the saying, “when it rains, it pours”. I remember as a child, running between school and my mom’s office, feeling the wind whip my hair, and without warning, the skies just opening up. So much rain you couldn’t see five feet in front of you. And mere minutes later? The sun would be back. With all the rain that Seattle gets, in my years there, I never experienced a storm like that. I never really understood what a drizzle was, or how mist fell from the sky (and not a sprinkler), but I know about pouring down rain.

The same saying feels like it could be applied to wedding season. This rain is somewhat one of my own making, and one of circumstances. My younger brother and I both have summer birthdays, there are wonderful summer holidays, work to be done on the house, the patio at my favorite hangout to enjoy, a hammock to lounge in, and – thanks to our super-quick-middle-of-wedding-season move two years ago, a lot of little business details that need to be addressed every summer.

With the move, I had to update my business license. No big deal, right? Except, this changed my filing date to the middle of summer. It was a little annoying, until it became really annoying when I wanted to make some changes to the business this year. I started working on this process back in March. March! Last week, after weeks of research, paperwork, and time on hold, I officially filed that last pieces of paperwork to change my business from a sole proprietorship to an LLC. I’m official! Phew. Someone pass me a drink.

What does this mean? From the outside, not much. I’m still a one-woman show (for now). I’m still running this show as Emily Wenzel Photography. And it’s all still happening from the littlest bedroom in our house. However, it took me a few calls to different state organizations, lots of time on hold, and couple very nice ladies who walked me through some of the less clear processes. There were two reasons I put off making my business an LLC, and honestly, they weren’t very good reasons. I didn’t want to spend the money or the time to do this. So, if you’re starting a business or own a business that isn’t an LLC, get on that shit. And then we’ll grab drinks to celebrate your new official-ness.

Funny thing: I got into business to create beautiful pictures and run a business I believe in. Turns out that I do the second much more than the first. I would say I spend less than 25% of my time actually taking photos, and the rest is the administrative, the behind the scenes work: editing, blogging, taxes, email, going to the bank, etc. I wouldn’t trade my business for a job in a cubicle. This is what I’m meant to be doing right now, I know that.

And, because every post deserves a photo, here’s a behind the scenes shot of Kate & I from last summer at Joel & Dan’s wedding. I’m booking up for 2016, and I’d love to shoot a couple more Seattle weddings next year.