Written by Candace on May 21, 2014 | Chime in

Invest In What Matters Most

The last few weeks have been hard to invest in writing. I almost wrote a blog post to say I’d see you next month. Thankfully, I pushed past the fear and here I sit today, putting my words down on paper.

It’s not necessarily that I fear to write. The problem is that when I have too many items on my plate, my first instinct is too put off the creative projects. It’s so much easier to invest in the busy work that doesn’t require you to put your heart on the line. Stay safe. Stay comfortable. But life begins at the end of your comfort zone. I don’t know who said that, but it’s written on my inspiration board as a constant reminder.

Along with striving for a life of less, I’m also constantly working to enjoy grace. God offers it to me on a daily basis. Why am I so infrequently willing to offer it to myself? In hopes to seek grace, not perfection, I’m not going to have a themed Making Marriage Happen series for May. I had it all planned out in my head, but I’m not going to be able to invest the time this month to write the articles. I’ve got other things I’d like to share here, other projects to accomplish, and relationships I’d like to invest an extra amount of time in.

But we do have to Make Marriage Happen this month! So, if I can encourage you in your marriage, it would be to ask you one question. What do you need to quit or give up today in order to have more time and energy, patience and love, for your wife or husband? We can’t always do it all. Sometimes we have to give up something good or something we love in order to invest in what matters most.

This month I said “no” in order to say “yes” to surprising my mom and family for Mother’s day weekend. It was the best decision!

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Written by Candace on May 16, 2014 | Chime in

Classic Wedding at Nestldown

I’m often asked to describe my ideal client. Though we do have a description of our ideal client, I don’t usually share the list when asked this question because there is one item on the list that’s really the core.

The top thing we look for when meeting potential clients is if we could see ourselves developing a friendship with them over the course of planning and photographing their wedding. This is by far the most important thing we look for during a client meeting. The service we provide requires trust and vulnerability from both sides. And on top of that, we like to have a lot of fun when we work. These are all foundational for cultivating a friendship so we look for these in our client meeting process.

I have Caitlin from Caitlin Arnold Weddings and Events to thank for our client-friends, Nikki and Gabe. One of the most valuable things a wedding planner provides their client is matching them with the ideal vendors to fit their wedding aesthetic, as well as, their personalities. The first time we met Nikki and Gabe we knew they were the perfect fit for Pictilio, a true match made in heaven. And it’s all thanks to Caitlin’s killer matching skills!

Nikki and Gabe, where do I even begin with you two? You have hearts of gold! I loved getting to enjoy your sweet and fun personalities at every meeting, in every email, or during our occasional double dates. We will forever remember your engagement session in the snowy mountains of Park City, Utah. And the unforgettable moments of your fairytale wedding at Nestldown will forever be etched in both our hearts and minds. I cannot wait to celebrate your SMP feature with you on Sunday! Congratulations! I hope your wedding and your story will encourage and inspire other couples planning their upcoming weddings.

You can find Nikki and Gabe’s classic wedding among the trees at Nestldown on Style Me Pretty. A big thank you to Style Me Pretty for all the love! You guys always take such good care of us.

If you’d like to see other weddings we’ve had the pleasure of being featured on SMP, you can find a stunning backyard wedding and a rustic winter wedding.

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Written by Candace on May 15, 2014 | Chime in

Date Night Celebrations

I recently came across a few blog posts in my “drafts” that I never ended up sharing. As I reread this one, I wondered why it never made it to the blog. I resonated with it even now so I thought I’d go ahead and share it…

Last Saturday, Vitaliy and I decided to devote the evening to celebrating the end of the 2013 wedding season.

I find it so important to take time to reflect. To share areas that need improvement. And toast to the areas you are most thankful for. Vitaliy and I spend date nights going out to eat all the time. I know a lot of you do too. It’s easy. But this dinner was so different. Vitaliy kept saying on the way home what a great time he had. I felt the same.

But what made this dinner so much more memorable and enjoyable? It was intentional.

We had a goal in mind for the dinner. We wanted to reflect on the wedding season, on our business, to reminisce. In order to do this, we were very intentional about the questions we asked each other to spur our memories. We talked and toasted, we laughed and almost cried, we love and listened. We didn’t just let the conversation wonder wherever. And lastly, we spent a good chunk of the time celebrating. Keeping the conversation on a positive note makes the world of a difference at the end of the night. You return home filled up and hopeful.

For your next dinner date night, be a little more intentional about your conversation and I promise it will go a long way. Life is hard; spend time celebrating even the smallest accomplishments together.

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