This quote is becoming my life’s motto.

Josiah+Natalie. Redmond, WA.
Canon AE-1 on Kodak 200.
Amazing.

If you’re wondering what could possibly have happened that made this week so crazy, it was mostly a bunch of little things that happened all at once after I got home on Wednesday. But the biggest thing was I had the opportunity to second-shoot a wedding with Sean Flanigan, an incredible photographer here in Seattle. And what a nice guy—so humble and chill. Shooting with him was so easy and I took a lot away from the whole day. I’m looking forward to sharing those images with you in a couple weeks, but in the meantime, check out Sean’s work. It’s just stunning.

And now, you’re probably asking what “it” is that I found! Well, last Sunday, I had my first appointment at a bridal boutique ever. Yes, I went dress shopping. It was my first time shopping for a wedding dress and to say I was a tiny bit nervous is a huge understatement. Even though I’m a smaller version of myself since I got married in 2007, I still struggle with self perception issues. Dress shopping was always a dreaded task growing up, especially in junior and senior high school. I’ve basically avoided it completely since going to college…

Before I go into the experience that day, I want to say that it was really important to do a bit of research before making the appointment with I Do Bridal in Seattle. Based on the times my friends and family have shopped there, I refused to go to David’s Bridal. While I have personally known girls who had great luck finding their dress at this chain, I’ve come to identify the store as the “car salesmen” of wedding dress shopping. Because of my sensitive mindset about my body and finding a dress that fits, I wanted to find a store that would take my feelings into consideration and not push the matter…

I did a simple Google search, “bridal boutique seattle”, and several results came up. I began reading through reviews and a couple stores really stood out to me. While it’s helpful to read the reviews, I think it’s so important to be objective when reading them. I’m not overly dramatic but I know some girls who can be, so what might be a “so-so” experience for me might be “horrific and awful” for someone else. I looked for reviews that were authentic and well-written, which I think is fair when considering which stores to go shopping. If it’s a negative review but it was composed well and thoughtful, then the likelihood that the shopper’s experience was indeed that bad is probably true. But the same can be said about positive reviews. So please keep that in mind.

After deciding which boutiques I wanted to visit, I emailed each one the following:

Hi there!

My name is Carly and I’d like to make an appointment to try on some dresses. I’ve never tried on a wedding dress before and am more than just slightly dreading the process. I’ve lost a significant amount of weight but even though I’m a ‘normal’ size 10, I’m still scared of how shopping for a dress will affect my self esteem. I’m not even sure what style would look good on me, which is why I’d like to make the appointment. I’ve read some positive reviews on your boutique and am hoping for a positive experience.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Carly Bishop.

I want to point out a few things about my email because I think they can really help you when booking your future appointments. Notice I started out very casual and light-hearted, immediately putting myself in a “first name” context because I’m really looking for a professional AND friendly experience. I also explained my current circumstances. At that point, I had really never tried on a real wedding dress or been dress shopping and I wanted the boutique to know this! Why? Because I need a little hand-holding through this process, that’s why! And why shouldn’t I? Picking out a wedding dress can be very emotional time, which can turn really bad, really fast! So yes, I told the boutique about my weight issues, my self perception problems, and my lack of knowledge about dress styles. Because I’m going to need help through this and I’m hoping they can! Lastly, notice that I mentioned “reading some positive reviews”. I think it’s important for the boutique to know that I’ve done my research and that I’m a review-reader, which also means I could be a review-writer. And trust me—they want a positive review. So there’s even more incentive to please, you follow?

So I was very happy when two boutiques responded to my message. But it was I Do Bridal‘s response that really stuck out to me. Here’s the email I received from Jen, the assistant store manager:

Hi, Carly.

Thank you for your inquiry. We would love to set an appointment for you to look at gowns here in our shop. Is there a particular date/time that works best for you?

We know that wedding dress shopping can be a nerve-wracking experience, but we try to make it as pleasant as possible here. Our samples range from size 6 to 24, with most in the size 10-14 range. Most of our consultants have been in the industry for years and are very skilled in helping you to pick out beautiful styles that will flatter your figure. If you have any special concerns, please feel free to share them with your consultant when you arrive.

Please write back when you get a moment and let us know which day/time works best for you. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Jen Moore
Assistant Manager

Wow! I was impressed! Not only had I received a fast response (it was the first message in my Inbox the morning after I wrote my email) but it basically addressed every point in my original email. She called me by my first name, she asked what date/time works best for me (which isn’t always the case), and she even acknowledged how “nerve-wracking” dress shopping can be! Way to be real, Jen! I immediately felt better about making my appointment, knowing they had such a wide range of sizes and styles, and having the reassurance that if I had concerns, the experienced consultants were there to listen and assist.

You might think I made a mountain out of a mole hill when it came to this issue, but if you’re not concerned about the dress, maybe it’s the location. Or your makeup artist. Or the caterer. Whatever it is, I think several of the principles apply. Be open, be honest, and don’t just go with the top of the Google search results (because they really don’t mean anything other than they’re probably really good at Search Engine Optimization).

My appointment was at 12:15 last Sunday and I was right on time. I wanted to respect the time constraints of the boutique while also giving me as much time as possible in case it took a while trying on dresses. I met my consultant, Brittany, who was extremely friendly, laid back, and about my age. She started asking me questions, trying to grasp an idea of what I liked… I knew what I didn’t like, which doesn’t really make things easier, but it was a start. She let me look through racks of dresses while she started pulling specific samples that might be my taste. She brought a couple gowns, but none of them really jumped out at me. After showing me a third dress, I asked, “Do you have something shorter? I think I might like dresses that are shorter.” As soon as I said it, Brittany’s face lit up, “Short?! You like short? Okay, that’s awesome!” It was a huge indicator to Brittany and narrowed the choices down by a ton! I continued riffling through the racks, stopping at a dress or two, but never really getting excited about anything. At one point, I began to wonder if this had been a bad idea…

“Would you like something like this?”

Brittany stood behind me, holding up THE dress. You could see the stars in my eyes (just like in the cartoons)!

“OhmygoshIlovethat,” I said in one, short breath.

At that, Brittany had gathered a handful of dresses for me to try on, saving the One for last. I was so excited to try it on, but I’m glad I tried the others first. It only proved that the last one was The One.

Getting in and out of dresses was easy. Brittany was there, clamps in hand, and I never felt like a “big girl”, even when the sample dress was too small. I stood in front of the mirror with other girls trying on dresses, girls I’d never met, and stood confidently. Even when I didn’t like the dress I had on, I didn’t suffer a major blow to my self esteem. I didn’t think, I don’t like me in this dress. Rather, I thought, I don’t like this dress on me.

Finally, I put on my favorite. The one that literally took my breath away. I used to think the idea of finding “the” dress was silly and assumed I wouldn’t have that kind of experience. I truly believed I would find one that I liked a lot and that might look good on me. But to my shock, it was so much more than that. I had the moment where I said, “This is it! I want to get married in this dress!”

I finally had the experience I always wanted and never had. Not because I couldn’t have it before but because I was too afraid to look for it. And now that I’ve had the experience, I wouldn’t replace it.

A huge thank you to I Do Bridal for far exceeding my expectations and to Brittany, who was my stand-in gal-pal through the process. I am SO happy with my dress.

A couple things I wanna put out there…

• This is going to take months of planning and we hope you’re patient with us. But here’s what’s great—we plan on carrying you with us every step of the way. Everything we put into this special occasion will be shared here on the blog so no one will have to miss a thing!
• If you are a bride in the midst of planning your wedding, then please, grab your groom and pull up a couple chairs! We want to help! So please send us any particular questions you have in regards to planning your wedding as we’re probably going to be asking ourselves those same questions very soon! You can send any questions to info@carlybish.com.
• We’re big on DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects, especially for weddings, as they’re typically budget friendly and they make weddings really personalized (our favorite kind)! So as we come across DIY ideas, we’ll be sharing them with you here and will do our best to include how-to’s, with pictures and everything!
• We really want your feedback! So please, leave comments, send us your emails, and let us know what you’d like to read about and what information you’re dying to know! We want to share, so please! Let us share! (Before our heads explode!!! AHHH!!!)

And of course, because no post is good without a photo… Here’s what I’ve got coming your way…

This was the first picture ever taken of George and me. There we were, still “just friends” but the spark was there. We bonded over Death Cab for Cutie and living life as college students turned Starbucks baristas. I left things out of the conversation (for his sake) only to be prodded for more (much to my surprise). At work, I danced and shimmied behind him while he worked his magic on the espresso bar, just hoping to make him laugh. When he laughs, I’m sky high… Yet, as I acted a fool, George’s feelings increased by the day. He like-liked me. And he didn’t hide it for long…

But I was damaged goods. My confidence gone. I was merely a faded version of my previous self. And he deserved more than what I had left to give. Still, he pressed on… Checking the schedule at work, writing down both his schedule and mine, anticipating the days when we’d work together. But he wasn’t alone—I was doing the same. In spite of my hesitation, I looked forward to the moments we shared together, even if they were “strictly professional.” Or as professional as baristas can be…

And then we just… were.

And I won’t say we were made for each other. But we are made. George made me who I am today as I have made him. He is the sentimental soul that heals my bitter, ill-romanced heart. And I am freedom and the stroke of color his life had lost.

Going back to the beginning is the first step we must take when planning our wedding…again. We want to tell our story in it’s most raw and honest form so that others can tell theirs, just as deeply and full of passion.

Our beginning was shy, hesitant, curious, damaged, and yet, it was hopeful…

And hope is a really great place to start.

Before I go further, I want to say right here and now that I would never take back my wedding day. It was wonderful. The number of toasts that were given by everyone literally made my wedding day great! I am a storyteller and the number of stories shared at my wedding really honored what George and I are all about. And of course, George is undoubtedly, the man I was meant to marry and he is my best friend in the whole world.

I would never take back my wedding day.

But…

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. And the honest-to-goodness truth is that three years ago, I really didn’t know a lot about planning a wedding. In fact, I never did that thing that young girls do when they dream of their future wedding day… I just knew I’d get married when I was 23 years old (which I did, by the way) and that’s all I really knew about it. That I would be 23 at the time.

Now, being IN the wedding industry, I find myself daydreaming about what I would do, pick, make, or wear all the time! And I’ve realized that I would do things way, way, WAY different if I were to get married now.

George and I made several mistakes when we were planning our wedding. We didn’t really think about how to make the wedding reflect who we were as a couple and we made choices that were simply convenient. And that’s a huge mistake! One, I fear, that couples make all the time in their planning process.

So George and I have made a decision…

We’re going to do it over. Call it what you will— “vow renewal” or what-have-you—but we’re going to re-do our wedding. We’re already married, so what’s to stop us from creating a day about us, for us, and without all the outside influence that can effect our decisions in negative ways?

I mean… Isn’t that how it should be when planning your wedding?

It’s our hope that through this process, others can learn, take heart, and make their decisions based on what’s important to them and no one else. There have been so many times where I’ve encouraged my brides, telling them “it’s your day” and “stand up for what you want” and in the back of my mind, I think to myself, I wish I had… And please don’t misunderstand! There was no one dictating what I should or should not do for my wedding! There were simply people who made suggestions and without thinking, I would simply say, “Okay, sure,” because either A) I didn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or B) I didn’t know there were other options.

To name just a few of those mistakes:

1. Being 45 pounds heavier when I got married, I was terrified to go dress shopping. So I didn’t. A friend suggested a woman who made her wedding dress and I paid her to make mine. Was I thrilled by what she made? No, not really… But it was super cheap and it fit. So I went with it.
2. We rented tuxes. Do I like the look of a tux? Not really, no… I actually prefer something simpler, less bulky… But for some reason, I was under the impression (or influence) that tuxes were essential. But they’re not. They’re really, really not.
3. Our location. While it was gorgeous, affordable, and unbelievably convenient—it was also our reception and it was down the street from my house—I now envision a ceremony set entirely outdoors. The venue was chosen so quickly (for convenience) that I didn’t even have a chance to play around with the idea.

Trust me. I realize this sounds excessive. Planning our wedding again when we’re already married and have been for almost three years. But we’ve learned a lot since we got married in 2007 and we’d like the chance to try again. Not to mention, there are certain experiences I never had the chance to do—like shopping for a dress—that I’m tired of regretting. So for the next several months, we’ll be going through the same process as our clients. Picking colors, dress shopping, checking out venues, the whole deal. And we’re inviting you to come along for the ride.

We’d love to get your feedback on this one—What do you guys think? Good idea? Are we nuts? If you said “yes” to either of those last two questions, I’ll say we’re heading in the right direction…

© the photographs of sara renee

So I hope you enjoy this tiny glimpse into Heidi+Petter’s time-tested love with these super cute, fun, and uber romantic photos.

I’m pretty excited about this next series. During one of our consults, Heidi and I got to talking about the wedding details and themes. She mentioned how trees and what they represent are really important to her and Petter. She showed me a picture of the wedding venue and after seeing it, I’m just a tad bit excited to make beautiful photos there. So, in honor of that appreciation, George and I set out to find an awesome looking tree in the area where we could tie that theme into their engagement session. Trespassing aside, I was pretty happy with what we found…

The light on this day was incredible simply because we were outrunning a heavy rainstorm. The wind gusted and the clouds loomed behind us while the diffused light was absolutely perfect! My favorite kind of light! And you wonder why I love Seattle so much?

Around this time, the storm finally caught up with us and we escaped back to the  car… Of course, I was still itching for more of these two and their sweet chemistry… So…

Omigosh, I love you guys so much!!! And I cannot wait for your wedding!

*  *  * And now for some announcements! Or, updates? Or just information in general? Either way, here’s some more stuff… *  *  *

I just wanted to let people in the Seattle area know that I’m still booking and quite open this wedding season. The move across the country prevented more bookings until I knew more about our living situation. Now that we’re here, we are proceeding with business as usual! And we’re feeling pretty freakin’ awesome about it!

So if you’re a potential bride or groom and you have questions, you can fill out the wedding form under the “For Wedding Clients” tab above or you can email your inquiries and questions to info@carlybish.com!

You have no idea how excited we are to be here! I got sick just one day after we arrived, so I am excited to feel better and hit downtown Seattle as much as possible! So if anyone feels like a shoot down by the dock? The Market, perhaps? Let’s do it!

“WHY?!,” you ask?!?!

Because these two are so frakin’ adorable but I won’t be there for the wedding!

Sigh…

At least I had the privilege of photographing their love and their beautiful connection. The chemistry between Alena and David is simply undeniable. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll get the chance to be there for their vintage-inspired wedding. They have such fantastic taste and the details that will go into their day will be jaw-dropping for sure!

Alena… David… I love you both.

And Spring… You’ve been so good to me. I adore you too.

This next series was by Alena’s request. The wedding will have a vintage theme, so Alena and David brought vintage outfits—eeeeek!!! I love it!!! She also requested they be taken in a field and of course, that was no problem! I love a good field shoot any day!

Yeah… Alena makes it sexy… I just make it…

Well…

Not sexy…

Goodness! Someone could use a tan!

Now, I just want to visit each of those places. I don’t really feel called to live there, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them, getting to know them, making photographs in them… To call myself a destination wedding photographer would be a real dream come true.

I got a little taste of the destination photographer’s life last weekend when I met up with Vicky&Michael in Nashville. Of course, by now, I should know Nashville all too well.  After going to the city for various reasons in the last few months, but no… still don’t know it that great. But this visit was way, way, WAY different because I actually got to see Nashville and it’s amazing textures! I’m about to go on record and say that if I ever moved back to the south (a big, fat IF, that is), it would definitely have to be to Nashville. It feels like someone cut out a tiny piece of California and transported it to the middle of Tennessee. Artsy, cool, fun, and stylish. I don’t think I’d mind it… Except the summers. I’ll never get used to Tennessee summers…

Vicky&Michael, thanks for taking me all over Nashville, going along with all my shenanigans, and making me laugh! I had an incredibly fun day because of you, so thank you!

As you’ve probably gathered, these two are unbelievably fun. They went along with just about everything I asked of them… They even—gulp—shared their first kiss. YUP. You read me right people! So there I was, taking their picture, and I was like, “Alright, guys! It’s about time I saw a kiss! Let’s go! Go for it!” And the two looked at me, then at each other, then at me, then at each other and I was like, “Cmon, guys! I know you wanna! Just go for it! Don’t be shy!” And they leaned in and gave each other the sweetest little smooth. Just the one, but it was precious. And I thought, Well maybe they’re just not that into PDA. No big.

So the next morning, I get an email from Vicky and she’s all, “So, I’ll let you in on a little secret… That was our first kiss.”

At first, I was mortified! I felt so guilty! Like I had pressured them into doing something they totally didn’t wanna do and I should have never forced them or even asked them and I started torturing myself over it… It didn’t even cross my mind that it might be their first kiss! Luckily, Vicky wrote me back and said, “No worries! It was overdue!” And after that, I felt better. Not to mention, how often does a couple have their first kiss recorded forever to look back on??

So, Vicky&Michael, you’re welcome.

Oh, one last thing. I totally forgot how hard it is to take a picture while looking into direct sunlight. You guys are way too nice when I tell you to open your eyes, regardless of how bright the sun is…

No, srsly.