Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Happy 5th Birthday RWP!
Can I tell you a secret? It may be RWP’s 5th Birthday, but I also like to refer to it as Blake Appreciation Day. It’s a five-year strong tradition with no end in sight. Think about it. Blake and I got married October 5, 2013. Then, mid November/early December 2013, I tell my new husband that I don’t feel like finding a job, I’m going to start a photography business! I was a fresh college graduate with a Youth Ministry Major and a minor in Psychology. Why not start a business in photography?
What?
To everyone else, I knew this sounded crazy, but what most people didn’t know is that this was actually my second attempt at starting a photography business (You may be able to find the old website. Yikes!) and my third or fourth business idea. To me, this was just the start of my next adventure.
Five years later and I can honestly say, without Blake’s support I don’t think RWP would have ever taken off. So… Happy Blake Appreciation Day!
In honor of five years, I thought I’d share five things I’ve learned. (Hint: Number 5 is for all my past & present Brides!)
Things I’ve learned…
Number 1: Pick what to wear to the wedding the day before. Weird. You may remember you Mom telling you something similar when you were in elementary school, but some things are worth learning twice. After enough wedding days stressing over what to wear, I decided enough was enough. There are SO MANY other things to think about the day of a wedding! Stressing about what I’m going to wear is not what I want to be thinking about.
Number 2: Santa’s really on to something. I can’t tell you how many times I forgot something the first year I was shooting weddings. Blake and my parents bailed me out a few different times, sneaking over to drop off memory cards, camera battery chargers or power cords. Now it’s all about makin’ a list and checkin’ it twice. 😉
Number 3: Trust God. This may seem like an odd one after the first two, but if I’m being honest, it’s made a HUGE difference for me. Starting a business is no joke. Don’t get me wrong, it’s also a ton of fun! I love the challenge and how different every day is. This day five years ago, was one of the best choices I ever made, but it can be easy to fall into the trap of worry. I’m super grateful for my relationship with God, Blake and my entrepreneur parents to encourage me on the hard days. 🙂
Number 4: Photographers. On time is late and early is on time. This is one of my best wedding hacks. I learned pretty quickly how a 20 minute drive to a preparation location can turn into 30 or 35 minutes. If I’m scheduled to arrive at 1:00, I personally aim to arrive at 12:30. This gives me time to run late, hit traffic, circle for a parking spot, find my second shooter, go over some last minute details and still start shooting on time. #Winning … if only I could apply this same concept to my personal life…
Number 5: Community is where it’s at. The all-time best part about what I do is getting to know real couples and coming along side Brides as they plan one of their most exciting days. It’s such an honor to be a part of the process and I’ve loved working with each of these women.
This got me thinking…
What if there was a place for past & present #WatsonBrides to connect and share with one another? Maybe it’s to find DJ recommendations or the best hair & makeup artist. Maybe it’s just to share fun things going on in your life. After 5 years and over 130 weddings, that’s a lot of Brides and a lot of wisdom when it comes to wedding planning and life. Well, today we officially launch the group! My hope is that this can be an uplifting community for all my Brides and I’m pumped to see how it can grow. 🙂
Thanks y’all for tuning in and Happy Blake Appreciation Day!
Till Next Time,
PS. If you’re one of my past or present Brides, make sure to add me so I can add you to the group!
The outtakes… Your welcome. 😉
RWP’s 6thBirthday, BTS & 6 Things I’ve Learned
February 13, 2019