Emily & Craig's Intimate Hygge-Themed Family Cabin Wedding Filled with Rocker Bride Vibes and Unique Personalized Touches

I first met Emily and Craig back in 2019 when they booked for me a documentary-style extended family session. They currently reside in Boston, MA with Craig’s two sons, but Craig’s parents still live in WNY and they have a family cabin that holds a special place in all of their hearts. They were all coming together for Thanksgiving and were looking to have photos of the family taken at the cabin. We did posed portraits of course, but I also had the opportunity to photograph them making breakfast together, coming together around a campfire, looking through old photographs, and so forth. To this day it gives me goosebumps (in allll the good feels ways) reliving those moments that were shared, and it brings a tear to my eye knowing how cherished those images are to them. 

Fast-forward to 2021… Craig surprised Emily with a proposal and they decided to plan an intimate wedding at the family cabin in… get this… just a matter of months. They planned to celebrate at Craig’s family cabin on the date of Emily’s parents’ wedding anniversary. When she inquired with me for availability, I was so over-the-moon excited to let her know I was available, and we had an amazing conversation full of excitement for their big day. In those early days of hitting the ground running booking vendors, Emily asked me for a few recommendations, and I sent her along my favorite caterers, hair stylists, and videographers. And wouldn’t you know it… my favorites were all available. Talk about the stars aligning for an incredible team of vendors!

When their wedding day arrived, it was forecasted to downpour rain the entire day. Not ideal for a completely outdoor wedding celebration. But they were ready to roll with whatever Mother Nature gave us, and so were we! Sure enough, it poured the entire morning. We changed plans for their first look to be at the beautiful air BnB Emily was getting ready at instead of outdoors at the cabin as originally planned, and then we ventured to the cabin for the ceremony – which would now take place under the tent instead of out in the open lawn. This was similar however, to Emily’s parents’ own wedding day, which I felt gave it an extra special meaning as Emily’s mom has since passed on. When guests arrived, they were greeted with Yeti mugs engraved with their names for their beverages, and at each table setting, a hand-written letter to each and every guest was placed, written from Emily and Craig individually – Emily to Craig’s family and friends/Craig to Emily’s. The ceremony was heartfelt and joyous – lots of tears and laughter – and included personal touches like a close friend officiating and Emily’s dad playing them a song he wrote! When the ceremony ended, the rain – surprisingly and miraculously – let up. Guests were able to mingle and have drinks and food out on the lawn, while the videographers and I took Emily and Craig to create some beautiful portraits and video footage of the two of them around the cabin property. During cocktail hour, their guests also were able to participate in adding to a personalized piece of art that turned out beautiful and brought tears to Emily and Craig’s eyes. Talk about an amazing and unique wedding guest book – having the hands of every one of their loved ones playing a part of such a beautiful piece of art they can now hang in their home as a memory of their wedding day. While this was happening, we also took a variety of family and friend photo combinations – giving special inclusion to all the guests who were able to make it to celebrate them on their wedding day. When dinner was ready, guests were seated back under the tent, and toasts were given by the Maid of Honor and Best Man. And then Craig invited others to come up and speak as well. His mom shared some beautiful, heartfelt words. Emily’s dad made everyone laugh retelling wedding advice Emily gave her own parents on their wedding day so many years ago. Even a group of Craig’s fraternity brothers came up to each share words of their own. After toasts, dinner was had, drinks were shared, a sparkler exit took place, and then they danced the night away. It was the perfect day. 

Following the wedding, Craig sent out a personalized email thanking everyone – even including me! – which was beyond meaningful to me and I’m sure to their guests as well. It truly was a personalized day that FELT just as amazing as it looked. So it was perfectly fitting that Emily shared this Maya Angelou quote with me after their wedding day: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Emily and Craig’s wedding day is one I will carry the feeling of with me for years to come, and it makes me so excited to share so many of the moments we documented on this very special day in their lives. 

Cheers to you, Emily and Craig, and all the amazing memories and adventures, and feelings of love and joy that are ahead! Thank you again for having me as part of your celebration. 

But first, a few thoughts from the happy couple!

How would you describe your wedding vision/theme?

Every detail of our wedding was truly planned by me and Craig. Crafted Around You did day-of-coordination to bring our vision to life. We wanted to design a feeling of hygge... cozy, intimate and magical. We were more focused on designing how people felt vs. how it looked.

(Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.)

Craig and I were the perfect blend to make this happen with my background in design and his background in engineering. We're both equally creative and insanely organized. :)

Favorite moments/memories from the wedding?

Too many to mention...!
We loved the first look to get solo time together. 
Then family solo time to give the boys their watches engraved with "Family" and chains.
We loved that we wrote our vows and that we didn't read each others or hear Lynn's words until the ceremony itself.

We have received lots of feedback on how personal the day felt. People really loved the handwritten notes placed at the seat of each guest. I wrote notes to Craig's friends and family. He wrote notes to my friends and family. The boys wrote notes to all of the kids.

Do you have any recommendations for future couples planning a wedding?

Focus the most on how you want people to feel. It's really about designing an experience. People won't remember the colors of your flowers or how the napkins were folded... yet they will always remember how they felt.

Special thanks to all the vendors:

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Family Cabin in Burt, NY (owned by Craig's parents)
Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Crafted Around You (Eliza was our day-of-coordinator)
Officiant: Rev. Lynn Horan, childhood friend of Emily and the pastor at St. Peter's Presbyterian Church in Spencertown, NY
Photographer: Dawn M Gibson Photography (with second shooting by Brittany Sikora)
Videographer: Shaun Swanson, Filmwell Studios
Florist: Brenna Hanrahan & Jamie Sherwin, high school friends of Emily (they did an amazing job!)
Caterer: Zambistro
Cake/Bakery: Wedding cake (1-2-3-4 cake) made by Craig's mom, Jean Galloway
DJ/Band/Entertainment: First dance performed live by Chris Trapper (with bass guitar from Craig's Uncle, Rob Galloway). Rest of the music via Spotify.
Transportation: Late night rides by 716 Limousine
Invitations: Designed by Emily
Hair & Makeup: Ashley Fox
Bride/Groom, Bride/Bride or Groom/Groom Attire (dress, suit, etc): Emily's dress purchased at Thistle Rose Bridal and made by Moonlight Bridal. Leather jacket by LaMarque. Craig's sport coat made by Canali.
Shoes: Emily: Sam Edelman, Craig: Bruno Magli
Accessories (jewelry, hairpiece, cufflinks, ties, etc): Earrings made custom by Rachel Mulherin (Emily knows Rachel through another high school friend)
Wedding Party Attire: Best Man and the boys wore Robert Graham. Emily’s dad wore Tommy Bahama Hawaiian shirt (he always wears Hawaiian shirts!)
Decorations/Decor Design or Rentals: Vintage furniture from Revival Rentals
Favors: Custom Yeti's with first names, and beer koozies that said "s'more love" and "cabin fever"
Any additional vendors used you'd like to mention: 
– Emily’s dad wrote and performed a song in the ceremony called, “May Your Dreams Be Revealed"
– The family unity bowl was custom made for us from Naxos, Greece by the Fish Olive Gallery (Alexander Reichardt and Katharina Bolesch)
– Tiffany Manning led an amazing collaborative artwork with 80 guests and it turned out stunning

Hillary and Brett's Elegant and Classic Wedding at Turning Stone Casino

The first time I met Hillary and Brett in-person was for their engagement session this last winter. Instantly I could see why they had fallen for one another, and in getting to know more about each of them, they easily became one of the couples I was most excited about seeing get married this year. Somehow the months flew by in what feels like a blink, and their wedding day arrived. It was a hot, nearly cloudless day, but PERFECT in every way.

Their wedding day took place with everything held on the grounds of Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, which are beautiful inside and out. They had a ceremony on the lawn outside, we explored the grounds around their ceremony site for family and wedding party photos, and then Hillary and Brett were able to head back to their room to relax and cool off before cocktail hour! Guests were able to do the same or could venture into the casino. They had a traditional cocktail hour in the event space, and headed into their dinner following introductions and an amazing first dance. After dinner the band (The Shine Band) rocked it – keeping the dance floor (and bride and groom!) dancing all night long. While myself, my amazing second photographer, Lydia, and the incredibly talented guys (Alek, Dan, and Ryan at Kammer Films) worked our magic on photo and video. (PS. If you are in need of a videographer, I cannot recommend these guys enough. I’m seriously blown away their teaser video for Hillary and Brett and loved working with them so much!)

Their wedding day was so special and unique and there are so many wonderful things I could say about this day. But let’s dive in and let the images tell the story! Congratulations again, Hillary and Brett!

Advice from the bride and groom to future couples planning their own wedding:

“Do it at a resort! Guests can enjoy the whole weekend at one location and not worry about driving around!”

Special thanks to all the vendors:

Venue: Turning Stone Resort
Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Aubrey Francis from Turning Stone Resort
Officiant: Pastor Omar Rouchon
Photographer: Dawn M Gibson Photography (and second shooting by Lydia Gallagher)
Videographer: Kammer Films
Florist: Blooms and Blossoms
Caterer & Cake/Bakery: Turning Stone
DJ/Band/Entertainment: The Shine Band
Invitations: PaperRozzi
Hair: Michele Brown and Jayme Duffy
Makeup: Bridget Volta
Attire: Kleinfeld Bridal
Decorations/Decor Design or Rentals: Blooms and Blossoms
Favors: Deck of cards and donation
Lighting: Music Man Entertainment

All About Makeup: An Interview with Local Beauty Expert and Makeup Artist, Mallory Reid Finnegan of Makeup By Mal

Today I am excited to welcome Mallory Reid (Finnegan) here to the blog for a little Q&A guest post! Mallory is a wife, mom, middle school special education teacher and beauty expert specializing in makeup for weddings and special occasions. With the tight New York Covid restrictions now being lifted and masks slowly making a disappearance, both in day-to-day life and even now at weddings, many of us are heading out into public again with full faces showing for the first time in over a year! Whether you’re a bride-to-be, bridesmaid, wedding guest or vendor about to be heading to one or likely a handful of weddings this year, or if you’re just looking for makeup tips for transitioning back to the mask-less/full-face makeup life, this post is absolutely for you! Thank you for being here! If this post was helpful and you’d like to weigh in on questions to ask for future guest posts I have lined up, please leave me a comment or send an email letting me know. Your feedback and input means the world to me! And if you’d like to be a guest post, send me an email and I would love to connect! Now on that note, let’s get to it!

Hi Mallory! Thank you so much for being here! Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to finding your passion with makeup?

Hi Dawn, and those of you reading this blog! I kind of stubbled upon this path due to my love of makeup and always wanting to play! In high school, the only place to get high-end makeup in Buffalo was MAC, and I sure spent a lot of time and money there. Eventually more stores popped up (i.e. Sephora), my love to try products just grew! In high school, I would do all my friends’ makeup for dances, which led into everyone’s makeup in college. My makeup career really started when a friend of mine was getting married and wanted me to do her makeup. I thought she was crazy! Thank you to my friend Bethany though, because here I am 10 years later with schedule that is booked solid, and I couldn’t be happier!

We are officially now into summer, which means heat and humidity and yep, sweat. When one is preparing to wear makeup for a special occasion or even an everyday outing, what are some things to keep in mind as far as coverage to ensure all day wear? (For example: Light or heavy application? Using certain must have products? Etc).

We do get some very humid days in Buffalo! Whether you wear a light or heavy application, there are a few things you can do to help it last! 

• Wear a primer. Find one that works for your skin type. Primer will help with longevity, preventing your makeup from settling in your pores, and address skin concerns you have before putting makeup on.

• Set you face/t-zone with a setting powder. I think in the summer, this step is crucial. It will help set your makeup so it doesn’t slip and slide. I use a very light application. If you are very dry, you can skip this step.

• Finish your look with a setting spray. This will help lock your makeup in place and prolong the wear! Again, there are so many varieties to address your specific concerns.

Is there a correct or ideal order of lotion & makeup application?

It is important to learn what works for you, but I always make sure to do my skin care routine every morning! Your makeup application can follow immediately or hours later, but a hydrated face will make your skin look smoother and brighter. If your face is dry, your makeup can look cakey or dull.

As for makeup application, I complete in this way (if I’m doing a full face):

• Eyes (any mistakes you can wipe away without affecting the foundation)

• Primer

• Foundation

• Concealer

• Setting Powder

• Contour/Bronzer

• Blush

• Highlight

• Setting Spray

What do you feel is a product everyone must have (regardless of brand or makeup coverage preferences)? (For example, sunscreen, face lotion, mascara, good brushes, etc)

Hopefully I can name a few things here! 

• A sunscreen is a necessity! I now wear it EVERY day, regardless of what I am doing (even in the winter you are still getting sun). If you want your skin to look its best, we want to make sure we are taking care of it, and preventing aging in the best way we can! Using a sunscreen will help!!

• A moisturizer is so important! Your skin should be hydrated! If your skin is dry, your makeup will not look its best! A moisturizer will allow your skin to look hydrated, plump and ready for makeup!

** I am not an esthetician, but skincare is SO important if you want your makeup to look good and last!!

• Mascara – whether wearing no makeup, a small amount, or a full face, it makes a huge difference

• Concealer – you can use it to cover up dark circles and imperfections. It can also be used to help even out skin.

Do you have a favorite product you, yourself, can’t live without? And if so, why?

Skincare – Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream. It is so hydrating and beautiful! (Do you sense a pattern here-I think hydration is very important!) This product is bit of a thick moisturizer. During the winter (I am dry), I use both am and pm. During the summer months when I have more normal skin, I use at night. This can be used as a primer though and will give you a beautiful glow!

Makeup – The brand will change as new launches come out, but I always need a good foundation and bronzer! Right now, my favorite foundations are Makeup Forever Reboot (light coverage for a light makeup day, and Dior Airflash for special occasions). My favorite bronzer for awhile has been the Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer.

What do you feel is the biggest benefit of hiring a professional makeup artist vs someone doing their own makeup for a special occasion?

Reason #1: Photo Ready Faces-whether you want a natural or dramatic look, a MUA knows how to apply the correct amount of product that will look great in pictures, but also in person! A MUA knows how to enhance correct features while down playing others. Also, natural look requires more than people think. You may not wear a lot of makeup, but what you see in the mirror is much different than a camera lens. These pictures last forever!

Reason #2: Quality products that will last! A MUA knows what products will last, and what will not. They know how to prep your skin and apply in a way that will keep your makeup lasting all day! The products use, and they way they are applied matter!

Reason #3: Invest in yourself! You most likely made the decision to hire a professional photographer, hairdresser, etc. Hire someone that makes you feel your absolute best. You do not want to stress about looking your absolute best, so hire someone that can do it for you!

Can you explain the importance of a finishing spray? Do you feel it’s for special occasions only or something everyone should keep in their makeup bag even for everyday use?

I think of a finishing spray or setting spray as “hairspray for the face”. I think it is very important to use for special occasions. It will prolong your makeup up to 16 hours and make everything look like it’s a part of your skin. I don’t necessarily use this every day. If my makeup doesn’t last all day and night on a normal day, I’m fine with it. If you are someone who wants their makeup to last as long as possible and not move, this is an important step. This is a personal preference, but it will make your makeup stay looking fresh!

What are your thoughts on eyelash extensions vs fake lashes - especially for brides on their wedding day? 

I am a fake lashes girl all the way! Eyelash extensions are nice to have day to day I’m sure, but I think fake lashes photograph so beautifully. Sometimes eyelash extensions are so sparse looking and they don’t show up well, or they are way too thick and you can’t see the eyeshadow. There are also many times they look great, but I think a fake lash always completes a look!

For those who might not have a lot of time to get ready do you have any tips for looking one’s best on a daily basis with minimal time required?

A quick way to make yourself look evened out and brightened in a quick way is adding a little foundation to your moisturizer and putting on with your hands! From there, add a bit of blush and mascara, and you’re all set! I would also need to add a bit of bronzer to warm my face up!

A quick eye look if you wanted to wear some eyeshadow is putting your bronzer in your eye crease with a fluffy crease brush, then patting a highlighter on your lid! Voila! 

We all the know the importance of two things: using sunscreen and washing our faces. Do you have products you recommend in these areas? Or tips to ensure long term health of ones skin?

I think seeing an esthetician for your specific needs is SO important! Even if you can’t go all the time, go a few times a year. They can give suggestions and recommendations that address your needs, keep your skin healthy, and tailor a plan for YOU!

For myself, I have a few different serums/treatments I use based on my needs. 

A few essentials that everyone needs are:

• Cleanser – if you are washing your face and it feels tight, your cleanser is too harsh. I use the brands Tatcha (I use a few different ones), Youth to the People, and Farmacy. A good drugstore brand is CeraVe.

• Eye cream – there are many out there, that have different purposes. I have found that hydrating eye creams are best for me. My favorites are Biossance Squalane and Marine Algae eye cream and Olehenriksen Wrinkle Blur Eye Gel Crème. I have tried many and these I really like!

• Moisturizer – there are so many options!!! I have favorites, but you really should look for one to address your skin concerns! A few brands I like are Tatcha, First Aid Beauty, and Youth to the People.

• Sunscreen – SO SO important. Make this a part of your everyday morning routine!! I love the Super goop Unseen Sunscreen. It is weightless, and it smoothes the skin! It is also a makeup primer as well! It has SPF 40, and it is a clean brand at Sephora.

Do you offer classes in makeup application/education, and if so, can you tell us a little more about what this experience is like? (One-on-one, party-style, virtual, etc)

YES!!! I really enjoy doing makeup classes. They are usually party style, but I will do one on one! It’s a great get together with friends too! Bonus- if you host a party with more than 4 people, you are free!

A week or two before the party I send out a suggestions list. These contain drugstore and high end itens in every category of makeup if you are missing something! Again, they are just suggestions if you need something new!

The day of the party, I come with individual LED mirrors, beauty sponges and PowerPoints. We go through the PowerPoint step by step and apply makeup together! I am there to assist with any help that is needed etc. You then keep the sponge and PowerPoint (I have been told the PowerPoint is super helpful when practicing on your own).

Where can people follow you on social media or reach out to you for additional questions and booking opportunities?

My Instagram has so much information on makeup! Come check it out for all my makeup tips and tricks, favorite products, and product reviews!

IG: @makeup.my.mal
Facebook: www.facebook.com/malloryreidmakeup

For Bookings:
Email: makeupbymal@ yahoo.com
Phone number: 716-863-6955

If anyone has any questions, please reach out! I hope this was helpful for many of you, but don’t hesitate to reach out with specific questions! Make sure to follow my IG for the most information! Thank you so much Dawn! This was fun!

Thank you so much for being here, Mallory. I can’t wait to work with you again this season!

Then & Now: Rebecca and Steve Celebrate 5 Years!

I started this Throwback Thursday Then & Now series back in 2017 and have admittedly done an incredibly horrible job at keeping up with it, only posting 2 in total so far (3 if we’re including today’s)! My goal for the year ahead however, is to bring these back in full swing as originally intended. I think it’s so important to celebrate where life takes us – regardless of our journeys – and I am incredibly passionate about not only documenting but sharing others’ important life stories. Especially after the challenging 2020 year that many people had, it’s a great time to celebrate where we are and reflect back on the important days behind us that brought us here.

I could not imagine a better couple to get us started back up with this series than Rebecca and Steve, who celebrate 5 years married tomorrow. I have had the honor of photographing their relationship and transition into a family of 5 (6 including their adorable dog, Reuben) many times over in the last 5 years; highlights of which I will share below. And damn, does it give me goosebumps reliving all our times together. But what you’ll really want to stick around for is their story and their advice. If you’re newly engaged or thinking of marriage, and.maybe also thinking about becoming parents, they are sharing some pretty spectacular advice you will not want to miss. So settle in for this one, and prepare to feel alllll the freakin’ feels.

Happy anniversary you guys. And thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your story and for giving me the greatest honor of providing you visual memories to remember it all along the way. <3

THEN

How and when did you meet?
Rebecca: We met at a beer league softball game the summer of 2014; we were on opposite teams. The story of this game is too good not to tell so here it goes. Steve was their stud homerun hitter and I was playing 2nd base. Steve, a lefty batter, hit a ball deep into right field. It was way over the right fielder's head. From 2nd base I ran out to cut off the throw for a possible play at home. I threw an absolute bullet from right field into home plate and Steve was tagged out. At the bar after the game Steve said, "Nice throw." I left and in true modern dating fashion Steve stalked me out on social media and messaged me a few days later. We started dating that summer.

Steve: What Rebecca's not telling you is that we actually met online in 2012. She went on a few dates with me but ended up dating someone else, as did I. Years went by, I grew an awesome beard, and suddenly she was interested. Whatever. I'll take it.

When and where were you married?
Steve and I got married July 2nd 2016 here in Buffalo. Our ceremony was at the LaFayette Presbyterian Church in the Elmwood Village and our reception was at Park Country Club. We are both big golfers and this is our favorite course in Buffalo. We were engaged February 6, 2016 and met with Park Club late February thinking we would shoot for a wedding date in 2017. To our surprise, they said a couple had just postponed their date for July 2, 2016 and without actually looking at a calendar we said, "ok". Then I went home and had an absolute meltdown that we only had four months to plan a 180 person wedding. Looking back, I don't know how we did that but I'm so glad we did.

Looking back on your wedding day now, would you have chosen to do anything differently?
Rebecca: I would have eaten more food. I know all brides feel me on this. You get swept up in the excitement of the day and simply forget to put food in your body. Ask Steve about how I woke up hangry at 3 am!

Steve: Not a thing!

What was/are your favorite memory/memories from your wedding day?
Rebecca: My favorite memory is more of the feeling I felt on our wedding day. The gravity and significance of that day still shakes me to my core. After all the years of dating and figuring out what I wanted in a partner, here was this person who checked all the boxes, who loved and supported me, and who was going to show me that this thing we had was forever. From all my years of being single and dating, I learned what I needed most in someone is consistency and lucky for me, Steve is the most consistent person I've ever met. I could finally breathe knowing I didn't have to put on that brave face all the time; I could count on him always. That sacred moment between us at the altar was my favorite memory. A close second was Steve's father doing his signature dance to "Shout" which was so good I asked the videographer to do a separate highlight reel of it in addition to our actual wedding day video. I watch it about once/month. It's gold.

Steve: Our rehearsal dinner was a really fun day for us. We had a relaxed backyard barbeque in my parents' backyard. It reminded me of these parties we used to throw for our golden retriever, Casey. We called them "Casey Parties" and my parents invited what seemed like the whole neighborhood. It was a great way to connect with friends and family once a year. So in bringing back that vibe, we rented a dunk tank, threw some hot dogs on the grill and had the opportunity to really visit with our friends and family who had traveled in from out of town for our wedding. Knowing our wedding day would be busy, this was a highlight for me.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their own wedding?
Rebecca: Don't let the "machine" swallow you up. The marriage machine that is. Be on the same page with your partner about what's actually important to both of you on that day. There are a million vendors and "enhancements" you could hire or buy; there's a reason the wedding industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. No one will notice that one of the bridesmaid's bouquets didn't match the others because it had to be made last minute. The most important thing is that your are standing there togehter in that moment, fully present, because the magnitude of that moment is what will carry you to "til death do you part". Oh, and stay the hell off Pinterest.

Steve: Relax and have fun with it... and hire Dawn for your photos because that's what you'll look back on in all the years to follow.

NOW

Since your wedding day, describe where life has taken you (ie, move, children, etc) and what adventures you hope lie ahead.
Rebecca: This question overwhelms me… in a good way! We got married July of 2016. Two months later we owned a house, five months later we got Ruben, our golden retriever. Then came the baby boom. We had our first baby girl, Reese, September of 2017, our second, Ruthie, December of 2018 and our third, Raphaella, May 2021. That's right, we have three girls under the age of four. Send help!

Steve: Travel and golf are two pretty big themes in our life that we will continue to do with the kids. We have managed to take winter trips every year since we've been married, even with all the babies. When Rebecca and I got married we asked each other what our non-negotiables were, as in what were we not willing to give up. Our answers were both travel and golf. So in addition to the family trip, we both also manage to give each other one solo trip each year - mine is usually a golf trip and Rebecca's is usually a her annual National Parks trip with my sister and sister-in-law. Shout out to the grandparents for helping us make these trips possible.

What has been your biggest struggle as parents?
Rebecca: Parenting two toddlers through a pandemic while pregnant.

Steve: Parenting two toddlers through a pandemic with a pregnant wife.

What would you say has been your biggest win or accomplishment being parents?
Rebecca: Surviving a pandemic with two toddlers while pregnant. As hard as 2020 was on families, I feel like we did a good job of insulating our kids from the negatives of the pandemic. I'm not a crafty mom so when we got cut off from all the outside activities that I rely on to help our kids grow and learn I really paniced. I felt all this pressure to start "teaching" them at home the things they were no longer getting from an early childhood program. I failed miserably at it. But looking back now, they came out of it just fine and I wish I hadn't been so hard on myself.

Steve: Raising what I believe are kind, good-hearted little girls. I love seeing our girls, as young as they are, starting to look out for and care about one another. I makes me feel like we're doing something right.

Words of Wisdom

Do you have any advice for newly married couples on getting through the ups and downs of husband and wife (plus children?) life?
Rebecca: Marriage is a big deal. It will push you to grow in ways you never had to before. You begin to merge your lives in ways you never had to. We always kept a very open line of communication about money, how we would save it, and what our goals were with it. We talked about other big stuff like children, how we would parent, and what we saw for our future with them in it. We took this stuff really seriously because we knew there would be bigger, harder decisions ahead because that's just how life is. Being on the same page going in was hugely important to us. I'm so glad we talked about this stuff from the beginning. There were no surprises and we had the same goals.

Steve: Always be on the same team. Always be working to make each other happy. Always stick up for each other.

As now parents of three, do you have any tips for couples looking to start a family of their own?
Rebecca: Be sure about your decision to have kids. Parenting is the hardest thing you'll ever do together, but it's also the most rewarding. It will test your relationship in ways you can't imagine, but you'll be grateful for all of it - as hard as it is. You'll reach new levels of appreciation for one another, you'll see new sides of one another, and you'll find deeper levels of respect for one another. These are the things that will keep your relationship rock solid for the rest of your life.

Steve: Start a 529 college savings account as soon as they're born! (haha)

The Importance of Photographs in Your Life

Over the years I have been honored to provide you with photographs that document you through different life phases. Why are these images so important to you?
Rebecca: As the world becomes more and more digital, I worry that family memories will get lost deep in the sea of digital photos we all keep on our devices. I love stumbling across photographs of my parents, grandparents and great grandparents. When I'm gone, I want my children to be able to feel and touch those photos of us; to look back on those moments in time and be able to feel how much we loved each other.

Steve: I love filling our home with things that are meaningful and there's nothing more meaningful to me than this family we've created.