Amy Paulson

We leave in 2 weeks.  Oh.my.goodness.  It’s gonna be a party.

I still have a few sessions open along the way.  The Skype dates I’ve had with my clients along our route has me so.incredibly.excited.  I love getting to hear your stories and prepare to truly capture YOU.

So…if you’ve been thinking about a session or you’re one of my amazing Chicago friends and have wanted to set up a session while we’re in town – now is your time!  Because of my desire to KNOW my clients and how to best capture their story, I now schedule Skype/phone dates with each client so that I’m BEST prepared for our time together.  Which means all sessions must be booked by May 25.  Below are the cities and dates we have for sessions!

 

Washington DC – June 2-3
Boston, MA – June 5-6
New York City – June 3-4
Buffalo, NY – June 8
Holland/Spring Lake, MI – June 13 and June 20
Chicago, IL – June 15 and June 18th
Louisville, KY – June 22-23

 

Also, I am opening up a day of “Just Me” sessions in Louisville, KY.  If you’d like more information about what a “just me” session is, email me at amy@amypphotos.com.

I cannot wait to see you soon!

 

And PS: the new website should be here NEXT WEEK.  AHHHHHHH!!!!!!  And yes – I will shout it from the rooftops.  The ladies at Earl & Layne have gone over, above and BEYOND in creating so.much.beauty.  Thank you to ALL of you who have helped me and encouraged me throughout this time!

PPS:  Here’s a little picture the ever-so-AMAZING Heather Maynard took for my new website “About Me” section.  I love her.  SO much.

 

 

Her eyes sparkled from across the room.

And he didn’t stop smiling.

Today was the day that they would start their life as one.  No more long distance.  No more saying good-bye to the person who held your heart.  Now they would go through all of life together.  In the same city.

 

Ashley and David, I’m overwhelmed when I think about the two of you.  Your graciousness.  Your humility.  Your hearts – for each other and for your family and friends.  I am so grateful for the two of you.  And for the fact that you two are now together.   As I looked through your images to prepare this blog, your genuine kindness blew me away.  From the gracious way you handled the “surprises” that happened on your wedding day to the way you made the kids present at your wedding feel like they were a part of everything.  Thank you for letting us document such an incredible day in your lives.  I’m beyond grateful for you two.

 

Ashley and David were married at the BEAUTIFUL Four Oaks Manor.  And let’s just say I fell in love with that venue and Georgia.  Right then and there.

The COLORS.  The STUNNING colors.  Oh my goodness.  Lauren’s Florals outdid themselves.

 

Meet Ashley’s dress.  In love…

And the ever-so-beautiful Ashley…

And her handsome groom, David.

I’ll admit it.  The putting on the wedding dress pictures are some of my favorite.  Just seeing my brides start to realize they’re getting married while family and friends surround them and help put it all together – well…it’s one of my favorite moments.  And these ladies?  I adore them.

As a pony-tail holder addict, this picture makes me so incredibly happy.  No wonder I love Ashley.

These next three images – THIS is why I do first looks.  It’s about this moment with so much emotion and so much love.

LOVE.

One of my favorite bridal portraits ever.  I asked her to give me some attitude and she brought it.  Oh Ashley…you’re the best.

The incredible bridal party…

This was the moment before she went down the stairs to walk down to her groom and say, “I do.”  Ashley…let it be said, you are STUNNING.

Day made.  David’s reaction when he saw his bride walking down the aisle.

I looked to the side and I saw this precious little one…

I love that moment when my bride and groom realize they’re MARRIED!

She’s so beautiful.

These guys brought it.

Love these girls…

I’ll admit it.  I didn’t close my eyes during the prayer before the meal.  But that means I didn’t miss this moment…

If you remember Ashley and David’s engagement session, you might remember that they met through Waffle House.  Which means it was only appropriate to have a waffle groom’s cake, right?  AMAZING.

I was able to sneak in a quick photo with my amazing couple before their grand exit!

 

If you’d like to see more from Ashley and David’s Wedding, CLICK HERE to view their SLIDE-SHOW.  And Andrea Bustin...thank you once again for the beautiful music.

Sometimes it’s good to laugh.

To take perfectly imperfect pictures.

And to not intervene.  Even though your amazing husband has a migraine.

The moment I came across her work, I lingered for over an hour.

I was in love.  The perfect splash of color, the handmade touches, the way it all came together…I simply adored the way she made a space so.much.more.

Then you meet her.  And you see why.  She brings LIFE, front porch swing conversations and sweet tea-goodness everywhere she goes.

No wonder I couldn’t wait to capture this beautiful lady.

We put together a shoot to capture who she is.  The beautiful wife, mother, friend, interior designer, HGTV‘s design coordinator for the new show Elbow Room (look for her show starting in May!!!)  daughter, Georgia/city girl, visionary lady.  So that when people find themselves falling in love with her work – they can already start to connect with her.

 

Sweet Cristi – thank you so much for letting me capture you.  Because you are amazing.  And beautiful.  Inside and out.  I loved spending time with you.  And I could not be more excited for the road ahead.  Or all the beautiful inspiration I’ll be pinning on pinterest from your blog….

 

 

 

Let the obvious be stated.  Cristi – you are GORGEOUS.

I can’t do this.

I just can’t.

I’m in over my head.

 

Rinse. Lather. Repeat. Re-branding, moving, 3 kids, having no making new friends, sorting out life after Lyme disease and trying to figure out where to put everything in a house you didn’t actually see beforehand (true story) can do this to a person.

Add to that letting people down that mean so very much to you and you get one discouraged person.

I sat at the computer working through my galleries for my new website that the fabulous ladies of Earl & Layne have been blowing me away with and I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.  I hit my wall.  I was convinced I just couldn’t do it.  There were too many decisions.  Too many changes I needed to make to my business.  And too many fears to face.

I walked downstairs to avoid eye contact with my computer that seemed to be staring at me.  And laughing.

 

As I walked down the steps, I had one of those moments.  The “I need to stop everything because this next thought might change my life – God, I’m listening” moments.  For a moment, I told the “I can’ts” to hush as I asked myself, “What if I told myself I could?”

 

It lingered.  As did I – mid staircase.

What if – when I encounter something hard – I immediately say “I can do this.”

Even if I don’t yet believe it.

 

I decided to try it for a week.

I walked through the kitchen, “I can finish my website.”

I grabbed my coffee refill, “I can give my clients the experience I want to give them.”

I poured in the half-and-half, “I can be the mom my kids need.”

Tears started to well up .  So.very.much of me didn’t believe a word I was saying.  But in that moment, I vowed that I’d try it for a week.  No more “I can’ts.”  This week I would speak the words I would want to speak to my kids – over myself.  The kind of words God writes about us.

I would love me.  I would say the kind things that I needed to hear.  I would speak words of belief into me.

I can be a consistent friend.

I can do hard things.

I am worthwhile.

I am worthy of love.

I am beautiful.

I am fun.

I bring out beauty in people.

I see the world in a way that needs to be shared.

 

I could finally see: I had never really loved myself.  I was always waiting for someone else.  Someone to come along and speak those words over me.  To see that in me.  To do whatever it took to bring it out in my life.

 

But it never worked.  I couldn’t hear or accept any of those voices.  When your mind is feeding you another story, you simply cannot accept truth.  It was time to take God at His word and start speaking His truth over myself.

That week changed me.  Sure… I did not always believe what I was saying.  Some moments felt like what I was saying was the furthest thing from the truth.  But I kept coming back to this: what if?  What if I’m right?  What if I believed it?  Don’t I have enough people saying “I can’t”?  Can’t I just let them take over my old role?

Maybe it’s time for us to speak the words of love over ourselves.  Whether we believe them or not.  And to then do so over those around us.

After all – what do you have to lose?

 

 

Added bonus: some adorable people I love.