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wedded bliss

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I’m so excited to share this latest post from the day that Christen and Matt tied the knot!  What a fun day we had!  It’s not uncommon that I can hardly decide which photos to post on my blog or my Facebook album, but that was REALLY the case with this one!  There were so many fun shots from throughout the day.  We started out with an intimate ceremony at Madison’s “Gates of Heaven” synagogue where the couple recited their own, unique vows in front of friends and family and even carried out a wine box ceremony.  This was where the couple nailed shut a wooden box with their favorite bottle of wine and letters to each other.  The tradition is to open this box years down the road on their anniversary, or sometime in the course of their relationship if they hit a bumpy patch or need to be reminded of the love that they felt for each other on this very day – so sweet!  From there we spent a beautiful afternoon taking photos of the wedding party at the state capital, and ended the evening with a night of dinner and dancing at the Memorial Union on the lake.  It won’t be hard to see what a beautiful couple this is, and what a wonderful day they shared.  Enjoy!

jumping in…

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Here I am again.  Sitting in front of the computer and wondering how on earth I could’ve gone four whole months without blogging.  I knew that once summer was here everything would be busy.  I’ve had busy summers before, but nothing like this one.  I guess the best place to start is right where I left off… May.  I’m not sure what it is about that month, but everything always seems to happen all at once in the month of May.  In 2008, for example, my husband and I finished college, moved to Madison, got married, and he started his job with the police department – all within one month!  I should’ve known that this year things wouldn’t be any different.  I went into the month very excited because not only was I taking a leap and leaving my marketing job in Middleton, but two of my best friends were getting married.  We had Steve and Jeni’s wedding in St. Charles, Minnesota and then we would be able to round out the month with Sarah and Mike’s wedding in Milton over Memorial Day Weekend.  We had such a great time in Minnesota for the LaValla wedding.  My husband, Mitch, and I were honored to be a part of the wedding and I also had the opportunity to take pictures of the day’s festivities.  It was a beautiful day and such a neat chance for all of our friends to get together and just hang out again- something that we don’t get to do as often as we used to.  After that weekend, we headed home and got ready to start another week, looking forward to celebrating our own wedding anniversary that Tuesday, and then Sarah and Mike’s wedding on Saturday.  Little did we know that before we got to any of these things our life would change forever.

It was Monday that week when my suspicions were confirmed… we’re having a baby!  We couldn’t believe it.  We had planned on this happening soon, but knowing that it was really true, it just didn’t seem possible.  The next few days were a little surreal.  It’s funny how you can feel so nervous about something that you were so confident that you were ready for just a short time earlier!  After a few days, and after I had convinced myself that this was real life, it was so much fun to start thinking about how our lives were going to change for the better.  We couldn’t wait to start learning about this new little baby that had already stolen our hearts.  The next few months leading up to today were nothing short of eventful.  Besides being incredibly sick for the next nine weeks, life went on as usual – but a little different all at the same time.  I think I started learning my first lessons about being a “mom” right away (it’s still so weird to even talk about myself and that word in the same sentence!).  Your life can go on as it normally would, but you never approach anything exactly like you did before.  You’re always thinking about this little one in the back of your mind.  Judging by what I’ve heard from others and even my own mom, I’m guessing that this is one of those feelings that just never goes away whether your baby is 20 days old or 20 years old.  For me, it’s made this summer so much fun.  Having something so amazing to look forward to makes all of the events leading up to the big day that much sweeter.  We finished our roller coaster of a week with Sarah and Mike’s wedding.  It was a wonderful day and we were so happy to see Sarah and Mike so genuinely happy to be together.

Just a few days later we had the chance to get our first look at what would soon be our newest addition.  It was amazing.  Even though that early it’s hard to even tell what exactly you’re looking at – it was beautiful just the same.  On that day we were given the date of February 4th, 2012.  A due date is such powerful information.  I never realized how much you will plan your life around that one day.  I found that with every event scheduled into the coming months I keep comparing it to February 4th and trying to figure out how I’ll feel at that time and how I’ll look at that time!  From that first appointment on, we look forward to every four weeks when we get the chance to visit the doctor again and learn just a little bit more about our baby.  Now, only a few weeks shy of the half-way point, we (okay, maybe it’s just me that can hardly contain my excitement!) can’t wait for our next chance to see our baby and even find out if we’ll be buying pink or blue!

If I didn’t have “baby” on my mind this summer, I was thinking about weddings.  Wedding season was so busy this year, but so much fun too!  I know that I’ve said it before, but I’m so lucky to work with such amazing clients.  I had the opportunity to capture memories at so many beautiful events, and there are still a few more this year!  The season took me to Milton and Janesville on a few beautiful summer days, around the state capitol, to the shores of Lake Oconomowoc, to the rolling hills of Lodi for an airplane inspired wedding, and even to the St. Paul, Minnesota skyline!  Here are just a few, of thousands, of photos that I was able to take this summer.  Enjoy!

I am so excited for all of the happiness and excitement that lies ahead – and for so many reasons!  If you couldn’t tell… I love my job!  I get to take pictures of people’s happiest, most memorable times.  Not only have I been taking pictures of brides and grooms tying the knot this summer, but I’ve also been capturing moments between families, little ones, high school seniors, and love birds too!  Make sure that you go to www.facebook.com/dontblinkbyerin often to see my newest posts and keep updated on contests and promotions too!  I can’t wait to share all of my new work with all of you.

I also couldn’t be happier about this new time in our life.  Mitch and I can’t wait to meet this baby and we feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be parents.  It just goes to show that life will happen as it was meant to be, and all you can do is hold on and enjoy the ride.  I think this last photo from my recent engagement session with my friends Holly and Kevin shows this best… you might as well just jump in.

spring fling

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There’s just something different in the air this time of year.  It’s almost like people feel lighter… and just walk around happier than usual.  I feel like there’s a true sense that something great is coming and everyone is waiting anxiously for it to get here.  That’s the power that an ever-nearing summer has on us and I just love that feeling.  Whether it’s the longer days, the return of the robins to our yard, or just the absence of snow in general, I’m sure there’s something for everyone to be excited about!

My dog, Mya, is particularly happy about the springtime.  She gets to go to the park more often than usual and she walks around the house in the evening just waiting for my husband or I to say one of her favorite key words.  I can hardly say anything that sounds like “par…” or “fri…” or “sw…” because she automatically assumes that I’m talking to her about the “park,” her “frisbee,” or going “swimming.”  She perks up her little ears and tilts her head from side-to-side in true lab fashion making it almost impossible to tell her no because she looks so cute.  She’s also found a new hobby which is flying around the house leaving divots in our yard going from downspout to downspout checking for the first signs of chipmunks.  She probably remembers a time last year when she trapped one in the tube by using her paws to pound down the metal on both sides creating her very own personal toy to keep her busy for hours!

I also look forward to the surprises of spring.  More than a week ago I was walking in our neighborhood and there it was.  A Crocus flower coming up from the gravel!  On a windy, barely 40 degree day a sign of the coming months to keep things positive!  I’ve also been watching the robins bouncing around our yard, waiting for the perfect time to start nest building.  We must have the best spot for a nest in the whole neighborhood on the back of our house.  Last year we had robins build a nest on top of the motion light out the back door four different times and we got to watch robin eggs hatch over and over again throughout the early summer.  I can tell that all of the birds are out in our yard scoping it out right about now.  It’s these little reminders of summer coming that make the colder, rainy days bearable.  I often wonder if summer would be quite as sweet if we didn’t have to go through a long winter to get there.

Speaking of spring and happiness… I recently had the chance to spend an afternoon with Brett and Katie, lovebirds getting married this coming July.  I know that you’ll be able to tell by these photos just how in love these two are.  I had so much fun hanging out with them and enjoying a beautiful spring day.  We found the beauty of the outdoors everywhere we went, and this photo shoot reminded me just how photogenic the month of April can be.  Congratulations to Brett and Katie and I can’t wait to share photos from their upcoming wedding this summer!

winter wonderland

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The dead of winter definitely isn’t the most popular time to have a wedding.  The snow and undoubtedly cold weather probably have most people thinking that winter just can’t be as “pretty” as the other seasons of the year.  This past January I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding that proves this notion completely wrong!  Alex and Mary were married in Milton at the end of January and I have to say that it was one of the most beautiful weddings that I’ve had the chance to be a part of.  It was definitely snowy and it was, of course, cold… but as you can see in the photos below the weather certainly didn’t stop this couple from having a blast on their special day.  Right down to the details, this wedding defined a “vintage winter” event.  Everything from lace and netting to fur coats and boots kept this wedding party stylish and warm – even though the temperatures couldn’t have been much higher than 20 degrees that day!  Enjoy the photos below and congratulations again to Alex and Mary!

goodbye winter!

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Welcome to the brand new Don’t Blink Photography blog!  I am so excited to continue sharing my passion with all of you… thank you so much for stopping by!  I can’t wait to show you all that’s in store for this spring!  Check back often for new posts!

– Erin