Say, "We just bought a house!"

If you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re about to see some photos of our new home! If you read my last post {You can catch up here},  I mentioned when we first bought our home and began getting it move-in  ready that I wanted to take photos of the whole process: What it looked  like online, our first time seeing it, how much we needed to do (a lot) and most of all, what it looked like bare and waiting for us to fill it up with memories!

My good friend, a fellow blogger and fabulous photographer Christina reached out and was intrigued by the idea. I had previously looked on Pinterest for ideas, but there wasn’t anything that really caught my eye; probably because no one thinks to take photos of their new home, or  people move in with each other, or a multitude of other possibilities. During a conversation creative Christina and I had, we realized there are really only 2 times you’ll see your home empty:

{When you’ve just bought it, and are getting ready to move in and start your life}

{When you’re moving out, and your memories are all packed up for a new adventure}

As you probably already know, I’m a major sentimental weirdo. On an emotional scale from 1 to 10, I’m a 99. I chalk that up to a combined “love language” of words of affirmation and gift giving. There are two things I hold in high regard: things and words.

Because of this, I am very sentimental and thankful for the amazing technology at our fingertips. Think about it. My (very future) children will be able to read what I’m writing now and not have to worry about a diary that gets lost or ruined by the elements. (Hopefully we still have internet when I have kids, that would be a bummer.) Now, I love a handwritten note, but I
think you catch my drift. (Side note, I strongly believe in cursive and handwritten checks and thank you notes, they are an art form my kids will learn.)

I want to show my future family what we looked like, how we thought and  acted, what our lives were like. That’s important to me. The thought of showing our home as it was when we were engaged and just starting out makes me really appreciate how far we’ve come as a couple.

Christina and I talked for a while about the vision behind the home shoot and the ideas quickly took shape. She’s really talented. Christina is a “natural light photographer” and I have become familiar with her work, because when I’m scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, I can instantly tell which photos are hers because she’s got such a unique style. I love it.

She uses light and natural elements to bring out the whole idea for the shoot, which was almost a mix of starting fresh, new beginnings, and starting almost from scratch.

Christina owns a company called Christina Z Photography, and I highly recommend checking it out. Could we have taken photos ourselves? Yes. Would they have turned out any where near as good as the photos I’m about to show you?

NO.

Here are a few reasons I wanted to have Christina shoot our new home:

Vision

Christina was able to take what I described (still don’t know how you understood what I wanted because I know my ideas were all over the place…. just proves your talent!) and turn it into a real theme and idea for the shoot. I’d never be able to do that!

Direction

There’s a reason I’ve never directed a Hollywood film, let alone a photo shoot. (Ok, there are a bunch of reasons, but I digress.) If I were the one deciding what shots to capture, what angles to shoot from, how to pose, it would have been a nightmare. I was so relieved when she came with ideas! She told us how to pose, where to sit, what looked best, etc.

Equipment

Girl has all the right equipment! Not a pick up line… she’s professional. I’m always amazed when there’s a second lens. I’m over there fiddling with my digital camera and she’s like, Let me switch to my W47 extra wide scope Tobiashi secret formula model-maker lens.

(Disclaimer, those terms were made up and totally invented by me, I don’t really think that’s a lens model, but who knows.)

Experience

Um, check out her blog/website/Facebook/Instagram (She’s on Pinterest too…). Nuff said.

Results

SHE TOTALLY DELIVERED. When I saw the first couple of photos on her blog, and a sneak peek on Facebook, I was BLOWN AWAY. (The blog post she wrote about us is really cute, and she does it for every shoot. She talks about the people she photographs and uses information you give her from a questionnaire after the experience to really build your story.)

We just loved Christina. She’s professional but really funny, very quick to give advice and direction, and is constantly throwing out ideas and making it seem like the most natural thing in the world. Christina, THANK YOU SO MUCH for giving us this opportunity and we look forward to using you down the road for more special announcements, when those days finally arrive! (You’ll still be in business in 2095 when we move to the space station, I assume?)

If you’re interested in having your own special shoot, contact her today. (Tell her I sent you, duh.) She specializes in senior portraits, families, weddings and engagement sessions, special occasions like announcing that you have a watermelon in your belly (Sorry, I’m still thirteen), and a multitude of other topics. She’s obviously open to new ideas and welcomes crazy clients, because that’s the only way I’m able to write this blog! Check out a few of my favorite photos below, thanks  for reading and please pay this sweet girl a visit and tell her what you think!

Christina Zieschang

Facebook

Instagram

Website

Blog

ChristinaZPhotography@gmail.com

(941) 812-5307

 

There are many other photos, but I wanted to share my absolute favorites with you, my favorite readers! I plan on doing a before and after post in the near future, since we are almost at that point. I have to look through my (unprofessional) photos from the beginning and compile them, so stay tuned! Thanks for reading! 

Confessions of a Budget Bride: Goodwill Hunting for the Perfect Dress

We’ve all been there. Just engaged, excited to begin planning out the wedding we’ve been dreaming of since we were 12 years old. With magazine clippings and color-coded binders in hand, we walk into the store for our dress shopping extravaganza with seven of our closest friends and our mother, who is ready to cry at the drop of a hat, while obnoxiously waving our ring finger around like it’s on fire. 

Maybe it’s just me, but I was in for quite the sticker shock while wedding dress shopping this past year. It took me a while to find “that” dress because, as a recent college graduate on a budget, working a full-time job and freelancing while smack dab in the middle of purchasing my first home with my well-intentioned fiancé, I wasn’t exactly “making it rain” dollars in the middle of the bridal store.

Welcome to the 21^st century, also known as the age of the budget bride. Any of my friends who have recently become engaged soon learn that the wedding of our dreams is only attainable when we stay within a reasonable budget. Watching “Say Yes to the Dress” had completely ruined my practical mindset, and after watching budget-less debutantes proclaim their desire to find the dress of the season, or their need to purchase not one but two dresses, I felt a little disheartened after walking into a major chain dress salon. In fact, I was immediately turned off to shopping after finding that I could pay off my car loan instead of buying some of the dresses I saw, and that didn’t sit well with me.

I get it. I can’t imagine how much love and care goes into designing each dress. However, I will wear this dress one time.

Enter Goodwill Manasota, where the Fairy Godmother of wedding dress shopping lives. Immediately after entering the store at the corner of 17^th and Honore in Sarasota, I felt like her magic wand had transported me to an enchanted world filled with beautiful white satin and lacy dresses that had normal, attainable price tags attached. Sticker shock be gone!

I was delighted to hear that many of the dresses donated to Goodwill are brand new, and some are only lightly used. That should go without saying, since they are wedding dresses, worn (hopefully and in most cases) one time.

After trying on several, I actually found my perfect dress and paid a fraction of the regular retail price.

If you’re not on a budget, by all means shop at the big stores. Let them twirl you around, tell you how beautiful you look “all jacked up” (apparently, that’s a good thing when dress shopping – it is a professional term used to describe a bride with a complete ensemble: dress, shoes, veil, tiara, flowers, etc.), and then have a blast paying full price for that gown. One very important fact that places tend to overlook is alterations, which can cost hundreds of dollars. I knew that I would have to have any dress shortened and hemmed, since I’m 5 foot 2, and most dresses are made to fit tall European models who eat quinoa all day. My dress looks like it was altered for the previous owner, who – ta da! – was exactly my height and size!

The dresses I found at Goodwill ranged in price from $40 (yes, $40!) to around $350. Retail pricing would range anywhere from $1,100 to $2,600 for the brands I found.

I’m extremely proud to be a budget bride. It says that I’m sensible, I’m smart, and I see beauty in things that aren’t necessarily new. Take heart, dress shoppers! I just happened to find the perfect dress at a ridiculously low price, and I can’t wait to have my dream dress on my perfect and wallet-friendly day. (You’re welcome, Dad!)

Here are some other tips to keep in mind while shopping for your big day:

·      Don’t Wear Make-up! This is to protect the beautiful dress from becoming stained with a perfect outline of your face. It’s also a good idea to wait until your spray tan has dried, too. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important to remember on an impromptu-dress shopping excursion.

·      Use words like “Vintage”, “Rustic” and “Classic” to describe your discount dress. I have a theory that vintage fashion was created by broke college students, and quickly caught on. I’m not talking about vintage that is actually vintage, like some ridiculously expensive Chanel find that Marilyn wore, or some supposedly-passed down Dior top that a magazine editor’s daughter found in her mom’s closet, I’m talking about the “vintage-because-I-found-it-at-Goodwill” piece that is unique, second-hand and that no one else has. Which brings me to my next point.

·      No one else will have your dress. It won’t be prom all over again when you see your wedding photos in the local newspaper, and you see that someone else had a dress that resembles your own, as your new mother-in-law plays the game of “Who wore it better?” and doesn’t choose you. Your dress will be a unique find, because it’s one of a kind. Out of season doesn’t always mean out of style.

·      If you find it, buy it. Dresses at stores like Goodwill are unique, which means they are only there for a short while. This also means that you should check back often and regularly, as the inventory is fresh every day.

·      Keep an open mind, and try everything on. One of the best things about shopping consignment or at Goodwill is that you aren’t competing with other brides, or on a time-crunch. I felt rushed when I tried on dresses at a large retailer, and I wouldn’t recommend feeling rushed for such a big decision. Also, size can be misleading. I wear a 10 in wedding dresses, but my normal size is a 6 or 8, so definitely keep that in mind.

·      There is no pressure to buy. Obviously, you want to buy the dress you love before it’s sold to someone else, but you don’t have three saleswomen hovering over you, pressuring you to shout your decision to buy that dress across the store and ring a bell like you’re calling the kids in for Sunday brunch. In fact, I was actually really excited because during my dress-shopping experience, employees of Goodwill were stopping to help, offering their advice, and just making me feel like a star in general. I may or may not have invited them to the wedding, but with all of the money I saved on my dress, I can buy more food! That’s a prize in itself!

I’m so excited that I found a dress I loved, and that I will be able to donate after I wear it for someone else to enjoy! If you have a fabulous dress, I’d recommend donating it for another young lady to wear. I’m so thankful that the fashionista who previously owned my dress donated it, because she made my bridal dreams come true! Let’s take back our budgets, our weddings, and our sanity. Shop local, support your community non-profit organizations like Goodwill, and find your dream dress at a fraction of the cost. Fellow brides, you’re welcome. 

SO MANY DRESSES!

This dress was originally over $500, perfect for a beach wedding!!

This gorgeous gal was one of my favorite dresses, originally $2600!! It made my waist look super tiny, and I felt like Grace Kelly!!

Tip: Buy some awesome and unique jewelry and tell everyone it's an antique heirloom that was passed down for generations... no one has to know! *Engagement ring not included!