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Eeeek! Is it goals time again, already! Oops! April really snuck up on me this year. March just flew by way too fast. April is a BUUUUUUSY month…. and I’m not so sure sure I’m ready for it. Oh well. Not much choice. Looking back: March Goals: 1. Shoot, edit & blog Jamie & Brian’s engagment (Saturday, yay!!!DONE! 2. Book 3 weddings. (again a stretch… ) Booked one :-/ BUTBUTBUT had oodles of emails! Here’s hoping they book 🙂 3. Do an entire shoot just to practice different lighting Kinda… we used set 3 of Karen & Paul to practice this! 4. Shoot, edit & blog Karen & Paul DONE! 5. Edit & blog photos from the wedding I 2nd shot on Saturday Ain’t happenin…. moving along…..  April Goals: 1. Blog wedding I 2nd shot on 3/26 2. 2nd shoot 3 weddings… Charleston this weekend, Georgia the next, & one in Charlotte! Blog at least one of them.  3. Complete styled shoot on 4/16 4. Shoot, edit & blog Kseniya & Brandon’s engagement #5 is a biggie…. here we go….. 5. Increase our prices. This one is super scary. What if people think I’m greedy? What if people don’t think I’m worth it? What if I don’t book a single wedding at the new rates? What if people get mad? Ugh….. pricing IS SO HARD. I have to keep telling myself that I have bills to pay, and I don’t want to be working a day job forever. Juggling 60+ hours of work every week is rough.  Just so we’re all clear- if you have already booked your wedding with us, nothing will change for you. Your contract is just that… a contract. Our album prices are also rising. When I first started out over a 1.5 years ago, I set prices… not really knowing what I was doing…. and well, those prices haven’t changed. They just aren’t sufficent for the time & effort I put into designing them. We are honoring our older album prices for anyone who’s already booked their wedding with us- up to 4 months following your wedding date. Remember this post about making well under minimum wage? Even at our *new* rates, making money will be tough.  Our new rates as of this Friday 4/8/11 will be: $1950 (12 hours & 2 photographers) $2550 (12 hours, 2 photographers & CD of images) We automatically set aside 30% for taxes…. whether it be sales or income tax, uncle sam will get his cut.  That instantly makes our packages like this: $1365 & $1785. $1385 $1785  Thankfully, I don’t have to pay $200-$400 for a 2nd shooter right now. Remember, this doesn’t include any of the shipping costs, packaging costs, travel costs. I’ll have to book at least 20 weddings to come anywhere close to what I make at my day job…… right, then there’s health insurance to buy,  retirement to plan for, having a baby one day to think about, replacing gear, insuring gear…. the list goes on and on…..  So, before you gawk at mine, or anyone photography prices…. remember, this is how we’re making a living, and we have bills to pay, just like you.  And then you might say…. but you work full time on top of this…. yes I do, and I pay a high premium for it. I work 40+ hours a week at my day job (not to mention I travel overnight frequently for it)…. if I have a wedding that’s a minimum of 12 hours shooting…. and then at least another 8 hours blogging, editing, ect….. I easily work 60+ hours each week. I don’t get to spend much time with my husband (who by the way, is STILL unemployed) or my friends, or my dogs. And then of course, we hope to strive for bigger & better…. I don’t want to be in my tiny 1200sq ft. house forever (much longer, really)…. we bought a beach lot, and hope to build…. one day. I would like a new car… one day, hubs would like a new car…. one day. Savings is non existent in the Horton house, and it just can’t stay that way forever. I love it though. I hope that these small price increases that I’ve made and will continue to make, will help you understand that I am trying to ease myself away from my day job. I want to devote my days to photography, and provide even better images, products & customer service to our clients. Price changes are the only way to do it. (Unless hubs gets a stellar job and/or we win the lotto).  I started writing this post just to talk about goals, not pricing….. I got a little carried away…. sorry.  I hope you understand. Thank you for all your support & sweet comments. It goes a long way 🙂  **Off Soapbox**  Sorry there’s no photo to go along with this post…. I’m working on it! 

IT’S ALMOST SPRING!!!!! Can we all just get excited for a moment…. our snowy days are passing us by quickly, warm days are approaching, before we know it the pool will open, windows & blinds will be open & the power bill lower!…. all these things make a convertible-driving girl VERY happy! Another cause for celebration…. I paid myself for the first time today- not a huge check, but a check none the less. I cannot begin to express this feeling. I have a business that now not only is supporting itself, but is also helping to support me & my little family. To me, this is the biggest business accomplishment by far. Alright alright… on to the good stuff… Goals! February’s Goals: 1. Book 3 weddings 2. Blog about our Vegas trip3. Blog about the February issue of Kernersville Living DONE! 4. Shoot the March issue of Kernersville Living DONE!5. Blog Celia Mae DONE! #1… I knew 3 was a stretch, but hey…. goals shouldn’t be so easily attainable…. I did book 2!#2… let’s face it… I’ve not even been home a week…. it’s coming soon 🙂 March Goals: 1. Shoot, edit & blog Jamie & Brian’s engagment (Saturday, yay!!!)2. Book 3 weddings. (again a stretch… )3. Do an entire shoot just to practice different lighting4. Shoot, edit & blog Karen & Paul5. Edit & blog photos from the wedding I 2nd shot on Saturday As far as our yearly goals go…. I’ve completed TWO of them! 7. Pay off the rest of the gear we bought in 2010 (A biggie!!! We own every piece of equipment outright now!)9. Actually pull a paycheck. (Did today!) A little look at our trip out west…..  

How many times have we all heard people complaining about having to buy an ugly, expensive dress that you’ll only wear once? I have certainly been a victim. I challenge you to think outside the box for your bridesmaids attire. It’s easy to get caught up in the rainbow variety of David’s Bridal, and what seems like a “good deal” of less than $150 per dress. Ladies, it’s not a good deal, likely not good quality, and even less likely the dress will be worn again. If you aren’t going to give your girls a say-so in what they wear, at least be mindful of their budgets, and the re-usability of the dress. One of the things I am so grateful my mother taught me, was how to spot quality clothing. So if you’re going to make your girls drop a pretty penny, make sure it’s well worth the price. 2 quick tips on spotting good quality: 1. If the dress has a pattern to it, it should go all the way around the dress (not just on the front), and the pattern should line up at the seems. This is true for accents too…. if it has a design at the waist, it should go all the way around the back. 2. The dress should be fully lined if it’s pricey. Period. Another thing to be mindful of: the shape of your girls. If your bridesmaids are all sticks with no boobs, by all means, they are lucky and will look great in whatever you want them in…. but if they aren’t all models, and actually have hips, butts and boobs…. think about how their features will look in dresses. A-line dresses don’t have to be boring, and they do tend to flatter most body types. Think about their comfort level too… I personally HATE being in a strapless bra more than a few hours, so I didn’t want to make my girls suffer. I made sure to pick a dress that a normal bra could be worn. Don’t be afraid to look in unconventional places for dresses. My own girls wore a dress from Target.com, they all loved them, and loved the price even more ($29!). I even ordered two for myself in 2 different colors. I wear them all the time! Another big trend right now is to have your girls wear a dress style of their choice, all in the same color or hue. How about these? Love them! Todd Pellowe Happy Wedding Wednesday!