We were so thrilled to be a part of this years Wedtoberfest event for the second year in a row.  Wedtoberfest is an alternative wedding show that includes all the fun of a beer festival within a casual and stress free wedding planning environment. Joining forces with many talented Chicago wedding vendors  at the amazing Architectual Artifacts venue in Ravenswood.  Joe and I love the kinds of couples we meet at this show simply because they are our ideal clients and we get so excited to chat with them and hear all about their unique and exciting wedding day plans.  And no doubt that Joe loves to do some beer tasting in between meeting newly engaged couples too.

The vibe of this show is unlike no other tradition bridal show in that it has a very laid back feel and we love that we only get a round table to display our photography products and portfolio. It makes for an easy setup and tear down which at the end of the night is really nice. But what we really get excited to show potential clients are all the custom print products that we love to help envision their wedding day come to life with either wood canvases, mounted prints, mini accordian books, wood box with prints and of course everyones favorite our Heirloom Wedding Albums. Thanks to everyone who signed up for our mailing list and remember we are offering a special promotion to all our Wedtoberfest couples we met. That offer is good until Oct 28th. Can’t wait for next years show!

Thanks for joining me for my newest monthly blog series I like to call- Friendor Spotlight. Every month I will be highlighting a different Chicago wedding vendor to add to the creative conversation, inspire, showcase the many talented ladies + gents in and around Chicago and to encourage others to lead with love and intention everyday.

Please welcome Emily Talsma of Emily Rose Flower Crowns to February’s Friendor Spotlight series. I met Emily last year while shooting her brother’s wedding in Chicago. She was in the wedding party and the bride was wearing one of her custom flower crowns. I knew right away that she was someone I needed to connect with and I’m sure glad I did because after our first coffee meeting we found out that we are neighbors and in fact only live about 2 blocks away from each another!

Q: Where does your inspiration come from?

Emily:  I am so inspired by my grandmother, Evelyn Ruth. She wore red lipstick every day, wasn’t afraid to be bold in her style (hello, high heels and fur coats!), and was kind to everyone. I feel a little bit of her genes in me every time I prance around in a flower crown. Also, I’ll never forget the words Jodi of Giving Tree Photography said to me when I was first starting my businesses: “Always be a little kinder than necessary.” That inspires the heck outta me. I want to be kind. More than successful, I want to be kind.

Q: What pushes you to keep creating your best work?

Emily:  When I was getting married, I could not find a flower crown that I liked (or really any at all!) and felt like I had no choice but to make my own. When I make my crowns, I make them with my future clients in mind and try to create things people would actually want to wear on their wedding day – crowns that are aesthetically beautiful and tasteful but are also high quality. I make sure my crowns won’t fall apart + choose nicer flowers that look real in photos because that’s what I would want!

Q: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?

Emily:  Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Q: When you need to unwind/get away/escape where do you go and what do you take with you?

Emily:  I’m the weirdo that unwinds by cleaning or creating something. It’s weird because my job IS creating stuff so it’s sometimes hard to separate work from “life” (but I guess that’s not a bad problem to have, right!?). As far as “getaways”, Michigan will always have my heart. Beautiful uncrowded beaches + wineries with free tastings + the nicest folks around? Count me in.

Thank you so much Emily!  If you would like to connect and learn more about this wildly talented lady feel free to reach her here:

Instagram: @emilyroseflowercrowns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emily-Rose-Flower-Crowns-340167592828844/

As I was wrapping up part of my client welcome gifts this weekend I thought it would be a fun and easy diy label to share on the blog today. I loved creating these cute labels to help add a little sweet personality to my otherwise plain plastic bags.  There are 6 labels that print on 1 Avery sheet of white full sheet labels. Once a label has been cut it measures about 3 1/2″ x 3″. So basically after you cut these from the sheet they act as stickers that can adhere to almost any material- pretty neat!  I filled my baggies with a handful of assorted Ghiradelli treats that my clients are sure to enjoy  as part of their welcome packet.

These handmade details are small but impactful ones that align with my value to shower my clients with personal attention and make them feel special right from the beginning!

Step #1: Download your label here.

Optional Step: If you are Photoshop savvy open the file in Photoshop, select the border color and replace it with a color that matches your brand color.

Step #2: Place your Avery 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet down or up in your printer (according to printer setup) + Print as many as you need.

Step #3: Cut out labels + stick them to paper, plastic, or any branding material you wish to give a little life to. Enjoy!

If you are a small business owner in the market for a new printer I highly recommend this all in one (scanner, printer, copier) wireless Canon printer.  This has been a true workhorse for my business this year in helping me create custom labels, gift cards and pricing sheets. I love that it comes in white (non eye sore) and is compact enough to fit on my office shelf without having to pull it out every time I need to print something (the printer feed is located in the front).  To top it off it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg either. Love that it is also wireless and I can print documents from my ipad or phone too!

Looking to gift someone special a family or kids photo session this Spring or Summer? Wanna surprise your wife with an Anniversary OR Maternity session? Or traveling to the Midwest and want to capture an afternoon on the lakefront? Personalized gift certificates for any occasion are now available! Message me to start planning your next photo session. Email: info@coachhousepictures.com

We are thrilled about creating our first Guestbook sample using one of our favorite Engagement sessions to date. We are so passionate about offering these to our current and future clients mostly because I so wish that we would have done this with our own engagement photos. Not only is it a great way to bring together all of your favorite photos but its also a way to share your Engagement photos with your guests. Leaving plenty of white space on each page allows your guests to write there best wishes too.

And we are beyond thrilled to have found such a great book making company as well. Redtree Albums are hand crafted and bound using beautiful Fuji Crystal Archive paper with lay-flat binding. The front and back cover make the best canvases to show case your favorite image, with a single photo that wraps around to the back. We love these albums for there modern and minimalistic take on an heirloom.

It will surely be the best coffee table book you will love to flip through for years to come!

Our first brag book studio sample from Pinhole Pro arrived in the mail last night.  And it’s even sweeter in person!  I love the thick cotton fabric covers that envelop the 10 photos inside. I filled it with photos from our Mother’s Day shoot and I can’t wait to start creating some for my photo clients!  These brag books are a sweet keepsake that they are sure tote everywhere and share with everyone! With so many color options….the hardest decision is how many to order!?

Our new postcards just arrived in the mail!  We’ve had our business cards for a week now but I wanted to share them both side by side.  Got Print did an amazing job!  The color in the photographs are rich, vibrant,  and true to life!  While the text on the front and back is crisp and sharp.  And I love the way the rounded corners softens the overall look and feel of each piece too. I am so proud and excited to start promoting and handing these babies out!  Thanks to Design Aglow for creating this beautiful template!  I love the way our Coach House brand look is coming together!