So far we’ve had a chance to do a little exploring….including snapping a few pictures at the lovely Centennial Park. Yeah yeah, that’s where everyyyyyyyyone goes to take pictures, but hey, we had to get a little bit of the touristy stuff out of the way

We also explored downtown along Broadway a bit one day, so fun!

Ok, so we’re a little ridiculous and goofy haha. We also went to a show at the Rutledge to hear our friend Jeffrey East open for Jessica Roadcap, super fun! That’s really all the exploring we’ve intentionally done haha…because let’s be honest, it is HOT and HUMID….and I’m a little bit of a wimp. Which I think I’ve managed to work into most conversations….because as it turns out, I’m a little awkward around people I don’t know super well, HA! Who knew? Kidding, kidding. I mean, well, ok I am a little awkward, but we are making tons of fabulous friends so far who don’t seem to care too much I can’t thank our new photographer friends (and old photographer friends!) enough for making us feel so welcome You all are awesome!

We have had lots of adventures so far though! About a week and a half after we moved in (and after I had already commented on how many wrecks we had seen on Old Hickory Blvd.), we were rear ended at a stoplight. Thank God, no one was badly hurt. It probably should have been way worse than it was! From the picture…you also would probably think the damage wasn’t even that much haha, but turns out it was. We finally found out this week that the insurance company was going to consider it totaled and were able to get a new (to us!) car. Good times!

Another thing we LOVE about Nashville? Frozen yogurt. O.M.G. Menchie’s in Lenox Village is my drug of choice (it’s closest to our house), but Sweet Cece’s is pretty awesome too! We’ve been here long enough to develop an addiction, then have to break the addiction so we wouldn’t break our budget haha.

In photography news….we have booked our first Nashville area wedding! We will be shooting Kristi and Eric’s wedding in October at the gorgeous CJ’s Off the Square in Franklin! We visited CJ’s last week and are pretty much in love…such a gorgeous venue! And it is run by some of the most fabulous women ever We are working on getting to know more of the awesome vendors around the area also. Lots of love to go around in the Nashville wedding market!

Speaking of Nashville weddings…a few weeks ago I got to second shoot for Jamie Clayton, a super fun up and coming Nashville photographer! The wedding was at Christ the King in Nashville, which was just gorgeous! Once the couple sees all their images, I will hopefully be able to share a few Get excited!

So pretty much, we love it here I feel like this is turning into pretty much a post about nothing, but I really appreciate you taking the time to take a glimpse into our lives. I’m not gonna lie…it hasn’t been the easiest month of our life. But as our new friend Jonathan Campbell keeps reminding us…it’s ok to be scared. And it’s ok to go after your dreams. And if making it through hard times and being a little scared is going to make us stronger, then we’re well on our way Hehe. It’s so hard to believe that August 1 will be two years we’ve been married, and September 1 will be the second year of the existence of Jennifer Creed | Photographer, and that this is the THIRD year of my life as a wedding photographer! Crazy!

My challenge to you today is to get out and do something that will advance your dream….no matter what it may be Happy Monday everyone, and happy dreaming!

]]> http://jennifercreedblog.com/personal/a-month-in-review-why-we-love-nashville/feed/ 6 http://jennifercreedblog.com/personal/thanks-for-your-patience/ http://jennifercreedblog.com/personal/thanks-for-your-patience/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:53:25 +0000 admin http://jennifercreedblog.com/?p=579 Hi all!

Just wanted to put up a quick note to thank you all for your patience! Life is super exciting right now, we just returned from vacation and are in the process of completing our move to Nashville (tomorrow! Eeee!). I promise emails will be returned as soon as possible!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Ever since Chris and I were married, we knew that when Chris graduated, we would be moving away from Bowling Green. We just didn’t know where. In the past year or so we have thrown around all kinds of ideas (and prayed  a TON!)…from Charleston to Lexington to St. Louis and more. Enter our fabulous friends in Nashville. We began traveling to Nashville once a month for SMUG meetings, and have just been completely blown away by how encouraging and wonderful the wedding community is. We’ve made amazing friends with photographers, planners, etc. Not to mention, Nashville is such an amazing city!

After one SMUG meeting, I found myself eating dinner across from Jonathan Campbell and next to Kristen Steele. I mentioned how Nashville was one of the places we had thought about moving, and they were super encouraging and pretty much talked me into it then and there! Added to the conversation I had had earlier in the day with some other fabulous friends (and photographers), I was sure that Nashville was where we needed to be (Chris, luckily, was in agreement haha).

Skipping all the boring and stressful things that came between then and now….we have put a deposit down an apartment, and will officially be residents of Nashville by mid-June! Chris is graduating from WKU this Saturday (I am SO PROUD OF HIM!!!), then it’s just a few weeks for packing and vacation, then we will be in Nashville. It doesn’t even seem real yet! But we are so excited!! I am so thankful for everyone who has helped us and given suggestions while we planned our relocation…you all are awesome

We can’t wait to build even better friendships with the friends we already have down there, make new friends, be a part of such an amazing community, and live in a new city! Not to mention, I am SUPER excited about the fabulous brides we will (hopefully!) be meeting! Bowling Green has been great, and we will miss our wonderful friends here. It’s also been a great little city for my business, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without it But changes are comin’….and we will see you in Music City!

And, because no post is complete without a picture…I leave you with this picture from late 2005. Me and Chris, playing Apples to Apples in the dorm lobby of Barnes Campbell Hall. We barely knew each other here…and didn’t start dating until late 2006. Let’s just say it’s funny how God works….and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

*On a separate note, we have been so heart broken watching all the news of the flooding in Nashville, and watching our family and friends pick back up their lives. We were able to go down one day and help my cousin, but haven’t been able to do much from afar Many thanks to everyone who has been able to help and donate to flood relief, and keeping us updated with pictures and Twitter and such!

Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by the rules
Of someone else’s game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It’s time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It’s time to try
Defying gravity
I think I’ll try
Defying gravity
And you can’t pull me down!

GLINDA
Can’t I make you understand?
You’re having delusions of grandeur:

ELPHABA
I’m through accepting limits
”cause someone says they’re so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I’ll never know!
Too long I’ve been afraid of
Losing love I guess I’ve lost
Well, if that’s love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I’d sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I’m defying gravity
And you can’t pull me down:
(spoken) Glinda – come with me. Think of what we could
do: together.

(sung) Unlimited
Together we’re unlimited
Together we’ll be the greatest team
There’s ever been
Glinda -
Dreams, the way we planned ‘em

GLINDA
If we work in tandem:

BOTH
There’s no fight we cannot win
Just you and I
Defying gravity
With you and I
Defying gravity

ELPHABA
They’ll never bring us down!
(spoken) Well? Are you coming?

GLINDA
I hope you’re happy
Now that you’re choosing this

ELPHABA
(spoken) You too
(sung) I hope it brings you bliss

BOTH
I really hope you get it
And you don’t live to regret it
I hope you’re happy in the end
I hope you’re happy, my friend:

ELPHABA So if you care to find me
Look to the western sky!
As someone told me lately:
“Ev’ryone deserves the chance to fly!”
And if I’m flying solo
At least I’m flying free
To those who’d ground me
Take a message back from me
Tell them how I am
Defying gravity
I’m flying high
Defying gravity
And soon I’ll match them in renown
And nobody in all of Oz
No Wizard that there is or was
Is ever gonna bring me down!

*Source. Emphasis by me

It has been such a beautiful day! I hope everyone is having a relaxing Saturday evening after soaking up lots of vitamin D from the wonderful sunshine today I’m scared to even go back and look at how long it’s been since my last post, but thank you all for sticking around anyway! I don’t really have any new pictures to share today, but I’m in a mood to write and ramble about life a little bit tonight. I feel that while this is our business blog, that it’s also ok to sometimes be transparent about the things going on in our life. Our struggles, triumphs, and who we are. So, I hope that’s ok with everyone.

(Excuse the quality...cell phone image!)

Last week I was at my parent’s house for a few days. My grandmother was in the hospital and not doing well, and it has been tough on my mom especially. My grandmother is in a fairly advanced stage of Alzheimers disease, and it’s been hard to watch for the last several years. I don’t want to really go too deep into it…but I have kind of had a hard time deciding how to feel about everything. It’s just been tough. But…fast forward to being at my parents house (I swear this is related…just stick with me)…I noticed this super awesome little table that I’d never seen before, and immediately thought about how perfect it would be in our living room (I figured they had found it on Craigslist). So I told my mom that I was pretty sure I needed it, unless she had plans for it. I wanted to paint it blue (the color of our branding!). Well, it turns out that the table belonged to my grandmother. And that my mom remembered her taking the table outside and refinishing it and working on it. She told me that I could have it, and that I could even paint it if I wanted.

So, being in the crafty mood I’ve been in lately, I traipsed to Lowe’s and found some paint, tracked down the primer, and set to work. [I know....really, should have left the table the way it was...but it's so cute, I promise!] And the whole time I was working on the table (three coats of primer and two coats of color later, and one more layer to go…) I was thinking about how special it was for me to have something with a story. To know that my grandmother once made the same brush strokes on the same table in a different time. About how we both wanted to make the piece our own, and use it in our home. And about how some day, (unless my mom reposesses it haha), this table might sit in my daughter’s house, maybe with the painted stripped down and refinished, or painted another color, or however she’ll make it her own. It was just really cool to me. Our family has never been overtly touchy feely emotional, but this subtle reminder of our similarities and the thread that goes through our lives is just really awesome to me So, thanks mom, and grandma I love it! (Finished pictures coming soon…I need to sand it a little and do another coat of paint).

——–

Ahem. On a lighter note…haha…I redesigned our website (Bowling Green Weddings) a little bit last week! If you haven’t seen it yet, you really should go check it out! We have some new featured weddings and engagement sessions, as well as updated Jennifer Creed | Style galleries! I was never really thrilled with the last version of our website…it just never seemed totally complete to me, nor did it really portray our style exactly right. But I really am loving everything about the latest version! (For now at least )

I get a lot of questions about who designs our website or what template company we use, so I thought this would be a good time to address that! The Jennifer Creed | Photographer website has always been done through the fabulous ShowIt Sites, and I am so in love. They are the perfect website company. Everything is completely customizable! They do have some templates to help get you started, or you can start totally from scratch. Later this week, I also am planning on showing you more about what you can do with their client+ sites! They are also great because unlike most flash websites, the text is totally indexable (so Google can find you). Pretty much amazing. And I don’t even really come close to using all the features available! (Just an fyi…no one paid me or otherwise coerced me into saying any of this…I just love them )

——

Speaking of Jennifer Creed | Photographer….a few words about our business name What’s in a name and all that jazz. When I first started my photography journey, I operated under the name Image Jolie (Loosely French for “pretty picture”).  Which I loved…and was great at the time! But after lots of thought, I decided to change the name and re-brand to Jennifer Creed | Photographer in 2008. One reason was that people had a hard time pronouncing Image Jolie, or were afraid of pronouncing it wrong so they would just be like “Oh yeah…Jenny from….umm…whatever that business name is” haha. But the primary reason was to highlight the personalized experience we want our clients to have. And we want our name stamped on it…it is our seal of approval. Although the business name is my name, it also includes Chris. We’re proud of the fact that we shoot every wedding as a team, and that we are both primary photographers (instead of me and some undisclosed second shooter). And in the end, there may be other photographers with a similar style, a similar price range, etc….but there is only one of Us.

We love cultivating a personal relationship with our clients and getting to know them and what makes them tick, and portraying that through their images. We love knowing our couples from their engagement, to their wedding, then hearing when they buy their first house, and (while we haven’t had this yet…but some day!) hearing about their first children. It’s just so cool to be a part of their memories To know that the images we capture are going to be what gets passed down through the generations. I love it! And that’s why, instead of being Jennifer Creed PhotographY (a common mistake…that I try not to let drive me crazy ), our name is Jennifer Creed | Photographer. Because it’s more than what we do…it’s who we are. I am a photographer. I capture moments and memories. And I love every minute of it

—-

So dear readers…I leave you with wishes for a lovely weekend! Thanks for sticking it out through my long and rambling mood. But there’s a box of Girl Scout cookies calling my name! This week I am hoping to (*finally*) post some images from a project I’ve been working on since last semester of various groups from the WKU music department. So check back soon!

So on to some exciting news! First, our official WeddingWire badge is in, which means we are one of the top 5% of vendors on the WeddingWire network. We were the only photographer in the Bowling Green/Paducah area to receive this award, and one of only 11 photographers in the whole state!

Second, today we had a wedding featured on the OneWed Bridal Blog! OneWed is a fantastic source for ideas for your wedding day, and we were so excited when they wanted to feature Allie and Ian’s wedding! We also had a super sweet write up on us on the Sloan Images University blog last week, which totally moved me to happy tears

We also have some WONDERFUL brides for 2010…I cannot wait to work with them! And with Valentine’s Day coming up…if you find yourself with something new and shiny on your left hand, we would love to talk to you

Thanks again (I feel like I say this every day but I really mean it!) to all of you for being so wonderful! Have a great Valentine’s weekend!

Imaging USA was also hugely inspiring for us as a couple. Hearing Dane Sanders speak about getting off auto pilot really hit home for us. It’s so easy in our culture to just kind of sit back and go through on surface level. Our communications limited to a screen, having people telling us what is happening and what to think at super speeds, living just to get through another day….what kind of life is that? Not one I want to live any longer that’s for sure. So we are making more time for each other, to really be in the moment, and to connect with other people on a real level. We’re dreaming big and not giving up

You also may notice our blog has a new design! Belatedly ringing in 2010 with style Lots of new features to play with, like slideshows within a post (that you can also make fullscreen!):

So…just a few things we’re excited about We hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, and can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store for you as well!

We started off with a trip to Atlanta with friends Paul and Sara, to see Braves vs. Phillies:

They won, woo hoo!

Then, after some confusing road trippage and a stop for lunch in Atlanta with the fab Lauren Wright, Chris and I made our way to St. Augustine. Here we have the beautiful Castillo de San Marco. I love history!

So fun! It’s incredible how just a few days away can be so rejuvenating to the soul. A time to reflect, reconnect, and listen to God’s small voice for our lives and our plans. So awe-inspiring to sit on a beach and look at the waves and think about the Creator that made every grain of sand and can control the waves is also the God who brought us together. Peaceful, beautiful And now we’re back and refreshed, and I am so excited to get back to work on all things art and business related!

This past weekend I went to the Nashville Zoo with my mom and husband. Um, five years old at heart anyone?? I LOVED it!!!! It seriously was a blast. The awesome thing(s) about the Nashville Zoo is that it is a) Not too far away, b) Small enough to see mostly everything in just a few hours, and c) Really pretty budget friendly!

I think the meerkats were the most amusing, then my next favorite were the baby white tigers. Sooo cute! But just wanted to share a quick picture of this guy, who absolutely cracked me up!

Ha! He even says hi! Or..well…you can make your own interpretations haha. So I know I’m bing on the short blog posts tonight, but that’s all for now folks I hope you all had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend and congratulations to all the class of 2009 kids graduating this weekend!

So, I’m back! Woo hoo! My computer is up and running and although I’m still missing some programs I need to track down the serial numbers for (I’m the most unorganized person, ever), we are pretty much good to go! The weather has been mostly gloomy the last few days so I wanted to share a few pictures from my trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. I was working most of the time, but did get to go out and explore the beach one evening. It was soooooo beautiful. Seriously one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever been on! These are just a few kinda random photos, most snapped without looking haha, but I hope you enjoy!

A self portrait of sorts. So creative, right? Ha! Jk.

There were some seriously sweet sand castles on this beach! Next time, hubby is coming with me, and we are building a sand castle. Really.

So pretty and relaxing

Someone made a race car out of sand….sweet!

And some flowers for mom

That’s all for today! Coming up this weekend we have a wedding, as well as my brother’s senior pictures, yay! Also possibly my brother in laws senior pictures, and some sessions for some friends. I love spring! I love photo sessions All in all, a good few weeks coming up!

Have a great week everyone!

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