We’re closing up shop at our photography company after six wonderful years. It’s hard to believe after dozens of weddings that we photographed our last celebration was last weekend. Many people go into photography to get away from their day jobs. Surprisingly however, we have fallen in love with our “9-5 jobs” and are excited to run full speed with our nursing/ministry careers.

There’s still much to be done to wind-down the business, but we are indeed entering a slower season - and for that we are incredibly thankful. Before we close this chapter completely, here are a few take-aways that we’ll always remember. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

1. Loving people is always the number one priority.

Not every couple cares about golden hour light, pretty details or scenic portrait locations, and that’s ok. But we considered any day where we could encourage couples to take it all in, savor their vows, have a killer time on the dance floor and jump start a life-long companionship together, a day well spent. Caring for people was always the end goal not a by-product. And it’s something we considered just as important as beautiful timeless photographs. People will remember how you made them feel long after anything you say or do. For years to come, we hope people remember how joyful they felt every time they look at their photographs.

2. Mcdonald’s. Forever. Amen.

We swiftly learned that fast food has the highest potential of keeping you full from breakfast time until after 8:00 PM when vendor meals are served. (Probably because it sits like in your stomach like a brick!) Please don’t judge. This is survival and the difference between hangry photographers and ready-for-anything photographers. And even with Mcdonald’s on board, we were always more than ready for a cold soda and a “chicken football” at the vendor table. (If you don’t know what a chicken football is, you probably haven’t attended enough weddings!)  And it always tasted like the best meal of our lives!

3. Good business is important.

There’s a lot of business in owning your own business. Customer service, taxes, insurances, contracts, website construction, album design, emails upon emails, promotional materials, client meetings, financial plans...the list is endless. Except when we bought our huge new editing computer (which we paid off in under 2 months) we never went into debt. And all those things prepared us uniquely for life now.

4. Little people follow Cait everywhere.

Be it nursing or photographing a wedding, you can be sure the kiddos will be flocking to Cait for the duration. It was always a joy to take a little one’s photo and then show them their picture on our camera’s preview screen.

5. Jeeps are awesome.

Our Jeep was the best inadvertent business investment ever. From hauling our gear, getting us home after our Valentine’s Day 2015 wedding-blizzard or being the greatest platform for catching that perfect shot, we couldn’t have picked a better vehicle.

6. You never know that will be asked of you.

Josh has taught dozens of men how to tie bow ties, properly tuck in shirt tails and explained countless times what all those extra buttons are for. Cait once sewed a bustle back together, gave over earrings from her own ears to a bride who had an accessory emergency and even doubled as a bridesmaid/photographer for a dear friend’s wedding once. And we loved every second of it.

7. Don’t look down into the uplights.

For those not in the wedding world, uplights are those canisters that sit on the floor at some receptions that fill a room with colored light. They are like looking directly into the sun after being in a dark room without windows. Don’t do it. You will go blind.

8. For better or worse, we are better together.

Not every couple can own a business and come out closer! We have learned each other’s strengths and weaknesses with incredible clarity - a gift we don’t take lightly. We have learned to praise in public, question in private. To give and take. To serve each other and love each other in stressful situations. That a kind word can be like a cool drink of water after shooting beach ceremony in July. That recovery days while we move slow from sore muscles, drink lots of coffee and order in are sweet because we are together.