hetler photography

An Evening in the Orchard

0 · Jul 21, 2014 ·

Spring brings a magical time when blooms are all about. I love finding excuses to drive by the orchards in all their flowering glory. The cherry orchards might just be my favorite as they remind me of my childhood trips to Grandma’s house but just about any flowering tree will bring a smile my my face.

This year I promised myself that I would have more pictures taken. I want to capture moments in life before they fade away. I want to remember Gretta’s spiky pigtails, how she hated to wear shoes (but loved to carry them around) and the way her eyes light up every time she sees her daddy.

Back in May these two things collided. My friend Kellie so graciously offered to spend a evening in a blossoming apple orchard and help me preserve a piece of my life. Thank you Kellie. Now the challenge is to pick my favorites to hang on my walls.

Photography: Hetler Photography / Styling & Flowers: The Day’s Design / Loveseat: Fancy Fray / Location: Private Orchard

Always capture the laughter, you may need to remember it in a time of sadness.

Rest

0 · May 22, 2014 ·

Yesterday I returned home from Philosophy Flowers workshop. First off, let me just say that Kelly Perry herself is an absolutely enchanting and sweet soul with a huge passion and fabulous eye for floral. Secondly, each and every other girl I met while there was just as delightful. I was truly in flower heaven sitting with my flower friends in the mountains of Boone, NC.

One of the common themes that kept repeating itself throughout the workshop was the idea of rest. While this workshop did truly feel like more of a vacation than “work” – I would not necessarily say it was restful. Truth be told, I was exhausted by the end of my trip – and getting up at 3:30 in the morning to travel home didn’t exactly help that!

But when I finally made it home, I saw my world in a whole new light. Stepping away from the everyday enabled me to be filled with new wonder upon my return. Yesterday I took a walk and I simply saw things differently. I fell in love with flowers even deeper while away and that new light and appreciation followed me home. I stopped and picked some branches and blooms up along my walk. I paid attention to the very subtle color variations and imagined all new flower combinations.

Rest is good for the soul. Working too hard will just wear you out and make you weary. We weren’t put on this earth to be run down, but rather to embrace new friendships, to worship and rejoice.

Enjoy your Memorial Day and get some rest friends, I’m going to spend it with my little family {pictured above by Hetler Photography}!!

What is True Will Last

0 · Apr 14, 2014 ·

The definition of success has been on my mind a lot lately. And to be honest, there are days I don’t feel very successful. There are days that I struggle, need all the pep talks in the world and still can’t find my motivation because it seems like I might never be successful. The future does not always look sunny and bright.

But then I have to check myself because I’m basing my definition of success on worldly things. Money does not equal success. I think happiness is a much truer measuring stick. Yes, there is some correlation between the two. While money might not buy happiness, it definitely can make life a lot less stressful, and if my life were less stressful I’d call that a success!

At the age of 22, I had already had many bumps in my road. I remember one day meeting with an old friend. I believe his intentions were good as he was sharing with me about his new business venture and his success and all the money he was making. I remember being wowed. And then I felt small and lost my confidence. I know this was not his intent, he wanted to inspire me. But I felt like I wasn’t enough.

So I turned to writing, which has been a long time practice of mine whenever I’ve felt troubled or at a loss. I remember writing these words like it was yesterday (although I can’t find where I actually wrote them). Am I successful? I have loved, I have lost. I’ve been to the bottom and made my way back up again. And at times I might still stumble but I’m still standing. So am I successful? Damn straight I am.

I think back to that point often, not to relive the past but to learn from it. I counted myself as successful even thought I was a single girl living in a crappy apartment working her way through school. But it was MY apartment and I paid my own bills and created my own life. I was a confident, 22 year old woman with some ugly in her pasts but a whole word of hope in front of her. And what is true will last (thanks for that little quote Katie!) So think of yourself as successful and you will be. Stay true and find your path. And never let anyone tell you that you aren’t enough. Only you can make your dreams come true. You hold the key to your own success.

Flower make me happy. And happiness and love define success in my book. Thanks Hetler Photography for capturing both above.

What Would Happen?

0 · Mar 28, 2014 ·

Think back to the start of your last relationship. When you met him, did you instantly feel sparks? Where there butterflies in your tummy with just the whisper of his name and did you fall to sleep each night with memories of your last kiss warming your lips?

Picture by Hetler Photography

Remember just walking around with a silly grin on your face for no real reason at all? Oh and how you simply couldn’t wait until you could meet again. You want to yell from the rooftops, twirl in the streets and tell every stranger that passes by – you’re in love!

When you have such an amazing relationship you want everyone to know, right? You want to share it with the world!

What if we were that enthusiastic about God? What if we couldn’t keep from smiling because of this great gift he has given us? If we shared our relationship with every stranger that passed by… what would happen? Would joy be contagious, cause dancing, celebration or laughter? Would we start a revolution? Would the world ever be the same?

What would happen?

The Romance Shoot

0 · Mar 12, 2014 ·

Dreaming of warmer weather and some romance? Ladies, I’ve teamed teamed up with some of Grand Rapids’ finest to make you feel amazing, pampered and pretty! Introducing “The Romance Shoot”.

Think whimsical romance, with soft colors and lots of texture in a gorgeous country landscape. Helena DeYoung will enhance your beauty with awesome hair and make-up, and Kellie Hetler will capture it with her amazing photography. Styling and props will be my responsibility with visions of draping curtains, a wrought iron bed, floral garlands and crowns all coming to life. Pictured is just a hint of what we have up our sleeves… although this is definitely the snowy version!

These sessions will take place in the warmth of May and are perfect for boudoir, maternity or anyone else who wants to feel pretty because after all, EVERY girl deserves to feel BEAUTIFUL!

Contact myself or Kellie for more details!

DIY Striped Placemats

0 · Jan 24, 2014 ·

It occurred to me this morning that I have not left my house all week. The last time I stepped out my front door was on Sunday, heading to church. This cold winter weather has me all cooped up and I start going a little stir crazy. If you’re like me, it’s this time of year that you start looking for pretty projects to work on and ways to add some easy glam to your home.

Back in November I created quite a few DIY items for Gretta’s first birthday party (you can see the whole thing here), these fun striped place mats were just one little piece of the celebration.

The gorgeous photos above are from Hetler Photography… the DIY portion of this post will be snaps shots capture by yours truly and they’re not pretty, but they get the point across! So here we go:

You will need:

12 x 18 inch foam sheets
Painter’s tape
Spray paint

Step 1:

Add lines of painter’s tape in a vertical direction over the foam. Remember, any area covered with painter’s tape will remain white. For thicker stripes, add use thicker tape or multiple pieces until desired thickness is achieved.

Continue adding tape until you have created your desired number of stripes. Here’s a little tip to make sure spacing stays consistent and lines of tape are straight: find a piece of furniture or object with straight lines and use it as your guide. I like to take advantage of my hardwood floors and use the lines as a guide keeping the stripes the same width as the slats on my floor and also making sure the tape stays alined with the floors on either side of the foam.

Step 2:

Spray paint. Any color works, make it match your house or party decor! No rules there 🙂

Step 3:

Remove painter’s tape once paint is dry. The paint dries pretty quickly on the foam, it took about a 1/2 hour for me, but could vary depending on the day and drying conditions. The lines might not be perfectly crisp, but that gives them a little character.

And ta-da, instant glam to your table!

A couple of other notes about this project:

I used 3 mm thick foam, the thinner pieces seemed to flimsy to be place mats in my opinion. I purchased mine at Hobby Lobby but JoAnn Fabrics carries it as well. They were $1.00 each.
The spray paint color is used is Krylon’s Raspberry
And I also wish my pictures were are pretty as Kellie’s! Let’s pretend, shall we?

Stay warm friends!

Hats Off to the New Year!!

0 · Dec 20, 2013 ·

With Christmas being a mere 5 days away and the start of 2014 only 12 days from now, I think it’s high time to share my festive little New Year’s shoot I put together a little earlier this year. Back in September when I began dreaming this up and then in October when this shoot was actually brought to life, it seemed like the holidays would never come. Snow was a distant dream and I was still living in the memories from last Christmas.

More recently, however, I feel like we’re living in a snow globe! What I wouldn’t have given to have snow this day in October!! But instead the day was full of warm wishes and piles of tulle, glitter and ribbons.

The concept of “Hats Off to the New Year” was born in honor of my new Etsy store. Sequins, glitter, bows, tulle, champagne and all things bubbly and sparkly just seemed like the perfect way my new line of goodies (and the New Year).

This stunning home in historic Heritage Hill served as the perfect holiday backdrop. I simply fell in love the first time I saw all the dark woodwork and stunning crystal chandeliers and knew the house needed showcase something special. New Year’s through the decades began to unfold.

Cheeky Strut and the fabulous talents of Jennifer Houseman captured the perfect old Hollywood glam essence through hair and make-up, bringing my models to life.

I had so much fun digging up old New Year’s traditions and styles, like serving wassail with toast (who knew that’s why we ‘toast’ each other??), pairing the unexpected together, like gold succulents and felt top hats, and celebrating the start of something new.

Photography: Hetler Photography / Concept, Event & Floral Design: The Day’s Design / Hairpieces: The Day’s Design / Stationary: Crown and Clover / Venue: McCabe-Marlowe House / Desserts: Dana Wilmer-Lucus / Hair: Cheeky Strut / Make-Up: Jennifer Houseman

An enormous THANK YOU to all the vendors who made this party happen!! You can also see this feature on Oh Lovely Day. And whether you’re tying the knot or just planning an amazing bash, I hope you have a fabulous 2014!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it – The Day’s Design Shop

0 · Dec 9, 2013 ·

Drumroll please!! Huge day over here… my Etsy shop just opened!!! What? You have an Etsy shop? That’s right loves!! I’ve been teasing you with little bits about accessories, new things in the New Year and pictures of some gorgeous models and today is the day that I finally reveal what all this is about!

I started making hats and hairpieces, quite by accident really – a hidden talent I never knew I possessed, until one day I was roaming the aisles of Hobby Lobby (as I frequently do) and saw a giant, oversized artificial flower and thought “that’s not a flower, that’s a hat!” And so my journey began. I have found myself surrounded with even more tulle, lace and ribbon that usual and amazing people with breathtaking hairpieces along the way. Now these pieces will be available to you!

Each piece is completely unique and handmade by yours truly. The shop will feature lovely designs that I have dreamt up for your special occasion, but I’m always open to custom orders and ideas that are specific to your needs and events. Of course, I couldn’t just start making hats, I also had to throw a party!! So here’s just a little sample from my “Hats Off to the New Year” shoot put together with Hetler Photography and I promise to blog more about the whole celebration a little later. You can also see the feature over on Oh Lovely Day TODAY, eep!!

A huge thank you to Cheeky Strut for the perfectly glam hairstyles and to Jennifer Houseman for her amazing make-up talents!!

The Birthday Challenge

0 · Nov 26, 2013 ·

Guess what?! Miss Gretta is officially 1 year old today! I can’t even believe it!! Margaretta James Ferguson, 6 lbs 13 oz, she was born at 11:32 pm on this chilly November day!

Which leads me into my next question, have you read about the contentment challenge? It is really inspiring me and has helped to focus on needs and necessities verse wants. Let’s face it, as Americans we are blessed with so much. Due to current circumstances Josh and I pretty much practice a bare bones living. Now that does not mean we don’t splurge or do something special now and again. But as of late, our spending habits are not very frivolous.

In addition, I have really been focusing on “Do what you can with what you have” – another piece of advice passed along to me that keeps ringing through my head. I know it’s the time of year where we are all supposed to be thankful, which I am, but this goes beyond that. It’s an ache in my heart. And at one time it was focus of my business. When I began, my hope was to prove that you don’t need an unlimited wedding budget to have a beautiful day. And you definitely don’t need to drive yourself into debt doing so. There’s something to be said about creating a simply pretty event. There’s an art to it.

With all this in mind, I am busy busy with my next project. It’s a very special party for my little birthday girl. My challenge has been creating an amazing party (which I am well aware that she will not remember – but I have to do it anyway!) without spending any money. Alright, I will admit, I’m going to spend a little, people need plates and napkins and I can’t resist putting together some beautiful blooms, but beyond that, everything has been created from things laying around the house. Recycle, reuse and spray-paint!! It is sort of my own version of the contentment challenge, The Birthday Challenge. This is a very peaceful mindset and I cannot wait to share the results of the party, as well as this challenge as suddenly I feel like I am able to look at my humble house with new eyes.

In case I don’t have another chance to blog again this week, have a fabulous Thanksgiving!!!

The above photo was Gretta at 5 months, from Hetler Photography. I think it’s time for some new ones, don’t you???

Sex and the City Wedding Inspiration

0 · Nov 20, 2013 ·

Eeekk!!! Did you see my feature over on Every Last Detail yesterday? I am beyond excited to be published and so happy to finally share all the results from this super girly and glamorous shoot Kellie of Hetler Photography and I put together. So sit back, relax and scroll through all the pretty (and make sure to stay tuned until the very end for an amazing video surprise!!)

Kellie and I knew we wanted to put together an upbeat, modern styled shoot with lots of sparkle. While we love vintage and it is still very popular, we visualized a sleeker event, with lots of downtown glam. As our concept began to unfold, we aimed to define and pinpoint our big city feel. And no city defines big better than the Big Apple! So we began creating an event that Carrie and The Girls would be proud to attend…

To start the day, the fabulous ladies at Cheeky Strut knocked it out of the park with the hair and make-up for our models, bringing all the Sex and the City characters to life.

So many glorious peonies on this tabletop, it’ll take your breath away!

Get a load of these yummy treats! My hubby just happens to be an amazing chef who was able to make these New York inspired dishes for us.

It simply couldn’t be a New York inspired shoot without a big yellow taxi!

And now for one of my favorite parts of the whole shoot – the wedding video!! Inspiration Video blew me away with the results, it still gives me goosebumps!

Photography: Hetler Photography / Event Design & Coordination: The Day’s Design / Floral Design: Modern Day Floral / Hair & Make-up: Cheeky Strut /Stationary Design: Emily Ross Creative / Cake: Mirabella Confections / Venue: The Cheney Place / Videography: Inspiration Video / Chiavari Chairs: The Rental Company / Bride’s Dress & Veil: Bridal Elegance / Bride’s Hat: The Day’s Design / Ice Sculpture: Luba Petrash, Grand Rapids Community College / Catering: Chef Josh Ferguson

We completely immersed ourselves in Sex and the City, watching way too many episodes and channeling our “inner Carries”. But it was just too much fun to resist! Thank you to all the vendors that took part in bringing our vision to life. ( and feel free to pop on over to Kellie’s blog to see her take on all this fun!!)

Downtown Inspiration Shoot {Teaser}

0 · May 31, 2013 ·

Something gorgeous happened in downtown Grand Rapids Wednesday that we simply cannot wait to share! An urban city venue combined with lots of sparkles, amazing shoes and other fabulously girly delights – there’s so much to swoon over, but we’ll just tease you with this little sneak peek for now!!

West Michigan has some amazing vendors who I simply cannot thank enough for their contributions to this project! Photography: Hetler Photography / Event Design: The Day’s Design / Floral Design: Modern Day Floral / Chairs: The Rental Company / Bride’s Dress: Bridal Elegance / Hair & Make-up: Cheeky Strut / Jewlry: Ashley Poolman, Lia Sophia Independent Consultant / Cake: Mirabella Confections / Paper Products: Emily Ross Creative / Videography: Inspiration Video – and a huge thank you to our lovely models!

Invitation Etiquette

0 · May 14, 2013 ·

I wrote a post a couple weeks ago about when to send your wedding invitations, but let’s talk today a little bit about what should go on your invites, and overall invitation etiquette.

So first off, just to recap, plan on sending your invites out about 6-8 weeks before your wedding and save-the-dates are optional. Click here to read a little more.

Wording on the invitation can vary greatly. Either set of parents may be mentioned, or possibly just the couple themselves. Consider who is actually “hosting” the party or who is footing the bill? Are they going to be insulted if they are not mentioned on the invite?

Some examples:

“Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith invite you to share in celebration of the marriage of their daughter {bride} to {groom} the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Judy Jones.”

“Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith with Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Judy Jones invite you to share in the celebration of the marriage of {bride} to {groom}.”

“{Bride} and {Groom} together with their parents, invite you to share in the celebration of their marriage”

The latter is a great option if you come from families with multiple branches ensuring no one will feel left out or less significant.

Whichever wording you may choose, make sure to include the date and time along with the location of the ceremony and reception. Tradition dictates that all words be spelled in full on the invitation, including the time and street names.

Wedding registry information, however, should not be included on the invitation, as this implies that you are asking for gifts (which believe it or not, guests are not required to give you!) You may include this information on your wedding website. And yes, I understand that Grandma may not be very technology savvy (my grandpa doesn’t even know how to turn the computer on, much less what a website is!), but she might not look at a wedding registry though either!

Your wedding website is a great place to include any information that guests do not receive in the invitation itself. Usually the website address is included on the save-the-dates, but if you opted not to send them, simply including a small insert card with the invitation should do the trick.

The invitation itself should clue the guests in on the formality level of your wedding. A very elegant, gold rimmed invitation with letterpress and foil is going to lend to a more upscale or black-tie affair, whereas an invite tied with burlap or raffia will hint at a more casual occasion. Consider the message you are trying to send with your invites.

And on the envelope…

Regardless of the formality of your day, envelopes should be addressed without abbreviations
Address your guests with proper titles using their full names
Be specific as to who is invited, if children as also invited it is a much safer idea to include their exact names rather than “and family”
Envelopes should be handwritten, with the exception of the return address (which is typically located on the back flap). This doesn’t mean you’re required to hire a calligrapher, while this is a great touch, simply written names with a nice pen can be just as lovely
And to increase the likeliness of receiving a response, include a pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelope for the RSVP cards

And the big question that seems to be asked, do we send invitations out to our immediate family and bridal party? YES!!! They may know the date, and they’re definitely planning on being there, but beyond that, they really haven’t paid attention to all the “wedding talk” that has been floating around. This simply ensures that they receive the same information as everyone else, including the address to the venues, event times and any hotel or travel information you may have provided for other guests. Plus, it gives them a really nice keepsake.

So sorry if this information is a little late for you summer brides, but fall brides – you are now prepared!

The image above is courtesy of Hetler Photography, from a styled shoot with Something Borrowed Vintage Staging and Rentals. Invitation created by Emily Ross Creative {so excited to see what she creates for my project later this month!}. See the full shoot here!

hetler photography

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