I really love getting to connect with other creative entrepreneurs in my area. I feel inspired by the lovely things they create and by their tenacity in pursuing work that brings them joy.

Emilee is one of those creative entrepreneurs. Though she is a photographer herself, she recently branched out into a new business venture as well, starting a wedding décor rental company with her husband Tony. As newlyweds themselves, they remember what it felt like to plan a wedding, recalling both the excitement and the stress of managing all the details and balancing a budget. As they were planning their wedding, Emilee noticed that many brides chose the same few weddings themes and purchased similar decorations. After the wedding, they then had to either sell or store those decorations. Now that Emiliee is married and settling into a new home with Tony, her recent experience with wedding planning led her to start Wedding Decor & More, a company that rents wedding décor to brides to help them save time, money, and hassle in the wedding planning process.

I loved hearing how this new business was fueled by Emilee and Tony’s own lives and experiences. I think one thing I’m learning in this adventure of running my own business is that business and my personal life aren’t as starkly separate as I used to think they needed to be. I’m realizing that who we are and the things we love really do influence the work we pursue and HOW we pursue that work.

And so my session with these two was less about what they do with their business and the products they offer and more about who they are and the way they love each other. It was about the way Tony makes Emilee laugh (something she loves about him!) and the way he supports her in every crazy idea she has, including supporting her in running two businesses. It was about how Emilee is so energetic and upbeat (which is the first thing that attracted Tony to her when they met working together at a restaurant) and hard-working. It was about how comfortable they feel together, content to relax in their home with one another and their three dogs. Doing their session at home, cuddling on the couch, relaxing in the kitchen, and sitting with their dogs, seemed to fit these two and the relaxed, cheerful demeanor they offer in all they do, including in this new business.

I can’t wait to see these in action on their new website (coming soon!). In the meantime, you can find out more about Wedding Décor & More on Facebook.  

As promised, here is Part 2 of Chris and Hanna’s fun and relaxed session! (If you missed Part 1, you can find it here)

One of the things that Hanna and Chris have loved about their current apartment is its proximity to the quaint and unique shops and restaurants of Westport. They love to try new restaurants together as fun little dates, so it made sense to do the second portion of their session in this fun part of Kansas City. We didn’t really have a plan for this portion of the session, other than to wander together and give ourselves permission to stop whenever we found a place that looked fun. And let me tell you, it was so much fun! Westport is full of colorful storefronts, brick alleys, and unique little nooks and crannies. And we found the most beautiful, dramatic light in the parking garage of all places!

I also loved that many of the buildings and shop fronts had an international flair to them. Those seemed to particularly suit Chris and Hanna, who love to travel together (in fact, Hanna described a backpacking trip through South America as their favorite “date” together!)