Ever since I moved back to Tucson, I’ve been wanting to shoot portraits at sunrise! Jennifer and Trevor married about two years ago. Their relationship was absolutely perfect for this Tucson wedding photography shoot. When they arrived at Gates Pass, Molly and I had already found the perfect spot for us to start. Instantly, they were incredibly comfortable in front of the camera even at 5am on a Monday! As we started shooting, all I noticed was Jennifer’s gorgeous and brilliant smile. Even with the unbelievable sunrise colors, Jennifer stood out. Trevor isn’t too bad either, but Jennifer, her David’s Bridal St. Tropez wedding gown and her flowers highlighted the shoot! =)
Together, Jennifer and Trevor are down to earth, adventurous and up for anything. They were completely trusting of Molly and me from the very beginning and never questioned us even when we had no idea what we were doing. After hanging out with them for just a few minutes, their midwest roots of politeness, respect and generosity were explicitly evident. My favorite thing about the Spoelmas is how Trevor makes his wife genuinely and effusively laugh. A huge amount of appreciation and gratitude to these two for getting all dressed up, waking up ridiculously early and sharing their relationship with me!
Before Jennifer and Trevor ran off to work, we had to take a group photo!
Thanks to the Tuesdays Together Tucson group of The Rising Tide Society, I was able to connect with awesome local businesses owners for this shoot! In each of my (numerous) relocations, one way of quickly immersing myself in a new community is social networking groups. The Rising Tide Society is one of those incredible social networking groups. They focus on #CommunityOverCompetition. It is about helping creative entrepreneurs work together to build personal relationships and improve each others’ businesses. To achieve this, The Rising Tide established Tuesdays Together. On the second Tuesday of every month, Tuesdays Together are in-person meetings for local creatives to build relationships and learn more about running their businesses better.
If you’re a creative entrepreneur in/near the Tucson area, join the group (HERE) and attend the next meeting! You’ll learn a ton and meet local creatives!
~ Chris
Our incredible crew of participating businesses all from the Tucson Tuesdays Together group …
I met Jennifer at a recent Tuesdays Together meetup. Jennifer, an author, is the leader/host/organizer of the local group. As soon as I met her, I was struck by her tremendous insight and enthusiasm for helping others. She’s an amazingly talented writer and an articulate thinker. Be sure to sign up for updates of her upcoming book ~ Tell it Well!
Connect with Jennifer…
www.jenniferspoelma.com
www.instagram.com/jenniferspoelma
Her upcoming book ~ Tell it Well!
Free Ever After – Jenny suggested that I contact Cynthia from Free Ever After about partnering to raise awareness. Free Ever After sells gently worn wedding gowns and uses the profits to help survivors of sexual abuse and exploitation. Cynthia graciously allowed us to use one of their beautiful gowns for the shoot. Please support Free Ever After and their incredible cause by donating your wedding gown and/or with financial assistance!
From the founder, “We are an organization that helps reach, cultivate and empower women who have been sex trafficked. We mentor survivors on a weekly basis. And provide them with resources and tools for recovery and healing from the exploitation. Our goal is to help them reach their goals and dreams.
Through our bridal boutique, we raise funds for the program and also allow more people to get involved and be aware about trafficking in our community. Our Boutique Director, Abigail Wilhelm handles all boutique operations while I oversee and do one on one mentoring with survivors. We just launched our survivor services this year and so far, we have 4 women we work with on a weekly basis and 2 more women soon to be receiving our services.” ~ Cynthia Magallanes, Executive Director of Free Ever After
Connect with Free Ever After…
freeeverafter.org
www.facebook.com/FreeEverAfter
www.instagram.com/freeeverafter
Alexis Grace Floral – Alli Muncrief of Alexis Grace Floral was referred to me by Ashley White of Modern Aquarian from the Tuesdays Together group. Alli created the strikingly beautiful bouquet for the shoot! The arrangement was unlike any that I have ever seen before (which is saying something) and it was absolutely perfect!
Connect with Alexis Grace Floral…
www.alexisgraceflorals.com
www.facebook.com/Alexisgraceflorals
www.instagram.com/alexisgraceflorals
Molly Condit – I met Molly with SunStreet Photo at a networking event when I first lived in AZ. She’s a phenomenal photographer and great friend! Since I’ve returned, it’s been awesome re-connecting with her, all of her cats and her Snap Du Jour project! The best thing about shooting with other photographers is the opportunity to learn from each other. Thanks to Molly, we challenged each other to shoot more creatively and try new poses/uses of light.
Connect with Molly…
www.sunstreetphoto.com
www.facebook.com/SunStreetPhoto
www.instagram.com/sunstreetphoto
Location:
Gates Pass – Tucson, AZ
Check out my latest TOP TEN! post…TOP TEN Reasons Why I am Thankful for Photography!
Check out my latest Dear La Brisa post…Dear Photographers: “How To Prepare For Your First Wedding” By Chris Hsieh!
Interested in scheduling your Wedding or Portrait Session with me? Want to separate your business from your competition via The Why Experience? Fill out my Contact Me form by clicking HERE because I’d love to welcome you to the La Brisa Family!