Hiiiiiiiiiiiii friends!!
Hi! It’s me, April. Not grace as many have assumed because of my business name-which, sidenote, if you ever want to hear how Sophisticated Grace Photography not only came to be but also where I got the name-message me and I can tell you. It’s not an overly glamorous story but it might make you laugh.
I started this hobby, turned side hustle, turned full time business, a decade ago. There is a whole story of the who, where, what, and why but that is for a different day. Today I want to talk to you about the now. It has been 2.5 years since I even blogged and literally found out a month ago that my website wasn’t even working correctly. (So, if you have booked me in the last year or so thank you for finding a way to get to that contact page even if there were very few links that allowed you to purposefully get there.)
Since I was last on here there was a world wide pandemic followed by a make up year, and then finally a year that started to feel a bit more normal again-if normal is even a thing now. To say I have learned and grown significantly the last three years would be an understatement. From 35 weddings in 2019 (and being quite happy with that) to over 65 in 2021, from being in a serious relationship to spending the last two years physically alone (but surrounded with more love and friendship than I could have ever imagined),from really only ever hearing positive words about SGP to being bombarded with reminders of how I failed. From no dogs to now two (Covid can explain the first but I have NO idea why I thought the second one would be a good idea.). From being broken and dejected to finding a peace that words cannot do justice and still learning how to deal with challenging days full of depression and anxiety. If you have followed me on instagram I have always been very open about mental health, success, failings, & everything in between. I am an open book and try to do my best to not only overcommunicate but also make sure we are all on the same page about what working with me and my team may look like. (Covid did have a few good things come out of it and new contracts, boundaries, and very clear communication are just a few.)
Today, I would like to share five random things about me, maybe a few things I have learned, a sale you will NOT want to miss, and why I have serious regrets on naming my business Sophisticated Grace Photography.
Random things. And if you know me at all or have been in front of my camera I have probably shared many of them-especially the embarrassing ones.
1.) I sweat. A LOT. Always have, probably always will. I bring at LEAST two outfits with me to every wedding I shoot but sometimes more. It is also why a good chunk of my closet is black and white tshirts get worn twice, three times if we are lucky, before they get thrown in the garbage. Oh, and almost every embarrassing story I share either has to do with sweating or bowel movements.
2.) Some shoot weddings for the cake. I do them for the donuts and the mimosas. Now, before anyone thinks I start drinking that early I will stress that my mimosas are primarily orange juice with a little bit of pizaz. And donuts because unless your cake said duncan hines and came from a box I want none of it. And, no, I am not joking.
3.) I am completely deaf in my left ear. Which although makes it super easy to sleep mostly anywhere or when my 15-year-old has a sleepover, it is incredibly inconvenient if anyone is sitting/standing on my left side. So, if you ever see me and talk to me and I ignore you- I swear it is NOT you-I am almost always living in my own little world, daydreaming, and planning when I can eat again-AND I more than likely did NOT hear you. Promise.
4.) I am crazy empathetic and typically can watch mob movies without flinching but fast forward when the girl gets dumped or left in every Hallmark movie.
5.) I LOVE thrifting. I was unaware it was a thing until I had kids and was introduced to the miracle that is called gagage saling. Or treasure hunting. Shopping in general is not my thing but give me an hour at a thrift store and I am happppppy. Or the target clearance end caps-my favorites are the ones that have deodorant, nail polish, dog treats, and about 20 other random things on the shelves. ORRRRR the random aisle at Aldi that has allllll kinds of home decor and random stuff that you didn’t even realize you needed until you went in there.
6.) One more just for funsies. I have been sued. But not by who you may have thought. It is a story in and of itself and perhaps one day I will share it. Or if you see me feel free to ask-it is one of the more bizarre stories of my career but it helped me learn a lot about contracts and truthfully human nature.
Some things I have learned over the last few years. And when I say some-I really mean some. There is a small chance that I will start a series of blogs on what every wedding vendor would like to tell you or at least things I have noticed at ALL weddings. As unique as humans are there are some very, very basic things that you will find at almost every event/wedding. I often hear: “but april-I am the exception, not the rule.” And I will GUARANTEE you-you are not. :)
Back to what I have learned. First, over the last few years specifically I have learned that I cannot make everyone, and sometimes it feels like anyone, happy. I have bit off more than I can chew more times than I can count, learned that you can, in fact, have too many weddings. And that and an open bar with unlimited hard alcohol is very, very rarely helpful.
The last two years have felt heavy and often overwhelming. I LOVE what I do. I love the people I meet, the stories I tell, I love learning and creating. AND I have realized that when I say yes to one thing I am subsequently saying no to another. Going into 2023 I have some big dreams for SGP and some other creative things up my sleeve. I also am realizing that life is far too precious, time is more valuable than money, and it is a lot harder to fall in love, or, I don’t know, have a life if you are constantly working. That being said I have changed a few aspects of how I do life and business. So, I am tweaking a few areas that I am believing will be helpful for not only me and my family but allow me to serve my couples and clients even better than I have in the past.
Like I said above I LOVE a good sale. And every year around this time I offer a decent % off. But never have I ever done more than I am doing to welcome in 2023. My heart has always been to love on people, make them feel seen and remind them that they are worthy, valuable, and precious. So, this year, I am starting off with a HUGE discount. If you book your wedding in the month of January 2023 you will not only SAVE $500 off your package price but you will ALSO get A FREE MINI SESSION to be used at your convenience. I already gift my couples a FREE engagement session but this is the year of dreams coming true and so I want to bless everyone that believes in me and allows me the honor of sharing a small part in their story with not only $500 OFF but an extra free mini session to be used WHENEVER (and when I say whenever, I really do mean whenever). You simply have to mention *hi, it’s me.” in your email and magically $500 will disappear from your final payment and you already are guaranteed an extra shoot whenever you need it. :)
Finally, regrets. Never did I ever think the hobby would ever turn into a full time gig. Had I thought that was even a possibility I would NEVER, EVERRRRRRRRRR had sophisticated in the name. And not because I don’t think it fits. But most importantly-no one-and I do mean no one can spell sophisticated the first time through. A few years ago when I rebranded we tried real hard to go SGP-and if/when people write me checks that is who they write them to-but there were no available websites that could go with SGP-so alas I spell SOPHISTICATED to almost everyone that hires me and immediately apologize for choosing a word so FREAKING hard to spell.
2023 is a year I am so ready for. My heart is expectant, my dreams are full of hope and I cannot wait to see where we are a year from now. So, here is to alllll the champagne sprays, sunsets, celebrations, and new friends in the next 365.
