Hi, Everyone!

With my 2014 wedding season just over a week away, I wanted to take a moment to reflect a bit, look forward a lot, and to let everyone know about some changes coming on May 1st to Suzanne Simmons Photography.

As I look back on where I have come since my first, faithful couple in August of 2008, I was shocked that anyone would hire me never mind that I'd find more couples to follow their lead. Since then, I've been very fortunate to work with a wide range of couples and capture weddings from as small as five people on a beach to 200 plus people in a ballroom to a double wedding at a tree farm to a same sex wedding on the coast of New Hampshire. Somehow I had 24 couples trust me my very first year in business and I haven't stopped since. I. Am. Lucky. I get to do what I love and capture people on what will be one of the happiest days of their life.

Personally, these past years have meant a lot of changes for me, too. Back when I first started, my husband and I had just celebrated our first anniversary. Wedding planning was still in my veins. We were thinking of adopting a dog, but kids weren't a thought yet. We had the home we built while planning our wedding. Our life, even then, was pretty darn awesome. Fast forward five plus years. Since then we adopted Digby from Arkansas,  I earned my Masters in Education (while starting a business, mind you, is just plain crazy), we went to Switzerland and the Caribbean, and, most notably, we had our daughter. I think the couples who handled me the summer of 2012 earn the silver medal from me (right behind those trusting 24 couples) for enabling me to juggle my life as a new mom and maintain my business. They rocked my world and made life not as crazy as it could have been. So thank you.

This coming season has a lot in store for me as well. The biggest news is that one of my couples will be my 100th wedding that I've ever photographed. Seriously. ONE HUNDRED! I'm pretty darn shocked that my first wedding all those years ago has brought me this far. And I have a lot of really amazing weddings and venues to be looking forward to:

• I'll be returning to the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center in Westford, Massachusetts, which is where Kelly & Ryan tied the knot in 2013.

• Poland Spring Resort is also on the docket, which is where Gene & Sherri got married back in 2009 (yay first season trusting couples!).

• The Italian Heritage Center in Portland, Maine, where Angela & Ron and Sarah & Peter held their receptions, both in 2010.

• I'm very excited to be returning to The Woodlands Club, where Brooke & Travis were married in 2012, for two weddings this summer.

• The absolutely gorgeous Lyman Estate in Waltham, Massachusetts, is home to the wedding of the sister of my 2011 brides. I'm super excited to finally shoot at the Estate!

• I have two couples getting married at private residences this year. One with a huge, red barn here in Maine and one at a lakeside family home in New Hampshire. Both brides have sisters who have also been my brides, so I'm looking forward to the family reunion of seeing everyone again!

• The Ocean Gateway in Portland, Maine, is one of my favorite and most popular venues and I'm looking forward to shooting there again this summer.

• I will also be photographing a wedding at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine, which is so centrally located to the awesomeness of the Old Port. Better yet, the bride & groom are good friends with one of my 2012 couples. Yipee!

• The closest I'll be to home this year is the fabulous Barn at Flanagan Farm in Buxton, Maine. It's the sister site to the Barn on Walnut Hill, home of Catherine & Will's 2013 wedding, so I'm sure it will be amazing.

• The Mariner's Banquet Center in Portland, home of Nikki & Brad's 2013 wedding reception, will be the home for one of my best friend's brother's weddings. I'm so excited!

• One of my most frequently requested dates for 2014 brings me back to the Spring Meadows Golf & Country Club, home of Nicole & Luke's wedding in 2010.

• Add the Royal Oak Room in Lewiston, Maine, and the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Freeport to the list of epic new places I'm so excited to be visiting this season

• To relax a bit and have fun, I'll be capturing a wedding at a campground in Old Orchard with the brother of one of my 2013 bride's as one of the grooms. Another family reunion that I'm super excited for! YAHOO!

• And I'll finally be shooting at the Irish Heritage Center before a rocking reception at the Portland Club, which was home to Lindsey & Jay and Hilarie & Joe's 2009 receptions and Rebecca & Tom's 2010 reception as well.

Phew! There is just so much awesome to come this year that it is no wonder I'm so excited for it all.

That leads me to my last piece for this lengthy novel of a blog post. As of May 1st, I will be releasing my brand new services & pricing information. I've grown a lot in the past five plus years and so many of you have been faithful to me since the beginning. If you are planning to book a portrait session during one of my few remaining slots for 2014, please contact me as soon as possible so you can lock in! My new services & pricing guide is designed to help Suzanne Simmons Photography thrive even more over the coming years and better meet the ever changing needs of my clients. I am super excited to see what the future holds for me, my family, and my business and I am so thankful for all of your support.

If you or someone you know is looking for portraits in 2014 or are planning to get married in 2015, please contact me as soon as possible. And be on the lookout for my new services & pricing information on May 1st!

xoxo,
Susie

Happy Spring! Bring on the flowers![/caption]