One of my brides made mention of a DIY bridal bouquet this week and I remembered that I had a tutorial that I never posted. Last year, I did a bridal session for my friend, Jillian. Since it was weeks before her wedding and this was a fun shoot, I made up a bright and colorful bridal bouquet for the day that she could take home with her.
There are a thousand and one tutorials on the internet for this. I took bits and pieces from each and made my own using supplies on hand and $24 worth of flowers. A florist can help you design beautiful blooms for your wedding and be able to handle the volume of flowers you may need. Creating your own flowers before your wedding can be stressful but it is possible if you are on a budget or if you have a DIY spirit.
I picked up two large bouquets from Sam’s Club for $12.00 each. One was a bouquet full of bright, mixed flowers (statice, sunflowers, spider mums, roses and filler). The other was a bouquet of roses and alstroemeria.
Here’s what you will need:
- Flowers (for a large bridal bouquet, I used two pre-made bundles of flowers. For a bridesmaid, only use 1 to 1-1/2 bundles depending on how big you want the bouquet.) Big box stores like Costco or Sam’s Club have an amazing selection and very low prices.
- Coordinating ribbon. I used 1/4 of a yard of 4 inch ribbon that I had on hand.
- Pins (I used straight pins with white tops. You can use shorted corsage pins or just tie the ribbon around the stems.)
- Pruning shears or heavy kitchen scissors.
- Floral tape or rubber bands.
Open up your bouquets. Start to sort the flowers into piles by type. Remove any flowers that are dead. If your roses have a few yucky petals, pick them off and discard them. Also, remove any thorns or excess leaves that you don’t want to use.
Gather four or 5 flowers tightly together. This will form the center of your bouquet.
The correct way to do this is to wrap the stems tightly with floral tap. (Or in my case, I used birthday curling ribbon since I didn’t have tape on hand and it was going to be covered up by ribbon anyway. Don’t laugh…) You can use rubber bands to tightly secure your stems also.
Add a few more flowers around the center section of flowers that you just tied and then tie those in place also. If you build it a little bit and then tie it/tape it/rubberband it a little bit as you go, it is more secure. On the outside of the bouquet, I used long leaves that came with the flowers. I bent them in half to create a decorative outside edge to surround the flowers. (See photo a few rows down.) After all of your flowers are secure, cut the stems to the same length to even them up and make it easier to carry.
Wrap the middle section of the stems with ribbon and secure with pins. This covers up all of your flower tying madness and creates a beautiful finished arrangement. Don’t forget to keep your flowers in 1-2 inches of water until you need them. It seems hard but this was so easy and only took about a half an hour. Have you ever made your own flowers? I’d love to hear your story in the comments! 
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Little Miss M loves to come and visit me. She is such a happy girl. This is her third time at Rachel Richard Photography this year to document some major milestones. Check out her newborn session and her 6 month old session. According to Mom, Miss M likes to ride in the wagon outside. She thinks it’s funny when the dog, Molly, barks. She loves to climb the first stair at mom’s house and her favorite pants are jeggings. Happy 1st birthday, Sweet Girl! 
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The Indianapolis 500 One America Mini Marathon and What I Learned From Not Running
Blog , Inspiration , Personal
In the past few years, my husband has taken up running. Neither of us have ever been athletic people (except for marching band which I will argue is an actual sport) but when he hit his 35th birthday, a spark was ignited in his heart. All of the men in his family have died at young ages from various health conditions. We don’t have a track record for longevity.
The only sport I ever played (and I use the term “played” in the loosest sense) was volleyball in 8th grade. I begged my mother to let me join the team. I had no idea what I was doing. I borrowed a pair of ill-fitting knee pads because we didn’t have the money to buy new ones. To say that I stunk at it would be an understatement. I maybe played a total of 5 minutes the entire season and sat the bench 99% of the time. I knew I was bad yet at the same time I didn’t really mind that I was on the bench. I was scared of the ball. I was terrified to take a dive. I was embarrassed about the knee pads that I kept having to pull up because they would slide down to my ankles. I didn’t want to quit and waste the hard earned money that my parents spent on signing me up. I was still part of the team even though I rarely participated. The bench was a safe place for me. No risk. I had the jersey and that was good enough.
Fast forward to this morning. Today was the One America Mini-Marathon, a 13.1 mile race around the city of Indianapolis. I’m not a runner. I’ve found a fondness for swimming quiet laps in the pool. It’s invigorating to me. But running? I am convinced I’ll die if I try it. It honestly feels like I am punching concrete with my feet each time I step my feet to the ground. I’ve come up with every excuse in the book not to do it. My main one being that it hurts. (And sweat just feels and smells gross.)
I’ve accompanied my husband to several races over the last year and every…single…time, I stand at the finish line and get all weepy. Not sobbing but a mix of pride and joy like you feel during the national anthem or when you overhear your kid quietly singing and you realize how good they are. The kind of tears where you get a lump in your throat, your chest gets all tight and you quickly wipe your face so that no one sees. (C’mon? Who cries at a race? Apparently, I do.) I watched my husband, determined, tired of life as it was, train his tail off to change the course of his health and our family’s legacy. I watched his face light up as he rounded the corner with the finish line in sight. My heart about jumped out of my chest as he sat in the green grass to rest his legs, catch his breath and check out his new medal.
Every possible excuse that I could have come up with for not setting a goal and going after it (personal and business wise) was dissolved by the people I watched cross the finish line.
I’m too old. Did you know there is an 80+ category for runners? Someone’s great grandma is moving faster than I am.
I’m too young. There’s also a kids category. I lost count of how many kids under 12 that I saw running the race. 13.1 miles… No DS. No TV or iPad to entertain them. No stopping to text their friends. Just feet and ground. I feel very lazy as I sit in the recliner typing this blog post.
I don’t have the ability. There were people with all sorts of physical limits in this race. Some were trained runners or members of the military or public service running the race in full uniform with heavy gear. Others were people who worked out a combination of walking and running intervals or even just walking alone. Others competed in wheelchairs or pushed family members in wheelchairs through the race. Some raced across the finish line. Others held hands with friends and they limped the last few steps together.
I’m afraid. I can think of a thousand and one things that could go wrong. But then again there are a thousand and one things that could go right.
I won’t win. This is the biggest take home lesson from today. I don’t do things sometimes because I know the odds are stacked against me. Sometimes, it’s not about winning. It’s about finishing. It’s about trying even when someone else is better at it than you are. That’s the beauty of this type of marathon. Everyone gets a medal if they cross the finish line no matter the pace.
It will still probably take an act of God to get me to run. Although the though of someone chasing me will make me run. Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k? It’s coming to Indiana in June. I’m a swimmer. (Yeah, I’m a swimmer. If I say it enough times, it might actually come true. I never said I was a FAST swimmer. I do my best not to drown.) But the lessons I learned to today about goal setting, fear, perseverance and changing your course are invaluable. I stood at the finish line and cried. I cried because I saw the fruit of hard work. I saw a dream and a goal accomplished. I saw the man who leads our family so well set a new course. The impossible became possible because of hard work and sweat. It’s time for the rest of us to make some goals and get working.
“I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Phillipians 3:14 NLT
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Drew – {Indianapolis Lifestyle Newborn Photography}
Babies , Blog , Children , Family , Lifestyle , Newborn
I wish that I would have hired a photographer when our kids were tiny. There are moments that I captured with my camera (and I have a billion photos of my husband and kids) but I, personally, am rarely in any of them because I am/was always behind the camera. The feeling of snuggling with them. The smell of their freshly lotioned skin as I rocked them to sleep… Those are memories that live in my mind.
When Drew was born, his parents and I decided on mainly a lifestyle session to document his first days at home. I love the emotion, the realness and the day to day documentation of lifestyle sessions. Big sister, Ava, jumped in for a few photos while baby Drew was getting a fresh diaper. Lifestyle photography offers more of a photojournalistic/fly on the wall approach. No posed, “say cheeeeeeesssseee” grins. It’s just life as it happens. Enjoy a glimpse into Drew’s first few days and leave his parents some love and congratulations in the comments.
Love well,
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Kenny & Stacey – {Indianapolis Maternity Photography}
Adults , Blog , Couples , Maternity , Nature
I’ve been following Kenny and Stacey’s love story for a while now. You may remember their wedding last summer on the blog. They are so excited to welcome a sweet baby girl in just a few weeks. She will be born into a home full of love and creativity (mama is a photographer, too!) and I’m sure that her daddy will instill in her a love for trucks and tractors. Congratulations, Kenny & Stacey! I am so very excited for you!
Disclaimer: Before you think I’m a total weirdo for including a photo of a random dog with their maternity session, there is a story behind it. This little doggy decided to follow us around during the entire session. It rolled in the mud, it sat quietly next to Kenny and Stacey during their session. It even tried to sniff everyone and rub it’s face on Kenny’s white shirt. We tried to shoo is off several times but it was perfectly happy just hanging around. It ended up being quite funny and a memory to add to Baby Sutton’s baby book.
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Love Letters, Baby Snuggles and Laughing Until You Can’t Breathe – {More Love Letters + Love Well}
Blog , Community , Inspiration , Love Well , More Love Letters , Personal
I put out a call for help on Sunday. “Anyone want to meet for breakfast on Tuesday and help me write some love letters for our city?”
Love letters? To strangers? We aren’t talking about mushy, gushy, passionate love letters. We’re talking about encouragement, kind words penned from our hearts in friendship to people we’ve never met. I’ve been spending a few extra minutes each month writing some encouraging letters that get left at random places around Indianapolis, Avon, Plainfield, just wherever I happen to be that day. To get caught up on the back story of this, check out my previous post here. This week at The World Needs More Love Letters, is Love Letter Your Community week. It’s sponsored by Kind Snacks.
I wanted to participate and I wanted to start giving others the opportunity to help. I made a quick cheat sheet so that those who wanted to join me could do so easily. Don’t know what to write? I’ve got a list of suggestions to get you started. Don’t have any cards? I have a giant box full of many kinds. Don’t have a pen? I have a container full of colorful writing utensils. (Sorry, kids. I swiped your markers!) Don’t know how to write the alphabet? We’ll work on that and you can doodle happy faces on the envelopes for the time being. Three of my glorious friends (and the cutest, tiniest little writing helper ever!) showed up to help spread love. We wrote for two hours that morning. I totally forgot to get a count on the letters but the stack was pretty high. We snuggled with the baby, we laughed until there were tears, we told crazy stories that probably got us a few strange looks around the restaurant. Everyone is curious why you are turning red and laughing so hard you can’t breathe. Is she choking? I set out to do this to bring encouragement to others but I walked away from breakfast so happy and with a very full heart. I said a quiet prayer that those who were meant to find the letters would be encouraged and it would be the exact message they needed to hear at the time. We only left a few around the city that day. The rest are in my purse to scatter as I go.
Cell phone photos from @ebugler, @acmoberly and @rachelrichard
I know a few of my written letters have been found from following the More Love Letters Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter. But last night, my friend Sunshine tagged me in this message on Instagram:
Big, fat, melty heart… The letter did exactly what it was created to do. Even if that was the only letter I wrote that worked, it’s worth it. I will be hosting another letter writing party soon. If you are interested in joining me, send me a message on Facebook, comment on this post or email me at photography[at] rachelrichard.com. If you aren’t local but still want to join, still shoot me a message and I’ll talk you through the process of doing this in your area either on your own or with some friends.
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“Jon really never drank coffee until we started dating and then I introduced him to Starbucks and the miracle known as “the latte”. Being the smart guy that he is, Jon quickly figured out we were spending a fortune on our new “habit” so he decided we needed to figure out how to make our own lattes. Our first purchase together was an espresso machine. I remember the two of us taking it back to his place and spending like an hour reading and re-reading the directions before we would attempt to put water in the machine. Lol, we’re pros now. It was the first of many of our quirky “pretty sure I can make that better myself” experiments. To date, these experiments have included making our own pasta, bread, grinding our own beef for hamburgers, homemade spaghetti & alfredo sauces, and lemon cake.” – Daniella
I love the adventurous spirit that many of my brides and grooms possess. They try things, they take challenges and aren’t afraid to forge their own way. I’m like that myself. I met Jon & Daniella through another one of my 2013 couples, Mike & Lorna. Daniella and Lorna are gorgeous sisters. (And a note, ladies… I promise to quit mixing up your names! I always hated when my parents did that to me. )
Jon & Daniella wanted to explore Monument Circle during their engagement session and even though it was freezing cold, we had a great time. Congratulations on your engagement, Jon & Danielle. I can’t wait to shoot your wedding this summer!
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There are days when being a business owner is just too hard. Days when my mind just can’t hold another piece of information. Days when I close the computer at 2:30pm to get the kids off of the bus, homework done, laundry folded, dinner cooked, baths ran and bedtime snuggles given. I spend time with John, talk about our day, laugh and cry and dream together. We thank God for His new mercies and blessings. We share kisses and then as he heads to bed, I pick up the computer to finish the rest of my day’s work. Days like today… Days where I can’t sleep or turn off my brain and yet my mounding “to do” list stares back at me with that crazy smile. 1. Call them back. 2. Schedule this. 3. Wash that. 4. Drive there. 5. Mediate that. And I find myself counting the individual bumps in the ceiling texture as if they were little sheep as I lay in bed wishing sleep would come.
2,898…2,899…2,900…2,901…
Hello, 3:30am…
I am so thankful for a career that I love. A job where I am my own boss and I can call the shots and change things. I truly like it this way. But I’ll be the first to admit that I have trouble balancing it all. I’m grateful for the grace extended to me. For friends who understand the demands of entrepreneurship, for a family that understands that the clean clothes that have been in the dryer for 2 days need to be ran just a few minutes longer with a damp cloth to get the wrinkles out, for the spine I’ve grown over the years and the ability to say “no” to good things so I can say “yes” to the best things. But sometimes I need my own butt kicked and I need to be reminded that it’s ok to ask for help. It’s ok to say “I can’t do it all” and it’s more than ok to work with a team or step down from things that aren’t a good fit. My sweet “home team” helped with dishes and laundry and taking care of a thousand other tasks here around the house tonight. My husband always does out of the kindness of his heart and the kids usually do with a little prodding. How in the world did I get blessed with such amazing team mates?
It makes me wonder why in the world I fight to remain in control when those I love and trust offer to help. Pride… It usually comes back to pride. Well, that and the fact that I’m pretty hard headed and stubborn. 
I’m like a toddler who wants to dress herself but hasn’t the slightest clue if the pants go on top or bottom. My gut reaction is is usually “Thanks, but I’ve got this.” Or in toddler language, “I do it!”. But half of the time I don’t “got this”.
*sigh*
I know I’m not the only one who struggles with work/life balance. I know I’m not the only one who wants to give clients outstanding service while loving my family well. I try my best to do all of my work when everyone is gone for the day or in bed so I can be physically and emotionally present when they are here. Sometimes that works. Sometimes I fail miserably.
What’s your secret? How do you balance it all? Lately for me, it’s been pruning back more and more things that were not necessary or beneficial to my family on my to do list. Extra curricular activities, volunteer jobs, obligations… (Sorry laundry and cooking are necessary evils.) So I ask myself…
Is this a job that only I can do? Ask yourself that honestly. The answer is rarely yes. One of the best pieces of business advice I was ever given was that if you hate it or you are terrible at it, outsource it. You’ll spend way to much time fighting with it for it to be productive. Outsourcing is a beautiful thing.
Is this a job that I am passionate about? Yes? Great! No? Why fill your day doing things that suck the life out of you? I understand that we all must do somethings that are less than desirable. Scrubbing bathrooms isn’t exactly on the top of my list. Use some wisdom to see what needs to be cut, outsourced or infused with a fun perspective shift.
Am I doing any of this because I feel guilty or pressured? Obligation should be a four letter word. So many unnecessary things are added to our list just because we are afraid to say no for fear of letting someone down or hurting feelings. I’ve lived in the Land of Obligation for far too long. It feels good to let go.
Am I willing to ASK for help and ACCEPT help when it is offered? Umm…working on that one.
What are my priorities? In our house, my relationship with God comes first, then my relationship with John, then the kids, then extended family and friends, then everyone else. When that gets out of wack, everything suffers. The decisions I make reflect where my priorities lie.
Am I willing to let go of good things in order to say yes to the best things for my family and situation? This is hard. Really hard. Good things are good, right? Not always. If they are meant to happen, they will happen. It doesn’t always mean that YOU need to be the person who makes that happen though. That’s a lesson I’ve had to learn on more than one occasion.
So where are you at in this process? Do you have it figured out? If so, call me. I need the advice. How’s your home life? Is your family missing you because you bury yourself in your work? Is your to-do list motivated by guilt or obligation? Do you need help but feel weak or foolish asking for it? Rest easy. It’s fixable and you aren’t alone. I’m right there with you. We can do a little prioritization together.
XOXO,
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A few days ago I posted this statement on Facebook:
“There’s something so special about getting to be there for all of the major highlights of someone’s life. I’ve been so blessed to photograph Chad & Andrea Brooke’s engagement, wedding and now maternity session. I can’t wait to meet their sweet baby boy soon! ”
I truly feel that way. Clients become more than just clients over the years. They grow into friends. Chad & Andrea and big sister, Irie, are expecting a baby boy this May. Join me in congratulating them!
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What the world needs now is love, sweet love… {Love Well}
Love Well , More Love Letters , Personal
(Read the update to this story here)
I first saw Hannah Brencher on Justin & Mary (a photography blog that I follow). Then I saw her again on a TED Talk.
Hannah’s concept is simple. The world needs more love letters. She anonymously writes encouraging letters to strangers and then leaves them to be found by whomever sees them first. My heart leapt as I read this. I’ve done this very same thing a few times in my life and although it feels weird at first, you never know what it means for someone else who receives it.
In 2005, I was on an airplane headed somewhere (I can’t remember where at this point). I was reading a book and struck up a conversation with the flight attendant. She was going through some rough stuff and just looked weary. I finished reading the book halfway through the flight, wrote a long heartfelt message to her in the cover of the book and then handed it to her as I walked off of the plane. I don’t remember what I wrote and I never saw her again. In 2012, I got a call from an unfamiliar number. A woman was asking to speak with me. This flight attendant had tracked me down, had kept and read the book I gave her and wanted to let me know that the letter I penned gave her strength and courage in such a dark time. I had totally forgotten about it until she brought it up. To me, it was no big deal. To her, it was life changing.
Letter writing is seemingly a thing of the past. I love my internet and computer. I love blogging. My thoughts get out faster when typed. But the things that mean the most to me are written words in one’s own handwriting. I carry a letter in my wallet from my mother. She penned it shortly after I moved away from home. “I’m proud of you…” I carry a letter with little messages from a past small group I was part of about things they liked about me. “I want to model my marriage after yours…” I am oh, so careful with these letters for fear that the paper will fall apart. They have been unfolded and refolded a thousand times. I have folders full of poems my father has written. Some for me, some for others. I have notes that were stuck in Christmas cards or Get Well cards from my childhood Sunday School teacher. He still sends me letters. “I’m praying for you…” I have stacks of love letters and cards from my husband from when we were dating. Things scribbled on the back of napkins or church bulletins… I have little notes that my family and friends tucked in our suitcases as we left on our honeymoon. I have tiny notes and doodles written in the margins of my Dayplanner from our kids. “I love you, Mommy…” Every single one of these are handwritten and heartfelt and exactly what my own heart needed to hear at the time. On hard days, I pull them out and read over them again and again.
I know not everyone has this luxury. Hannah’s right. The world does need more love letters. But how could I help that? I like receiving letters. I have no idea how to write them. It takes time and effort. I so wanted to join her but had no idea where to start. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. This concept totally lined up with my business philosophy, Love Well. So, on Tuesday night, I took a leap of faith and decided to give this thing a spin. I needed to make it easy for this first go around. I sat with a stack of Post-It notes and wrote simple 1-2 sentence messages on several with the moreloveletters.com address and my business hashtag (#lovewell) because I was super curious if anyone would find them and upload them to Twitter or Instagram. I just wrote what ever popped into my head. (Some notes are duplicates.) I did see some awesome inspiration from Operation Beautiful and Pinterest. I didn’t chose a particular person. I just wrote whatever I thought might encourage someone. My handwriting is not perfect but it is my own.
On Wednesday, I didn’t go out of my way to leave the notes in crazy places. I just left them wherever I was going that day. I met my sister and friend at the IMA for a walk in the sunshine. I left a few there. We went to McD’s for smoothies. I left a few there, too. I left the notes in a public place. Bathroom stall, mirror, library book, park picnic table, changing table… Just somewhere I knew someone would see it. I only passed out 5 notes that day but I have a stack in my purse waiting and ready for the next time I go out. I took photos of the notes as I left them and uploaded them to social media. My friends and family need love notes, too.
The response was way better than I could ever have imagined. “If I got a note like this I would NEVER loose it.” Consider this one yours, my friend. Friends were contacting me asking how they could do the same or letting me know that they were inspired and left notes in library books. That’s the whole point of all of this. It’s a ripple, a butterfly effect… One small thing can eventually make a huge difference down the road. I came home last night to see that our daughter had left this note on a bowl of leftovers. My heart melted.
“You are a nisse (nice) mom.”
Kids watch your every move. She wanted to write her own letters.
You can write your own, too. Will you help me spread love wherever you are? This can be as small or as big as you make it. Write a long letter on fancy stationary. Grab a stack of Post-It notes and write a short message. Write a quick message to your server on your receipt at the end of your next restaurant meal. Check out the Do’s and Don’ts of Love Letter Writing from More Love Letters (ie. DON’T put your contact information on the letter. Leave it anonymous. Creepers exist.)
Don’t want to do this for strangers? Do it for people you know. Know a student that needs encouragement during finals? A friend who is going through a rough time? A family member who needs to be reminded how much they are loved? Don’t wait for others to do it to you. Don’t wait until you have your own love letter to read. Do it for someone else first.
Share this blog. Take a photo of your note and upload it to social media. Tag @moreloveletters. Let others know what you are up to. It will spread like wild fire. I promise. The world does need more love letters and you have what it takes to write even just one.
“No one thinks of the pen while reading a letter… They only want to know the mind of the person who wrote the letter. That’s exactly what I am in God’s hand – a little pencil. God is writing his love letter to the world in this way, through works of love.” - Mother Teresa
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