5 Traditions I Enjoyed Sharing With My Spouse | Married Life | Personal

My husband and I's one year anniversary is coming up in 2 months! I cannot believe how quickly our first year flew by! Looking back I was so excited to have my husband experience family traditions that I had grown up loving. There are so many more as well by these are my top 5!

 

1)  Sunday Lunches - My family growing up always has been a huge pasta clan. This being a big influence, my father's post church meal craving is always spaghetti with juicy meatballs drenched in gooey cheese. Marcus enjoys eating, so this tradition he took to with no problem. The only thing he found a little bit odd was our choice of beverage that we paired our meal with. Apparently Milk and spaghetti is not common to most people...

Stillwater Fourth of July Firework Show.

Stillwater Fourth of July Firework Show.


2) Fourth of July - Most of my favorite traditions have something to do with holidays and starting us off is the Fourth of July.This was the first year I took Marcus on a relaxing day on my dad's boat. At the end of the day, we were cuddled up together, rocking with the waves, and enjoying the evening with the only lights being the fireworks breaking in the night sky. Marcus really enjoyed being laid back all day on the St. Croix.

Pinecones at a christmas tree farm in WI.

Pinecones at a christmas tree farm in WI.


3) Christmas - Another Holiday, the whole christmas season has always made me nostalgic. It reached its peak in college, when christmas music started playing from my laptop as early as October. Marcus is a firm believer that no christmas music should be played before Black Friday. We are still working out our difference on this particular issue. This family tradition was the one Marcus and I did not fully see eye to eye on.  He grew up opening presents on Christmas Day; I grew up opening presents on Christmas Eve. We compromised with Team Waits opening gifts on Christmas Eve, and our new family, Team Sanchez, opening gifts Christmas morning. With two days of opening presents I had to admit, it was a win win.

Candyland Sign from Downtown St. Paul.

Candyland Sign from Downtown St. Paul.


4) Candyland - As a St. Paul native, my father would take us to Candyland almost after ever downtown YMCA visit. Although it was a little counter productive, it was something me and my siblings always looked forward to. I have really enjoyed sharing this tradition with my husband, when  we will go  on dates downtown. We still remained like kids in the candy store every time we go. Our Candy go-to's - Black and Red Raspberries for me and Chocolate Turtles for him. If you have not been, this is a Minnesota Must!

Lazy Sunday at the Como Conservatory in the Sunken Gardens

Lazy Sunday at the Como Conservatory in the Sunken Gardens


5) Como Conservatory - This by far is my favorite tradition that I shared with my husband. Every year my family would venture over to Como Zoo and Conservatory. Some days it was because it was too cold to do anything outside and others was just to help us get out of the house on a lazy Sunday. As a family we enjoyed walking through and basking in the plant life and flowers they have there. Marcus and I both enjoy these strolls through the conservatory. And it will always be special to us, because that it where we became husband and wife. <3

Honorable Mention : Minnesota State Fair! - this is such a fun date with my husband. We grabbed a disposable camera and took pictures all day and ate a lot of food! Food favorites: Me - Apple Cider Freezy (Agricultural Building) Hubby: Sweet Martha's Cookies.

What are traditions you guys love to share with your partner??

Importance of a Personal Attendant | Minneapolis & St Paul Wedding Photographer | For the Bride

As the wedding day draws closer, I hope you are envisioning all the good moments, your groom's face the moment he lays his eyes on you the first time, being able to say your vows in front of your loved ones,seeing all your months of preparation come to life. 
Your mind my be consumed with excitement for the great moments; One thing you don't want to focus on is the possibility of the bad moments on your weddings day.( people getting lost, No one wants to even think that there may be a disaster around the corner on what is supposta be one of the best days of your life!
If there is one thing that many people in the wedding industry understand there is always one thing that goes wrong on a wedding day!  So why not plan for it! 

I advise having a friend who will be your human fire extinguisher. This person is the one person that people will go to with problems, question, ANYTHING. They will be the one that puts out all the fires before they spread! This will help the bride to truly relax on the big day, which is how it is supposed to be! It helps knowing that no matter what happens someone else will take care of it.

Who should it be? I advise to have it be someone other than close family and someone in your wedding party. These people shouldn't be torn away from enjoying the day with you and your groom! They have already invested so much time and effort into both of you. Have a relaxing day where everyone can soak up every moment.  This could be a personal attendant, cousin,  close friend, someone from your church. Trust me it will be Well Worth it in the end.

One photographer that I love always says " If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  -Jasmine Star  Plan on being prepared! So when you look back on your wedding day you will hopefully remember the best day of your life! 


Just for the fun of it,  whoever you decide to be the person to extinguish all the wedding day fires, I found some cute gift ideas for them of fire extinguisher themed. Here are some cufflinks (here) for guys and rings and necklaces (here) for female attendants! This will help everybody know their job! ;) And keep you enjoying your day!

Lebanon Hills Portrait Photography | Suzy

 My wonderful sister headed to a new job this past week. She has now started working for an international cruise liner, the Norwegian Sun. 
This is a whole new experience for her that I know she has been really nervous about starting. Like anyone starting a new job, she doesn't quite know what to expect. We had both agreed we wanted to go out to document the occasion. We headed out to a sunset filled shoot in the rolling hills of Lebanon Hills Park in Eagan, Minnesota.(It is known for its winding trails which I highly recommend if you are looking for a lovely walk.) 

 We went on our own trail through the tall grass. I was making sure to look where I was waking in case we might meet with a slithering new friend.  Suzy stunned in her beautiful session (Which was not hard for her as you can see). Suzy primarily shoots with her Nikon, with her new She did a great job in following what I asked and she did not land on her butt while running sideways on this hill.  All in all she looks to her next step and All we can say is Adventure is out there for anyone brave enough to follow it.