must-have items for your wedding registry :: greensboro wedding photographer

When Josh and I got engaged in 2007, one of the things I was most excited for about the planning process (other than the prospect of marrying the man of my dreams) was perusing the aisles and websites of my favorite stores to create our wedding registry. If you've been through this process though, you know that it isn't always as fun as it sounds. You stare at china patterns until your eyes are crossed, can't decide which spatula to choose out of the 20 options in front of you, and after all that, you and your hubby to be have to actually agree on what you need for your new home. 

Thankfully, Josh and I both tend to be fairly practical people (most of the time). I like the idea of having timeless items that I know I'm not going to be sick of in six months, so I tried to keep that in mind when registering. Having been married for a little over four years now, these are the things I've gotten the most use out of from our registry: 

The Best Wedding Gifts I Received by glessnerphotography on Polyvore

1. White Dishes - Instead of getting china that I knew would take up space in a cabinet and only be used once a year, we went with lots of basic all white everyday dishes - plus serveware and bakeware - from Macy's. I'm still not sick of them, and food looks beautiful on a white canvas (hello Instagram food photos). Not to mention that it's easy to add pieces later on because you can always find plain white dishes.

2. KitchenAid Stand Mixer - I know, I know. A whole lot of folks out there think it's impractical for a home cook to spend $300+ on an appliance like this. However, I'll say that my lime green stand mixer made me love baking 53,654,686,548,648 than I did before. You throw the ingredients in a voila ... you have chocolate chip cookie dough, banana bread, or fresh whipped cream. All of these things are common in my house thanks to this gadget.

3. A Plain Down Comforter - This is my favorite thing ever. Since I quickly tire of patterns and colors and like to change things up, it's never been a great idea for me to spend hundreds on a patterned comforter. With my plain lightweight down comforter, I can throw a duvet on there (which makes it much easier to clean than trying to stuff an entire comforter in the washing machine), and for a reasonable price, get a new duvet when I get sick of the old one. (This one from West Elm is on my bed right now, and I LOVE it.)

4. A Really Good Set of Knives - Few things upset me more than a dull knife when I'm trying to cook. Thankfully, my hubby was somewhat of a kitchen knife expert and insisted that we invest in Cutco knives. Y'all - these things are awesome! Four years later, they're still super sharp, and they have a lifetime warranty. If they get dull or something breaks, just send it in, and they'll sharpen, fix, or send you a new one. 

5. Keurig Coffee Maker - I have to admit - this one took a little convincing. Josh really likes newfangled gadgets and at the time we got married, the Keurig was a pretty new thing. Before I worked from home, neither of us got up early enough to have more than one cup of coffee before leaving the house, so it was much easier just to throw a k-cup in the machine and put a to-go mug underneath it before darting out the door. It's still the same situation for Josh, and I try to limit my caffeine addiction to just one or two cups a day now anyways, so it would be senseless for us to have a coffee pot.

6. Gift Cards - If you know me, you know I'm not a huge advocate of gift cards. I tend to think they're a bit impersonal - you just grab them while you're in the grocery store and check that item off your list. However, weddings are an exception for me. When we got married, we got gift cards from the places we were registered, as well as Williams-Sonoma and Home Depot. These were especially nice because I love Williams-Sonoma (but didn't register there because there wasn't one near most of our guests), and we were able to get a new grill from Home Depot, which was something we hadn't even thought about wanting when we moved to North Carolina just a few months after our wedding. Note: I say gift cards instead of cash, because for me, if I have cash, I end up spending it on everyday items and never even realize where it went.

What are some of the best wedding gifts you have registered for (if you're engaged) or received (if you're married)?

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new york city :: nyc vacation photographer

A few weeks ago, my friend Kaley called me up telling me that she had to go to New York City to do some buying for Snap Kids, and of course, when I said I should fly up to meet her, she said that was her exact thought, too! 

Of all the places I've been in and out of the country, I'd never had the chance to go to NYC, so I was over the moon to see the city for the first time this past weekend. I've travelled alot and generally don't feel very out of place anywhere I go, but when I arrived in the Big Apple, my accent felt a little thicker, a bit like molasses each time I spoke :)

We were only in the Big Apple for a little over 48 hours, so we decided to pack in as much sightseeing as possible between the times that Kaley had to go to Market. We saw Times Square...

... Rockefeller Plaza, the September 11th Memorial... (Going to St. Paul's Chapel - seen below - adjacent to where the World Trade Center towers once stood, was especially moving, and I couldn't help but tear up being in that sacred, solemn place. This church was left standing with not so much as a broken window when the buildings collapsed and is the place where first responders came to rest and seek refuge in the days, weeks, and months following 9/11. Remembering the fear, uncertainty, and sense of loss that surrounded that horrifying morning when we learned that our country had been attacked - I was in my 9th grade Mississippi history class when my teacher turned on the radio and began crying - anyone who remembers that day couldn't help but be emotional.)

We enjoyed pizza (twice!), killer Italian food, cheesecake, the best Compost cookie from Momofuku Milk Bar, and frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity. We strolled 5th avenue, rode the subway, explored Central Park, and we even managed to see Chicago on Broadway.  (And I probably shouldn't mention how excited we were when we spotted the Empire Hotel from Gossip Girl ... ).

Here are a few of my Instagram shots of our adventures...

We walked way more miles than a person's feet should be able to stand, but it was so worth it, and there's no one else I would have rather laughed, explored, and got lost with than one of my very best friends.

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a true southern baby shower :: winston-salem maternity photographer

Last week, I had the pleasure of helping to host a baby shower for my dear, sweet friend, Bridget. We met B, and her husband, Ryan, almost three years ago when we lived the same townhouse complex, and when we both bought houses last year, we, luckily, ended up just a few miles down the road from one another. She frequently cooks dinner for me and Josh, enjoys a breakfast/lunch date with me when I want to procrastinate against actually getting things done, and encourages me that I NEED to go with her to get a mani/pedi on a random Thursday afternoon (you know - to make me a better wife and all), so really, it was the least I could do to help make a day special enough to celebrate such a very special person and special little person-to-be.

It was a nice, casual Southern style gathering, complete with mason jars, rocking chairs, and BBQ, on the front porch of the ad agency where B used to work in Winston-Salem. 

As usual, I had delusions of grandeur for this baby shower (much like the last one that Bridget and I hosted for our friend Brittany), but thankfully, I had the help of a few amazing ladies (shout out to Victoria, Ashley, and Wanda - y'all are INCREDIBLE) who took care of the decor, invites, and dessert, so that all I was left to do was create and deliver a delicious menu. 

In a temporarily air-conditionless home on the day all this cooking was being done (I was NOT meant to live in a world without AC, people), I managed to make balsamic honey pulled pork sliders with slaw, mini mac and cheese muffins, honey lime fruit salad, and my personal favorite, my homemade pimento cheese recipe adapted from my dear friend Adam's sister-in-law, Dawn, in Mississippi.

Ashley made these scrumptious blue velvet cupcakes, with teeny tiny paper airplane toppers, and Wanda whipped up some oreo truffles. If you've never had these, you're living a sad, sad life. Cupcakes and chocolate are the way to my heart.

Victoria found these adorable quotes on wooden blocks at Swoozie's (it's a dangerous place y'all), and they made the sweetest, simple decor alongside some colorful flower bouquets for this front porch event!  

After some paper airplane constructing lessons from Josh, I created this bunting (not without several paper cuts and a few select words)  to be used as decor at the shower and in the nursery afterward. As an advocate against typical baby shower games myself, I thought it'd be a nice idea to have each guest write a wish for baby on a gift tag to be attached to the bunting.

Isn't she just the cutest lil mama you ever did see?? Ashley also crafted the sweetest little paper airplane corsage! 

My obligatory photo op with the guest of honor ^^^ Thanks to friend and past bride Lauren for her mad photo skills :)

Many thanks to Victoria, Wanda, and Ashley for your beautiful/delicious/wonderful work to make it all come together! Bridget - you and Ryan are going to be the BEST parents ever. of. all. time! Now, come on little Lynch... I can't wait to be an "aunt" again and meet and snuggle that sweet, sweet baby!