Although we do not want anyone sleeping outside on our porch, waiting with the same people they’ll trample when the “doors open,” we will be having a sale on Friday! Well, we’ll be starting a sale on Friday. Everyone’s proofs from this year will be reactivated on our proofing site for the rest of the year to give you a chance to order any prints you’d like (even if it’s just for yourself–we won’t tell).

Here’s the Black Friday rundown: for every $25 you spend, we’ll send you a $5 dollar discount code to use on your next purchase. If you spend $50, you’ll get a $10 discount code (duh!), but if you spend $100, you’ll get $25!

But (you guessed it!) there’s more! (I’m REALLY not trying to sound like the Sham-Wow guy.) Beginning after Thanksgiving, we’ll have a different promotion for each week through December. The first week (starting Black Friday and running until the next weekend begins) you’ll receive $5 off all 8×10’s!

Okay, there’s one more thing–the reason we’re doing this, really. This Friday–Black Friday–from noon (12pm EST) to noon the next day (Saturday) we’ll be donating ALL the proceeds from any print sales we receive. You’ll hear more this week about where we’ll be making the donations. We’re excited to be able to do this! What better way to start the holiday season? If you miss the boat on Friday because you slept on the sidewalk outside Best Buy or have turkey hangover, don’t worry, because we’ll still be donating 10% of all proceeds from print sales throughout the month of December.

We were actually planning on JUST doing the donations, but we thought we’d provide some incentive to you (besides the warm fuzzies that you feel when you put your change in the Salvation Army bucket), which is why we came up with the sale.

So, in case you were wondering–here’s the scoop on how to get the most AND give the most! This Friday–order whatever your heart desires. You’ll get $5 off any 8×10’s, but that doesn’t mean you can’t order any other sizes! On top of that, once you complete your order, you’ll receive a discount code from us for 5, 10, or 25 dollars based on how much you spend. AND every penny we earn from any purchases on Friday, we’ll donate. You’ll only get a discount code for purchases made on Friday, but the 8×10 special will run until the following week’s mini-sale (beginning December 4th). Again, for all print sales through December, we will be donating 10% of the profits. So order up on Black Friday and then use up those discount codes to get more AND get us to give more!

A few Saturdays ago, Nicole and Chris stepped into marriage with a deliberate, sure step. It might have been their families who have always and would always support them, the calmness both of them possessed about anything life threw at them, the commitment they knew from one another already, or all of the above, but the ease and grace with which they stepped into the rest of their lives was humbling. Just like that, with no qualms, they were married. You could see that any fears were small and fleeting compared to the support they had from those closest to them and from each other.

Some favorite photographs from their fall wedding:

Nicole’s dress and her daughter, Grace’s.

We photographed Katie, Nicole’s maid of honor and sister, in May!

They had a reception filled with fall colors…

…and they danced to one of our favorite artists, Brandi Carlile!

Nicole’s dad, and baby Grace.

Her grandma, watching the first dance.

We headed outside for portraits before dark. We had some wonderful oranges and yellows (and people!) to work with!

Nicole and Chris, we’ve genuinely enjoyed getting to know you two. We were honored to photograph you, your beautiful daughter, and your families (which you made us feel a part of!).

Months before Grant asked me to be his prom date, and years before Kharen met Jim, she and I rode the bus together. High school is a funny time: you meet lots of people, become friends with some, and keep it touch with far fewer afterward. Kharen and I were acquaintances who lost touch, and I couldn’t have been more flattered when she reconnected with me to tell me that she’d gotten engaged and that they wanted us to take their engagement pictures. Grant and I enjoyed meeting up with Kharen and Jim a few weeks back, wandering around a bit of downtown South Bend and ending up at a tree-lined park just bursting with fall color.

Kharen, you’re so pretty! Grant’s favorite:

Going through the photos, what stuck out to me was the way Kharen and Jim look at each other. One look and the other would smile, which in turn makes me smile. I love seeing how the presence of another person can make the other so happy.

It seems like the fall color was so fleeting this year, and we really only had bright yellows and oranges for this one session. Thanks, you two, for being so willing to get down on the cold ground (and near all the mosquitos!) for us! I think this is my favorite:

Jim and Kharen, we really enjoyed your session. Happy holidays and happy wedding planning!

Last month, Nicole, Chris, and their beautiful baby, Grace, flew in from Arizona for a colorful fall wedding in Michigan. Two favorites while we finish up the rest: