Flying into DC:

I am finally getting the chance to sit down and reflect on my time at the Hope Taylor workshop I attended 2 weeks ago!  Coming home with so much knowledge and so fired up but I needed to take some time, set my goals, and most importantly prioritize them!

I flew into DC, grabbed a rental car, and admired the monuments from a distance while I headed south to Fredericksburg!

Before the fun begins:

I spend the afternoon with another attendee walking the adorable downtown Fredericksburg, having coffee at the sweetest little coffee shop and of course, shopping!

We kicked off our weekend with a meet and greet at Monkee’s of Fredericksburg!  Drinks and yummy cupcakes made by momma Taylor (aka Hope’s mom) were served!  Did I mention there was some more shopping!  It might have rained most of the day, but it did not put a damper on my day!We arrived at Hope’s house Saturday morning to the cutest gift boxes with the most amazing handmade and decorated cookies by Just Bee Custom Cookies!  Oh and her doormat, how cute is that!  We spend all of Saturday soaking up all of Hope’s knowledge of weddings!  Her workflow from start to finish (including the fun surprises for her clients).  The thought process on how she shoots, why she chooses the locations (looking for the best light), and her editing!  Chick-fil-a is what was for lunch (can you believe 2 of the girls had NEVER had Chick-fil-a!)

Time for the styled shoot:

When the learning was done it was time for the styled shoot and her team did NOT disappoint! Kat Schmoyer (who is the founder of Creative at Heart, a creative’s conference that I attended in October) at Dear Sweetheart Events went above and beyond in planning!  Her team covered every detail!

I do not think we could have “ordered” a prettier day!  It rained all day on Friday, so the ground was a bit damp, but the skies were clear and it wasn’t too cold!  We arrived at Stevenson Ridge and it was incredible.

I mean look at all of these amazing details! These senior models were not only gorgeous, but they were so sweet!  Their make-up, done by Erika Medlin was absolutely flawless! This sweet couple that modeled for us were amazing!  No acting needed, because the love between the two of them was apparent.  The way he looked at her is the way every woman wants her husband to look at her!

Her amazing dress was styled by Bridal Impressions.  Oh, and these florals, done by Courtney Inghram…. not sure they could have been more gorgeous.  These beautiful rentals were all done by Paisley and Jade.  And the beautiful paper details were from Ivy and Linen Design.  Had to capture a few of these behind the scenes of Hope at work!  We capped off the shoot with some pedal tosses right at sunset!  I am not sure it could have been a more perfect ending to the shoot! Had to grab a headshot and of course a picture with Hope in front of the beautiful florals!  Hope also did some giveaways from her amazing sponsors and I won a FREE YEAR of Cloudspot, which is the new gallery delivery service That’s a wrap!  Time to head back to the house for an amazing Italian dinner cooked by momma Taylor!

When I thought I couldn’t learn any more we did the same thing all over again on Sunday, but this time it was all about Seniors!  We learned about how to coordinate a successful Senior Spokesmodel team, workflows, and fresh ideas! Hope also took new headshots for us! We finished Sunday with a pizza party (YES, that pizza is the size of her kitchen table and it took TWO plates to hold it).  Finally, it was time for our goodbyes (insert sad face)!  This group of ladies became friends of mine in just 2 days and I can’t wait to watch their businesses grow all over the country!Patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for our Hope Taylor Alumni Reunion!!  Here is a link to another styled shoot with similar colors.