Featured: Brides by Jessa [Coralville, IA Business Photography]

I met Jess last spring when she and her husband Frank were expecting their first little one, and I photographed them again when Liam arrived in July. After having her little guy, Jess decided to go for her dream of opening a bridal store at the Iowa River Landing in Coralville. The store opened in late December, and I finally got a chance to go and visit Jess and take some photos of Brides by Jessa!

When I asked Jess what she wanted people to know about her store, she replied with the following..."I am doing this for myself. My goal in life has always been to be able to wake up and spend my entire day doing something I love, and I have achieved that. I am doing this for Frank and Liam. The fact that I truly enjoy what I am doing every day benefits my husband and my son. I am the best version of myself, and am therefore the best version of myself in my roles as a wife and a mother. I am doing this for my customers. I feel that every bride should have that “Say Yes to the Dress, Kleinfeld" type of experience, and it is my mission to accomplish that for every single person that walks in my store."

Jess is truly providing a high end experience for her brides and Prom clients, offering a beautiful array of dresses, veils, and jewelry from various designers. All clients are asked to book an appointment, which can be done on her website www.bridesbyjessa.com. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Erin Brenneman and Brenneman Pork, Inc. [Wellman, IA Business Photography]

My job is kind of a funny one, shooting weddings one day and taking photos of baby piglets the next. It's what I love about my life as a photographer, it's never boring. I recently had the opportunity to go out to Brenneman Pork, Inc for the second time this year to photograph Erin with her piglets, doing what she loves. Erin was chosen as one of the Faces of Farming this year, and so to help her spread her knowledge and passion about farming and educating people about what they do at Brenneman Pork, she wanted some photos that she could have for her personal use. I was beyond thrilled to get the opportunity go back out, as the first time I was able to deliver a baby pig, hold several, and I am pretty sure it took me at least a week to wipe the smile off of my face.

I love every minute of hanging out with Erin, asking questions about the way they do things out on the farm, timing of weaning, farrowing, and how it all works. It's incredibly interesting to me, and I find myself trying to absorb as much knowledge from her as I can when I'm out for a visit. Plus, the bonus is I get to cuddle sweet newborn piglets, what could be better than that?! I had another opportunity to "pull a pig" (aka deliver a baby) this time, and the experience was just as incredible as the first. I just want to say thank you again to Erin for opening up her world to me, and sharing her passion for what she does. It's really so inspiring, and I wish everyone had the opportunity to learn from her. So, without further ado...here are some photos of Erin doing her thing!

Anne from Starry Eyed Ventures [Iowa City, IA Headshot Photography]

Last night I met up with Anne, the lovely owner of Starry Eyed Ventures, a travel planning service focused on making honeymoon planning an effortless experience for brides and grooms.

We had a beautiful evening at the lake for Anne's headshots, who is launching her first website and needed a few professional photos. It was so great chatting with her and getting to know her a little bit! Turns out, we both treat our dogs like humans and both met our husbands on blind dates! I wish Anne's business had been around when I got married, as her expertise and planning would have been invaluable! Having traveled extensively herself, Anne eventually decided to become a certified travel agent and soon had friends asking her to plan trips for them. From there, she went on to create Starry Eyed Ventures, and now exclusively plans honeymoons for brides and grooms! You can visit Anne's website HERE!

Featured: Iron Leaf Press [Lisbon, IA]

A few weeks ago I received the most beautiful letterpress invitation to a grand opening for Iron Leaf Press in Lisbon, IA. Sadly, I couldn't attend that evening, but was able to schedule a visit with Danielle for another day! I'm not only a huge fan of paper goods (I made all of my own invites, etc for my wedding, as well as for several of my sisters when they were married), but I also love the opportunity to meet other creative business owners in the area. It's very inspiring to me to meet others who are chasing their dreams, and bonus - I get to share with all of you!

Danielle is an extremely talented graphic designer, who specializes in letterpress (and also offers flat printing). While at her new shop, I got to see the printing presses she uses, as well as some of the work she's create in the past. Not only would she be a great asset to brides looking for custom wedding invitations, but she also makes invites for baby showers, thank you cards...you name it! She also showed me her portfolio where she's designed logos for businesses, and also does custom packaging and other work. I'm pretty sure I was like a kid in a candy store, and purchased a couple great items for my office redesign (including the "Trust your Crazy Ideas" print - love!!).

If you want to find out more about Danielle and Iron Leaf Press, you can check out her website HERE and Facebook HERE.

Danielle, thank you so much for showing me around Iron Leaf Press!! It was amazing to see, and I wish you much success.