It’s hard to believe that it has been exactly one year since the launch of Magnolia Pair. With all the has happened in it’s young life, we sometimes feel like MP has always been a part of us.  From professional development to personal happenings, we’re here to share a year in review of officially being a pair…

We saw small stepping stones from our very first booking (thank you, sweet Courtney!) to online blog & magazine features including our first publication in Southern Weddings…

We set our goals higher and could hardly believe when Jacqueline Tobin, deputy editor of PDN, interviewed us for the “Right Stuff” feature in PDN Magazine…

And we are still reeling from an honor we don’t feel we deserve but are so proud to be chosen for, one of PDN’s Rising Stars of Wedding Photography…

None of this would be possible without our amazing couples, each and every one of them.  We are so thankful they have put their trust in us to capture the emotions and beauty of their weddings.  It inspires us to continue doing what we do.  That and the support of our families…both of which have grown in the past year…

Britney and Jordan welcomed little Levi James on New Years Day!  And…

Holly and Greg (& Greta girl) will soon welcome little Remy Warren in early July!

With all the many happenings and changes, we are thankful to be a pair to best serve our clients and to continue growing Magnolia Pair over the upcoming years.  Thank you to everyone who supports us and encourages us to create beautiful imagery of love and life.  We look forward to all year two has in store…

With all our love & gratitude & bisous,
*holly and britney | Magnolia Pair

Over a year ago I read a post by Sean Low about the importance of a Look Book.  He explains how this concept isn’t a new one but that it is a great way for creative businesses to formulate their vision and to define for the reader who you are and what your business stands for.  Fast forward to March of this year.  While we were writing out our business plan for Magnolia Pair, this idea of a Look Book became one of the most important aspects to the plan.  Making a book isn’t particularly challenging work but creating a tangible piece that conveys your brand and purpose is much harder than you may think.  We wanted it to not only be a selection of our best work but even more an expectation of the Magnolia Pair experience for our clients…from the presentation of the book itself, to the personal details such as the hand-sewn binding and the yellow ribbon.  The book became part of a promotional packet we created as mailers to send to some of our favorite wedding planners and designers throughout the US.  Yes, we took a risk.  A huge one.  We selected from the best of the best (in our opinion) and mailed out the packets.  As I anxiously handed over 20 boxes to my post office, I thought “What if no one replies!”  Too late.  They were off.  The mere act of sending them off was a good lesson for us.  We felt confident we created an experience that was, at this point in our business, what we are capable of providing.

A few images of the Look Book Promotional:

Among those we sent it to was Jacqueline Tobin, Deputy Editor of PDN Magazine.  When I first met Jackie while in France last year at Elizabeth Messina‘s workshop, I couldn’t hold conversation because I was equal parts nervous and excited to meet her in person.  To say she has played a huge role in our careers is an understatement.  We sent Jackie the packet more or less as a thank you for her encouragement in our new venture and to show her ‘who we are’ as Magnolia Pair.   When we heard the news that she wanted to write a piece on us featuring the Look Book promotional and Magnolia Pair we couldn’t believe it….what?!  And we didn’t believe it until we actually held the physical copy in our hands.  Seeing our name, our photos and the perfectly written article over a 2-page spread…WOW.  It was a moment of humility.  It was a moment that you realize how every risk you take leads to somewhere.  Perhaps not where you thought it would (in this case, it led to somewhere we never in a million years thought it would!) but they do lead somewhere.  For those who aren’t photographers or have never heard of PDN, here’s a quote that describes it perfectly: “PDN is the Wall Street Journal for photography”.  It is one of the most reputable, well-respected photography magazines for photography professionals (not just in the wedding industry).  For us, this is the most honorable and humbling thing that we’ve experienced in our professional careers.  We hope this encourages you to take risks, build relationships – meaningful ones – and never fear failure.  We’ve heard back from a few of the planners we mailed our packets to and we haven’t heard from others of whom we were hoping would reach out.  Will that stop us in a year from now when our work is better to reach out again?  Nope.  Because in the end, the risk – whether a success or failure – just might land you in the next issue of PDN…

Now, go get a copy!!  And have a great weekend ; ) _________________________________________
All our love and appreciation, in particular to Jacqueline Tobin, of whom we are so thankful to know and call a dear friend.  Thank you, Jackie!

love & bisous,

*holly and britney.