Hiii everyone! I’m so happy to be sharing this family with you today and I’m so happy I got to see them because they are longtime friends! I have known Brian for nearly twenty years (that feels weird to write). Brian became my manager and my pal at my high school job, he was even kind enough to help me with my calculus homework on occasion in college! I was so happy for him when he met and fell in love with the kindest, most beautiful girl. Brian and Kristen were one of our very first weddings when I was first starting out in this business about ten years ago and I am so grateful that they allowed me to do that because it helped open so many doors for me in this industry.
I don’t normally share mini session shoots on the blog, but I chose their fall session to share with you today for a handful of reasons:
Because they’re a beautiful family and I love them, obviously.
Most importantly: Because I want to share with you a cause that is near and dear to our hearts, and one that I hope you will consider donating to if you are looking for ways to give back this holiday season.
Brian and Kristen’s oldest daughter is a light to this world. I have loved learning her story and watching her grow. She is strong, courageous, sweet, silly, and to me, looks just like her pretty momma. She brings me so much joy whenever I see her. She has not allowed the challenges of CDKL5 to define her! Seeing her walk throughout their entire family shoot was so special. Because this is a rare condition, I’m guessing many of you do not know about it, so I invite you to learn more about CDKL5 through the website I will link below.
Because it is a rare condition, families often enter the diagnosis feeling alone and unsure of how to navigate it. It is crucial to continue funding for research and creating support for families facing this diagnosis. I am so proud of this family and admire them for their strength. You can donate to the CDKL5 cause directly through the website link here and learn more about it https://www.cdkl5.com/about-cdkl5/.
And, If you have an Amazon Smile (smile.amazon.com) account, please shop through this site and they will donate .5% of purchases to any charity that you choose- just look up the International Foundation for CDKL5 Research (IFCR).
And also to share with you that Brian has an awesome Etsy shop and does phenomenal woodwork, and if you have kids, you should definitely check it out: https://www.etsy.com/shop/aMaWoodCraft You’ll receive the finest craftsmanship through your purchase and be supporting this amazing family!
As many of you know, this business is not my full time job, and my passions have shifted as I’ve reached by 30s (also weird to write), I have loved and I am thankful for every single couple that has helped build this business. Words cannot express how grateful I am that so many trusted this business to capture one of the biggest and best days of their lives. So, we thought it appropriate since Brian and Kristen were one of our first weddings, that we chose their family mini session for this announcement! We will continue to shoot weddings on occasion, and by referral only, but Story Told Photography is transitioning from mainly wedding photography to family portrait photography in 2022! Many of our wedding clients now have families of their own and it is so special to watch these families grow! We love seeing families come back year after year and we will start highlighting those families more on the website, the blog, and on our social media pages. I’m excited about this shift! And I am so thankful for all of you.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
&& Brian & Kristen, thank you for your friendship, and thank you for coming back to support my business (Even though we know how much Brian hates photos). <3 Ali
