Friends, we've come to the end of 2017. Each year, I'm mystified as to where the days went, pages of the calendar flipping by. It seems like just yesterday I was writing about 2016 being the most challenging year of my life, and now here we are. New Year's Eve 2017 is just days away, and it's time to write another Year in Review post. I wanted to close out this year by sharing a bit of myself with you and leave you with a few thoughts. 

The late afternoon sun peeked through tall trees, casting warm, dappled light on the ceremony site Michel and Emmanuel had created for their intimate wedding. Set in the backyard of Michel's childhood home, Michel and Emmanuel surrounded themselves with their closest friends and family as they pledged their lives to one another.

I just love this time of year. Snowflakes float through the air on a regular basis, Christmas lights twinkle through windows, and presents are neatly wrapped under the treat. It's also ENGAGEMENT SEASON!

James Cash Penny said, "Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."  The past few months, I have been quietly focusing on growth and how to make the KLEM Studios photography experiences bigger and better. 

When I first talked with Valerie about her's and Dylan's wedding plans, my heart started beating faster. She painted a picture of a gorgeous fall engagement session in Door County leading up to their early fall wedding in Kewaunee a year later.

When a couple wants to personalize their engagement session and use locations that mean something to them, it lights up my soul and my inner self does a happy little victory dance. Sure, couples that are in love are going to look great no matter where they decide to stage their engagement session.

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." Helen Keller said these famous words, I'm sure we've all heard them before. As I've gotten older and grown in my business as well, I've learned the truth in that saying. If we aren't taking risks in life, or seeking the unknown, or wandering off the popular path, are we really living? 

After a loss, it can be difficult to traverse the dating world. Many thoughts may go through your head, from wondering if you're being respectful to your deceased loved one, to doubting that you will ever love again. Cindy had experienced tragedy, but found a flicker of hope when she met Stacy. 

When couples ask me for wedding planning advice, I always recommend doing things that will make your wedding uniquely yours. 

Let's be honest, planning your wedding isn't all sunshine and rainbows all the time. There are a lot of decisions to be made, and it can be really stressful. Pinterest inspires so many ideas, it can be hard to have it all come together. 

Typically when I think of late September in Wisconsin, I'm imagining the trees changing colors, crunchy leaves starting to cover the ground, cooler temperatures, and maybe a little Packers football. 

As a wedding photographer, I am blessed to work with incredible, in-love couples on a regular basis. But then there are some couples that reach down deep inside you and latch on, taking a special place in your heart because of the epic love they show each other. 

On a brilliantly sunny August day, Ryan and Kayla said "I do" at the Mary Ann Cofrin Hall Gardens at UWGB. Both alumni of UWGB (as am I, go Phoenix!), Kayla and Ryan wanted to tie in the place where they first met each other in their wedding festivities. 

I just adore Bella and Tim. When I learned more about them, I knew that we were destined to be friends. Bella and I work together in the craft beer industry (my side hustle), where she approached me about photographing her elopement and later-date reception.

The life that I have built has allowed me the gift of travel on a regular basis. <-- That sentence right there gives me goosebumps because this is something I have wanted for as long as I can remember. I took the plunge and went full-time with my photography career in December 2016, and man, was that a scary decision.

Friendship is a privilege to be treasured always. There are many different types of friendships--work friendships, best friends, the friendship you share with your parents and significant other...the possibilities are almost endless. 

Erin's dress gently flowed and sashayed with each step she took down the aisle towards her waiting groom, Matt. Matt gazed at Erin, sneaking glances at their daughter, Vivian, along the way. Matt and Erin planned a beautifully intimate affair at Sepia Chapel in Green Bay to celebrate their wedding day. 

How many of you stayed in your home town after high school and college? Did you put down roots where you grew up, or did you start fresh somewhere new? For Ali, the answer was hitting the road and settling down in a new place: Denver, Colorado.

The law office walls were covered with beautifully bound reference books, all gently glowing with gold and red embossing. Some of the bindings had started to show their age, but it only enhanced the elegance and reverence of the room Abbie and Brent were standing in.

Hey, friends! I hope life has been treating you well since we last got to chat and that you have been taking the opportunity to RISE every chance you've gotten. Spring is just around the corner, which makes it the perfect time to reset your internal clock, get determined, and do the things you've been telling yourself you were going to do.