Oh my friends, (we’re friends right?), I need your help! So here’s the situation:
Next weekend, my darling boy is graduating from Navy SEAL training and I’m his date to graduation. Also, I will be meeting his parents for the first time, as they’re flying in from Philadelphia for the event, and spending three days with them. Add on to that this statement from The BF, “It’s kind of a competition on who can bring the hottest date, just so you know.” Yeah, apparently I’m to be the hottest girl there, while also looking parent friendly. Combine all that with 65 degree weather on the water (AKA JennyP will be frozen!). So, I’m putting up some grad outfit ideas, and I’d LOVE your votes and opinions! While I know I can go a few directions, I want to know what you guys think! Annnnd….thank you so much! I’ll post a pic of us afterward!
Outfit Option #1- Dress, long sweater, boots
Ok, this is what I’m leaning toward right now. I was thinking a white dress, and long navy cardigan, (or reverse those, navy dress/white sweater), with brown boots, because then I’ll kind of match the event (nautical, navy, Navy SEAL, see where I’m going with this?) Here are some looks I might go in search of…
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So, white dress, cardigan open, knee high boots. Yeah?
.jpg "Inspiration 1")
Inspiration: Love long cardies and boots!
Outfit Option #2
Ok, so here’s what I’m thinking as possibility two: Long-sleeve sweater-dress and boots:
So cute! But might be hard to find the “just right” dress…
Inspiration: Adorable, with or without tights!
Outfit Option #3
Or, lastly, I could go all out and do a total nautical dress, big red belt, and boots (boots are a must, as I will be frozen).
Super cute, but is this a bit much??
Inspiration: My BF’s old roommate last month at graduation. Isn’t he cute??!!
Let me know what you think and wish me luck! If the parents hate me…well, I’m blaming the outfit! 😉
xoxoxoxo
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Kimberly Jarman is a Phoenix Wedding Photographer & Arizona Portrait Photographer, located in Mesa, Arizona. We would love to work with you! Please contact us for more information about how to have us photograph your wedding or portrait.
What happens when you combine a pretty phenomenal Bride and Groom with some of the best wedding vendors in Arizona? A spectacular wedding that no one will ever forget.
Ellen and Tyler were married Saturday at the Four Seasons Resort Troon North. This is my 2nd wedding there in 2 weeks and what I love about the Four Seasons is that no wedding there is ever the same.
Ellen and Tyler met when they were little. They knew each other from the church where they grew up in the Chicago area. They were friends and soul mates. Ellen and Tyler are from out of town and so were all of the 200 guests that came to the wedding. I met Ellen awhile back when she hired me, but had not met Tyler until 2 days before the wedding when I photographed their engagement session and welcome party. I had the most amazing time getting to know this couple and their families. I truly felt like I was photographing some of the most genuine people and felt like part of the family. That is how I like my weddings… just one big happy family and everyone getting along:).
Before I show you A TON of pictures I have to give a huge shout out to all the vendors who helped with this event. I can not even begin to explain how much I loved every single vendor that helped out, especially the amazing Jen Thye with Imoni Events. She is the super super coordinator who pulled all of this together and it was GORGEOUS!
I also have to give a big shout out to my team. I was feeling pretty sick on Friday, due to a nasty cold, so Christa and our new intern, Kristyn, offered to come and help out to make sure we were all covered. Jenny, KB, Christa, and Kristyn were amazing! Yes, there were 5 of us there and I’m so thankful for these girls.
AMAZING VENDORS
Wedding Coordinator: Imoni Events – Jen Thye
Venue: Four Seasons Resort Troon North
Florist: The Flower Studio
Cake Artist: Four Seasons Resort Troon North
Caterer: Four Seasons Resort
Makeup & Hair Stylist: Allison Pynn
Live Band: Shining Star Band
I keep getting the opportunity to work with The Flower Studio and they are impressing the socks off of me:) Seriously, look at how this beautiful bouquet is wrapped. It’s a piece of art!
I LOVE Details! Always make sure your photographer has enough time to capture the little details. They sure do help to tell the story of your day.
Love this image that Christa, my associate, got.
Ellen is so beautiful! Love these getting ready shots.
The girls needed to do a test run in their shoes. I loved how they all were wearing their normal clothes with their purple heels!
Ellen knew that her dad was going to ball when he saw her, but she made it totally clear to everyone that no crying was allowed because then she would cry too, so when Dad arrived she did a little dance and tried to keep things lite! He tried so hard, but had to step out for a bit to compose himself. I LOVE it.
One of my new favorite shots. Mom and Dad helping put the shoes on.
KB hung out with the guys and captured what guys really do during the day of the wedding. Lounge around the pool, drink, and watch football. Lucky!
Ellen and Tyler had some private time before they “officially” started portraits. This is them coming out of the room and I love how happy they are.
Pretty much I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the little kiddo’s at the wedding. Little miss C was so excited when she saw Ellen. I love the reaction that KB got!
Portrait time… my favorite!
Jenny was there to help with water and accidentally got the straw stuck in the water bottle. I love this shot once they were able to get it out. Love my miss Jenny!!
I’m so in LOVE with these two shots of Ellen that KB took. Amazing!
Isn’t she just so adorable.. well, yes, both of them:)
The girls were SO nice and such good sports. I LOVE these.
And ALL the guys… yup, there were a lot of them. They behaved pretty well too!
I LOVE this random shot. I don’t know what was going on, but we were taking pictures of the wedding party and it looks like everyone was amused.
The ceremony was gorgeous! It was a little tough though, being from out of state, they wanted a sunset ceremony. I have to always warn people that at the Four Seasons the sun actually sets before the “official” sunset because of Pinnacle Peak. I knew that this was going to happen so I luckily had my lighting set up. Otherwise this would have been a disaster as it was dark by the time the ceremony was over. I love what we got though! Beautiful.
The Last Portrait of the night. LOVED how this one turned out.
The Reception was in my favorite reception room at the Four Seasons. I LOVE this room because it’s big and beautiful! Jen Thye did an AMAZING job with the decorations, it was draw dropping.
I couldn’t get enough of this little girl either!
First dance!
Her brother is so proud!! Love this shot!
Dad was kind of the star of the show at this point. LOVED his welcome speech. Everyone else did too!
Love this capture that KB got of Tyler’s mom and Ellen.
As a surprise, Ellen invited a dancer from Casino Arizona to come dance with her. Everyone was surprised and it was a huge hit!
I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing Shining Star Band was. They rock. They kept the party going all night long and we even stayed later because it was such a great party… no one wanted to leave.
Everyone needs to have a Limbo at their wedding, with a tie!! This was awesome!
Thank you to the Nelson Family and the Wilhelm Family. You truly made this a fun day for us and we LOVED hanging out with you!
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One of the things I love about having a 3rd shooter with me is some of the images she is able to capture of all of us shooting. Here is one that I love… this will show you where KB and I were in regards to these two pictures. Different angles and eyes make all the difference. Thanks Christa for catching this shot!!
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Kimberly Jarman is a Phoenix Wedding Photographer & Arizona Portrait Photographer, located in Mesa, Arizona. We would love to work with you! Please contact us for more information about how to have us photograph your wedding or portrait.
I’m never home. I’m not just saying that, I am NEVER home, ask anyone here at KJ or anyone in my family or any of my friends that I never see anymore. I travel constantly, usually only in Phoenix 4 days a week on average. I write for a magazine in San Diego (Jenny’s Mag!), my boyfriend lives in San Diego (soon to be Virginia Beach…but let’s worry about that another day), and then I work like 3458 hours in between here at the studio. What this means is that I live out of my suitcase and trusty VW Beetle, and I have to pack and re-pack ALL the flipping time. While this has gotten old, I’m pretty good at it, so I thought I’d drop some tips on how to look good while traveling!
Pack Simple
This guy is going places.
I’ve learned that if I try to put in all my cutest outfits for every possible event that could come up, I’m just bogging myself down in wrinkled clothes to re-wash later. Yes, we could end up at the ballet as a surprise gift to me from my boyfriend…but, has that ever happened before? Sadly, no. I try to keep it pretty simple now and think through the days I’m going to be in one place. I pack a “going out” outfit (cute jeans, fun top, cute heels), a couple everyday outfits (for me, sundresses), one nice outfit (nicer dress, heels), and some lounge-y comfies (Abercrombie and VS Pink sweats in all forms), plus a few staple solid color tanks, a sweater, and an extra pair of jeans. And that’s IT. I used to pack so many cute outfits and shoes, but every time I got home, I hadn’t worn anything but my sweatpants and jeans one night. The boyfriend one time said, “Why do you pack all of this? You always wear the same three things.” Sigh, thanks honey. But…he’s right. I keep it light now.
Pack Stuff that Travels Well
Don’t pack this.
My dry clean only satiny dress? So cute it’s unreal, but if I stuck this in my suitcase it’d be unwearable by the time I got anywhere! I’ve learned the hard way that some stuff (jeans, pants that can hang up for a day before wearing them, nothing 100% cotton) looks better after travel than others. Anything 100% cotton is going to be a wrinkle-fest in five minutes in your bag, and why would I want to bring dry clean only stuff if I’m staying more than one or two days? I’m not going to make it back to pick it up! Look at what you’re packing and picture it after it’s been in a suitcase for a day. Some items just weren’t meant to see the world, people.
Keep Toiletries to a Necessity List
Only what you need! (How cute is the bowl, though?)
I used to pack my full shampoo and conditioner bottles (sorry Boyfriend, I don’t use Old Spice shampoo–yep, a real product!), all my face products (you have no idea how much that really is), my full make-up case, and like, five random bottles of lotion for no real reason at all. I would just toss things into my bag. Then, as I went to grab a hairbrush, I’d have a hand full of shampoo and my face wash would have coated everything in my makeup case. It was awesome. So now I have the sorted makeup I actually use (blue eyeshadow doesn’t have a lot of “everyday” use…I hope), the products I need for the shower in travel sizes, and…that’s it. Much like my clothes, I don’t need the arsenal to travel with me. How often do I do mud masks anyway???
Make a Checklist
Call me a nerd, I make lists.
Look, I know how nerdy that sounds, but it helps a LOT! This last trip last weekend I forgot: hairbrush, toothbrush, socks (we had a hike at a resort I reviewed for the magazine..and I had to wear his BLACK ankle socks. I was mortified), and a razor. Really, Jennifer??? The only hairbrush I had was the big, heavy bristled round brush I use to blowdry my hair with, so I had to use this all weekend–in other words I had this weird, puffy, kind of coarse hair for three days. I had to get a dental kit from the hotel and of course, the sock incident. I was a mess! So, dorky or not, I have a basics checklist taped in my suitcase now. I will not have that puffy hair twice. The BF kept saying I looked fine, but I have eyes and I saw the mirror. Yeah, I looked really good in my too-big BLACK Nike socks sticking out of my Pumas, puffed-weirdo hair, hairy legs, and bleeding gums from the hotel’s rough toothbrush. I’m surprised no one asked if I was a model all weekend. A detailed list happened shortly thereafter.
Happy travels, friends! It really doesn’t matter what’s in your suitcase–where you’re headed is the fun stuff! (But…a hairbrush is always nice)
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Kimberly Jarman is a Phoenix Wedding Photographer & Arizona Portrait Photographer, located in Mesa, Arizona. We would love to work with you! Please contact us for more information about how to have us photograph your wedding or portrait.
It’s that time of year again and the Holiday’s are going to sneak up on you very fast, so you better be ready! I know it’s only September and I shouldn’t be talking about the Holidays, but it happens every year and we get a TON of requests for family pictures toward October and November, and we book up so fast that we have to turn people away. Unfortunately, October and November are both part of our busy wedding season so it’s hard to fit in all the Holiday portraits. So, this year we are going to plan early and give you the dates for “Holiday Mini Sessions”.
Holiday Mini Sessions are a great way to capture some really fun pictures of your family in a short time for a little less than you would normally spend on a full family session. With these images you can create Holiday Cards, Gift Prints for family and friends, or even albums for family and friends. The possibilities are endless.
I’m excited that we are going to be able to offer you sessions from 3 of our photographers, KB, Mary, and me (Kimberly Jarman). There are many different dates, so feel free to choose which date works best for you. Below is more information on Holiday sessions, so be sure to read everything and then contact us to book the session. I have a feeling these dates are going to go fast!
What is the cost and what is included?
Cost: $175 for KB or Kimberly Jarman and $99 for Mary Jordan
Includes:
- 25 minute session to capture as many images as we possibly can, both traditional and casual.
- In studio ordering session.
- Your choice of one medium resolution digital file (which will print 8×10 or smaller).
- One facebook image for each image you purchase. Facebook images will be watermarked with the Kimberly Jarman logo. The image will be the same one you purchased.
- 10% off of additional gift prints, canvases, and albums purchased during your in studio ordering session.
Christmas Cards: We have a ton of beautiful Holiday cards to choose from and pricing starts at 2.95 per card. We will post some designs a little later.
Additional Information:
Digital files are available as medium resolution files and will be purchased as individual files at our normal portrait prices, we do not sell a disk of all the images.
The $175 is due at the time of booking. Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled time to ensure everyone is ready. Make sure everyone is your party is dressed and ready to go. We will not be able to go over our scheduled time.
Parents, please make sure your kids are fed and ready to go. Feel free to bring any items that will help kids relax and have fun… bribery with goldfish crackers or other treats is absolutely allowed and encouraged!! Also feel free to bring a special toy that will help them if needed.
Your images will be ready to view 2 weeks after the sessions. You will need to schedule a time to come into the studio to view your images. At this time if there are other images you would like to purchase you can do so.
What Holiday Mini Sessions are:
- A great time to capture some priceless pictures of your family.
- A great time to get fun and creative with your pictures. To do something different and fun.
- A short session geared to capture at least one phenomenal picture to use for your Holiday Cards.
- A great way to get some great prints for your walls if you’ve been wanting to fill those empty spaces with fun pictures.
What Holiday Mini Session are NOT:
- A full blown session with multiple outfit changes or locations
- A time to do multiple different sets of family (i.e. Having your extended family come out and do different group settings all in 30 minutes. We won’t have enough time to do something like this, but would love to do this for you in a normal session time.
- A senior session, baby session, or engagement session (All of these sessions take much more time than we can fit in 25 minutes. I encourage you to contact us for more information on these types of sessions!!)
What are the dates for the sessions?
Kimberly Jarman‘s Dates: Friday, November 5th
Friday, November 5th
3:00 – 3:25
3:30 – 3:55
4:00-4:25 (booked, no longer available)
4:30-4:55 (booked, no longer available)
5:00– 5:25 (booked, no longer available)
KB’s Dates: Wednesday, November 3rd
Wednesday, November 3rd
3:00 – 3:25
3:30 – 3:55 (booked, no longer available)
4:00-4:25 (booked, no longer available)
4:30-4:55
5:00– 5:25 (booked, no longer available)
Mary‘s Dates: Monday, November 8th
Monday, November 8th
3:00 – 3:25
3:30 – 3:55
4:00-4:25
4:30-4:55
5:00– 5:25
Sessions will go fast as there are only 5 sessions per day. To book your session please email us.
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Kimberly Jarman is a Phoenix Wedding Photographer & Arizona Portrait Photographer, located in Mesa, Arizona. We would love to work with you! Please contact us for more information about how to have us photograph your wedding or portrait.
Dude….I’m sick. I am so sick! My lovely and darling KB had been sick last week, then we all went and shot the (beautiful!) wedding at the Four Seasons where I proceeded to drink her Sprite…repeatedly. Very shocking, then, to wake up Tuesday feeling kinda achy, and Wednesday full-blown ill, and yesterday I just shuffled around my house in a stuffy, gross fog. So I don’t have any amazing fashionista words today, but I don’t want to abandon you–so let’s talk sick fashion.
Pajama Layers
One minute I’m frozen, the next minute I’m sweating through my clothing. So as I type this, I am wearing tiny shorts covered by flannel pants, socks, and a t-shirt with an afghan around me. I look so good you guys. Aside from my incredible cuteness in this getup, I can remove the pants, sock, and blanket every 6th minute when my body goes from Arctic to Equator. Yep, not just a hat stand, people.
Slippers
I don’t know why, but slippers, especially the really big fuzzy kind, make me feel healthier. They also invoke some sympathy from people you live with if you’re shuffling in your slippers while sniffling with a blanket around you, I mean, she’s sick people, tell her you’ll make her some soup. If I was dressed normal, and slipper-free, I’d get no sympathy.
A Really Pathetic Expression
This goes along with getting the sympathy: don’t walk around all smiling and happy, no one will get you water or bring you ibuprofen. You need to look like you did when Sex and the City ended, majorly upset and miserable. Combine this with the slippers and on one will even ask you to clean up your mountain of tissues.
Hair the Size of Mount Everest
I haven’t washed, or really brushed, my hair since Monday. It’s Friday. Again, this goes with the look, a sort of massive pile of knotted greasy hair that’s been rolled around on and dipped in the bathtub and sniffled all over. It gives me a really good, “I don’t care what you think, I don’t own a brush” look. It also keeps re-iterating to the people around me that I’m sick, and I cannot be bothered to do things like wash my hair, much less clean the kitchen!
I hope none of you are sick like me, but if you are, I hope this helped you out! I promise to have some good advice for you next week, but for now, I’m headed back to bed. If someone sees me up working, they’ll stop bringing me juice!
xoxoxoxoxo
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Kimberly Jarman is a Phoenix Wedding Photographer & Arizona Portrait Photographer, located in Mesa, Arizona. We would love to work with you! Please contact us for more information about how to have us photograph your wedding or portrait.
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by kimberlyjarman
Suzanne Melissa - I love all of the options! One thought…will all of the girlfriends be going for the navy and white look too? Maybe choose a different color (e.g. red, pink or yellow) to make yourself really stand out as a fashion icon! Can’t wait to see the pictures!!
Allison Bess - Hmm I’m kind of leaning towards something close to #3! You want it to fit and hug your body so the boys think you’re smokin but at the same time, leave something to the imagination by covering up skin so the parents love you too 🙂
Libby - I’m voting option #1… Cute dress keeps you lookin good for the fellas, cardigan makes you look sweet to the parents and the boots keep you happy!
Amanda - Definitely white dress, cardigan, and boots! I think a sweater dress might look too casual for this type of event. And I think if you did a nautical dress, you wouldn’t want to wear boots with it. Go with the cardie and boots girl!
Bethany S. (friend of Dani I.) - DEFINITELY option #1! It was just published on MSN that men think sweater dresses (as in the majority, not all) make women seem inaccessable and “cold”. I think this is rediculous, because GUYS, we just want to keep from freezing! Plus, option #1 is just plain adorable 🙂
Christa - My vote is look #1… or look #2 w/o tights. Good luck! Whichever you choose, you will look fabulous!
Daniella - I vote option #2 with tights in that kind of weather! Good luck!
Jenny Bishop - REALLY loving option 1 with the white dress and striped navy sweater and boots!! Parent friendly while keeping yourself in the “who’s girlfriend is the hottest” game. Liking the third option navy dress with the red belt but might be a bit like a navy themed costume party. Whatever you wear will be great though! Have fun!
Crystal Cooper - I have to vote option one. My only hesitation is strictly sticking with navy and white. I’d throw in a pop of color/print with your jewelry/handbag/skinny belt maybe… (other than red). Taking it nautical to the max might be a bit much for meeting the parents for the first time. I like where you’re head is with the nautical idea though! Have a blast and be sure to post pictures! oh, and congrats to your guy!