We’re a bit late to the party since our wedding season just ended a couple days ago,  yet we wanted to take a moment to look back at the amazing year we had in 2017.  Last year you didn’t hear much from us on social media or the blog, but there was a TON going on behind the scenes.  We put this little slideshow together to give you a peek at our year…

Looking back I think this was the most rewarding, challenging, fun, emotional, and overall best year of my career all rolled into one.

The first part of our year was filled with developing our new website and brand, and I cannot tell you how much blood, sweat, tears (and bottles of wine) went into this project.  Thanks to the help of our amazing designers Jen Olmstead & Jeff Shipley at Tonic Site Shop, we officially launched our new site Andrew & Melanie Photography at the end of March.  We also had the help of the brilliant Hannah Brencher whom we could not have done it without.

In April we moved into and help build out the new Studio Collective space in downtown Grass Valley (ok, Andy helped build- I’m useless with projects like that). We’re really excited to be bringing this space to life in 2018 for creatives.

In June we were featured (as subjects) in a super fun photoshoot  and video blog with our friends at Honeybook and Rising Tide Society (you check it out here).  This fall we had a beautiful wedding with Jenn Robirds featured in Real Weddings Magazine. And also had our busiest year ever with weddings and engagement sessions all over Northern California and Lake Tahoe, with our last wedding wrapping up on December 30th.

One of the more difficult moments this year- one of our clients passed away in a tragic accident which affected me so deeply…It was around this time that social media just became so insignificant to me, and I wanted to focus on my family more than social media.   It made me understand on a deeper level just how important our job is as photographers.  Legacy took on a whole new meaning to me, and I was so thankful that we were able to capture her legacy before she passed. Knowing her family will always have our photographs makes my heart peaceful.  Her death changed the way I approach both weddings and life  this year.  It changed how I document relationships and I hope that as a result,  made me a better photographer to our clients.

In our personal world: In January we added a new member to our family, our puppy cooper.  Shortly after bringing him home,  he was diagnosed with a rare disease and spent the first 8 moths of life in and out of the vet.  We’re so happy that he’s now 100% better and by far the cutest (and most expensive) puppy ever.

We also started our house remodel, which we hope to complete this year. We spent many afternoons on our little boat on the lake this summer, and many laughter filled evenings with some of our past couples who have now become close friends.

In September we were evacuated as wild fires came eerily close to our home, and we realized that we have the WORST evacuation plan ever- my goal in 2018 is to get that under wraps.   Between it all, I’ve been back and forth to LA caring for my 91 year old grandmother.  Her and I have spent many quiet evenings together, and I’m so thankful that my career gives me the flexibility to put family first.

Overall it was a year of quality over quantity, and family over everything.

Cheers to a happy, healthy and abundant 2018!

Melanie (+ Andy)