I’ve always dreamed of the ultimate shopping experience. It seems like a fairytale. My husband-to-be and I would walk around our favorite stores and literally select ANYTHING we loved for our registry. Like I said, the ULTIMATE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE! Well, that day has come! Michael and I have registered at some of our favorite places, the most exciting being Crate and Barrel! We love that place! It was so much fun walking around with our little gun and scanning everything we loved. We picked out fine china with tiny white pearl dots along the edges, teal napkins, green and teal paisley place mats and amazing bedding!
.
As exciting as this is, it is also a bit weird to get used to. Registering for gifts and having bridal showers is so humbling. I told Momma last week before my first shower that it seemed strange to receive gifts when I haven’t done anything! Sure, birthdays are a given and graduation gifts are received because you have worked extremely hard but wedding gifts, they are just given because people love you and want to celebrate with you! It’s that awesome! I never realized how sweet this was until I had my first shower last week. 30+ friends gathered and showered me with amazing gifts and I was so humbled! It’s an amazingly feeling to have people love on you in that way.
.
I’m also a little bit more sensitive to gifts than other brides may be. Have you ever heard of the 5 love languages? Well, my love language is “Gift Giving”. When I receive gifts, I am just beside myself! The fact that someone would take the time to think of me just melts my heart. Michael rolls his eyes when I remind him that buying me gifts is the best way to my heart! (I swear I’m not making this up!) Gifts mean more to me than affirming words, quality time, and acts of service combined. So you can imagine my excitement when I randomly received a package today that was addressed to Michael and me. I ran outside to ask Momma if she had ordered something for us and she hadn’t. I looked for a return address label and couldn’t find one and so I just opened it. I pulled out a beautiful, “Bride and Groom” Cookbook from William Sonoma and the note read “Congratulations! We’re so happy for you!! So much Love, Justin and Mary“.
.
Time out. Do you know who Justin and Mary are?! Probably one of the most talented and sweet spirited couples in the whole photography industry! I fell in love with their blog over a year ago and had the amazing privilege of connecting with them at their Spread the Love workshop in January. Words cannot express how much I love and admire these two. They teach about living a “life un-ordinary” and let me tell you, they practice what they preach. They had no reason to send Michael and I a gift accept that they can’t help but love on people. It literally blew me away and besides the squealing, I was speechless.
.
Justin and Mary, you guys rock our world. Michael and I adore you and your thoughtfulness made our day! Thank you for thinking of us!!! I promise you that my cooking is going to improve by leaps and bounds because of you! Michael is already grateful!
.
xoxo, Katelyn
Be sure to check out J & M’s blog and leave them some comment love!
Thanks for reading!
— Katelyn
MORE RECENT POSTS
Have you ever tried to sit down with your spouse to talk about dreams, goals, and vision—only for it to turn into frustration or misalignment? If so, you’re not alone. Vision casting in marriage is hard because it brings up deeper fears, beliefs, and unspoken dynamics that many couples don’t even realize are at play.
Success—it’s a word we hear all the time. But what does it really mean? Is it about financial security? Status? Owning a dream home or taking extravagant vacations?
When you think about your business, do you see it as simply a job—or something more?
Today, I’m diving into an experience that was nothing like I anticipated: my digital detox in December. If you’ve ever considered taking a break from the noise of the online world, you might relate to my journey—the good, the surprising, and the, well, completely unplanned.
The wedding industry has faced unique challenges recently, with inflation affecting budgets and couples cutting costs. If you’re a wedding photographer feeling the pinch, don’t worry—2025 doesn’t have to be a slow year.
Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? Over the last few months, I’ve been on a medical rollercoaster that I never saw coming.
Top Personal Posts
Have a little time to read?
"Best money I have EVER spent on education! ... and I've spent a lot!”
"I love all the lessons I'm learning from KJ All Access! Thanks Katelyn!”
"I find very few educational resources worth it ... this one is!”
"Being able to see behind-the-scenes of Katelyn interacting with her clients has been SO impactful!”
"SO worth it! It's amazing the amount of knowledge you get out of them!”
"I learned just as much in one All Access as I did in a whole course! SO GOOD!"
The KJ blog
must-reads
YOUTUBE
The KJ Learning roadmap
