Leaving

We are doing it!  Meg walked into her principal’s office on last Tuesday and let her know that she will be leaving school at the end of January.  That’s insane!  I don't think I've felt the nervous and excited since I left my job over 5 years ago.  We will be a family building a business, one income and relying on God to prosper it.  It’s kind of like sitting at the card table and going all in, except I’ve got the confidence that God is taking care of us.  You might think, that’s a little farfetched Wes, to leave your job and then have Meg leave her’s plus you have a baby on the way!  Look, I’ve been put in situations that I've had no choice but to trust that God would provide and numerous opportunities to exercise faith.  And I can recall, each time where when I said “I trust You” and meant it in my heart and watched big things happen right before me.  There were times I was just astonished.  Even in the decision for Meg to come home, there have been some awesome things happen and I’ll share those in the future.  I’m not going to say that I’m not nervous and a little anxious.  I sat down to pray last night and let Jesus know how I felt and was quickly assured that everything was ok; even this morning during prayer, I felt my soul calm down and be at peace. 

I feel that the first step in business is to give rightful place to the One who entrusted it to you.  I used the word entrust on purpose.  God being the creator of all owns all.  He has set us to be managers of what comes in our life; an example of this is the Parable of the Talents that Jesus tells us in Matthew 25:14-30.  We are set over certain things to watch after and care for, for the intent purpose to make God’s name great.  We do this by our work ethic (strive for excellence because He is), how we handle finances (obviously from the parable), how we interact with people (if you’re a Christian, you’re a representative of Him), and how we handle praise from others (do we accept if for ourselves or point it back to Jesus).  There are so many more things that go into being a great manager but giving God the rightful place (CEO) in your business is the first step.  Let Him lead you. 

I’d love to hear some faith builder stories where you exercised your faith in the face of doubt and God showed up.

And, here is a little bit of Nick Wallenda tightrope walking the grand canyon.  Who needs man made nets?

What Our Top 5 2014 Wedding Moments Look Like

From every wedding we get to be witnesses to some of the most memorable and emotional moments in life.  We've seen the astonished look on a groom's face as he first views his bride and the father's tearful eye as he dances with his daughter.  There have been times when we were nearly brought to tears because you feel the emotion.  We wanted to relive the top 5 moments (in no particular order) that we experienced.  See if you feel the same.

1. Was from Ashley and Tre's wedding.  This was one of the most touching moments.  Ashley had given her gift to Tre which were a pair of cufflinks that were engraved with Tre's bestfriend's initials who had passed away.

2.  Our second is from Ali and Jared's wedding. 

3. Excitement flows in both ways, through tears and joy.  We saw both of these in Lindsay and Seth's wedding; it's so warming.  We watched as Seth saw Lindsay make her way down the aisle with tears in his eyes and his excitement after the ceremony.

4.  From Stacin and Cole's wedding was the parent's dance.  Mother son dances are just as touching since I was in that same place as Cole.  For moms, they realize that their son is not that little boy that clung to their leg.  

Watching Stacin's brother both give her away and do the first dance honors was one of those tear moments.

5. The last moment was one that warmed my heart.  This moment was one from Shannon and Tyler's wedding.  It was a simple but impactful moment that spoke of their family.  Shannon's mom and maid of honor were helping her get her dress on (which had a special meaning as well), and throughout the moment there were times of reflection, love and with this family, laughter.  These are the moments that weddings are about.

Our New Beautiful Home {Wes Roberts Photography}

On this path of being a photographer, I've tried my hand at many things.  To say that I'm just a photographer would be a mistake and running a small business forces you into many rolls that you are not made to do, nor good at.  I've had to try my hand at learning code (only to be confused at this insane language), web design (only to learn I know nothing about what goes into making things pretty), logo design (can I say that I compiled all the logos I've had in the past and realized how hideous they were), accounting, editing, and everything else that can get you into a mess.  

Here's some previous logo work I personally did; I told you they were hot messes.  Swoopies and curlies and just plain bad font.  I'll hang out in the corner with my head down.

I put this out there because, I've always wanted a site that I could be proud of.  I'd change something here and there and finish only to find myself unsatisfied with the look and feel.  I would have invested a weeks worth of time to be sick of what I had crafted.  Before I go any further with this, let me introduce you to Whitlee.  This woman is one of the sweetest, loving and caring people I've known.  I'd call her a magical design person, with the eye of one who can entrance the world with her design talents (yes that good).  I've worked with Whit on lots of styled shoots and had the chance to see what she was capable of and loved it.  So, why not entrust her to rebrand the look of Wes Roberts Photography; hey, she could say one magical code word and do far better than I could.  

One thing I've learned over the years of running a business, is get out of the way.  In the E Myth, Michael Gerber notes that in order for your business to succeed the way it should you need to, get yourself out of the way.  If accounting is the issue, don't take it on yourself, entrust it to a professional accountant.  If design is the issue, don't take it on yourself (it will look hideous, unless you're a designer), entrust it to a professional web designer.  I preach this all the time, if photographer matters, don't try and do it yourself, entrust it to a professional photographer who knows what they are doing.  So, I got out of the way and let Whit do her thing.

We started with the logo, which as you've seen above needed MUCH work!  Then we worked on the site to bring a cohesiveness to the whole look and match what my photography work portrayed and my personality.  I look at the site and can say, yep, I am satisfied with it.  I love my new site.  I love the way it shows off my clients and their moments.  I love the way it feels.  As we take our next step into 2015, what better way to start it than with a stunning new web home.

So now my doting message to my amazing designer...

Whit, you are amazing and I love you to death.  Thank you for your time and talents as well as your friendship!  Your willingness to harness your OCD tendencies which drives you to make sure everything is perfect.  Your adeptness to your craft will lead you to your dreams and I can't wait to see it transpire.   On a fun note, I am honored to get to shoot your wedding in a couple of days.  I can't wait!  

To see more of Whit's work and get in the head of knowledgeable web designer, check out her site at www.whitleemullis.com  

Mallory and Drew {Featured Wedding} Columbus, GA Wedding Photographers

Mallory and Drew

Ceremony: Mountain Brook Baptist Church

Reception Venue: Regions Field

Cakes: Publix

Catering: Regions Field

Music: 3rd Generation

It was so great getting to hanging out with Mallory and Drew on their wedding day in Birmingham.  From the beginning to end, the day was filled with laughter and love.  It was such an honor to have joined in with their excitement. 

Some Quick Marriage Thoughts After 9 Years

As I eased into bed last night about 12:30, I tried my best to be as quiet as possible. By the low light of my phone I could catch a glimpse of my Meg sleeping and it brought such great comfort to me. For the past 9 years she has been by my side and every morning with the exception of a handful (really) I have been blessed and reminded of such a great gift that was presented to me. There have been thousands of laughs, and just as many tears, moments we have hung as our greatest and times we have fought fears, trials, acts of selfishness and so many things that could have driven us apart. Every day I try to keep in mind, “treat her as Christ treats the church”.  It’s hard and I fail many times, but thankfully she is just as much filled with grace and forgiveness as Jesus.

As I type this, I’m thinking about the amazing qualities that I’ve seen in Meg over the past 9 years: grace, compassion, determination, love, hospitality, friendship, and there are so many more. Even through this marriage, I have found one who champions me and believes in me and even today it astonishes me how God matched us together. While our weaknesses are each other strengths, it propels us to not give up. I struggle in believing in myself and she speaks words that refresh me and keeps me going; Meg struggles with….well, I can’t think of one.;) Yep, and even in our irritating habits we find that we miss them and find joy in them (although I don’t think she likes that I leave crumbs in the chip bag to save for when I want the crumbs, but hey).

I will say that in the 9 years that have passed, we have had some exciting moments and it elates me even more to think of what’s ahead and to share them with you (Meg). You are my life, and I couldn’t imagine it without you. Thank you for every effort you make to enrich my life and ours as a family. I am humbled and honored to call you my wife.