Hilton Garden Inn, Cedar Falls -- Ivan & Jessica Wedding

I've been talking about being better about blogging for a long time.

I have a ton of content. I just haven't shared it.

(Including this wedding that I started blogging last summer and never published. 😜)

Why?

I don't know. Nervous? Scared? Overwhelmed? Anxious?

The photos are one thing. The writing is another.

What if I say the wrong thing? (Probably my own childhood trauma showing up there.)

How do you write a 6,000–15,000 character blog post about a wedding without sounding like every other wedding blog on the internet?

How many different ways can you say, "They were a beautiful couple and it was a beautiful day?"

I spend so much time trying to be "perfect" and/or "professional" that I sometimes forget to just do the thing.

The funny part is that I absolutely love what I do.

At the same time, it terrifies me.

As I was looking through this gallery and realizing I never published it, I started trying to figure out why.

The answer, I think, is fear.

What if it's not good enough?

Sending galleries always feels like one of those "close your eyes and hit send" moments.

I'd already gone through it umpteen times. I knew the images were good, but I kept obsessing over whether I'd missed something. Whether the white balance was perfectly consistent. Whether there was one tiny detail that would somehow prove I wasn't as good at this as everyone thought I was.

Looking at the gallery now, almost a year later, I don't see any of those things.

I see a beautiful wedding.

I see a couple who were genuinely excited to marry each other.

I see families who showed up ready to celebrate.

I see grandmas as flower girls—which was every bit as amazing as it sounds.

I see joy.

Ivan and Jessica were absolutely wonderful to work with, and their families radiated warmth from beginning to end. Every part of the day felt intentional, heartfelt, and full of people who genuinely loved being there.

I adored everything about this wedding.

So why did it take me a year to publish this?

Honestly, I still don't fully know.

I know there's anxiety attached to it. I know I have some theories about where that anxiety comes from. I know I could probably write an entirely separate blog post about that.

But for now, I'll leave you with this:

My blogging delays are battles with the devil.

Not the pitchfork-and-horns kind.

The kind that whispers:

"Just tweak it one more time."

"Wait until it's better."

"You're not ready yet."

The funny thing is that voice sounds responsible. Professional, even.

But a year later, I'm realizing it was never protecting me.

It was just keeping me stuck.

So here's to publishing imperfectly.

And here's to finally sharing Ivan and Jessica's beautiful wedding day.

Special thanks to both of you for allowing me to be part of it and, without even knowing it, reminding me that some things are worth celebrating even when they aren't perfect.

Congratulations, and Happy (almost) Anniversary! ❤️

— Nichole

Here's a look back at some of my favorite moments.

Scroll down to see a list of the other amazing vendors who participated in Ivan and Jessica's day.

Vendors:

Hair: Eliza Steinbronn (Elysian.hair.by.eliza on instagram)
Makeup: Kiley Shepherd
Nails: Jamie

Venue: Hilton Garden Inn

Dress: Madison James by Allure, purchased at Weddings By Design in Des Moines
Tux: Milroy's Tuxedos
Rings: Helzberg Diamonds
DJ: Ultimate Entertainment
Florist: Bancroft Flowers and My Dinosaur Dreams (Wooden Flowers)
Cake & Desserts: Bambinos Cedar Falls, IA

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