Austin & Kendra Engaged {Butte, MT}

I was so excited to take Austin and Kendra's engagement pictures and I'm looking forward to their October wedding! Kendra and I were able to meet for the first time over coffee a few months ago and it was like sitting down with an old friend!  I left our meeting excited to have met someone as kind as Kendra and with anticipation of meeting Austin at their engagement session.  Austin was able to come home from his military duties over the holidays and we braved the cold to get these beautiful images.  Austin is absolutely smitten with Kendra and they way she looks at him gives even me butterflies.  I might have been there with my camera but they only had eyes for each other.  I adore how their love radiates from the pictures!  Congratulations on your engagement Austin and Kendra!  I cannot wait for October!

Brandon & Micki Married {Butte, MT Wedding}

I first met Brandon and Micki at their engagement session last March. Immediately I knew that they were going to be a fun couple to photograph and I was right!  Brandon and Micki have fun together and it's obvious that with their deep love comes deep friendship.  You can see it in every photograph of the two of them together.  The day of their winter wedding was chilly but the cold was no match to the warmth that radiated from the Mr. and Mrs. Micki had planned out every detail to perfection and it was truly one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen.  I am so honored that Brandon and Micki chose me to capture such stunning moments of their beginning as husband and wife!  I am excited to see where the years take them and maybe just maybe photograph a little baby Bosch someday!  Congratulations Brandon and Micki!

And they lived happily ever after!

Happy 35th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Yesterday, January 13, my parents celebrated 35 years of marriage!  If I were on top of things I would have posted this blog on their anniversary, but I am a mom of three and still playing catch up from Christmas and being out of town this weekend. None the less I want to honor my parents for their commitment to marriage.  

I often say about parenting and it applies to marriage as well, "marriage is one of the best and hardest journeys".  I have watched my parents walk through challenges, get mad at each other and swear they cannot make it another day. However, I have also witnessed how they love and care for one another. How they protect one another and laugh together.  

I've heard it said that our greatest strengths are also our greatest weaknesses. That traits that make us fall in love with our spouse will also be the things that drive us crazy about them.

Meet my mom.  She is strong.  She is one of the hardest working women I know.  She serves others in such selfless ways.  She genuinely cares for people and wants to see them succeed.  She gives and gives, probably too much of herself, but it is what I love and admire about her.  She craves organization but she lives with my dad.  Now meet my dad.  He is often relaxed and not concerned with details.  He is always saying, "Don't sweat the little things in life" and he means it.  I've heard it said, "You can't live on love" but my dad takes the "You can't" out of the sentence and tells me "Live on love!"  He has the gift of making a new friend wherever he goes, which both embarrasses me and challenges me.  What if we all got out of our bubbles and took the time to listen to a stranger?  My parents are quite different but through the years, the good times and the challenging times they have committed to love each other when they feel it and when they don't.  What a lesson for a culture who throws love away on a whim because they just don't feel it anymore.

Thank you mom and dad for loving Jesus and loving each other.  For recognizing the imperfections in each other and still choosing to love anyway.  I love you both and I am so blessed to be your daughter!  I wish you many more years of crazy love!

"A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
John 13:34

Remembering 2013

Tomorrow night we will be ringing in the New Year but tonight we will take a walk down memory lane.  It is fun to look back at my "2013" sessions and weddings. I am so thankful to each of my clients and couples.  You have made "2013" a year full of new photography experiences and let's not forget the laughter that accompanies our time together!  This year I am ringing in 2014 with new friendships and a great anticipation of what the coming year will bring.

Happy New Year! 

Good-Bye Energizer Bunny

Christmas is just around the corner and I must admit I have been trying to play the Energizer Bunny. Since Thanksgiving I have photographed four sessions and a wedding, I've hosted two weekends of company, celebrated my daughter's 7th birthday, attended 3 Christmas programs for my children and countless Christmas parties.  I have sent out 160+ Christmas cards and wrapped a few dozen presents.  It has been a full season to say the least, but in the midst of it all I have taken time to bake with my kiddos, laugh with my friends and sit by a beautiful Christmas tree with my favorite hot tea.

I know I am not the only Energizer Bunny out there and learning to slow down and enjoy the season of Christmas really does make all the difference in keeping one's sanity during an insanely busy time.  I am a sucker for traditions especially during Christmas.  Some of my family's traditions include:

1.  Going into the snowy forest to find the perfect Christmas tree, which also includes sledding, a nice warm fire, hot chocolate and making smores.
2.  Putting up our Christmas decorations while listening to Ann Murray's Christmas album.
3.  Wrapping presents to the movie "White Christmas".
4.  Having countless movie and popcorn nights with the kiddos. These movies include Rudolph, It's Christmas Charlie Brown, and Frosty the Snowman.
5.  Reading the Christmas story from the Bible in the book of Luke.

All of these traditions calm me and help me put things into perspective when I lose sight of what is really important.  I hope that this Christmas season you will slow down and be reminded of what matters most and hold those that you love a little bit closer.  Say good-bye to the Energizer Bunny and take a moment to relax!  You won't regret it and you will treasure the memories you make in the process!

Here are a few of my favorite shots taken from this month's sessions.  

Filled with Gratitude

Thanksgiving is just two weeks away but you would hardly know it if you walked into a retail store. Immediately following Halloween, stores are stocking the shelves with Christmas decor, wrapping paper, treats and stocking stuffers!  Last year I searched the aisles trying to find Thanksgiving themed paper plates and napkins with no success.  Finally after visiting 3 different stores I found one very small section that offered what I was looking for.  Don't get me wrong I love Christmas!  I get excited when I am able to put thought into and purchase the perfect gift, display my Christmas decorations, indulge in Christmas treats, movies and music, but in our intentions of being prepared for celebrating Christmas we have nearly forgotten that Thanksgiving is a meaningful holiday all on it's own.  We live in a culture where "busyness" is the new normal and in the midst of our "to do" lists we sometimes forget to take a moment and be filled with gratitude for the many blessings that we have right before us.

In honor of Thanksgiving I would like to extend to you, my friends, the opportunity to nominate someone you are thankful for to receive a free session with Jacqueline Photography in 2014.  Take a moment to submit your nomination through a private message on the Jacqueline Photography facebook page or by emailing pics@jacquelinebergrenphotography.com.  Include the nominee's name, how you know them and a brief paragraph about what they mean to you.  The person you nominate must live in the Butte area or be willing to travel. All submissions must be made by December 15, 2013.  The winner will be announced December 24th.

And to take "Filled With Gratitude" a step further I invite you to sit down and reflect about the people in your life and how they have deeply blessed you.  Write a note sharing with them how special they are to you and how much you appreciate them.  A handwritten note of appreciation and gratitude can go a long way!

3 reasons I have to be filled with gratitude, my precious children Micah, Tirzah and Isaiah