How To – Alli Santmyer

How To Wedding

How To: Find the Right Wedding Photographer

May 1, 2020

Hello hello, welcome back to Allison in Wonderland! We’re already so many posts into my wedding series – I can’t believe it. So far, I’ve talked about my favorite venues in the MD/DE/PA/VA area and finding my dress… and today, we’re diving into how to find your photographer! I know in my last post, I said today’s topic would be about how to determine the right size wedding for you but with everything going on with the coronavirus, I’d like to give some love and exposure to talented, local photographers first! I’d say finding the right venue was my fiancé and I’s top priority but choosing the right photographer was definitely up there. After all, these are photos you’ll have forever so you want to make sure you get it right! Throughout this post, I’ll be sharing all the wedding photographers we considered before choosing the (amazing) one we’re going with. They’re all either local to the MD/DE/PA/VA area or are willing to travel to wherever your wedding is! I’ve also linked all of their websites so you can easily click through to see their work and pricing. Let’s get started…

Finding the right photographer for our wedding was really important to me – almost more important than the venue. I love photography and have such a specific look that I’m going for so this was the first thing we tackled after getting engaged, aside from finding the venue. The first thing I did was consider the photographers I’d already shot with in the past or knew personally. Did they make me feel confident and comfortable during the shoot? Did they capture the vibe I wanted? Was I obsessed with how the photos turned out? After thinking that through and finding a long list of other photographers who I’d come across on Instagram (hint hint: search #delawareweddingphotographer or something similar for your state to find options), I dove into their photos. Is their work unique or do they only have the traditional wedding shots that everyone has? What do past couples have to say about working with them on their wedding day? Are they in my price range? All these things were major factors as I whittled down my list. The 10 photographers below checked all my boxes – they’re photography superstars and I hope I get to shoot with all of them soon.

KEMP COLLECTIVE: Kemp Collective is a wedding and elopement photography duo who is actually a couple themselves… how fun! Their photos always have a beautiful authenticity to them and they definitely have the editing style that I LOVE so we were quick to add them to our list. Click here to check out their website!

BROOKE MICHELLE: Brooke is incredible! I’ve actually shot with her a couple other times for blog things so I knew she had to be on my list to check out for wedding photos. She’s so fun to work with and incredibly uplifting, which is a great thing to have on your special day. Her photos are very light and bright and beautiful and perfect to capture your wedding memories. Click here to visit her website!

SPARROW AND LACE: Oh my goodness… can you say BEAUTIFUL!? I really can’t imagine a more beautiful aesthetic than hers (click here to see). I always look forward to seeing new Sparrow and Lace photos on my feed and I love love love the moments she captures! I imagine a wedding day captured by her would be perfect.

SOUTH OF INDIGO: South of Indigo is an elopement and small wedding photographer so her life is basically traveling around, living in her car for most of the year, and capturing incredible images! When she’s not living in her car, she’s based in California but willing to travel anywhere for love… now that’s what we like to hear! Click here to check out her work… hint hint, it’s amazing.

MOLLY JANE: Molly is another photographer that I’ve shot with a few times before… she’s so fabulous! She really makes you feel comfortable right off the bat and is so supportive of whatever vibe you’re wanting. Her direction while shooting is amazing and her editing couldn’t get any better – the photos come out so crisp. And she has a little baby on the way! You’ll definitely want to check her out for your wedding day. Click here to see!

SINCERELY THE KITCHENS: The Kitchen’s are a husband and wife duo that does photography AND videography so if you’re wanting both, these two might be for you! Their work is incredible and you can really tell how passionate they are about what they do. Another fun thing about these two is they have a photo booth camper that you can rent out and it’s so cute! Click here for their website.

KATE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY: Kate is a photographer my fiancé and I actually shot with right before the coronavirus quarantine began for an engagement shoot and she was amazing! Such a sweet gal and the photos turned out amazing (the featured photo at the top of this post was taken by her!). Her positivity and direction really helped us throughout the shoot and I’m dying to shoot with her again! Click here to check out her cute website.

NATE BITTINGER PHOTOGRAPHY: Nate Bittinger is another one who does both photography and videography and his videos are fantastic! His work has a really surreal look to it and it’s stunning. A lot of his photos, at least recently, are in the mountains so if you’re doing a mountaintop elopement, he would be perfect! Click here to check out his site.

BECA HALE: Beca is based in North Carolina but available to travel wherever she’s needed! Her work has a really fun and cool vibe and she seems so great to work with. All of her photos show someone smiling and it just makes you feel good! Click here for more info on Beca!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEANNA MICHELE: Deanna is a destination wedding photographer so if you’re traveling for your wedding, so will she! Her Instagram bio says she’d likes to chat with her clients over margaritas and tacos and what could be better than that? Most of her photos have a little bit of a darker, moody vibe and I’m really into it for a Fall or Winter wedding! Click here for her website.

Those are all the wedding photographers we considered… aren’t they all wonderful!? Hopefully this was helpful to you if you’re planning a wedding in the MD/DE/PA/VA area or just looking for some pretty photos! I’m sure they’d all love to do an engagement session with you if you want to give them a try before booking for your wedding. Any guesses which photographer we chose for our wedding day???

Finding our photographer was one of the most exciting parts about planning our wedding because the photos mean so much to me so I’m so glad I can pass on my “research” to all of you! If you have any questions or comments, be sure to leave them in the comments section below – I love to hear from you. The next post in my wedding series will be all about how to know what size wedding is right for you… don’t miss it!

How To

How To: Find the Best Job for You

February 5, 2019

Hey everyone, welcome to this week’s post! A few months ago, I wrote about my post-grad job application process (click here to read) and since then, I’ve had a few requests to talk about how to find the right job for you. Let’s get started!

I mentioned this in my previous post but I want to reiterate that it’s pretty hard to find a job in the field you want, especially if it’s your first job. Almost every position requires “1-3 years of experience” but how are you supposed to gain experience if you can’t get a job without it? Because of this, internships are so important. Even if it’s unpaid or you have to do it after you graduate, it’s an invaluable experience. When I was in college, I had three marketing internships. I started out as the design intern because I thought I wanted to get into graphic design and it was through that internship that I realized I definitely did not want to be a graphic designer. I loved taking design classes and I still love that aspect of marketing but without that internship, I wouldn’t have realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do until much later.

Another tip for finding the right position for you is to talk to people who currently have positions you think you might like to be in. Even if you don’t know anyone personally, make LinkedIn your best friend and find connections on there! Those “on the inside” will be able to tell you the things they do like about what they do and the things they don’t like. It’s helpful to hear the negatives before you commit to a job title. You may also be able to shadow them for a day or two to see what it’s really like in their day-to-day.

My last tip is to think about the culture you’re looking for in your workplace. Although the right job title is important, the culture of the company you work for is important as well. Do you want coworkers who are all the same age as you? Do you want the option to work from home? Do you want to travel to your clients every week? What benefits are you looking for? By defining your expectations, you can have a clear mindset when going into interviews.

That’s all for this week’s post – I hope you enjoyed it! Finding the right job for you can take a long time but once you find it, it’s definitely worth it. You spend a huge percentage of your life at work so it’s important to find somewhere that you can be happy at. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. See you next Tuesday!

How To

How To: Blog & Have a Full-Time Job

October 30, 2018

Hi everyone and happy, happy Tuesday! Welcome back to another blog post in my “How To” series! Today’s post is all about how to be a consistent blogger or social media influencer while having a full-time job. Keep reading to see how I balance my busy life!

Learn how to manage your time well. I would say this is the most important thing I’ve learned while juggling two “jobs”. I’ve never talked about this on my blog before but I have to sign contracts with almost every company I partner with. So while blogging isn’t my main source of income or where my time is spent, I’m still legally bound to deadlines. A lot goes into working with a company so even though posting a photo on Instagram seems like it’s super quick and easy, curating the content often takes weeks or months. Effectively managing the little free time I do have is essential to having my side business be as successful as possible! Would you be interested in reading a post all about the process of creating branded content? Let me know in the comments below!
Focus on you and your passions. Social media influencing is very trendy right now and one of my favorite things about it is that it’s so broad – you can post about anything you want! But that’s just the thing… you can be successful in whatever industry you choose to post about so stick to the topics that make you happy and that you’re interested in. There are always going to be people to compare yourself to and in this business there are a lot of them. Stay focused on your niche and you’ll do great!
Keep your priorities straight. Although blogging and engaging with my audience are my absolute favorite things to do, I also have a full time job. Sometimes that means I have to stay at the office until 7 or 8 o’clock at night and that’s just how it is. I try my best to shoot after work and write on the weekends, but when you have a full time job that pays your bills, that’s the price you have to pay. I’ll always have to prioritize my “real job” but I’m willing to do that because it allows me the freedom to fully invest in my passions in my downtime.

The last few years have been a constant game of learning how to balance blogging with being a full time student and now working full time at a marketing agency so I hope I was able to share some tips that resonate with you. I’ll be back next week with a festive Fall lookbook so be sure to check back for some cute and cozy looks. Have a great week!

How To

How To: Be a Morning Person

September 11, 2018

Hi everyone, happy Tuesday! Today’s post is going to be all about how to become a morning person. In the summer, it’s really easy for me to get up early because the sun it out. But now that we’re moving into fall and it’s harder to wake up because the sun is rising later in the day, I have some tips and tricks to get you out of bed earlier. Let’s get started!

The first thing I would recommend is going to sleep earlier. I always feel better when I’ve had a full eight hours or so of sleep and when you go to sleep earlier, you can get your eight hours in without sleeping half the day away. Once you’ve adjusted your sleeping schedule, it will feel more and more normal to be getting up earlier!

My next tip is to find your morning routine. Whether it’s taking your coffee and sitting on the porch or going for a run, having a set schedule is always nice! I find that I’m most productive in the morning, so getting things like cleaning and organizing taken care of first thing allows me to have a more relaxed evening.

My last tip is to allow light to come in your windows. Don’t block it with blinds or curtains! Even though the sun is starting to rise later, once it does start coming up, it will help you wake up naturally. If you have a house or apartment that has a few different rooms, choose the room that has the most morning light to be your bedroom. Personally, I know I’d much rather wake up from the sunlight than from an alarm.

That’s all for this week’s post, I hope you enjoyed! Who else is excited for Fall? It’s my favorite season! See ya next week!

How To

How To: Work with Photographers

May 8, 2018

Hey hey hey cuties! Welcome back to another post on the Allison in Wonderland blog. Today’s topic is how to find and work with photographers. Over the last few months, I’ve gotten some questions about how I find the photographers I work with so I thought I’d share my best tips with you today. Keep reading to find out what I look for!

Tip #1: Start with Instagram

Fun fact: I’ve found every photographer I’ve ever worked with through Instagram. Instagram is such a wonderful tool to help you connect with local creatives. When searching for photographers, I typically begin by searching for specific hashtags. I’ll first look up photographers by state (example: #marylandphotographer) or by city, if I’m looking to shoot somewhere in particular (example: #annapolisphotographer). This narrows down the playing field to only those who are “within reach,” so to speak.

Once I have the results from my hashtag search, I’ll scroll through until I find someone who has the specific style or aesthetic I’m looking for. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen that my editing style is very warm, so I look for photographers that edit similarly to me so that my Instagram and blog feeds will stay consistent. This method of finding people is also a really cool way to connect with those who live around you so you can support one another!

Tip 2: Be Ready for Anything

When I say be ready for anything, I mean be prepared to meet any type of personality. On Instagram, people don’t always end up having the personality you would expect from viewing their feed. I’ve been really lucky that I’ve absolutely loved every photographer I’ve ever shot with but at the end of the day, you’re still meeting up with someone you met on the internet and you don’t know everything about them. I typically make sure that I shoot with photographers in a public space (such as shooting in a downtown area) and that I leave the tracker on on my phone. Sometimes I’ll even bring a friend with me to be extra safe. Even though I totally understand wanting to get cool content, you can never be too careful!

Thank you for reading this week’s post on how to work with photographers! Did you find it helpful? If you have any tips of your own, leave them in the comments below, and be sure to come back next week for another brand new post. Have a great week!

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How To

How To: Keep Your Blonde Hair Healthy

March 13, 2018

Hey everyone, happy Tuesday! Welcome to another post on the Allison in Wonderland lifestyle blog. Today’s post is one I’ve been wanting to write for a few months now so I thought it was time to finally sit down and do it! In the last eight months, I’ve gone from being a natural brunette to a blonde (click here to read my post about my experience with dyeing my hair) so I’ve had to switch up my hair care routine just a bit. Keep reading to see how I keep my hair healthy!

Starting off with shampoo and conditioner, the products I’m currently using are from a company called Soapbox Soaps. Soapbox Soaps was founded in 2010 with a mission to empower people to change the world through their everyday purchases. They believe access to soap can change someone’s life so they donate a bar of soap to someone in need, locally or abroad, for every Soapbox Soap purchase. How incredible is that!? The line I’m using right now is their Bamboo Strength & Body Shampoo and Conditioner and it’s doing wonders for the health of my hair. Constantly bleaching and toning my roots takes a lot out of my hair and the nourishment from this line is exactly what my scalp has been needing.

Another thing I’ve added to my hair care routine is regularly using a hair mask. About once a week, I pick a day to take time to use the Aveda Sun Care After-Sun hair mask. In my opinion, it’s a little bit pricey for the amount of product you get but it’s an amazing formula. It’s not messy and is extremely moisturizing and my hair always feels great after I take it off. The packaging says to keep it on for at least 2-5 minutes but my stylist recommends leaving it on for a few hours or even sleeping with it on. With the combination of Soapbox Soap’s Bamboo shampoo and conditioner and Aveda’s hair mask, my locks are in good shape even with all the coloring I do to it.

That’s all for this week’s post! I hope you enjoyed my hair product recommendations. If you already use or are going to start using any of the products I mentioned, let me know in the comments below! Blonde hair takes a lot of upkeep but I think it’s worth it! Make sure you come back next Tuesday for another brand new post. Have a great week!

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How To

How To: Maintain a Busy Life

May 30, 2017

Hi everyone! Welcome back to my blog! Today, I’m going to be sharing my tips for how to balance your busy lifestyle. Whether you’re in high school, college, or a young professional, we all have so much to do and I’m here to give you some tips on how to keep it all together!

My first tip is to utilize your planner. I’ve used a planner ever since my senior year of high school and it’s helped me immensely! In college, you have a lot more free time than in high school, so my planner use really picked up once I got to JMU. A planner is really helpful for remembering class assignments and lunch dates that might slip your mind if they’re scheduled a few weeks out. I have an entire post dedicated to setting up and using a planner, so check out that post here to read all about it!

My next tip is to take things one step at a time. I’m the kind of person who will get very overwhelmed if assignments and responsibilities start piling up and, over the past few years, I’ve had to constantly remind myself that everything will get done if I just focus and take my time. When you rush through things, you run the risk of having to do it all over again, so it’s better to just do it to the best of your ability the first time around.

My final tip is to take time to do the things that make you happy. When you’re insanely busy with school work or your job or other responsibilities, it might seem really immature to set those things aside and take a walk on the beach or go to the mall for an hour or two but your mind needs that. At the company I intern with, the creative director is always telling me to take a break and give my mind a rest. It’s important to let your body relax so your creative energy can build back up again. Taking time for yourself will make everything you do after have more pep!

Those are all my tips for maintaining a busy lifestyle! If you use any of my advice, post a photo on Instagram and tag me @allisantmyer! See you next week!

How To

10 Ways To Be Happier

February 28, 2017

Hi! Thanks for coming back to Allison in Wonderland for another post! Today, I’m going to be sharing 10 ways to be happier in your everyday life. These days, it feels like winter is dragging on and on, so I hope these tips will serve as a little pick-me-up! Enjoy!

Watch the sunrise/sunset. I tend to see more sunsets than sunrises, but I love them both! It’s so cool how God makes the sky look different every night. It’s calming to sit there and relax while you watch the sun go down; I highly recommend it!
Look nice. It’s so easy, especially in college, to go to class in sweatpants and a t-shirt, but it will boost your self-esteem if you spend a little time in the morning getting ready. You don’t have to put on a full face of makeup, but a little mascara and a hair brush will do wonders to your outlook on the day!
Do nice, spontaneous things for people you love! Everyone loves being able to buy people little surprise gifts every once in a while but you don’t have to spend any money! Doing something nice can even just be sending them a text wishing them a wonderful day. It will make them feel good and it will make you feel good. It’s a win-win!
Take pictures. This one might not apply to everyone but I love taking pictures. Taking a photo and getting the shot that you envisioned in your head is the most incredible feeling and it lifts my mood in an instant! Try it!
Light a candle and take a bath. This is one of my favorite things to do when I have a lot of time to hang out. It’s so refreshing and you get clean at the same time!
Be a tourist in your own town! This is something that’s easier to do if you’re from a place with a larger population but you can make it work even if you’re not! Every hometown has the things that make it special, so spend the day going to a few of your favorite spots. Hopefully, you’ll get a great new outlook on your town!
Spend time with your friends or family. Spending time with friends and family is a great way to be surrounded by love and support. Your friends and family want you to be happy so they’ll do everything they can to make you that way!
Go to Target. Target is one of my favorite places to go whether I need something or not! I love looking at the home section and their candle section is to die for! It’s so fun to walk around and see what new things they’ve gotten since the last time I was there.
Listen to music. Music is one of those things that’s perfect for whatever mood you’re in. If you’re sad, there’s a playlist for that. If you’re happy, there’s a playlist for that. Whatever you’re feeling, music understands, and it has the power to work all your feelings out. Give it a shot!
Take a drive. This is one of the best pieces of advice I can give for when you’re feeling down. I love taking a drive, especially when it’s warm outside and I can have the sunroof open. It’s such a good way to clear your head!

That’s all the advice I’m going to be sharing for today! I hope it helped you out! If you have any fun ways that you stay happy, let me know in the comments. I’d love for you to share! See you next week!

How To

Sorority Big & Little Craft Ideas

October 11, 2016

Hi everyone and welcome to this week’s post! I really appreciate you coming back because this is going to be my first DIY post! As some of you might know, I’m in a sorority at James Madison University called Sigma Alpha Omega. SAO is JMU’s only Christian sorority and its tons of fun! Part of that fun is recruitment, which we have every Fall. Included in recruitment is the dispersing of little sisters, or “littles” as we like to call them. 🙂 Throughout this post I’m going to be sharing some (I can’t share all of my secrets) of the crafts I did for our Big/Little reveal that we had this past Sunday!

The first DIY that I did was something I’ve been wanting to make for a while. My original idea was to get a big letter initial and cover it in flower tops, but when I walked into Michaels to get my supplies, I noticed they had leaf cut-outs and thought that would be even more perfect! So I went ahead and bought the letter initial, the leaf cut-outs, and super glue. It barely took any time to make and it turned out so well! It can stand alone or be hung on the wall and I just love it. I wish I made one for myself!

The next idea I had was to make a couple cute canvases that she can hang on her wall in her dorm/apartment! I went on Pinterest and found some cute Big/Little quotes to use and I was set! The one I’m going to share today says, “Here’s to you, here’s to me, Big and Little we’ll always be!” I thought that was just perfect to put on a canvas and I love how it turned out! I used gold and black Sharpies for the lettering and just left the canvas white so it wasn’t that expensive either!

The last little gift I incorporated was a little white tin bucket and succulent that I got from Target. I obviously didn’t hand-make either of these but I thought it would be nice to include a little something extra in her gift to accompany all the artsy pieces. If you’re in the market for extra ideas, try finding out what her favorite kind of candy is or her favorite nail polish color to be able to throw in!

Making all of these items was a blast! Even if you aren’t in a sorority, I hope you can still take away some ideas for fall decor, decorating in general, or maybe even a birthday gift! Thanks so much for reading and I’ll be back next week with another brand new post. See ya then!

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How To

How To: Style Boyfriend Jeans

September 27, 2016

Hi guys, welcome back to my blog! Today, I’m going to give you a little guide of how to style boyfriend jeans! This trend has been around for a little while now and I still love it just as much as I did at the beginning! Keep reading to get my tips and tricks to mastering this look! 🙂

To start off, the jeans that I’m wearing are from American Eagle and, let me tell you, fit amazingly well. It took me quite a long time to find a pair that fit the way I wanted them to and now that I have, I’m never looking back! I did go a size down, however, so they aren’t as baggy as American Eagle intended them to be, but I like the fitted look better on my body type.

The first item I like to pair boyfriend jeans with is any pair of Converse sneakers. It doesn’t matter if they’re low-tops or high-tops! I think this look is so effortless and carefree and it allows you to look like you didn’t try too hard when choosing your outfit! I chose my white pair of Converse to create a beachy, summertime outfit and I think it looks super cute!

The next item I am always pairing my jeans with is a big, cozy sweater. I like to call this outfit my bonfire look because this is an outfit that is quickly and easily thrown together and is perfect for chilly summer nights. If you keep a tank on under it, it’s perfect to be able to keep it on or take it off depending on your mood/temperature! It’s also a convenient outfit if your boyfriend happens gives you his sweatshirt to wear! 🙂

Those are my two favorite ways to style boyfriend jeans, I hope you enjoyed! If you try any of these out, let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading and see you next week!

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