client gift boxes

It has been about two years since we made the decision to kick paid advertising to the curb, and direct the majority of our advertising budget back into our clients, and it was the best decision we’ve ever made for our business. This won’t work for every small business, but it works for us because we realized that we’re much more interested in attracting the right clients for us instead of a large volume of clients who are not a good fit for us. Paid advertising does cast a much wider net, but investing in the clients who love us for us has proven to be a much wiser business investment. Working with the right people who truly value what we have to offer brings us so much joy, so we also look at it as an investment in our own long term happiness and overall well being. That may not seem like it has anything to do with “business,” but for us, loving what we do is a priority, and working with the right people is a huge part of that.

We experimented with all different kinds of client gifts, but this year we finally settled on a gift that makes us feel really good to give and that our clients really seem to LOVE, so we’re definitely sticking with it!  We wanted to give our couples something that would be useful, practical, delicious, and a little bit fun, while promoting locally made products that we actually love and use.  By incorporating products that WE love, we’re sharing a little bit more about who we are and what we value, which reinforces our brand identity.  Also, we’re all about fostering long term relationships with our couples, and who doesn’t love getting presents in the mail?! :) We have had several people contact us after seeing someone post a photo of their gift box on social media, and they always turn out to be people who are the perfect fit for our style and overall philosophy. If you’re attracting clients who are a great match for you, then there’s a good chance that their friends will be a great match for you, too!

The first thing you see when you open the box is the sticker on the inside lid that says “you’re the best!” On top of the crinkle paper, is a card with our logo that says “Thank you so much for choosing us! We’re so excited to work with you!” The back of the card (not pictured) says “these are a few of our favorite things,” and gives a list of all the different companies and their Instagram handles. We used the branding elements we received from our designer, Braizen, to create both the card and the sticker.

It was really tough to choose the contents for the gift box, because we love so very many local artists and makers, but once we realized that we could change up the contents of the box every year, it became much easier to choose. ;)

From left to right (clockwise), these are the gifts we incorporated into our 2016 gift box and a little bit about why we chose each one:

1. Linwood Candle Co – I first discovered Linwood Candle Co at the Jack Craft Fair in 2015, and I fell in love with the high quality of their product as well as the simplistic packaging and branding. They are made with soy wax, essential oils, and cotton wicks, so I feel good about burning them. The Sweet Grapefruit scent is my favorite, so that’s what we chose for the boxes. Linwood Candle Co is a 10 out of 10 in my book, and definitely worth checking out!!

2. East Aurora Cookie – We first met Jennifer of East Aurora at a corporate party we were shooting a couple of years ago. She was seated at a table and people were coming up to her and showing her pictures on their phones of everything and anything, and right then and there, she would paint the photo…ON A COOKIE…and hand it over. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in life!!!  I, of course, pulled up a photo of my dog and she did an amazing job painting her portrait, so I instantly became a life long fan and cheerleader for her talents. We ordered cookies from her for our daughter’s first birthday party, and they were so incredible, you guys. SO INCREDIBLE. (You can see them on her Instagram feed.) I knew that we wanted her to be a part of the gift box because I wanted to sing her praises from the mountaintops. When we came up with the idea to have her paint a portrait of our couples’ faces on a cookie, we knew we had struck gold. We got such great feedback on the face cookies, and will keep them as a staple in our gift box for as long as we can!

3. Rust Belt Love – I’ve always been a fan of Alyson’s designs (especially her pen and ink art), so when we decided to include stationary in the gift box, she was the first person I thought of. I love sending and receiving cards in the mail. I like to have them on hand to write a quick note or a thank you and send it off to a friend!

4. Elle Pea Tee – I’m all about things that are natural and made with the purest ingredients possible, and this line of products delivers everything I’m looking for. Her lip scrub in Cherry Berry is the best thing out there for dry lips!

5. Zandra – I can’t remember where I first came across this young lady and her incredible skin care products, but I’m so glad I did. Her lip balms are my favorite! They make great holiday gifts for my family and friends, and I always have one tucked into my purse and one in my diaper bag. Their large size makes them easy to find!  They were an obvious choice for our gift box.

6. Butter Block – Everything Colleen makes is pure magic, and I love her business philosophy. Above all, I am obsessed with her pop tarts, but I was afraid they would break in the mail, so we opted for homemade oreos instead, which are equally delicious and nostalgic. We got lots of great feedback on these!! If you have never had a Butter Block pop tart, you need to try them…you just NEED to.

7. Public – This coffee company has quickly become a beloved Buffalo staple. We are big fans of the Kold Brew!!  And, now that The Grange Community Kitchen is a five minute walk from my house, I can have a Kold Brew anytime I want one!

And, that’s a wrap for the 2016 Ayres Photography Client Gift Boxes!!  We’re already working on the 2017 gift box, which will feature some of our new favorite artists and makers.  We’re pretty excited about it!!  So, for us, the decision to use our advertising budget to invest in our clients and share all of these wonderful, locally made products with them was definitely the right one. We do still use Facebook sponsored posts sometimes as a form of getting our work out into the world, so that’s technically paid advertising, but we don’t advertise on any other sites. This method may not work for everyone, but our goal is to fill our calendar with couples who value the same things that we do (family, friends, togetherness, sentimentality, kindness, generosity, and love), and gift giving plays a role in helping us achieve that goal. :)

mary + nate // Hotel @ the Lafayette

Mary and Nate are the kind of people that make you feel instantly comfortable. They both have an incredibly calming presence, and put you immediately at ease. They are soft spoken, genuine, kind, and thoughtful, and we enjoyed every minute we have spent with them :)

These images tell the story of all the love – past and present – that brought Mary and Nate to this day. It was a day filled with laughter and tears, warm hugs and knowing glances, grateful hearts and sweet dance moves, and I’m just so happy that we got to be a part of it.

Mary and Nate were kind enough to share some of their favorite memories from the day with us, so that we’d be able to share them with you! Be sure to read them as you scroll through the post!

Mary: “Getting ready with my bridesmaids was so fun! The morning of our wedding was fantastic. It was such a relaxing and calm morning. Having our hair and makeup done together was great!” 

Nate: “Getting dressed with the guys at our house was a little hectic.  Our little puppy Marcy (who is very photogenic!) was very excited from all the commotion and wanted to jump and slobber on all the guys.  I have to give a big shout out to Zak, the Matron of Honor’s husband and expert puppy occupier.  Without him there to distract the crazy pup I may have had a tattered suit for the ceremony!”

Nate: “I made absolutely sure to get to the church with time to spare – I had nightmares of being late and did not want them to come true!  Spending that extra time in the beautiful cathedral really helped to calm things down after the eventful morning.  By the time the ceremony got started I was completely relaxed and ready to make things official.”

Nate: “Seeing Mary in her dress for the first time was probably the highlight of the whole day for me.  I remember not being able to stop smiling as she was walking down the aisle because I was so happy to see her and how beautiful she looked in her dress.  I had been told so many times that it was poofy and blush colored and had no idea what to make from that description.  All I knew seeing her for the first time in it was that she looked absolutely amazing.”

Mary: “One thing I will never forget was the sermon given by our priest. He spoke about how the foundation of any marriage is friendship. This is something I will forever cherish because first and foremost, I married my best friend, and I am forever grateful for the friendship we have that has turned into an everlasting love.”

Mary: “Nathan and I always tell each other that we are one another’s one and only, forever and always. When we repeated our vows to each other, and looked one another in the eye, I truly felt that promise, and felt an incredible sense of appreciation for the man I have in my life.”

Nate: “Taking pictures at Silo City was the perfect choice for us.  Anyone who knows us will tell you that we are Buffalo evangelists and love everything about the city.  To make the Buffalo and its history a part of our wedding day was very important.  Jenn and Ben knew exactly where to get the best pictures at Silo City, which was good since neither of us had ever had the chance to visit!”

Mary: “I was so worried about everything turning out exactly the way I had envisioned it in my mind, and that worrying was SO not worth it. Walking into the reception and seeing my vision come to life was one of the best feelings I had the whole night. Everything was absolutely perfect. The floral arrangements were so gorgeous, and each table was decorated perfectly. There was not one detail lacking or anything that I would even think to change about the décor of the wedding. Although it is an oxymoron, I would describe it as simple, yet sophisticated with a hint of a rustic touch.” 

Nate: “Sitting down to dinner with Mary at the sweetheart table I remember looking around and seeing our friends and family gathered and having a great time.  Seeing smiles on everyone’s faces and knowing that people were enjoying themselves made me realize that all the planning had paid off.”  

Mary: “The reception was an absolute BLAST. I was probably told a hundred times that I looked like a Disney princess. The night was incredible. Dancing around with my dress and twirling it around was hands-down my favorite part of the whole day. I felt amazing, beautiful, and was overcome with absolute pure happiness. I honestly had the most outstanding time.”

And now, a little advice from the beautiful, happy couple:

“Our piece of advice to couples, as hard as this may be, is to make your day YOUR day. So many people think too much about pleasing other people, which is understandable especially if money is involved, but the most important thing is to make one another happy through the process. Enjoy every moment of planning, and stick to your dreams and visions. Plan for yourself and no one else. And when the day finally comes, RELAX. Take in all the moments.

Working with Ben and Jenn was so fun! Jenn always responded quickly to emails and answered any of our questions. When we did engagement photos, she helped us to feel comfortable in front of the camera. They were both so great on the day of the wedding. They really have an incredible skill and talent to seek out the perfect lighting. We loved that they capture moments, and do not try to take overly posed pictures. The natural look and the stunning beauty of the photos truly make them the best!“

---

Wedding Vendors Include:
Ceremony: Saint Joseph Cathedral
Reception: Hotel @ the Lafayette Greenhouse Room
Hair and Makeup: Elizabeth Dugan
Wedding Dress: Allure Bridal from Victoria’s Bridal Shoppe
Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew
Groom’s Look: Men’s Wearhouse
Invitations: Minted
Florist: Linda Brem
Cake: Carriage Trade Pastries 
DJ: Soundwave DJ