Photography becomes Art!

So one of the most fun parts of my job is getting to meet and network with other vendors. Last week I met a new (to me) photographer, Erica with Erica Ann Photography, who blew me away with a very unique talent she brings to her business! Erica, who has a degree in Studio Art from George Fox University, loves capturing the emotions of weddings and then turning them into a work of art.

Yes, Erica is a very talented photographer. But in addition to that, she is also a very talented artist. She has taken these two amazing gifts of hers and combined them to offer her bridal clients an absolutely extraordinary service (you will see what I mean in just a minute!!).

For her clients, Erica offers the option of turning a canvas print from their wedding into a true work of art. Erica will take the canvas print and then enhance the colors, textures and details with acrylic paint. Let me show you what I mean ...





This one, entitled Blush, is a canvas print with acylic enhancements. Is that not amazing??























Or how about this one, Content, which is also a canvas print with acrylic enhancements?...

Or how about this acylic painting of a photo, entitled Elegance?...

(Are you getting a feel yet for how good she is??)

This one, entitled Wander, is a photographic print with natural beeswax painted on top.






















And finally, Adore, another canvas print with acylic enhancements.

If you love Erica's works of art as much as I do, give her a call at 503-476-5059, or email her at ericaannphotography@gmail.com. She's amazing!

Fabric Boutonnieres and Corsages

Hi everyone! My name is Mikali. I am an intern for Becky, and I get the wonderful privilege to let you into a portion of my life.

As a college student, there are some silly things that you do with a houseful of girls. One of the things that we do is look through bridal magazines. My friend's sister got married last summer and had a bunch of magazines leftover, so when I got this internship it was time for me (and my whole house) to look at bridal magazines. In one of the magazines there was an article on how to make fabric boutonnieres and corsages.

For me this sounded like a lot of fun and something you can do to relax, or make on a rainy day. There are just as many variations of boutonnieres and corsages with fabric as there are with real floral, and they can be made in advance. They can be made to look like the real deal (like the blue one below I found on www.offbeatbride.com) while others can have a more quirky character to them like the ones above I found on http://elegantowl.blogspot.com.

You can use ribbon for a simple flower, or get a striped pattern fabric and gather it together to look like a real flower. Use a button in the center to add a more whimsical element to it. Another possible feature is to add a feather or two like in this fun creamsicle boutonniere I found on www.weddingsalon.com. You could also use a brightly colored peacock feather. If you want to get away from the traditional flowers, turn it into a mini-pinwheel, similar to the photo above. To add another twist, create the boutonnieres to fit the individuals. Really, the sky is the limit! Tap into your creativity and design away!

The Music of Your Life

Videography or no videography ... that is the question. And many brides end up opting for no videography simply because all they've ever seen falls into the "cheesy" category.

But WHAT IF I told you you could end up with a video that resembles more of a high-quality movie than the cheesy videos "Uncle Fred" likes to do? What if you had a video that caught all of those things you never want to forget about your wedding day ... along with all of those things you never had a chance to see and hear?

And what if, in addition to your vows and Aunt Frieda's giggle and your dad's teary-eyed toast, your wedding video caught even more than that?

What if the videographer was so skilled that he was able to set your video to just the right music that brought out all of those very real and raw emotions from your day?

You know what I'm talking about ... have you ever thought about how much emotion a simple song or melody is able to invoke? In a movie? In a worship service? In a slideshow? What would those same experiences be like without music? Would the movie/pictures/experiences themselves invoke that same level of emotion without the music?

The music of your life ...

How could you not want to capture all of those memories and intense emotions that a still photograph could never do on its own?

The trick then is in finding the right videographer, the one who you feel comfortable with, the one who "clicks", the one who has the "magic" needed to create something for you you will cherish forever.

Sound good?...

Then if I were you, I would contact Ryan at Focal Point Digital Media sooner rather than later. Yes, girls, he's THAT good.

...And so personable that one of my brides recently teased her fiance that he had a "man-crush" on him. (Sorry, Ryan, it was too good not to add!)

Brides, this is one decision you'll thank me for...