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...

New Reception Trend

Are you one of today's brides who wants to forego the feel of a formal reception and instead dreams of a reception that looks beautiful, elegant & romantic, but has the feel of being fun, upbeat and casual? If so, count yourself in the majority! My clients are seeming to follow this new trend in weddings. Brides are looking for a way to offer their guests a fun celebration that includes more than just dancing.

In our area, there is one DJ who can deliver the whole package ... dancing, games (a multitude of choices!) ... anything to keep your guests entertained in an interactive fashion. Shawn from Event Team Entertainment can deliver it all!

Don't be afraid to think outside the box ... your guests will have a great time that won't soon be forgotten.

The Photography Puzzle

Let's face it, choosing a photographer for your wedding can be a very daunting task. There are sooo many out there; how in the world do you narrow it down to "the one"?

Once you've gotten referrals from those you trust most (your Wedding Planner, your family, your friends), the next step is to take a look at each photographer's style of photography. Which style most resonates with you & your fiance? Which pictures strike you, and why? Whose style seems to fit best with the vision you have for your wedding?

The next step is to take a look at your budget and compare it to the packages offered by each of your favorite photographers. Who fits best within your budget? If you have one all-time favorite photographer and you can't afford their top packages, consider one of their lower packages where you end up with all of the images on DVD so you can print the individual photos later as you are able.

Finally, it's important to meet with your photographer ... you are entrusting the future memories of your wedding to this person. You want to know that they understand your vision, that they "click" with you personality-wise, that you have good rapport. There may be (and are!) many, many amazing photographers out there ... but possibly only one who is the "right one" for you! Often you can judge a lot about the personality of a photographer by their blogs ... are they fun, are they serious, what do they love?...

I am lucky to call many of the "best of the best" photographers my friend; but these amazing photos from my own wedding were taken by my friend Jenny of Jenny Hill Photography. If you don't yet have a photographer, check her out!

And tell her I sent you ... :)

Holiday Cards!

We all love getting fun holiday cards from our friends & family. And let's face it -- us brides are eager this year to send out our own cards with some of our fun engagement and/or wedding photos. So which place am I using this year? Shutterfly!

There are a million and one places to get holiday greeting cards done, so why Shutterfly? It's fairly simple ... I have used Shutterfly in the past and trust the quality of cards, photos and photo books they produce with my personal pictures.

But let's be honest ... the fact of the matter is that they have AMAZING cards to choose from! Seriously, people. You need to see it to believe it ... go check out their selection of Christmas cards while you still have time!

Already have your Christmas cards printed & mailed? Take advantage of some of the other things you can do with your wedding photos on Shutterfly ... check out their photo gifts section where you can create a keepsake box, an ornament, or some fun playing cards.

OR, and how cool is this? ... go create your own canvas art for your new home together!

That's the fun thing about your wedding photos ... they look gorgeous in that amazing coffee table album your photographer creates for you AND they can be used for all kinds of other fun things.

Memories live on forever through pictures ... that's why I love my photographer friends so very much!

Yo-Yo of Emotions

Planning a wedding? Let me assure you, bride to bride, that at some point in the planning process you will be the bride in this picture.

Sorry ... that's not exactly the kind of "assurance" you were looking for, is it? It's simply hit me anew that as a Wedding Planner, I am always somewhat "immune" from the emotional part of the planning that my brides experience. However, as the bride myself right now, those emotions have hit me in the past few weeks like a freight train I didn't see coming.

There's no getting around it ... whether it be family members who question who did & didn't make your guest list; or someone questioning the details of your planning, or the location of your venues; or a disagreement with your fiance on a part of the wedding; or financial stresses; or .... you get what I'm saying ... the list is infinite in its possibilities.

Here's what you need to do ... take a deep breath, surround yourself with your best "cheerleaders", use your Wedding Planner as a buffer/mediator/counselor/temporary bff, go do something fun that has nothing to do with your wedding, and, most importantly, stop and remember why you're doing all of this ... you're head over heels in love with that man standing next to you, and soon you're going to pledge to live the rest of your lives together. How awesome is that??!!

It's all in perspective. Those people driving you crazy?... they really, honestly do love you. Those guests who never RSVP'ed?... it wasn't personal; chalk it up to the reality of living in a busy culture. The financial strains?... take a step back and see if there is a place to cut back. "Understated" does not have to equal "embarrassing" or "boring"... there are so many ways to get creative that cost little or no money.

And that, my friend, is what I will be showing you this week!