Leah is so gorgeous! I can't tell you how blessed we are to have the opportunity to capture her...in paint. For the longest time I have wanted to do a painted trash the dress session and it finally happened. Here is a sneak peek of the big day!

When the clock hits 2 it's time to start thinking about crawling into bed. It normally takes me about 20 minutes to finally pull the covers over my shoulders. On some nights I'll open up my lap top to start exploring all the delicious goods on Etsy. If you haven't heard of it, it's the very best place to find all things for weddings, decorating your home or just decorating yourself. It's amazing. I started to search for hairpieces. I just think they are one of the most simple things that a bride can do to make her look distinctly special on her wedding day. I love some of the creative designs that we have seen over the years. Here are a few that I found on Etsy last night. Sorry...I didn't get the exact company names of those who made them.

I pull the blankets high over my shoulders because we keep the house pretty cold. I open my lap top and prepare myself for a long night of searching. I have my regular topics like 'hair pieces,' 'necklaces', or 'irish.' Everything in our home is decked out in green shamrocks and Ireland flags. My husband has quite a love for all things Irish which means that I do to. So when I found Etsy.com I knew I would be hooked. Etsy offers all homemade items that are gorgeous. Items you would never find on your own. If you are designing a totally unique wedding then you should check out Etsy. They offer great prices too!

These images are not mine, but just some items that I really loved.











Portland Oregon Wedding Photoghers

We get asked all the time..."what do you need us to do so you get really good pictures?" We don't NEED you to do anything, but there are a few things that you can do to make things easier for us. While shooting Jocelyn and Mike's wedding last weekend, I was thinking about this question. Maybe I should start sharing examples of our "dream" setting. You know, things we like along the way.
Well, it just so happened that one of our "tips" that we have on our wish list. (You can see our wish list HERE.) Is good lighting. That may mean window light that pours into the windows and gently casts a glow upon our bride and groom. BUT, that can also mean cool lighting. As soon as the blue, teal and purple lights were turned on Jocelyn came running over to me. "I like the lights, but if they start to mess up the pictures make sure you turn them off. I don't want to sacrifice good pics for lighting." First off, I love that she was so blunt with us!!! So good! Second, the lighting was great. Anytime, you can cast colored lights up against the walls makes for great reception pics. It makes things so fun and colorful.

Here are a few shots that show off the lights. You know....samples.

You don't have much time left to win our Cold Stone Creamery Gift Card. We are giving away $10 in creamy goodness to say thank you to our beloved readers. So sign up to follow my blog...and Eddie's too to have a chance to win. You won't get emails from us or anything crazy like that. It just makes it a bit easier to find us when you are looking for us.

All you have to do is click on the "follow button" and use your google or yahoo account. Don't have one?....look at the bottom of that page and click on "create a google account." You can use any email account you want. You are basically making a login...not enrolling for a new email account.
** Sign up to follow Eddie and my blog and get two entries in the drawing.**

Eddie's Blog

Good luck!

This isn't a new idea, but it's one that I love! When planning your wedding day attire you should consider finding thee perfect shoe for you. Find something that tells a story.
When I grab the wedding shoe box and put it under my arm I begin to think about all the great places that I can shoot the all important shoes. When I slide the lid off and find a gorgeous pair of chartreuse heels or bright blue cons...I get so excited. I love shoes that tell a story of the person that wears them. Although, ivory colored stilettos are wonderful, it's the bright green ones that really get me pumped. Or maybe some bright red heels with hearts on the sole. Uh, it's so good!

So when you are finding those perfect shoes find ones that really fit you. Physically and soulfully.

What is it about sugar that makes me crave it every evening around 9 o'clock. I think it might have an addictive substance in it that makes you crave it daily. And it's working. Since I was little I have been interested in all things sweet. Before we started our photography business I used to make wedding cakes. My mom is also starting a cheesecake business that specializes in weddings and events. Oh and my sister in law is a master pastry chef. So I can easily say that sugar runs in my family. So...when I laid eyes on Jessie and Brandon's wedding cake I got excited. Sure...it didn't have a 4 layers, intricate piping, and all the fondant details, but it was gorgeous. She had looked for months for a baker who would do sugar crystals. They all could of course, but they insisted on using fondant...which is an acquired taste for most. So, when she finally called Whole Foods and found out that they could do a buttercream frosting with sugar crystals it was all set. The cake was gorgeous and tasted amazing! It looked as though the cake was made of diamonds! So...if you want to do something a little different try sugar crystals. Ask your local Whole Foods store or you can contact Linda at the Bellevue, WA location (she comes highly recommended!)

Here's an idea that you might not find in a bridal magazine or on the bridal websites. It's a guest book that is a little different, completely personal, and just the perfect art piece. Derek McClenahan designed this guest book tree for his very good friends as a wedding gift. Guests left a thumb print and wrote a personal message around the mat. It was so amazing and such a great idea.

So I challenge you to rethink the typical guest book. Do you know someone who is an artist? Use your creativity and make something that will be a piece of art.

I've said it before. A wedding photographer could easily drop their cameras and become a wedding planner. Not to say that what a wedding planner does isn't outrageously important. It's just that we spend time with every vendor and know stinks and who totally rocks. We visit every location under the planet and know which ones yield to great pictures and romantic settings. We see every idea imaginable and know exactly what you can do to make your party die. We spend every moment with the bridal party so we hear who stinks at their jobs, who forgot to turn on the A/C and who forgot to bring the correct flowers. We here it all and record it all. Eddie and I were discussing that we should start adding tips and great ideas to our blog as we come across them. We both giggled at the idea knowing that we always have high hopes for our blogs and then they never come to fruition.
So, here is a cute idea...if it's your kind of thing. Alison + Chris provided koozies for everyone of their guests. I like that they provided something personal and something that will last a long time. I always thought that wedding gifts should be something that people will continue to look at for years to come as a thank you for being a part of their lives. So, I challenge you to find something for your wedding that is completely you, completely personal and something that can actually be used or treasured for a long time.

I can't possibly take this amazing idea as my own. While shooting engagements of Krisha + Troy we started to discuss the wedding and where they might go for their honeymoon. Suddenly Krisha's eyes lit up and she started to tell me all about Honeymoon Wishes. An amazing website where they help you set up a gift registry for a honeymoon instead of the home goodies that you might already have. The beautiful part is that you can completely customize your honeymoon plans AND your guests can buy activities for you. Going to Hawaii? Well your Aunt Ruth might just want to make sure you go snorkeling...so it's on her. So amazing! Krisha mentioned that she was going to take pictures of each activity that they are doing so they can send personal thank you to each guest. So brilliant!

For more information visit www.HoneymoonWishes.com and get registered!

It's the first look. That very first peek at the person that you are about to marry. It's a time to be alone to share your excitement for this huge step in your lives. And it's one of my most favorite moments to capture. I love the emotion that can come from that split second look.
We understand that a you might like the idea of seeing each for the first time while walking down the aisle, but we always recommend doing a first look instead. Why? One...it saves you so much time to be able to do photos prior to the wedding that it relieves tons of stress and allows you to relax and have fun with the photos instead of feeling panicked. Two...the first look is so much more intimate than seeing each other in front of a large crowd. When it's just the two of you it's an intimate moment where you can whisper in her ear just how gorgeous she is or kiss him on the cheek and tell him how excited you are to marry him. When you are at the alter you can't talked to each other, you are separated and dying to just be together. It's all about how you envision seeing your fiance for the first time. It's something you should talk about together and way the options. You may still choose to see each other at the altar and that's okay. Either way, it's a huge part of your wedding day and it doesn't hurt to get a few opinions to help you out.

We captured Marie + Greg's wedding a short while ago and loved the first look photos we captured. The lighting was amazing and I am so thankful that we had this time to quietly capture them together. More pictures to come!

I'll be the first one to admit that I get a little bit more than excited about the latest things in photography. I have spent my whole life trying to be cool and all at once throw it out the window as soon as I mention my geeking ideas. I have to admit that it is totally worth it though.
What am I all amped up about now? It's pretty simple, but really stinkin' fun. Personal websites for engaged couples, seniors, events and birthdays. Basically I can use my creativity to design a website for all of our clients. I know, I know...the Knot and other companies already do them for free. Ours are free too, but ours can be designed to fit your exact style and have engagement, wedding pictures and links to your galleries for family and friends to view. So they have a lot more to offer than a regular site which means we can offer more.
These sites are basically a mega site with cute personal touches. We are so excited to get started on this new addition to our business. We will post an update with our first site launched.

Here is a photo from Tara + Jon's wedding, enjoy!

We get asked all the time, "Is it really worth doing?" Because we feel so strongly about the topic, I decided that I would address the issue of the first look.
Eddie and I opted to see each other prior to the ceremony. This moment was super important to us, so we decided to do something special. First, we told everyone to get lost so that we could see each other for the first time all by ourselves. There we sat next to the lake for almost 10 minutes just looking at each other, praying and absorbing what was about to happen. We didn't know that we were doing something that photographers call the "first look." It's brilliant. Instead of experiencing this special moment in front of all your guests where you can't hug or share words you can do it in a totally private way.
From a photographers point of view, we love that we can capture your emotions with out a ton of people in the way and most of all it helps with time. If you opt to see each other prior to the ceremony you can do all your pictures before too. That means that you have a lot of time, no stress and you get all the pictures that you want. One hour after the ceremony is no enough time. It can be done, but it's very rushed and you tend to miss out on photos.
If you have questions, feel free to ask us? WE love talking about it....we are pretty passionate about these kind of things!

If you are anything like me then you for sure get excited about wedding websites. I get a little gitty which drives Eddie crazy as I constantly say, "ooh, look at this one." I think he has had his fill of vintage centerpieces and feather boutonnieres. But, I would at least like to share some blogs that I recently found that have THEE most adorable designs. It's amazing to see what other creative people are doing.
Have Fun!!!

BridesLittleWhiteBook.Blogspot.com
ILoveLolliBlog.com
MyDIYWedding.com

These days everyone is into photography. Since everything switched from 35mm to digital the world of snapping photos has gotten a lot easier. I don't think we have ever been to a wedding where there wasn't at least one person who approached us and asked us about our equipment or for some kind of advice. In fact we once encountered over 20 people taking pictures with their little point and shoots as we were doing photos with the bridal party. It was a full blown ontourage. It cracks me up to be honest. So I thought I would share a couple books that would be great for those who are just getting started in photography. I wish I had these little tokens of knowledge when I was getting started. Instead I wasted countless rolls of film and millions of dollars worth the processing of those photos. The process was totally worth it though I wouldn't mind getting the money back.
Anyway, I have decided to let you in on a little secret. I recently came across some books that are like gold for anyone starting out. Scott Kelby, the author is a genius. He is a photographer/writer who understands that all the lingo jingo of photography can be a bit hard to understand. So, he decided to write a series of books that takes away all the extra "stuff" and just gets to the point. He has several books that cover everything from camera information to Photoshop help. He also has a blog for all things photo.

Scott Kelby's Blog

BY THE WAY....if you have a question and would love a quick answer don't hesitate to ask us. We LOVE to help!!!

Wedding planners get paid the big bucks to know the smallest details of your wedding. The who's who, the time line and all the nitting gritty of the big day. In so many ways we have to be that involved in the wedding day too. By the end of the wedding we could name every person in the family, their relationships and who gets along with who. We hear all the details about the relationship, the wedding planning and who really stressed out the bride months before. We know everything! We often have an inside scoop that no one else has. Eddie and I spend the entire day in a bridal suite/ groom's room with those who are directly involved. We hear the gossip, chaos, and stories that everyone misses. Why are we telling you this. Two reasons.
One: If you are looking for a photographer make sure that you sit down and talk over a cup of joe before you sign a contract. You want to make sure that they could be a friend of yours. This person is going to be all up in your business. You need to like them.
Two: Because we are so involved in the wedding day process we see it all. Which means that we are a wealth of information for new brides. We have a 12 Tips page that helps a bride to plan for a wedding that will be sure to yield great pictures. If you haven't read it then I would highly recommend it. And now we are adding a 13th Tip.

Tip #13: Beautify Yourself for Pictures...
Women spend hours prepping themselves for the wedding. They want to look gorgeous for the big day....but what about while getting ready. In a typical morning I will shoot 1,000s of pictures and most of them are photos of women without their makeup on. I know scary right? You can imagine the threats get from moms, "you better not take any pictures of me until my makeups done!" I would recommend planning to have your makeup artist arrive before your hair stylist to ensure that everyone has their faces all done up. People just photograph better with makeup on...it's that simple. So, I could then shoot away as the stylist does the hair, as every helps the bride and they laugh together on the couch without any threats. I think everyone involved would appreciate it as well. It's just another way to make sure that you are looking your best at all times.



The gal who did the makeup in this photo was amazing. I have worked with her twice now and both times she did gorgeous job. She does a consulation and then sketches out the makeup design so it will be just as it was practiced. Very smart!!! I will definitely be adding her to our preferred vendors page.

Karen Johnson of Hidden Beauty
411 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy
Troutdale, OR 97060
503.888.3627
Johnson.Karen18@Yahoo.com

Getting your picture taken by a professional isn't a natural process for most considering that every other picture of them has their mouth wide open and eyes all a squint. As I have said before there is a reason that Eddie and I take the pictures. As much as I like to pretend that we are models we just don't photograph well. If I was being really honest I would change that last statement to I am not photogenic. Eddie is a dream...gorgeous skin, killer smile the list goes on and on. I know my downfalls so I resort to the very best distraction there is. Crazy scarfs, hats, jackets, socks...whatever might take the focus off me. Eddie loves it when I get all dorked out and finds that it's the perfect time to capture an image. Oi, if only you can see some of these shots.

Yes, I will admit that I love my dog. I use her as my model and the shots always turn out hilarious. I know I am a dork! But, the scarf really does make the picture that much better, right?

I have a secret. Luckily it's one that I want to share with everyone I know. It's actually a book recommendation. Because of the nature of our business we are blessed with an opportunity to hear about our couples relationships and how they kindled into an engagement and inevitably a wedding. I get attached so attached to the couples that we work with and I always want them to have the best. I get so excited for their next adventures, their trials, and I worry for them when there is nothing to worry about. I know I am lame right? So, I guess I am putting on my mothering hat when I recommend this book.
Eddie and I read it last year just after we got married and couldn't believe the wealth of information it offered on marriage. In a very small nutshell not worthy of the book... it's about Love and Respect. That's it. Love and respect is the exact ingredients needed to have a happy marriage. The concept is so simple, but you will find that the insight in the book goes beyond our everyday understandings. The book is amazing! Eddie and I vowed to read it once a year to keep a clear perspective on our relationship. It's one of those things you can do to immune your relationship from crazy fights. If I had my wish I would go ahead and book all our couples for their 10th, 25th and 50th year anniversary photo shoots. So I hope this book will help set a strong foundation for you marriage too!

Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

I think every bride desperately wants to create a celebration that is so beautifully unique that it can grace the pages of Weddings Magazine. Am I right? And why wouldn't you. Your love is unique so why should it be celebrated with everyone you love as though it's an everyday affair.
I recently came across this blog that focuses on finding the best ideas from across the nation to help brides find their own unique style. What a resource. I love checking the blog to see what amazing ideas have popped up next. Things I wish I had seen while planning our own wedding. Ladies check it out, enjoy it, and have a blast planning your special wedding.

GreenWeddingShoes

Being a wedding photographer has to be one of the finest jobs on the planet. As you have heard it's the best day of the bride and groom's life. So it has to be a beautiful thing right? We think so. We get to spend an amazing day with a couple who are madly in love. We get to experience that love, document it, and are honored with the privilege of telling that specific story.
Here are some nitty gritty details that will help you plan your wedding day schedule which gives us the opportunities to really get creative with your story. The more you understand our role the more you will understand what we need from you. While any professional photographer should be able to handle almost any situation there are a lot of things that can that shape the photographers day. Most of them deal with the schedule so listen up.

When should we start taking pictures?
Gosh, how can I say this? I'll just be honest and say that choosing to take pictures prior to the ceremony is one of the best decisions you can make on your wedding day...besides saying I Do of course. We would love to have 1 hour or more with our bride & groom, 1/2 hour with bridal party and a 1/2 hour to hour for family photos. Just imagine trying to fit that all in during cocktail hour. Oh, that could be trouble. So, the answer to that questions really depends on how important your photos are to you.

Do you think it's a good idea to see each other prior to the wedding?
The first time you see each other is sure to be an gorgeous moment no matter when you do it. As a photographer we are always partial to taking pictures before hand so let us suggest a great solution. Imagine a private setting where you can walk up to your future husband and whirl him around to get a glance at you. You have time to be together without 100's of people watching. you can take time to talk privately, read a letter from each other, say a prayer...whatever fits the moment. Eddie and I did this and it was by far the best part of our wedding. Just the two of us, soaking up the environment, the magic, and just being together. If it works for you it's a great solution. It's also a beautiful way to document the moment. Both Eddie and I can find a spot to get both of your reactions without a lot of people in the background.

Our shot list...
If you want to be really efficient with your timing you can always use our shot list. If you don't have one...we can get you one. They are great. We know exactly what you want and we can get it done fast.

We want to ensure that we have lots of time for pictures of me and my fiance...what should we do?
We can suggest a few things. Plan your photo shoot for the hour or so before sunset. The lighting will be just perfect. If you can't do that give some time when it works best for you either before or after the ceremony and then plan to escape from the reception to take more photos during that magic hour before sunset. Also, think about your location and what it has to offer. If you really want to get the most out of our artistic talent think about trying a few different locations. This will take extra time, but you will get hundreds of shots instead of handful that will come with a 20 minute shoot.

That's all we can suggest. Time. Give abundantly and we will reward you for sure!