Category

Extras

paper products

By | Extras | 3 Comments

first of all, i’m sorry i’ve been so absent on my own blog lately! our new camera gadgets arrived this week and we’ve been working hard to incorporate their effects into our style. we’ve also been speed-editing sally’s bridal portraits so she can go ahead and order some prints for her big day! i’m sure you noticed that you didn’t see any lovely images on our blog from that session, we didn’t want to ruin it, sorry andrew ;) !! on top of everything has been the excitement of gearing up for our first wedding of the season this weekend in myrtle beach! we can’t wait to share some images with you guys soon!

speaking of images, this week we received one of the most personalized and creative wedding invitations i’ve seen. brides, take note: invitations give your guests the first glimpse into your wedding day. think ahead about what tone you want to set for your big day and attack invitations from that angle! our friends claire and philippe created such a fun and personal vibe for their wedding day by creating invitations as unique as they are! these two are pure french through and through, though recently moved to the u.s. for philippe to teach and research at georgia tech. their wedding will be with their families in france, but they kindly took into account all of the out.of.towners, you’ll see! the portfolio style envelope created a natural canvas for their adorable personalized stamp (a pic we took!) which created a great teaser for their matching invitations inside. Their first insert, a save the date-like card with photo-booth style pictures (taken by us, yup), creates a relaxed and fun feel for their day. the second insert is three full pages front and back of their favorite places around their wedding venue. simple and clever titles top the pages like, ‘the sleep’ (bed and breakfasts, and hotels) and ‘the mmmmm’ (which includes local wine and cheese cafes, mmmmm is right!). overall, i’m in love with this invitation and because we had to turn down photographing their big day (we’re booked, sadly) i feel like i’m missing the party of the century, all thanks to these unique, personal invitations:

0424039.jpg

0427040.jpg

best wishes you guys!

another exciting thing happened, we got our new business cards! check ’em out:

0440041.jpg

0445042.jpg

so today was all about paper products i guess. check back for some fun wedding pics soon!

photography and taxes

By | Extras | 3 Comments

kate and i have always talked and dreamed of running our own business- before we were even dating i remember having conversations in school about ‘doing our own thing’. of course we had no idea at the time that we would end up married to each other, let alone married and owning a business together! needless to say, we are so pumped!!!

but, what we’re not as excited about is the ‘businessy’ part of it: incorporating, sales tax, forms, etc. it really is just so much research and even then, who knows if what we find online is really what’s best for our specific business?- it’s rough… all this to say, we’re having our first meeting with a cpa this afternoon, yes!!! it is going to be awesome because i’m interested in financial stuff, but we just don’t have the time to do it all ourselves. i think its already started relieving stress just knowing that we’re meeting with him today, i can’t wait.

also another reason we’re starting to work with a cpa is because yes, we could take all the time to figure this out ourselves, but why? we are in business to photograph weddings not to file paperwork and constantly check the most recent tax laws. we’ve decided that our time is best spent doing what we’re best at- photography!

maybe this will open up more time to do some of the things we’ve been really wanting to do. recently, we’ve been brainstorming a ton, and we have a bunch of ideas! one thing we want to do is make a video of one of our shoots to give you guys an idea of what we normally do- nothing fancy, just a little documentary, but like i said, we’re still brainstorming. for now, here is a link to a video that we did for fun a couple years ago, enjoy!

diy goodness!

By | Extras | 2 Comments

i promised a treat for all you do-it-yourself brides out there, and here it is! we’ve been excited lately to be talking with ami and rebekah of elizabeth anne designs (ead). ami elizabeth and rebekah anne are creative professionals, offering custom stationary design, inspiration consulting, and diy project guidance and assistance. they also they write a lovely blog full of great ideas! sounds like a dream job, doesn’t it? this being said, i am delighted to be able to share with you a little bit of ead’s creative genius:

kate: can any bride be a diy bride?
ead: Yes, anyone can incorporate diy elements into their weddings. simple items such as packaging favors are easy and enjoyable projects for brides to undertake. however, those that don’t already have high quality adhesive on hand are not likely to find themselves all of a sudden acquiring advanced stationery creation skills. as a bride, be sure that before you undertake a diy project, you believe you can do it as well as (but cheaper than) a professional.

turquoisegray.jpg

kate: in the overwhelming world of weddings, how does a bride find her style?
ead: a bride finds her style by peeling away the layers of what people expect and want for her. and finding what she truly loves. inspiration can be found in a favorite color, dress, shoes or couch. It can be found outside or inside. a wedding can be planned around something she finds in a magazine. the best advice we can give is to read, read, read, and research. the more she sees, the more cogently she can describe her vision.

yellow.jpg

kate: what are some simple ways you recommend to personalize a wedding?
ead: the first way to personalize your wedding is by choosing things to incorporate that matter to you. things that aren’t just “wedding” material. and if you truly love something, use it. don’t let people tell you that it’s not “done.” so what! it can be done by you. secondly, choose one important element of the wedding and do it *very* well. people will remember the extra flourish that was put into your first dance, or the cake, or the wine pairings.

prettypink.jpg

kate: what do you advise even a diy bride to leave to professional vendors?
ead: leave set up and take down to your vendors. don’t ask family members to do this. you’ll miss out on those great moments before a wedding. photography is the only thing you take away from the day, please don’t have a friend-of-a-friend step in for this duty. choose a reputable, experienced professional who will provide you with shots you will treasure for the rest of your life.

champagne.jpg

kate: any other amazing tips you’d like to share with our readers?
ead:
*realize the limitations of your space or budget. work creatively within those to plan your perfect day. explore every alternative before making your decisions – not only will it give you peace of mind but you’ll feel as if you executed your day to the best of your ability.

*put together an inspiration board to guide the overall feel of your event. if an idea you are considering doesn’t fit in with the pictures on your board, don’t use it. this will help you to maintain a sense of cohesiveness. your invitations or save the dates are the first items that your guests see – they truly set the tone for the wedding. don’t skimp here!

*if you can at all afford it, use a piece of your budget for a day of coordinator. you won’t regret having an extra pair of hands around and it will allow you, your parents, and your bridesmaids to sit back, relax, and enjoy the day.

~
thanks so much elizabeth anne designs for your inspiration! brides, you can do it!!

*all images are ‘inspiration boards’ by elizabeth anne designs!

please check out their blog for an interview with us!!