317-409-1801

May 2010

On 5/15/10, we photographed Chris & Jennifer’s beautiful wedding at Zionsville Fellowship and their reception at Ulen Country Club! They had so many gorgeous details like these hydrangea bouquets from Nana’s House Florist in Zionsville…

Purple shoes + bling = LOVE!!

Loved Jen’s dress details…

All hands on deck! 🙂

LOL!

The guys had really cool boutonnieres!

Check out this new trend!! Jennifer wore this beautiful dangled necklace piece down her back…then our bride from this past weekend did something similar too, I’m loving this new trend! 🙂

STUNNING!

Jennifer told us that she loved this shot that we’ve done with other brides…we aim to please! 🙂

Doesn’t she have beautiful eyes?! So pretty!!

Love this moment…

I thought it was cool that they incorporated some praise & worship music into their service! It’s nice to see a lot of personalization in wedding ceremonies these days!

Check out this AWESOME car that they had for their getaway!! 🙂

Bubbles!!!

Favorite! 🙂

We headed back in for a few more photos after their getaway…loved this one…

The wedding party looked hot in front of the car! 🙂 By the way, do you recognize two of the bridesmaids?? Yep, it’s Michelle and Carolyn!! Two of our past brides! Thanks for referring Jennifer & Chris to us! 🙂

Aren’t they adorably cute together?! I was loving the cool columns/entryway of their church…what a perfect spot for photos!

This car was just too cool…had to do a ring shot! 🙂

Love the details and chandeliers at Ulen!

Favorite shot of the day…ok, one of many…but this one is SO them! 🙂

I love how her rings fit perfectly inside of his for this shot! Look closely at the inside of her diamond, doesn’t it look like a heart within the square? 🙂

Melissa got this pic during the first dance…loved it!

LOL! Maria, you are so funny! Wait until you see the whole sequence of these shots…hilarious! 🙂

I hope you guys had a great time on your honeymoon last week!! Thanks for a fun time at your wedding, more pics coming SOON! 🙂

Most of you know John, my awesome online marketing guru husband, but some of you may not know that he owns InspireMedia, a web development company here in Indy that specializes in custom web design, branding, blog development, SEO, SEM, online reputation monitoring, email marketing, social media, etc, etc etc. He does it all! 🙂 He not only created this fabulous blog but you’ll also probably recognize the work that he’s done for FC Tucker, Beach Bum Vacation, Classic Cakes (new site coming soon), Shoot Fore Sammi, Meridian Floral Design & Events, A Touch of Elegance, Tyler Mason, Employment Source, among several others!

I often receive emails from other photographers and vendors asking about our marketing strategies and how they can implement similar principles, ideas and promotions into their businesses to help them grow, so I wanted to blog about some exciting new things that John & I are creating for business owners (in any industry) who are serious about growing their business and really taking it to the next level.

He & I are teaming up to develop a series of Marketing Intensive classes that will focus on various subjects within the broad spectrum of marketing. The first class will focus on “Creating an Online Marketing Plan that Works” and it’ll be held on Thursday, 6/3/10 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at my office. We’ve reserved the board room for the afternoon so we only have 10 seats available for the workshop! The cost is only $299 for this 3 hour event, however, if you register before this Sunday (5/24/10) the cost is only $249. John is also offering a freebie for the early bird registrations…you may choose to receive either a free website review of your existing site OR a free search engine optimization report! (Both valued at $99)

I am also offering a freebie for our early birds!! Since I will be there to give my input on some of his topics, I plan to bring my camera along and shoot free head shots for any business owner in attendance so that you’ll have a brand new, fully edited photo of yourself to put on any of the social media sites (facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, etc) or your website after the workshop! (And yes, when I say “fully edited” that means I’ll retouch any wrinkles & make you skinny if you’re worried about any of that!) 😉

For more information about our workshop, click HERE or to sign up for the event, click HERE!

  1. Do a trial run with your hair stylist & make-up artist before the wedding. Look through the make-up artist’s portfolio and really look at each image. Does the client’s skin look flawless? Are they shiny in photos? Is the make-up blended well? Do the brides in their portfolios look the way you want to look? If so, then you’ve probably found a great make-up artist for your wedding day make-up. Have them do your make-up before the wedding though so that you can see if you enjoy working with them and so that there are no unpleasant surprises. Some make-up artists include a trial run in their wedding day fee, others charge extra, but I think it’s an extra expense that is well worth it. (This goes for your wedding day hairstylist too) Peace of mind is everything when it comes to your wedding day!
  2. Find a make-up artist that specializes in airbrush make-up. Airbrush make-up is no longer reserved for the red carpet stars! Brides all over the country are seeking airbrush application because not only is it light weight make-up that makes the skin appear flawless, but it lasts much longer than traditional make-up and it helps avoid the forehead shine in your photos. Karen Hall & Company specializes in airbrush make-up in Indianapolis and travels all over the Midwest and beyond for weddings, contact her today for a consultation and trial run!
  3. Avoid red lipstick on the wedding day. Unless you are doing a very specific, themed look for your wedding (old Hollywood glam, for example) I always suggest that my brides avoid red lipstick, especially if they like the look of black and white photos. Not many people think about this, but the red pigments in the red lipstick will actually turn your lips black in black and white photography. Just another tip from a seasoned pro. 😉
  4. Hire a full-time professional photographer. Everyone is looking for ways to save money on their wedding nowadays, especially in our current economic climate, but fabulous photography is absolutely priceless. A professional photographer will guide you through the entire wedding process with ease, know what to expect on the wedding day, have back-up equipment on them, be able to handle all kinds of lighting situations, and know how to pose you to make you look your absolute best. Did you know that by turning your body at an angle and shifting your weight to your back foot while pointing your other foot forward, you can instantly lose 10-20 pounds through the camera? Yep, it’s true. A seasoned pro should be able to tell you these kinds of tricks and secrets so that you look AMAZING in your photos.
  5. Avoid salty foods at your rehearsal dinner. The night before your wedding is not the time to begin to feel like you’re retaining water! We all know how awful that feels so just remember to keep your salt intake low the night before the wedding so that your dress fits perfectly the next morning.
  6. Remember to eat breakfast and stay hydrated! So many brides forget to eat the morning of their wedding or they don’t stay hydrated throughout the day. Most people get pretty cranky when their blood sugar is low or they begin to feel dehydrated so don’t forget to take care of yourself. We always bring a small cooler of cold waters and some granola bars with us to take care of our brides and grooms in case they forget to eat or drink, I think it’s the small things that mean the most. 😉
  7. Bring a touch up kit with you on the wedding day. We always suggest that our clients include powder, lipstick, lip gloss, a comb and a mini can of hairspray in their touch-up kit or purse. Have your maid of honor be in charge of keeping it nearby in case you need a quick touch-up after the ceremony.
  8. Wear comfortable shoes! I can’t tell you how many of our clients have been overly appreciative of the extra slippers that we include in our emergency kit once they realize that their shoes are killing their feet half way through photos. Make sure you wear your wedding day shoes around the house to break them in, and don’t forget to put grippy steps on the bottom of your shoes so that you don’t slip and fall down the aisle. Some brides opt to bring a second pair of shoes (or slippers, flip flops, etc) to the reception so that they can change their shoes after the grand entrance into the reception, which I think is a great idea!
  9. Have someone carry your garter for you. Most of the garters that we’ve seen are really tight and totally uncomfortable. Put it on your leg for a photo during the getting ready process and then give it to a trusted friend (or put it in your purse/touch-up kit) to carry with you throughout the day, and then put it on right before the garter toss at the reception. That way you aren’t uncomfortable all day long.
  10. Smile and have a good time! Laugh and let loose in front of the camera…just be yourself and show off that wonderful love that you have for each other. The happiness and affection will show through in the photos that you’ll treasure for a lifetime!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that if you are interested in booking a summer portrait shoot with us for a weekend date (Sunday is the most popular day) we are now totally booked for every weekend in June, we have 1 Sunday opening in July and we’re booking into August now for portrait shoots. If you’re interested in a mid-week shoot, we still have some openings but if you work during the week and need a weekend day, don’t delay, book your shoot ASAP before all of our openings are gone! 😉

Last week, we photographed the Parties in Bloom tent at Orchard in Bloom for our wonderful friend Jamee Bryant! Each exhibitor had a themed table and hers was a firefighter themed table as you can see! Isn’t it awesome!? 🙂

She specializes in amazing event themes and decor, check her out!!

So cute! 🙂

While I was there, I noticed that a LOT of my wedding and event industry friends had booths set up too so I went ahead and took pics for everyone! 🙂 Here are some fun booths that caught my eye…the Hawaii Five-O theme from Annie-O’s! Perfect for a 50th Birthday party event!

I LOVE orchids!! Meredith & Erika from Posh Petals did a fabulous job on this centerpiece! WOW

Scott Evans from Evans A/V provided the green lighting and although I was there when it was super bright outside, I can only imagine how awesome it looked at night! 🙂 The props and decor were provided by the Impact Group and the tables, chairs, dishes and tents were provided by A Classic Party Rental. The linens were provided by BBJ Linen.

Tiffany from SweeTies Gourmet Treats provided the individual cakes for each place setting, which perfectly matched the overall theme. We even stopped by her new shop in Broadripple that night for dessert and I have to say, it was so yummy!! 🙂

This next table was designed by Premier Events and the colors were right up my alley! 😉

Palmer-Kelley Designs did a fantastic job on these centerpieces!!

I’ve always had a love obsession with chiavari chairs!!

Ilene from Classic Cakes provided this adorable individual cake for the table, isn’t it beautiful?!

Loved the ornate floral details!!

Palm Court Design was also in the Parties in Bloom tent!

They showcased an English tea-looking exhibit with fresh cut roses coming out of tea pots and all kinds of neat decor!

They hung jars of flowers from branches overhead…

And the detail work was phenomenal!

After I finished at the Parties tent, I walked next door to the Weddings in Bloom tent, just to see what was there and I found all kinds of neat booths set up! Kim King-Smith did a great job on this nautical themed table!!

A Bride’s Choice Florist provided the flowers for this fun Girls Night Out themed table…and of course my friends Erika Gregory and Jamee Bryant provided the tabletop decor and accessories…and A Classic provided the rentals!

This neat set up was designed by Annie-O’s and Posh Petals with the linens were provided by BBJ and rentals by A Classic! I loved the centerpiece vases, aren’t they unique? 🙂

Whew! I think I’ve credited everyone whose names I saw on the tables but if I’ve missed you somehow, please email me and let me know! I like to give credit where credit is due! 😉 Congrats to everyone who participated in Orchard in Bloom, you were ALL AMAZING!!