{Announcements} 2011 Wedding Dates

Happy Monday after Christmas!


If you received something sparkly, a hearty congrats is in order. :)

We'll be at a few bridal shows over the course of the next month or so, so stay tuned here on the blog for dates/updates.

One thing I wanted to chat a bit about, though, is the wedding planning process.

You might have your heart set on a specific location for your wedding or reception. And when you find an open date around the time you think you want, it's really easy (and more than tempting) to snap it up pronto. Believe me, I know. Mike knows. We both went through the wedding planning process.

I want to share with you a little story about one of our 2011 brides, Jillian.


Before Drew proposed to Jillian, Jillian's mom had quietly talked with me about wedding photography. Just getting some details and a broad scope of what to expect.

A few weeks after they got engaged, Jillian called me up and wanted to talk about dates. This is SMART, SMART, SMART. Jillian had an idea of the date she wanted, but also knew she wanted a specific photographer (us) for her wedding. So before signing a contract with a reception location or locking in her ceremony location, she checked with us.

It's a really good thing she did, because I have a previous commitment on her No. 1 date choice. But because photography was a priority, Jillian and I talked about some dates in the general month she wanted to get married and were able to find a date that worked for she and Drew, as well as the ceremony location, the reception location and for her favorite photographers.

Your big priority might be the ceremony location, a killer reception venue, or a slammin' DJ ... that's way cool. Just take it from us: be sure to check with your No. 1 choice, especially if they are only able to take one event per day (i.e. photographers, DJs and some reception venues).

I will close with this: Our calendar is filling up QUICKLY.

We are completely booked for May and June 2011.

If you would like to talk with us about other open dates, please feel free to CONTACT US VIA OUR WEB SITE ASAP!!!!!!

{McPherson Wedding Photography} Lindsey + Shiloh sneak peek

Karen and I wrapped up our 2010 wedding season with a phenominal wedding this past weekend in McPherson. This is the lovely bride, Lindsey. Isn't she just stunning?


We have to give some mad props to the couple for being so willing to brave the elements. While it looks warm and sunny in this photo, it wasn't! We didn't get any precipitation but the north winds were howling. And their getaway car - an antique Mercury Comet - didn't have a working heater!


If nothing else, the cold temps gave the cute couple a reason to cuddle, which I don't think they minded one bit.


If there was one good thing about the wind, it helped to showcase Lindsey's cathedral veil. Not to fear, her brother, Cody, was holding the end of it just off-camera to ensure that it didn't fly away!


Because we knew the weather wouldn't be ideal, Karen and I scouted a couple of indoor locations, too. We spent a good amount of time at the McPherson Museum (see the lead image of Lindsey) where there was a beautiful window seat at a staircase landing. It made the perfect spot for a perfect portrait.


Not only was this wedding full of great portraits but also great moments, too! Here, Lindsey gets a special hug from her mother after dressing in the church's East Room. And it wouldn't be a December wedding without a Christmas tree nearby. We'll talk more about that in another post.


The ceremony was full of moments, too. I like a pastor who uses a bit of humor during a wedding. Check back in a few days for a few more great images from Lindsey + Shiloh's wedding.

{Products} Brag Book IV

I just couldn't resist showing off this 8x8 brag book! It's adorable. :)


And while I will remind everyone our Christmas Ordering Deadline has passed, if you wish to order anything, you should have it shortly after the first of the year.

{Kingman Wedding Photography} Caty + Tyler's Slideshow

Caty + Tyler, you'll be glad to know that we've put the final touches on your wedding day slide show! You can CLICK HERE to see it.

Thanks, again, for inviting us to be a part of your wedding. Seeing the bridesmaids wrestle each other to the floor during the bouquet toss will definitely be a highlight of our 2010 wedding season. :)

{Wedding Album Design} Andrea + Larry

As former photojournalists, Mike and I love a good story. When we spied Larry in cahoots with one of the bridesmaids during their wedding rehearsal, we went to see what was going on. And our nosing in worked!

We found out Larry was going to sing a special song for Andrea. But Andrea knew nothing about the song. It was a complete surprise. So we found out when he'd be breaking into song, and figured out the best locations to be .... and really nailed Andrea's shocked reaction! :) (Yes, Andrea. We confess, we knew. But because we wanted it to be a complete surprise, we didn't breathe a word. Hope you won't hold it against us!).

To view their spectacular, 100-page wedding album design, please CLICK HERE.

{Salina Business Photography} Thiessen-Elise Salon

Since securing a meeting/consult space in downtown Salina, I've been meeting my new neighbors. Amber and John run Thiessen-Elise Salon in my building and asked me if I'd take some updated headshots of their staff.


Amber's got killer eyes!


*LOVE* these photos. Krista (left) and John (right).

If you stop in late this week, I suspect they'll have them displayed! :)

Products galore!!!!

The blog is certainly getting product-heavy right about now. This is because our clients have placed their orders ahead of our Christmas ordering deadline (which is TODAY).

There have been some beautiful products come in. Mini Accordion Books, Brag Books, Canvas Gallery Wraps, Canvas Float Wraps, Christmas Cards. Seriously .... it's been an EXPLOSION around here! :)

Instead of boring you with products as they come in over the next month, I wanted to share a link to our product gallery on our Facebook Fan Page.

As a member of Greener Photography, we try not to go overboard with having samples on hand in our studio. Having a digital collection/portfolio is valuable for our clients. Besides, many of our brides might live out of town and come to Wichita or Salina for their wedding. This means they can view our products without having to physically be in our spaces. :)

Product photos:

Mini Accordions:

We can add your name/date to the front cover of the mini accordion if you like (left).


Another option is to have a cloth cover (right).


In addition to a cloth cover, there are ample leather options.

Brag Books:

A fun photo on the front (with 3 boys, ages 5, 3 and 1, it's bound to be a bit silly photo!). :)


We can even add a name/date to the book's spine.


One photo per page. No frills in our brag books. Just your favorite photos!

Signature Prints:

Beautiful artistic prints! Framed, matted and signed by the artist. :)

The left and right prints are 11x16. The center is a stunning 20x30.

Sneak Peek — Andrea + Larry's Wedding Album Design

Even though our "formal" events for 2010 are starting to wind down, there's lots going on behind the scenes, such as Andrea and Larry's wedding album design.

Stay tuned for more. :)

Give Thanks!

Oh, Thanksgiving. It's a time when we gather with friends, celebrate with family and spend time with those we love.

I like to take a few moments to reflect upon what we're grateful for, because indeed, our lives are rich.


• On the ball brides. This sounds silly, but our brides this year are just on fire! Usually, I'll give a bride 6 or so months to revel in being a "Mrs." before I start to prod her in the direction of making decisions about a wedding album. Our brides this summer, though, selected albums and album photos in record time! I think 2 brides had their photos selected within SIX WEEKS of their wedding. I am supremely thankful for that and give these brides massive thumbs up for being so on task. Kisses to you all!


• Our truly awesome couples. I feel like I say this every year, but every year it's TRUE! Our couples rock! They are so welcoming, warm and just plain fun to be around. They also come up with beautiful details for us to capture. And we can't resist a little eye candy. :)


• Becoming an auntie. Yes, I'm a dork. And yes, my little Nephew is the most adorable child in the universe (besides Mike's kiddos, of course).


• Wedding clients transitioning into family portrait clients. It's an honor to document a couple's wedding, and when they ask us back for family portraits, well, it's just plain special.


• Clients who are 100% willing to go anywhere for portraits. I admit, some of the senior portrait and engagement session locations don't exactly look fabulous when you just walk by, but get our subjects in there and they work some magic!


• Mike's willingness to take my family's extended family portraits. It's been 2+ years since we've had a big family event (ahem, wedding), and a lot has changed. My sister and her husband welcomed a baby boy into the fold, and my brother is getting ready to graduate from college. So we wrangled a time together to make a family portrait ... and I'm really thankful to have it.

And just because I'm feeling snarky, I'm also thankful for elastic-waisted pants on Thanksgiving (I know you're all thinking it, but just not willing to say it .... so what the hey?) ;)~

Christma cards :)

Goodness, the Christmas season seems to start earlier every year, right? Well, it's almost Thanksgiving (which is when I start to tolerate all things Christmas, and not a minute before), so I figured we'd toss out one of the beautiful Christmas cards that arrived recently.


Cute.


Love it!


Last one.

Jessie + Ryan's Engagement Session

Back in June, I received an enthusiastic and energetic call from Jessie. She was bubbling over with excitement about her wedding, and was bound and determined that Mike and I would photograph her wedding.

Shortly after their engagement, we started planning their engagement session in Manhattan.


Jess and I collaborated to "style" this photo shoot. I know she enjoys reading, so I brought along some oldies but goodies from my collection. Jess provided the picnic basket, wine, wine glasses and refreshments.


Jess says she loves "the way his eyes sparkle when he smiles" ... and you can just see that in the above photo!


Jessica's defines their style as "outdoorsy/nature," which is why we wrapped up the evening on the Konza Prairie.

To view all of my favorites from their session, please CLICK HERE.

Sneak Peek — Caty + Tyler's wedding

This past weekend found us in Kingman celebrating Caty + Tyler's wedding at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, which we used as the setting for their first look.


On her Facebook profile, Caty refers to Tyler as "my love." Seems about right.


Tyler and many of his groomsmen are volunteer fire fighters in Kingman so after the wedding we headed downtown for a few photos at the station.


These guys did a good job of entertaining themselves!


Not to be outdone, the bridesmaids proved to be a feisty bunch, too! Not only were they throwing shoulders trying to catch the bouquet but there was a small scrum afterward!

Thanks again, Caty + Tyler, for having us document your special day! Check back in a couple of weeks for a full report! -Mike

Kristi + Cody's Save the Dates

Kristi and Cody loved their engagement photos so much that they wanted to use them to make "Save the Dates."


Our Amy put together some adorable postcards!


These 4x6 postcards are fantastic.


Love this little detail!

Happy Monday. :)

Panoramic Float Wrap

Susan's oldest daughter, Chelsey, said she wanted one of the family portraits in a panoramic fashion. Boy has Chelsey got great taste!!! This 15x30 inch float wrap is simply stunning!!!!!


A comparison between the 16x24 inch gallery wrap (bottom) and the panoramic 15x30 inch wrap (top). I have to be honest. I've never ordered a panoramic portrait before. And it's completely stunning. Chelsey has a fantastic eye to know how awesome this portrait would look in a panoramic fashion!


Little close up of the canvas. Really beautiful.