About a month ago Jen and I hopped over to Wow Factor to check out their grand re-opening party…. and to taste a few sweets. The space is so cute and full of artful confections. I couldn’t resist snapping a few images of Amy’s stunning goodies! I wish you could read the sign for these macaroons….. they’re blueberry black pepper!

Since the beach house has really taken over the last 1.5 years of our life, we’ve not taken a vacation since going to Hawaii in 2012. It’s ok not to feel sorry for me…. but the beach house has been a ton of work. It seems like each time we are down we spend very little time relaxing, we’re constantly working on projects or entertaining guests. We would love to just get away for three or four days to somewhere tropical. Yesterday while recovering from the Queens Cup (which was awesome!) I started poking around at flights and discovered Southwest is going to start running nonstop flights from Atlanta (and possibly Raleigh) to Aruba, Nassau, Bahamas & Montego, Bay Jamaica. So, I thought I’d throw it out there that if anyone is planning a wedding in one of these three spots this fall and are interested in having us photograph your wedding…. we would be delighted, and just might cut you a deal 🙂 Right now, our dates are fairly flexible…. we’re thinking late September-October. *The only catch is that these airfares are only good until May 9th….. so pretty please book us quick 🙂

Gifting to your bridal party can be one tough task. Providing the same (or very similar) gifts to a multitude of people (and their tastes) can be a little daunting. For years, brides have gifted jewelry to be worn on the wedding day. I personally love this, it solves the “how do I accessorize my dress” question very easily. I’ve been the recipient of earrings, and necklaces as a bridesmaid over the years and am always happy to don them! Liz gave monogrammed necklaces. Love them! Here’s an idea to give along with jewels….. Mark & Graham Jewelry Rolls, Pottery Barn Trays & Octopus Ring Holder (how cool is that!?!) Other accessories we have seen gifted…. Rory gave all his groomsmen Toms to wear (I’m sure their feet thanked him!), and Kseniya gave her bridesmaids Toms to change into for the reception.  A nice shoe bag would be a great accompaniment to this gift. I love that Chris gifted his men ties and cigars for his big day. I’ve also seen personalized clutches, robes, pajamas, flasks, booze and makeup bags.  Jeremy gifted his guys their ties & shirts (our guys bought suits instead of renting) and I gave the girls necklaces, tote bags, robes and t-shirts (I may have gone overboard). What’s the most unique gift you’ve seen a bridal party get??

Pinterest can be a brides best friend and a photographers worst nightmare. A few notes from a photographer on the power of Pinterest! 1. This might be the hardest to swallow….. Some brides have an unrealistic fantasy of what their day will look like when they look through their Pinterest goggles. While we try our best to educate our clients as best we can, to have the best possible scenarios to get the best images. Sometimes what you expect out of your images, isn’t always what you get….. and here’s why. You see these beautiful, perfectly lit wedding images of your (normally outdoor) venue, or one similar to yours…. but you don’t take into account the ceremony/reception time of the images you see, versus your own ceremony. When images are perfectly golden…. that’s 99% of the time because it’s sunset. If you get married at 2PM, your images won’t look like that, and it’s absolutely nothing your photographer did wrong. No one can get that light without the sun dropping. I went through my own Pinterest Wedding Board and picked a few of my favorite images. Guess what… they’re almost all sunset images. 1/2/3/4 2. Pinterest can be an awesome place to collect ideas for decor (without even realizing it!) As I thumbed through my pins, I noticed a trend I had not before…. stripes! If I were planning a wedding today, it would for sure have stripes!! 1/2/3 3. Pinterest can remind you to include your furry friends in your big day (I’m dying to have a little guy dressed up at a wedding to photograph!) 1/2 …… Gah, I love a Frenchie! Let’s end this week on that note 🙂