{weak} week

Bad emme. Bad blogging again. Argh. I'm trying. Really! I promise. I've had a whirlwind of a week so far and have just got the sneek peeks of M&N's wedding ready from Saturday. I had to cancel my meeting with the Chamber of Commerce since Pants got sick on Monday, I had to help "re-wardrobe" my sis B {stupid principal changed dress code with a month left in the school year}, meet up with my GF M, move sis B in and oh yeah...softball on Monday and Tuesday eves {ok, A's softball games} and I'm pretty sure I managed to chip my elbow. Again. Today....I'm sore. A bit crankified, but that's because I awoke with a tension headache I'm yoga-ing out. Other than that, I'm in a good mood.

Did I mention that I also brought our dresser up the stairs solo yesterday? And did a number on my toe? I didn't? Well, there it is. Spring fever has hit with even more fervor than in March and I need to mow the lawn. It's crazy green and long =D

Apparently I'm a bit ADD this AM, but I promised photo <3; so here they are! {If you want to see them in more glorious hugeness, please visit my flickr stream here} *I finally upgraded my flickr account to pro...they told me I had too many photos...WORTH IT!*

Namey & Steventh

It's been awhile again; I've been crazy busy with wedding season kicking off for me last week. So, not much to say, but here's some photo love for your morning.....

Weekend of shoots coming up!

I've got a FULL weekend....and I'm ECSTATIC! I've been honing some skills in the tech dept {hence the constantly changing blog layout}, redesigning and relaunching the website, and trying to find the "perfect" logo/identity to use. {If you've got mad graphic design skills, contact me. I'd love to utilize the barter system and give you full credit for design work} So the blog has been designed, redesigned, re-redesigned and not posted on...{don't give me that look, I feel guilty already!} So here's the post and my humble explanation and apology.

I'm sorry.

Anyway, I've still got slots in the bridal "Give it to the people, Stick it to the Man" {little wordy, I know} promotion. $300 off any wedding package {prices on website}; and I've restructured the rates. Let's just say prices didn't go up... I want to be affordable and offer services to a lot of the couples out there that don't have a huge budget but still want that BANG for their bucks.


Tomorrow is usually Day 1 of Weekend; not this time! I have a family/newborn shoot and consults pretty much all day. {yay!} Then Saturday rolls in and off to a family century farm for a fun engagement shoot. {Don't worry, you'll get some peeks at the photos soon!} 


Did I mention that it's tax time? {oof!} Lots of extra paperwork {being my 1st official tax season as a business owner} but worth it {new equipment please Mr. Tax Man!}


I'll have to post a bunch of wedding tips/tricks for all budget-conscious couples in the next couple days too.  S---T---R---E---T---C---H that budget! =D

WANTED: Your non-traditional wedding {and some bridal trends this season}

Good morning everyone! I've been so inspired lately with all the new bridal trends going on; it's bridal fair month for MN. The Twin Cities Bridal Fair and St. Cloud Bridal Fair are next weekend, there's another this weekend in Little Falls I think. What I'm hearing is that COLOR is BACK!!! No, not in the magenta-bridal gown, but in gorgeous detailed "pops" of color like a right-hand cocktail ring; feathers in hair{on gowns and in floral arrangements}, and colored lighting at receptions. The last one is really neat {and a HUGE cost saver in decorating!}. With strategically placed up-lights with colored gels {or even colored bulbs} really make a space feel luxurious and inviting. Also, the "tech" in the flameless candles has really come a LONG way, so if your reception hall has a "no open flame" policy {many do...be sure to ask!} you can get really realistic pillars to votives to tea lights. {Our reception hall had the policy and the flameless candles in '01 were pretty tacky for my taste...and unrealistic.} Craft's Direct has a pretty decent selection of flameless candles {and an AWESOME discount store...we got all our decorations there. Pictures to come....}
in store. They are family-owned, operated, and are great philanthropists in MN. In fact, they even had great "Keep the Christ in Christmas" flyers for their holiday ads. Pretty cool in such a PC{politically-correct} era, IMHO anyway.

PROMOTION ALERT!!!

I'm looking for non-traditional weddings {farm, steampunk, goth, eco, etc...see offbeatbride.com} to kick off the 2010 season. There's a $300 discount to the first 5 weddings to book in 2010 {non-traditional or traditional}; and a scaled discount to the next 5...so that's the first 10 to BOOK in 2010. You can be getting hitched in 2011 or 2020; just have to book this year.

Why am I running this promotion?

Easy. Those bridal expos I mentioned above have either a "waiting list" or a "bidding hierarchy" for photographers. The small ones start at $350 and the high end is $2000. I don't want to PAY someone what I could pass along in savings to clients. It's my way of staying away from the big-box prices and keeping a close base with brides{and grooms-and their parents} on budgets. Plus, I'm a believer in word-of-mouth advertising and feedback.

As of today, there are ALL 5 full discounts {and all 5 tiered discounts} available. I've got to admit, I've had a few savvy brides already email and set up meetings in the coming weeks. But I'll keep the counts in all coming posts until they're gone.

Hope you have a great weekend ahead of you!

~e

Wedding specials

For all of you out there just engaged over the holidays, congratulations! I know you have a lot to do to plan that special day {I've been there!} and things pile up fast. Invitations, venue, music, cake, THE DRESS, hair, makeup, jewelry, ceremony and on and on and on....

I have a few tips:

*NOTHING is as important as looking into your partner's eyes at "that moment"
*Something will always go wrong. Don't sweat it. No one will remember that little snafu
     anyway.
*Set a budget and stick to it. Things balloon as time gets nearer.
*Skip the "Big Name" bridal shops. Opt for the bridal outlets...same dresses at 30% below
     the big-name stores. {Yes, they have bridesmaid dresses too!}
*Buying a suit is about the same cost as renting a tuxedo. I recommend Knight's Chamber
     in the Crossroads Mall in Waite Park/Saint Cloud. Tell them its a wedding party and
     save. We got fresh fashions for a whopping $125 {including shirt, tie, and alterations}
     per groomsman. And they own it for future occasions.
*An off-season {Nov-March} or off-peak day {Any day other than Saturdays and holidays}
     is 10-15% cheaper {10% off of that $3000 venue=$300! Enough to hire a pro makeup
     artist like Brett Dorrian or get fantastic wedding jewelry from JealousCat}
*Time flies by! Seriously, a full day goes by in just hours!
*Don't be afraid to barter. Not all venues or vendors will accommodate fitting your budget,
     but most will have some "wiggle room".
*Cut costs by offering handmade favors. My favorite? Get some pretty envelopes and put
     some flower seeds inside{just a mix or hearty plants like marigolds or zinnias}. You
     can print labels {or directly onto the envelopes prior to filling} with sayings like "Grow
     in love with the Mr. & Mrs.", "Love Garden Seeds" etc.
*See if the church you are getting married in has a kitchen. Most times you can also use
     this space for your dinner {and decorate it for your needs} for no additional fees.
*Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! {That means water...at least until AFTER the ceremony}
*Outdoor tents are expensive! Opt for a park with a shelter. Check out the MN DNR park
     list here. {Most glass bottles are prohibited, check with park management for specifics}
*Keep a checklist of your goals and set a time line to accomplish them.
*Most guys don't think the world will end if you choose the wrong shade of white {ivory,
    eggshell, pearl, etc.} so don't stress out if he doesn't answer.
*Guys DO have an opinion, so ASK THEM!!!

There's a bit of the list. If you have any suggestions/comments, please feel free to leave feedback on the blog or email emily@emmephotodesign.com.