{sneek peek}

It was foggy. It was windy. It was chilly. It was...AWESOME! Muchas gracias to Aminda Villamagna for coming along! I'm so stoked about these photos and working more with Aminda this year, I can hardly contain myself. Here's a quick sneek peek:

Rustic wedding bliss

I have an engagement session coming up for a rustic themed wedding. This has me daydreaming like crazy...and then etsy.com's daily pick was all woodland and rustic themed making me want a reason to throw a rustic party. Here are some of my favorites of recent:

 

Photo courtesy pompandplumage

LOVE NEST BOUTONNIERE: by pompandplumage

Bird nest, moss, feather and pearl boutonniere

   

Photo courtesy blockpartypress

Wood You Love Me Cufflinks: blockpartypress

Photo courtesy of sweeteverythings

midnight sparkle:sweeteverythings

Hair accessory 

Well, the shoot is on Saturday AM and has two Chinese-Cresteds starring alongside the couple. Stay tuned for peeks....

Learn and Grow

I've been doing a lot of reading and thinking lately. As well as having a sick Ms. P who's challenged my patience. Ok. I've had a serious short amount of patience lately-I blame the winter. I'm sooooo ready to see some grass and be able to walk without boots and winter hats. In fact, I started most of my seeds for this year already. I cold-start them, so here's hoping! {I wasn't aware that verbena has a 12-week starting period, in the dark, so I'm glad I started early!)Here's to getting back to nature with dirty hands, knees, and that streak of mud on my head where I wiped the sweat away with my gloves on. (^.^)

And if all goes well, we'll be up to our noses in pumpkins. My lovely darling husby picked out the "Competition Size" orange pumpkins, so there goes the back corner of the yard {not that I mind...pics of the yard will come} and I opted for some lovely blue and white ones {planning Halloween theme already...} Oh...my...goodness! Who's excited? This guy.


On another note, I've started a new chapter in both my business and my personal lives. Since I really pay attention to details {the ones most miss}, I'm going to create details in everyday life. Like text messages to A like "You make me smile." {Of course, it's followed by a slew of q's from him so I add the Dwight Schrute "That is all." at the end} Or being even more conscious of others around me in public places and opening doors, offering a cart, or just saying 'hello'. Call it what you will-golden rule, situational awareness, etc. {I call it Karma} I enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling I get from helping others. {Helper's High?} I'd like to say I'm also trying to not complain for a month, but I like my b!tch sessions too much for that. Hey, I'm not perfect by any means.

On a side note, a friend texted me this message that made me both tear up and laugh:
"I feel deprived of the D___"{last name here}
May I mention that we saw these guys last on Monday and I got the message yesterday?
I love my friends.
Magical.

Happy weekend!

~e

Separation of Church and fate?

So, hubster had some *gulp* news yesterday. His job {@ a undisclosed Lutheran Church} is asking all staff to take a 2-week furlough. That's a whole paycheck. That's a BIG deal! See, they're kind of like lobbyists on the capitol; the longer you've been around, the more you hold water. And that goes double for A's "assistant". She's been failing more and more with the tasks A gives her {like mailing time-sensitive information} and makes him look like a total nincompoop. Yet she's been friends with the Pastors forever so they side with her. Even with evidence. How aggravating!

And with the lack of a Sr. High Youth director, a lot of A's kids from last year {and their families} are church shopping. They're stalemating the congregation to move away while asking for money to "balance the budget" {did I mention that their finance guy is a volunteer and still has no idea what 2007's budget was?} when they initially said they were $60K behind...and in the next 2 weeks they announced they'd received anonymous donations in the amounts of $20K and $40K...sounds like they got what they asked for...

Not quite.

In a meeting yesterday, the lead pastor again stated they are $60K behind for this year. WTF? Really? Did I also mention that they think it is "wrong" for their money in the bank to earn any interest so it's in a PERSONAL checking account. Really? I thought you were supposed to invest your "time, talent, & treasure so they may grow and be fruitful". Apparently not.

So here we are, stuck in limbo again. A's hand has been forced to start applying at other churches up to 1.5 hours away. Not fun. Scary. And for a church who claims that young families and youth are the center of their ministry to be driving those exact demographics away.

Sorry. I had to get it off my chest. Since I'm young and new to the community, all of my concerns have been waved off as valid as they are. With parents of 9th graders or soon-to-be-9th-graders asking me weekly why there isn't a Sr. High Youth Director, I've been nice and played the middle. I don't think I can play the middle anymore. It's time to start scoring goals. Especially for the youth. It's sad that my 9th grade mentee complains about the same things and how there's "Nothing for me". Heartbreaking. Time to be the shield for these kids.


Call me Gallahad.

~e

{bright & fun}

I ordered one of these yesterday for wedding season...I think they're simply fab and can't wait to try it out!


{image courtesy brightnight.com}

As if you can't tell by now, I love umbrellas...but not necessarily having to use them. =D And a bride holding this...oooo ideas! I've even spotted them on some of the wedding blogs as attendant gifts. {After all; useful, fun, and who doesn't love their own ray of sunshine on a cloudy day?}


~e

{Shiny pretty things}

I didn't notice the similarity of P's shoes {she picked out herself} to mine until today. Like mother, like daughter =D

Congratulations lovebirds {and love-elephants, love-otters, and love-{insert animal here}}

Today is Sunday...and it's been a very long week! I had a sick little P for 10 days or so and she's been very demanding. We've got a run of RSV and some other upper-respiratory bugs flying around and she caught one =( After a week of nebulizer treatments she's feeling better and running around like a monster again =D

Oh, and did I mention that I got a bunch of new gear on Friday? It's amazing {and I'm super excited} that this one bag is now worth more than my car {yes, and I have an '03 Alero}. Perspective there, right?

Another exciting thing: I now have second shooters for ALL weddings for 2010...and am able to keep all the rates the same. YAY for staying on budget! Having seconds that are amazingly talented and fun is going to make for more wonderful wedding images from your big day.

And...I'm now an official member of the Professional Photographers of America {PPA}. I'm an "Associate Member" since the business is relatively new {even though I've been working in photography for 7-8 years} and it isn't listed in their "Find A Photographer" section. Rest assured, I can prove membership...I'm just not personally ready for tons of national/international bookings. Sure, I'd take 1-2 {wink wink...nudge nudge} if you're planning a destination wedding or are from another state and are in L-O-V-E with my work, email me emily{at}emmephotodesign{dot}com; tweet me emmazing; or write on my Facebook wall.

So, here's the budget tips, courtesy of the Star Tribune. The Wall Street Journal also posted some money tips for couples getting engaged or getting hitched. You can read the Star Tribune article here.

And a happy heart day to all!

~e

Cupid's around the corner....

That's it. January's gone...and so are most of those resolutions so many of us made! On the brighter side; we're one month closer to spring! Although it IS snowing outside right now...gotta love MN!

Now's the time to start booking your venues, caterers, photographers and get those invitations finalized {La Bella Couture Design asked me to draw a mountain laurel for a bride...I'm excited to help out a fellow creative businesswoman in MN!}

There are lots of offerings on craigslist for the savvy bride; from vases to wedding day jewelry to small business ads {I advertise there A LOT!}. Oh, and you should have your gown narrowed down {if not already chosen} as well.

And I'm hiring a second shooter for the 2010 wedding season as well! If you've stumbled here and have the knack, skills, and passion for wedding photography, feel free to email me emily{at}emmephotodesign{dot}com.

I'm a bit tapped out for ideas today...but have been scheming a lovely engagement session featuring a childhood favorite...now just to find a couple!

Happy Monday!
~e

New things!

I'm officially excited. No, that's an understatement. I'm ecstatic! After going through all the fun tax stuff...I get to invest in my new {dream} camera! It is amazing how, when you trust in yourself and God what comes around. Seriously folks. I'm not super-religious fanatic, but He's come through for me time and time again. So, there's a new giveaway to go along with my merriment: FREE session. {Not wedding, but any other session type is available} Entry is easy: comment here, Facebook, or email emily{at}emmephotodesign{dot}com with "I want to win!" in the subject line. Please leave your contact info {email, phone, etc} in the body of the message as well as the type of session you're hoping to win!

Fine print:
~One entry per person per email address
~Entries will be printed onto paper and pulled out of a hat {there'll be pictures to prove it}
~Fan on FB; send a message and earn an additional 1 entry {previous fans also get +1}
~Follow on twitter for another +1

So, if you email, fan and follow, you get 3 entries. 3 is the max # entries per person {have your friends/hubster/wifey fan/follow/email and they get up to 3 entries each too!}

Happy entries!

{farmland romance}

Saturday was indeed a wet, cold, and blustery day...but the bond these two had wasn't swayed one bit {and there was hot cocoa afterwards!}










And just for fun...

{reese's pieces}

Friday was a full day! I started out the day @ the Reese family's house for little Sean {aka Monkey} for Sean's 1-month photo session. He was a hungry lil' dude, but full of smiles! I can hardly wait for their next session!

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

Wedding Season: Why not March or December?

It's a foggy winter morning...and I'm excited! I love the way fog freezes onto trees and leaves and...well, just about everything. I get to take a photo trek later today and am hopeful that Ms. Pants behaves and has as much fun{and fascination} as I do with nature.

The wedding season is still steadily rolling forward...are you checking things off your To-Do lists? I know it's still snowy, but snow is beautiful...white {like your dress maybe???}, sparkly {like your ring and jewelry}, lovely{like you!}, and a little crusty in places{future MIL perhaps?}. In fact, there really isn't anything that doesn't relate to weddings about snow! So why is wedding season {duh-duh-duhnnnnnn} summer months? What about the glittery, glitzy, eco-glam of winter? Or the newness of spring? Or the colors of fall?

Personally, I think wedding season evolved into summertime because:

1. It's easier to plan for people's vacation/attendance.

2. More flowers are in season.

3. Weather is HOPEFULLY awesome.

4. Summer is associated with fun and relaxation.

5. More {perceived} options.

What brides don't always consider when planning summertime nupituals:

1. Hot is NOT hot. If you're planning an outdoor event, better to go EARLIER in the season. Sure, it may be slightly chilly (60s or so) but it's much easier to wear a rockin' shawl or have Grandma throw on an extra cardigan than it is to try to cool off on a 90-degree-90%-humidity evening. Puts a damper on the dance party and runs up the bar tab.

2. Flowers that are NOT in season. If you're set on tulips, peonies, hyacinths, ranunculus, or sweetpeas: you're going to pay A LOT more in summer than in spring! You can do a quick search and find out what season your must-have flower is best in and the pricing trends {flower prices are like the stock market and the $ is set in The Netherlands at auctions}

3. Family vacays and other weddings of family members/friends MAY co-inside with your wedding day. Ask your bridesmaids/groomsmen early {as well as any other Wedding Party members} if their schedules are clear. They'll clear them as best they can so they can attend and participate.

4. Venue Venue VENUE! The must-have venue for 2010...sorry gals, it's probably booked already. Call early {after the ring and date is set} to secure your venue. Also; if you're in the Wedding Season, prepare to pay more. Everything from party rental plates to table linens are marked UP 10-15% during Wedding Season. {supply and demand...remember that back in Social Studies?}

5. Waiting can pay off. Yes, weddings get cancelled. If your must-have photographer, venue, caterer, florist, makeup artist, or other venue is booked, ask to be placed on a list to be notified in the rare occurrence that the OTHER wedding falls through. Sometimes you'll get a discount, but most instances you won't. Prepare to pay for your dream vendor!

6. There are lots of options for non-Wedding Season weddings. We live in the great state of MN...lots of history and neat venues to become Mr.&Mrs. There's the arboretum, the North Shore, the Zoo, loads of event and convention centers, state parks {with shelters and tables...no need to rent the spendy wedding tend and tables and chairs}, resorts {A Wintery Wedding on skis, fall on any of the Horseshoe Chain of lakes, spring down in Stillwater} and loads of museums, farms, and other outside-the-box places.

Any other wedding insights? Tips? Tricks? Email emily{at}emmephotodesign{dot}com or head over to the .:facebook fan page:. and comment on the wall.

Have a great Wednesday...the work week is 1/2 over!

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

When rebellion strikes...

Yes, it's been a couple days. I won't say that I failed the goal to blog everyday, just had a couple days of rebellion.I've been following along with a gal from my hometown who is Facebooking her "365 Days of Creativity". She'd love to blog, but is finding it hard. Anyway, her creative challenge is over on the Facebook universe; the album is here.

So, today is Friday. Fridays around here are GOLD because the Mr. has Friday/Saturday weekends usually and I can get A LOT accomplished on a Friday. Now that Mr. and Pants have the same chest/head cold, I have been pretty much zapped of energy. That does not mean that I get to sleep. Nope. Like a good rebel, my head decided to play odd movies all night long and I ended up awake for 3/4 of it. Nice. So, my goal was to get up, dye the hair {this golden-child warm tone thing isn't working for me} and enjoy some coffee before both the Mr. and Pants arise. The dogs had other ideas, so I'm blogging with coffee, listening to the "puh-puh-pop" of the warm mist humidifier, and looking at the purples and fuschias of the windchill maps across MN today. Keith Marler...at least he's not the drama queen that Sven guy on KARE is {nor grossly tan/orange {torange??}}.

The rest of January is looking pretty full, photo-wise. I'm excited that I'm finding my photographic market more and more. And those random twitter followers...Warner's Stellian, PatrolLeader {Boy Scouts in Utah}, Andrew Fashion {who I'm following...cool dude!} and many more-make me more apt to actually tweet. {Ok, so it's linked from the Facebook Fan Page}

I'll have more wedding tips next week, so stay tuned! {I suppose I should blog the weekend to make up for the missed days...so maybe this week there'll be a SPECIAL goodie attatched! Free prizes WOOT WOOT!}

~e

Baby, it's COLD outside!

Wow. This blogging daily is taking off! I have been weighing the "intent" of this blog-is it business? Is it personal? After hovering over these ideas, I realized that my photography IS personal and it IS business, so the blog should be both. I'm working on another for the married life side of things {not yet published} but the day-2-day of my work & life will still be here.

Yesterday I kicked off "Tips and Tricks for Weddings". These installments will continue until I'm out of ideas {about 100 years from now} and out of feedback from other couples. The list is expanding thanks to feedback from {emme photo design fans!} and I welcome any other ideas/tips/tricks that you may have heard or used yourself. Comment or email them to me at: emily{at}emmephotodesign{dot}com

My "Life Lesson Learned" today:
{These will sometimes be thought provoking, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, sometimes complete nonsense. Tune in daily to find out which is which}


*Wear SOMETHING on your feet when tying out the dogs in the AM.

That's right. I decided rather than risk the puddle on the floor, I'd brave the -30 {with windchill} weather and venture out onto the concrete with bare feet. BAD IDEA. While I appreciate no indoor accidents, my feet are still cold 2 hours later.

Well, that's it for now. I have a new group, 2wentysomethings, to outline and make some promo stuff for the "Fair" this weekend. Maybe you'll come check it out too?

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.

A New Year!

I hope everyone had a great holiday break with some well-deserved {and important} time to rest. I did manage to take a break after December 26th with the last family portraits of the year and wrapping up some design for Citizen's Arrest, a country-rock cover band that tours the Midwest. I also got to meet up with the talented {and gorgeous} designer Sarah Hanson of La Bella Couture Designs. We're continuing our partnership through January to offer 30 FREE invitations to any couples that book their engagement/wedding photography with emme photo design. Sarah has AMAZING skills and clients WORLDWIDE; offering letterpress, thermography, and laser printing. {I'm having her design my letterhead!} Every invitation receives her full attention and makes all those catalog invitations look like child's play. Seriously, check her out for any {and ALL} invitation, card, and stationary needs! The pictures on her site don't do these works of art justice. Visit her etsy store and bookmark her!!


Image courtesy of La Bella Couture Designs

pic du jour *and a friendly PSA*

Hello fans {and soon to be fans}. So, I have a little PSA for you all: make sure you renew your tabs! After I went to pay the fine from mine being overdue, I was booked into the county facility. No, I didn't end up in a cell, but just sat in booking. Needless to say, the hubster was a bit upset at the fact that I had come to pay everything and still needed to be processed into the system. In fact, my bail and fees were paid before I had been processed so I had to sit another 45 minutes and get booked to be released. Little bit of a WTH there, but having the Army training {hurry up and wait} it wasn't stressful on my part {other than the inmate with the flu wanting to be my friend and the guy who snuck a razor blade in by taping it to his back}. Overall, a rather pleasant {albeit unnecessary} experience with the Sheriff's Department. I'm greatful to have had good and kind deputies all around! And now, without further ado:

pic du jour!

pic du jour

I was going through some images and stumbled across this of Marcia and Josh. They scheduled a shoot for their Christmas cards...I'm excited to see which they picked!