Two People: Eve and Brian.

I love my city. I know where all the best spots are to photograph people; all the nooks and crannies. It's easy and comfortable. Sometimes, just sometimes, it feels a little monotonous. People see my work from other shoots and say "I want to do that" or "I want to go there!" The challenge then becomes, how do I make the same old spot feel fresh and new?

Sometimes I get lucky. Sometimes I get to travel to places I've never been before to photograph people. I love those times! No need to work at keeping things fresh and new when you're in a brand new city. The challenge there becomes "where can we go next?!"

Such was the case with this couple who live in, wait for it, New Orleans! I mean, really! NOLA is chalked full of private alleys, wrought iron, and crazzzzzy people! Who wouldn't want to shoot there?!

Please meet Eve and Brian. My FABULOUS NOLA couple!




SHE SAYS:

1. How long have you two been together? Since February of 2005. We celebrate our first date anniversary on February 18th.
2. How did you meet? We met through Ryan, who is now my brother-in-law. They are friends and worked together in Cleveland.
3. How did you get engaged? We got engaged during our annual trip to Bar Harbor, Maine (where Brian was born and has been spending summers since). We often take walks on the rocks on the shore in front of his Mom's summer house. During a walk at dusk on the Fourth of July, 2009, Brian got down on one knee on one of the rocks and asked me to marry him. I was so surprised I probably sounded like a complete idiot, but of course, I said yes. Brian had previously planted a bottle of champagne with two glasses in the rocks. Sitting there, we watched the sunset over the ocean, sipping bubbly and reveling in our newly engaged status. See the full story on our wedding website...http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2/view/MemberPage.aspx?coupleid=5946070109151583&pid=9313067  
4. What's been the biggest challenge with planning your wedding? We live in New Orleans and are getting married in Cleveland. I'm a detail-oriented person and it's harder for me to get involved with the details of the wedding from far away.
5. What's the one thing you're most looking forward to on your wedding day? Having so many loved ones in the same room and, of course, marrying Brian. (And wearing my dress!)
6. What's the one thing you're most nervous about? I'm nervous about getting overly emotional during the ceremony. 
7. What's the best advice you can give to couples planning their wedding? There are more decisions to be made than you may realize. Plan ahead and stay as organized as possible. It's a once in a lifetime event so try not to be stressed - enjoy it!
8. List your vendors:

• Ceremony - The Glidden House
• Reception Venue - The Glidden House
• Event planner - me and Brian!
• Florist - Orban's
• DJ/Band - Dennis Thomas
• Videographer - none
• Transportation - none
• Dress Boutique and designer - Dress by Enmanuel at Treasured Moments in Youngstown. Bridemaids wearing Jcrew.
• Tuxedo rental and designer - Brian's tux is vintage. It's his grandfather's, circa 1933. Groomsmen wearing Calvin Klein from Men's Warehouse.

HE SAYS:

1. How long have you two been together? 6 years  
2. How did you meet?  We met through her sister and her husband (who is one of my good friends) and who both worked at the same company as I did. 
3. How did you get engaged?  This may be a slacker way to do this... but you asked for details: http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/pwp2/view/MemberPage.aspx?coupleid=5946070109151583&pid=9313067&MsdVisit=1
4. What's been the biggest challenge with planning your wedding?  Distance from the actual location.  It makes it difficult to make decisions not being able to see people and see the location.  Plus I never got to test the food or the cake.  Totally robbed. 
5. What's the one thing you're most looking forward to on your wedding day?  Seeing Eve all did up.  And seeing all of our friends and family. 
6. What's the one thing you're most nervous about?  Overheating from wearing a wool tux.
7. What's the best advice you can give to couples planning their wedding?  Account for at least a 10% contingency on your budget.  You will go over. 
8. List your vendors:

• Ceremony- The Glidden House
• Reception Venue- The Glidden House
• Event planner- Eve and Brian Limited. 
• Florist- Honestly... no idea. 
• DJ/Band- DJ Dennis- via YTOWN!
• Videographer- n/a
• Transportation- Bipedal locomotion.  Possibly Pegusus, although were working through her scheduling conflicts.   
• Dress Boutique and designer- yeah.... no clue. 
• Tuxedo rental and designer- Groomsmen are through Mens Wearhouse.  Ive got my own tux. 
• Etc.- Caterer is Robert J., Photographer is the infamous Jaci.  Rehearsal dinner is the Silver Spartan Diner.

A beautiful little courtyard we found down an alley.

This was the alley.

Sexy!

The hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street!

Thanks so much for a lot of fun in NOLA! Check back soon to see their wedding images!

Cheers,

Top 10 iPhone apps for wedding planning

Technology amazes me. The speed at which you can find information these days boggles my mind. Need to know the name of song playing on the radio? There's an app for that. What if you wanted to use your phone like a walkie-talkie? There's an app for that. There's an app for just about everything you need so it makes perfect sense that there would be an app (or two) for wedding planning. Check out Mashable.com's 10 iPhone Apps for Planning the Perfect Wedding.

1.)  iWedding Deluxe - the Wedding Planner by Serendipity App Company   $9.99

iWedding Deluxe is a wedding planner and organizer app. It will organize, guide and inspire you while keeping all the vital information at your fingertips. Feature packed with Todo Lists, Budgeting, Guest List organization and much much more.

2.)  Plan Your Wedding With Mindy Weiss by ICN Corporate Limited   $7.99

Enlist the help of Mindy Weiss, the most sought after party and wedding planner in the US.

Mindy’s exclusive videos and tools provide inspiration and ideas to save you time and stress, making your dream day become a reality. Now you too can gain access to the same advice and tips as Tinseltown’s elite. 








3.)  BRIDES Wedding Genius 2.0 by Condé Nast Digital   FREE


BRIDES Wedding Genius 2.0 is the go-to app for brides-to-be, and now it’s faster and easier to use than ever. Download this new app and browse hundreds of dresses, jewelry selections, and honeymoon destinations. The Digital Wedding Binder upgrade keeps everything organized and offers expert advice.







4.)  Wedding Budget ♥ by Sevenlogics, Inc.   FREE

What's your Wedding Budget?
No matter its $1,000 or $100,000, keeping your wedding in budget is one of the major challenges during wedding planning.










5.) Wedding 911 by The Knot by The Knot Inc.   FREE

From the #1 wedding website, TheKnot.com, this free iPhone app is for busy brides-to-be. Think of it as your on-the-go source for expert wedding advice -- from when to cut the cake to how to line up your wedding party at the ceremony. You can also post your wedding questions and instantly get answers from other brides-to-be. It’s the new go-to app for last-minute wedding advice.







6.)  WeddingScan by Organi Studios   $2.99

WeddingScan is an intuitive wedding registry application that allows you to register for ANY item, at ANY store simply by scanning a product’s barcode with the WeddingScan iPhone app. If a product doesn't have a barcode, WeddingScan allows you to take a picture of it and add a brief description.









7.) Wedding Row by The Wedding Row   $1.99

The ultimate wedding tool for gathering and organizing all of you wedding inspirations. Categorize, create inspiration boards, save and share all of the details of your wedding planning. Snap photos on location or upload images from from the internet so that you never forget a single detail. Create inspiration boards instantly to envision your dream wedding. Monitor your budget and keep track of your important wedding contacts with ease all in one place.







8.) Fun Wedding by Intelligence, Inc   $0.99

So you want a fun and memorable wedding reception? Ensure your guests have the time of their life with incredible music that keeps the dance floor packed! Not your typical boring music lists, Fun Wedding gives you access to 19 unique music charts updated monthly from millions of actual song requests made through the DJ Intelligence® request system at real wedding receptions around the world. Get an insider’s look into those songs that determine the success or failure of any wedding. Includes top 200 most requested and top 100 decades from 1950’s thru 2010’s. You also get the top 50 bride & groom, bride & father, groom & mother, bridal party, bouquet, garter, and introduction songs. Plus, 4 bonus lists, including most overplayed songs. Listen to song samples, create a request list with your personal favorites, and even find the perfect band or DJ.





9.) Wedding Flowers Moodboard by Sonning Flowers Ltd   $1.99

The Wedding Flowers Moodboard App, helps you create the image you want for your wedding bouquet. The app takes you through a large selection of images and tips to help you choose the shape of your bouquet, the style, the colour and also looks at the season your wedding is going to take place. You are able to select the photo’s you like and add them to your moodboard, adding notes as you go. You can also take your own photo’s and add them to your moodboard directly. Show your Moodboard to your friends, your florist or your wedding planner.






And lastly, so you iPad users don't feel left out...


10.) Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Guides by Bonnier Corporation   FREE

Find ideas and expert advice from the leading bridal magazine devoted exclusively to romantic travel and weddings away. This new app features the free Destination Weddings and Honeymoons Resort Guide 2011. Tour romantic resorts from all over the globe through breathtaking photos, detailed descriptions, interactive maps and links to the latest deals.



Hope you find one or more of these apps helpful in planning your big day!

Cheers,

Little People: Miss Scarlett

Take one adorable little person, mix in two beautiful parents, add one gorgeous day and what you come up with is an awesome shoot with so many great images it's hard to choose. That's exactly what happened when I photographed this family!

Miss Scarlett brought her parents (and aunt) along for the session. She also brought her favorite blankie, some cookies, and lots of toys to keep her occupied and smiling. I love it when families come prepared! Having things for your child to look at, smile at, and laugh at during the shoot makes things super easy for me especially when there's an additional family member to help out.

Have a look-see at this cutie patootie.

A little patty-cake to start things off. Did you know that the first recorded version of this rhyme appears in a play from 1698?

Gorgeous family, right?

I just love this face!

 

 

 

I love baby feet!!

So sweet.

A little toss-up fun with daddy.

Thank you so much for choosing me to document Scarlett's one year milestone! It was great fun!

Cheers,

On speaking (or rather listening) to French.

I have a soft spot for men with accents. Doesn't really matter what kind of accent. Accents are sexy! A good accent can turn a so-so man into a yes-please one. Now, if one of those accents actually results in speaking another language you can stick a fork in me 'cuz I'm done! My husband speaks fluent German. Not necessarily the sexiest language but I love it! I grew up listening to it as my mother and grandmother were natives. It's a comfortable sound hearing German and one of the reasons I like to listen to Deutsche Welle radio.

I have a friend who speaks many languages, my favorite being French. I can't understand a word he says but you can pretty much guarantee that I will ask him to say something in French almost every time I see him. One day he talked to me about toilets and I was okay with that because he said it IN FRENCH! There's something about that language that is so yummy!

Today I opened my email to find this little ditty from my French speaking friend. I'm going to watch it over and over and over again! Ask me how much I *heart* my friends! Go on, ask! Now ask me how much I love this video!



So what about you? What language could you listen to all day long?