I LOVE my job. I love that I am able to spend time with amazing people, take photos of amazing people, and listen to their amazing stories about love. This months featured wedding is on Amanda and Kyle's wedding, March 27th, 2009. I fell in love the both of them the second I met them. Hope you all are having a wonderful week!
How did the two of you meet?
We have crossed path throughout our lives ....(my mom has a picture of Kyle at my brothers 5th birthday party) but we never really talked to each other until the year 2002. It was my sophomore year and Kyle's junior year of high school. My friends were dating Kyle's friends at that time and wanted the whole group to go to a dance together. My friends wanted me to ask Kyle because he was the only one without a date in the group. I didn't want to ask him because I thought he would say no since he didn't know me. I asked him anyways and our friends had a great idea for us to get to know each other before the dance. Kyle and his friends all had quads and wanted to take all of us girls to the desert to ride with them on a Saturday night. I thought he was so cool because he had a quad and a dirt bike and i loved how all the boys were showing off their mad talent on them. Later that night he ask if I wanted to ride on the back of his quad. It was so much fun! He was a very safe driver and also had enough trust in me to let me drive it too. He took my up on this mountain that over-looks all of Mesa. It was so pretty and I wondered if I was the only girl he took there. Till this day he says I am but I don't believe him. Anyways, he turned off his bike and we started to know each other a little better. I was starting to really like him. He was so sweet to me. Well, I made the first move and said “look at the stars, they're so bright” and I moved a little closer to him and kissed him. It was so corny but it worked to my advantage and we been together ever since.
What was it about each other that you fell in love with so much?
Kyle loves being with my family as much as I do. That was very important to me because family is a huge thing to me. He even goes to my parents house to hang out with them when I can't. I also love that he is best buddies with my brother Shon. They are always talking on the phone and planning on their next Dune trip they well take.
How did Kyle propose?
First of all, I absolutely had no idea he was going to propose the night he did or I definitely would have been in a better mood. December of 2007,
Kyle's parent's next door neighbor, just opened up a restaurant and wanted us to go and try it. Kyle's parents said they wanted to take my parents and I to the restaurant. That didn't give me a clue at all because my parents and his parents do stuff all the time together. I was in a very crabby mood that night because I had a long day of softball and wasn't hungry, nor wanted to dress up and go to dinner. When we got to the restaurant there was a chilled bottle of champagne in the middle of the table. I didn't ask any questions about it because I just thought the owner put it there since he knew Kyle's parents. Anyways, everybody opened their menus and started talking about how good the food sounds. My mom kept saying “what do you want. The food sounds delicious you should read whats on the menu”. I told her I wasn't hungry at all and I will just try what ever she was having. “Amanda, I don't have my glasses and I can't read the desserts can you read them to me?”. She was getting more stern with me at this point. I then give her a weird look and then said “FINE”. I opened up the menu and it had sayings about love and Kyle and I's favorite dishes throughout it with prices next to them. Then in the dessert part it said “Spending a lifetime with you- priceless” And under that it said “Will you Marry me?- Kyle”
I couldn't believe my eyes! I looked at Kyle and said “Are you Serious?!” and then he got down on one knee and proposed. The whole time the owner was filming it and I had no idea. My mood quickly changed to excitement. It is a great story Kyle likes to tell by starting off with “she was being a brat that night...but I still wanted to marry her”:-)
How did you find your wedding dress and where? What did you feel like when you tried it on for the first time
My maid of honor, Alisia scheduled my appointment at Destiny's Bride in Scottsdale. My mom, sister, and Alisia went with me to my consultation. I told the lady I wasn't sure on the shape of the dress but I did what something more plain and fitted. I tried about six sample dresses and they were all very cute but none of the dresses screamed “THAT'S THE ONE!" The designers I was tried on were Melissa Sweet, Catalina Herrera, and Monique Lhuillier because those were the designers I liked. The lady was very good at picking out dresses for me and what would look the best on my body. So I didn't have to try on ones that were for sure No's. She then brought out a dress by a Canadian designer called Paloma Blanca. She said "I know this isn't one of the designers you wanted but I think this is going to look perfect on your body". Sure enough it looked great, I loved the color and everybody said that was the best dress of the day. I was skeptical though because I felt like I didn't try on that many dresses and I couldn't believe that I might have already of found my dress. Destiny's Bride said they have a couple of Melissa Sweet samples coming in from New York in a couple of days and told me to come back. I went back and brought my aunt with me. I tried on the new dresses and then I tried on the same Paloma Blanca dress I tried on the first visit. When I walked out in the Paloma Blanca dress my aunt said “THAT'S THE ONE!”
Why did you choose the Valley Ho as your venue?
I chose Hotel Valley Ho because I loved how the atmosphere felt when we checked it out. Everybody was so nice and it just seemed like a fun and relaxed place. I also love bright fun colors, so that to me that makes me happy and I loved that everything was so colorful. Also, the design of the hotel was amazing to me. It gives you a 50's feel now in the modern day. I wanted the feel of my wedding day to be fun and that is what the hotel has to offer.
Did you have a wedding planner help you with your wedding? What was your biggest challenge if you didn't have a planner helping you?
I didn't have a wedding planner but I did have my mom and she did most of the planning and organizing. The Valley Ho gave me a booklet on everything you need to do for a wedding. It had a time line for the wedding day and what needs to be done. It also had recommended vendors that have done many events at the Valley Ho. I say stick to the to do lists and time lines and that will keep you on track.
What was the BEST moment about the wedding?
The best moment for us was the dancing at the reception. We had so much fun and we seriously felt like we were in Las Vegas club. The dj's (SKM) did a great job in getting everybody on the dance floor and the lighting was amazing.
What is something you would recommend to any future brides to be during the planning process?
My advice would be think about what vendor(s) is most important to you and where you went to spend a good % of your budget on. The pictures was the most important to me because I wanted to be able to look back at them in 20 years and feel like day the wedding was yesterday, because the pictures capture every emotion, feeling, and thought that was going on in that moment in time. Oh and by the way, I got just that!
Are there any vendors that you highly recommend?
I got extremely lucky and I would HIGHLY recommend ALL my vendors. I seriously have no complaints about any of them. I maybe wish the strings during my ceremony were louder. It would have been better if there was a microphone.
Place: Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale
Flowers and Linens: Avant Garde- Jill Murphey at Avant Garde DJ: SKM Videographer: Greg Cluff My video is on his simple videos!
Invitations and programs: M & Co. Papery Dress: Desiny's Bride in Scottsdale- the seamstress is amazing!
And last but not least, my lovely photographer but everybody knows she is the BEST! (sorry had to write that Stephanie)
If you want to see more photos of Amanda and Kyle's wedding, click here
"A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?" Today I spent the day with my two best friends. My fiance Stephen and my other bestie Margo. To some of you, this may sound silly but Margo has been next to me all day, all night, while I work, while I sleep, while I eat, she has been my companion and company for the past year and a half. I picked her up at the LAX airport after she had been shipped to me from Georgia. The airport officiant brought me the large kennel containing my one pound miniature pug puppy. I really thought she would be much larger but low and behold, she was a pound. I couldn't believe how small she was and I was SO excited to take care of her. I wasn't supposed to have a puppy in my apartment at the time, but I kept her quite and loved every moment I spent with her by my side. We took some photos today for my upcoming website launch. We had such a blast together exploring the downtown neighborhoods and I thought I would share some of our fun. If anyone has a sweet special companion, I would love to capture the two of you together. Soak it up and enjoy your time with them.
I felt a bit free while I jumped a few times in the alley way! (Dont ask why... sometimes it feesl so good to just JUMP!)
Of course, Stephen caught me with my camera. I am lost without it!
Things I love :) Polaroids, Stephen, Margo and a camera. Perfect.
So I LOVE starbucks greentea. just had to share it.
After receiving a lot of questions through e-mails about lighting, equipment, and photo shoots, I figured it would be easier to write about each section.
So, the first FAQ I will be posting is about lighting. My FAVORITE thing about photography is lighting!! I have received a lot of e-mails about off camera lighting and I thought since this was the most asked question, I would begin with lighting options.
Lucy asked: What off camera lighting do you use?
First of all, I should mention that I shoot with all canon 5ds. I can't shoot with anything BUT the canon 5d. There is just something so wonderful about that 5d! A little slice of Heaven :) The external lighting I use is not very difficult to use or super extravagant but is worth looking into. It all really depends on your style of photography. I love something a little bit different and bold.
One lens that really helps me with off camera lighting is the 50mm 1.2. Because of the 1.2, I am able to get some awesome indoor reception shots when there is less light available. I finally decided months back to look into some extra external lighting since I was feeling bored with just my camera flash. I wanted something more creative, something more fun, something with a PUNCH of light. When I have any questions about equipment, I always call B&H. They have the best info on cameras and awesome deals.
I called B&H and explained my situation about an upcoming wedding. I NEEDED more light!! The reception room I was going to be shooting in was basically a black room. Hardly any in house light would be available. So, when in need, B&H was who I called.
I basically talked this poor guys ear off but he definitely gave me the info I needed.
I just needed another flash and some pocket wizards. Unfortunately, its not as simple as you think. These so called little pocket wizards are no little magical wizards. They are fickle and its safe to say that they are a pain in the butt...... BUT, I have gotten some awesome shots with them. If you are looking for a more affordable option, this is the way to go. It took me fooling around with them a lot to figure it all out. I bought a stand to attach my extra flash to and two pocket wizards and that helped me achieve the look I wanted. Before just ordering these little guys, you definitely need to know how to work your flash manually. Read the manual! Then, you will have to sync the same settings on the flash to the pocketwizard. This is also achievable apart from pocket wizards but again, they are fickle. Apparently, they have come out with now the "miniTTI" which are a lot smaller and easier to use pocket wizards. If you are interested in working with off camera lighting, definitely read more about it HERE.
This is one dance shot that I LOVE. Just a bit of extra color and that big punch of light really gives this photo more life. I shot this photo with a Canon 5D, 50mm 1.2 ISO 640 (My ISO is usually higher) If you are looking for a bit of a more grainy look, knock your ISO even higher. F-stop: 1.2
While I was writing this post, my doorbell rang and my neighbor screamed, "there is a rattle snake on your patio!" My heart dropped because for a second I thought my poor dog Margo was outside probably trying to eat the vicious thing. I looked over at the door and Margo was just staring at me. I grabbed her, grabbed my camera and ran outside. Stephen ran outside immediately after he heard about all the commotion about a snake on my patio. For those of you that don't know Stephen, he just recently moved here from San Diego and has experienced a centipede in Margo's bed, and now a rattle snake on my patio. I simply turned to Stephen and said, "welcome to Arizona" with a large smile.
I had the wonderful pleasure of working with Julie and Bradford last weekend, to document their wedding day. The wedding was held at Troon North Golf Club and the weather couldnt have been more perfect in Scottsdale. On the brink of becoming 100 degrees outside, we all enjoyed the breezy warm air that felt just right. I absolutely adored Julie's Melissa Sweet dress and the adorable yellow bridesmaids dresses. Julie's makeup, hair and smile, couldn't have looked more stunning. Julie is one of those brides you could take photos of ALL day. She is such a natural beauty and I loved looking at her through my lens! I had such a great time getting to know both Julie and Bradford. From their engagement photos, talking about planning and now having the opportunity to document their day, I felt honored to have been apart of all of it! My absolute favorite moment of the day was when it came time for Julie and Bradford to see each other before the ceremony. Both were lit up with excitement and anxious for it all to unfold. I took them to a nearby tunnel where the light was rich and bright. Julie walked up behind Bradford and ever so slightly, and tapped him on the shoulder. My second shooter Marissa and I, loved watching how gentle and sweet Bradford was towards Julie.There was something so kind about him and the way he looks at her is evidence to how much he truly loves her. I had such a blast at the reception, watching everyone dance and sing. I just want to thank both Bradford and Julie for allowing me to be apart of this special day. I had a blast documenting all the small details that made your day so perfect. Click HERE for a slideshow of the rest of the day.
This was one of my favorite moments of the day. Julie teared up the second she saw Bradford and looked absolutely stunning.
The reception was absolutely a BLAST and I loved watching everyone dance their hearts out!
So the other day, I took a break from work and sat down to watch the fabulous Martha Stewart show and sip on my morning coffee. Martha of course, was whipping up some scallops with delicious almond sauce. (is your mouth watering yet?) I got up to get back to work but was pulled back to the tv while I heard Anthony Edwards (formally known as Mark Greene on ER) talk about this foundation called Shoes For Africa. The foundation began by collecting running shoes and clothes to give people opportunities in sports. I could write about this in depth but I think its easier if I post this video... it explains everything and it's inspiring. When I see something like this, I am always reminded by this quote by Anne Frank: "No one has ever become poor by giving." I think something happens to our soul when we give. Its not just what item of clothing or pair of shoes we may be giving but its the simple act of love that stirs deep in our hearts to give more. I hope this inspires us to give more than we have. Check out this video and learn what this foundation is all about.
