I Heart Paper {Diva's}!

Recently, we had a chance to work with Wedding Paper Diva's - and their work is really beautiful and very affordable. One of the many reasons to work with Wedding Paper Diva's is that they offer a Free Proof of your order, which is fantastic, because seeing really is believing.



They have a new LetterPress Invitations which is out-of-this-world-beautiful, if you haven't had an opportunity to take a peek, there are so many options and it's really gorgeous!

They also have a new Cultural Wedding Invitations, which adds to their already expansive line of beautiful stationary!

When you have a moment, head on over and take a peek.

Can you Feel The Love!

Today I found that I was mention on two seperate and unrelated blogs! If you are looking for some new fun reads, check out LCI Paper and Top 100 Wedding Blogs {and it also lists the Top Dating Sites too}.



And I had a fantastic talk with Monica Rae over at The White Box earlier this week! She is soooo sweet! And we could have talked for ever!!! It's so funny how close we become to one another over our blogs, it's like we've known each other all of our lives!



Thanks for the mention!!!

Our Big Fat Greek Wedding {Magazine}!

This summer, my bossy intern had the opportunity to travel the world with her family for her {early} graduation present! She went to Athens and Santorini in Greece and then hopped over to Italy for Rome and Positano!



I had Bossy Intern Assistant (it's hard to get used to that) write up a post for us on Europe, plus she brought back a fun Greek Wedding Mag!!!  So here's Bossy Assistant!!!!



I had such a blast traveling Europe with my family, it was absolutely incredible! I was blessed to rent a home from a future bride while we were in Oia, Santorini (which is in the Greeks Islands). Her name was Effie and she gave me a lot of insight into the wedding customs and traditions that the Greeks practice. The biggest difference in her wedding was that it will be a b.i.g. party! I mean, big party! The whole community becomes involved in the wedding and the celebrations last throughout the week! She showed me a place where I could buy wedding magazines and that is where I got these amazing images. No, you cannot read what it says, you know the saying “It’s all Greek to me” became very literal when we were there…but the images were SO fun to browse through. The ones featured here were some of Melissa’s favorites.

Side Note: We asked one of the people we met if they had heard of the saying “It’s all Greek to me” and they laughed and said of course, but they use “It’s all Chinese to me” in Greece! How funny!



After a bit of research when I got home, I learned that in Ancient Greek times, the brides wore traditional veils in either yellow or red, representing fire. These veils protected the bride from evil spirits and demons. Most ancient wedding history tends to have a way to ward off evil in some form. However, they have (for the most part) done away with this tradition and now they have new traditions. Now they have the Greek circle dance which is led by the koumbaros, or best man as we know them. The koumbaros is also responsible for helping with the crowning of the couple with crowns made of long-lasting flowers such as orange blossoms or “twigs of love and cine” wrapped in silver and gold paper. At the reception, they throw plates for good luck while shouting Opa! A neat tradition that we were able to experience while we were there is that when the musicians are well liked, fresh flowers are thrown towards the stage as a sign of gratitude.



Candy coated almonds, known to us as Jordan Almonds, are given as favors at all Greek Weddings. There are many other religious Greek Orthodox Wedding Traditions that can be found on the internet, but these were some of my favorites! I loved learning about the culture and tradition in the countries I visited…and it didn’t hurt that they were absolutely stunningly beautiful!



{Melissa sidenote: Okay seriously, how beautiful are those centerpieces!!!}

Let's Eat Cake Update!

Did you know that you can now contribute to Let's Eat Cake! safely online!  There is an icon on the right side of the blog - Chip In! - and you can safely donate to St. Jude's right there! It is done through PayPal, so it's super easy!



Thanks so very much for all of your support for our event!



{You can also mail checks or donations to our office}

Wedding Inspiration

Something borrowed, something blue...

I'll have to admit, when I have a client that says she wants to incorporate a lot of blue in her decor, it can be challenging. Mainly, there are not a lot of true blue flowers out there and I'm not a big fan of dyed flowers. I'm currently planning a destination wedding with this "blue" bride and have found the perfect beautiful solution for her wedding in St. Kitts. These photos are from Destination Wedding Style.





I just love all the hues of blue and green to mimic the ocean's colors. Peacock feather's add a touch a sass and that "unexpected element" that you know I love!









Check out this awesome centerpiece of feathers, white peonies and hydrangea. So original! These amazing floral designs are by Yvonne Floral Design out of Hawaii... must be nice!!

The Library by Elizabeth Ann Designs

In case you haven't heard, take a peek at the best new resource for the bride who needs everything, or just one more piece of the puzzle! The Library will help every bride, no matter her location, find the vendors and inspiration she needs for a beautiful event.

Check out The Library brought to you by, the amazing women of Elizabeth Ann Designs.

It is set up in such an easy to read and understand fashion! No matter what you are looking for, from Event Planners to Photography and everything inbetween - you will be sure to find it at The Library.

{on a side note, I was honored and thrilled to see our name, MasterPiece Weddings, amongst these incredible folks!- Thanks Elizabeth Ann Designs for including widdle ole' us!}

Lucky Me! Guest Blogs!!

I feel honored to have Erin from Lucky Me! and Lucky Designs! guest blogging for us today! Her designs and creativity are second to none! And this idea is just as creative, I love it! So without further ado, here's Erin!!!! {applause can being now....}

My thoughtful husband surprised me recently with a Sony Handycam. It is so wonderful to be able to capture the fun we are having with Lucky Baby. The Handycam is very easy to use and produces high quality video. While getting to know our camcorder, it occurred to me that it would have been terrific to roam around our "town" and record some of the great places to visit and eat for the out of town guests that attended our wedding. Since hotel accommodations may not included DVD viewing, it might be nice to send your DVD with a rehearsal dinner invitation.

We included all of our out of town guests in our rehearsal dinner so that we would have more time to spend with them. Our guests roamed all over Cincinnati while they were in town and took full advantage of their long weekend here. A personal, enthusiastic DVD introduction may have helped them choose what they wanted to see and do while in Cincinnati. Also, having our family and friends visit that weekend, meant so much to my husband and I. The time and thought put into a DVD would have been another way for us to let everyone know that! So, shoot away and let people know how much you look forward to them being at your wedding and getting to know your hometown!


Thank you for including me on your blog!

Bossy Intern.... Not Anymore!!

MasterPiece Wedding is proud to announce that Bossy Intern {Kristin} is no more! That's right - Bossy Intern must now be officially be regarded as Bossy Associate!!!!



MasterPiece Weddings is so Happy/Proud/Pleased/Joyful/over the moon {aka out of my mind excited} to welcome Kristin aboard as an official member of the MasterPiece Weddings Team!!



Any of you who know me, have worked with me, or have talked with me in the last month know that Kristin has become an integral part of the MasterPiece Weddings team, and I am blessed to have had worked with her over the past 7 months, and I think I've realized that I just can't live or work without her! She has just become such an important part of the team so much so that I offered her the job, and I am so pleased to announce that Bossy Intern Kristin accepted the job!!!



Please help us in welcoming her aboard!



{Image courtesy of Powers Photography}

Yay!

We made the Library for Elizabeth Anne! We're so honored to be a part of your FABULOUS list of vendors! Please stop by and check them out! Congrats ladies on the new site! It's awesome!!

Super Secret Project, Part Duex

Another piece of our Super Secret Project is the Wedding Day! I am so appreciative of Amanda and Greg for allowing their day to be captured from the Consultant’s point of view.



As you may already know there were some early morning challenges that weren’t captured by the photographer {Stewart Powers} so let me give you a bit of background:



6AM – Wake up to a phone call from the florist with a question about the reception design and lay out

7AM – Confirm some final details with the reception location and set up

7:30- Have a cup of coffee, some cereal {knowing it might be a while before I eat again}

8:00 – Answer some emails

9:00 – Pack up the car wedding bus

10AM – Head out to run some errands for the bride

11:15AM – Call Rental location to let them know I am on my way to pick up 11 Chivari Chairs… they are aware I am on my way…

11:30AM – Show up at locked rental location – start banging on every door they own

11:35AM – Start banging and screaming “HELLLLOOOO!!!! IS ANY ONE THERE???”

11:37 AM- Run around to the back of the warehouse banging and screaming “PLEASE BE THERE – WHERE ARE YOU!!!?

11:40 AM- Call the rental location and can hear the phone ringing inside…. No one is there..

11:42 AM - Call someone to get someone to find someone at the rental location, they don’t answer leave a message

11:48 AM – Still banging… and decide to drive to the other location to find someone to get my clients chairs

12:07 PM – Arrive at other location, they are locked up tight (no surprise, they close at noon)

12:09 PM – Start thinking of places I could find chairs for my bride….

12:11 PM – Call other rental locations… no answer

12:15 PM – Head to The Hilton and ask my friends if I could beg, borrow or steal 11 chairs

12:17 PM – Get permission – HOORAY – I load my car wedding bus with 11 chairs {and I didn’t have to prostitute myself for them!!!}

12:30 PM – Head to the suite to let Amanda {the bride} know about Chair-Gate, and inform her that I will make sure she gets a refund… and the chairs will be amazingly perfect!!!

12:55 PM- Receive a phone call from the florist that he’s arrived with the personal flowers – I meet him downstairs to help bring them up to the suite

1:02 PM- Arrive to the suite with the flowers, show Amanda, and she loves her bouquet {it’s amazing!!!}

1:42 PM – Show Amanda her Bridesmaid’s flowers, and in the right light, they are the wrong color

1:43 PM- Call the florist to explain kindly to get-their-butts-over-here NOW to fix the color of the flowers

2:00 PM – Video starts…. Here!



So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy The Real Wedding Day!







** Update - I don't know why some of the last letters are missing... silly program! {Sorry!}

Photography Give Away!

A couple of amazing photographers, Shari and Shannon, started Fly Away Photography - a destination photography company, and a super fun blog!

In fact they are giving away TWO photography packages to, two deserving couples with a great story! Hey, give it shot... I would if I was you!

Check it out!

Steamy Judge!!!

Have you been to Let's Eat Cake! lately - have you seen our newest judge... one hint.... Steamy!!!!

{Image Source: Pink Cake Box}

Be A Planner - Face Lift!

In case you haven't been over to Be A Planner in a while, check it out, it has a fancy new face, new Seal, it's super fun! And let me know what you think!

Destination Weddings

For those of you who don't know, I got started in this industry doing destination weddings. Whether in Key West, New Orleans or the Caribbean, I was the go-to gal for these hot spots. I thought I would share some tips on what you need before jetting off to your nearest beach (and when you do, could I please tag along?)

First thing to check:

Language. Yes, it may be obvious to some, but before deciding you want your wedding to be in Paris or Cancun, weigh in the factor that there will be a language barrier and this may cause a challenge to you and/or your guests. I unfortunately am not bilingual by any stretch of the imagination, and most US based destination planners are not either. BUT - we have our resources in our destinations of choice that we communicate with and help translate. I strongly recommend you finding a planner experienced in your destination of choice.

Marriage Requirements. What the heck do you need to get married in Jamaica? Bora Bora? There are several resources available to get you on the right path.
Here and here to name a few.

Now there are a ton of other things that you need to know. I didn't want to bore you with more text and no pictures.

So, drop me an email { destinations@luciesevents.com } if you have any questions - I'm happy to help or contact the local tourism board. Happy Summer!!

P.S. I promise I'll post some pictures of recent weddings soon!

Super Secret Project - Revealed!

I know it's almost anticlimactic but it's finally done! The Super Secret Project!

I first have to thank Powers Photography, and Stewart Powers - for without him, this project would never have come to fruition! Frankly, it was his idea!

Basically, Stewart followed me around and shadowed me at both a rehearsal and the wedding day. So now you can have a wedding consultants point of view at both!

This was so exciting, and challenging for me, on many levels! First exciting because it was a new project for both of us -and it was SO much fun!

Challenging on so many levels - as a consultant you train yourself to get out of the way of the photographer! To find the quickest route to get out of the photographers field, never be in a picture, be invisible, and all that stuff. I was so conflicted having Stewart there. DUCK! Oh, wait no, he's photographing me! MOVE! Wait no... I truly had to re-train myself.

But incredibly fun to be documenting something in photographs that I don't know has been done before.

So, without further ado, I bring you Amanda and Greg's Rehearsal in 10 Easy Steps!

Proposal Packages!

Recently a client asked me to help him with an amazing proposal, in Las Vegas - and as you know, I am in love with Las Vegas. And Greg wanted to do this RIGHT! Money was no object, he wanted to treat her to the most incredibly indulgent meal, and just a night she would not soon forget. Tina went on this vacation under the guise that this was a completely relaxing indulgent vacation.





He gave me the particulars, {basically wanted to propose the first night and play the rest of the trip}and let me go to work!! Basically all I did was present him with a timeline... and he was set!







Here's what went down!



Arrive in Las Vegas at 2PM, check into your Suite at The Palazzo.



3 o’clock – Massages In-Suite (Jealous yet!)

5 o’clock – Head to Bellagio for drinks at The Fontana Bar, outside on veranda overlooking the Fountain

Half Past 6 – Reservations at Picasso (this is my favorite part!!!)

                 

The menu was preset- he picked all of her favorites, each was paired with a special wine



Maine Lobster Salad

with Apple-Champagne Vinaigrette

2005 Leeuwin Estate, Art Series, Riesling, Margaret River, Australia



Pan Seared Sea Scallops

with Potato Mousseline, Crispy Leeks and Jus de Veau

2005 Domaines Schlumberger, Les Princes Abbés, Pinot Gris, Alsace, France



Sautéed "A" Steak of Foie Gras

with Olsen Cherries, Crushed Almonds and Baltos Cinnamon Reduction

2003 The Royal Tokaji Wine Company, Tokaji Aszú, 5 Puttonyos, Mád, Hungary



Roasted Aged Lamb Chop

with Rosemary Potatoes and Au Jus

1999 Bodegas Mauro, Terreus, Pago de Cueva Baja, Vino de la Tierra Castilla Y León, Spain



Then her favorite dessert a Strawberry Neapolitan.



Now he didn’t ask her during the meal, or put a fancy “question” on the dessert…



Put at the end of the meal, the server placed the ring on the Dessert Tray filled with all sorts of delicate truffles that he brings out right before the check… Greg was cool as a cucumber this whole time, and really wasn’t worried about anything, because he knew that Picasso had it under-control.



Tina later told me that if she thought Greg would propose she thought he would had done it already, not wait until the end, end, end of the meal, so she was totally shocked, and everyone in the restaurant applauded!



Since I know from experience (it's a terrible side effect of this job) that the average meal at Picasso can last 3+ hours… they wouldn’t be done with dinner until after 9PM, knowing they’d be tired from the 3 hour time change… assumed they’d head back to the hotel. I pulled some strings and had their names on the VIP list for Tao at Venetian, in case they weren’t, uh, celebrating…



I really enjoyed planning their proposal! I know it was a relief to Greg too – especially since he called and texted me right after it happened to tell me everything was perfect!



Thank you Greg and Tina for allowing me to be apart of your fantastic proposal, and I am so excited about your wedding!!!



If you need help proposing - ask us about our Proposal Packages!

I cant help it!

I know that photography week is offically over, but I just can't help it!!!



Our friends with the snarky answers, K-Gallery, were sweet enough to post some images from a wedding we did recently together - of me goofing off working hard.



Here's a sneak peak, but be sure to check it out!

Gosh, I love my job!

Photography Week - Phinished.

{Photo Credit: Damon Tucci Photography}

What a fun week! I hope you enjoyed the photographs and learning the different styles of each of the photographers, and what they are conscious about it.



To me, as a wedding consultant, I always, always take into consideration my clients wants, needs, and their personalitiy when referring a photographer to them.



Every photographer is different, their focus, their work, their style. Also the finished product - does the album tell a story, how do they use light in their photographs. All of these things play a role to me, and me knowing that my client will be happy with their priceless memories of their wedding day.



These are all things to look for when searching for the perfect person to capture your once-in-a-lifetime most cherished celebration!



A special thanks to Photography 35, Kara Pennington Photography, K-Gallery, Caroline Johnson, and Powers Photography for taking the time to answer my questions and send me pictures!

Final Photography Week Installment!

So last, but certainly not least, the other half of Power's Photography, Susan Powers!



Both Stewart and Susan have very different eyes when it comes to weddings, but one thing I always admire about the way they work is their attention to details, like lighting, which can play such an important role when looking back at your photographs!



Soooo... let me introduce to you Susan Powers!



How did you get into wedding photography?



Just like Stewart, wedding photography found its way to me. It first started out as a hobby to do on the weekends. The hobby soon became a passion. It’s so much fun that we made our passion into a business.

What do you consider your style of photography to be?

I consider myself an editorial style photographer. The nature of editorial is watching things unfold naturally and documenting it. There’s a time and a place for portraiture, documentary, and for journalism. The best photographers know when to switch to each mode. I like making a bride look her finest all day long. I want it to be the most fun 24 hours of her life. Not only do I want her look great, but I also want to make sure she doesn’t have a minute of stress with the photography.

If you could offer once piece of advice to a bride, and only one, what would it be?

One piece of advice I could offer a bride would be to chose your photographer very, very carefully. The photographer will set the mood and the timing of your wedding. Your photographer will be closer to you that day than your parents and you need to make sure that this person is someone you’re comfortable with and you can communicate with.

Also it’s imperative that this person listens to you. It would be advisable in selecting a photographer to talk to their past clients to hear how their experience was. Simple questions such as: How long do things take? How do you dress at a wedding? What will my finished wedding album look like? Exactly what products are included in my wedding collection? Such questions are important to ask your photographer beforehand, because once the wedding is over, that’s it. If you’re photographer shows up in flip flops at a black tie event, you would be very disappointed.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The real beauty of being photographers is making new friends, making them blissfully, photographically happy and then staying friends for a long, long lifetime! Stewart and I have been so blessed to share in the life histories of thousands of couples and families. Our clients truly become a part of our family, which is so rewarding all in itself.

Photography Week - Almost there!

We are going to finish up Photography Week with a Big Finish, another Husband and Wife team that are both Master Photographers. They both have such different styles to their photography, but exceptional in their own rights!

Sooo... I've decided to introduce you to Powers Photography in two parts. Stewart first, and then his beautiful and very talented wife, Susan!

Funny and Ironical story, my first job in Gainesville when I moved here to go to school, right before I got the wedding bug, I worked for Powers Photography (for 2 weeks!!!) and realized how much I love weddings, and knew that was my calling!

Without further ado, let me intoduce you to Stewart Powers!



How did you get into Wedding Photography?

Photography chose me when I was in high school. My homeroom teacher picked the red headed kid in the back corner with no camera or experience to be on the annual staff. Photography became my addicted passion. I later got into wedding photography as a way of paying for school. I've been doing wedding photography ever since and have loved the stories, the experiences, and witnessing the love between two people.

What do you consider your style of photography to be?

Editorial – a blend of classic and documentary style. We have won many awards for our storybook style of wedding album – and I feel the heart of what we do is being visual storytellers. Of course the prime directive is that the bride looks her finest in the photos!

If you could offer one piece of advice to a bride, and only one, what would it be?

Hire your wedding photographer based on their expertise, style, and creativity. Think about what you want to take away from your wedding...gorgeous images of you looking your best in your wedding gown, heart-felt pictures that tell a love story of you and your groom, and pictures with those that support you along the way, your family and friends. Visit a photographer that catches your interest and be sure to see the finished product of a wedding-the album. Hiring based on a few cool photos or a blog may leave you feeling silly when that album disappoints.



What's the most rewarding part of your job?



Being a part of someone's history is a remarkable experience. It's an honor to witness first hand the raw emotion, truth, and amazing love between two people. Delivering the album to bride & groom is another thing I enjoy. The "oohs and ahhs, " and hugs and tears of happiness are rewarding on a heart level!

More CJ Images!

I just located a few more images from our featured photographer today! I think you'll really love these!

Check out Caroline's Blog for way more fun stuff!

Photography Week - Part CJ! (Part 4)

How fun has this week been! I love comparing images from each of the different photographers and seeing their different styles on paper, and their personalities shine in their answers!

Today, I bring you a good friend of mine, Caroline Johnson. Her funky, artsy qualities, and stylish approach to her portraits keep brides coming back for more! Her personality shines through in all she touches. I love working with Caroline, she scouts out the best places for great images, check out her blog for more fun stuff!

How did you get into Wedding Photography?





Sort of by chance! I always had a passion for documenting events and people. After graduating from College with a degree in Business and Communications I worked as a pharmaceuticals rep for 7 years and somewhere down that path I decided to study photography at the Photographic Center Northwest in Seattle, WA. I absolutely knew that this was for me. I would find myself heading into the darkroom early in the day and heading out when it was pitch black. I could lose myself in the process and forget about anything else and just be in the moment! I loved this feeling. My first brides came to me through friends of friends. And next thing you know I was heading off to over 15 states in the U.S. and then to remote wedding destinations in Italy, Belize, Costa Rica, and Canada.



I still need someone to pinch me because I can't believe that this is really my job. Not only have I unleashed my passion but I have clients who genuinely appreciate my gifts and encourage me and inevitably have become some of my dearest friends. Life could not be any sweeter when you find what it is that you were meant to be doing. One of my favorite quotes is "Take life one dream at a time". If you are still searching for you passion live by these words and explore and the more you dream the more you will discover what it is that you were meant to do!

What do you consider your style of photography to be?



Editorial with a splash of Photojournalism. I take a modern approach to design and capture.

If you could offer one piece of advice to a bride, and only one, what would it be?



Hire a wedding coordinator!!!! As a photographer I seriously appreciate all of the wonderful things that Wedding Coordinators do for the bride and their families on the day of the wedding. When a wedding is well planned and executed my brides and grooms are more relaxed which allows me to capture images that are amazing. When a bride acts as the wedding coordinator I have found that they tend to not be in the moment and people will constantly ask them questions which pulls them mentally in different directions. From my standpoint it is really challenging to take away these distractions and continue to get killer images that document their day in a fashionable manner.



Also, I want to recommend that brides and grooms consider seeing each other before a wedding. I know... this totally breaks tradition, but today's brides are not about having traditional weddings. In fact I find that they are wanting to do almost anything they can do to break tradition and make their weddings uniquely theirs. I have found that when this is done that my clients get far more amazing images than they could possibly imagine and with a greater variety of locations.



Also, everyone tends to be more relaxed by the time the ceremony takes place. Now you certainly don't have to take this approach but you can't expect to get great images when you are crunched for time trying to rush to the reception or cocktail hour and trying to get all of your family shoots in along with entire wedding party and then images of the the two of you. The choice always sits with my couples but remember how much of an investment you are making in hiring a professional photographer. Collaborate with your photographer and come up with a plan that works for you both.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?



There are so many things that I love about wedding photography. I seriously get a rush when I capture images. When I know that I nailed a shoot my clients may get a glimpse of what I call "the happy dance". It is so silly! Then there the moments when you are sitting behind your computer and processing pictures and I'll suddenly see a shoot just jump off the screen with pure beauty. These unexpected images give me a total rush. When a client hires me and trusts me to capture one of the most important days of their lives. When a client picks up their album. When I see the bride’s father seeing her for the first time. When the groom toast his new wife. When everyone tells me how much fun they are having the day of the wedding. The first kiss as husband and wife. The gitty little gleam that the happy couple has as they are walking down the aisle. How could someone not love being a part of this happy time. Traveling to locations that I never dreamed of visiting let alone working. These really are just a few of the many things. There are so many things that keep me addicted to wedding photography.

Photography Week - Part K - er 3!

Another husband/wife team of photographers (I knew we had great photography teams, but for some reaosn I never put two and two together!) Krystal and Matt are so much fun to work with, they are like ninja's they are everywhere and no where - they are Darkman.... I think that a photographer that is able to move around so stealthy is better able to catch some of that emotion you are craving to cature on your wedding day, and they do just that! Check them out at K-Gallery and if you haven't their rockin' blog too!

How did you get into Wedding Photography?

Well, it's a funny story. See, we were running guns for the Japanese mafia when our stolen Soviet oil tanker was boarded by ATF agents. You can imagine how THAT turned out, and we briefly considered piracy on the high seas as a career, but that rat race has just turned too "corporate" these days, ya know? So we became wedding photographers.

Now our cover story is that Krystal got a photojournalism degree from UF, and was in the US Army as a photojournalist deployed to Ecuador, Bosnia, Kosovo and various other delightful locales. When she got out, she decided hard news and accident scenes weren't exactly her bag. Weddings are a lot more fun, and there's less sniper fire. Matt got into it when digital came of age. "Wait, you mean we can do this on a computer now?" So, six years ago we opened our business specializing in wedding and portrait photography.

What do you consider your style of photography to be?

Well, our photographs have been described as "A heart-thumping thrill ride," "so gargantuan that I must create new words to describe it: fabularious … a brilliantological humongousness of marvelosity," and "Prepare your eyes for popping — they just might fly out of their sockets!"

Err...wait those are movie blurbs for "300." Our bad.

In our images, we're after two things. First, we think people like our images because the people in them look like they're having a good time. That's important, because, well, first we sure hope people are having a good time at their weddings, and second because the photography process wasn't painful for them. People freak out when they have to get in front of a camera, but we think our clients' expressions, even in posed pictures, show that our relaxed styles and attitudes make it easy for them.

Second, we really strive to master our craft, and approach our work with near-obsessive attention to detail. When we capture our images, of course we're after beautiful moments and expressions, but we're also paying attention to flattering angles and poses, and making sure we have three-dimensional lighting that makes the subject pop out of the image and their eyes sparkle and shine. And our albums are consistently amongst the most highly awarded in the state of Florida and across the nation because of our clean designs and the warm, rich, glowing skin tones, consistent from the start of the book to the finish.

 If you could offer one piece of advice to a bride, and only one, what would it be?

Well that's easy! Don't wax before tanning...that was a bad weekend. Oh, and don't mix plaids. And never draw to an inside straight.

Ohhhhhh, you mean wedding advice! Ummm...hire us? Besides that? We guess it would be "give yourself plenty of time." Your wedding day should be fun and relaxing. Give yourself plenty of time and delegate all the responsibilities for making things run smoothly to your wedding planner.

Also, one thing we hear a lot from our couples is that they wish they had fewer guests. That way you get to spend time with the people who are nearest and dearest to you and it makes for a much more powerfully emotional day.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

Well, once a week we get a really good dinner. So that's nice.

We guess we have to get all schmaltzy here. About a year into our business we photographed Rachel & Sean's wedding, and at the reception, they had a table laid out with their family history in portraits, back to great-great grandparents at the turn of the century. They probably had to hold still for 8 seconds in front of some view camera on a tripod while some old-timey dude adjusted the focus with a dark cloth over his head. Anyway, I wonder if said old-timey dude realized that, 90 years later, that image he captured would still be cherished by that couple's great-great grandchildren, and viewed and cooed over by all their friends and family? And we thought, "these images we're creating right now...Rachel & Sean's pictures...these are going to be on display at their great-great grandchild's. And that's really awesome. Especially since the wedding will probably take place in space. And there will be lasers and also robots.