Many brides have asked me what a bridal session is; and just in case you are wondering what they are too, you have come to the right place! A bridal session is the perfect time to try on your dress, get your makeup on and hair done at the same time so you can see just how stunning you will look on photo besides on your wedding day. So this way you would look great just as you will on the big day without all the stress and time restraints! Bridals are usually taken before the wedding day and can be taken with your soon-to-be-hubby. We can even stage your “first look” moment with each other with out friends and family looking over your shoulder so this way you can genuinely hug, cry, kiss without thinking if you are still on schedule. We can go to your favorite places or just go off to a vineyard and create tender moments.

Whether your fiance comes to the bridal session or not, these can be valuable photos to hang on your wall or added to your wedding album. Because the stress of the wedding day will not be nagging our every moment, our creative juices will definitely be flowing more freely and we could create them practically anywhere without needing to consider if it were too far away from the venue or if guests were waiting for us your grand entrance.

When is the best time to have the bridal session? My awesome photographer, Amber, took mine a couple months before my wedding day. This way, I had time to make any prints I wanted to showcase on our wedding day. You can have them as early as a you like as long as you already have your dress and your hair stylist and makeup artist already picked out. Be sure to already have the dress fitted and have done at least one trial before this session so that everything may flow much better! Another good thing about having your bridal session on another day is so you can control the weather a bit… okay so you can’t really “control” the weather, but you can reschedule a bridal session if Mother Nature decides to make it rain on your bridal session day–just be sure to pay attention to the forecast and contact your hair, make up and awesome photographer to reschedule on time! We more than anything want this to be an amazing moment of fun for you as you prepare for your wedding day.

What to bring on your bridal session?

You will want to bring a friend to carry a white sheet or blanket to protect your dress just in case I have you sit down anywhere. extra hairspray and some tissues if you’d think you’ll cry when you see your fiance! Also, be sure to bring comfortable shoes beside your wedding shoes just in case we have to hike before we get to the shooting spot! I certainly do not want to get your beautiful shoes dirty! Also if you are into any sports or would like to wear some cleats under your dress, be sure to let us know so we can get some fun ideas there as well!

Anyway, feel free to ask away if you would like to know more about bridal sessions and how to better prepare for them or if you had a bridal session and wish to comment on your experience or what you wish knew to better prepare for it or how much you LOVED it!

Last week I had the distinct pleasure of attending Hurst Fine Diamonds‘ Ladies Night Out event. On arriving, I was surprised at the crowd the evening drew, some arriving early and waiting outside in line to get in. I soon learned what enticed them to come early: Hurst and all the other vendors had made a treat for all the senses. Lindsay Kenkel’s brought delicious tux strawberries. Jonna and Autumn from Elevate melted muscles with their yummy massages (mine did). Jennie Washburn was showing off her radiant cosmetics. Plus there was the givaways Hurst was having. I can’t thank them enough for letting me come photograph the event. I had a really great time watching everyone enjoy the night from creating their own Pandora bracelets to falling head over heels over the LoveStory collection. I came home with a happy sweet tooth, relaxed shoulders (for once!), and a beautiful set of hoop earrings. Special thanks to Michael and Marcus Hurst for putting everything together! If you missed this event, the following movie is a slideshow of the night. Enjoy! And look out for the next Ladies’ Night Out!

It was such an honor and pleasure to photograph your Moms’ day event at the beautiful Alvamar Country Club in Lawrence, KS on Saturday for the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. They and their moms were all so welcoming and friendly. Each sorority sister brought items for a silent auction many of which were so creative and fun!

What does your wedding have in common with Disney World? Let’s say it in one word: “Happiness”. Dynamic wedding entertaining director, Ron Ruth, recently delivered an excellent presentation which not only described why Disney World is the “Happiest Place on Earth” but he also juxtaposed that thought to our couples’ weddings and how we as vendors can work together to help make their wedding day a truly happy day for everyone, but most importantly for the bride and groom.

Brides, grooms, and planners will now have their chance to sink their teeth into a wonderful feast! They will get the opportunity to meet Ron Ruth who will be holding a free workshop in Overland Park on July 27th called The MAGIC Behind An Extraordinary Wedding Celebration. After his presentation to us vendors, I did not even hesitate to invite all my brides on facebook to this workshop. He’s going to be highlighting some of the insiders’ secrets to planning a personalized wedding. Knowing Ron, I can testify it is going to be so much fun you will be asking for more at the end.

I will be there as well, and will give all attendees a free digital portrait after the workshop. Even if you think you’ve already planned everything for your wedding, it will be worth your while, plus you’ll get a free professional portrait for your FB profile.

Here are the details on the workshop:

Please Attend As Our Guest:
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 from 6:00pm-8:00pm
At the Overland Park Marriott on I-435 & Metcalf in the Grand Pavilion
Admission: FREE

Ron will share his helpful tips, creative ideas and insider’s secrets of using…
•Detailed Planning
•Personal Touches
•Emotional Surprises
•Your Unlimited Imagination
to design and create an extraordinarily fun wedding celebration that you family and friends will rave about for years to come.

Oh, and did I mention that attendance is free? Now don’t get fooled by the lack of admission fees, this workshop is so well worth your time.

To RSVP to this event, please visit the facebook event page and contact Christina Cook, Catering Sales Executive, at 913.338.8626 or Christina.Cook@marriott.com. (Maximum of 4 guests please).

Enjoy!

When you think of heaven, what kind of music comes to mind? There is a reason why the stereotypical portrayal of the afterlife is always accompanied by the soothing sound of a harp: the instrument is, quite simply put, divine! For thousands of years musicians have used harps, albeit in different iterations of the musical instrument, to celebrate the most significant events, and for good reason. With its towering, monolithic presence and unparalleled tone color, no instrument can be so evocative and yet provide as subtle, soothing ambiance as the harp.

And in this day and age, what event is more deserving of beautiful music than the joining of two people to make a family. It is a timeless instrument, fitting for any wedding theme, and usually, any budget. Considering the cost of hiring a wedding singer or quartet, a harpist would be the obvious choice for brides-to-be on a budget.

But with so few harpists with the proficiency and stamina required to perform a wedding, having a harp accompaniment is too often a non-option. Luckily for the Kansas City area, one Erin Wood offers her services for weddings and receptions. With 20+ years of experience, Erin’s musical prowess is unparalleled in the area. For any bride looking for style and elegance in her choice of musical accompaniment, Erin Wood is the perfect choice!

Recently a group of friends, my son, and I went to Pendleton’s Country Market to see the Butterfly Bio-Vila. We had a small tour (perfect length for the kids to stay entertained) and a tractor-pulled hayride to the Bio-Villa. The tractor ride passed a right-turn only maze for the kids to play in afterwards and an area where kids can climb up towers, tires, and tricycles and have fun in the country sun. The main attraction was the butterflies. I loved seeing all the kids getting so excited about the butterflies and seeing butterflies actually coming out of their chrysalises and dry their wings! All the little kids ran up and down the brick road looking at the caterpillars on the parsley and butterflies fluttering around, occasionally landing on one of us and on nearby plants.

Something that really was fun to me was tagging the butterflies after playing around and after most of the crowd had left. They brought out some butterflies and placed a small sticker on their wing, and placed them on our heads and hands to let them warm up and fly away. The sticker has a number and can be tracked via internet! We can track them by visiting Monarch Watch. They told me that these butterflies should be in the system by Jan… I guess it will be fun to see where our butterflies end up! Of the three butterflies we tagged, I only got one tag code which was MLS 911. Let’s see how far she gets (she was female)!

Showing us the caterpillar’s antennae

Some kids (and parents) went into the no-left turn maze.

Butterfly coming out of its Chrysalis

The children loved going on a small bike ride

Some children took their pics in front of the caterpillar grow chart

Pushing along with a toy dump truck

“There’s a butterfly on your head!”