Courtney + Ryan's Wedding Invitations

Remember how I said that Courtney and Ryan's wedding invitations deserved a blog post all their own? I wasn't kidding -- this is one of my favorite invitation suites ever! Here are the beauties that Courtney created herself.

I heart cupcakes.

Especially cupcakes from The Flying Cupcake.





And I definitely wouldn't complain if someone wanted to send me box of these delicious little bites of heaven. My favorites are Pucker Up, Cheesecake Blues, and Here Comes the Bride. Just sayin'.

Happy Earth Day!

Remember my go green blog post? In case you didn't read it last time, take a moment to read these great tips about how you can help the planet by incorporating these environmentally friendly suggestions into your daily life.

For those of you living in Indianapolis, check out the big Earth Day festival downtown this Saturday.

Tell me how you celebrated Earth Day today by doing your part to be green and you could win a gift certificate to our favorite Sunday brunch spot -- Cafe Patachou. They use fresh, local ingredients to create the most delicious meals. On Saturday this week, one lucky winner will be chosen!

handmade birdcage veils

I am in love with these birdcage veils handmade by Kasia Fink. You can order one of her existing designs or work with her to create a custom birdcage veil. I absolutely love the way a bride looks in a birdcage veil! Go get one!!!

thank you cards

I love when my clients order custom thank you cards from me! As you can see, Ellie and Matt had it all planned out -- their thank you signs coordinated with their invitations, programs, and every other graphic element at their wedding. Ellie and Matt went with my 4x6 post card design on a heavy card stock with a satin finish. They can mail these as postcards or enclose them in the provided envelopes. I don't know about you, but I love getting post cards in the mail!



If you'd rather have a folding card, I offer those in sizes 3x5 and 5x7. Just send me an e-mail if you need more details!

lanterns!

When I see paper lanterns at weddings, my eyes get really big and I start grinning from ear to ear. Why? Because light is a photographer's best friend! I adore paper lanterns for the delicate light they provide as well as their beauty. They really do add an element of whimsy to the wedding.

Heather and Brad purchased their battery operated paper lanterns from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They were sold in packs of 5 for just $10! I love this photo so much that it has its own page in one of my sample albums. Seriously, that light was to die for.


It was pitch black outside when I took this photo of Heather and Brad, but the lanterns provided just enough light for me to get the shot. Plus, check out how incredible the lights look in the background! Gorgeous!!!


This is one of my favorite detail shots from their wedding. Just look at that night sky!


If you can't find what you are looking for locally, check out this awesome source for paper lanterns. Their bright colored lanterns would be perfect for a summer wedding. And, of course, for whoever is planning the lovely poppy and aqua wedding of my dreams, feel free to pick up some of these and these. Please and thank you.

Ken and I really wanted lanterns for our wedding reception, but unfortunately the venue would not allow it. Ask our photographers -- we definitely could have used some more light in there!

How to dye your crinoline

As a wedding photographer with an affinity for details, I absolutely love seeing and photographing the unexpected. A bright colored crinoline is no exception! Some of you may remember Heather, the gorgeous DIY bride who dyed her crinoline hot pink while on spring break. Isn't it fabulous?! This image made it to her storybook album as well as one of my sample albums.


Before you begin, you need to choose your color! RIT offers 26 colors of dye. I personally love Fuchsia 12, Sunshine Orange 43, Tangerine 40, and Aquamarine 24. (Aquamarine 24 would be a perfect addition to the poppy and aqua wedding I am dying to shoot.)

Since crinoline is fairly large and fluffy, it is best to use the washing machine method for this project. You should use either 2 bottled of liquid dye or 4 boxes of powder dye when dyeing your crinoline.

1. Fill your washing machine with enough hot water for the fabric to move freely.
2. Add the dissolved dye to the hot water.
3. Wet your crinoline in a sink or the shower, then add the wet crinoline to the dye bath in the washing machine.
4. Set the washing machine for the extended cycle. Make sure the crinoline soaks for at least 30 minutes before the rinse cycle begins.
5. Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear.
6. Hang to dry or dry in dryer.
7. Clean the washing machine by running a hot water cycle with bleach and detergent.
8. If the color is not bright enough for your liking, you can repeat the process!

need invitations?

Check out Nic and Kirsten, the husband-wife team of evapaul on Etsy. I cannot say enough good things about them!!! Ken and I were so impressed with their quality, pricing, and turn around time. It was important to Ken and me that our wedding invitations were modern, classic, urban, and cool all at the same time. Nic and Kirsten were so wonderful to work with and knew exactly what we wanted! You may have seen this on my old blog, but here is our invitation:


[Photo by Jake Gardner]

While our invitation was a custom design, evapaul also offers templates. Check out Emmy -- I love it!!! The Annie save the date is also pretty rad and it would go with the poppy and aqua wedding I am dying to shoot. And at $2.00 each, what a steal. So someone take a hint already and give me a wedding with those colors to shoot!

Finally, because it's cold outside and this photo reminds me of the happiest day of my life and makes me think of sunshine and love, I'm posing it here for your viewing pleasure.


[Photo by Jake Gardner]

I apologize for the reposts. I was not able to import my old blog and there's lots of stuff over there I want to share over here! I hope you all are staying warm. Remember, long underwear is your friend this time of year!

go green!

I try really hard every day to be as green as I can be. Being a vegetarian helps, but my concern for the environment is not the reason for my vegetarianism (neither is the animal thing -- I just don't like meat). Whether I am recycling, buying things locally, or letting my laundry dry naturally in the air, I always try to be environmentally aware. Take a minute and read these great tips about how you can help the planet by incorporating these environmentally friendly suggestions into your daily life.

I love when brides and grooms have environmentally friendly details at their weddings. This could be in the form of recycled glass vases, vintage jewelry, or even organic champagne! Check out these delightful eco-friendly invitations by vreelanddesign on Etsy. Love them!!! I am just dying to shoot a wedding with these colors!


Have I ever mentioned how much I adore AVEDA? Each time I walk into an AVEDA store or salon, I just feel so good. The scents are to die for -- and knowing that AVEDA cares about the environment, well, that makes it even sweeter! AVEDA founder Horst M. Rechelbacher states, "Our mission at AVEDA is to care for the world we live in, from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. At AVEDA, we strive to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility -- not just in the world of beauty, but around the world." Now isn't that wonderful?

If you have made it this far, I would love to send you my favorite AVEDA candle -- the Madagascar Plant Pure-Fume Candle. All you have to do is tell me how you are making your life a little greener in the comment section below. Maybe it is something you are doing at your wedding...maybe it is something you are incorporating into your daily life. Either way, I would love to hear about it! On Friday this week, one lucky winner will be chosen!

cupcakes!

Cupcakes are a great way to incorporate a ton of cake and icing flavors along with adding an element of whimsy to your wedding! (I have this photo in one of my sample albums and it ALWAYS turns heads!)


For those of you local to Indianapolis, The Flying Cupcake does an awesome job! If you are a fan of lemon, try the Pucker Up. Yummy. Holy Cow Cupcakes in Carmel is also amazing!

If you are into details as much as I am, check out these delightful laser cut cupcake wrappers by Estilo Weddings. I personally love Passion and Spice. These wrappers would make the perfect addition to any wedding cupcake!!!

birdcage veils

Oh, how I love these delightfully whimsical hair adornments. They are the perfect accessory for the modern yet vintage bride! If you are an Etsy gal like myself, check out the amazing pieces by Myra of Twigs & Honey -- so hot, so vintage, so in. Do it. You know you want one!

buttonempire

I just love these quirky little buttons from buttonempire on Etsy, don't you?

These would make a perfect addition to any wedding and they are totally customizable! The artist at buttonempire is right -- love is grand!

P.S. I have until midnight to make a blog post each day. You can't bust me until 12:01 a.m. eastern time -- and you can only bust me by using the comment section on the newest blog entry!