Giving is Fun | Northwest Arkansas Family Photographer

Posted on November 30, 2011

Roughly once a year,
I like to give the gift of photography.
It’s fun.
It’s a great feeling.
And it is so appreciated.

This year, a friend and fellow photographer, the talented Stacy of Focus Photography, posted
about an amazing give away that she is doing.
You nominate someone that you adore and love and think deserves a free session.
The fun thing is if that person wins, the one who nominated receives a free session, too!
Awesome, right?

Well, I was thinking (after talking with her, of course) about how I could do something similar.

But I want to kick it up a notch.

I’m not just giving away a free session.

I’m giving away a free wedding.

Say what??

Yes, that’s right.
One gift of wedding photography.
Six hours of coverage, a complimentary engagement session, and a disc of the wedding day images.

AND the person who nominates the winning couple will get a complimentary portrait session as well!
Just call me Cherronaclaus!!
(Yeah, that was a little lame, but I totally laughed!!)

Okay, time for the details!!

If you know of a wonderful couple that you think deserves a nomination, simply email a snapshot
and a little letter to me explaining
why you think they would be perfect for a wedding giveaway!
Are they the type that is always there for their friends, even if that means
helping them move in 105 degree weather up three flights of stairs?
Are they always hosting the get-togethers for the big game?
Are they just the nicest people ever?
I wanna know!

Nominations can be sent in between now and December 10th at 11:59pm.
I will announce the winner of December 12th, which is my wedding anniversary.
Awwwwww.

Fine Print:

Prizes are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferable
Wedding must place take place in 2012 in NWA unless all travel expenses are paid
Complimentary session must take place by the end of May, 2012

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Filed Under announcement, contest, Northwest Arkansas Event Photographer, Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer, wedding | 1 Comment

Erin and Daniel say I Do | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on May 31, 2011

I’m so excited for this blog post! I wanted to blog it sooner but my entire work time line was a bit behind because of the crazy storms.

Erin and Daniel were married at the very unique and fun East Square Plaza in downtown Fayetteville. I adored how close, relaxed, and fun-loving both of these families were! It seemed like every one was out on the dance floor, having a blast, and celebrating the happy couple.

I had, as always, such a hard time picking out which images I wanted to share.

That’s Bo, Erin’s awesome make-up artist.

I loved this belt. It was a serious, getting down to business belt!!

Gorgeous shoes, right?!

And these bridesmaid’s shoes?? Amazing.

It was so hilarious getting into the dress. Erin’s expressions were priceless.

I love, love, love this image!!!

The bridal bouquet was off by itself, chilling in a water bottle, as Erin got ready.

I can not stress enough how much I love doing First Looks. It’s such a great idea

and a chance to spend a few moments together without all the eyes of the wedding guests.

I just adore the look of anticipation Daniel is wearing.

See the girl in the green off to the left? That’s Erin’s sister and her reactions to the First Look made me giggle.

Giving away his baby!

Husband and wife!!

Sheets, plates, and glasses. Who would have thought that they would make

the perfect table cloths and dessert holders?

Pies and cupcakes instead of cake. Love this idea! It’s so fun and so casual but oh so cute.

The little heart crust pieces are my favorites.

Can’t you feel the love?

Thank you so much, you two, for allowing me to be part of your special day!!

DJ: DJ Beat Bachs—Bo Counts
Catering: Whole Hog
Florist: Fayetteville Farmer’s Market
Hair and/or make-up: Bo Senesomxay

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Filed Under Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer, wedding | 9 Comments

Shandi and Kevin | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photography

Posted on October 21, 2010

I had the pleasure of shooting a gorgeous wedding on Sunday at Creekwood Gardens. The place looked amazing. Crystal chandeliers hung from the trees, every table was adorned with a variety of yellow pretties, and the cake looked delicious. Shandi and Kevin are such a cute couple. And the way he looks at her is so amazing. It’s very sweet. I adored every minute of my time with them as they moved through one of the most important days of their life together.

Here are a few moments that I’d like to share.

Congratulations, Shandi and Kevin!

Filed Under Northwest Arkansas Lifestyle Photographer, Northwest Arkansas Photographer, Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer, wedding | 15 Comments

Lovely Day for a Wedding | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on June 15, 2010

Staci and Corey were married on a gorgeous Saturday at the lovely Greek Theater at the University of Arkansas. There were beautiful clouds in the sky, gorgeous light, and lots of heat. I probably scared some people with how red my face became out there shooting, but hey, what can I say? That’s what happens when I get hot. And it was all worth it. The wedding was lovely, Staci looked stunning, and Corey was a very proud husband.

Here are a few of my favorites. I hope you enjoy!!

They did a first look before the ceremony. It was so fun.

The wedding colors went with my logo colors!

See the string of photos in the bottom right? Staci is quite handy with the camera herself and took most (Corey took one or two, I think) of these photos. Then they had the great idea to print them out, hang them, and let wedding guests pick out one as a gift! Isn’t that awesome? I thought so. Staci also has a lot of her photography decorating the walls of her house. It made me want to do some more up for my house!

Staci and Corey, it was a pleasure to photograph your wedding and I wish the two of you a long lifetime of happiness together!

Filed Under Northwest Arkansas Photographer, Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer, wedding | 11 Comments

Nikki + Jeremy Say I Do | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on September 30, 2009

Nikki and Jeremy became husband and wife on September 19th at Long’s Old Orchard and Farm. I adore all of the twinkling little fairy lights that are every where in the barns. They are so charming! What started out as a clear, gorgeous day turned into a gorgeous yet drizzling day right at the time we were supposed to be taking photos before the ceremony. Well, the boys braved the misty rain with me and it cleared up in time for the girls, but since the ground was wet, we didn’t get to do as much since we did not want Nikki’s beautiful dress to get dirty. I think that we did a fantastic job despite the wet circumstances!

Everything was so laid back and relaxed, including the ceremony. The ceremony was actually the FASTEST ceremony I’ve ever attended. Seriously, from the time the first person started to walk down the aisle up until Jeremy and Nikki exited the building as husband and wife, only eight minutes passed. Eight minutes!!

As with my last post, I’m trying out a new display method for wedding posts on the blog just like I’m doing for portrait posts.

Nikki’s hair and tiara reminded me of an old Hollywood, Breakfast at Tiffany’s feel for some reason. I loved it.

A few details of the day. My 2nd shooter, Allison, captured the fun cake shot while I was finishing up with the girls’ photos. It seems that the weather was making the cakes sort of melt with all the quick changes we experienced that day so Allison came to the rescue to make sure that there were photos of non-leaning cakes! Yay!

Handsome guys and beautiful girls!

This top photo of the two of them together is one of my favorite photos I’ve taken this year. I looove it!

Isn’t their little daughter just adorable? She was so good the entire day, too.

I think it is great that the weather cleared and allowed them to dance outside. It was so beautiful. Check out the sweet father/daughter shot captured by Allison!

This wedding was so wonderful. Everyone in attendance were so close and fun-loving. I felt like part of the family because, well, in a way, I am! My husband has been friends with members of Nikki’s family since they were teenagers. I’ve known this tight knit family for about eight years now, so it was an extra special treat to photograph this wedding. It was the first day that I met Jeremy, but I have to say that I was so charmed by the way he adores Nikki. It is evident in so many ways. I kept grinning as we were taking their photos right after the ceremony because he kept pausing to look at her and tell her how gorgeous she looked in the dress. It was so very sweet.

Nikki and Jeremy, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your special day. I had a ton of fun! You guys are so fantastic and I wish you all the best in your new life together!!

Filed Under Northwest Arkansas Photographer, Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer, wedding | 12 Comments

Michele + Will = I Do | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on September 17, 2009

I was in love with these trees. I’m rather clueless when it comes to fruit bearing trees, but someone said they were crab apples? Whatever they were, I adored them.

Soooo pretty!!

Hah. I’m not sure if Will knows that I took this photo of him getting ready.

A kiss good luck as he gives her away.

You may kiss your bride!

Just might be my fave photo of the day.

I had the pleasure of photographing the marriage of Michele and Will this weekend at the Shrimpman’s Yacht Club. It was such a fun day. Despite a threat of rain, the weather was perfect and everything went so well.

Congratulations, you guys, and I wish you the best of luck in your new life together!

Filed Under bridal, couple, Northwest Arkansas Photographer, Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer, wedding | 26 Comments

Beth and Joe Are Married!! | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on May 15, 2009

Wow. SO much has been going on in this last month, as you can probably guess by my lack of posts. I’ve been really busy, but there are some other things going on that I will address in a future post. For now, let’s talk about Beth and Joe!

We really lucked out with the weather this day. It was supposed to be rather nice and clear all day UNTIL the outdoor wedding was supposed to start. I was on pins and needles that entire week watching weather.com, so I can only imagine how Beth was feeling. Oddly enough, once Saturday finally arrived, it started to rain ALL DAY. I’m talking hard, heavy, skin-soaking downpours determined to destroy outdoor weddings. I knew that there were no alternate plans for the wedding, so I was really curious as to what we were going to do if this rain didn’t stop. Invest in a bunch of umbrellas? Try to pack as many of the guests and wedding party into the small chapel as possible? St. Catherine’s at Bell Gable, where they were getting married, is REALLY small. I’m not even sure it can hold 50 people inside. There would certainly be people that would not fit inside. No, worries, though, once it got closer to the time we needed to head off for the getting ready shots, the rain started to ease up and I began to hope. Turns out the weather decided to give us just enough of a break for the before ceremony photos, the ceremony, and then photos after the ceremony. It started to rain again once everyone was tucked safely away in the reception. Thanks, Mother Nature!

Ok, on to what we are all really waiting for, the pictures!

Look at the detail on this dress!

Meanwhile, over at Joe’s parents’ house, my 2nd shooter, Audrey, was taking photos of the guys getting ready.

The girls and I headed out to the ceremony site to get some photos before the wedding…

but the boys showed up EARLY and we had to hide Beth and rush her to the limo.

Time to get this show on the road. Audrey got this shot of the bride and her daddy.

Going in for The KISS.

Audrey’s view.

The new husband and wife. And Beth, this is one of my faves of the two of you.

Bwahahah!! You should see the outtake of this one. It’s hilarious, though not something I think I’ll put up on the blog!

Thank you so much, Beth and Joe, for letting me be a part of such a fun and special day. You two are so very sweet and I always have fun working with you. Joe, I hope you enjoyed the surprise Beth and I put together for you!

Filed Under wedding | 18 Comments

Winner of the Wedding Photography Giveaway 2009!! | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on March 19, 2009

I am so delighted to be able to make this post. It makes my heart happy, which is really the best feeling in the entire world! I got a small group of friends and family together to go through the nominations and select the winner. I needed to not be a part of this process or else I would end up giving everyone free wedding photography because the stories were just so great. I can be a bit of a sap like that. ; )

After some deliberation, my little panel picked a winner. Allow me to introduce the winners of my 2009 Wedding Photography Giveaway, Kassie and Doug! Aren’t they cute?

Here is the sweet letter that Kassie’s sister Allie sent in for the nomination. (Allie asked me to edit a couple of sentences to protect someone’s identity. I’m a sneaky snake!)

Good afternoon!

I would like to nominate my older sister (Kassie) and my future brother-in-law (Doug) for your photography giveaway. They have been together six years this March. They are so sweet and laid back; they role with the punches… and there have been a lot of punches lately. They take care of everything for everyone. Anytime anyone has a problem, they are the go-to-guys. On a regular basis they receive phone calls for computer support from various members of the family, Doug is building a great website for our older brother’s business, and Kassie plans every event our family encounters. Lately though they’ve had to deal with more than normal. I’ll give you a run down of just the big events of the last six months. We have a family member who has gone through a difficult financial situation, and Kassie and Doug made sure that no one in that family lacked anything during this time.

Around the same time I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant. They were the first to jump on board and get excited for me. Kassie is throwing my baby shower and they have made certain I have or will have everything a baby needs by my due date.

They completely took care of Christmas this year. They bought presents for everyone, including aunts, uncles, and friends, and put all of our names on the gifts so no one felt badly.

Two days after Christmas they found out one of their dogs (Meeka) was sick with a horrible cancer-like disease. They tried everything to save her; blood transfusions, expensive medications, weekly (and sometimes two or three times weekly) vet visits. They weren’t able to save her but after a month and a half they had used a large part of their wedding savings.

I don’t know the whole story of Doug’s family, but in August his sister died in an accident and just before Christmas his mother (who he’s always been close to) had to move home to England for health reasons leaving Doug the only member of his family still in America.

On top of all this they are both Graduate students with full coursework and research schedules and despite all the bumps in the road they haven’t fallen off track with their graduation deadlines.

They are so supportive of each other and I know neither of them would have made it through without help from the other. Together they are a rock. I can’t think of anyone else who deserves this more…they’ve been through so much together and their love hasn’t faltered.

The picture I am including is a couple of years old, but it is my favorite because it is very them. Like I said…they are so laid back!

Thanks for your time!

Allie

Isn’t that the best nomination letter ever? Allie was so sweet to nominate her sister. And to keep the secret! In fact, when I got in touch with Kassie to tell her that she had won, she had no idea and was very shocked that her sister was able to keep the secret for so long.

I had wanted to be able to call to announce the news while on speakerphone and being filmed on my webcam and then post it all to the blog, but I just wasn’t able to make that happen and didn’t want to delay the announcement a moment longer. Kassie was completely caught off guard and it was so sweet. You could hear the excitement in her voice. I wish I could have recorded it! Wouldn’t that have been cool? Oh, well. I still have warm fuzzies from it. I just love that I am able to give such a great gift to a deserving couple.

Soon we shall set a date for the engagement photos, which I just can’t wait to do. The wedding is in December, so I suggested doing the engagements earlier while we have beautiful weather and so we wouldn’t have such a long wait before we could have some fun with the camera! I can’t wait!!

Thank you so much, Allie, for nominating your sister. Kassie and Doug, I look forward to working with you.

As for all of the other nominations, I’ve extended offers for engagement sessions as consolation prizes. Thank you all for participating in my first Wedding Photography Giveaway contest. I hope to make this an annual thing because it is just a great feeling to give back.

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Snow Wedding Teaser | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on March 6, 2009

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of shooting a gorgeous wedding that just happened to take place in the snow. It was freezing cold, but oh so worth it. The bride just could NOT have been happier that it snowed on her wedding day. She was simply glowing the entire day. I know that she is very anxious to see some of her photos, so I told her I would give her a little teaser.

You can see all the little snow flakes swirling around in these photos. I love it.

A quick shot of the bride alone. See? Glowing.

This hand belongs to the best man as he was passing out the rings.

A sweet moment between the new husband and wife. And the snow.

I hope this is enough to hold you over until the rest are ready!

And speaking of weddings, this is the last day to get in nominations for the Wedding Giveaway!

Filed Under wedding | 9 Comments

Love is in the Air | Northwest Arkansas Wedding Photographer

Posted on February 14, 2009

Okay, lovebirds. Tomorrow is a big day for all the ooey-gooey romantic types, and I want to be ooey-gooey, too. How do hope to accomplish this? The time to announce my 2nd contest is here!

I love surprises, as I’ve mentioned, and I love giving, so I thought it would be fun for this contest to have the opportunity for both. I want to give while someone gets a great surprise. Do you know an engaged couple you absolutely adore? Do you think it would be awesome to surprise them with a fantastic gift because they are so deserving? Well, tell me how much you love them and why they are the best because the winners of this contest will receive 8 hours of wedding photography by me, an engagement session with all images on DVD, a bridal session with all images on DVD, a Day After session with all images on DVD, and all wedding images on DVD with printing release, and a Storybook album! That’s a value of over $2400! How’s that for love, giving, and surprise?! I’m so excited.

Here’s how it’ll work. Send in a photo and a letter telling me why you think that this couple deserves wedding photography. Are they the hub of your social circle, always making sure there is a place to crash? Do they volunteer for a great cause? Never afraid to lend a hand during a big move? Just an all around awesome couple? Tell me about it!

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES 11:59 PM ON MARCH 1ST

Photos (1mb and under, please) and letters are to be sent to raininglightphotography@yahoo.com

Here are a few rules. The wedding will need to be in 2009 and in the Northwest Arkansas area. There will be no 2nd shooter, though there will always be the option of adding one at the normal rate.

Good luck and Happy Valentine’s Day!!

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