Spotlight Vendor: Lauren Kinsey Photography

A few weeks ago Jen and I did a wedding with a fabulous photographer, Lauren Kinsey. I thought it would be fun to let all of you know a little bit more about her and her work, so I asked her to write a little piece for our blog to tell all of you why she started Lauren Kinsey Photography. Here is what she had to say:

I started Lauren Kinsey Photography 3 years ago. My dad was an artist and my mom was an interior designer, but I did not inherit the ability that my dad had for drawing the world out as he saw it. When I got my first camera, I was able to translate my vision of things the way I saw them through the lens of the camera. At 17 years old,I was hired to shoot my first wedding. I didn't have any experience at the time, but luckily, the bride and groom had so much faith in me. I really think that they saw something that I didn't at the time. :) After that, I was hooked. The business came on the heels of that wedding, and I learned that I could do what I loved full time,all day, everyday. This was so exciting to me and three years later, I run a successful business based out of Tallahassee, where I live with my husband and 2"children" (my Westie and English bulldog!) Although I live in Tallahassee, I am so fortunate to be called all over the country to shoot weddings. It truly is my passion! I get to work with people in love on the best day of their lives. How lovely is that? :)

If you would like to contact Lauren about shooting your wedding you can go to her website at www.laurenkinsey.com or call her at 850.830.4670.

GO GATORS--BCS National Championship Here We Come

As you all know, Jen and I are some of the biggest GATOR fans out there. We go to every game that we don't have a wedding on the books and get score updates sent to our phones when we do have to work. We love being FLORIDA GATORS.

Well our GATORS just won the SEC Championship and are now going to the game everyone wishes their team was playing in....the BCS National Championship in Miami on Jan. 8th!!!!!! We are thrilled to say the least!

GO GATORS!!!!

Winter Wedding Cakes

Since we talked about winter color schemes, I thought it would be fun to show off some beautiful winter wedding cakes from a local Florida vendor. I love the use of light colors and the crispness of the cakes, truly reminding me of winter.

These two cakes were designed by The Pastry Studio in downtown Daytona Beach. The Pastry Studio is known for their amazing techniques and breathtaking designs. Don't you just love them both????!!!

FUN WEDDING MENU IDEAS

One of my favorite ways to let your guests know a little more about you at your reception is to have a wedding menu that is all about you. So you love sushi, how about having a sushi station at your reception? Or do you love to travel and the different foods from different regions, why not have an "Around the World" cocktail hour like one of our brides? Or do you just crave cheeseburgers and french fries, why not have mini cheeseburgers and french fries served on silver platters at the end of the night for all your hungry guests?

Having a fun wedding menu that tells your guests about you is not only entertaining but oh so yummy! Don't be afraid to get creative. Take it from one of our celebrate! brides who is considering to have her menu revolve around her love of down home cooking. She wants mini meatloaf, fried chicken strips, mac and cheese on a stick, mashed potato martini bar, cornbread, and green bean fries.

Don't leave any part of your wedding reception untouched by your personality, style, and interests....and your menu is a great place to start!!!

Winter Wonderland

The weather outside is getting chilly, the smell of hot cocoa is in the air, and the sight of Christmas trees is on almost every corner. I love winter, just the crispness in the air is enough to get me all excited.

Winter is a time to really get creative when it comes to wedding decor. A mixture of ornaments, lights, ice, and hues of white and icy blue can add such a simple elegance to any wedding. Here is a beautiful winter wonderland wedding color scheme below.

The Newest Happily Married celebrate! Bride

I just received this beautiful review from our newest happily married bride and I just had to share it with all of you. Angela's and Ted's wedding was such an amazing experience to be part of. I truly love them both deeply and wish them an eternity of blessings for them and their families.

Angela's Review:

My experience with Celebrate! as my wedding planners was absolutely perfect! These girls were amazing right from the start all the way till the end. They both are very organized and extremely professional and you can tell they really love what they do! On my first meeting with Jenna, I was so weighed down with anxiety and worry about a million little details, but by the time I left(1 hour later), I had all my flowers picked out and ordered and the hugest weight lifted off my shoulders! The girls both met with us again to help us pick out and order my invitations, which were so beautiful! Every time I needed anything they were just an e-mail or phone call away, and they got back to me right away. And on my wedding day, they were my heroes! There were a few small details I had forgot about(like cups for my bar and plates for the cake!) and Jen was out at the store picking them up last minute! At one point, I lost my wedding shoes, just when I was about to make our grand entrance and do our first dance, I panicked! But Jenna was quick to the rescue, and quickly improvised with a guest's white heels so I could dance without stepping all over my dress!! Those small things like that really meant a lot to me, and I very highly would (and have) recommend Celebrate! to make any bride and groom's wedding day absolutely amazing! They were well worth everything spent:)! Love you girls!

-Mrs. Golden

Thanksgiving Feast

So this year my family has of course put the "planner in the family" in charge of everything that has to be done with Thanksgiving from managing the guest list, to the food, to the decor. As if I didn't already have enough planning on my hands. But I love them, so here I am planning the schedule for our wonderful large Italian family Thanksgiving.

My Guest List:

My guest list includes my mom, my sisters and their significant others, my aunts and their families, my grandma, my dearest friends...and pretty much anyone who mom mom bumps into from now to then. (She's Italian and believes no one should spend a holiday alone, after all we "all are family!") So far my list is at about 30 guests!

My Menu:

Turducken (Turkey, Duck, and Chicken all wrapped up in one)

Turkey

Goose

Ham

Mashed Potato Bar (includes mashed potatoes with all the the toppings like bacon, cheese, scallions, etc. in bowls surrounding it, so each person can make their own special bowl of mashed potatoes)

String Bean Casserole

Yams (with a Marshmallow Crust)

Arlyn's Famous Cranberry Sauce

Stuffing

Salad

The Dessert Bar will include the following:

Pumpkin Pie

Mini Espresso Pumpkin Cakes

Mini Lemon Pies

Red Velvet Cake

Pound Cake

The Decor:

Hues of Cranberry and Gold will dress my guest tables, along with delicate White and Gold Accents.

#1 QUESTION ASKED BY BRIDES

The #1 question I hear brides ask is "what do wedding planners really do?" Well of course my typical answer includes how we help save them time, money, and stress. We help find the most perfect vendors, conceptualize beautiful tablescapes and room ambiances, do the budgeting, help with proper etiquette, create customized menus, etc.

I realized the other day that although my answer tells all you brides what I do overall, it doesn't demonstrate to you all things that could happen the day of your wedding that I deal with that you will never know about.

So, I thought it may be fun to tell you after each wedding the little things I did to make it a flawless event.

Here's my first exciting adventure to tell you about:

1. The bride forgot to include a vase for her son to pour the sand in their sand ceremony. We luckily always carry extras of certain things with us, like a small vase. I set it out with her other vases and put her son's sand it in before the ceremony began.
2. The linen company forgot pins to tack up the linens at the reception. We quickly fixed the problem by pulling out a box of pins from my wedding bag.
3. The cake got a hole in the side from either a guest trying to get a quick taste or who knows what. We noticed the hole, grabbed a butter knife, grabbed some icing from the back where no one could see, and patched the hole right up. No one noticed and the bride and groom had a picture perfect cake.
4. One of the bridesmaids had a terrible headache. The Advil in my wedding bag stopped her head from throbbing before anyone could say "I do."
5. The bride was suppose to supply the cups for the bar. However, she got so caught up in all the wedding bliss that the bar still needed to be stocked. Jen rescued the night by running to the store and buying cups before any of the guests arrived at the reception hall.
6. During the "cutting of the cake" the photographer ran out of room on her disk. I ran to her bag and grabbed an empty disk; she never had to miss a shot.

Of course, there were about a million more things that we tackled head first that day but it would take me all day to tell you about it. Hope this gives you a little insight.

Julie and Steve

Welcome Julie and Steve to the celebrate! family!! We are so excited to plan your beautiful day!

Their wedding ceremony will be held at the romantic Chapel in the Garden with an elegant reception following at the Riverside Pavillon. One of our favorite photographers, Leah from Leahjeanphoto.com, will be shooting this beautiful couple on their special day.

The wedding will take place next October and be dressed in beautiful fall colors. Julie loves chocolate so it will be incorporated from a chocolate fountain, to the linens, to the overall romantic look. Rachael and Kasie from Rachael Kasie Designs will be creating their beautiful floral masterpieces to accomplish their fall look.

We can't wait until the big day! Welcome again!

Vendors from A to Z: E is for Egomedia Photography

A few weeks ago I got a moment to talk to one of the most cutting edge photojournalist I know--Jennifer Cody from Egomedia Photography. Jen photographed one of our beautiful October weddings and we were absolutely amazed by not only her incredible photos but also her professionalism and attention to detail.Here is a little more insight to Egomedia Photography:

1. When & why did you begin egomedia photography?

We started egomedia photography officially in 2004. Sam had a background in film and was doing some commercial photography work for network television. I was working full time for the International Monetary Fund but found that photography was becoming an increasingly important part of my life. We made the final decision to begin photographing weddings professionally after having a very negative experience with our own wedding photographer. We were shocked by the lack of professionalism we encountered in the industry and resolved that we could do far better. And we believe we have!

2. What types of events do you photograph & which are your favorite?

We photograph weddings almost exclusively, making occasional exceptions for previous clients with other photography needs. Weddings are certainly our favorite.

3. Where is your favorite wedding site to shoot?

I certainly have several favorites - the Casa Monica Hotel, Meridian House, the Ronald Reagan building - but it's important to note that although location is important, every wedding has its own personality and that's what ultimately influences the images we provide to our clients.

4. What makes your photography skills & company stand out from other photographers & their work?

We are wedding photojournalists and it is our goal to capture stunning images from our clients' weddings and present them as part of a full body of work which will become a part of each couple's family's legacy. Everything we do is done to accomplish that goal. We are a full time professional studio and we pride ourselves on our responsiveness and attention to our clients. We process each image by hand in our studio before delivering them to our clients and all of our album designs are done by hand in-house.

5. Tell us something funny that has happened while photographing a bride or groom:

LOL well there are some stories that are less than appropriate but I'll share one amusing anecdote. We were photographing the first dance at an outdoor wedding when we noticed that the wedding cake was covered with ants! We discreetly let the catering manager know and they took it from there :)

6. What is the most gratifying thing about your job?

I think what is most gratifying is the knowledge that for the rest of their lives our clients will have beautiful images of their wedding to show future generations of their family. Long after the day is over and they've forgotten many of the details they will be able to relive the day through the beauty of those photographs - as a couple and as a family.

To get Jennifer or one of her other photographers to shoot your special event, contact her at:

Egomedia Photography

http://www.egomediaphotography.com/

jen@egomediaphotography.com

tel: 410.353.0631/703.431.0037