Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010!
Posted on December 31, 2009
I walk the fine line between trendsetter and follower and today I’m rocking the follower status by posting my final goodbye to 2009. Since I have champagne on the brain (not in my belly – yet!) I am going back to my bullets! I plan on doing a year in review in the coming weeks but I thought it’d be fun to list some of the random bits of info that 2009 brought!
- 2009 was my second full year in business.
- I shot 25 weddings.
- 12 of those weddings were one weekend after another.
- 9 weddings was the second longest streak of weekends in a row.
- 1 wedding was a destination wedding, in Ohio, which was also the furthest wedding from home for me.
- I shot a total of 13 engagement sessions.
- I was accepted into the WPJA and the AGWPJA which was a goal of mine for 2009.
- I attended WPPI for the second time and roomed with the girls of Photo Lovecat.
- I took a class with award winning Cliff Mautner which was career changing.
- I finally broke down and purchased D700s.
- Best business decision of 2009? Going Mac.
- In 2009 I traveled to Las Vegas, New Orleans, Ocracoke and Wilmington, NC.
The Sparkers Family Session
Posted on December 30, 2009
My second shoot of the day was definitely more “Corey” style, outdoors, in a beautiful park with yummy light! The session was a gift since the three brothers have all grown up and moved away but were home for the holidays! I loved this idea and the way the days fell this year for Christmas made for a lot of travels home. The park we went to, Concord Woods Nature Park, is a place that the boys mom and dad used to take them as kids to play during the summer and to enjoy the fire during the winter so it made a perfect place for the shoot. Luckily the weather was also not too terribly cold and the sun was shining – pretty amazing considering how Ohio can be weather wise this time of year!
The Sparkers – I can’t recall laughing so much at a portrait session before! You guys were so wonderful and I had a great time playing with you! I hope that you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed shooting it!
Woods + Pretty People = Love
This location was awesome, just awesome. The Sparkers are also pretty awesome themselves.
Pretty please keep me in mind when you get engaged!!! Gorgeous couple + lovely family = a perfect wedding setup.
A lucky photographer already had the perfect setup with this couple whom were married last January. They now reside in Oahu… are you as jealous as I am? ;)
Mom & Dad… you’ve done an amazing job with this bunch.
Even if you’re currently without a plus one I have no doubts there will be one soon!
The girls! I love how they coordinated without being overly matchy-matchy. The colors really worked well with the setting!
“Act Sassy!”
The reaction of the “sassiness” above. Hilarious!!!
The Mullins Family Portrait Shoot
Posted on December 29, 2009
I was contacted by this family to take some group portraits the day after Christmas… they were my first of two shoots of the day! Lots of people in from out of town for the long weekend makes memories that need to be captured! While I captured the standard portraits, my favorite pictures from the day are the ones in between the formal session when the kids were kids and they were able to be themselves.
There’s always one kid that picks their nose or sucks their thumb at the most inopportune times!
No matter how ‘grown up’ you may be, your sisters will still fuss over you!
My favorite picture of the day. LOVE.
How can you not smile at this cutie?
I love when I’m able to get outdoors… even if it’s a bit chilly!
This little girl is already an accomplished pianist!
While her sister played, she danced on the ’stage’ with a steadying hand from Grandpa.
Next up…. the second session from the day!
Corey Talks: My Wedding – Getting Ready
Posted on December 28, 2009
The day of the wedding was fairly relaxed. It goes without saying though that inevitably, there will be things that go wrong so the best you can do is breathe and go with the flow. My hairstylist cancelled at the last minute and sent someone else. Things were running behind. My shoes didn’t work in the sand. Really, little stuff but the day of the wedding it is hard not to let it become big stuff.
I started the day off with a relaxing massage thanks to my sister in law Cathy. Afterwards I headed back to the house and just chilled out for a while. I got to take my first trip to the beach – the days leading up to the wedding I was so busy getting things done for the wedding that I never had the chance to get to the beach and just relax. So the morning/afternoon before the wedding I did just that. I also took my camera with me and took some pics. It was calming and nice.
The hairstylist arrived and got to work on the style I’d decided I wanted. While the end result wasn’t QUITE what I had in mind, I loved it just the same. The photographers – I had THREE – arrived at 3 or so and then things really got underway.
Doing my makeup while Lisa laughs at me…. probably because I did something stupid.
While we were getting ready in the bathroom, Petra my flower girl was calling Tokoyo.
My memory bracelet was the perfect way for me to keep my loved ones that are no longer with me beside me the day of our wedding.
Putting my earrings in from the now defunct Creme de Luxe (which I ADORED). This picture is one of my favorites of the day and by far one of my favorite pictures of me in general ever.
Lisa helps me put in the orchids I had Renee Landry make for my hair. I loved this tough so much! I knew that having a veil would be a bit too much on the ocean with the breeze. You can also see my necklace from Creme de Luxe that I loved.
Putting the shoes on that would not make it more than a few minutes on the beach. Good thing though I found out BEFORE the wedding!
Lisa and I laughing on the beach. Brooke told us to fake laugh and I believe I snorted and it was all downhill from there. May not be the most flattering picture of me… but I love it.
Aren’t the bouquets stunning??? I can’t rave enough about my florist. Renee Landry Style, book her if you are getting married in the Outer Banks!!
Also notice Lisa’s stunning jewelry. That was a heck of a lark that I came upon at Zales of all places. Matched her dress perfectly and was gorgeous.
Tan lines are bad. Ah well it’s part of the day right??? Ironically these were here BEFORE the trip!
Me and Rob, I adore this picture of us!
One thing that was hysterical during the pics before the wedding was Petra’s fascination with my dress. She loved standing on the train and walking on it.
Pioneer Woman
Posted on December 28, 2009
Who doesn’t just adore The Pioneer Woman’s blog??
I am super excited to see that my bubble light picture “made the cut” so to speak for her Holiday Bokeh Photos request. Go see it here!
*happy dance*
Merry Christmas!
Posted on December 24, 2009
For me, Christmas is all about the bubble lights! They are a long-standing tradition with my family and I hope that someday my children will carry on the love for bubble lights to their children. May smiles be abundant on your faces and may peace be with you. Also… may Santa fill your stockings with lots of shiny baubles!
Corey Talks: My DIY Projects
Posted on December 22, 2009
What is a wedding nowadays without at least one DIY project? When I started on the wedding journey the Wedding Bee was relatively new and I was OBSESSED with it. I only wish I’d discovered it sooner so I could have been a Bee. *sniff* I guess it will just be a life-long sorrow that I missed that boat! Regardless it did spark some creativity and I really enjoyed doing these projects even if at times I was frustrated, covered in glue and had visited every store in the area trying to find a suitable sand bucket. Even if they were not easy, they made the wedding that much more personal. I also won’t lie, it is kind of fun to be able to proudly say “I made that” when at the wedding your guests and vendors compliment the item you slaved over.
Photo © Brooke Mayo
Menu
I saw a picture online of a menu and I fell in love with it on sight. I decided that I HAD to have it and since I had some time on my hands I decided to make it myself as the cost to have the vendor make it was something around $5 a menu. YIKES! Finding the supplies and making it wasn’t easy but it was not hard either. In the end everything came together perfectly and I’m so glad that I did it. It was the first thing in the series that really tied everything together. The cost per card for me was under $2.
Photo © Brooke Mayo
Program
I originally wanted a fan-style program but it made no sense to make a completely different item that was paper related. So I ended up making the same size and style of programs similar to the menu but used a flip style for the pages. I ended up scoring a pretty good deal on fans so I knew that people would still be able to cool themselves off if it was hot on the beach before/during the wedding.
Fortune Bouquet
Another idea I saw and I had to have was a Fortune Bouquet. It’s a bit of a spin on the traditional tossing bouquet but a similar idea. Basically it’s one big bouquet made up of smaller bouquets each with a “fortune” on it and ALL ladies participate, not just single ladies. I decided to make mine when my florist was a bit confused over what I wanted. I ended up with 6 different bouquets each with a silver charm that is intended to be a bridesmaid pull charm but worked well as a fortune charm as well! I LOVED the way this turned out. The picture above is of 3 of the bouquets.
Photo © Brooke Mayo
Camera Scavenger Hunt
At the time I got married, these cards were all the rage on The Knot message boards. I know that most people have moved onto the digital realm but not my in laws. My Mother in Law still shows up at functions with her disposeable camera in hand, despite the fact that over the years she’s been given 3 digital cameras. I picked up a couple packs of the cameras and had them placed on the tables with these cards. While we were getting pictures taken and getting settled once getting to the reception, our guests were having a blast with these cards. About a half hour later though I discovered one tiny oversight in this ‘game’ – there was no prizes. So I highly recommend having small token prizes if you plan on doing this! I got some great images from the cameras and I’m actually really glad I decided to do it. Are they pro pics? No. Are they a riot ? ABSOLUTELY. Without this I wouldn’t have a lot of shots from the evening due to the above mentioned lack of camera-ness my inlaws have. While this isn’t for everyone, it worked for me.
Welcome Baskets
By far this was one of the hardest items to put together and one of the only things I didn’t take a picture of! *head desk* Each family upon arriving had a sand pail on their bed welcoming them to the Outer Banks. I created personal guides for the area based on my travels there – one guide on what to see and one on where to eat. I also had a One Boat Tour guide to Corolla, bug spray, sunscreen, beach ball, water ring and rip current information booklets. Everyone loved them… but they still called me every time they wanted to go out to eat somewhere. Ha ha ha.
Flower Girl Basket
Finally my last DIY project was making the shell basket for my flower girl. I found the plain basket at the Flower Factory and also the mini shells there as well. I then used ribbon found at Jo-Ann’s and starfish left over from my invitations to make it pretty. It was really simple to put together with a glue gun but it really tied in beautifully to the theme of the wedding (well the vague theme that I had of blue + starfish + shells). My 2 year old flower girl also dropped a few! She also didn’t eat any nor was tempted to – as everyone on The Knot swore she would do. The bubbles are a different story….
Corey Talks: Our Bridal Party
Posted on December 21, 2009
© Brooke Mayo
Originally we weren’t going to have anyone in our bridal party. With my first wedding I quickly discovered that they are more drama than they are help (at least my maids were…) and the cost to be in someone’s wedding is ridiculously expensive. We didn’t want anyone to feel they had to pay more than they already had to to be a part of our wedding. We wanted everyone to just enjoy the day. However, over the course of planning we found out that Chris’s best friend was somewhat upset he wasn’t asked and we realized that it is an honor to have people standing by you. So we each chose someone to stand with us – just one person to keep it small and intimate.
My friend was excited and since she has the *cutest* little girl (at that time just one, now she has two little cuties) it was natural that she would come with a “shell” girl (no flower petals for me! she dropped shells!). My only stipulation besides “blue” for the dress was that it had to be something she would wear again. In the end she had a dress custom made… and I still feel guilty about that! But she swears she was able to wear it again and it was a beautiful dress on her.
Chris’s best man was really happy to be asked to be in the wedding. We knew that the outfits wouldn’t be anything too formal or hot from the beginning. We ended up selecting silk shirts and pants and they were a perfect blend of dressy and casual for the wedding.
In the end it was the perfect bridal party for us. No over-the-top parties. Just the right about of people… and the RIGHT people helped make the wedding a perfect day!
PS: Today is the LAST DAY for Cans for Comments!!!
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Corey Talks: Dealing With Death(s)
Posted on December 18, 2009
My Dad on top of Currituck Lighthouse in 1994, taken by me.
One thing I knew that would have to be somehow addressed sometime during a wedding would be honoring my family. A few months before getting engaged my father lost his life to a short fight with cancer. My Mom and brother both passed when I was 13 and all of my grandparents are also deceased. I knew that I really wanted my Dad to be a part of the day though as we shared a special bond and to this day it still hurts that he’s no longer around.
Our ceremony location on the beach was a dear spot to my father. We’d rented this house with him a few years in a row and out of all the years we had been going to the Outer Banks, this was his favorite beach and his favorite house. After he passed, we spread his ashes at the same spot on the beach at his request. It may be slightly morbid but I loved that our ceremony was here. It made it that more special to me.
Another thing I did was I had a charm bracelet with windows for pictures and had pictures of all the people that have passed in it from my family. It was a sweet way to have them with me without, again, being too in your face.
Me & Rob the morning of the wedding
Finally I asked my Dad’s best friend to walk me down the aisle. I’ve known him since I’ve been born and they were friends since they were kids so it was the closest thing possible to having my Dad there.
Then the unexpected happened, my future father in law passed away suddenly a month before the wedding. We went back and forth about even having the wedding because of how hard it was on my mother in law but in the end everyone wanted us to go ahead with it. Originally we were going to leave a rose where he would have sat but in the end we decided that his not being there was a big enough hole and too many references to it would be hard to bear.
Photo © Brooke Mayo
In the end we had our officiant say a word for my father in law and my Dad during the service and had pictures of them at the reception. Everyone said how nice it was and how it wasn’t too “in your face” that they weren’t there.
Corey Talks: Choosing Vendors
Posted on December 16, 2009
My amazing bouquet from Blooms by Design!
After I had the venue and the dress… I needed people to make the wedding happen!
The first wedding vendor that I booked may surprise you, it was my florist. I have always been absolutely crazy over flowers so it really isn’t too surprising for those that know me but it is for those that know me as a photographer. I booked Renee Landry of Blooms Design Studio in Duck, NC. Go and look at her site. She’s seriously just simply amazing. From the first look I was in heaven. Everything she had images of I just loved. I never had a “theme” for my wedding but the images that Renee had of her weddings she’d styled were exactly what I had in mind – nothing with a great big BAM IN YOUR FACE theme but all very elegantly done. I knew I wanted sea shells and possibly sea oats as part of the wedding but that’s all. No set color. No set shell. Just casual beach and beachy colors. She did SUCH an amazing job. I seriously cannot rave more about the amazing job she did. I honestly never even LOOKED at another florist. I also chose well as she was recently a runner up to be the official White House Florist!! She made it to the final 3!!!!
Next up was naturally my photographer. I actually had someone else in mind first that I liked when I looked at their website but then a different search online brought me to Brooke Mayo. As with Renee, I was sold as soon as I saw her site. When we started emailing I was completely and utterly in love. She’s seriously the cutest person and those that know and have met her in person know what I mean. She is just the most adorable thing EVER. In all that southern sweetness is an amazingly talented photographer that I am SO lucky to have chosen for the day of the wedding. She was a BREEZE to work with. We did almost everything online and via mail and I never questioned not meeting her before booking her. What was even better was the fact that she was getting married a couple months after me and she was able to refer me to some of her vendors and saved me lots of online searching. In the past 2 years she’s made a serious name for herself! She’s one of the top photographers in the world with the AGWPJA and also has a book of her portraits of Diving Doggies (it’s a great gift for that dog lover!!). I can’t wait to share my pictures with you guys… they still make me all warm and fuzzy inside!
Next up was a Day of Wedding coordinator. I had most of the things done that were major and knew that I didn’t need much help planning but I knew without a doubt that I would want someone the day-of. In came the lifesaver of my wedding, Nannette of The Proper Setting thanks to Brooke’s recommendation. Nannette was amazing with everything leading up to and the day of the wedding. When I found out that the home we’d rented wouldn’t allow us to have a reception, she was able to find a suitable backup location that ended up being perfection. She also dealt with numerous snafus the day of the wedding including a lot of broken rental items. I literally couldn’t have enjoyed my wedding without her.
Other vendors that I hired was Argyle’s for the cake (still one of the best cakes I’ve had!), The Delectable Dish for catering (now out of business), The Saltaire for the reception and Dr. Dave as the officiant. All were fantastic but not the “big” ones people worry about. Pictures and a more in depth review to come 
Corey’s Lessons: 1) Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals from other vendors, often they know the best of what is around! It is also VERY helpful when planning from elsewhere! 2) Make sure your reception venue can hold the amount of people you are planning for. I never imagined that 40 people would be too much for the McMansion we rented but it was. 3) HIRE A DOC! Seriously. LIFESAVERS! They even will pull you out of the hot tub (well attempt to, Chris reached me first) when you fall in and hit your head under the water and are laughing too hard to come out on your own. Poor Nannette. I think she’s still recovering from that scare!
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