The Goodyear Blimp was the costar of the shoot!

My favorite from the session!

Melissa you are adorable!

Melissa specifically wanted this shot and that’s why we ended up where we did for pictures.  I know it’s been on here a million times but the light it so magical here!  I understand why so many love it!

Melissa and I noticed that our engagement rings are very very similar!  Love!

Second favorite.  Or most favorite… gah!  They are too cute so either way it’s LOVE!

I love, love, love Melissa’s shoes.  LOVE!!!  How adorable are they!!!!

Same Meal Guests Have

As photographers, we’re elated when we get the same meal that guests have.  The first thing this ensures is that we will be able to photograph the meal that you have chosen to have served to guests.  If we aren’t served the same meal, it’s often something we cannot photograph as most people aren’t friendly to strange people taking aside their plate of food.  This also usually means we are seated with guests.  Some photographers don’t like this but I always enjoy getting to meet someone new.  It also means that if we’re in the same room, we’re around to know when anything spontaneous happens during dinner that need photographed.  The final perk to this option is that we are also served with guests, so that we are able to eat while everyone is eating and are able to get back to our jobs before events start to happen.  The only downside that I’ve encountered while being seated with guests is that often since we’re not in the seat until dinner is about to start, someone moves to our seats assuming we’re not there or we’ll find somewhere else to sit and there isn’t always a place for us to move to resulting in us not having a meal.

Stepped Down Guest Meal

Usually if we are placed in an ante room to the reception for our meal, we are served a vendor meal which is a lighter version of the guest meal (chicken/pasta is typically the option).  Sometimes it is really nice to have a room to go to and completely relax and not worry about our stuff being messed with and just talk about the day so far.  The food is usually the most economical version of the guest choices (pasta or chicken) and still quite good and nourishing.  The downfall to this option is that we do not have a full guest plate to shoot (often ours aren’t dressed up like the served plates are or have the side dishes the guests do).  We also are usually pretty far off from the main reception area to know what is going on unless someone keys us in to an event taking place.  Since we’re often far off from the main floor, we’re the last to be served since the guests are the priority.  I totally understand that but usually by the time we get our meals in the room, the bridal party is already finished with theirs and circling the room – moments we would like to be there to capture.  Finally it’s becoming a reality that most of the time, these meals never come – or they come too late for the vendors serving you to enjoy them because your reception is already swinging back into gear.  I feel SO badly for my couples when this happens because they pay for a meal that never is enjoyed and I hate to see people loose money!

Boxed Lunch/Sandwich Tray

This option is the most popular with guests that also have to feed a band but has been used a bit more lately.  This meal is usually a boxed lunch consisting of a sandwich (baloney and PB&J being the most popular versions) a bag of chips and sometimes water.  If it’s a sandwich tray, it’s usually a ring or mini subs from a sub shop.  These are usually served in either a back room of the kitchen or in a room that is off to the side of the reception.  I’m not a picky eater so I’m usually fine with this but I do get upset when I have to battle the band for a meal.  Bands are notorious for eating all of the food in a vendor room.  I thought this was a tall tale when starting in the business but I quickly found out that generally bands eat up everything assuming it’s all for them and the rest of the vendors are left without meals.  The Sellouts will forever have my heart for insisting we eat first because we’d been working hard all day.  The first and only band to ever do this!  I’ve found that a great solution to this issue is to have the caterers have one box/bag/ring for the band and another for the other vendors that isn’t brought out until we are there.  That way the band can tear through their food but there’s still some left over when we and the videographers, wedding planners etc. come back for our quick bite.

Hopefully this helps solve some of the mystery around Vendor Meals and what exactly they are and what each scenario means behind the scenes!

A shot of the Traverse right after delivery.

FTC Disclosure:  The Girls On The Go campaign is being sponsored by Ohio Chevy Network Dealers who gave the chosen bloggers a 2011 Chevy Traverse to test drive for one month and blog about our experiences using the vehicle.  Girlfriend Getaway has given us some fun projects to do and will be providing us with gift cards to allow us to do this.

• I love the receptions that are hosted back home, in our head we always meant to do one but life got busy and we never got around to it. It’s such a great way to celebrate your wedding with people that weren’t able to make it to your destination wedding in a relaxed atmosphere.

•  This commute (both to & from) will probably be my most memorable for a LONG time.  On the way to Blue Canyon, I saw the strangest things on the road.  There was an oversized semi toting a plaster whale tail that was easily the size of a house (still trying to figure that one out).  There was a car that was duct taped together.  The Goodyear Blimp was out, which caused many people to stop and look (mind you, I was on I-77, not where you really should be STOPPING to watch a blimp).  Crazytown.  I get to the hotel to meet up with Sheena + Jeremy and there’s nothing but twins.  It was twinsfest in Twinsburg!  LOL!  On the way home, I had a raccoon run out in front of me and I swerved to miss him (no one was next to me) and ran over his friend behind him.  I LOVE all animals so this gutted me and I was crying.  Hubs was on my bluetooth laughing at me as I was really upset.  Never, EVER look in your rearview mirror after running over an animal.  Ugh, it was awful.  Then I got pulled over – the first time I have EVER been pulled over.  The cop saw me swerve and thought I was drunk – then right where I ran the raccoon over it went from 45 to 25 but in my tears I didn’t see the sign (why in the world is a highway 25?) so he clocked me doing 42 in a 25.  Lovely.  Luckily he let me off with a verbal warning once I explained what was going on to him.  It’ll be a LONG time before I forget that drive!!!

• I had never been to Blue Canyon Kitchen and Tavern but had heard great things about it, they didn’t disappoint, such yummy food and a great location!

• Sheena and Jeremy have befriended Sarah from Main Street Cupcakes after going there so much for cupcake fixes. I completely understand this as I am the same way with my local cupcake place! So it only made sense that their favors were individual cupcakes in a darling box from Main Street Cupcakes! They were just as good as they looked. Sarah, you need a “south” location!!!

• One of the fun things I love about being a photographer is meeting so many great people. When I’m seated with guests, it’s fun to get to know people at the table and this table was not short of wonderful and nice people! We had a lot of laughs through the night and it was nice to not feel like an outsider!

Before the reception started I got some quick casual portraits of the newlyweds in a pretty shaded spot in the parking lot of the Hilton.  Yes, this was part of the parking lot!

I loved their foot attire!!!

As a tip to their beach wedding, the tables were decorated in a beach motif.  I LOVED these centerpieces!

Sheena is an AMAZING scrapbooker.  I may be able to take pictures but I cannot scrapbook to save my life.  Hers are amazing!!!  She brought all of the scrapbooks and pictures from their wedding trip so everyone could enjoy the day they had.

Their favors from Main Street Cupcakes.  SO good!

I had to play with the rings in the centerpiece!

The delicious dinner!

Closeup of the cute cute cute shoes Sheena was rockin!

A shot with their favors before I left!

• Their venue, the Culinary Vegetable Institute, is SUCH a hidden gem!!  I highly recommend that couples check it out because it’s beyond amazing.  The ceremony garden is gorgeous, the vistas are breathtaking and the food is mouthwatering.  If you are looking for a great place to get married and have everything in one location I HIGHLY recommend looking here, even if it is a bit further than you would want to go.  It could easily turn into a mini destination for you and with Cedar Point and the Lake Erie Islands so close by your friends and family can turn it into a mini vacation!

• To top off the amazingness of the venue, they also had celebrity chef Lee Anne Wong from Top Chef as their Chef!

• Needless to say, the food was delicious.

• So was the desert.  They  had cupcakes with a berry compote sauce (HEAVEN!), a bacon chocolate cake and ICE CREAM LOLLIPOPS!  They were seriously amazing and I hope this becomes a trend because they were beyond delicious and too fun!

• I knew I adored Jessie and Shelva from when I first met them at their engagement session but when I heard Kate Winslet’s Aria from Heavenly Creatures being played for the processional I knew that we were kindred spirits.  I ADORE Kate Winslet and I did a mental happy dance (for shooting and happy dances do not mix).  YAY!

• Special thank you to Michelle for coming out to second shoot for me.

Vendors

Chef:  Lee Anne Wong
Florist:  Tina B Florals
Venue/Catering: Culinary Vegetable Institute

Just a hint of the awesome gardens at CVI!

Jessie got ready in the suite in the lodge.

They opted to do a first look which was perfect and everyone teared up – including me!

We did a super quick session before the ceremony in the fields of sunflowers on the property.

Favorite!

The ceremony location could not have been any more perfect!

Shelva’s parents escorted her down the aisle first.

Jessie soon followed with her parents, I loved them having both parents escort them!

See what I mean?  GORGEOUS venue!

They incorporated a Quaker tradition where family members and friends stood during the ceremony to give their well wishes and blessings to the new couple.  I adored this and I was tearing up too.  SO emotional but full of love!

There wasn’t a dry eye in the garden!

This may be my favorite ceremony shot ever… LOVE.

They had lavender tossed at them as they made their way back down the aisle, another favorite of mine!

I thought this little darling was going to end up in the fountain at some point but she managed to just splash herself enough to cool off!

There was a corn field and as an avid lover of Children of the Corn (it was my favorite movie when I was 5, not kidding!) I BEGGED them to go play with me in the field.

A quick dip shot and we were off to the reception!

One of their requirements was that there were images of the chefs cooking and that we eat!  YAY!  I love when I’m encouraged to eat!!  Michelle got this great image of their menu (which included MAD LIBS!!! AWESOME!) while they were cooking in the background.

Just a sampling of the amazing food that was offered.

Lee Anne putting out some of the entrees that were offered while the venue owner Farmer Lee Jones gets a picture of the food.  Such a great group of people!

A heartfelt father and daughter dance.

A mother and daughters dance!

Ending with a ring shot… another favorite of the day!

]]> http://coreyann.com/blog/2010/08/commitment-jessie-shelva-milan-ohio/feed/ 6 http://coreyann.com/blog/2010/08/corey-talks-pictures-with-dogs/ http://coreyann.com/blog/2010/08/corey-talks-pictures-with-dogs/#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:54:06 +0000 Corey Ann http://coreyann.com/blog/?p=1141 Have a doggie daughter or son and want to include them in your wedding day pictures but not sure how?  Here are some easy tips to help your dog be a part of your day when you can’t make them a part of your bridal party!

•  Pick a location to take pictures with your dog that is dog friendly but not overly distracting.  Dog parks are a great place to play with your dog however too much of a distraction for sitting for pictures.  On the other hand, churches very rarely are dog friendly.  If the location also will work for pictures afterwards with the humans in your wedding it’s even better!

•  Everyone has a friend or family member that is itching to help with the wedding.  Have them be the dog person!  If they are pet friendly, have them bring your dog to meet you at the specified place and time and take them back home afterwards.  If you do a first look it makes it even easier for them as they still have time to get ready for the wedding!

•  Make sure your dog is bathed and ready for their close up!   Pack a few baby wipes for muddy paws in case of them finding a mud puddle.

•  A pretty collar and leash that matches the bridal party is always fun!

•  Have bottled water and a traveling water bowl on hand.  It gets hot in the summer and if they had to wait in the car they are even going to be more thirsty!

•  Treats are an easy way to get dogs to look up at the camera and well deserved after being good for the camera.

•  Make sure that your photographer is dog friendly!!!  I personally ADORE dogs but not everyone does.  Make sure that your photographer isn’t afraid of dogs before planning to bring your friend in for some pictures during the day.

Do you have any tips to add?

• So often I hear from couples that have been together for a long time that engagement sessions are hard, but from my standpoint it makes them easy because you naturally fall into the “comfort zones” with each other and are used to being together. While I love shooting both new and old love, there’s a special spot in my heart for the couples that have been together the longest!

• Sawmill Creek Resort may be one of my favorite locations ever to shoot at. So many great spots and nooks to play with!!! What made it even better was a couple that was willing to go along with everything I asked!

• We did their engagement session two days before the wedding – and it was the first time I met both of them. More often than not nowadays, I book clients via phone and internet since most of my couples are from out of town or out of state.

• The crazy hot humid 90+ temps finally broke and this day was a perfect summer day, we couldn’t have arranged better weather for the engagement shoot.

• A piece of my soul is still at the beach. I may have found my favorite spot in Ohio.

This was the first of many spots that I think at first they were wondering if they chose the right photographer but they went along with it and trusted me and the results made them realize I was only a smidge crazy, not totally!

One of my favorite engagement session pictures ever, no explanation needed right?

This is another pose they had to trust me on… and while it’s a smidge on the cheese scale I still am glad that they let me run with it because just look at how crazy awesome Jessie’s eyes are?!

I love to hear stories about how people met and their story is one that I just adore.  They were both at a Super Bowl party and started talking to each other because they were both wearing Hawaiian shirts… and it wasn’t a Hawaiian theme.  It was just random that in the midst of a cold winter evening, they both decided they needed some tropic flair and the rest they say is history!  They both wore the shirts for a bit of the session and I ADORED this idea!

Along our walk to the beach we spotted this perfect area for some practice dipping for the big day!

They also practiced a bit of a dance as well.  I can’t imagine a more gorgeous spot for a dance!

I love this beach SO MUCH.  I am eternally grateful for them for bringing me here.  So pretty!

This willow tree is simply gorgeous and this picture makes me so many levels of happy.

]]> http://coreyann.com/blog/2010/08/engagement-jessie-shelva-huron-ohio/feed/ 2 http://coreyann.com/blog/2010/08/wedding-christen-benjamin-cleveland-ohio/ http://coreyann.com/blog/2010/08/wedding-christen-benjamin-cleveland-ohio/#comments Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:18:41 +0000 Corey Ann http://coreyann.com/blog/?p=1136 •  Chris and Ben are animal lovers (we went to the zoo for their engagement session) and what’s even better fellow squirrel lovers so I knew that this day was going to be a great day with kindred spirits.

•  The day of their wedding it was the hottest day (this far) of the summer with a heat index over 100º and their church wasn’t air conditioned.  Needless to say it was HOT!  They thought of their guests beforehand though and thoughtfully coordinated a punch and snack reception in the air conditioned area of the church immediately following the ceremony.

•  Chris hand drew the details on the menu, invitations and other stationery items!  Talk about talented!!

•  The favor at the wedding was homemade strawberry jam that the bride and mother of groom made with hand picked local strawberries and they made it themselves!!

•  The sunset that night was spectacular, I’m so glad that I was at a place where we could get some shots outside before the sunset was gone.  I call fiery sunsets like that “Titanic” sunsets after the awesome sunset in the movie!

Vendors

Cake Artist: Wild Flour Bakery
Catering:  Sammy’s
Ceremony:  Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
DJ:  Marty Bates with DJ Packy Malley
Florist:  Prestige Floral
Reception:  Metropolitan Ballroom
Wedding Planner:  Alison of Kirkbrides

Christen has some amazing eyes!

Trinity is GORGEOUS.  One of my favorite ceremony locations I’ve ever been to.

Breathtaking location!!!

After the ceremony we had a super quick outdoor photo session – as in maybe 10 minutes at most.  There was a pretty nasty storm blowing in so we made the most of the time we had before the rain fell.

The guys had some spiffy argyle socks on – which seems to be a theme this year!

We took some pictures outside on the roof of the Metropolitan Ballroom after the storm passed.

GORGEOUS sunset!!!!

Tina of Prestige Floral always does an amazing job with the flowers!

Just a few of the amazing reception details.  I loved how Christen and Ben collected and displayed all of their families wedding pictures to welcome their guests into the reception.  The broach on the cake was a family heirloom.

Their first dance was a fun upbeat song that they had fun dancing around to rather than the traditional swaying slow dance.  LOVE!

Keeping with the tradition of upbeat and fun vs. slow – Christen and her Dad twisted it out for their dance!  Notice the GORGEOUS sunset in the windows!  Ahhh!

Christen and Ben set the tone for having fun and dancing your heart out and their guests followed their lead!  Everyone had a ball!

•  Katie is an extraordinary stationery designer and you absolutely must check out her work at Print Julep.  All of the gorgeous details and paper items were designed by her.

•  Not only did the Bride and Groom go on an amazing honeymoon to Hawaii, they also took an amazing pre-weddingmoon to Ireland!  Now that’s a way to deal with the stress in the weeks before the wedding!!

•  I LOVE it when people are able to incorporate their pets into the day of the wedding.  Their dog was super adorable and very well behaved.

• Katie was a fan of New Kids On the Block, need I say more!?

•  I died and went to detail heaven for this wedding!

•  Special thanks to my second shooter January Newbanks for helping me out!

Vendors
Cake:  Short North Piece of Cake
Ceremony:  Trinity Episcopal Church
Coordinator:  Emilie Duncan Event Planning
Favor:  Jenis Splendid Ice Cream
Florist:  Elegant Touch and Claproods
Hair:  Rafiel’s Studio
Makeup:  Studio Fovero
Music:  Shaw Brothers and DJ Lou Schocken
Reception:  The Loft at Smith Brothers

Yay!  Happy bride!

Just a few of the gorgeous details of Katie’s ensemble.

While I was with the girls, January was getting pictures of the guys getting their final details together.

Some pics of the guys at the first look destination before we all arrived.

Showing off their argyle socks.

As well as showing off their lego cufflinks!

The location of their first look is also the spot where they got engaged

A neighbor was able to help make sure that their beloved dog made it to share part of the day as well!

I adored Katie’s bouquet, complete with a Paloma’s Nest charm!

I adore how all of the dresses coordinate but don’t at the same time.  Perfection!

We made a quick stop to the bar where Katie & Grey first met and they were even able to steal a kiss at the very table they met!

After the ceremony there was a Jenis Ice Cream cart waiting for the guests to cool down with!  I didn’t get a chance to try it but the looks of rapture upon everyone’s faces tells me that it was very good!

Just a FEW of the amazing details that Katie put together for the wedding!