so jealous

Headline "Bruce Springsteen hijacks a NJ couple's photo shoot"
We love Bruce. Can you imagine if the Boss walked up during your engagement shoot and took your guitar to serenade you? UH-mazing.

Captured by photographer Kella McPhee.

introducing

Brian aka Fiance's roommate/best man/photographer/film editor/ninja has just launched his photography website. And it's super awesome. For more reasons than the fact that fiance and I are on it.
Go read his about me page to learn more about him and his perspective. Or let his pricing page (all clearly laid out up front!) blow your mind. For a break from the wedding stuff check out his band photos (and then go check out the bands, they're amazing!). He lives in LA but his family's in northern california and I know he loves a road trip. Pass the word along!

progress

Ok this whole job thing is catching up with me. Seems like there's never enough hours in the day.

Save the dates ordered! We decided to go magnet-style. And I threw in the towel and ordered them as opposed to printing them myself, because I want to mail them out by the end of the month and this time of my life is not conducive to DIY manic. Once they arrive I'll review the company I used. A little peek?

And that is another peek of the elusive engagement photos. Perhaps tomorrow I'll show you the rest! This one is particular is everyone's favorite for some reason.

We also received a sample menu from the caterers...The pricing seems decent, it'll work with the budget. We'll definitely have to work out the menu items...it was all over the place. Fancy, yummy sounding food, but nothing at all what I envisioned.

I have a slight obsession with Excel spreadsheets. I use them for EVERYTHING. I'm the overanalyzing type in case you hadn't guessed. So the wedding budget has been open on my desktop pretty much constantly as I tweak and alter categories and numbers. I've been honing it in as I get a better idea of how much different things will cost. I'm pretty excited because right now it's $100 under our target price right now, including my dress, his suit and our rings. Obviously we're 6 months away and there's a zillion little things that will come up, but it's a good place to start right?

pure joy

Hi.
My wedding photographer rocks.

That's all.

on a scale of 1 to 10...

this actually happens? this? really world?

photographers so shallow they refuse to put their non-pretty (as defined by society) clients on their blogs. and even being jerks about it WHILE shooting a wedding of said excluded couples?

it makes me sick.

I guess we're lucky that we can't afford a big name photographer. I guess we're lucky we have photographer friends who are true artists and love us and will give us beautiful photos whether they are "magazine worthy" or not.

wedding industry we were just starting to get along so well, I had so much hope in you. You have so much potential. Now it's back to fighting it out on our (as in sane wedding throwers) own.

:)

Fiance's roommate is one of our photographer friends, he took our engagement photos. He is self-taught at photography and photoshop. He works on the side as a photographer's assistant though his primary goal is film editing. Bonus points? He gave us a CD plus a couple edited photos printed, THE NEXT MORNING. wonderful. We only ended up having 2 hours to shoot, so we'll probably do some more at a later time (for other various reasons). We went up to Griffith Park and Observatory, where fiance proposed. There were just a few differences, this weekend was day, not night, and it was about 85 degrees instead of wintery cold. So here's a couple vague photos since I haven't decided how anonymous I want to be:
(you can click to enlarge)

 Photos by Brian Nelson
(he doesn't regularly do wedding photos but he does assist another photographer)

photo magic

This post from ESB freaked me out. It would probably be my one wedding nightmare. Anything else I'd be able to laugh off, even spilling something on my dress or goofing up the words to my vows. But the photographer losing the photos to your wedding? I would die. It is the one area that my mom said we're not allowed to skimp on. We must have good photos.

Here's a little background. My family is TERRIBLE at taking photos. My whole life is documented up until about age 5 and then things get spotty. There's even less of my little brother, although we do have him on video (which we didn't have when I was younger). For the years since then, most is documented by rogue disposable cameras that my grandma always has around. I suppose we're usually just too in the moment or enjoying ourselves (or stuffing our faces with food) to be bothered to document every get together. No one in my family got a single photo of me at graduation, or at my party. And there were about 20 people involved over a course of 5-6 hours. Not one photo. I keep trying to make a pact with  myself to take more photos...but it's just not in my blood. It kinda sucks, fiance and I barely have any photos documenting the last 4 1/2 years. So engagement photos and wedding photos are key.

Yeah, we got lucky and have 3 friends who are quite talented with a camera. People may think I'm crazy, but I want all 3 to document at least part of the wedding. Call it an insurance policy if you want, but I also like the idea of having different perspectives and styles. And then 1 or 2 can take a break and enjoy the day, since they are also our friends that we want to celebrate with! We will compensate accordingly of course.

shanny lee

so if you ever noticed my little sidebar of links, you may have wondered who that shanny lee lady is. Well friends, she is a super awesome photographer and friend. She does photojournalism and lifestyle shots as well as weddings. She has the most brilliant perspective and can always find little fleeting moments and calming scenes. She is so passionate about life, it's absolutely infectious. She will be shooting our wedding. (well hopefully, she did just get dual citizenship in italy so...she may buy a one way ticket to italy and never come back. ;D)

Here's her website. Go look at every single photo. right now.
And in particular, her wedding portfolio
(you should also check out her italy portfolio. she spent the past two whole summers there. jealousss)

She lives in California but I know she's definitely is willing to travel. You should contact her. She'll be your new BFF.