Life. Love. Lipstick.

Slowly but surely, the new blog is coming together!  I still have a lot to do to it, but I’m so glad to have the header done! 

Thanks to the fiance for helping me out with photoshop and wordpress!  And a special thanks to Eric Laurits for allowing me to use his beautiful images that perfectly represent “life,” “love”, and “lipstick.”

Well, as happy as I am about our decision to elope, I’m sad to wave goodbye to Eric Laurits.  I had my heart set on having Eric shoot our nuptials, but deciding to get married this year means that we just can’t afford a top-notch photographer.  So here we are, searching for a decent photographer that meets our criteria:

1. Local to Orlando, to avoid travel costs.
2. Will shoot for just an hour or two, much like an engagement session, with a little ceremony thrown in.
3. Will sell us a disc of edited images for a reasonable price.
4. Will sell the disc of UNedited images for way cheap.
5. Is a good fit with our favored styles.*
6. Can be booked with just a couple months’ notice (wedding will possibly be on a weekday, so this isn’t impossible).
7. Will do the shooting itself for under $400.

Am I seeking the impossible?

I’m going with NO, and am going to search for the right photographer!  I know a lot of photographers read this blog, so if any of you can do this, or know someone who can, please let me know!

*Samples of these favored styles can be found on these photography blogs: Eric Laurits, Susan Stripling, The Image Is Found, John & Joseph – Just a few of my faves.

I posted recently that Dustin and I finally got engaged. Now comes the fun part…. the planning!

I have put off posting about this, because since we first started talking marriage over a year ago, we (okay, I, considering Dustin has expressed several times that he can go either way happily) have gone back and forth about whether we should elope or have a wedding with guests. As with any major decision, there were multiple pros and cons for both choices.

As for eloping, it keeps costs way down, meaning we can afford the most important element to me, a good photographer. It also means that I don’t get caught up in inviting Aunt Ingrid and her family out of politeness, my college roommate because I was invited to hers, and my friend who lives down the street. Ok, so none of these situations are anything I’m dealing with, nor do I know anybody named Ingrid. However, there are similar issues with the guest list if we chose to invite guests. Eloping also means that the focus stays where it should- on the fact that we have chosen to live our lives together as husband and wife, instead of on linens, favors, registries, and buffet vs. plated dinner. Honestly, I think one of the biggest things for us is that eloping means we can get married very soon. There are other positive points for eloping, but those are the big ones for me.

Eloping is certainly not without cons. I would hate to wake up in 3 years wanting to have a vow renewal (which are completely ludicrous, i’ll post about that another time) because I really wish I had gotten to have the whole wedding experience. Also, I am completely enamored with weddings and all the love that surrounds you on your day. As I mentioned in a previous post, I long for the emotion of the wedding day. I want to share that day with those who have either shaped me to be the person Dustin chose to marry, or have played a part in our relationship. I think it’s becoming obvious as I type this that I have made the right choice for us… we’re having a wedding.

Now, as a compromise between a wedding and elopement, we’re having a VERY small, intimate wedding. This ensures that we’ve invited only those we can’t imagine the day without, and that costs stay down. I still don’t think we’ll be able to afford our dream photographer, but we’ll see. I’m just thrilled to have something to go on! Right now we’re thinking next spring for a date. First things first though… I have to move 500 miles so I can finally live with the love of my life!

I see countless dress shots in my feed reader every day.  I usually just glide past them, eyes glazed over, waiting for something to pop out in the set of wedding images before me.  That’s what happened with this dress shot with Eric Laurits.

Something about the light, the cross, and the dress combines to make a beautiful image.  A very powerful image, even.  I’d say this is my favorite dress shot to date.

Is that a mouthful enough for you?

Eric Laurits.  Photography Genius, and amazing, beautiful, cool person.  He is my favorite photographer.  Look through his blog, read this entry, and if you STILL don’t know why he’s my #1, email me.

I’m willing to completely blow my future wedding budget just to have him there.  He’s that good.

Taking in my daily reads, I found two posts of eye candy in a row. I decided to post them just for fun.

First up, from the sexy Eric Laurits, the beautiful Monique, who just really knows how to work. it. OUT!

See the rest of the post here.

And from Shyla Photography, hot HOT Doug Levy.

Seriously? SO HOT. Love the ones with the tie!

See the rest of the post here.