3rd Annual WPPI Wedding Poker Stars Tournament

Click on image to get to Evite!  See you in Vegas!!

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Liene Stevens, Emilie Sommer and Angela Adams…oh my!

Email photo (at) emilieinc.com to secure your seat!

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WPPI Poker Tournament : Wedding Poker Stars

I have had quite a few inquiries asking about the poker tournament at WPPI this year. YES, it is on and we are working on having it at MGM!

Vegas Tourney will start at 9:00pm on Sunday the 7th!

Last year we had just over 60 people and I have told the tournament crew that we will have 100 this year, so feel free to pass this around!

We are going to bring back playing online on Wednesday nights on Full Tilt if you want to practice

Email info(at)weddingpokerstars(dot)com to get on either list.

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Engage09 The Encore

Emilie and I just returned from a terrific couple of days in Vegas at the Engage09 The Encore, a luxury wedding business seminar! The speaker lineup was terrific…starting with Rebecca Grinnals, who also put on the day, and Marcy Blum to Simon T. Bailey and the brilliant Sean Low. Networking at this event was 2nd to none! Randy Fenoli, Director of Fashion at Kleinfeld in NYC and “Say Yes to the Dress” fame entertained us in the evening at Blush. Our great friend Jennifer Dominick of LoveLifeImages brought her Snapshot Studio to capture some of the fun!

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Aurora Photographers Annual Meeting

You never know when you will meet someone that will lead to new business.  While in NYC for the PDN Photo Annual Party back in May I met Jose Azel on the roof of Tribeca Skyline Studios.  Jose is the man behind Aurora Images which just so happened to be based right here in Portland, Maine!  After a few meetings and a nice lunch, we found that we could have an interesting partnership with liveBooks and Aurora’s archive.  Jose was kind enough to invite me to his photographers annual meeting on Sebago Lake last week!  I was pleasantly surprised with the amazing talent that was in attendance at the meeting.  Photographers from across the country and from right in my back yard were taking part.  There were break out sessions, group meetings and a pretty sweet soccer game!

Future of Our Industry Q&A session in the sun. Speakers Jose Azel, Miriam Marseu (SI), Amber Terronova (PDN) and Rich Clarkson.

Image taken from Aurora Twitter Stream...not sure who took it.

Thanks so much for having me out Jose!  I look forward to a terrific partnership…

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Branded Marketing

Marketing is the lifeblood of a business! I have said that marketing (and sales) feels like walking up a down escalator…when you stop you begin to go backwards. Not all marketing is created equal however. Studios that have consistent branding will continue to see better and better results. The people receiving your message will begin to trust your company more as they see your brand driven on all your marketing or anything that touches the client/potential client.

A good example of this is a branded newsletter. Newsletters are a great way to keep past, current and future clients informed about your studio and it’s activities. They keep your brand on the forefront of the persons mind, so if they need your services or know of someone that might need your services, your name will come up. Here is an example of the recent emilie inc newsletter:

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Recent wedding with Kate Parker Weddings at a private residence in New Hampshire

Friday, September 04, 2009

* Emily and Jake

photographer: J
venue: private residence
officiant: Lara Freeman
coordinator: Kate Parker Weddings
caterer: Julie Dunfey White Apron Dover, NH
tent: Sperry Tents
florist: Kate Parker Flowers
dj: Ryan Parker
cake: Something Sweet by Michelle
videographer: Precious Moments Video
make-up: Joanne McDonough Joya Beauty
hair: Lena Hartford Hair That Moves
gown: Priscilla of Boston
invitations: Goosefish Press
dinner menus: Gus & Ruby Letterpress Portsmouth, NH
honeymoon: Turks & Caicos

Emily and Jake met through mutual friends while students at Emory University in Atlanta. Now living in Chicago, they returned to Emily’s hometown in New Hampshire to treat their guests to an elegant celebration at her parent’s home. Tropical storm Danny let up just after the barn ceremony for outdoor formal photos.

I ask my associates to take a photo of the dress when they arrive no matter the location. We’ve had attics and storage rooms, and we can now add basement to the list. Love it.

Emily’s parents built this barn specifically for the wedding. The bright sunflowers and hanging stars added great splashes of color.

Married!

Beautiful reception details.

Toasts.

When editing these images, I was so struck by the light of the reception and how beautifully it played a role in the evening.

Toasting… cupcakes!

Check out more of this fantastic wedding in the 10×10 album design below:

Congratulations, Emily and Jake!! J enjoyed documenting your big day, and meeting so many of your wonderful relatives and friends (including emilie inc. couple Erin and Brett!)!!

Posted by emilie inc. at 4:12 PM Categories: weddings 2 comments

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Crocker House Country Inn Wedding Hancock Point, Maine

This was one of the weddings of the summer for me…terrific families and just fun day to capture!!

* Emily and Zak

photographers: J and Whitney
ceremony: private residence overlooking Bar Harbor and Frenchman’s Bay: Hancock Point, Maine
reception: Crocker House Country Inn Hancock Point, Maine
caterer: Crocker House Country Inn
florist: Newland Florist Ellsworth, Maine
band: Jeff Davison Big Chief Band
gown: Ultimate Bride Chicago
transportation: Ford Model A

Emily’s family has been vacationing in Maine from Virginia since 1990. Now living in Chicago, Emily and Zak chose to exchange their I Do’s in Hancock Point, the sweet village where her family has a summer camp. Combing elements of their Catholic and Jewish backgrounds, Emily and Zak wrote their own ceremony and exclaimed their giddy love in front of nearly 200 guests.

How they met, in Emily’s words:
Zak and I met at a New Year’s Eve party in Chicago. I had just moved and only new one person- Mia Clark (from sailing school in Maine)- who happened to go to Kenyon College with Zak in Ohio. She invited me to the party at Zak’s house. We were friends for 6 months and then started getting romantic!

On to the photos…
What a sweet scene. The family’s Model A, which every woman in the family has used on their wedding day.

Emily and her girls got ready on the front porch of her family’s cottage.

Meanwhile, Zak was across town doing the same.

Emily is the oldest of five sisters!

Married!

The dance floor was packed all night long!

Preview their fantastic 10×10 flush album design below:

Happy marriage, Emily and Zak! I loved coordinating the logistics of your wedding day for you, and have been hearing the smiles in J and Whitney’s voice all week long as they rave about your amazing celebration! Congratulations!!

Posted by emilie inc. at 6:46 PM Categories: weddings

Maine Wedding Photographer

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Peaks Island Maine Wedding

* Julie and Brendon

photographer: J
venue: Inn on Peaks Peaks Island, Maine
coordinator: Kirby Johnson Cityside Events
officiant: Helen Hillier
florist: Judy Bourgeois Flora Fauna Designs
dj: Charlie Vacchiano Good Time DJ
cake: Edible Delights
gown: Alfred Angelo
honeymoon: Maine and Las Vegas

Julie and Brendon met in high school and have been together ever since (all together now: awwww!). So sweet. Together with their darling daughter and flower girl Avery, they hosted an intimate wedding ceremony and reception on Peaks Island off the coast of Portland in Casco Bay. Julie has been vacationing there every year since she was born. emilie inc. associate photographer J had fun hanging with this Massachusetts crew on the island.

Brendon and his boys.

Adorable Avery.

Congratulations!

How gorgeous are those garden roses?

Overturned boat and lobster traps are the perfect backdrop for an island wedding portrait.

Love the emotion of the Brendon dancing with his mother.

Someone else had some exciting news to share this night, too!

Take a peek at their 10×10 flush album design below.

Posted by emilie inc. at 1:48 PM Categories: weddings

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Laudholm Farm Wells, ME

* Catherine and Greg

Laudholm Farm Wedding

photographer: J
venue: Laudholm Farm Wells, ME
officiant: Bob Berkebile
caterer: Kitchen Chicks Catering
florist: Calluna Fine Flowers Ogunquit, ME
cake: Let Them Eat Cake Kennebunk, ME
hair/make-up: Freedom Salon York, ME
gown: Ella Couture Montreal

J spent his 4th at one of our favorite venues, Laudholm Farm, set among rolling hills of Wells, Maine. Typical of our season so far, ominous weather rolled in just an hour before the scheduled ceremony with rain- and hail! A quick decision was made to have the ceremony in the barn and guests were happy to be indoors, and even happier when it cleared for a beautiful afternoon.

Catherine, who met Greg through work connections at Harvard, recently moved from Montreal to Maine. Her family all spoke French, so an interpreter was on hand for both the ceremony and toasts at dinner, providing many laughs throughout the evening. The day ended where it began, with a bit of dancing in the barn.

On to the images…

From gray to bright blue skies. As they say in Maine, if you don’t like the weather wait 20 minutes.

The bridal party gathers before the ceremony.

Dramatic ceremony scene inside the old barn with twinkle lights.

Greg and Catherine.

The light at Laudholm is magical during any part of the day.

Adore this image of Catherine’s son running ahead of them in the field just before sunset.

Sweet reaction to toasts at dinner under the tent.

Awaiting the cake cutting. Priceless.

See more of their imagery in the album design below.

Felicitations, Catherine et Greg! Je vous souhaite de faire un beau mariage et d’avoir une vie à deux pleine de bonheur, et bien sûr une lune de miel merveilleuse au Mount Katahdin!

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THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE

The first ever on demand photo book created for the main stream media. It is on sale at Amazon for only $34.95 and is a hard bound, 200 page photo book that  includes hundreds of images from over 140 professional photographers following Obama’s historic road to the White House along with his first 100 days.

OK so it is a cool photo book but the reason that it is important for photographers to see is that unlike a normal photo book which is printed and sold in book stores this is only available from Amazon because each book is printed on demand. The professional photos and layout etc already exist and then the person ordering the book uploads some of their own photos as well as their name etc and they become a co-author, the invitation to the inauguration includes their name, the thank you blackberry email is to them, etc. It is the first time ever that I think a photographer has mixed a professional book with the end users images.

This is the future of book publishing. Tons of wedding photographers  and others are already creating their own books at Blurb etc but this  shows that with some front end interface photogs  can not only do that  but help end users create their own compelling pieces of history as well.

If you want more info or to be in touch with the people running this let me know!

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Beachmere Inn Wedding Ogunquit, Maine

This was a great wedding that I recently shot for emile inc!  This venue is terrific and everyone that was part of the day made it great for Suzanne and Michael!

* Suzanne and Michael

venue: Beachmere Inn Ogunquit, Maine
officiant: Rabbi Judy Epstein
caterer: Kelly Gendron Kitchen Chicks Catering
florist: Kate Henderson Katherine’s Garden York, Maine
cake: Arie Kidder Custom Cakes
dj: Randy Barth
tent: Sperry Tents
hair: Lena Hartford Hair That Moves
dress: Vera Wang
invitations: Kate’s Paperie
honeymoon: South Africa
photographer: associate J

After dreaming of marrying at the Beachmere as a little girl on vacation in Ogunquit from New York City, Suzanne finally tied the knot to her longtime boyfriend Michael.

In Suzanne’s words, their story:
Mike and I met when we were 17-year-old freshman at NYU. He had a shaved head and an obsession with the Beatles. I was shocked to find out he was already a professional tap dancer who had worked with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. I had hair down to my waist, pencil thin eyebrows and a nose ring and yet I think he figured out that I remained a suburban bookworm. We were friends for a year or so before we became a couple, officially, at 19. 10 years later and we’re getting married (finally!). We really have grown up together.

The Beachmere is a special place for me, too, as it is the location of the first wedding I ever photographed- my cousin Jeff- back in 2001. It has changed a lot since then, but the impressive ocean backdrop along the infamous Marginal Way remains a perfect setting for a wedding.

On to the photos…

Clouds gave way to a bit of sunshine in the afternoon, but fog later enveloped the grounds.

Suzanne getting ready. Love her dress and gorgeous smile.

The handsome groom, Michael.

What a wonderful happy recessional up the lawn.

First dance.

Suzanne is very tight with her mom, Joanne.

The fog rolls in.

Please view their beautiful 10×10 flush album design:

Maine Wedding Photography

J really enjoyed working with you all, meeting in Manhattan and with me at the studio during the course of your planning. Happy congratulations! Can’t wait to hear about your honeymoon to South Africa!

Posted by emilie inc. at 1:30 PM Categories: weddings

Maine Wedding Photography

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St John Wedding…my own!

We had a great week on the island and the day of the wedding… the weather cooperated just in time!

Emilie could not have been more beautiful!!

Somehow Jules Bianchi, friend and destination wedding photographer, even caught a nice image of me

We cannot thank our friends and family enough for making the trip to celebrate the beginning of our lives together.

Emilie…I look forward to today and everyday with you!

Slideshow by Jules Bianchi Photography

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Island Time : Getting Married on St. John’s

I will be out of the country and tying the knot with my beautiful fiancée Emilie!  No computers and little iPhone time while there…looking forward to bonding with family and snorkeling around the islands.

Have a great week!

Update 5/12/09 We are happily married!  See details of how to have a destination wedding on St. John!

St. John wedding images!

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Wedding Poker Stars Annual WPPI Poker Tourney

Vegas Tourney will start at 9:00. This year I have set us up at the RIO Poker Room…if you have a better idea let me know though. Buy-in will be $80 and we will have 20 minute blinds to move the action along!

Last year we had just over 60 people and I have told the tournament crew that we will have 100 this year, so feel free to pass this around!

We are also still playing online on Wednesday nights on Full Tilt if you want to practice Email info(at)weddingpokerstars(dot)com to get on the list.

Just sent out the evite…so let me know if you didn’t get it and want in!

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Happy New Year

Here’s to a great 2009! Many exciting things on the horizon

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Always On…

Anyone experiencing Always On syndrome?  How much can we blog, FB, Twitter and such before it is just too much?

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Jet Blue and American Express

Hey All…if you haven’t flown on Jet Blue you are missing out!  I think they have the best airline out there right now and I travel them quite a bit.  This card you can get a free flight in no time…with 4 round trip flights cross country, less if you use the card for purchases like I do.  Their new terminal at JFK is amazing!

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Two Comments I posted today…

On John Harrington’s post:
Good post John,
Seth is a daily read of mine as well! Mediocrity can take many forms…one that I think many people don’t think about is branding. It needs to be applied across all of your marketing pieces. Everything that touches a prospective client should have the same look and feel…website, blog, newsletter, business card, estimates, billings, snail mail pieces, mass emails…the more you drive your brand, the more prospects will remember you!

On David Jay’s post:

Hey David

You couldn’t be more right on this one…it is a trend that is definitely one to follow. We took it a step further and did it in a professional, classy way…with Wedding Video Testimonials. We shot over 40 beautiful weddings this year and met about 90% of our brides on the morning of the wedding. A strong brand implemented on a well designed site will allow you to book destination brides with confidence on their part. Our video team has also done a studio tour and in action shoot, which will be posted shortly. Dane has done an excellent job of this as well…we all know he is a trendsetter! Video is here and will be something to embrace over the coming years…we have and will be doing some very cool things with it in the future

J

Hope your having a good Saturday!

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Vote

History is being made…are you going to be part of it?

Get out and Vote!

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