MegRuth Photography Blog: Las Vegas Wedding Photographer Megan Ruth Stay

Holiday Card Special!

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 22:31:00 +0000

Can you even believe it's already the middle of August?! I can't believe the year is almost two thirds over. Crazytown, USA! The holidays are creeping up on us faster than you think.

To celebrate the upcoming seasons I'm offering you a pretty sweet deal. Update your family photo and get some sweet holiday cards in the process. For $100 you get a one hour session, 15% off your print orders for a month and 25 Christmas postcards or Hanukkah Postcards! You can even upgrade to a bi-fold card for only $20. There are several cards to choose from and they are all fun and festive. Personalization of family names is free but if you'd like to add a special message you can upgrade for $10.

All card orders take three weeks to process so make sure you get your session and order in by December first. You can order your session here. Make sure you note when you would like to do your session and which style cards you would like and add any upgrades to your order.

Did you already have a session with me this year? Then you're eligible for cards too! Select the option for 25 cards for $25 and you can order as many as you like. Let me know which images you'd like to use. I will personalize yours at no charge.

So what do you think? Shall we make this a beautiful holiday season?

Britta: Utah Maternity Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Britta and I were in college together studying photography, we met when we were both struggling to draw a garden gnome in our required intro to drawing class. Let's just say it's a good thing we both stuck with photography. She is a fantastic Utah based photographer available for weddings, families and the like.

Britta is pregnant with her second boy and I am so excited to see what kind of personality this little one is going to have. Her two-year-old son, Ben, is adorable and quite a handful. He is so sweet with Britta's protruding belly.

We decided to shoot Britta's maternity photos up at Soda Row in South Jordan. It's my new favorite. Britta is one hot mama! I can only hope that someday I will look as cute as she looks as a preggers. My fave is her sweet shirt she got at Target, considering the day she had it was fitting for our shoot.

Michelle: Utah Headshot Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:26:00 +0000

I met Michelle back in 2004 when we lived in the same apartment complex in UT. She is one of the most fun, spontaneous and joyful people I know. One of my favorite memories of that year is the Batman Date a bunch of us planned. We all dressed up as characters from Batman (I was Vicky Vale the newspaper photographer, figures) and Michelle was Poison Ivy. Our dates were picked up in a U-haul driven around in circles and then dropped off at the date location. We had a blast!

Because I can't not show you pictures...

Me as Vicky Vale with our friend Kirsten

Michelle as Poison Ivy with our friend Ashley

Ok, onto the actual photographs of gorgeous Michelle. She needed headshots for her auditions. She is a teacher by day and an actress by night. I couldn't get over her eyes with the color of her hair. Completely stunning.

Mugleston Family: Las Vegas Family Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:41:00 +0000

I am lucky enough to be related to these adorable little kids and their parents. Misty is the sister of Sir Luke. She and her husband are the parents of twin two year old girls and a one year old boy. They were staying with us for a couple days last week and we made sure we fit a quick photo shoot into the mix early on Friday morning. It was pretty hot even at 7am but we were still able to get some adorable shots, even if the girls were much more interested in rocks and dirt than me and my silly camera.

I think some of my favorites were of the girls following daddy as he mimicked the model airplanes that were flying overhead. Goodness, I could have had another week with them if it was possible. Those kids are all so darling!

Sir Luke took some video whilst we we out there as well. Thanks to him and his mad skills. Check out his video work at Tripod Productions. You should hire him to shadow us on our next shoot. And you'll get a sweet video like this.

Thanks for the great morning Muglestons!

Boswell Kids: Las Vegas Children Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:15:00 +0000

This is another session that I neglected to get up, heaven only knows why because I had so much fun!

I've been spending a lot of time with these cute kids as of late. I seriously love them. Blaise has so many things to say and will talk your ear off if given the chance. Little Aspen kills me with cuteness.

Two days before the shoot I helped Melissa, mother to Blaise and Aspen, out while she got her windows tinted on her car. There happened to be a pet store right next door. "Don't go in there," she said, "it will break your heart." Melissa and I both have a serious affinity for pugs. She knows I've been on the hunt for a long time. I went in anyway. Two adorable pug puppies sleeping in a tiny cage behind a glass wall stared longingly at me. I was seriously losing it. SO CUTE! I wanted to save them. The male puppy was $399 and the female was $499. If you know the price of purebred puppies you know these prices were ridiculous. Melissa and I toyed with the idea of going "halfsies" on the little male pug. I was so tempted.

The next day I was having a rough day and Sir Luke decided we should go take a look at that lonely puppy from the day before. And maybe get him. So we headed over to find that he was gone. I was sad. I got a text message from Melissa saying to call her when I got a chance.

I called her back; SHE WENT BACK AND BOUGHT THE PUPPY! Only about 15 minutes before I arrived. I barely missed her. Crazy.

Little Memo had his first photo shoot with the kids the next day. So I'm ok with how it worked out.

We had a blast photographing on a blustery morning. There were hoards of yellow flowers all over the community so we found some perfect spots and got some fantastic photographs of these kids. I love when parents think there's no way we got anything and then see the images and are thrilled and surprised. I always find those special moments that you didn't think existed.

Smith Family: Utah Family Portrait Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:13:00 +0000

So it turns out in the craziness of travel and work I totally missed posting a few shoots so I'm here to catch up.

Steven and Jenna used to live here in Vegas and made the move up to Utah last year. They also welcomed and beautiful baby girl, Lily, to their family. They asked me to photograph their family and I was so pleased to be able to squeeze their shoot in amidst four stats exams...yes, I finally got my diploma from BYU...only 4 years after I walked in my cap and gown. Shhh, I know, it's embarrassing. But it's OVER!

We spent a lovely evening at a park in Provo. The light was perfect and this family was so stunning
it was a breeze to photograph them. Little Lily even woke up towards the end of the shoot. It's a hard life for a one month old. Isn't she sweet?

Black Eiffel Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:02:00 +0000

Rachel at Black Eiffel is fantastic! We had an amazing shoot with her daughter this spring and now she's doing a giveaway on her blog! I'm so excited to be able to offer a free session.

So go check it out and enter to win! The giveaway is available for Las Vegas, UT and Los Angeles. Can't wait to meet the winner!

Heidi & Brad: Engaged/Married/In Love Las Vegas Engagement Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:01:00 +0000

I haven't done many test shoots lately so it was a treat when my friend Mindy called me to invite me along on her expedition out to the dry lake beds a little south of Las Vegas. I had such a great time!

Heidi and Brad were our models for the evening. They were married in March so they're in the blissful newlywed phase. So we shot some quasi engagements/day after photos. This was my first time out at the dry lake bed and I loved it. Nothing quite like a wasteland with some good looking people to fill it up. The love between these two was beautiful. So glad I was able to spend an evening with them, Mindy and Stacey!

Thanks you guys!!

Trip to Utah

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:25:00 +0000

I've got a trip to Utah coming up next month. My family is having a reunion at Bear Lake. A whole house full of family, it's bound to be Crazytown, USA. But, I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone again!

I've got a few openings for sessions on the 12th of August and the 17th/18th of August. If you're interested in booking a session, primarily in the SLC/Provo areas or in between, let me know. I have limited space so get your session booked before I'm full!

Email me: meg(at)megruth(dot)com or you can fill out my contact form on my website www.megruth.com

See you soon!

Marissa & Adam: Engaged - Las Vegas Engagement Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:52:00 +0000

Nelson, NV has a fantastic ghost town with a bazillion places to photograph. At $10 a hour per shoot you can't go wrong. The guy that owns the places loves collecting antiques and when people started taking notice they wanted to photograph there so he opened it to the public. The collection continues to grow and it's A-mazing.

Mindy and Stacey found Marissa through a local agency. They almost snagged another model for Marissa to pose with but then found out Marissa was engaged! So they decided to go with true love. And it was the best decision ever. Adam is building his portfolio so he was up for it. Marissa and Adam got engaged in Costa Rica and besides being models Adam is a firefighter! It was so great to work with them and commemorate the next phase of their lives.

Thanks for the wonderful morning! And special thanks to Adam for finishing his all night shift at the firehouse and then coming to shoot with us. What a trooper!

New Website!

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Hey, all my loyal followers, today is a grand day. After several eighteen hour days I have completed my new website! Good night, that was a lot of work. Although I'm still working on getting my sleep pattern back on the regular I am super excited it's done and up for your viewing enjoyment.

So check it out and let me know what you think! I'd love any feedback you have. Honestly.

www.megruth.com

Being a Guest

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:31:00 +0000

It's not too often, these days, that I get to just be a guest at a wedding. I was shooting a ton at my sister-in-law's wedding so I still wasn't quite kick back. But over the Fourth of July my good friend, Megan, got married and I was able to attend with my parents.

It was such a gorgeous wedding. I was overwhelmed with all the stunning details. But my favorite thing was the look on Megan's face as she walked back down the isle, arm in arm with her husband, Jordan.

Congrats to the two of them!!! And have fun in Italy!

Michelle & Dee: Married! Bountiful Wedding Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:08:00 +0000

Sir Luke and I drove up to SLC on Sunday a couple days before the wedding. We arrived late and got up early so I could meet the ladies of the family for a morning of manicures and pedicures (am I the only one grossed out by the shortened term for that?). I am CRAZY ticklish and having someone hold my toes individually makes me go completely bonkers, but I made it through and still have the pretty toes to prove it.

I had such a good time at Michelle and Dee's wedding. I was able to enjoy the wedding as a guest but it's crazy to think I couldn't take photos. I got tons of details and stalked my cute twin nieces Abbie and Baylee. How can you blame me?

The reception was so lovely! I would totally recommend The Castle in Layton, UT to anyone. It was a great venue with some fantastic vendors. The flowers and food were amazing.

And the best thing of the day my baby nephews playing together. James thought it would be fun to hang on to Tyler and go for a ride while he crawled around. Tyler had other ideas in the form of giant
tears. Being the mean auntie that I am I made their parents leave them crawling and crying and giggling til I got it on video... But it was SO funny! Check it out!

I'm so glad we got to celebrate with Michelle and Dee! Congrats again!

The White Family: Las Vegas Family Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:51:00 +0000

After Merrick's baby shower we did a quick family portrait session. A great gift idea from the host of the party! We came away with some darling photos of Benson and some great family portraits for the Whites!

Thanks guys! You can view the entire event and order prints, here.

Merrick's Baby Shower: Las Vegas Event Photography

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 17:33:00 +0000

I was asked to photograph Merrick's baby shower. She had baby Benson a little over four months ago so he got to be coddled and loved all during the shower. This is the third shower I've been to as of late where the baby is at the baby shower. It's actually super fun to see and hold the baby we're all celebrating.

I had a blast! Thanks to my friend Valynn for bringing me to photograph the party!

Merrick even made her cute shirt embellishment. How crafty is she?! Love it. You can see the entire event and order prints here.

Ruffled Blog: Feature

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:13:00 +0000

I am so happy to report that Amy and Warren's lovely wedding was featured on Ruffled Blog today! I love Ruffled Blog, it's everything I love in weddings. Super beautiful details with a vintage feelings. So much beautiful inspiration!

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported me so incredibly and for Amy and Warren for trusting me with your day! It was so wonderful to be there!

Amy & Warren: Married/ Wasington D.C. Wedding Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:56:00 +0000

She came out of the room in that beaded flapper dress (that must have weighed fifteen pounds) and the giant rose in her hair; my jaw dropped. She was radiant. Is radiant.

Amy has been in my life since the third grade. We had some fun times as kids but when college came along out friendship really expanded. I remember realizing that I didn't have a roommate set for the freshman dorms. I had waited too long to get into anything decent and was relegated to Deseret Towers, which was sorta like a cinder-block prison without bars. I knew Amy was going to BYU as well and so one day at church I asked her if she'd want to room together. She said, "sure," as lackadaisically as I had asked and that was that. We both had a rough year but were there for each other and lived together the rest of college together. She's amazing.

And she chose an amazing guy to spend her life with. Warren is such a great guy. With the short time I was able to get to know him I knew he was so perfect for Amy. I am so grateful I was able to be there for their perfect day.

We photographed bridals on Thursday, the reception Friday and the actual marriage on Saturday. It made the bride and groom so much more at ease. We had a ball!

Amy thought of every detail for her vintage inspired reception. She found and designed everything herself. She is one in a million. This girl made her bouquet while she was getting her hair done. Crazy! She oozes talent. She hand drew her invitation and had it letterpressed on a friend's press. So beautiful.

The wedding and luncheon were wonderful. It was fantastic to be a guest and the photographer. I loved everything about the wedding. I'm so glad I was able to be there for them.

Bride’s Dress: Reproduction flapper dress by Unique Vintage
Shoes: Xhiliration from Target
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Target
Groom’s suit: Banana Republic
Flowers: Grocery stores; arranged by bride and maid of honor
Dessert table: designed by the bride’s family; desserts from Costco and Trader Joe’s
Luncheon venue: Jaleos (Bethesda location)
Cake: Flan made by the groom’s sister

Thanks so much Amy and Warren, for letting me be a part of your beautiful day!

You can view the entire event and order prints here.

Thumbs Up

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:46:00 +0000

It's things like this that make me job so awesome.

"Megan, you are our hero! The pictures look fabulous!"

I'll be posting a full wedding rundown on Amy and Warren's wedding today.

Get excited.

Meanest Mom Feature

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:18:00 +0000

Amy's Sister, Jana, write a hysterical blog called "The Meanest Mom." I find it amusing and I don't even have children. You should check it out. Jana has been making amusing satirical comments about the planning stages. You can find things in the archives here, here, here, here and here.

Thanks Jana!

Stay Family: Boston Family Portraits

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:43:00 +0000

Ben and Rebekah are my in-laws. I just love them and their sweet baby, James. I was able to stay at their house when I went to DC to photograph Amy and Warren's wedding. Ben and BK (as we call her in our family since we have another Rebecca sister-in-law) live in Northern Virginia which was an amazing setting for family photos...but it rained the day we planned our shoot. As is typical with photographers we rolled with the punches and changed our plans and worked out our shoot to the next week when we were all to be in Boston for Memorial Day weekend.

These turned out so fantastic. James is a little pouter in front of the camera, but we snuck some smiles in. They are some of the best people I know, and I get to be related to them! We are lucky to have them in out lives

Thanks so much for spending the evening with me guys! Love you! Order and view the entire event here.

Amy & Warren: ALMOST Married

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Fri, 21 May 2010 03:19:00 +0000

We took some photos of Amy and Warren pre-wedding so they'd have a great no stress wedding day. It was such a wonderful morning.

Amy and I grew up together and were roommates in college. When she came out in her dress we both started crying. I am so happy for her. I wish them all the happiness in the world.

Here's the tidbit you get for now. Her dress was found online at a vintage shop. More details later. Stunning no? Warren isn't too bad either.

Tyler Family: Las Vegas Family Portaits

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:50:00 +0000

I'm finally updating my blog with images from the past couple months. Scroll down to see the newest delights or subscribe via Google Reader to get all the updates.

Ok, down to business. Marta and Chris welcomed little Ava into the world last December just after I met Marta. It was such great morning photographing their family. As luck would have it Ava decided to wake up three hours early so she'd be super cranky for all our pictures.

I love when a parent becomes resigned to the fact that they won't get any decent pictures and then are so pleasantly surprised that I was able to capture so many. The trick is lots of breaks, not forcing her to be in any certain pose/position. I'm all about making sure everyone is comfortable and in an environment where they can be themselves.

Isn't this family beautiful!?

Thanks Tyler Family! It was such a joyful morning! You can view the entire even and order prints here.

Travel

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Ok party people, here's the skinny on travel in the next little bit. I am going to be here and there and everywhere for the next couple months. If I'm in your town I'd love to do a session with you!

Here are the dates and places I'm quasi available. Shoot me an email (meganruthstay at gmail dot com) to reserve your spot and confirm that I am available during the date and time you'd like. I'd really love it!

Washington DC area: This week! I have VERY limited availability but if you'd like a session we'll work it out.

Boston/Franklin area: May 29th-June 8th

Salt Lake City area: June 20th-26th

Los Angeles are: July 2nd-6th

After all that (and all the traveling from the past month or two) I think I might sleep for a week. There's been so much going on this year that I feel like everytime I take a second to look around we're another month deeper into 2010. Before I know it, it'll be Christmas! I've heard that when you're younger time goes by really slow, but as your brain gets older it speeds up time. Is this really true? Because I feel like time seriously flies these days. Like a fighter jet.

I leave you with this gem from the Tyler family session from last Saturday.

Catching Up!

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Sun, 16 May 2010 00:27:00 +0000

There are a few shoots I need to post about. I have been slacking in the blogging land...eep!

So here's a tidbit from this mornings session. This image was one of the last ones I took when baby Ava was plum tuckered out!

I've been quilting the last couple days and have been overtaken by fabric. I find it very appealing, cathartic and expressive. This first one may have been overkill on the Amy Butler fabrics, but I can't help it, I love them all!!! Check out the progress on my personal blog, The Mrs. MRS.

I'll get more images up soon!

Happy Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (MegRuth) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:08:00 +0000

I hope you have a grand weekend! Mine will be low-key with lots of cleaning....fun times!

Here's a little tidbit of a shoot with BlackEiffel from last week's adventure in UT.