Misato is in the Spokane/Coeur d’ Alene roller derby (Misato Herdemise is her roller derby name) and Eric, her lovely fiance, is a roller derby ref. So naturally, roller skating had to be a part of their wedding!

The two asked David from AiP Creative Photography to capture their engagement. They had a slight dilemma when they decided they wanted to use roller skating shots for their save-the-dates, but also wanted some shots outside in the spring. Photographer, David, decided that since their wedding was right around the corner and they needed to get their save-the-dates sent out, he would go the extra mile and do two shoots for the couple. They did one shoot at the Skate Plaza in Coeur d’ Alene this winter, and will do another this spring so they can get the beautiful outdoor shots too. Now that’s service!

To see more from David check out the AiP Creative Photography website, or e-mail him at aipimage@gmail.com!

Related posts:

1. Rathdrum Engagement by AiP Creative Photography
2. Photographer Spotlight: AiP Creative Photography
3. Clark House Wedding by AiP Creative Photography

I know I’ve said it before, but I REALLY regret not hiring a videographer for my wedding. Now that time has passed, it would be so nice to relive it, to see some of my family members who have passed away since then and to just enjoy one of the happiest days in my life from my couch! Yes, it’s an added expense. Yes, you might have to sacrafice something else to have it. But it’s worth it, trust me!

I am so happy to be introducing you to another great local videographer. Mitchell from Crane Train Productions has just become a featured videographer here on Apple Brides. What’s so great about Mitchell, besides his gorgeous videos of course, is his real passion for wedding videos. He loves what he does and he understands how important it is.

What inspired you to become a videographer? 

I have quite a few influences on becoming a videographer.  When my wife and I got married, our package included a video.  We couldn’t even make it through the video.  It was rough.  It was basically security camera footage put onto a DVD.  I swore to not let this happen to anyone else!  There is actually a clip of our wedding footage on my current wedding promo (around 1:01).  I also just really enjoy being around and seeing people in love.  I guess I just believe in love, and that it can conquer all things.  Having people invite you into their lives for their biggest day is quite the gift.

The outdoors also brought me into photography/videography.  I started tinkering with cameras when I started traveling out west from my original home in Michigan.  I wanted to document my adventures, and capture natures beauty.  Soon I realized I wanted to capture more than just nature, i wanted to capture people enjoying the activities they do in nature.

YO V.I.P.! // Tracy + Sue // Wedding Film from Crane Train Productions on Vimeo.

What is your videography style?

Style depends on subject matter, and preference.  Sometimes it’s fun to shoot hand-held and get the home-made look.  Other times I like to shoot with as much stabilization gear (tripods, sliders, glide-cam) as possible to create a very polished cinematic look.  Editing adds a whole other dimension to style as well.  I like to be creative and always try new things, so it’s really fun to look for people willing to experiement or have their own ideas as well.

Why do you think couples should get a videographer? 

Our goal is to do everything we can to make sure couples don’t miss out on having their story told.  Yes, you need a photographer, but “videography” is still considered non-essential.  Brides spend a majority of their wedding budget on items they will never get to experience again after their wedding day (most are still necessary).  Why not invest a little bit more to create a lasting memory of your most cherished day?  I want to challenge the notion that it is non-essential.  We’re providing a cinematic experience.  Photography captures a split second in time, which is an amazing art form.  What we’re trying to do is tell the story of your day through an immersion of your senses.  Sight, sound, and emotional.  Sharing your experiences, and experiences of your guests that you may not have been around for.  Maybe it was a joke someone told, maybe it was the way you smiled during your first dance, or the wonderful toasts that your family and friends gave.

One of brides biggest regrets is not having a wedding video.  Check out what some of the brides have to say on theknot.com -

What is your favorite part of a wedding?

The first dance.  I think it’s the first moment they really relax, and just enjoy each other’s embrace…  and they deserve it after all the crazy planning!

What should couples look for in a videographer? 

Someone who they like, and they feel comfortable with.  The last thing they want to think about is the what the camera guy is doing!  It’s also important to find someone who’s style you like, or is open to your suggestions.  Of course, finding someone who’s work you really like is very important as well!

What do your packages include? 

Our packages start with a highlight film, and a multi cam ceremony edit.  The highlight film can be shared through facebook, downloaded to most smart phones or tablets, and will also be distributed with the ceremony edit via dvd and/or blu-ray.  There are many creative add-on options as well, such as; blooper reals, wishing well, cinematic trailer, engagement video, feature film, and much more!

Check out the Crane Train website for more info or e-mail mitchellcrane@cranetrainproductions.com.

Related posts:

1. Videographer Spotlight: Sure Shot Video
2. Grace Media: Spokane Wedding Videographer
3. Ryan Ferguson Films: Wedding Videographer

What makes this wedding even better is that Katie was a faithful Apple Brides reader! Read all about her plans below the post.

Matt and Katie hired Flat 4 Photo Booth to set up a photo booth, here are a couple of their shots. So fun!

(PS Flat 4 Photo Booth has a SWEET deal going on right now.)

A little from Katie about her wedding and planning…

“For me the wedding planning was really fun so I enjoyed having another creative outlet and designing everything from the invitations to the centerpieces myself. I felt that the vendors I did use were so incredibly helpful and genuinely excited to be a part of our wedding.

I utilized Apple Brides for almost every vendor I chose. Their vendor lists and reviews were such a great resource, I honestly wouldn’t have even known where to begin searching if it weren’t for them! All in all, I had a ton of fun planning my wedding and the day was so perfect and fun that we wanted to do it all over again. I still look at Apple Brides everyday because I’m going through wedding withdrawals!”

Sweetest thing ever. Thanks for being so loyal to Apple Brides Katie, and congratulations!

Vendors

Photographer: Haley Sierra Weddings
Venue: Spokane Masonic Center
Wedding Dress & Bridesmaids: Marcellas Bridal
Jewelry: Belonged to my Grandmother
Tuxes: Mens Warehouse
Food: Red Rock Catering
Cake: Taste Cafe
DJ: Big Show Mobile ( Lance Morris)
Photo Booth: Flat 4 Photography
Bouquets / Invitations / Menus / Decor: DIY

Also! Haley Sierra Weddings is giving away a FREE engagement session on their blog. Go check it out!

Related posts:

1. Lake Pend Orielle Wedding by Haley Sierra Photography
2. Masonic Center Wedding by Haute Pink Photography
3. Spokane Masonic Center Wedding by Suwanee Photography

Plus, is anything better/cooler than stacks of wine barrels??? No.

To see more of Michelle’s work check out the Michelle Nagle Photography website. Or e-mail info@michellenagle.com for more info!

Related posts:

1. Spokane Wedding by Ifong Chen Photography, Arbor Crest Winery
2. Coeur d’ Alene Engagement by Michelle Nagle Photography
3. Reader Wedding at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars

Fact. People come from all over the world to get married in Coeur d’ Alene. Fact #2. They usually choose The Coeur d’ Alene Resort for their venue. Why? Because it is one of the most breathtaking settings IN THE WORLD! The Resort finished the Hagadone Event Center on their world famous golf course last summer… to say this place has a million dollar view is an understatement. I’ve been to Coeur d’ Alene Lake many times in my life, but when I entered the Hagadone Center for the first time, I kid you not, it took my breath away. The Resort found the most beautiful place on the whole lake and built a wedding venue there.

The Coeur d’ Alene Resort offers many options for engaged couples, from their boat cruises to the ballrooms in their hotel, the new Hagadone Event Center just puts the icing on the cake!

Not only does the Hagadone Event Center have some of the best views you’ve ever seen, it also has a beautiful 7,000 square foot event space with panoramic floor to ceiling windows that make those amazing views the focus, no matter what time of year you get married.

And don’t forget about the infinity pool, outdoor patio area and floating stage, perfect for a cocktail hour!

Photos by Quicksilver Photography

I found this video that gives you a better idea of just how beautiful the Hagadone Event Center is…

Highlights:

• Capacity of the Event Center is 250.
• Perfect for year round celebrations.
• Theater-style setting for ceremony location surrounded by thousands of perfect flowers and facing lake views.
• Banquet staff on hand for your event.
• Infinity pool and large patio area for outdoor weddings.

To find out more, check out the Coeur d’ Alene Resort website!

*This is a sponsored post.*

Related posts:

1. 231 North Event Center: Spokane Wedding Venue
2. Schweitzer Mountain Resort: Venue Spotlight
3. 231 North Event Center Photo Shoot by Ryan Lindberg

The ceremony was held at the Fort Sherman Chapel and the reception was at Coeur d’ Alene wedding venue, The White House. The couple chose vendors who understood their Celtic vision and could help them bring it to life. The talented Sara Gray Photography was behind the camera, Erica’s Expressions created the gorgeous bouquets and Shasta Hankins did the flawless make-up. Here is a little from Denise about her perfect Celtic wedding…

“Our overall vision was old world / autumn / Celtic and I think it came together really well.  Some of our unique ideas:  Our choice of music (an ancient Irish Hymn – Be Thou My Vision) and bagpiper, not wanting a white cake, creating my own cake topper (Luckenbooth), purchasing many of the different elements for the wedding and reception and then asking my vendors to put them together as I saw my vision), ordering our favors directly from a tablet company in Edinburgh, Scotland, using sand from my home state of Florida and soil from Greg’s grandfather’s property in Idaho for our sand ceremony, and many other touches that incorporated our love for our family and those that are no longer with us.  Our vendors were awesome !  I really felt like I had an entire team behind me helping us to make this day our dream come true.”

Thanks for letting us all enjoy your beautiful wedding Denise!

Vendors

Related posts:

1. White House Wedding by Eugene Michel
2. White House Inspiration Shoot by Michelle Nagle
3. Inside The White House: Coeur d’ Alene Wedding Venue

“What makes this session unique is that Christina and Johnathan were down to have some fun and takes some pictures on New Year’s Eve.  We had actually been waiting weeks to do their engagement session because they really wanted some ones in the snow.  Of course Mother Nature decided not to cooperate and eventually we just decided to go for it because their wedding in February was fast approaching.  They also wanted some Christmas lights if at all possible.  So we decided to met up in Coeur d’Alene which Christina and I both adore for the beach and its adorable little downtown.  Christina and John are such an amazing couple, they met in college, where they are both studying to become social workers. You can just see the love between them in how they look at each other and how easy it is for them to laugh.  Plus, they were totally game to put on some fun little hats and ring in the New Year at the end of the night!”

And since it is Friday, here are some links for your weekend!

DIY Pinwheel Table Runner. This DIY table runner from Green Wedding Shoes is such a fun and stylish idea.

Welcome Alisa Lewis Event Design! Our dear friend Alisa from The Attic has just launched her new event design website, Alisa Lewis Event Design, head on over!

WIN an engagement video and 2 lift tickets to Schweitzer Mountain! Rogue Heart is teaming up with Schweitzer Mountain and giving one lucky couple a 90 minute engagement photo shoot/video and 2 FREE lift tickets! Check out the Rogue Heart Facebook page for details.

Deals! Even more incredible wedding deals from Spokane/Cd’A vendors have been added to the Apple Brides Deals page this week!

Under Eye Concealing Made Easy. A great article from The Make-up Studio’s genius/owner/make-up artist extraordinaire, Julie Farley, on concealing under eye circles!

Have a lovely weekend!

Related posts:

1. Engagement Session by GD Company Photography
2. Spokane Carousel Engagement by Photography by Lee Ann
3. Tri-Cities Engagement Shoot by Photography by Meg

I love it when great photographers from larger cities move to Spokane. It means we gain some fresh talent with a different perspective. Which is why I am delighted to introduce you to Ashlea Terhune Photography. Ashlea and her husband moved to Spokane from Nashville, and boy are we glad they did! I am in love with Ashlea’s traditional yet modern take on photography. She describes her style as, “photojournalistic with a sprinkle of tradition,” which I think perfectly sums it up. Her photos capture all those meaningful and emotional moments as they happen, and still maintain a timeless quality, you will be happy to show both your best friends and your grandkids your wedding album, it doesn’t get better than that!

Since Ashlea is new to the area, I thought it would be good to get some reviews from some of her past brides in Nashville, so be sure to check those out at the bottom of the post. And also!

Don’t miss the amazing deal Ashlea is offering Apple Bride readers!!! (also at the bottom of the post)

How long have you been in photography?

5 years

Why did you decide to go into wedding photography?

I was inspired by the creativity of wedding photography when I was planning my own.  At that moment, I decided to go back to school and obtain a degree in photography.

How would you describe your style?

I’d love to shoot strictly in a photojournalistic style…just capturing moments as they happen throughout the day.  In my mind, the truest of emotions are captured with this style.  However, the reality is that formals are still quite important to brides and their families.  Fifty years from now, a family formal can be a very important and treasured heirloom that documents the wonderful event of marriage.  I guess the best way to sum up my style is photojournalistic with a sprinkle of tradition.

What is your advice for brides and grooms looking for a wedding photographer?

When surfing the web for potential photographers, spend more time on a wedding photographer’s blog, as opposed to their traditional website.  There are a few reasons for this, but I would say the two most important are 1.) that a blog is fresh and regularly updated with new images and 2.) that posts are likely to contain photography from an entire wedding…which gives you a good idea of what you might expect to receive from your photographer. One of our most recent blog posts features over 80 images from one wedding!

Other things to consider while looking:  do the images look heavily manipulated with Photoshop, and if so, do you think that might look dated in 20 years? Does the couple look genuinely happy and do the images capture the true emotion of the day….or do they look extremely posed and somewhat uncomfortable? Which of those elements is more important to you?

What makes your photography unique?

It may sound cliché, but the thing that makes my photography unique is me.  I strive to capture emotional moments because these are the times that define a couple’s day.  I also make every effort to document the details my brides spend so many months planning.  These things are not unique to my profession, but the experience you have with me as your photographer is unique.  I will spend more time with the couple on their wedding day than just about anyone else.  As such, I feel like it’s a secondary responsibility for me to shield the couple from most of the stress that goes on behind the scenes…i.e. vendors not showing up, family feuds, tight timelines, etc.  Sometimes we all have to be reminded that it is the coupe’s special day…not mine, not the mother of the bride, not the overzealous coordinator.

What is your favorite part of a wedding?

The reception! By the time the reception comes around, everyone is relaxed…the tension from earlier in the day is long gone.

What is included in your packages? 

Instead of creating large packages which may have things you don’t really want and ultimately cost more, we find that the most budget friendly option for our brides is to start our pricing at $2495 for up to 8 hours of wedding day coverage.  This price also includes a DVD of high-res images, a copyright release, and an online gallery of your images, which makes it possible for friends and family to order prints.  Other options, such as heirloom quality albums, are available a la carte.

Will you travel?

Yes.

Anything else you would like brides to know? 

Consult your photographer before nailing down your timeline.  A great photographer knows the best time of day to shoot and how long to allow for formals.  Keep in mind that having a very large wedding party slows down the entire process.

I did a Google search for Ashlea and found that she has 5 stars on Wedding Wire! The reviews were just so good, I had to post a couple of them!

“Ashlea Terhune Photography was the best choice I could have made for my wedding. Every interaction my now husband and I had with Ashlea was professional and personable and absolutely wonderful. She was also very easy to talk to and listened to any of my questions and/or suggestions. She shot everything from our engagement pictures to our leaving our reception at the wedding and we couldn’t be happier with all the images we have. I will be able to show my grandchildren every detail of the best day of my life because of her and I can’t thank her enough for that.”

***

“Ashlea was SO good to us! She is very punctual!! Which is a HUGE deal to me! She was very good at listening to my suggestions or comments and bouncing ideas around with me. I wanted traditional wedding photos with a creative take on them. And we definitely accomplished that!! Also my husband hates having his picture taken and somehow she captured the true him and not some fake photo version that snapshots usually get ” 

***

“Ashlea did and amazing job with our pictures. She was incredibly accommodating and very talented. She was worth every penny and then some! I highly recommend Ashlea Terhune Photography!”

***

*Limited time only. Mention Apple Brides to avail.*

Check out Ashlea Terhune’s website for more information or e-mail ashlea@terhunephotography.com!

Related posts:

1. Photographer Spotlight: AiP Creative Photography
2. Photographer Spotlight: Keri Doolittle Photography
3. Photographer Spotlight: Urban Rose Photography

Barn weddings…they just get me every time…

Vendors

Photographer: Mastin Studio
Venue: Settler’s Creek
Florist: Fleuratations Floral

Related posts:

1. Duncan Gardens Wedding by Mastin Studio
2. Hayden Lake Country Club Wedding by Mastin Studio
3. Hayden Lake Country Club Wedding by Mastin Studio

This simple, yet glamorous, photo shoot was sent to me by Zach Mathers Photography, who got together with a group of great local wedding vendors to inspire us with red roses from Epiphany Floral , a fur shrug and an elegant gown from Storybook Bridal. The venue was the grand Spokane Club downtown. I think this shoot just goes to show that all you need for your wedding to be fabulous is the right vendors and a tasteful eye!

Vendors

Photography: Zach Mathers Photography
Location: Spokane Club
Flowers: Epiphany Floral 
Dress: Storybook Bridal

PS- Tables, chairs, linens and more! Did you see our vendor spotlight on Event Rents this morning?

Related posts:

1. Green Bluff Engagement by Zach Mathers Photography
2. Little Red Chapel Wedding by Zach Mathers Photography
3. Photographer Spotlight: Zach Mathers Photography