What an amazing event I had tonight at The American Hotel in Freehold. Here are just a few sneak peek portraits from this gorgeous Marie Antoinette themed sweet sixteen.

Congratulations and happy sweet 16, Alexandra.

Notice anything new? This is also a sneak peek for my new watermark which is part of my new branding. The rest is to follow within a few months ; ) Stay tuned. I am so excited.

My good friends,

[Since I am] Based on the Jersey Shore, I have seen amazing destruction recently from Hurricane Sandy.  I have decided to address storm cleanup issues to help all those that are dealing with this currently.  If you have not been affected, then you are fortunate, take a moment to say a prayer of thanks and please pass this information on to others in need.

The first issue to keep in mind with any event like this is your safety!  Be aware of any downed electrical lines, debris and unsafe conditions.  If your house has been flooded, make sure the main breaker at your electrical panel has been turned off so there is no risk of being electrocuted when the power is returned.  If you are unsure as to whether a condition is safe or not, call the electric company or local police department for assistance.

The next step is how to begin the cleanup and who is available to answer your questions.  Always start with your insurance company to see what help they will provide and how to go about filing a claim with them.  They will walk you through their process, what you need to do, when someone will come out to walk through with you and provide an estimate for the repairs needed to get your home back to normal.  Each company is different, so make sure to contact yours for the proper procedures.  One element is the same with all companies – take lots of pictures to document all the damage!  In general, you will be allowed to proceed with repairs that will prevent further damage to the home.  If there is a broken window or hole in the roof, then take care of this.  Any wet items should be removed from the home right away to prevent mold growth and allow the home to air out.  If your home has sustained structural damage or has been listed as unsafe to occupy, then it may need to be demolished and further repairs may be futile at this point.  Ask your insurance agent how to proceed. 

For those without flood insurance or to cover items not covered by flood insurance, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) can help.  FEMA can be contacted at www.disasterassistance.gov.  After you fill out the online forms, they will get in touch with you to schedule a visit if you qualify for assistance.  They will review the damage and then issue a report and tell you how much of a grant you can receive.  These grants are to cover items such as medical expenses, clothing, repairs, heating equipment and cleanup.

Another option available is the SBA (Small Business Administration), which offers loans to homeowners and small businesses to cover expenses related to storm damage.  They can be reached at www.disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. These loans are available to cover the gaps in insurance for repairs and personal property and are offered as low as 1.7 percent and can be repaid over 30 years.

Due to the severity of damage, some areas have been closed off and owners not allowed to return to their homes.  This has been done to allow the town and state time to clear roads of sand and debris, turn off gas mains and remove electrical lines.  After these areas are safe, the Department of Emergency Management will allow access to homes to remove belongings.  Check their website to see up to date information, http://www.state.nj.us/njoem/ . 

When hiring contractors to work on your house, make sure you use licensed contractors that will perform the work correctly.  Do not pay a large portion of the cleanup or repairs up front, this should be done as the work progresses to avoid being scammed. 

This storm has shown that all of us can band together to help our neighbors and lift each other up.  We are family, friends and countrymen doing what we need to in order to help our fellow neighbors.  Reach out to help someone today in this time of need.

We at PDRdesigns are committed to treating everyone with respect and honesty and continuing the cleanup, repairs and rebuilding necessary to put our neighbors’ lives and homes back together.  Please contact us with any questions you may have or to schedule us to come out to review your project.

Warmest Regards,

Paul

Yesterday was amazing! Sarah Dorn and Steven Wichilfil had weather that ran the gamut on their wedding day, but in the end it turned out to be just as beautiful as the ceremony and reception. I am so happy for the both of you. More to come soon : )

Congratulations Sarah & Steven!

Getting Ready: Berkeley Carteret

Ceremony: Allaire Chapel

Reception: McLoone’s Supper Club

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Sometimes I can’t believe what a wonderful job I have. The people that I meet along the way, and the journey I get to take with them and their families is such an honor. I’ve known Chelsea for a few years now, and she has even worked her magic as a hair stylist on a few of my boudoir sessions. The past year and a half was big for Chelsea and Shane. I’ve been their boudoir photographer, wedding photographer, maternity and now their family photographer. In the middle of all of these exciting and life changing events Shane also opened his own shop, Swagger and Blade. I was so excited when we set a date in their busy schedules, and I finally got the chance meet their little one. Congratulations Chelsea and Shane on parenthood and your beautiful baby girl, Mia Catherine!

Here is the happy couple and Mia at 3 months!

Tickled Pink Bridal Show…

Think pink. Think posh. We’re giving “blushing bride” a whole new meaning. Admission is free. Click here to register and join us for a fun, flirty bridal event featuring:

Attendees receive 20% of boudoir bookings made at the event, and 10% off boudoir bookings made for a limited time after the event.

Happy Anniversary! Yep, that’s me and my hubby you see below. 4 years ago (ok, so I am a few weeks early) I married my love, Jeremy. This past week was a celebration in and of  itself… we received our wedding album! I know what your thinking, “Really, you just recently ordered your wedding album!”, and your right to be shocked and appalled (LOL). The saying about the cobbler’s kids holds true for photographers as well. I have been so preoccupied with my clients, and making sure other people have beautiful art work and albums that I let my own memories sit in a box.

When Jeremy and I repainted our living room (which is also my showroom) I made a vow to myself, and to him, that we would display our own wedding images (finally). I was very excited about our new wall decor (one of my Canvas Wrap Collections), but had one last thing nagging at me. I had to narrow down the 200 images I had selected, so far for our wedding album.

We had so many images that we loved, and thought helped tell the story of our amazing day. Finally narrowing the images down to 150 I resigned to the fact that we would have one hell of an album. Large as it may be, we just didn’t want to eliminate another single image, and why should we. This will be an heirloom, passed down from generation to generation telling our love story, union and celebration.

I just love, love, love the cover we selected, Secret Garden with Komodo Dragon as the spine accent. I have even done a few boudoir albums with the same options, beautiful! With a digital design we could easily fit all of the images we wanted without the album being too heavy and cumbersome. I absolutely LOVE it. So much so that I just had to share.

                Canvas Wrap Collection

Congratulations Caitlin & Matt! Here’s a little sneak peek. I am looking forward to sharing a full post soon!

Sabrina and Buell took a little trip to the shore for a day of fun, sun and photos. Here are a few from their Asbury Park Boardwalk session, with Sabrina glowing in the round at 37 weeks…. Due any day now ; ) I can’t wait to find out what they name their baby girl.Congratulations!!!

Congratulations to Melina & Andrew, married this past Saturday. Your day was simply beautiful. More to come….

Dress Designer: Sareh Nouri

Bridal Boutique: Exquisite Bride

Reception Site: David’s Country Inn

Ceremony Site: Rutherford Hall

DJ: Premier Entertainment

Videography: PF Films

Brandi Grooms Photography on Facebook

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

We will return to the studio tomorrow (the 5th) for calls, emails, and appointments. Thanks for being patient while we were away.

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