If  you know me well enough, you know I am not a super high maintenance gal.  There are many days I don’t put in my contacts, my hair stays in a pony tail, and I certainly don’t wear makeup, shoes, or a bra.  However, you would also know that every so often I LOVE spending a little extra time playing with my eye makeup, experimenting with funky hair cuts & colors, and wearing things that SPARKLE!!  I guess it’s the Marine/Farm/Country side of me vs. the Sorority/Pageant/Dancer side. LOL!

I’m sure some of you can relate…. which can make for an interesting list of beauty to-do’s in preparation for your wedding day! Well, I’m here to help you prioritize that list!!!  As a photographer, I get to witness 90% of the getting ready process on wedding day and I’m there for all the behind-the-scene mishaps, realizations, and snafoos.  Don’t worry, none of those things are a big deal and usually make for a good chuckle, but there are a few things that every bride should know… these will not only make you look your best, but also help me with my job!

When it comes to wedding day beauty, it’s never too early to start thinking about these things.  There are some habits you can start to develop ahead of time so that you’re not stressing about your skin or your hair close to wedding day.  So here are my Five Beauty Tips for the Bride (from a photographer’s perspective, of course)!!…

{1} Do a hair & makeup run thru with your stylist.

This may seem obvious, but apparently it isn’t.  Especially if you have hired someone that has never touched your hair, make sure you schedule a consultation and/or practice run.  This will not only help them get familiar with your hair & skin so they are better prepared, but it will also ensure you’re happy with the end product.  There’s not usually time for redo’s on wedding day!  If you already have someone you love, go ahead and contact them as soon as your date is set.  It would be awful for them to book your date simply because you didn’t contact them early enough.  This also provides plenty of time to fix damaged hair, color issues, and to allow for lengthy locks.  And be sure to bring your veil or any headpieces you’re using to your appointments.  Also, I highly recommend you have both your hair and makeup professionally done on wedding day.  This will give you the chance to sit and relax and be pampered, rather than stressing and trying to take care of everything yourself.  And with a day full of photographs and video, you’ll want to be sure your makeup is applied just right and it will last throughout the events.

{2} Avoid the kind of tan that sprays on.

I understand and agree with the desire to be a little darker than your wedding dress, believe me!  My only request is that you do not get a spray tan.  I’ve photographed several different folks with spray tans and every time it has presented to be a painful experience with editing the images.  Every single person has been a different color and they’ve never looked quite right standing next to their significant other.  I’ve even had couples get spray tans and they were two totally different colors.  Thus, I have to do extra color correcting on the skin and it takes longer for you to receive your images.  I even had a bride (while on the way to the wedding) notice that her spray tan was getting on her dress!!!!!  Let’s just avoid these issues all together and explore other options… I’m not a tanning expert, but I’m sure 15 minutes in the sun a few times a week (with a little SPF protection!) can help you reach a less pasty color by wedding day.  I hear there’s also UV Free tanning available at tanning salons now!!

{3} Do away with those pesky unwanted hairs.

Let’s just admit it.  Some of us were blessed with bushy eyebrows, embarrassing mustaches, and random chin hairs.  So let’s get these out of the way before wedding day.  The eyebrows can be waxed or plucked… I suggest starting this months before the wedding so if there are any accidents there’s time to grow back.  Mustaches can be bleached or waxed.  Do it.  Enough said.  And those pesky random chin hairs… start plucking them and have your hair & makeup stylist help you eye those little suckers.  Also, remember to take care of that bikini (or any other) waxing a week before the wedding!!

{4} Get glowing skin, without any surprises.

Take it from me, just because you had a facial 10 years ago doesn’t mean your skin won’t react to one now.  I suggest treating yourself to any spa treatments you’re considering a couple weeks before the wedding… you will most likely need them at this point, and you’ll also know ahead of time if you’re skin can handle it.  If you have any serious skin problems, consult a dermatologist at least 6 months before the wedding… you don’t want to start any new medications or products too close to wedding day.  Take time out for yourself all along during the planning process… take an extra few minutes after you bathe to moisturize your skin, and pay special attention to rough spots on the elbows, knees, and feet.  And of course, be sure to get enough sleep and drink lots of water… you’d be amazed what these two simple things can do for your skin!

{5} White teeth are better than not white teeth.

This has to be the most important one on this list!!  Since most brides wear a white (or almost white) dress on their wedding day, your teeth will naturally look less white than they already are!!  I know if it were me, I would refuse to give up sweet tea, coffee, and Mountain Dew so get in the habit of using a straw!  This will help keep your teeth from getting any worse.  Furthermore, those Crest whitening strips work!!!!  Shawn and I use them and we can tell a significant difference from before we started!!  Start using them a few months out and you’ll see the difference too!  Be sure to schedule a teeth cleaning for a week or two before the wedding as well.  Not only will everyone notice your dazzling white smile on wedding day, but I’ll be ever so grateful when I don’t have to whiten your teeth in every photo!!!

I’m sure there’s a million other beauty tips out there among all the articles and posts about the topic.  These are just a few that I feel are important from a photographer’s perspective.  Most importantly, take care of yourself!!  Take a deep breath and relax.  You’re going to be gorgeous!!  It is my personal opinion that yes, the wedding is important, but it is not the most important day of your life… every day after that is… how you nourish your marriage is much more important than having perfect hair the day you say I Do!!  So yes… eat well, drink water, exercise, and sleep… but between all that, make sure you take the time to date each other!!  It will be good for both of you to unwind and take a break from wedding stuff.  You’ll both feel better and keep your eyes on the prize…. marrying the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.  Trust me, married life rocks.

Tuesday Topics are BACK!!!  My apologies for not posting earlier… it really is hard to top that Jelly Bean post!!!  ;)

So today I bring you into the world of stamps!!  I don’t remember what we did for postage on our wedding invitations but in looking at today’s options, I’m a little underwhelmed.  Any of you brides feel the same?

The “wedding” stamps available on www.usps.com are a little…. ummm…. cheesy.  Who designs their stamps!?!  They should purchase a wedding image from a wedding photographer and use something a little more…. umm…. hip? awesome? current?!!!!  These stamps look like they’re from the 1980′s!  (Granted, the quality of the photos are spectacular.)

So I got all excited when I saw the news that a new wedding stamp had just been released this week!!!… but soon realized it is actually a repeat of a stamp introduced in 2009.  ::sigh::

After doing a little digging on the www.usps.com site, I did find some custom postage that isn’t too bad and you might possibly find some that match what you’re sending out… here are just a few….

So what do all of you hip brides do these days!?!  I know for our 1st married Christmas I actually created stamps using one of our own photos at www.photo.stamps.com.  While these were super fly, they were a little pricey too.  But totally worth it.  ;)

I’m I the only person out there that wishes there were more beautiful stamps to go on those lovely invitations??

Oh boy! I don’t think Shawn and I were quite prepared for the amount of energy and excitement that a group of fifteen 10-and-11-year-olds could contain!!… we had so.much.fun gettin crazy with Emma Grace and her closest girlfriends at her 11th Birthday party!  The girls spent an hour changing up props and poses in the photobooth… it was non-stop shenanigans and we have the images to prove it!!

Huge thanks to the Alphin family for having us back so soon and allowing us to be “the birthday surprise” once again!!  In case you missed it, we were part of (Momma) DeAnn’s 40th Birthday Bash a few weeks prior and you can check out all the crazies in that blog post here.  This whole family is super awesome and we hope to see them lots over the years!  :)

And with no further adieu (and yes, I totally had to look up the correct spelling of adieu)…

I present to you Miss Emma Grace and her fabulous friends…

We can’t tell you just how grateful we are to everyone for giving us such an amazing year in 2011!!  (If you missed our post this past Christmas, please read our message to all of you by clicking here.)  We thought it would be fun to reflect on the amazing ride it’s been and post some of our favorite portrait, engagement, and wedding images from 2011 (watch out for a separate photobooth post!)… we hope you enjoy and we can’t wait to see you all this year!!

Sarah + Ryan have been AMAZING!!!  From our first meeting all the way thru the wedding, these two have been one of those couples we hope and pray for…. seriously super sweet and incredibly funny.  :)

Sarah + Ryan’s wedding ceremony was in the beautiful St. Francis of Assisi in Raleigh… such a gorgeous setting!!  And if you missed the blog post of all the shenanigans in the photobooth during their wedding reception held at Events at Newton Square, be sure to check it out HERE…. pretty funny stuff going on there!

The entire wedding party, the families, and all the guests were a.w.e.s.o.m.e.  We had such a great day… it’s weddings and couples like this that make us LOVE our job!!!!  Sarah + Ryan – we wish you both the absolute best in your marriage!!!  As we often say, Married Life ROCKS!!!!  Hope you enjoy some of our favorites!…

As we are only hours away from Christmas day and quickly approaching a new year, we’d like to express our sincere appreciation for all of you that make what we do possible.  We have the best brides + grooms, clients, photog buddies, friends, and family members supporting us!!  Thank you all so much for making 2011 an amazing year!  Because of you, we strive to become better photographers and better people.

We have huge plans for 2012… new wedding packages, new products, new sessions, new website content… so many things I can’t list them all!  We hope you’ll keep us around and honor us with your business again and again.  Shawn and I (Suzanne) hope you have a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year!!!!

Please Note:  We will be closed December 24th thru January 8th in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.  We hope you’ll spend treasured time with friends and family as we are doing the same!

Special thanks to our wonderful friend, Maggie, of Maggie Wendel Photography for snapping our photos you see above!!  :)

She’s sweet and spunky.  He’s smart and funny.  And they go together oh so good.

Catie + George have been an absolute hoot since the first time we met and we’re sooooo excited to share their engagement photos with you!  Catie hosted us at her Grandmother’s where she grew up and Shawn and I felt right at home around all the old barns, houses, and buildings.  It made for such a comfortable setting and Catie + George rocked it.  (Even Grandma rocked a couple photos!)  We even made sure to get a couple shots of Catie’s gorgeous engagement ring… it was George’s great-grandmother’s ring!!!  How sweet is that!?!?!!

It’s amazing how blessed we are to have so many clients that we just love… Catie + George are another one of those couples. We even share a love for TV’s “How I Met Your Mother”!!!!  And any time we’re together we chat it up as if we’ve known each other for years!!  Thanks again guys… for an awesome shoot and dinner!!  Can’t wait to hang lots more and we’re stoked about July 21, 2012!!!

We were stoked to get the call from Ashley a few weeks ago to set up our photobooth at his wife, DeAnn’s, 40th birthday bash!!  She already knew he was throwing her the party… but we were the surprise!!!  When we arrived to their beautiful home in Raleigh and met DeAnn, we announced, “We’re here!  We’re the strippers!!” which got a chuckle out of everyone there setting up for the party.  Hee hee.  ;)

To say this was a fun group would very much be putting it lightly… everyone took turns in the booth throughout the night (some folks several times!) and then wrote DeAnn a little note to accompany one of their photos in an album for her to keep.  We ended the night after a bunch of crazy gals talked Shawn into getting in the booth with them!!

Thanks to Ashley + DeAnn for having us and to all of your friends for being so FUN!!!  Here are some of our favorites…

Stephanie + Dustin found us on the knot and I’m soooooo happy they did!!!!  These two are newlyweds and are preparing to both deploy soon since they are both officers in the United States Army.  So this was a great chance for Stephanie + Dustin to have some engagement/newlywed/holiday photos all rolled into one!  :)

They came to us all the way from Fayetteville and were game for whatever I had in store.  (I love it when my couples are so good lookin’ and cool with whatever I suggest!!)  We explored part of downtown Four Oaks that I had fallen in love with during shoots the previous day and then off to my “secret field” that I oh so love to visit!!  (Huge thanks to Travis + Lee for allowing me to use their field again!!)

As you can see Stephanie is absolutely stunning and it’s so apparent that Dustin is just head over heels for her… there were lots of laughs and there was some super sweet snuggling going on!!  Thanks you guys for being so super awesome!!!

Those of you that know me know that I appreciate anything creative. I’m so blessed to have a job where I get to be creative and take my “art” in my own desired direction. So when I stumble upon something that took a lot of thought, effort, creativity, work, talent, and passion I just want to enjoy it over and over!  Thus begins my appreciation of Jelly Bean Art…

Have you ever seen Jelly Bean Art??  It’s amazing!!  Real life portraits and scenes made out of Jelly Belly’s!  I’m sure it takes an insurmountable length of time to perfect these images.  Not so sure I’d have the patience to make one of these!  Maybe this would be something fun to do if we get snowed in this winter?

Change topics…. Every so often I remember to take advantage of the free weekly downloads that iTunes provides. (This time of year they always include a Christmas song so that makes me super happy.)  Recently one of my free downloads was a music video for “In Your Arms” by Kina Grannis.  I’ll admit this was the first time I’d heard of the song or the artist.  Shawn and I were immediately drawn to the video the moment it began… we literally couldn’t take our eyes off my monitor!  Not only was the song and her sound absolutely beautiful, but we just had to find out how they made this video!… I remember saying, “It looks like beans!” to Shawn.  Haha!  Watch the video and see why in the world I began this post talking about Jelly Bean Art!

Being the awesome investigator he is, Shawn found exactly how the video was made and so I just had to share with you guys!!!  Kina and video director, Greg Jardin, along with lots of helpers, spent almost two years  to make this video!  <– That’s where that thought, effort, creativity, work, talent, and passion I spoke of earlier really shows itself.  They used JELLY BEANS as the background along with techniques you might recognize from these videos: an Amazon Kindle commercial and the 2009 Saatchi New Directors Showcase.

So here’s the stats on the video project:  22 months, 1,357 hours, 30 people, 2 ladders, 1 still camera, and 288,000 Jelly Beans.  You absolutely have to watch this behind-the-scenes video!!

It makes me so happy to find other creative minds out there that want to take the time and create something like this from what what was once just a vision!!  This inspires me to do more creative stuff just for myself!

I hope my Tuesday Topic randomness makes you happy as it does me…. look for new posts every Tuesday!!!!  :)

Download the “In Your Arms” video in iTunes for $1.99 here.  Also, check out her website at www.kinagrannis.com.

]]> http://www.brealphoto.com/blog/appreciate-the-jelly-beans/feed/ 3