Shot a great wedding at Talon Winery in Lexington, Kentucky this weekend, and while we've got a long way to go as far as getting the photojournalistic shots ready, I wanted to highlight some of Jerie and Chris' details.  Not only were they super cute and personal, they were also a lot of things you can easily reproduce with just a little effort.

Naturally, they had one of our engagement guestbooks:

Tremendous job on the flowers by John Kittinger of The Best of Flowers (Happy birthday John!)

More florals, more everything after the jump...

Taking a moment to come up for air today... I've been lost in website hosting land, putting together the back-end for the blogsite for our new wedding business-- did I say that out loud?  In the meantime, 5 year old Caroline and I also got out long enough to walk around a high energy Westchester bridal show -- Carrie had a blast but was disappointed there were no cake vendors. (That cost me a trip to the ice cream parlor afterwards.)

Saw a great wedding highlights film today from North Carolina that totally made me forget for a moment the cold rain outside.  Check out the beautiful beach settings, the seashell canopy, the awesome first look on a little dock, and... dolphins!  Spring is just around the corner!

The Signature Club of Lansdowne and Seasons Catering are getting set to put on their annual event, The Art of Entertaining, and this year, they've asked me to be a part of it.  Every year, a selection of Lexington's finest designers, florists and other vendors put together their interpretations of elegance in decorating for your special soiree.  Come out March 31st between 5 and 7 pm and be inspired by their creations, enjoy some lovely culinary delights from Seasons, and maybe talk with your favorite photographer (that would be me, silly) about how we can preserve everything you want to remember about your wedding, from that smallest thoughtful detail to those passionate moments you'll feel again each time you view your album.

Here's the valentine card Caroline's handing out in kindergarten today...

Hope this is a year for all of you to celebrate someone who you love, no matter how big or small. Also, congratulations to all of you who are getting engaged today!

Take a look at some of the wedding things we're looking at today after the jump...

I know, I promised this post for about 36 hours ago.  Then I, um, fell down a flight of stairs yesterday.  Nothing broken, but a pretty pair of deep bruises on my ribs and right hip.  Note to self:  no more trips up to the twins' room with just socks on your feet.  Egads.

***

Getting back to happier things, I had a lot of fun with e-sessions this past year.  In fact, it feels like I've done engagements in almost as many states as weddings in 2010!  From a quirky fun plant nursery to historic homes like Waveland to a snowy shoot on the bridge that served as the prototype for the Brooklyn Bridge, the locations have been outstanding.  I've had a bunch of adventurous couples who wanted to try new things like night shoots-- the streetlight sessions are quickly becoming my favorites.

More images after the jump...

Limited Edition Bridal Gown from White House Black Market ($498)

I've been seeing a lot lately about bridal gowns being available from retailers who aren't traditional bridal outlets like White House Black Market (fittings available in select boutiques), J Crew (website/catalog only), with Urban Outfitters' Anthropologie line and The Limited joining the fray soon.

J Crew Chiffon & Organza Dune Gown ($895)

The prices on these range anywhere from $295 to $2500.  The first obvious question is, do you like some of the dresses available on these sites?  And the follow up, of course, is, would you consider a dress from retailers like this, and if so, what would your expectations be?  Would you want to see the dresses in the stores at these prices or is online only OK, how much support would you expect from the stores, would you expect to have to take it somewhere else for alterations?

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

This is how you do Save The Date, kats 'n' kiddies...

I was on one of my new favorite wedding blogs, Emmaline Bride, which specializes in equipping the bride who loves unique and elegant handmade items, and they profiled this great Etsy shop, Dawn Correspondence.  You've gotta see their stylish, modern take on invitations-- so much more interesting than the everyday stuff you see from all the usual suspects.

Take a look at some of these refreshing invitations:

Like a lot of people, I do a bit of end of the year evaluating, at least when it comes to the photography business.

My lovely bride Kristina got me a book by Joe Buissink for Christmas, Wedding Photography from The Heart.  Joe has always been one of the photographers whose work inspires me most, and as I read the book, I started to realize that there are two things I've gotten away from over the last year, delivering lots of black and white photographs, and sometimes, turning all the flash units off, and making a natural light photograph, even I sacrificed a little shutter speed to get it.  The two really go hand in hand, because my favorite natural light photographs have always been my black and whites.  Two years ago, I delivered usually about 25% black and white or sepia toned images, and as of late, the number had been a lot closer to 10%.

That's going to change this year, I think.  While I pride myself on my ability to create light and natural looking color when I need it, I've always felt that when you take the color out of an image, sometimes you let the emotion back in.

Every once in awhile, I try to link to something that's outside the box.  Sometimes, it's advice, sometimes it's inspiration.  This is definitely the latter.

Found this one through Offbeat Bride.  Bride and groom are turning 30 and 40, respectively.  A dual birthday party is planned.  This (fun, sexy, stylish) film is shown at the party.  Most of the guests are unaware that Jessica and Lorien (aka "Tree") recently eloped.  

They know now.