Photo Competition and My Favorites

The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organization composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. What sets our members apart in the industry is their candid, documentary approach – a distinctly artistic vision toward wedding photography.

Well, the WPJA and BRIDES Magazine just released the winners of this years photo competition! (See all winners here.)

But here are a few of my favorites!
(Click on each photo for larger image and photographer information)

Ok, as much as I love this little boy being completely oblivious, I want to know what her dress looks like!! Correct me if I'm wrong but those look like suit tails with red lining! I've got to say, never seen that!

Not only is it a fun shot and she's got beautiful shoes... wait.. look closer.. her feet aren't touching the ground at all! And the groom BARELY has one toe touching! Talk about your heart having wings!

This one I just think is a beautiful photo. Actually, its given me an idea! Our bedroom is decorated (more or less) in what I have dubbed Beach Asian. How cool would a B/W photo like this from our own wedding be to hang in our room as art!?

I love it. I love the lighthearted feel and the HUGE couldn't-be-happier/laughing-til-I-cry face on the Bride.

Definitely one of my favorites! Genya Garrett rocks and I think she caught this "OMG the ring is stuck!" moment pricelessly. It makes me laugh.

I want to be her. Too bad there are not rivers or rope swings around our wedding site!

Go, look for yourselves. Who are your favorites?

Deliriously Delightful Dingbat!!!!

Very cool.... make sure you keep reading...

Beautiful right?



Everyone drools for letterpress...

What do all these great images have in common?

They are all from Dingbat Press. Theres their website, their Etsy site, and the blog.
Get this: They are offering a 10% discount to all wedding invitation purchases made in the Etsy shop through the end of the month, they just need to mention code DP10 when purchasing.

But... it gets BETTER!!!!

Right now, on the blog, they are offering 1 lucky winner a Dingbat Press Wedding Suite!!! Letterpressed Invitation/Reply Suite of 100 (one hundered!)

Specs:
2 color, 5x7 or 4x9 letterpressed invitation.
1 color, Return Addressed Outer envelope.
Printed on our thick stock 110# cotton rag paper.
AND
2 color, 3x5 reply card (or thank you).
1 color, Return Addressed Reply Envelope.
Printed on our thick stock 110# cotton rag paper.

This will be for a CUSTOM design (4-6 week turnaround, no RUSH available on this giveaway)
3 custom designs will be produced, winner will get 3 additional rounds of proofs.

HOLY COW!!!!

Go - Click to the Dingbat Blog for all the details. - Enter - GOOD LUCK!!

Thank You for the Thank You Cards!

Remember when Hell Froze Over? (If not, click and read)

TA DA!!!

Thank you Southern Weddings and Wedding Paper Divas!!

For anyone has hasn't discovered Southern Weddings yet, click, read, and enjoy!!!

Wedding Paper Divas rock. That is pretty much all there is to it. They were patient while I chose from their extensive list of beautiful Thank You cards, and had excellent customer service and what I think is nothing short of a stroke of brilliance in their approval process. Oh yeah, and they arrived, and are beautiful and on great paper!! Love love LOVE Wedding Paper Divas!! Click, look, and get a napkin to control the drool factor.

Ah, so mid-September is our first shower... Can we say PERFECT TIMING!???!?!? =D

MAHALO!!!!!

WARNING - Hell might have just frozen over: I WON SOMETHING!!!!

For those of you without microscopic vision this says:

Wedding Paper Divas CONTEST Winner!

And the winner is..........

Michelle from {Starry-eyed Barefoot Bride}! "Many things can add a southern flair to a wedding, from the down home food to the backyard of a big 'ol mansion setting, and even the smaller touches like Mason jars used for drinks or floral arrangements. But the KEY thing that makes a wedding southern regardless of the setting or decor, is the one thing you can't find anywhere else in the world - Southern Hospitality! To me, this is a phrase that encompasses wonderful things like southern comfort (the feeling! Not the liquor!), sweet southern charm, et al. Its a feeling of being at home, and welcome as soon as you set foot in the door, regardless of where you are from or how many people you know at the event... all this and a little 'twang is what sets a southern wedding apart from anything else."

Congratulations! Thank you so much to everyone who entered. We loved so many of these comments that we may contact you about printing them in our print edition! Thank you to the wonderful people at {Wedding Paper Divas} for the fabulous contest prize. Email me your contact info and we will get you connected with the WPD team for your custom thank you notes.

Oh yes, there is another fabulous contest starting tomorrow! Stay tuned for details...

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Southern brides know the importance of being gracious and saying thank you for those wooden plates. (Southern brides, you know what I mean! Wooden dishes are more valuable than Konigliche Porzellan Manufaktur place settings around these parts. Check out the woodenware collection from one of our fav local stores, {Artesana}) The F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S folks at {Wedding Paper Divas} have generously offered the lucky winner a set of 75 thank you notes from their gorgeous signature line. To enter, just leave a comment here telling us what you think makes a wedding "Southern". Contest ends next Monday the 14th at midnight, so get those comments in! You may enter as many comments as you wish. Wedding Paper Divas also hosts one of our favorite blogs, {Diva Dialogue}. Check out these incredible (and affordable) invitations from {Wedding Paper Divas}... gorgeous!

Posted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 12:00PM by Southern Weddings in Contests | 27 Comments

WOOHOOO WOO HOO HOO! WOOHOO WOO HOO HOO!! (5.6.7.8's - Think Vonage commercial.... and click on link to listen if you don't know what song I'm talking about.)

As anyone who knows me, or any fellow Southern Wedding blog stalkers who recognized my name, know I am not a lucky person. I don't win contests! In fact, I almost never even bother listening to the winners cause I know it aint me! I was actually thinking of including that in my vows or toast; something to the effect of :"I enter raffles for the donation aspect, not because I have a shot at winning. When "winning" names are called, I am never paying attention because I know its not me; it never is. But I don't think I'm unlucky. I think everyone has an allotted amount of "lucky" points for life, and I have just been saving mine up. I never bothered to cash them in on raffles or lotteries. Instead, I choose to save my points and cash them all in on April 4th 2009 when I hear him say "I do.""

Guess I need to re-think that because I have 75 ROCKIN thank you cards headed our way!!

Ahh - and for anyone who hasn't yet, check out Wedding Paper Divas, they really have something for everyone.

EEEEKKKK!!!!!! :)

When High Fashion, Wedding Blogs, SATC, and Contests Culminate!

Remember how I said I watch SATC for the fun, and not fo the fashion because I don't really "get it"? Well, I am well aware of the fact that most other girls "get it" and love SATC for the designs and the labels, (as well as a little sexy girl power feel;) ). Southern Weddings (formerly Southern Wedding Style) is holding a contest! It ends on Friday - so get creative quick! Check out the details from SW below:

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CONTEST ENDS THIS FRIDAY!

We've partnered with the AMAZING {Bag Borrow or Steal} (the Netflix of luxury accessories!) for this exciting contest. {Bag Borrow or Steal} is featured prominently in “Sex and the City the Movie”. Jennifer Hudson’s character, as Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant, feeds her handbag addiction by borrowing luxury bags from {Bag Borrow or Steal}. The grand prize for this contest: $250 for your very own luxury rental! Choose from over 4,000 styles of designer handbags, jewelry, and sunglasses. They cover the gamut of great designers, including Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Versace, Tory Burch, Juicy, and Coach. Borrow for a week or a month, or longer, and borrow for everyday or for your Big Day!

How to enter: Without giving anything away from the movie, leave a comment with your vision for Carrie Bradshaw's wedding. If you were designing her wedding, what would she wear, what would the flowers, favors, tables, bridesmaid's dresses, music, food, cocktails, etc be like? For bonus points, email us an inspiration board or pictures to go along with your design. If you send pics or a board, we will post them for all to see. Email them to [SATC at swsmag dot com]. Whether you've seen one episode or watched the entire six seasons 12 times through (I fall in the latter category), you can win this contest!

Deadline: July 4th.

Judges: Here's the exciting part-- the judges panel! Event guru, Sasha Souza, of {Sparkliatti}, Janie from {The Bride's Cafe}, Kathryn from {Snippet and Ink}, the ladies of {Elizabeth Anne Designs}, the {Bliss Event Group} girls, the {DC Nearlyweds}, and Maria from {Ritzy Bee} are all so excited to see your ideas!

Rules:

• One entry per person but you CAN add to your entry if you want to add more details. Leave as many comments as you wish.
  
• Don't give anything away from the movie : )
• If you email pics and inspiration boards, please size them to no larger than 700 pixels wide and be sure to include your name as it appears in your comment so we know who to match the images/boards to.
• You have to send us a picture of you with your fabulous {Bag Borrow or Steal} rental if you win!
  

Everyone wins a big discount just for entering! {Bag Borrow or Steal} is pleased to offer readers of Southern Wedding Style Magazine a great chance to try them out. Shop for a great handbag, piece of jewelry, or pair of sunglasses, or all three, and receive a special discount just for trying them out. Just enter SATC into the promo code field during check out and they'll take 20% of your borrowing fees.

A million thanks to our FABULOUS panel of judges and the phenomenal team at {Bag Borrow or Steal} for the generous grand prize! Have fun!

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Quick Blog Bliss note: I stalk all the judges blogs and they are fantastic! They have amazing senses of style and creativity. If you haven't checked them out before, there's no time like now! :) Go forth and be Carrie-ly Creative!