What a great and insane trip out to Vegas! It really is the city that never sleeps and those at WPPI will schedule things at all hours of the day. (8 am or 10pm) It was non-stop days of hearing speakers on business, marketing, work/life balance, posing, albums, going through an enormous trade show of all the latest products and software, hanging out with other photographers, and trying to grab a bite to eat in between. I was lucky enough to have great roomies, Kiera (from Indy), Lis (from Houston), and Gayle (from Denver). It was such a great experience to be out there and get inspiration to challenge myself even more in my photography and business. Here is a random collection of images from the trip. Don’t be fooled by the outdoor pictures, it really wasn’t warm out there! Maya and Pat were excellent models and Chad was cool enough to let me use some of his new Nikon lenses!

Early tomorrow morning I head out with Keira (Keira Photo) to attend my first WPPI!!! (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International Convention) Photo nerds from all over are united in the city that never sleeps. I’m really excited to meet new people, know some better, listen to speakers on all sorts of topics and check out new products and gear. I’m looking forward to the inspiration and new ideas I can bring back to Megelaine Images. Since I’ll be going non-stop in Vegas next week, I won’t be returning emails or phone calls until I get back.

By the way, have a very special Valentine’s day! Know that whether you are in a relationship or not right now, there are people in your life that love you very much. Spread the love around!

I wanted to share some of the things that stuck out to me as very neat or unique about weddings I shot this past year. Even though I shoot weddings over and over again, it stays fresh to me because of all the little things that couples do to make it their own, the emotions of the day, the stories of the couples, and different locations/seasons. Maybe you will find some inspiration if you are planning a wedding right now. Here’ just a few neat things to share…

Fancy shoes.

Fabulous bridesmaids dresses. And ladies who pulled them off like rock stars.

A fake cake! (it was styrofoam) It was a huge reception 600-700, so they had massive amounts of sheet cakes. Can you even imagine how big a cake would be that would feed 700?

A precious poem to the bride from mom and dad.

A best man ready for duty.

The groom’s sweet ride and getaway car. (really his)

More of that tricky cake.

A bride that made her own jewelry. (too cool Amanda!)

Cute and practical favors. Location appropriate. (Golf Resort)

Bringing back lace.

Their dads made this structure for the ceremony. What a sweet team effort.

Throwing lavendar instead of bubbles/petals/etc. It smelled amazing!

Honeymoon ready footwear.

Kelly being a featured bride in Carmel Magazine.

A very custom wedding shower gift.

Dad marrying his son. (the first of his six kids, in his old congregation)

I love flower petals! (threw red ones at our wedding)

The pre-honeymoon fridge.

Delicious food at the Hilton North.

A “wow” dress.

A cake topper statement.

Beautiful sugar flowers on the cake. (my brother’s wedding)

Bedazzeled initial cake-toppers. (my maiden name was Reid, so I was partial to the R)

Ice-sculpture.

How can Hallmark top that wedding card? Too cute.

A very fitting shot for an athletic and competitive pair.

Table cards that contained flower seeds.

A butterfly release during the recessional.

Part of the engagement story.

A little stop for some putt-putt. I’m not at all joking when I say the groom got a hole-in-one the first shot! It was his lucky day. (props to Lauren)

Hot day, cool refreshment upon leaving the church. Cold water tastes so good to me on wedding days.

A wedding/couple logo. It was spotted several places.

Unique pins chosen for each bridesmaid’s bouquet. The pig one is not offensive, it’s a 4-H/country thing.

The shoes of the twin flower girls. (nieces of the bride) They loved getting ready with the big girls at the hotel and riding in the limo!

Bridal breakfast of choice. Einstein’s bagels seen at more than one wedding this year.

The bride’s bag. Everything important to wedding day success in one bag.

A message for the bride and groom left by a creative table of guests.

They did indeed bobble and roughly resemble the couple.

Vibrant flowers, spotted at several weddings.

A custom kids activity book for the reception.

A balloon release on a beautiful day!

I just love this shot.

Just wanted to let you know that my June 13th has opened up for this year. I also have several other summer dates still available, so if you just got engaged (or maybe will this weekend!) and are trying to plan a wedding for this year feel free to get in touch with me. Best wishes to all you brides to be that are working on putting together your weddings right now!

Last week I got the chance to meet sweet little Cate. Three weeks old and bright eyed. Big brother Corban was full of energy. Kristin and Jordan have an adorable family. Best wishes you two!