Aus10 Photoartists

Wedding Shoe-licious!

So, as a part of getting back into blogging each day ... I have decided to finally share a post that's been running around in my head for a while. Maybe not in blog-post form, but more in an I LOVE SHOES form. ;) Ever since my friend and I would meet up in the Nordstrom Shoe Section as a way to start all of our trips to the mall, I think I've been in love. I mean, they're just shoes, right?! WRONG. Shoes can tell a lot about a person, especially if you look at their shoe collection as a whole. If you opened up my shoe closet you would notice a lack of heels. Perhaps only a few pairs ... but mostly flats and boots. I LOVE boots, and while I love the look of heels I just can't walk in them and have no intention of really ever mastering that art. ;) I do admire those girls that can run down the streets of NY wearing 5 inch stilettos! Wedding shoes also say a lot about the bride - glamorous, elegant, girly, funky, cute, etc...though personally I wore Converse tennis shoes. ;)

 

Merry Christmas in October!

Our Christmas in October Special is back by popular demand!! This year it pays to call early ... if you call to schedule your family or kids session by October 12 you'll get 25 FREE Christmas Cards and 15% off Wall Prints and Canvas Wraps. You can still wait until the end of October to schedule ... but you'll only get 10 FREE Christmas Cards and 10% off Wall Prints and Canvas Wraps. Give us a call, or send us an email or text to schedule your session and get an early start on Christmas!! ;) 

Plus, if you'll refer your friends to the Christmas in October Special you'll get an additional 5 cards! ;)

Aus10 is featured in Professional Photographer!!

 

We are truly honored to be included in the April issue of Professional Photographer magazine, which is one of the world's leading photo magazines!! I am not sure, but I think we are one of the only (if not the only) studios from Northwest Arkansas to have a Professional Photographer article written about us. 

Through their research, PPA has found that portrait and wedding studios based in the photographers' homes have very high success rates as compared to studios in retail spaces, especially in the past several years. This has a lot to do with the ability to keep overhead costs lower and minimize risk. Plus, homes are generally more comfortable and welcoming to customers. When the magazine decided to write an article that would highlight a few home studios around the country, they loved the photos we posted last fall on our studio tour and asked for more info. We were finally selected to be one of the four studios featured ... and we received the lead-in 2-page spread for the article! Up until today it hasn't seemed real, but we received a packet in the mail with a few copies and were ecstatic to finally see the article in print. 

We really couldn't have done it without our amazing clients, who have helped us grow our business from the start by supporting us, loving us and our photos and providing great feedback. The past four years have been an amazing ride, and we can't wait to see what's in store for the future! So check out the digital copy of the article, and of course we'll have the real thing at the studio so you can see it next time you come in! 

congratulations to shane + laura! | northwest arkansas wedding photography

Well, in case you haven't heard yet, ;) Shane and Laura won our photobooth contest from the Cherokee Casino Bridal Fair! They are getting married in October ... and I just had to ask Laura all of the important questions, including what her breakfast of champions is. ;) 

What did you have for breakfast this morning?  White Chocolate Raspberry Yogurt, YUM!

what color are your nails at the moment?  Black

the weirdest item in my purse right now ...  All of my fortunes from fortune cookies ;)

how did Shane propose?   On one knee on top of the Eiffel Tower at Paris in LAS VEGAS :) Now just guess where we are going on our honeymoon...hmmmm

the craziest thing about wedding planning is ...  Every little thing that it entails, WOW, just WOW!!! But I love to plan parties and events, so I am having fun with the wedding planning so far...haha!

favorite de-stresser activity ...  WII, it has been my savior lately

favorite place to shop!  I am going to go with Mason's or any other little boutiques, if I have money burning in my pocket, otherwise Forever 21, because no matter what, I can always find something to buy in there and at a good price!

We can't wait for your wedding ... and just in case you're wondering we're also putting together something very special for our second place winner, Meredith + Derek ... but no spilling the beans until I've had a chance to talk with them ;)

 

the queen of everything / the king of nothing ;)

What a fun bridal fair! We had a blast with everyone in the photobooth, and while this wasn't a huge fair we loved being able to talk to each bride individually...and see what they came up with for the photobooth. We have some downright hilarious photos coming your way ... at the beginning of the week!! For now, here's Matt and I ... just testing the lighting and being goofballs ;) 

PS If you want the photobooth at your wedding reception ... we do that, too! Just shoot us an email and we'll let you know what the options are!

 

NEW CONTEST {starting tomorrow}

YES we have a new contest starting tomorrow!! At the bridal fair tomorrow we're setting up a photobooth ... complete with conversation chalkboard pieces!! All you have to do is come by the booth at the Cherokee Casino in West Siloam between 12pm and 6pm tomorrow and take the FUNNIEST picture ... which will be voted on in our blog and on facebook for the next week. The winner of the funniest photo will receive $1000 off any of our wedding packages. Yes...I did say that right!! $1000!!! Now for a little sneak peek into our conversation chalkboards in process ... Matt is such a rockstar with the saw. hehe ;)

 

yumm! edible wedding favors

 

One popular (and completely awesome) trend in wedding favors these days is the edible wedding favor. Matt and I had personalized M&Ms with our names and wedding colors, and we've seen everything from dove chocolates to silver chocolate covered almonds in tiffany boxes. I found some other unique, fun and really yummy looking favors on Beau Coup, a great resource for edible, elegant, green, and pretty much any other type of favor imaginable! These tea bags above are so cute, and would make a great wedding favor if you and your fiance are tea drinkers. They are even customizable. I also found these chocolate brownie pops that can be decorated in many different styles ... and would make a great favor that your guests would LOVE! We are always looking for unique, different, and just downright fun favor ideas and would love to hear of anything that you've seen, or done! 

 

destination weddings

Being here on Maui for the past several days, we've seen a few different weddings and wedding parties on the beach and in the resort areas. Destination weddings are pretty popular, but can be difficult to plan. I found this blog, Pacific Weddings (which is also a magazine) had some GREAT tips and inspiration for destination weddings! So, check it out, and of course we wouldn't be opposed to photographing your destination wedding, either. ;) 

Dan + Marcela | Mexico Wedding Photography

When Matt and I started our business a few years ago, we decided to each pick one friend who regardless of what they could pay, we would photograph their wedding. Matt chose his roommate in college and best friend, Dan, who is from Mexico City. Dan's parents are missionaries who were house parents at Niños de Mexico, an orphanage, throughout his childhood, and only recently left that role to serve the orphanage in a different capacity. We had visited them several times, so when Dan told us that him and Marcela were getting married we were thrilled to return and see all the kids and photograph his wedding. Here are a few photos - before the ceremony we went to some old ruins outside the city for portraits. It was a lot of fun to photograph in a different environment, and thankfully I remembered a lot of Spanish so we were able to get around. :)

a few wedding planning tips | Arkansas Wedding Photographer

 

I was doing some internet searching for wedding inspiration to share, and I came across some articles that I thought really did a great job of talking about the importance of hiring a PROFESSIONAL wedding photographer. Now, I know I am a bit biased, but honestly ... there are a million reasons out there to skip the weekend warriors and go with the pros. I understand that there are plenty of people on tight budgets, and I am definitely not advocating going over your whole wedding budget, but there are ways to cut costs in other areas if you are close to a professional photo budget. Also, many people have said that even if you can't afford the album now ... get the great photos and then save up for the album as an anniversary gift to each other, or have your photographer create a registry where people can purchase part of your album as a wedding gift. 

Here are a few quotes from the articles that stood out to me ... in case you're like most of us and don't want to read the whole thing!! ;)

"My fiancé and I are on a tight budget and had planned to take a gamble and hire an amateur photographer friend. Now? We’re determined to find a way to get a pro."

"Joey’s attention to such minute detail went way beyond “Say cheese” and brought out the couple’s absolute best. He knew how to manipulate the room’s light and reflective surfaces in ways I never would have dreamed of, transforming what I thought was an unremarkable setting into a photo studio with endless possibilities."

"There are tons of people out the calling themselves photographers, yes, some of them are great…others are the weekend warrior type who bought a slick camera but don’t know how to use it.  If you have done your research, you’ll be able to spot these people and avoid them at all costs."

SEATTLE BRIDE MAGAZINE

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