Laura Eaton Photography

New Blog! Please visit www.lauraeaton.com/blog

2009-04-22T17:07:00.001-04:00

We've finally created a new blog - this blog and all the previous posts will be eventually moved over to our new blog, but in the meantime, please visit:

www.lauraeaton.com/blog

Thanks!!
Laura

Headshot Event - Monday, March 30th, 2009

2009-03-28T12:50:00.003-04:00

Image Update Event - this Monday only!

We only have a few spaces left! If you'd like to make an appointment, please call or email right away!

Off to shoot a wedding! :)
Laura

Engagement sessions now available separately! Featured: Lara & Rudy...Love Park Love Story

2009-03-16T18:39:00.011-04:00

Paul and I have always offered engagement sessions as a part of our wedding packages because we feel they are so vital to building a real relationship with our clients. Its a chance to hang out, have some fun, get to know our couples better, and of course - create some beautiful images!

Lara and Rudy have already made their wedding plans in Captiva Island and New Hampshire (and sadly, we were already booked!), but they still wanted to have their session in Philadelphia because that is where they got engaged.

We started in Love Park (where Lara & Rudy got engaged - very cute story!), and we explored all the great architecture and sites around City Hall - center city has such a great energy, and there is so much variety in such a small area! The textures on the Wanamaker Building are just fabulous and add a nice touch of "drama!"

We are happy to announce that we are now offering engagement sessions separately from our wedding packages. In the past, our engagement sessions were only available to our wedding clients, but sadly, we realize that we won't be available for every date and every budget. To make sure these fun sessions are available to everyone, we are pricing them at just $500 - and if you book your session before April 15th (tax day!) we'll take off $100! This amount includes up to 1 hour of shooting time and a $100 print credit (please call 609.954.0488 or email us at lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com for more details - limited dates available for 2009).

As an added incentive, if you do decide to book us for your wedding, you can apply the cost from the engagement session to your wedding package!

Congratulations to Lara and Rudy - best wishes to you both!
Laura & Paul

"We Click" Retreat by Matt & Enna Grazier....

2009-03-08T10:16:00.004-04:00

Paul and I just got back from the most fun, relaxing, inspiring, "battery-recharging" and all-around-best-retreat-ever put together by the amazing Matt & Enna Grazier of Grazier Photography. They have been hosting these "We Click Retreats" for several years now, but this was our first time joining them. We feel so lucky to have been included!

We'll be posting more pictures soon here and on Facebook, but here are a few from a little impromptu photoshoot on one of the last nights....

The Graziers really did think of everything! The house in Rutland, VT was perfect for our large group (12 photographers in one house! It was fantastic to have such a concentration of talented people!) - Enna even designed these amazing coffee mugs so we'd have a little something to remember the trip by...

We absolutely loved getting to know every one of the couples at the retreat - Kim and John Sanderson from Sanderson Images, Justin and Mary from Justin Marantz Photography, Krystal and Paul from Studio Foto, and Andy & Christine from Bello Photography. Tabitha and Larry from Sherrell Photography also joined for a day (sorry we didn't get to say goodbye to you guys!). We feel so fortunate to be connected now with all of you! And we truly thank you for your feedback and support - it was wonderful to have a sounding-board for all the crazy things we think up! Watch out for this group - everyone has such great projects & ideas on the horizon!

I know we've already said this - but we can't say it enough - THANK YOU to Matt & Enna and to everyone else for allowing us to be a part of this magic!

Love to all,
Laura & Paul

Caught another couple getting engaged! Kate & Christopher at Old City Cheese Shop - Philadelphia

2009-02-25T13:09:00.005-05:00

I was just finishing up my day at the studio, and as I was locking the front door I ran into Alex, the owner of Old City Cheese Shop (by the way, new website for them coming soon!). I was asking if it was a busy night, and he mentioned that it wasn't too bad... oh, and there is a couple getting engaged in the back courtyard...

"What?" - so I grabbed my camera and asked him to see if the guy had actually proposed yet. Well ring was already in place, but they were still very much "in the moment," so I asked if they wouldn't mind me grabbing a few photos....

Thankfully they were thrilled, as it turns out he did remember to bring a camera, but the batteries were dead! I was so happy to have caught this for them!

Christopher really did pick the perfect spot to propose, not only does Old City Cheese Shop have great food and a fun atmosphere, but the back courtyard is pure romance! Its hard to believe that something that looks like a hidden corner of Venice exists in the middle of Philly.

Kate and Christopher, thanks again for letting me document this - you two are so cute! I will be sending along your images shortly!

Thanks!
Laura

Venice Engagement & Paris Wedding published in Rangefinder... And plans for a workshop in Puerto Rico!

2009-02-20T13:23:00.008-05:00

We are thrilled to announce that our story about Tatiana & Julien's Venice engagement and Paris wedding just got published in the February 2009 issue of Rangefinder Magazine!

You can read the full article here:
http://www.rangefindermag.com/repository/rf/articles/pdf/RF0209_Eaton_Eaton.pdf

We submitted this article to Bill Hurter at Rangefinder quite a while ago, and while we got the green light that it would be published in the special "Wedding Issue," we were still hesitant to say anything until we were able to hold the magazine in our hands!

We've had such a tremendous response already - thanks so much to everyone for your kind words. We can't describe how much it means to us...

Now on to the slightly tricky part - our workshop! We initially wanted to do a workshop for "Photographer Couples" in Puerto Rico in April, but due to the number of weddings we have now booked that month, we are going to have to push back our plans to late 2009...

The workshop/seminar will be mainly for couple-photographers and partnerships, but anyone is welcome to attend. We'll focus on making your partnership work for your business (in both day-to-day operations and marketing) and a large part of the trip will be about creating great destination wedding images and building your portfolio (so you can get those destination weddings!).

If you are a photographer and are interested in the workshop, please email me directly at lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com or call 609.954.0488. We are still in the planning stages, but we will have a website up shortly!

Thanks again to everyone!
Take care,
Laura & Paul

Peiti and Dave - The Westin, Philadelphia, PA

2009-01-29T11:17:00.006-05:00

Peiti and Dave were ALL about the details! Their day was so well planned and beautiful! The oh-so-talented makeup artist Claudia Seyler worked her magic on Peiti (but she certainly didn't need much help - she was so happy and excited from the first moment we saw her! She literally had that "bride glow!").

I was impressed by Peiti's invitations, programs and thank you cards - that she designed and made herself! I knew that Peiti and I just clicked when it came to this kind of attention to detail - and it was confirmed when I showed them the layout for their engagement book (Click here to view their engagement book layout!). We were running a little short on time, so I picked out some of my favorites for the design, and they turned out to be the same as her favorites!

Peiti worked with Donna from Beautiful Blooms to bring her detailed vision to life! These unique boxes were filled with unusually matched flowers, like spider mums and hydrangea (my florist friends should be proud that their education has paid off!), and simple bamboo trim accents.

Planning by Kendall Brown of Eclatante Event Design made sure that everything ran seamlessly!

We felt so fortunate that Peiti and Dave gave us so much time to work them! Over the course of the night we were able to take them outside twice to play, er, I mean photograph them and get images like these! (We LOVE our jobs - it always feels like we get to play with our clients!).

Peiti and Dave thanks so much for making us a part of this meaningful day - and please extend our thanks to your family and friends for helping to make the day so enjoyable!

And special thanks to Lucie Conoley for assisting us - can't wait to work with you again!

Take care,
Laura & Paul

Soiree Success! Thanks to everyone!

2009-01-18T17:00:00.009-05:00

What a fantastic night! The Soiree in the City was a resounding success thanks to all the attendees, vendors and sponsors!

Vendors: Liz & Gary Scarlett (Scarlett Bride), Megan Kristel & Catie Joyce (Kristel Closets), Christopher Carlson (christofer +
janessen - also a sponsor), Bill Beck (Taste Catering), Béke Beau (Makeup Artist & Event Organizer), Pamela Wilson-Hale (Passion
for Petals), Darcy Law (Darcy Law Couture), Mark Kingsdorf (Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants), Dawn Lewis & Kim
Spoonauer (Dawn Lewis Designs), and Terri Fellows (t. designs).

Sponsored by: Party Rentals Ltd., Select Event Rentals, Taste Catering, Bonzie - Independent Irish Fashion Label, and Philadelphia Wedding Magazine, with special thanks to Randi Edelman.

Everyone pitched in and made the event beautiful, fashionable and thoroughly enjoyable for all of our brides and guests. Designing an event like this was a big undertaking, and I must acknowledge those who helped me put this together... Special thanks go to Béke Beau, who is not only an extraordinary makeup artist, but a great friend (who is highly organized and is really good at moving furniture!). Béke's husband, Christopher Carlson was responsible for the stunning chocolate display, table design and was key in helping with pre-event set up - a thousand "thank you"s to you both.

And much gratitude to Lucie Conoley for assisting with the Bonzie fashions and for basically being the greatest assistant ever!

We enjoyed this event so much we are already planning the next "Soiree" in early April. Keep an eye on your email or the Soiree site - www.soireeinthecity.com for more details soon...

Soiree in the City is this Saturday! Fashion Preview...

2009-01-15T23:48:00.002-05:00

We can hardly believe the "Soiree" is this Saturday! These past few weeks have just flown by with fabulous photo shoots, planning for the event and of course, weddings! (More on those soon!)....

We put together a small photo shoot get to highlight some of the great fashion that will be at this event. As we mention before we are hosting the first ever US trunk show for the independent Irish design label "Bonzie" (sadly, the designers Yvonne and Ger won't be at the event this time, but we are already planning for the future!). We are also hosting local couture gown designer Darcy Law, and I have to say, we were just blown away by their creations!

Here are a few previews to give you an idea of what to expect at the event....

Our good friend and most talented makeup artist, Béke Beau provided her transformative skills and even pitched in with styling for this very fun shoot! Thanks so much to Amy and Melissa for braving the cold to help us create these images!

I should also note that Darcy will be at the event on Saturday and will be doing sketches of her gorgeous gowns! Thank you again Darcy, we had such a great time shooting with you!

See you at the Soirée!!
Laura

PS - Still need to RSVP? Its not too late! www.soireeinthecity.com

Philadelphia Wedding Magazine - Top Pix December 2008 Winning Photo

2009-01-09T22:55:00.002-05:00

Each month, Philadelphia Wedding magazine invites local photographers to submit shots in 5 categories; Candid, Portraits, Still Life, Artistic & Photographer's Choice for their Top Pix Contest...

And we just won the "Photographer's Choice" category!

The image was from our Paris wedding with Tatiana & Julien.

Be sure to check out Philadelphia Magazine's site - there are tons of great articles and wedding planning advice!

"Soiree" gets a write-up on the uwishunu.com blog!

2009-01-08T20:25:00.004-05:00

Very exciting stuff!

http://www.uwishunu.com/2009/01/08/soiree-in-the-city-a-new-kind-of-bridal-show/

"Soiree in the City" got a great write up on the Uwishunu.com blog! Uwishunu is a great guide to everything stylish, interesting and fun happening in Philadelphia! Huge thanks to blogger Todd for writing such a nice promotion for us!

Be sure to RSVP now! Only 4 guaranteed goodie bags remain! (And who knows, we might have something special for the next 50 people anyway - ::wink, wink::)...

Jaclyn & Joe -The Racquet Club - Philadelphia, PA

2009-01-07T11:02:00.000-05:00

Jaclyn and Joe had an amazing day! There was so much attention to detail and so many great moments...

Jaclyn used some lace from her mother's wedding dress as the accent wrap on her bouquet - how thought and beautiful is that? Its those little details that makes wedding that much more meaningful!

It's not often we get to see our brides in the church they grew up in, but Jaclyn's was literally around the corner from her home.

Then it was off the the Art Museum for some formal pictures then to the Racquet Club of Philadelphia. We even got up to the court on the top floor for some interesting images!

I think that the Racquet Club has to be one of our favorite venues in Philadelphia - it has a great layout, a beautiful staircase (which as photographers we appreciate! We love getting those higher angles!) and they really take care of their guests...

Thank you Jaclyn & Joe for having us! We enjoyed every minute!

If you'd like to see more images from Jaclyn & Joe's wedding, you view their slideshow here:
http://www.lauraeaton.com/jaclynandjoe/

Happy New Year! And some updates!

2009-01-02T14:01:00.004-05:00

Paul and I would like to thank all of our clients, colleagues, friends and our families for supporting us over the last year! It was a big year for us (opening our studio was very exciting!) and we wanted to let you know how much we appreciate you all!

2008 was a great year, but we think 2009 is going to be even better! Our "Soiree in the City" event is coming together with the help of all the great vendors and the support of Philadelphia Wedding Magazine!

Be sure to RSVP to attend the event - the first 50 to RSVP will be guaranteed a bag - and there are only a few left!!!

We have lots of great new projects on the horizon and of course tons of great weddings coming up! We look forward to having lots of fun with you all in the coming year!

Take care,
Laura

Linda & Jeremy - Engagement

2008-12-19T18:00:00.000-05:00

Some people might think that "blog" is short for "weblog" - not so, its short for "backlog." Ok, ok - its not, but we've been concentrating on getting caught up with editing weddings and engagement sessions, so the blog kind of moves down on the list of priorities! But we are taking a short break from editing to update it now!!

We've gotten really used to shooting a lot in the city, so it was nice to change things up a bit with a more "country" setting. Cross Creek Park was beautiful in October, and it was a place that Linda and Jeremy have spent time together in the past. We love to explore new places, and we were amazed that we had never heard of this beautiful park, and it was only 30 minutes from where we live!

Linda & Jeremy are planning an October 2009 wedding, so I was so excited to get these vibrant colors in their engagement pictures to match their Fall wedding!

We can't wait to Linda & Jeremy's wedding, and they were nice enough to refer us to Linda's cousin Elizabeth too! (And we'll posting a few images from their NYC session shortly!).

Take care,
Laura

The announcement! Soiree in the City! Saturday, January 17th, 2009

2008-12-11T00:04:00.009-05:00

We are very excited to announce that we will be holding our very first "Bridal Event" at our studio in January!

"Soiree in the City" - THE bridal styling event in Philadelphia...
January 17th - 2pm-8pm (or later!)
Laura Eaton Photography Studio
158 North 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Please visit the following site to RSVP and for more information:
www.soireeinthecity.com
We would love to see all of our past, present and future brides (and friends!) at this event! Its mainly about "bridal" but there will be plenty of other "retail-therapy" available to help with those post-holiday blues!

We created this event to be the alternative to the typical "bridal show." A very select number of vendors will be on hand to show you the newest fashions, the best makeup, give great styling tips... basically we'll help you make the best of the most stylish day of your life! And unlike the other "bridal shows" we won't bombard you with high-pressure-sales or "win a two-night honeymoon get-away!" - we think you know what you want and know where to find it!

And we are thrilled to be hosting the first ever US trunk show for Bonzie!

Bonzie is an independent fashion label based in Ireland, and they make THE most fabulous bridal accessories I have ever seen! The second I laid eyes on their beautiful wraps and boleros I immediately got their contact info and invited them to this event. For one night only, you'll get a chance to see their beautiful fashions in person, try them on, purchase select accessories or place an order for a couture piece (a custom wedding look made just for you? Every bride's dream!).

Participating vendors will include:

Béke Beau - Makeup Artist
Kristel Closets - Style Consultants
Dawn Lewis Designs - Custom Jewelry
There is no charge for this event, but you must RSVP to attend! Please visit soireeinthecity.com and click the RSVP link... The first 50 girls to RSVP will be guaranteed to receive one of our exclusive goodie bags!

Hope to see you there!
Laura

December First Friday! And BIG announcement coming soon!

2008-12-03T00:39:00.007-05:00

Just wanted to post to remind everyone that we will be open for "First Friday" - December 5th from (roughly) 5-9pm (I say "roughly" because we were about 15 minutes late due to traffic last time!).

Laura Eaton Photography
158 North 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Dawn Lewis Designs (www.dawnlewisdesigns.com) will be in the studio, showing off her fabulous custom-made, one-of-a-kind jewelry!

Perfect timing to get a head-start on your holiday shopping (since I haven't even begun to think about Christmas shopping, I refuse to believe that anyone else has already started!).

This will also be the last night of our "Bodies of Light" Exhibit - so if you will be in the area, feel free to stop by, say hello and have a glass of wine!

Oh, and the BIG announcement..... well, I'm not saying anything yet - and you might be able to find out a little something if you come to the studio on Friday... ;)

Victoria and Michael Engagement Session - Old City

2008-11-30T12:34:00.005-05:00

This is going to be our "catch up on the blog" week! We've got LOTS of weddings and engagement sessions to post!

Victoria and Michael ended up with a beautiful fall day for their e-session, and we took full advantage of it, taking them all over Old City!

I love the variety we were able to capture with these images! This section of the city offers so many backgrounds and we were lucky enough to be able to find some of the last fall colors. The sky was absolutely amazing that day, so we took a walk over the Market Street bridge to get the sky and part of the skyline in the image...

We can't believe that Victoria and Michael's wedding is less than a month away! If this engagement session was any indication of how the wedding will be, we are going to have a blast! Thank you!

Porsche ads

2008-11-07T11:36:00.001-05:00

While Laura is busy editing away and getting us all caught up for the year, I thought I'd take the time to finally post up some of the photography work I've been doing this summer. I've been promising my models I'd have something to show them soon so I scanned in some of the ads from magazines I have. Please note I don't have the best scanner and these were from the actual magazine so the print quality is far from good.

These ran as black and white for a few PCA newsletters, and these are from Panorama, a magazine sent out to all Porsche Club of America members. The last smaller one was in Excellence, a magazine you can find in any bookshop.

November First Friday - Art Show - Bodies of Light

2008-11-06T20:21:00.002-05:00

Paul and I are very excited for November's First Friday - which is tomorrow from 5pm-9pm - we are hosting our first show of some of our personal work....

Bodies of Light - click the here to view a slideshow preview....

Opening Reception - Friday, November 7th - 5-9pm
Laura Eaton Photography Studio
158 North 3rd Street (near the corner of Race)
Philadelphia, PA 19106

"Bodies of Light" began as a commissioned project, but after exploring the process of "painting with light," we decided to turn the project into an exhibit. Eight works will be on display and available for sale this month.

We would love to see you there! Dawn Lewis Designs will be joining us again, with her beautiful and unique hand-crafted jewelry - might be a great chance to get a head start on your holiday shopping!

Please feel free to email (lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com) or call (609.954.0488) if you have any questions!

Mona & George, Engagement

2008-10-23T10:41:00.003-04:00

I think we covered almost every major landmark on our engagement session with Mona and George! Mona just took a job out of state, so it meant a lot to them to be able to document Philadelphia and all that places that have meaning for them. We had a great time running around everywhere from Independence Hall to the art museum.

We got around quickly by grabbing a few cabs, which was nice because we were able to cover a lot of ground in very little time! Mona and George - I had a blast, and I hope you did too - and I hope these images will help you remember all the fun times you had in Philadelphia!

Nicole & Duncan - Engagement

2008-10-22T11:19:00.004-04:00

A week after Natasha & Tyler's wedding we got to see our friends Duncan & Nicole again for their engagement photos.

As they both grew up in the Medford, NJ area we thought taking a walk around this cute little historic town would be a great idea for their session. Not only did I get my candy fix as I found yet another British food shop unexpectedly but we got to know these two a whole lot better. You guys are awesome! We're definitely gonna get out in Philly one night!

Stacey & Brian - Engagement

2008-10-21T11:39:00.002-04:00

Stacey and Brian came down to Old City a few weeks ago to do their engagement session. Since they live by NYC, Laura and I took the opportunity to show them the parts of Philly we love! We got to walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge, hang out by Independence Hall, and some really cool old textured walls to get some great backgrounds for their session. I hope you guys had as much fun as we did!!

Kate & Rory, Engagement

2008-10-20T10:27:00.004-04:00

Kate and Rory came down to Old City for their engagement session. It was a great challenge shooting around town at night. It was also a ton of fun to run around trying to find unique light sources.
Kate and Rory were totally up for the challenge too - stopping traffic with a kiss, holding a pose outside "The Continental" (a great martini bar!) and generally just exploring every alley and street that looked like it had potential. Plus Rory is a fellow Brit so we got to reminisce about all the great british food we both miss and no that is not an oxymoron!!

Kathleen & Brian, Engagement

2008-10-19T10:19:00.002-04:00

Another great day at the shore! (beach for those of you outside NJ)
Kathleen and Brian met us at Pete & Elda's (THE best pizza in the world!) for a little pre-shoot meal - then we hit the sand and took these fun shots!

I actually photographed Kathleen's brother's wedding a few years ago, so it was really nice to catch up and find out all the new happenings with her family!

Alex & Rachael, Engagement

2008-10-18T11:54:00.002-04:00

Alex and Rachael's wedding is coming in March, so we decided to get a jump on their engagement session in August (sorry - I know - very behind on blogging!). We had a beautiful day at the Waterworks... We love shooting there because you can capture so much "Philly" in such a small area! I love this shot with Boathouse Row in the background...

I loved the color that day, but I just thought this image needed a bit of a desaturated look....

And look at how the light reflects in Rachael's eyes!

I was super excited that Rachael and Alex wanted to do a Save The Date (and engagement album!). I just love the simple graphic and layout...

Thank again for spending the day with me! I hope you guys had as much fun as I did!!

Peiti & Dave, Engagement

2008-10-17T09:50:00.002-04:00

Peiti & Dave met each other near Old City, so we decided to meet at our studio for their engagement session. The weather and light definitely cooperated! We were able to get these amazing sun-flares

And great backlighting

Peiti and Dave were so much fun and so easy-going we just knew that we would love shooting their wedding (which we did! Blog post to come soon!)

Peiti and Dave loved the images, so they decided to order an engagement signing book - and since we were a little tight on time, we just picked out our favorites to get the layout started. Turns out, our "favorites" folder was the same as Peiti's! And style-wise, Peiti says we were right on target!

Lindsay & danny - August 22nd, 2008

2008-10-16T10:56:00.013-04:00

**excuse the changes to the blog, I'm experimenting in actually showing the photos in a decent size.

Laura and I had a great time photographing Lindsay & Danny's wedding. Lindsay started her day in historic Collingswood, NJ and then moved onto the beautiful Scottland Run golf club
We're so sorry we just got around to blogging about it now. We've had an exciting summer thanks to all our great clients!

I got to play with my 50mm 1.0 lens and took this amazing shot of Lindsay's dress.

Courtney and Mike Engagement Session

2008-10-03T09:26:00.003-04:00

Hello again! Yes, we are LONG overdue posting to the blog - and we are sorry! We've had a lot of weddings and TONS of engagement sessions lately, so blogging sort of got pushed to the bottom of the list of priorities! But here we are - back in action! :)

Courtney and Mike picked THE best day ever for their engagement session! We met on a Friday afternoon in September. It felt like summer at the beginning of the shoot, with just a hint of fall by the end! We started in Spring Lake and the light was just beautiful!

I love the framing Paul captured with the flowers in the above image...

After Spring Lake, we took a short drive to the beach to catch the last 20 minutes of the sunset...

I think I got a little sea-spray on my lens, but I love all the little round points and light, combined with the lens flare - it just looks like "end of summer" to me!

Courtney and Mike, we hope you had just as much fun as we did! We are so looking forward to your wedding!!!

-L

Amy & George, engagement

2008-09-11T13:06:00.005-04:00

Laura and I walked around the streets of Old City a couple of weekends ago to capture Amy and George's engagement session. Believe it or not they run a cute little boutique on 3rd street on the same block as our studio. So not only did we get to shoot in our new backyard, they clued us into so cool side streets we had yet to discover. As you can tell from these shots... we had a ton of fun shooting these two!

So if you're ever in our neighborhood pop into their shop, I'm sure you ladies will love it!

Hurricane Hanna 9.06.08

2008-09-09T13:29:00.007-04:00

This past Saturday Laura and I finally got to shoot in heavy rain. For some reason our brides have been blessed with great weather on all our wedding shoots. Once or twice we've had a little drizzle but nothing like this - it was awesome!! I have been looking forward to doing some cool stuff in the rain and these two girls we're actually pushing us to keep going! We were worried because they got drenched - but they loved it!! This is also our first post about our new Couture Sessions which is coming soon so that link will be up shortly. So here's the result of 2 wet photographers, makeup artist Beke Beau, and the amazing Becky and Sam!

We would love your feedback - let us know what you think!!!

Our "First" First Friday!

2008-09-01T12:47:00.012-04:00

Now that we've "officially" opened for business, we are thrilled to be joining the rest of Old City for "First Fridays!"

Each month, on the first Friday of the month, all the shops and galleries in the Old City area stay open late to hold special sales and host events. All along 2nd and 3rd Streets (and the surrounding areas), you'll be able to view some great art, taste some great wines and get a head start on your holiday shopping!

We are thrilled to be hosting Dawn Lewis Designs! Dawn makes some of the most amazing jewelry - using a mix of natural gemstones and unconventional materials, she creates one-of-a-kind pieces that work just as well with jeans as your favorite dress. Dawn even designs custom bridal jewelry!

Dawn commissioned me to take the images from her site (visit www.dawnlewisdesigns.com) - and we had a blast at the photo shoot! Here are a few examples....

Party Pix!

2008-08-30T09:19:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures from the grand opening! Thanks to our associate, Bryce Leo, for taking these great shots!

Studio Opening Party

2008-08-28T09:03:00.005-04:00

Laura and I just want to let everyone know that the party was a huge success and to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came!

We also cannot say enough about all the amazing people and vendors who provided for our big event. There were cheese trays from Old City Cheese Shop, incredible sushi from A Little Cafe, little cupcakes from Tina Freels Cakes, and even wedding cake from Ann's Cake Pan. The plasma bar and lighting from Synergetic Sounds & Lighting was fantastic and all the other local businesses (like the amazing Scarlett Bride and makeup artist Beke Beau!) that stuffed our gift bags, you guys are all awesome! Old City rocks & everyone made us feel so welcome to be a part of their little section of Philly!

I know a blog post isn't much without some photos so I'll see if I can revisit this post once I get some photos from Bryce (one of our talented associate photographers)!

THANK YOU ALL!!!!

Kaylin and Joe Engagement Session

2008-08-23T14:11:00.003-04:00

Sorry - this post is soooo long overdue! Preparation for the party has taken up tons more time than I anticipated (but thats ok, cause that means the party will be that much better!) - but things are settling down a bit - so now its time to catch up on the blog!

When we first met Kaylin and Joe, they told us all about how they met in high school - and I knew immediately that I wanted to do a session with them there! How cool is that? High-school-sweethearts!!

So we headed to their old school and took these fun shots! I really wanted to be able to get inside (I could just visualize all these cute shots involving desks and chalkboards!), but since it was a weekend, we couldn't get in... so went for some "under the bleachers" shots instead ;)

Kaylin and Joe were awesome despite the temperature being about 1000 degrees! We were all sweating to death, but they still managed to look super cool in these pix....

Thanks so much for sharing the day with us!

Laura (& Paul!)

New Studio! Its official! And Grand Opening Party on August 27th!!!

2008-08-09T00:06:00.006-04:00

From what we've heard our little secret is out (well, it was never really a secret, just something we wanted to keep quiet until it was ready!). We've officially opened for business in Philadelphia with a great studio space in Old City!

Philly has been our "adopted" city for quite a while now (more than two-thirds of the weddings we shoot are in the city), so we thought it was time to make the commitment and make it official!

As you can see from the pictures below, we are still hanging pictures and putting up the finishing touches, but its really starting to come together!

The space is very easy to find! We are located at:
158 North 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

We are very near the corner of Race Street, and next to The Old City Cheese Shop. There is almost always available parking on Florist Street - one block further down Race, on the right. We haven't worked out any "regular" hours yet - so we are doing appointment only at the moment - but I expect to be in the studio at least a few days a week (if you'd like to stop in, just give me a ring first!).

We are very excited to be sharing part of the space with our friend Pamela Hale from Passion for Petals. When I called Pam to talk about the studio, the timing turned out to be just right - she was just thinking that she wanted to get an address in the city too!

We are going to have a big grand opening party on August 27th - and if you are reading this blog - you are more than welcome to join us! Just be sure to shoot me a quick email (lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com) and I'll either send you an invitation or add you to the e-vite.

Keep an eye on the blog for more party details coming soon!!!

We would like to thank our family, friends and clients who have been so encouraging and supportive of us over the years - its really exciting to be able to take this step, and we know that we couldn't have done this with out you!

2008 WPPI Accolade of Excellence

2008-07-16T09:06:00.008-04:00

We are very excited to announce that one of our entries into the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International 2008 8x10 Print Competition received an "Accolade of Excellence!"

We have been members of WPPI for several years now, but this is our first time entering one of their print competitions, which is why it means so much to us to get this award on our first try!

Here is the text from the press release:

Laura Eaton of Chesterfield, NJ, has received special honors in the WEDDING & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL (WPPI) 2008 WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition.

Designed to recognize outstanding photographers, the judging was held in Santa Monica, CA on June, 2008.

"Untitled" received an Accolade of Excellence in the Bride and Groom Together category.

Eaton competed against an international field of photographers to win such honors.
The WPPI 8 x 10 1st Half Print Competition awards are presented each year at the largest trade show, educational platform and convention in the United States for professional photographers. The 2008 competition included 932 prints in 18 different categories submitted by photographers from all over the world.

Thanks again to Tatiana and Julien for giving us an opportunity to take an image like this!

-L

Jaclyn and Joe Engagement Session - Valley Forge Park

2008-07-10T12:02:00.008-04:00

Valley Forge Park is becoming one of my favorite places to shoot. Center City is great for the variety of backgrounds and that "city-vibe," but there is definitely something to be said for being able to lay down in a field....

Luckily, Jaclyn and Joe were accommodating to my crazy requests - I'm so in love with this picture!

So, what do you think? I think Jaclyn and Joe had a pretty good time.... ;)

I love this shot that Paul got (one of many!) - he just sneaks off to the side and gets these totally natural looks....

We can't believe the wedding is coming up so quickly - August will be here before you know it! We are so looking forward to it!

We hope you love these images as much as we do! Thanks for sharing this awesome day with us!

-L

Audrey and Chip - June 26th

2008-07-09T07:04:00.008-04:00

Audrey and Chip had a beautiful day for their June 26th wedding! It was a very intimate event that took place at the Waterworks area behind the Philadelphia Art Museum, followed by a reception at the Waterworks Restaurant.

For being a relatively small wedding, there were so many great moments! We had a chance to walk around Center City and get these iconic shots.....

Then we headed over to the Waterworks for the ceremony...

.... which Mayor Nutter performed!

I love the photo above because of Audrey's reaction to the Mayor's request for the rings. At the beginning of the ceremony, there was a little concern over the location of her wedding band. Audrey was completely at ease about the whole thing and just started looking for a "stand in" band. Suddenly Audrey noticed that her ring was actually stuck inside of Chip's! So I just had to get this shot...

Audrey paid so much attention to the little details, like the gorgeous arrangements, the vintage car and the beautiful table settings at the restaurant...

Audrey and Chip finished the cocktail hour and the start of their reception with this amazing sunset. I wish the two of you all the best in your new lives together!

And a special thank you to Katie Harmer who did an excellent job as my second shooter - Katie has such a great eye for details and always notices the emotions and elements in the background that make the day special - thank you Katie!!!

-L

And one more! Christine and Michael's Engagement Session

2008-07-03T14:07:00.007-04:00

The weather has been so great lately - so that is why we've had all these fun engagement sessions lately! Don't worry, if you are looking for a little blog-variety, next post will be about a wedding!

Christine and Michael has a super colorful session! Every where we walked in Philly seemed to have a pop of color! First we found these great teal colored garage doors....

...then as we walked down South Street, we found a store that painted the whole side of their shop with these huge flowers....

Paul had to practically drag me out of that alley - I was having so much fun with that background!

Finally we decided to balance things out a bit with some more classic backgrounds...

- I just loved how the light was hitting the wall on that last shot...

Christine and Michael, I hope you two had as much fun as we did! It was awesome exploring South Street with you! You two have such great attitudes and such positive energy - your wedding is going to rock!

Thanks again!
Laura

Another engagement session! Diana and Jim

2008-07-01T20:32:00.010-04:00

We've had quite a few of these lately! Paul and I love these sessions because we get a chance to really get to know our couples and connect with them... Diana and Jim were no exception!

We took in a great Saturday afternoon in Lambertville and New Hope - and just explored! There are so many great backgrounds and hidden little paths in that area. Diana and Jim endured a little bit of hot weather to get these shots, but I think they'll agree it was worth it...

And only in New Hope can you find a metal sculpture of a couch in the middle of train station platform! Diana and Jim were more than happy to snuggle up on there - even though it was about 95 degrees out!

We had a great time guys - can't wait for your wedding!
-L

Engagement Session - Joanna and John

2008-06-26T11:57:00.012-04:00

Playing a little catch up again! We are working on a few weddings, and we have an amazing new project coming up soon (more details to come!), so the bloggy has suffered a little....

So, Joanna and John - totally fun engagement shoot! They met while attending U Penn, so we though that would be the perfect place to photograph them! We were even able to take some pictures at the spot where they met!

Then we had a little walk around the campus and down a few little streets that were their favorite places to hang out while they were in school together.

They had such great energy - and you can just see the connection between them! We are really looking forward to your October 2009 wedding!

- L

Tatiana et Julien Part Deux - Poitiers and Paris

2008-06-18T08:20:00.006-04:00

As promised we got the Paris shots into the slideshow for Tatiana and Julien. I know you will all enjoy this as much as we do.
It's a bit large so it will take a while to load.

Engagement Session - Lindsay and Danny

2008-06-09T14:06:00.013-04:00

This past weekend Laura and I met up with Lindsay and Danny for their engagement session. I think one word describes the whole day... HOT! If your on the east coast and didn't notice we're having a heat wave... go outside! The weather forecast was very near 100º and that little box they put "feels like" temp in, should have said "melting" but this didn't stop these two from having a good time.

We've even ended the shoot with a stop at an italian ice store! I don't think we've ever had better!

Laura and I love doing engagement sessions... we get to see our couples interact and even have some fun, even though this case was at my expense. Lindsay is the head Lacrosse coach at Rowan University and I still work at what she refers to as the "evil empire" her schools biggest rival so I'm sure this post will give her a laugh.

-Paul

Carol and Sean - May 31st, 2008

2008-06-03T10:58:00.010-04:00

What a great way to wrap up May. Our last two weddings had periodic showers that worked amazingly to our favor. We had a bit of rain while everyone was indoors and then we'd get those amazing skies when it was time to go outside. Bright blue sky with the big puffy white clouds and awesome puddles for reflections. Not to mention the obligatory umbrella shots, Laura and I love those timeless looks...

Laura and I had the pleasure of working with Mark from Queen of Hearts again. His attention to the smallest detail really pays off for us in that, no matter where Carol and Sean were, we were able to get some great shots. I have to say that having a planner, really makes all the difference - Carol put it best in a post wedding email [re: her wedding vendors] "hire the best and all will flow as it was meant to be!" (Hey there Carol, hope you don't mind us quoting you!). Beautiful Blooms converted the Philadelphia Racquet Club into a beautiful garden complete with flowering branches and floral accents everywhere you looked, and Philadelphia Funk Authority had everyone on the dance floor right away! The fabulous cake and food was provided by Jeffery MIller Catering...

Carol and Sean thank you so much for including us in this beautiful day!

Speechless...

2008-05-18T15:56:00.020-04:00

As Paul and I enjoyed a post-wedding brunch with Tatiana & Julien and their family and friends, we wondered how on earth we are ever going to find the right words to describe this wedding and our experience with these amazing people...

Well, since its the day after the wedding, (and we are going to take this evening to enjoy Paris!) we thought we would let the photos do the talking....

More to come shortly.....

Pamela and Richard - May 11th, 2008

2008-05-13T14:31:00.024-04:00

Pamela and Richard's slideshow

We knew that Pam & Richard's wedding would be a great start to our wedding "season" - we just didn't know how awesome it would be!

Pam was so attentive to all the little details, from the jewelry she wore that was passed down through her family. to all the heartfelt vows and speeches - everything was tailor made for Pam & Rich. One of the best parts of the day was when Pam's 94 year old grandmother was acknowledged during the ceremony - she was beaming as Pam announced to her "Yes you made it to my wedding!" She even joined Pam on the dance floor later that evening!

Both the bride and groom's mother had a hand in designing the amazing ceremony huppa and room - it felt like walking into a forest of flowers... There were even little birds perched in the branches (and apparently this one was very friendly!).

We hope that Pam and Richard enjoyed every minute of this perfect day! We'll post more soon!

May is going to be a busy month for us!

2008-05-02T10:23:00.011-04:00

We are so excited about this month! Even though we've already shot quite a few events this year - this is the REAL start to our wedding season!

This month's first wedding will be Pamela and Richard in Center City at the Four Seasons Philadelphia Hotel on May 11th! The ceremony will take place in the courtyard garden and will be a beautiful contrast to the city skyline and landmarks....

And just two days later we leave for France! Remember that couple we caught getting engaged in Venice?

Well, Tatiana & Julien decided to book us for their wedding! We are beyond excited! The ceremony & reception will take place on May 17th in Poitiers, which is about a 3 hour drive south of Paris. The town is simply gorgeous - and has been around since before years started being counted in four digits... After the wedding, the couple has been kind enough to let us do a "post-wedding" session with them in Paris!

This should be a real adventure for us since we barely speak any French (Paul has a few years of high school French under his belt - while I've got about 2 semesters from middle school!), but Tatiana and Julien have gone out of their way to make us comfortable! Julien has been learning English for a while, and one of their good friends who is fluent in English will be traveling with us from Paris to Poitiers. Bonjour, Merci, Desole (which means "sorry!" - REALLY good to know!) & Excuse-Moi are about as much as I've learned so far, but I'm going to try!

We'll be away from May 13th-21st - so during that time we won't be able to take any calls, so please email! We will be checking that as often as we can!

And finally we'll end the month with Carol and Sean's sure-to-be-fabulous wedding at the Racquet Club in Philadelphia on May 31st! We are excited to be working with Mark from Queen of Hearts again (which will ensure everything will go off without a hitch!). Carol and Sean met with us on a gorgeous spring afternoon and entertained my cherry blossom obsession at the Waterworks area behind the Philadelphia Art Museum. The weather was simply beautiful, and I hope Carol and Sean think the same about their photos!

We are going to try to stay on top of these posts - especially with all of our travels!
Take care!
Laura

Pamela and Richard Engagement Session

2008-04-18T17:44:00.013-04:00

Our apologies for the lack of updates - for this being the "slow" part of the wedding season, we've been pretty darn busy! Between albums, teaching classes and engagement sessions we've found plenty of ways to keep ourselves out of trouble! :)

Pamela and Richard's wedding is quickly approaching, so we thought it was about time to post a few images from their engagement session! We walked around the city, checked out their favorite streets, landmarks and parks - and had a great time just chatting and enjoying the city.

Thanks so much for taking a walk with us :)
Laura

Thank you!!! The Knot Best of Weddings 2008

2008-03-31T12:07:00.004-04:00

We would like to thank all of our couples who voted for us in The Knot's "Best of Weddings 2008!" We were thrilled to find out we were going to be included, and I nearly cried when I saw that we got the highest rating (3 out of 3 stars!). We have the best clients/friends :)

Thank you!!!!
Laura

PS - If you happen to pick up the guide (which is very comprehensive!), we are featured on page 46!

Bridal Show at Rivercrest Country Club in Oaks, PA - March 1st, 2008

2008-03-05T15:21:00.009-05:00

Paul and I have to admit that bridal shows aren't our most favorite things to do... Its a LOT of work, and we get very little one-on-one time with brides. But I have to say, this show with Bouche Productions at the Rivercrest Country Club was great! We put together a brand new booth with some fantastic canvases we got from Simply Canvas!

We got to meet a ton of great brides - and we got to connect with the very fabulous Pam from Passion for Petals! Her work is just amazing!

At the end of the show, I took a few minutes to photograph some of Pam's amazing work! Here are a few:

Her attention to detail is amazing, and she is super nice to boot!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by!

Lots going on! And a mention in Brides Philadelphia Magazine!

2008-03-05T15:08:00.008-05:00

Sorry we've been a little behind on the blog lately... So much for this being the "slow" season - our schedules have been jam packed lately! But its a happy kind of busy!

First thing to report - we are in Brides Philadelphia Magazine!

Our good friend Mark from Queen of Hearts Weddings was kind enough to mention us, along with a few other great photographers and vendors, as one of his top "private contacts." So very little-black-book, isn't it?!? :)

More posts to come shortly!

Eclipse Feb 20, 2008

2008-02-21T10:35:00.003-05:00

Did anyone catch that lunar eclipse last night?

Laura and I took a few shots of it, but our streetlight isn't the best thing to have around for astronomy but here's one I liked showing what you don't see with the naked eye. The eclipsed side glows amber when exposed for a long time.

Catching up....

2008-02-18T12:24:00.004-05:00

Paul and I just got back from a long-overdue vacation in Puerto Rico, and we'd like to thank everyone for being patient with us while we were away. We were able to check email from time to time, but only with our phones, so that kind of limited our responses... I think we've gotten back to everyone now, but if you have emailed or called and haven't heard back, please email us today (lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com) - we normally try to respond to all emails/calls within 24 hours....

So back tracking a little bit here - I thought we'd share a shot of our "Dream Team" from our Cancun wedding. Working away from home can be a challenge, but with the other vendors we got to work with - it was a breeze!

We took this great night shot after Tony & Michelle's fabulous rehearsal/cocktail party. From the left, we have Drew from Tangerine Media Group - who has already put together an amazing trailer (see link below), next we have Linda from I Do Wedding Consultants who did a fantastic job assisting the one and only Mark from Queen Hearts Wedding Consultants, sitting next to Paul and I at the end.

We truly want to thank Mark for making this destination wedding go off without a hitch! He pulled together a group of vendors that were able to work together seemlessly, have fun and compliment each other's styles - we had a blast!

More posts to come soon! We've got quite a few images to get through!!!

Talk soon!
Laura

PS - Here is the link to Tangerine's video trailer - great work! I honestly got chills watching this! http://www.tangerine.tv/theatre/MichelleAndTonyTrailer

Hola from Cancun

2008-01-27T11:37:00.000-05:00

Michelle & Tony, there aren't enough words to describe how amazing your day was or how happy we were to be a part of it. Hopefully these pictures speak a thousand words.

More to come soon...

We are SOOO ready to go! Cancun here we come!

2008-01-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

We are very excited to be leaving this miserable cold weather! Early tomorrow we'll be getting on a plane and heading out to shoot Michelle and Tony's fabulous destination wedding at Moon Palace Resort in Cancun MEXICO!

We will be be away starting tomorrow (Thursday, January 24th) and we will be returning Tuesday (January 29th). We'll try out best to get connected to the internet when we can, but don't be surprised if you email and don't hear back from us till Tuesday!

We will post PLENTY of images when we return, but here is a link to Tony and Michelle's awesome engagement session:
Michelle and Tony engagement session

Safe travels to everyone going to this wedding! :)

Natasha & Tyler

2007-12-22T11:59:00.001-05:00

Laura and I got the chance last week to meet up with Natasha and Tyler on South Street Philly. Besides having awesome weather that let us walk around with no jackets, we had a ton of fun. We just missed the mummer street performers by a few minutes, but we still had a lot of fun wandering around catching these two just being themselves. They even took us to a cool new pizza place on their corner! Thanks again guys! We'll owe you some "real Jersey" pizza next time your out by us.

Yo! We're teachers!

2007-12-15T16:16:00.000-05:00

We are so excited to have been selected by Yo Darkroom to teach classes this winter! Yo Darkroom is great combination of a traditional darkroom, gallery and community center - and when we heard they were looking for instructors - we jumped at the chance to become more involved in the Philadelphia photo community!

We'll be teaching three different classes - Digital Wedding Photography, Studio Photography and the Business of Photography - click this link to see a list of classes

Paul and I are thrilled to be involved with this and we can't wait to share what we've learned with others!

If you'd like more info - please email us at lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com

2007-11-09T18:46:00.000-05:00

We've been doing a ton of portrait sessions lately - and we are finally getting around to blogging them!

I got to meet up with my friend Michelle for her little Emily's christening. I first photographed Emily a few weeks after she was born - she was adorable then and is even cuter now!

Great fall portrait session!

2007-11-09T16:39:00.000-05:00

As you can see from these images, we had a fantastic fall day for our portrait session with Eileen, Mike and Aiden! Paul and I were so happy to be able to work with the Huggett family again - we had the pleasure of photographing Patrick and Teresa's wedding last Septemeber (Teresa and Eileen are sisters).

Aiden was just adorable and couldn't stop smiling the whole time - of course it helped that mommy and daddy were tickling and hugging him the whole time!

Thanks for letting us be a part of this great day! :)

Last chance for Holiday Cards!

2007-11-06T12:29:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to show everyone the latest "Thank You" card I created for Patrick and Teresa... I think it looks pretty sweet (if I do say so myself!)

We custom design all Thank You and holiday cards - we can create a multiple image layout, and we can even add images to the inside, all for the same price! Be sure to place order soon if you want them before the holidays!

Email us directly at lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com to place an order!

Debra & Bradley - October 20th, 2007

2007-10-21T21:39:00.000-04:00

We're coming to the end of our wedding season and we couldn't believe the weather this past Saturday. It didn't feel like October weather, especially not late October.

Brad and Debra got some great skies for backgrounds, and at first she was concerned about a cathedral length veil, but with the light winds, it took a mind of it's own and made some amazing action shots. Deb you were right! It was a perfect choice for pictures.

Her gown was perfect! Deb was stunning all night long and her dresser Samantha, from Priscilla of Boston made sure it remained picture perfect all day long. Laura and I agree that it was a pleasure working with you Sam. We also got the chance to work with Jim from Boburka Video for the first time, another pleasure! Jim set up a projector and showed all the guests a small engagement film he made of Brad and Deb, not only was it funny but I think I caught a few tears in the crowd... well done!!

Jim has even volunteered to give us some video footage of Laura and I in action... I can't wait! I hope I can get it posted on here too.

Here's their reception slideshow we put together --- ENJOY!

A Blog Facelift

2007-10-16T16:46:00.000-04:00

My friend Andy and I just wrapped up the blog's new facelift. I'd love to hear opinions, comments, even what you don't like so I can make it better.

Andy's a "wiz" with HTML code and his work is really impressive. He did our friend Joy's blog a few weeks ago and I really like how it came out. We've been so busy with so many awesome weddings, I've had to put it off till now.

I'd especially appreciate feedback on what you see with different browsers and screen sizes. I can only test it on ours and don't know if it all lines up perfectly for everyone else.

Emily & Mike - Oct 6th, 2007

2007-10-08T19:29:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday Laura and I experienced another awesome wedding. Mark from Queen of Hearts once again had his personal touch in every detail. From the on-site assistance of Saget's Formal Wear, to actually seeing Mark himself pinning the brides fallen train up mid dance.

Emily and Mike were married in the Historic St. George's United Methodist Church in Philadelphia and had their reception at the very cool Down Town Club overlooking Independence Hall. We even took a quick walk around and got the Liberty Bell in the background. I'm told there's some irony here with my being English and all.

Getting my kitchen back

2007-10-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

A lot of photographers have a "routine" the day before a wedding. Ours pretty much takes over our kitchen. Between Laura and I, we use 8 Canon camera batteries, and 36 AA batteries...yes I said 36 AA batteries. So thats a lot of battery chargers, not to mention a lot of counter space being used to keep charged and uncharged batteries separate. We may not use them all.. but I like to be prepared.

So after some looking around I never really found a product out there that fit my need. So I made one. I hope this inspires some of my photographer friends to make their own.. or even think up some new stuff for things we do.
Enjoy!

Inside there is room for 4 chargers and and some fluted sections to hold the AA batteries. The best part though is when the lid is closed it just blends in with the other furniture.

We "Tanked" a wedding!

2007-09-30T12:02:00.001-04:00

Laura and I just have to say WOW! Joe and Sue had an awesome wedding! We know Joe through his family and his sister Missy. Once again we're honored they asked us to be part of their big day. They got married at The College of New Jersey, and their reception at the Nation Guard Armory in Ewing, NJ.

Joe has been through a lot. He survived being seriously wounded in Iraq, so to see how much fun he had is a lesson on how we should appreciate life. These guys love to party, and we captured so many (there were a lot) of Joe's antics!

Joe and Sue love the Eagles so much they had the Eagles pep band come and sing the fight song. They tried to wind up the few Giants fans in attendance but everyone behaved.

Lesley & Robin - September 22nd, 2007

2007-09-25T19:22:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday Lesley & Robin were married at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. We met them at Lesley's sister Donica's wedding but had no idea they could sing! :) This wedding had guests lining up to sing karaoke, and they were GOOD! If you two are reading this.. THANKS for letting Laura and I be a part of it!

Finding Stuff

2007-09-20T10:46:00.001-04:00

I love finding things! Nothing feels better than putting on the old winter coat that first cold night and pulling a $20 outta the pocket. Finding stuff is even cooler when you have a camera.

Laura and I did an awesome engagement session last night (pix to follow shortly) and as we were climbing around on some rocks I found this lil guy glued to the rock.

I love the look on Laura's face when she sees some of the things I take pictures of without telling her. She never sees them till we're going through the edits.

Peter & Fay -September 8th, 2007

2007-09-12T18:12:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday we had the honor to be a part of Peter and Fay's special day. What a great day it was too. The weather was perfect, everyone looked amazing, and the reception was a great party. I don't remember seeing Fay off the dance floor :)

Patrick & Teresa, Sept 1st 2007

2007-09-03T14:17:00.000-04:00

On Saturday we did Patrick and Teresa's awesome wedding in "Old City" Philadelphia. They had their ceremony in Old St. Mary's Church and the reception at the Downtown Club overlooking Independence Hall. Truly a perfect day with great weather and clear skies!

Tony & Michelle Aug 8th, 2007

2007-08-21T08:36:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the delay in posts, I hope this awesome engagement session will make up for it!
We met Michelle & Tony in Princeton on probably the hottest day of the summer. We got some great shots just walking around town, they we so cool about working in the heat.

When I mentioned there was a fountain Tony's face lit up like a little kid. I knew we we're in for a lot of fun! All those dress trashings paid off!

You guys were so much FUN! Laura and I are really looking forward to your wedding in Cancun at the Moon Palace

Woo hoo! We got nominated!

2007-07-27T17:37:00.000-04:00

How exciting! Someone nominated us as a top Philadelphia Wedding Photographer! If it was you, please comment! We'd love to thank you!

Anyway - if you like our work, please feel free to vote! Here is a direct link to our listing:
http://myfoxphilly.cityvoter.com/Details.aspx?business=46453

Thanks!
Laura & Paul

Donica & Rick - July 7th, 2007

2007-07-08T10:04:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Donica and Rick we're married in Riverton, NJ with a reception following at the Inn at Penn in downtown Philadelphia. Both were amazing locations and a prefect fit for their style.

Here's a short slide show made from the shots we displayed at their reception.

Anna & Brian - July 1st, 2007

2007-07-02T11:59:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to post Anna & Brian's reception slide show. They had an amazing wedding at St. Georges Greek Orthodox Church in Hamilton, NJ. Followed by the reception at Holly Hedge Estate in New Hope, PA. Both were excellent choices and really fit their style. Laura and I had a great time and want to thank you both for allowing us to be a part of it.
L&P

Becky and Steve - June 23rd, 2007

2007-06-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

Last night we had the pleasure of photographing Becky & Steve's wedding at Winterthur. Becky picked an amazing venue for her big day. There seemed to be an amazing photo op around every corner.

Trashing Teaser

2007-06-23T10:14:00.000-04:00

Last night we trashed not one dress..... but TWO!

Jen and Dawn were awesome models, not only did they put up with all the change of scenery (random field, roads, boardwalk, beach, and a carnival) but they also had so much fun they told us they would love to do it again!

We're off to Becky & Steve's wedding today so here's a little teaser until I have a chance to make a slideshow.

Fine tuning

2007-06-18T23:02:00.000-04:00

We've just wrapped up a busy weekend of catch up and Laura had put me back to work on the blog. I've added a new banner she's been putting at the top of my "honey do" list over and over, so tonight I've finally crossed it off. While I was in there my friend Andy showed me some HTML code and I think the new changes are coming along nicely.. Any comments on it are HUGELY welcomed. I've no idea what it will all look like on anyone else's screen so please do comment on what you do and don't like.

Laura and I are wrapping up the edits on the last two weddings we did so Missy & Chris and Cheryl & Jonathan will have some great pictures to pick favorites from shortly. This weekend we have Becky & Steve's wedding in Delaware so we're really looking forward to that. We did their engagement session the end of last fall and we're sure to have fun shooting them again!

more to come...

Our first "Trashing!" - Julie and Mark's "Trash the Dress" Session

2007-06-11T09:54:00.000-04:00

All we can say is "WOW!"

We've been dying to do a Trash the Dress session forever, but we could never have imagined it would go so well! Julie just glowed! She looked every bit as beautiful as she did on her wedding day, and her dress.... well, lets just say that by the end, it didn't look as good as it did on the wedding day!!!

We found this amazing park with a small waterfall, lots of rocks, and some great trees. Julie and Mark were such great models! They truly got into it and we got some amazing images! We are so grateful to them for sharing this day with us and for giving her dress this great send off!

Never again should any dress be allowed to go yellow in a box for the next 20 or so years.

Cheryl and Jon's Wedding - June 8, 2007

2007-06-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

First I want to apologize to everyone who is patiently waiting on me to update this blog. Wedding season has been in full swing and I've left you all waiting. I'm gonna do my best to go back and make posts of all the great couples we've been working with, and our latest activities. We've had some amazing shoots and I feel like one of our brides trying to pick favorites. Our most recent wedding was Cheryl and Jonathan. We met them at Cheryl's sister Christine's wedding, and we're thrilled that they came back and asked us to shoot their wedding.

Everything took place "down the shore" (as we say in Jersey! - trust me, don't call it the "beach," its always called "the shore"). I really love Cheryl's family and friends - they know how to have a great time, and you can just see how close and loving they are....

Here is the little teaser we put together at their reception....

Missy and Chris June 2nd, 2007

2007-06-04T12:07:00.000-04:00

Laura and I had the pleasure of photographing Chris and Missy's wedding at Incarnation Church in Ewing, NJ. Their reception follwed at Celebrations in Bensalem, PA. We all had a great time and as a friend of Missy's mom (which I'm sure in no way whatsoever influenced their decision ;) ) I'm glad they chose us to capture their special day!

Monica and Drew - May 26th, 2007

2007-05-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

Sorry about not posting more/sooner - we've had non-stop shoots over the last few weeks, and this is the first chance we've had to come up for air! We are so lucky to have such great couples and opportunities, so trust me, we are NOT complaining about being busy! We love this!

I've back dated this post a bit so it keeps the events in sequence.

Monica and Drew had an excellent day! The weather was just perfect for a center city wedding. Philadelphia had some Memorial day weekend traffic but this didn't slow anyone down at all. We went from the Doubletree Hotel, to the Art Museum, to the church, and then back to the Doubletree.

Monica and Drew had an awesome large family, everyone was extremely friendly and one of them was even a fellow photographer. Was great meeting you Peter, keep in touch!

Here's a few shots from the day.

It's OFFICIAL! Laura Eaton KIDS is here!

2007-05-22T09:06:00.001-04:00

Lets clear something up first.... Our last post about our "big & exciting news" left a few of our friends and family wondering if we had a little bun-in-the-oven...... Sorry to disappoint, but we aren't HAVING kids yet - we are just taking pictures of them! :)

We are happy to announce that Laura Eaton Photography is now offering Kids & Family Portraiture!

We are now reserving dates for Environmental Portraiture - this means we'll shoot in the comfort of your home, or at a local park - no stuffy studio rules, or cheesy backdrops! Just great natural light and a natural setting so your kids can be kids!

Please check out the site at: www.LauraEaton.com and click on the last button to enter the kids site!

Let us know what you think!

Laura & Paul

The couple in Venice - Tatiana & Julien!!!

2007-05-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

This story does have a happy ending!!!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened my email this morning! There it was - a message from the couple that got engaged in Venice!

They are french and they got engaged on their last day in Venice...

Here is a little bit of what Tatiana wrote:
"We wanted to visit Venice for a long time, and we decided this year... We stayed 4 days. Then before leaving, we made the touristic turn of gondole! After, we went on St Marks Place. And in full medium, we kissed each other. Julien put himself on his knees..... It was so romantic, I cried about it...

We didn't notice that people could look at us. When you came to see us, it's true we had not understood well. We thought that you want us to take a photo of you.

Then we realized that you have assisted at this moment. We sincerly thank you to approach us and leave us your card. The 2 pictures on your site remind us a really splendid and magic moment."

I've just sent the two from the site - and I will be sending more soon!

To Tatiana & Julien - thank you sooo much for getting in touch! It means so much to us to be able to share these images with you! We are just so happy that we could document this truly amazing moment!!!

Thank you!
Laura & Paul

A little bird told me.....

2007-05-16T07:30:00.000-04:00

......something new and exciting is coming to Laura Eaton Photography!!!

Sorry to tease, but we are so excited!
Check back in a few days for the big news!

To the couple who got engaged in VENICE - San Marco (St. Mark's Square) May 3, 2007!!!

2007-05-10T07:32:00.000-04:00

If you are this couple - please email us at weddings@lauraeaton.com -or- lauraeatonphoto@gmail.com

We want to give you these images!! FREE, no charge!! (And we have a few more!).

Ok, now to explain...

While we were in Venice (for three short days!), we visited St. Mark's Square (San Marco to the locals) and happened upon this adorable couple who I noticed were getting engaged. I of course couldn't help but take a few shots to capture the moment. After waiting what I hoped was an appropriate amount of time, I gingerly approached them to give them my card and explain that I wanted to give them the images (for free of course!). There was a little bit of a language barrier (the barrier being that I speak nothing but english, and I'm not sure I do that very well!) - so I'm not sure they completely understood me...

Hardly anyone has this moment captured, so I really want to make sure that they have these images - it was so beautiful and moving, I couldn't help but snap a few shots.... I really hope they didn't mind... :)

So if you are this couple, or if you know them - PLEASE EMAIL ME!!!!

Laura

Still Away

2007-05-05T07:55:00.000-04:00

Sorry for no posts. We're still in Europe visiting my family and don't have a fast connection to the web. If you're trying to get in touch with us we will be back on the 8th and will get back to any messages asap!
I promise some great pictures and some lenthy posts once we get home and have some time to get them up.

Just a quick note

2007-04-10T23:38:00.000-04:00

I've backdated a few posts to let everyone know we are home and well. In fact we have a bunch of Engagement sessions coming up next week which we are really looking forward to. I can't stress how much we love doing them. Not only do we get a chance to really connect with our clients, have a great time ourselves! We also love being able to capture that pre-wedding excitement and anticipation.

Heading home

2007-03-31T23:00:00.000-04:00

Laura and I thought California was brilliant! It was amazing to have beaches to mountains to a desert all within a short car ride... well short if you go outside LA's rush hourS and yes I wrote hours.

There's also a huge amount of British stuff out there, everywhere we went we saw something peculiar or out of place.

We spent the next day with some friends from Pictage Afterwards Laura even let me take a few shots of her, which is normally difficult as she would rather hold the camera rather than be its subject.

On our last day Laura and I wandered around Venice and were in awe of the amazing gardens of the houses that back to the canals. Seems like they are all competing with each other for the coolest backyard and strangest flowers. I don't know for a fact but based on the small amount of people we saw I'd say this is one of the less traveled areas and I highly recommend it if you're ever in the area.

Saying bye to Vegas

2007-03-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

On our last day in Las Vegas we took a stroll around the Venetian shopping mall and got a few shots of the canal and gondolas.

After some *cough*forced*cough* shopping we hit the road back to Melissa's place.

We stopped at a few side roads to grab some shots.. Saw a turtle, abandoned building, and a road only an alien could pronounce.

The rest of the drive back to Marina Del Ray was pretty smooth except for the sun in our eyes most of the way. We got back just as the sun set, unloaded the car, and collapsed.

The biggest day of our lives

2007-03-28T13:42:00.000-04:00

Today we wrapped up the last day of WPPI by doing one last speed run through the convention. We checked out of Paris and headed to the airport to pick up our rental car. They gave us a convertible Mustang which back in NJ when you think about driving in the desert would be really cool.. however once in Vegas we found that it is still too cold to make use of it. So we left the top up and headed east, not having even the slightest clue that this was going to be one of the longest days of our lives.

We got to Hoover Dam quite easily and took a few pics of the enormous monstrosity, it is really amazing to see in person.

Once you go past the dam, there is absolutely nothing for miles and miles. If we didn't have a navigation system we totally would have gone back thinking we were going the wrong way. So for about 1.5 hours without seeing anything we come into the small town of Kingman, AZ and believe it or not.. I saw an oasis! This must be what every Englishman trapped in the desert would crave, a little shop selling British food!

Laura and I loaded up on some English loot, a few bags of crisps and headed north to the Grand Canyon!
This part would be the worst.. it's miles and miles of nothing for hours. Never in our lives have we seen such distance between civilizations. We even wondered how people survived accidents and such without cell phones.. scary thought! So after seeing this for many, many, many miles.

We start to hear these pops coming from our bag of food. We soon realized it was all the bags of chips popping because of the changes in elevation, it was too funny!

Then finally after so long we arrived at the South Rim Park. The ranger told us where to go to catch the sun set as we had gotten there just in time to do so. As we pulled up we kept asking each other if the trip had been worth it and then we saw this... our question had been answered for us!

There were even parts without a barrier and just these cute signs.

so after some amazing views and freezing photo ops (we were dressed for Vegas) we piled back into the car and headed back to Vegas. We did catch a few shots of the setting sun as we sped by.

We also have never seen a sky without any light pollution so getting a shot of some stars with the moon causing a lens flare was a really cool thing to us.

We were on schedule to be back in Vegas just before midnight so we arranged for a hotel and got a great deal at the Hard Rock Hotel from Traveloctiy so we rushed back to Vegas and barely had time to get a few shots of the Hoover Dam at night. I really loved this one.

And getting back into Vegas at night is a sight to behold so we grabbed these while we were driving.. kinda cool light effects with the slower shutters.

Once we arrived at the Hard Rock we checked in and I think they felt a little sorry for us after hearing about our day and gave us an awesome suite for no extra charge.. It was an amazing room! I even got a shot of Laura sitting on the couch about 5 minutes before she passed out from exhaustion.

WPPI day 2

2007-03-28T00:50:00.000-04:00

Today was round two of WPPI and it was just as busy as day 1. I got to see some more speakers at the Canon booth like Parker Pfister and attended a smaller one over at the Graphistudio booth by Yervant.
I found the Delkin booth and finally picked up one of their new card readers I've heard so much about. BTW they are one of the most helpful and knowledgeable vendors I saw.

We found a ton of new products and albums we can't wait to try and get samples of to show our clients. We wrapped up the night with the Pictage member party in Napoleon's and still had time to grab an amazing steak at Mesa Grill in Caesars Hotel.

WPPI day 1

2007-03-27T00:20:00.000-04:00

WPPI kicked off today with about 5000+ attendees and I tried to see as much as possible in the 5 hours I had. Canon actually had demo units of their newest DSLR the EOS-1D Mark III. I was lucky enough to get some alone time with it and a Canon rep who was more than willing to answer all my questions and cement a sale in May when it becomes available.

Canon had a really amazing booth setup. I got to watch a live portrait session with Clay Blackmore and hear presentations from Denis Reggie, and Joe Buissink.

I think I would have to say the best booth would have to go to Pictage hands down. They had a smaller setup that allowed their speakers to sit on couches and speak to everyone in a smaller more personal manner. It was extremely hard to hear them if you were not in the chairs closest to the speakers but when they had someone like Joe Buissink everyone crowded around and he spoke up for all to hear. He was definitely the best one I got to hear.

After the show a bunch of us met up and headed to the Blu party hosted in the Kingpin room at the Palms hotel. Definitely one of the coolest places to have a party in Vegas. Bowling, pool table, a photo booth, and a bar packed with fellow photographers is bound to be entertaining. They even had the same tattoo artist from the night before. Thanks Blu for inviting us!

Sorry I didn't get any pictures.. we took the night off too literally.

The drive to Vegas!

2007-03-26T23:56:00.000-04:00

On Sunday afternoon Melissa took Laura and I to LA's airport to pick up our rental car for the drive to Las Vegas. We had expected the worst, but were pleasantly surprised that Hertz gave us a brand new Ford Focus. So we packed it up with all our gear and luggage and hit the road just after 2pm.

Everyone had told us that the drive would be long and boring but we still wanted to see the new landscape and desert. As this was a 1st for us we were very excited and had the camera ready.

After about 20 of these we just stopped snapping them

This one I just had to have.. I spent the 1st 5 years of my life traveling Europe in one this exact color.

We finally got to Vegas just before night fall and checked into the Paris Hotel. Since this was our first Vegas trip we were amazed at the amount of effort they put into recreating atmosphere. From a fake Eiffel tower, to the fake French signs that are all in English with just a Le added to it.

Once we got all settled in we met up with some Pictage folks and headed over to Sara France's party at the Bellagio

We had so much fun being surrounded by a ton of photographers, everyone we met was extremely nice and welcoming. They even had an airbrush tattoo artist that got Laura and I marked up!

A sandwich that bites

2007-03-25T01:40:00.000-04:00

Today Melissa, her brother Josh, and his wife Allison took us up to Santa Barbara for a day trip. The car ride was another long one but well worth the wait once we got there. Santa Barbara is a beautiful place to walk around and wait for your women as they go into all the little stores on State street. Josh and Allison have a 4 month old pug puppy that we didn't want to leave alone all day so he came along for the trip. He was a hit on the streets.. everyone who passed had to pet him. His name is "Hoagie" as a pun on that west coasters have no idea thats a sandwich to us easterners. So here's me getting bit by a sandwich on the way up there.

The day was a bit overcast and since it was really hazy we didn't take many pics and just relaxed.

Once we got back to home base in Marina Del Ray, Melissa took us to an awesome BBQ place her friends Ricky and Danny own in Venice. Laura just loved the BBQ sauce.

Here's a shot of Melissa with Ricky and Danny of Baby Blues BBQ, if you're ever in Venice, CA check em out on Lincoln Bvld.

Cliffs and flowers

2007-03-23T22:43:00.000-04:00

Today Melissa took Laura and I up to Malibu to a small park she likes to visit. When we got there it was pretty foggy but it did clear up for a few minutes so we got the camera out before it rolled back in again.

The trails were full of these little guys. We almost squashed a few before we realized that we should keep an eye out for em.

Laura took this amazing shot, and now I feel bad.. she was falling behind on the trail and we're yelling for her to keep up and had no idea she was getting this.

Falling behind

2007-03-23T22:31:00.000-04:00

We're falling behind on the blog posts already but here's two to catch up.

Yesterday was full of advenure. Laura broke a tooth, so after some quick phone calls to our awesome dentist back home we took his advice and we spent all morning looking for a pharmacy with the proper repair/bonding stuff. We did walk back to Melissa's via Venice beach and enjoyed that. Then last night we made plans to go see some friends and tested our knowledge of LA traffic. A car ride that would have taken us 30-40 mins on the east coast was easily 1.5-2 hours here in California... I really don't know how the locals do it, I'd be saving my pennies for a helicopter. Here's Mark, Kenny, Ceilia, Laura, and I after our dinner trip.. I don't remember the restaurant's name but it was really good and the company was excellent!

Whew we made it!

2007-03-22T01:19:00.000-04:00

Laura and I left for LA today with high hopes on seeing some warm weather. We arrived safely but only to feel 50˚ temps. Not quite what we had hoped for but we are optimistic about tomorrow. Since we did promise to photo document this little adventure here's what we have so far....
Friday's restaurant in PHL airport is doing their part to prevent knives onboard (in case you can't tell it's a plastic knife.)

Here's a 1st for me.. I actually saw them loading our bags onto the plane.. this red one is really laura's suitcase

We're staying with our friend Melissa but she's a little camera shy, maybe I can coax her from behind the door tomorrow when we're not all so tired and cranky.

Julie and Mark

2007-03-01T18:47:00.000-05:00

On Sunday Feb. 18th, Laura and I had the pleasure of being Julie and Mark's photographers. I must say this wedding was awesome! Not only was it a great mixture of timing, for Julie is Chinese and it happened to be the start of Chinese New Year, but it was also a great location since Mark is from Ireland and the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute has vast history with Irish immigrants. Not only was it a historic building, it also was full of great locations for photos.

Once the ceremony was finished we headed over to Rittenhouse Square for some fun shots in the snow. Julie was such a fun bride she was willing to brave the cold and trail her dress in the snow, so when we walked past the big tree we noticed some kids had given it some mini-snowmen and they had to be in the shots.
After the reception Julie, Mark, and some guests headed upstairs to the billiards room for some drinks, pool, and poker. Of course we had to take advantage of the surroundings and catch Julie showing Mark how to play.

Not only do Laura and I love what we do, but we also love the clients, vendors, and guests we get to meet and interact with. We got to work alongside Mark Kingsdorf again, and knowing his sense of humor, we snapped a little something for him!
Julie and Mark, thank you so much for including us in your day!

Fantastic night!

2007-02-25T14:05:00.000-05:00

We had a great time shooting the Junior League of Philadelphia's Casino Night on Friday! The event was held at the Crystal Tea Room in the Wanamaker Building.

The evening went beautifully, there was a great turn out, and the casino tables were a hit! There was also a live and silent auction that helped raise money for the JLP's literacy charities. Philadelphia has always been so good to us, so it was so nice to be able to document this event and give something back!

Bill Henley and Lori Wilson from NBC10's "10!" show were on hand to emcee the event...

Paul and I were able to bring along our friend Bryce to assist for the first time! Thank you Bryce - you did a great job!

If you'd like to purchase images from the event (and see a slideshow of some highlights from the night!), please visit: www.LauraEaton.com/juniorleague

All the proceeds from the sale of these images will be donated to the Junior League of Philadelphia.

Thanks to Susan Henley and Jennifer Foy for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful event!

The Big Deal - A Sure Bet for Literacy Casino Night Gala

2007-02-20T11:18:00.000-05:00

Laura and I are very excited about this Friday! We’ll be covering the Junior League of Philadelphia’s “Big Deal Casino Night.”

We originally had an event scheduled for this weekend, but sadly it was cancelled. So we decided to turn a negative into a positive and volunteered to cover this charity event. The Junior League is hosting this event to raise money for various literacy charities that help at-risk children and their families in the Philadelphia area. We'll be contributing by donating the proceeds from our print sales – so if you are a reader of this blog – and you are attending this event, please come find us and say hello! We’ll take some extra special pix for you!

click here to purchase tickets:
For tickets

V-day

2007-02-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Whats Valentine's day mean to you?

For me it was just another Hallmark holiday that I didn't celebrate, that was up until about 6 years ago. Laura and I had been dating for 2 years and she was pretty used to me blowing Valentine's day off. I've always said "who needs a day to be nice to the one you love when you should be nice all year" but we all know life's little bumps sometimes get in the way of that. So why do something special on a day that our significant others knows is coming... better to surprise them when they least expect it. Show me anyone who asks "what was that for" who would prefer to hear "because it's Valentines day!" rather than "because I love you!"

So back to 6 years ago. Laura was asking me if we were doing anything special and I kept saying that I hadn't planned anything but we could go to dinner if she was up for it. Of course our favorite place is Pete and Elda's Pizza so I said we could do that if she was in the mood. Of course she was gonna take what she could get if I was willing to do anything that night.

Little did she know what was coming. I waited till she was at work and made sure she had no chance of talking to her mom at all that afternoon (I knew my future mother-in-law couldn't keep this one to herself). So I called her parents and asked if I had their blessing. After a short discussion on dowry and monthly payments we had it all worked out (I'm kidding Peg!). So I had a ring, a flower, a plan, and parental blessings. Now I just had to make it through an hour drive and dinner without letting Laura know something was up (and since I'm not into Valentine's day, it truly was what she least expected!).

So I meet up with Laura and completely played up the "I'll go if you really want to" act. So after I pretend to be talked into it.. off we went. After we ate and heading towards the car, I say "you wanna go check out the beach?" and Laura says "it's February, its about 10 degrees out" but I convinced her it wasnt that bad and we should go check out the water since no one will be around.

We get to the beach and I go into the trunk of my car to put her ring in a rose. All of a sudden I get this rush of nervousness. Like I'm really shaking and really not myself, so I try to hide it and the flower from Laura but she can see I'm holding something.
So as fast as I can I take her over to a bench. I looked down at the flower and said...
"Crap, it fell out!"
of course she asks "What are you talking about?"
and I say "Nothing, I have something to ask you"
I get on one knee and ask her "Will you marry me?"
She hugged me, tearfully saying "yes"
and then I tell her not to move, the ring fell out of the flower and I have to find it. As I'm retracing my steps, she's calling my name and pointing to the flowers since it had fallen into the wrapping and not onto the ground. Disaster averted and engagement a success! We both had a good laugh and realized it was meant to be... an uneventful night would have faded into our memories and this one made it ours.

Now if you've made it through all of that, here's what I want to do for you. Tell us your engagement story. Put the subject in the email as "engagement contest" When we have 5 or more Laura and I will choose the best one and give you an engagement shoot and a gift book containing some of your favorite images completely on us.