Angela R. Talley: On Art & Photography

Photography is art and Angela R. Talley is truly an ARTist. Between her snapping photos, we recently had a chance to interview Angela for the next segment of Meet the Experts.

Renowned for her ability to utilize natural lighting, Angela’s images result in sensitive interpretations. While the diversity of her portfolio is intentional, Angela maintains a definitive style. Her work covers lifestyle, wedding photography, family and child portraits, editorial photography, and music industry photography. Angela is schooled in many artistic genres and possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Photography. See more of her work here: http://angelartalley.com/

Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I would say my style is more of a Narrative style. I shoot the day to tell a story.

Q: What is your favorite thing about shooting weddings?
A: I love working with couples on one of most important days of their lives.. and creating a series of images to reflect the day!

Q: Do you have a favorite destination?
A:  As far as destination weddings… I have really loved all the destinations I have been too.. I love new places as they each are exciting in their own way. Some of the destinations I have photographed in: Sweden.. Mexico… Bahamas.. British West Indies-St.Kitts… and all over the U.S.

Q: Do you have a personal wedding image you’ve taken that you favor?
A: I really like a series of images.. Unlike music or portrait photography.. I feel a series of images tell the story of the day.. though I do have many faves.

Q: What is your favorite ceremony site and reception venue?
A: Again, sooo hard for me to choose.. each have their own distinct personalities… I can’t just pick one!

Q: What is the best advice you give your brides and grooms?
A: Keep the wedding day about YOU! Enjoy the day!

Q: Do you prefer your couples remain traditional or see each other prior to ceremony?
A: I don’t require that my couples see each other before the wedding. However, in certain times as when a couple has an evening wedding I do highly recommend seeing each other before or it will be dark by the time photographs are taken. So just take that into consideration.

Q: What do you know now about the industry that you wish you had known when you started?
A: Research your photographers… make sure you see samples.. and make sure you like the photographer.. personality is very important!

http://angelartalley.com/

Meet the Experts: Praez Occassions

For our first vendor segment of Meet the Experts, we were thrilled when we recently had a chance to interview Zeb of Praez Occasions! Praez Occasions is a couture invitations design firm, a true atelier of paperie style and sophistication. They are committed to helping their clients announce life’s most precious moments with exceptional quality and sophistocation, custom-designing and handcrafting each piece with luxurious materials from around the world, creating pieces that evoke lasting memories of their event for years to come. Be sure to visit their website here: http://www.praezoccasions.com/

Q: Who is your target market?
A: I service clients at all price levels,  but my niche is truly in couture weddings.  My specialty is in capturing the distinct vision for an event, the opulence of the decor and venue, and the couple’s unique personality in their stationery.  This often entails the employment of unique embellishments and materials from around the world, making the designs artful expressions that are multidimensional and unique to the client, leaving a lasting impression on the heart and mind of everyone lucky enough to be on the guest list!

Q: What has changed in the past few years in the wedding industry and inclusion of high end invitations and paper products?
A: There has been an overwhelming demand for individuality.  Whether a luxurious gala or a barbeque-style family affair, clients want their own signature stamp on their stationery.  With the presence of high-end products and services in the marketplace, making it easy to follow trends and emulate styles,  their demand is for fashionable stationery with bold colors and modern designs.  Where there was once a small group of online companies offering customized products on better quality papers in a variety of colors and trimmings, there is now a plethora of offerings from DIY to licensed designer printables available for couples to make their stationery their own.  For the truly discriminating client, there are a lot of options available to obtain bespoke services, from highly sought-after event stylists and couturieres to some of the finest materials money can buy.

Q: Do you find the modern bride is becoming more educated in her selection of invitations?
A: Yes and no.  Often, she’s following trends seen in top bridal magazines and their websites, so she’s very well aware of what’s hot and knows what she wants.  She’s not, however, often aware of the difference between customized and bespoke, and she often settles for packaged or templated products instead of receiving services that are tailored to her specific style and taste.

Q: Do you have a favorite theme/storyboard? 
A: I’ve grown very fond of the old Hollywood look, and have thus become a fanatic for fonts and materials that are very vintage and rich in texture.  I’m particularly fascinated with lace, feathers, sequins, pearls and jewels right now!

Q: Can you tell us a story on one of your weddings?
A: I was most recently smitten with a wedding coming in October.  The client came to us by way of a fellow wedding professional, looking to execute a very specific theme and design aesthetic, reminiscent of the movie, The Titanic.  My challenge was to execute the romance and vintage details of this period piece in a modern perspective without going over the top.  What we ended up doing is presenting a very clean, stately design with vintage graphics, an absolutely gorgeous embossed overlay on the cover and accenting of Antique Gold ribbon and wax seal to give it that renaissance-age romance.  The bride was completely in love with the end result, and we are so proud to be able to help set the stage for the truly elegant evening she’s going to have.

Q: Any advice to the bride when selecting her invitation and save the date?
A: Do not compromise!  You will truly regret not getting what you want.  Whatever your budget, it is possible to get tailored services but you have to start early, express your preferences in detail, and be clear about your spending priorities.  If you are not having a lot of out-of-town guests or a destination wedding, skip the Save The Dates and put your emphasis on your invitations.  Remember, you only have one time to make a first impression.  Your invitation sets the tone to your guests of what to expect, and how to gift.  If they’re wow’d from the onset, your responses will be more favorable.

Q: What do you wish you knew back when you started, that you know now?
A: I wish I knew the market better.  I started out more mass-market, and had no idea that there was a whole audience that looking for couture style and fashion beyond just their tabletops and attire, but would love to have it incorporated in their stationery, as well.

 http://www.praezoccasions.com/

Planners, and Venues, and Florists… And Linens? Oh My!

A bride’s task list upon getting engaged seems to truly stack up before her eyes. The obvious choices must be made among venues, wedding planners, florists, caterers, dresses, music, officiants… and the list goes on. When it comes to satin or polyester, are those really your choices in linens? At Julie Murphy Special Events, we think not! You customize every part of your special day, so why not have a say over your linens, too?

Specialty linens for weddings and events are increasingly the focal point of a well-planned wedding, even so that linens have become a huge industry in Western countries. The internet has made wedding planning and inspiration much more accessible and fun, so now, the discerning, modern bride is well-educated in the importance of creating the right atmosphere to set the stage for her big day. It’s no longer just about the dress – your guests are looking at your linens, too!

Among the initial questions that any top planner or couture linen company asks their client is, “What is your theme?” It can be romantic, elegant, rustic, modern, classic, vintage, and so many more. The important question we ask is, “How does it pertain to your personality?” Zeroing in on what makes the bride and groom unique and inspired both as a couple and as individuals is one of the first things we establish when beginning the storyboard of how the wedding will look. Often a bride brings in a product from Etsy, a photo from a magazine, or an inspiration collage of her own that she’s in love with and wants to replicate, which is perfectly fine also.

Having access to a in-house couture linen department is certainly not the norm for wedding planners. With us, it’s a huge part of what we do as the holistic design is more easily carried through. For this reason, our stock levels are always growing and our design offerings are never-ending. Each wedding and event we create is truly different than the ones before it, just like each couple. That’s all part of the challenge: creating unique, simply beautiful & timeless events for forever memories.

Julie Murphy Special Events can take care of your event design, wedding coordination, linen supply, decor accessories, and floral arrangement, among others. Your unique, specific vision is executed down to every detail with us.