http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/ Stephanie Fay Photography Blog en-us http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=190 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=190 Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:46:00 GMT HERE to ensure that your submission will be considered.

I have been overwhelmed by the amazing stories I have read thus far and I cannot WAIT to announce the winner on August 5th!! Please check back on August 5th to see the winner! Remember, JUST by entering the contest you will still be granted 10 percent off any package I offer for your wedding. Even if you do not win, you'll still receive a little something helpful for your wedding budget :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Here is a sneak peek from yesterday's wedding. :) Happy Sunday!

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=189 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=189 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:15:00 GMT
We jumped on the subway from out hotel and met Brad and Kelly at their FAB home in the gorgeous East side of New York. The quaint neighborhood they live in has a sweet little park across the street that made for a perfect setting for Brad and Kelly's engagement session. We had planned on shooting at Central Park and their apartment, but plans changed when we realized we had plenty to photograph just within Brad and Kelly's neighborhood including the stunning rooftop just a few floors above their apartment.

We started our session inside their lovely home with their SWEET dog Sophie. I am seriously in LOVE with Sophie. You'll understand why as you scroll down to the photos. We then walked outside and while getting a bit more comfortable in front of the camera, Brad and Kelly told us how they met and became engaged. I seriously LOVE their story...

To sum up the story of how they met, I'll just say, Brad was Kelly's dentist. Eventually, they went on a date and were smitten ever since. These two are seriously perfect together! One thing I adore about Brad and Kelly is how NICE they are. I have been so overwhelmed with their kindness and generosity. Stephen and I cannot WAIT for their wedding this fall. We felt so honored to sit on Brad and Kelly's rooftop and sip champagne while we simply got to know each other a little bit better. To see a slideshow of the engagement session, click HERE.

UMM.... SOPHIE, YOU ARE THE CUTEST DOG EVER! (besides my own margo of course :)

I love the charm of this neighborhood!

It just seemed appropriate to celebrate Brad and Kelly's engagement with some DIVINE champagne on their very own rooftop overlooking the city.

The light was amazing.

Brad picked out the ring ALL by himself for Kelly. NICE JOB BRAD!

LOVE this photo :)

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=188 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=188 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:48:00 GMT
For now, enjoy this sweet picture :)

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=187 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=187 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:18:00 GMT San Juan Capistrano. We packed up our car and headed out from Phoenix to be a part of a beautiful wedding.
Only a few weeks earlier, we photographed Heather and Jason in Temecula for their engagement session . I knew from the beginning that their wedding would be amazing and it WAS nothing short of perfect.

The day went smoothly and the weather was more than comfortable. One thing I adore about this couple is how much they smile. I think I smiled through my camera at them the ENTIRE time. They really are just such a joy to be around. Everything from the vows to their first dance just about brought me to tears. These two are seriously one of a kind. You don't find many people who are THIS happy and THIS joyful to be around. I left the wedding feeling so honored to have witnessed such a gorgeous ceremony. I cannot say enough good things about Heather and Jason!

To start the day, Jason and Heather had their first look at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano. We walked along the old hallways and tattered floors and tried our best to soak up the charm of the beautiful mission. We then headed back to the ceremony site at El Adobe and the day was nothing but perfect.

Heather and Jason, thank you for being such amazing clients and friends. We are so excited to watch what God will do in your lives. We have no doubt you both will change the world and leave a large fingerprint on the people's lives you will touch. Thank you for your kindness and love!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! Happy Wednesday!

Seriously... nothing but smiles. Just LOVE IT!

9 bridesmaids. ALL beautiful.

I loved how excited everyone got to dance. This was a heather sandwich.

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=186 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=186 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:27:00 GMT My Aunt and Uncle have a sweet little Brussels Griffon named Winks. Ever since I've owned my own dog Margo, I have this strange love for every other dog as well. I have decided to take on dog portraits and just couldn't resist not taking this little pup for a bike ride along with my camera. I stopped between the daisy's on the road and watched for grizzly bears as wink's posed for me in the grass. It was a bit drizzly outside but we had enough time to snap a few photos of little winks and her wet beard.
Winks obviously isn't super fond of the camera because her beard was a bit dirty but I told her to loosen up and not worry so much about what she looked like! Happy Thursday!

Winks and her family will be moving back to Phoenix soon. I guess it's time to hit the road!

There is one thing Winks is REALLY good at. Getting her tummy rubbed!

This is the bike I took Winks for a ride in. She sat perfectly in the basket ready to go. Scrumptious!

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=185 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=185 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:40:00 GMT My jaw seriously dropped when I saw how CUTE the save the date was! I just loved how they incorporated both a photo from the engagement session and the prop they used. The words tied together so well with the photo and I just ADORE this card!

I had Daisy and Jim fill out a quick Q ... A on how they came up with their ideas. I would really love to encourage brides to plan ahead when thinking about engagement sessions. Brainstorming ideas before you take your engagement photos can help tie together ideas you have for your save the date or invitations.

I thought this was a perfect example!


How did you choose your engagement spot?

D ... J: This is something we went back and forth over a few times - since we live in different states, it was difficult to choose between here in Phoenix or in Santa Monica where Jim lives. In the end though, we decided on Santa Monica because that is where we will be starting our lives together as a married couple. And since Jim is already there, he was able to come up with specific areas that fit what we were looking for: Pacific Palisades Park which has beautiful trees ... views, and Santa Monica Beach where we could fly our kite!

How did you decide what to wear for the engagement session?

D ... J : Once we honed in on our locations, Daisy and one of her bridesmaids met up with Stephanie, and Daisy brought practically every dress and pair of shoes that she owns! Daisy: I had a great time going through the options and talking through which outfits would work best. My bridesmaid helped me figure out which outfits I would feel most comfortable in (the ones that were very "me"!) and Stephanie was great in suggesting colors and styles that would fit best with each setting. We decided on a bold pink dress for the park shoot to really bring out a pop of color, and a flowy dress that fit the casual theme of the beach. Jim: On the day of the photo shoot, I picked out my outfit based on the colors of Daisy's outfits and the setting - for the first outfit, I chose a bold blue color to match Daisy's dress, and the second outfit was picked based on the fact that (as we learned from Stephanie) white looks great on beach settings.

How did it feel to be in front of the camera? Are there any suggestions you would give to any couples that are planning their engagement session?

D ...J : It definitely felt awkward at the beginning of the photo shoot, adding to the fact that it was a busy day at the park/beach and people were stopping to watch us! However, Stephanie and Stephen were great at putting us at ease and helping us get more comfortable with everything. It also got easier as time went on; we learned to just focus on having a great time! Our suggestion for couples that are planning their engagement session is to relax; the best thing that Stephanie and Stephen helped us with was turning our jitters into laughter, which made the session so fun and memorable! We also focused on the fact that it was really a time to capture such an important times in our lives - We let ourselves get lost in the moment so that the camera could capture us naturally. Another thing we recommend is trying new things: a new pose, smile, or outfit color; this was a great "trial-run" of ourselves to make sure that we turn out the way we want to in our wedding pictures!

Why did you choose a kite as a Prop?

D ... J : We always knew that we wanted something just a bit different than the norm in terms of props and that we would be using the engagement session photos to make our Save the Dates. Since one of our bridesmaids had just come back from Boulder where she visited a great kite shop, she suggested flying a bright colored kite on the beach and the Save the Date could have a catchy phrase like "Don't let the day fly away". We loved the idea from the beginning and the more we thought about it, the more we knew it was perfect for us - Daisy loves windy days, Jim loves outdoor activities, and flying a kite is such a carefree and fun thing to do! Although we were nervous about whether the kite would stay up for the pictures, it turned out to be a very windy day that was great for kite-flying!

How did you feel when the session was over?

D ... J : Our cheek muscles hurt a bit from all the smiling and laughing through the session, but we felt really good because the whole process so much fun! It all quickly turned to excitement in waiting for the post on Stephanie's blog and seeing all the final pictures!

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=183 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=183 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:21:00 GMT
I feel so honored to even have the opportunity to do what I love and I want to share this gift with others around me. Last year, I chose a couple whose e-mail truly brought me to tears. Their story was moving and their wedding was incredible. I knew that I had chosen the right couple and I felt so honored to have even witnessed such a beautiful ceremony. It was more than I even imagined and I am so excited to be doing this again!

This year, I want to do the same thing. I am looking for a couple that feels they TRULY deserve a free wedding. The rules are simple.

*The couple must be getting married in 2011

*I must be available on your date.

*The chosen couple will be given a wedding package that includes : 8 hours of wedding coverage, up to 1,000 images on disc for printing or viewing and ALL edited images posted to an online storefront for viewing or purchasing. A second shooter will also be included. (Upgrades can be purchased)

*The wedding can be ANYWHERE. If the wedding is anywhere outside of the Metropolitan Phoenix Area, all travel expenses must be paid for by the bride and groom.

*This contest is only applicable to new inquiries.


If anyone is interested, I would be HAPPY to send over what all this includes but FIRST you must ,
*Leave a comment on this post with your NAME, WEDDING DATE and LOCATION and e-mail me at stephanie@stephaniefay.com with WHY you feel you deserve to win a free wedding. Please tell me your story and why this is important to you! The winner will be selected by ME and I will be giving the wedding away to the couple that I feel most deserves this.

*Please send me a photo of you and your fiance for the final winner announcement.

*Please provide WHERE and WHEN your wedding will be as well as the VENUE the wedding and reception will be held at.

If none of this information can be provided, please do not inquire. You MUST have a venue chosen and a determined date to inquire.

The winner will be chosen based on the most deserving story. I want to know WHY you think you deserve to be given a free wedding. Tell me your story. Be detailed and honest! I want everyone and anyone to submit an inquiry!
I can't wait to hear from everyone! I hope that I can give back to someone that truly deserves this! The WINNER will be announced on AUGUST 5th, 2010.
Even though you may not be picked to win this contest, a 10 percent discount will be given (please inquire to see our collections) for ONLY those that have submitted to this contest. We still want to thank you for submitting to our contest! Please inquire for more information.
The photos below were from last years free wedding giveaway. I still adore these photos!

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=182 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=182 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:13:00 GMT
We chatted over e-mail for months and finally we were able to talk face to face last week in gorgeous Temecula California.
Heather, Stephen and I all attended Point Loma Nazarene University but never actually met each other. It's funny we never ran into each other living on such a small campus. I'm so glad we finally did. Now Stephen and I have the opportunity to be a part of Heather and Jason's wedding day and I have no doubt it will be amazing.

We met in the beautiful Temecula hills for the engagement session and it couldn't have been a more perfect day. We cruised around our friend Bob's house and found so many cute little gems to photograph including his horse, Eagle. One thing I adore about Heather and Jason are their sweet, sweet spirits. I had SO much fun behind the camera watching them laugh with each other. Heather is one of those girls that just doesn't STOP smiling. She is constantly happy and I just LOVED watching them both interact together.

Heather and Jason, I feel so honored to be your photographer and cannot wait to be apart of your wedding day! Click HERE to see a slideshow of the wedding day.

Heather and Jason, you are GORGEOUS!

Thanks to Stephen for this amazing photo. I LOVE it!!

The landscape and Eagle couldn't have been more perfect for this shoot!

My sister in law Sarah came to help out at the shoot and we gave her the camera for a bit. I LOVE the photo she took on the left! Looks like Sarah has a natural eye!

I just LOVE both of their smiles!

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=181 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=181 Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:41:00 GMT Monteluciathis fall.

One thing I loved about these two together was their sweet hearts for each other. I LOVED watching them talk about how they met and admired their sweet glances they would give each other as they interacted in front of the camera.

I cannot WAIT to be a part of their wedding this September and watch all their amazing planning unfold with all their closest family and friends. We feel honored to be working with such an amazing couple!!

To see a slideshow of the day, please click HERE.

We just HAD to add some champagne to this modern engagement!

Staci, you are GORGEOUS! I love this photo because Staci is explaining to Stephen how Trae proposed. I just love how much she lit up as she talked about the proposal.

We took a quick break from the nice air conditioned hotels and stepped outside just in time to catch the amazing golden light.

]]> http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=180 http://www.stephaniefayblog.com/index.cfm?postID=180 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:30:00 GMT I figured it would be appropriate to write 25 things my blog readers might not know about me.
Happy Thursday!!!

1. I have a small dimple on the right side of my temple. I fell off my bicycle as a little girl and the scar never completely healed right. The scar stretched as I grew and now it sits on my temple. My best friend Bonnie loves to touch it. (I know that sounds weird)

2. I am still best friends with the girl I met when I was 3. Bonnie has been my closest friend and I know we will celebrate more birthdays to come with little mermaid cupcakes. Love you friend.

3. I LOVE potatoes. My new in-laws just learned this about me on our past Ireland trip. I could JUST eat potatoes for dinner and be happy.

4. I had an imaginary friend as a kid. His name was Rickie. Ya know what they say about kids who have imaginary friends? They're creative. (Or at least I hope that's what it means!)

5. I have had a crush on the pop group HANSON my entire life. I LOVE THEM. Yes yes yes,... the long haired mmmbop boys were my lovers. Move over Stephen, you might have to share the spotlight!

6. I still enjoy watching Disney movies. They make me happy. Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping beauty, and of course The Little Mermaid still make me smile

7. I have always wanted to be a dietician. Maybe I will get my degree as a dietician later in life.

8. I knew I had a love for photography when I visited Washington DC. We visited the place Abe Lincoln's was shot and in the museum, we could also see the blood stained pillow on display. I was 12 and owned my first film camera. I think I took about 16 photos of the blood stained pillow because I just COULDN'T believe that there was ABE LINCOLN'S blood on the pillow!

9. My favorite color is blue.

10. Tom Hanks has always been one of my favorite actors. Mostly because he reminds me of my dad.

11. My favorite dessert is BREAD PUDDING! YUM!

12. My Grandma is from Austria and my absolute favorite dish she ever made was goulash. Check out the receipe!

13. I once stood on the glass at the very top of the Twin Towers in New York City.

14. I married a lakers fan? One thing I'm not proud of. (BRING IT)

15. I changed my major in college about 5 times until I took a photo journalism class and my professor decided I should consider photography as a career path. Thanks professor.. looks like it worked out :)

16. I have a love for basketball. I had been on a basketball team since I was in 1st grade through my senior year of highschool. Anyone want to start a pick up game???

17. I ditched class in college during finals to go to Disneyland with Stephen. Not sure I got a A in that class but it sure looks like I got an A in the relationship though.

18. I once accidently filled up the dish washer with the wrong detergent and then had to clean up a million bubbles in my multicolored water socks.

19. I once drove from San Diego to Bakersfield on my way North to Santa Barabra to meet David Jay for lunch. I didn't intend on driving to Bakersfiend (which is THE WRONG FREEWAY) I then called him to tell him I was lost and I'm pretty sure he laughed at me. Not a proud moment in my life. I am definitely not making myself look good on this post!

20. My dad took me golfing when I was 7 and I picked up someone's ball marker on the putting green. I thought it was pretty and showed my dad what I found. They started laughing at me. It was round and pearly.

21. In high school, I thought my room was haunted because I heard lots of scratching on my ceiling. Nights and nights of scratching. No-one believed me until we noticed 6 red eyes in our attic. Thanks raccoons!!

22. Speaking of haunted, I visited the unsinkable Molly Brown's home in Colorado this past year. Stephen took a photo of me next to a window and a scary little creature is looking through the window. If you want to see the photo for proof.. let me know! I'd be proud to send it!

23. I stayed in the haunted hotel room at the Hotel Del Coronado on Halloween. Can you tell that I like adventure?!

24. I have a love for animals. More than most people. I honestly wish I could adopt every animal that needs a home, build my own shelter, and find homes for them. I think they are one of God's most beautiful creations.

25. I am deathly afraid of heights. I don't quite know when this fear actually developed but I don't like them. A few weeks ago, I walked over a rope bridge and conquered it. That won't be the last thing I'll conquer this year. I plan to do some great things and hopefully accomplish the goals I have set for myself personally and professionally.

This twenty five years have been amazing and I am taking a leap of faith that the next 25 will be even better. Happy Thursday everyone!!! Eat some bread pudding for me!!

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