As the epic day for Lisa and Stephen continued, the next phase was the Catholic ceremony, which took place at the amazing St. Kates Cathedral! There are so many things I love about this couple, but most of all, I just adored how Stephen had this HUGE smile on all day and he couldn't help but just radiate happiness!

The couple's reception took place at The Depot, downtown Minneapolis, and I absolutely swooned over the decor! I loved the orange and yellow color pallet, along with the custom-home-made bottles of wine as a gift for the guests! DJ Fife finished out their night, which had more energy than any club I've been to lately!

If you missed it, check out Part 1 of Lisa and Stephen's wedding here!



Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Austria on their amazing day!

LOVEe

Lisa and Stephen came to me about a year ago and had only one thing to say about their wedding: It's going to be a long day! Lisa is Vietnamese and Stephen is Filipino, and tradition is extremely important to them! I have been so lucky in 2010 to work with so many different cultures and experience many more wedding ceremonies, outside of the traditional American way. I was up for the challenge and thrilled to be a part of their day! Team Photogen Inc was ready to rock at 6 am on their wedding day, which started at the Nguyen's home. The women all wore custom Aodai and the men wore elaborate Filipino shirts. The Vietnamese ceremony itself consists of the Groom, his groomsmen and family members, traveling to the Bride's home where all of her family awaits his arrival. They come with gifts to present to the Bride's family and ask permission to marry their daughter. Of course, Lisa's parent's accepted and everyone filled into the home where Lisa was presented to Stephen and a beautiful ceremony filled with many kind words and blessings took place!

Next, we all traveled back to the Austria's home where another small ceremony took place in their home! There was more advice, more gifts...and more of these secret little shots that each family member took!

This part of the day was so beautiful and rich with culture! A while back, my great friend and fellow photographer, Daniel Chin, challenged me to shoot wider. 2 days before the Austria wedding, my dream lens, the 35mm 1.4 arrived and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect wedding to use it on for the first time! My approach to this part of their day was much more journalistic than usual, and I am in love with the images!





Lisa and Stephen's day continued with an American ceremony later in the day...the images are amazing, so watch out for Part 2 coming tomorrow!

LOVEe

I've been getting MANY e-mails from many photographers asking about booking availability for LOVEe Consults! I thought it might be easiest to address you all at once and spread the love:



Q: I'm interested in booking a LOVEe Consult, what is your availability for this?

A: Since most of my weekends are booked with weddings, LOVEe Consults are booked any day of the work week, Monday - Friday! I am currently taking bookings for this fall and winter, starting September - January!



Q: How much is a LOVEe Consult? Is there a deposit?

A: Consults are $1000 for 8 hours. I require a 50% deposit to hold your date and the balance is due on the day of your consult.



Q: I am not from the Minneapolis area, do you travel for LOVEe Consults?

A: Absolutely! I love to do the consult in your home/office/studio...really, wherever your creative space is! I feel like it is more effective to wrap our minds around your business when we are in your element! I also love to travel, so general travel fees simply apply in addition to the consult fee.



Q: What topics would we cover in a LOVEe Consult?

A: These Consults are an intensive, one-on-one, 8 hour consultation on your entire business! My goal is to leave you with a clear vision of where your business is going and leave you with tools to continually be inspired!

Topics that we cover:

The Artist
Intense Critique
Goal Setting
Marketing
Submissions
Equipment and Shooting Techniques
Inspiration
Open Q&A!



Q: Do we shoot during the Consult?

A: We have the opportunity to schedule your consult to exactly your needs. Some clients set up shoots for me to come along on and others set up client meetings for me to sit in on.  I leave this entirely up to you, to ensure that you are getting the most out of your time!



Q: I'm READY! How do I book my consult?

A: Simply e-mail me: eliesa@photogen-inc.com and we will get you on the calendar!!



Q: Do you have any more information on LOVEe Consults?

A: Absolutely! Download our AWESOME guide here to see all of the in-depth details on what we cover!!




I hope this helps!! I absolutely LOVE doing these!  I feel like I end up learning more than I teach some days. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career, thus far, to really help and give back to those in the industry!

LOVEe

I am currently in Moab, Utah with some of the most amazing women I know! Every year, we plan a 1 week retreat in a remote location to spend time with each other, catch up, take some photos, relax....and have a TON of adventure!

Words can not express how much I love these ladies! The more time we all spend together, the more our relationships and friendships grow. It's incredibly encouraging to be surrounded with such amazing women who are not only talented and live-in-the-photography-world-with-me, but all of these ladies are simply rockin' in life as well. These girls challenge me on both professional and personal levels and I am so thankful for this week.

This week is all about community, bonding, and friendship!

So far, we've gone rock climbing in hummers on Hell's Revenge (which I must say was pretty intense at times, but I just CRAVE that in my life!), hiking at The Arches and even a little rafting excursion! There will be SO many more photos to come, but here are a couple for now!

Make sure to check out our official blog for the MOAB [trip] and see images from all of the MARFA [girls]!!



There are 8 other kick-ass women on the MOAB [trip], make sure to check out all of their amazing work:

Melanie Mauer
Brooke Schwab
Sarah Rhoads
Shannon Sewell
Laura Kay
Millie Holloman
Jessie Chamberlin
Lyndzee Ellsworth

So much more to come!

LOVEe

There is something so special about being invited into a family's biggest day of their life! There's something even more special about being invited, yet again, for another wedding in the same family! Last weekend, we traveled to the Milwaukee area for Jenny and Bryan's big event! I absolutely adore this couple, along with their family and friends!

I first met Jenny and Bryan at his brother, Mike and Stacey's wedding, about 2 years ago! I remember them both very clearly, since the two were still dating and when Bryan proposed, I received an e-mail from Jenny saying," We just have to have you as our photographer!" I love this for many reasons, but most of all that this couple knew how I worked and completely and totally embrace my creative process! They put all of the trust - and gave me a world of freedom when it came to their wedding photos!

Jenny and Bryan, Thank you SO much for allowing me to spend more time with you and your families and get to capture this big day for you! We had a blast and I'm so excited for what your future holds!