Mandi & Rachelle with Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination would like to help coordinate a FREE photo session for you with Paul Rich Studio.  They are hosting a Love Story Giveaway this week and are asking couples to submit their love stories.  Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination will select their favorite love story and the couple will receive their choice of a complimentary 2 hour engagement session or a family photo session of up to 5 family members. 

Make sure to submit your love story by no later than February 13th.  A winner will be announced on Valentine's Day!!

To enter the contest, simply click HERE.

Best of luck to everyone.  We look forward to hearing your love stories and please make sure to check out Champagne's incredible list of services on their website.  In addition to weddings, they also plan surprise parties, cocktail parties, anniversary parties, baby showers, wine tasting tours, and much much more.

Here are some samples of our recent engagement sessions:

For those of you who have been following our blog for some time, Janice and Tom may look familiar.  We photographed their wedding in September of 2006 and we most recently had the opportunity to meet up with them again for another significant event in their life.  Welcome baby Peter!  He was born on November 23, 2009.  Janice, Tom, Peter, and I met up just a few days ago for a 6 week session.  It is such a pleasure to document such special moments in peoples' lives.  Thanks to Janice and Tom for such a wonderful photo session -- and thanks to Peter for being such a champ.  Stay tuned for Peter's 6 month session in May 2010.

  

Aubre & Jason are getting married on July 9, 2010 and the couple really wants to wait until the weather is a bit warmer for their engagement session.  Problem is...  They also want to send out their "Save-The-Date" cards now AND they really want a photo for the card.  So, we just did a brief session for their "Save-The-Dates" and we will do their engagement session later.  Having had the session, we are even more excited for their upcoming engagement pictures.  So, stay tuned!

Time and time again we are blown away by the creative talents of Mandi and Rachelle with Champagne Wedding & Event Coordination.  The service they provide is absolutely top notch and they are continuously at the forefront of trends happening within the wedding industry.  Mandi & Rachelle go to great lengths to bring the very best to their couples.  They are currently hosting a "30 vendors in 30 days" series to educate couples on "who's who" in the wedding industry here in the Northwest.

Today's blog post features Paul Rich Studio.  To read the complete interview, click HERE.

While I was back east for the recent Martha's Vineyard wedding, I added an extra week on to my travels to spend with close family and friends.  The timing of the wedding and the holidays was absolutely perfect.  I took the opportunity to capture a family session of my aunt and uncle and their "grows-way-too-fast" son Jamie.  Here are some of my peoples...

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Massachusetts to document a wonderful wedding out on Martha's Vineyard.  I had the opportunity to vacation on the island many many years ago and to return over a decade later to document a wedding was a real treat.  Little did I know, the island was expected to be hit by one of the largest snow storms in recent history.

I paid very close attention to the local weather reports, all of which forecasted anywhere from 2-4 inches of snow all the way up to as much as 2 feet!  I thought to myself, there is no way it is going to snow that much.  After all, in Portland, when snow is forecasted it is typically 45 degrees and rainy.  Well, in Massachusetts, when they say it is going to snow -- it is going to snow.

I woke early in the morning to dig the truck out of the snow.  It was quite the task and my only concern was the potential of getting stuck somewhere along the way.  A very valid concern.  So, I packed the truck full of gear and headed on my way.  I drove through a total Winter Wonderland with the streets bare of traffic and the tree limbs covered in snow and ice.  It was the most beautiful sight.

I arrived at the Mansion House in downtown Vineyard Haven to photograph the guys getting ready.  The snow was still coming down quite heavily and our original plan was to take formal pictures of the groom's side of the family on the hotel roof top.  When I checked in at the front desk, I was told that the roof top would not be accessible due to all the snow.  Well, when I went upstairs to check on things, someone had already shovelled the roof top.  Thanks Jonathan!!

From the Mansion House I then drove over to Erin's parent's house to document the women getting ready.  And the snow kept coming down.  Upon arrival, Erin made it really clear that no matter what, formal pictures were going to be taken outdoors.  She was so excited to have a winter wedding and I was absolutely determined to capture her out in the snow!

After the photo session at the house, we headed straight to the Grace Episcopal Church for the ceremony.  All the guests were chatting about the incredible snow storm and their adventures in taking the ferry from Massachusetts to Martha's Vineyard.  The day was an incredible experience for us all.

From the ceremony site, the wedding party and I went to the Black Dog Wharf for pictures in the snow!  Everyone's sheer determination paid off and we came away with some really lovely pictures.  A big thanks goes out to Erin & Jonathan for being so adventurous on their wedding day.

The reception at Lambert's Cove Inn was absolutely lovely.  Every bit of it reminded me of New England.  And it was nice to cozy up by the fireplace and defrost a bit after a day in the snow.  Erin & Jonathan's online gallery of images will be live this Friday.  In preparation for the launch, we wanted to send a sneak peek of images.

Congratulations Erin & Jonathan and thank you for creating such a memorable wedding.

Over the course of the next 2-3 months, wedding photographers receive an enormous influx of wedding date inquiries.  We affectionately refer to this time as "the booking season."  To assist couples in locating their wedding photographer, Randy Kepple started a photography blog called My Portland Photographer.  The blog is updated M-F by 20 of Portland's top wedding photographers.  We are each assigned a day of the week to create a new blog entry accompanied by a single photograph that best represents our individual style.

This past year I was nominated to be one of five photographers who make up the My Portland Photographer Committee.  The experience has been tremendously rewarding and the success of the blog continues to grow.  We have just recently added an Availability Checker.  Enter in your wedding date and the Availability Checker will indicate which of the 20 photographers are available.  We are all very excited about this recent enhancement and look forward to continuing to improve the My Portland Photographer experience.

All of the photographers recently pooled their resources and placed a full page ad in the 2010 Oregon Bride Resource Guide.  Go to their website and register to receive your free copy!

Of the 20 photographers' work that is represented in the ad, can you recognize which one was shot by Paul Rich Studio?

When you choose your wedding photographer, you are making an investment in the type of photography that will document your wedding day.  So make sure you are selecting a professional who knows what locations, camera angles, and types of lighting are the most flattering.

A great example of this is when photographing the wedding dress.  Ever wonder why you see so many shots of wedding dresses hanging in the window?  It is because the lighting is so flattering for the subject matter.  The photograph becomes ethereal and very dream-like.

This is the same reason we encourage our brides to get ready by window light.  This beautiful natural light compliments the subject matter and transforms the documented moment into a creative piece of art.

To view more of our work, please visit the Paul Rich Studio website.  For additional tips on how to make your wedding photographs look their absolute best, just fill out our contact form.

Outside In is a non-profit healthcare and social services agency located in downtown Portland, OR.  They are in the process of updating their website and requested photographs of some of their staff as well documentation of their buildings and the various programs they offer.  In 2009, Oregon Business rated Outside In as one of the 100 best non-profits in Oregon.  There are a number of ways to donate to Outside In.

This time of year is very popular for family portraits -- especially with the holiday season right around the corner.  So gather up your family and give us a call to schedule your portrait session.  We are offering holiday specials through until December 6th.  Email us at paul@paulrichstudio.com to schedule your session today.

Ever wonder what it looks like right after you get married?