Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Meet Lora Ayers- Dallas Wedding Photographer

Posted by Meaghan Cody

We had the great pleasure of getting to meet Lora Ayers last year at Thursday Therapy. Lora recently moved to Dallas from Georgia and has brought her business with her - Lora Ayers Photography. Every time we see Lora she is so full of energy and can brighten any room up in a flash!

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We asked Lora a couple of questions about herself, her business, and some things that inspire her. We hope that you adore her as much as we do!

  • How did you get started in the Photography business, and specifically with weddings? I started out doing child and family portraiture. Then someone that works with my mom had a daughter who was getting married and they asked if I would do the wedding pictures. I was very hesitant at first, but they were very persistent and if I didn’t do it then they were going to get a non-professional relative to do it, so I agreed. After that I started receiving referrals from other friends so I did a few weddings and just fell more and more in love with wedding photography each time.

  • What is your typical day like as a Wedding Photographer on the day of the wedding, and also on a non-wedding day? Wedding days are so exciting! We show up 2-3 hours before the wedding ceremony begins. This allows us to start at the beginning of the story of your day. We get pictures of the bride getting her make-up done, her hair being perfected, the shoes, and the dress, then her putting on her dress, etc. Then we do the same with the groom and his friends. Whether the bride and groom pictures are before or after the ceremony it is by far one of my favorite times of the day. The ceremony and reception is when we focus on capturing all the emotional moments, some that we know are coming (like the first kiss, or the father daughter dance), and some that just happen. On a non-wedding day I wake up early to get the oldest kids off to school, and on certain days take my preschooler to school as well. I focus on the business and all that that entails until they get home. Then we have fun, laugh, and try not to take life too seriously. We cook dinner together, and make “homemade” cookies (you know the kind you pull apart and bake), and we have lots of dance parties.

  • What would you say makes your style or personality unique from other Photographers? I love people, and I love weddings! I know everyone says this, but I’m truly passionate about what I do. I give it everything I’ve got every time. I’m one of those people that can mesh with all sorts of folks. I’ve always been told that I have a warm personality, and that I make people feel at ease. I hope that is true, and it is definitely what I’m striving for. As far as my style of photography goes I would say that I’m unique because not only am I trying to take pictures that are modern, fun, and creative, but I’m always trying to tell a story. One of my favorite pictures is a dad dancing with his daughter on her wedding day. His face tells a story. You can feel how much he loves her when you look at it, and I look for those moments at every wedding.

  • What are some of your favorite images from your portfolio?  I love laughter. My favorite images are usually when the bride and groom are laughing and enjoying their day with their friends, or emotional moments. I go crazy over detail shots as well! Whether it’s the brides shoes, or a unique piece of jewelry…there can never be too many detail shots.

Here are some of our favorite pictures that Lora has taken!

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  • Favorite tips or advice for the bride and grooms to be? Obviously a bride looks at the photographers work, but I would challenge all brides to meet with their photographer and see how you feel around them. This is someone who will be following you around on one of the most important days of your life. Make sure that you like your photographer’s personality, and that you feel comfortable around them. I would add how important an engagement session is. An engagement session is good for both the photographer and the client. It gives you a chance to work together, and get to know each other more before the wedding.

  • When you aren’t working, what are some of your favorite things to do? Go on dates with my husband Aaron, dance with my kids all over the house, shopping, meet with new friends over lunch, talk to old friends from Georgia on the phone, watch ridiculous reality shows, listen to Pandora, and let’s not forget spending too much time on facebook and blogs.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Thursday Therapy - March Recap

Posted by Meaghan Cody

Spring is definitely here, and we were able to host Thursday Therapy at Top Golf in Dallas on the prettiest day of the year so far. Thursday Therapy is a laid back, super casual networking happy hour for wedding pros in the Dallas area. If you haven’t had a chance to go check out Top Golf\, you need to go! Top Golf is a two level driving range that has microchips in the golf balls that measure the accuracy and distance of each swing, while awarding you points for each target that you hit. We had a great turnout and the service at Top Golf is absolutely amazing! We can’t wait to get the chance to go back soon!

If you would like to be added to the Thursday Therapy mailing list, please e-mail us at Meaghan@sweetpeaevents.net or Kelly@sweetpeaevents.net.

Next month we hope that you guys can join us April 14th from 6-9 at Victory Tavern in Victory Park.

Enjoy these great pictures that Chantz Hough of Phose Studios captured for us!

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Saturday, March 12, 2011

Jessica & Justin’s Wedding at The Joule!

Posted by Kelly Simants

When Tanya and Cesar Perez of Perez Weddings sent us these images from Jessica and Justin’s wedding, we couldn’t stop oo’ing and aah’ing!  Jessica and Justin’s wedding at The Joule was stunning, and Cesar and Tanya captured the details and emotions of their day so well.  Jessica was a pure joy to work with, and we were so honored to be a part of their big day.  This couple truly knew how to relax and enjoy their day while letting us worry about the details – love it!  Special shout-out to Debby and Amanda at Branching Out Events for designing amazing décor for the day!  As always, they created incredible floral designs that were truly pieces of art!  And, the team at The Joule was SO amazing to work with…some of the best service we’ve ever seen! Congrats to Jessica and Justin! We loved working with you!

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Here are the fabulous Wedding Pros Jessica and Justin selected:

Friday, March 4, 2011

Dallas Wedding Pros - Do You Have a Business Plan?

Posted by Kelly Simants

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Calling all wedding pros who want to work ON your business and not just IN it…

For those of you who don’t know, in addition to Sweet Pea Events I am also co-owner of Sage Wedding Pros along with the fabulous Michelle Loretta.  We are  inviting ALL wedding pros in the South as this will be the only workshop we do in this region for 2011. So come one, come all!  It’s great for entrepreneurs who have been in business for 10 years, or for those who are just starting outEVERYONE needs a plan, no matter what stage of your business you’re in!

Here are the details:

The Simple Plan
March 22-23, 2011

9:30am-4:30pm

Holiday Inn Express – Galleria
6055 LBJ Freeway
Dallas, TX 75240

Tickets:

Tickets can be purchased thru Eventbrite.  (We only have Early Bird rates thru March 4, so get in there!)

Hotels:

Holiday Inn Express – Galleria – rates for $102/nt
Westin Galleria – rates for $250/nt

More Info:

Find out more here: www.thesimpleplan.biz
SEE what past graduates have to say.
SEE FAQs here.

Hope to see you there!

Kelly

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Thursday Therapy- February Recap

Posted by Meaghan Cody

Every month we get so excited to meet new wedding pros at Thursday Therapy - new faces are so fun and hearing about how they are contributing to the wedding world is even more exciting! A couple of months ago Dean Faulkner from Live Wire Special Events asked if he could host Thursday Therapy in his showroom, and we couldn’t have been more excited.  Dean definitely outdid himself last month when he opened his space to us and all of our Thursday Therapy friends! Mark Tresnicky of Mobile Music Magic came in to DJ the night, and Jim Lee Events brought in a mobile bar. The night was so fun and as always we had a great time seeing old friends and meeting new ones! If you would like to be added to the Thursday Therapy mailing list please e-mail us at meaghan@sweetpeaevents.net or kelly@sweetpeaevents.net.

Tomorrow, 3/3, is this month’s Thursday Therapy at Top Golf in Dallas! We hope to see you all there!!

Enjoy these great pictures taken by the super fabulous Natalie Pitts with Natalie Pitts Photography!

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