I’m pretty sure that was one of’ the longest pauses between posts that the Bliss Blog has ever had. And for that, I can’t really apologize. :)

Well folks, I have moved into the realm of super busy, soon-to-be-Super Mom! That is right, friends. There will soon be a new little Bliss team member in the family and we couldn’t be more excited. Nick and I are over the moon because of the news, and our families are excited for the very first grandbaby on BOTH sides. I am convinced that this little bug will be spoiled rotten!

So, without further ado, meet our little “Figgy”!

This ultrasound was taken a couple of weeks ago and I promise to post a new one very soon. We call our little one “Figgy” because when we first heard the heart beat, Nick said to me “I feel like it is all a FIGment of our imagination.” So, Figgy just stuck. This little bundle of joy will be arriving on or around January 9th, 2012! Just two weeks before the 4 year anniversary of our wedding day!

In the midst of all of the changes to my belly, we have also made some changes to our work/home life. I had originally started the booking season with the idea of taking less weddings so that I could work part time to supplement the income that will be lost when Nick goes into his full time program at school. I, oddly enough, was offered a full time position doing marketing, social media, and charitable outreach for a local company. Crazy timing, right?  With the impending double hit to the bank account, I couldn’t refuse. So, not only do we have a baby on the way, but I have also decided to take it back to the office life. It was a strange adjustment, going from full-time work from home, to working two full-time jobs with a baby on the way. The change basically happened over night. I remember when I first started doing weddings, I worked 40+ hours at my day job and another 30+ hours on Bliss. The building of Bliss was one of the most rewarding, crazy and time consuming things I have ever done.

With these new changes has come a new way of thinking. I want to enjoy this pregnancy, so I have limited myself for 2011/2012 weddings and have decided not to book 2013 until I have a better idea of my schedule post-baby. We don’t know how long it will be until Nick is done with his program, or how many hours I will be working for the months after Figgy is born and I want to only take on clients that I know I can provide an excellent service for. For current clients, there is no reason to worry. I am still focused on your weddings, whole-heartedly. But, I want to get this news out there for all to see.

So, how will this affect everything else? The blogs, MWEP, Wish Upon A Wedding? Obviously, this will take a little more time management on my part, but I am hoping to have a nice schedule for the next few months. It might take some getting used to, but I think this will all work out perfectly!

Well, that is it! Now you know where I have been and what has been going on. If you have questions, comment, concerns or just want to chat, feel free to shoot me an email. Have a great day!

Well, the time is finally here! The overall winners of the Photo of the Year contest are ready to be announced. After tons of photos and thousands of votes, here are your amazing 1st place photos!

1st place in the Engagement, and our overall vote leader in all three categories, is…

James Fry Photography! This photo of David and Cassandra from downtown Grand Rapids, is perfect. The lighting, the colors, the rain and that kiss! Love this one. Could it be any more romantic?

From James: We did their engagement session in March of 2010, so it was still a little cold…you know Michigan :)  We had spent the evening doing photos all around the downtown area with the threat of rain.  We stopped for some coffee and went out to do some night shots and it started to rain as we were shooting.  Instead of bailing, we kept going and ended up with this awesome shot. Who knew the rain would work in our favor? :)

Our next 1st place winner, in the Michigan category, is…

Heather J Photography! I have had the opportunity to get to know Heather over the past few months, and this photo is a really great representation of her art. I am in love with this candid shot of Katie Bonita on her wedding day in Wyandotte, MI, captures so much in just one quick shot.

From Heather: My main goal when I take a photo is for it to convey happiness.  I think this photo does the trick.

I think you are right, Heather. It definitely makes me happy just seeing it! As a special prize for being the top Michigan photo, Heather will be attending the Smarter Business Workshop on May 11th, hosted by one of my absolute favorite people in the world, Anne Ruthmann! If you are a photographer and haven’t signed up yet, you must head to the website now and do it! Anne has helped me in my business more than I could ever explain and you would be crazy not to attend.

The final 1st place winner, in the global category, goes to…

K. Holly Photography!

I have to admit that this photo of Pamela and Mark, taken on their wedding day in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, makes me crave warm, sunny, tropical weather and lots of palm trees. Not only is the location fantastic, but Kristen really captured it perfectly!

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All of our three 1st place winners are going to receive a prize package! Here is what they will get:

One of my new favorite things, a frame from The Vintage Crush. These frames are to die for and our winners will get an 8.5×11 in their choice of color and style. How lucky?

They will also receive a rockin’ Lens Bracelet from Adam Elmakias!

One full year of advertising on The Bliss Blog!

… and a brand spankin’ new digital copy of Paint Shop Pro Ultimate X3 from Corel Corporation!

On Monday, we shared the 3rd place winners from our Photo of the Year contest. Today, we will be announcing the 2nd place winners! As if it wasn’t enough to have some really great guest judges and prizes, we also have some of the best photographers out there being showcased. Well, the votes are in and here are your 2nd place winners, er um, winner!

Yes, one photographer swept second place in ALL THREE CATEGORIES! I am still in shock that out of just about 500 submissions, this photographer managed to place in every category. Crazy right!?! Well, I guess not that crazy, since these photos are all pretty rad.

The 2nd place winner in the Engagement, Michigan and Global categories is…

Melanie Reyes Photography! Congrats Melanie!

The engagement photo of Nate and Vanessa Proulx, taken at Hudson Mills Metro Park in Dexter, sure is adorable! Here is what Melanie had to say.

Both Nate and Vanessa are trained musicians and use their gift at church and  in their work. Nate brought his guitar to the session – and as you can see the results are magical!

Here is her Michigan winning photograph.

I am in love with this photo of Sophie & Brendon Murray, taken at the Michigan State Capitol, for three reasons. First, I was a cheerleader and went on to coaching cheer, so these stunts bring back some memories. Secondly, this is another winning photo that was taken on my birthday (May 15th!). Lastly, it just plain out rocks. How much fun does it look like these guys are having?!

It was the groomsmens idea to throw the groom in the air. Most people think he was photoshopped in – but no , they really threw him that far!

And the 2nd place winner in the Global category…

This photo of Doug and Carrie Russell, taken on Doug’s farm in Ohio, is one of those photos where you can actually see the love. It is simple and sweet. Maybe that is why you all loved it so much! And please check out those boots on Carrie! So cute!

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For winning second place, Melanie will be taking home three awesome lens bracelets from Adam Elmakias! A big thank you goes out to him for supplying his product to our contest. Please visit his website to learn more about these fun accessories.

She will also receive ad space for 6 months here on The Bliss Blog! Congrats Melanie! Thank you so much for submitting these beautiful photos.

And a big THANK YOU goes out to all of you who voted and picked Melanie as your second place winner in all three categories!

The finalists were chosen and the votes came in stronger than I could have ever expected! Finally, we are ready to announce our big winner of The Bliss Blog’s 3rd Annual Photo of the Year contest! Are you ready?

Drum roll, please…..

Your 3rd place winner in the engagement category is…

Two Ring Photography based out of Lansing, MI! The photographer, Jill Lenkowski, shared a little about this photo of Sara Lauer and Ben Decker on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI.

It was an incredibly windy fall day in Michigan which I think is why I love this picture so much because I’m reminded of how windy it was, how into each other they were and how long and gorgeous her hair was!

Your 3rd place winner in the Michigan category is….

Two Ring Photography! You read that right, Jill had two 3rd place winners! How awesome is that? Jill told us a little about this photo of Hillary and AJ Walilko, taken at Cooley Garden in Lansing.

I absolutely love end of April weddings when the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. Take that + seriously in love young couple + birdcage veil and it = perfection!

And your 3rd place photo in the Global category is…

E.C. Campbell Photography, based out of Rochester Hills, MI. E’lisa Campbell, the amazing photographer, told us a little more about this photo of Heather taken at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, MI. Something interesting about this photo is that it was taken on my birthday, May 15th!

The bride is a lover of all animals, and when the horse drawn carriage pulled up…..Heather wanted some photos with the horse.  :)  You can tell the horse instantly felt comfortable with the bride.

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I am beyond thrilled that these three photos were chosen as winners and can’t thank all of you enough for taking the time to vote for your favorites. I am blown away by the number of votes and comments that came in over the past couple of weeks. Seriously amazing!

These winners will take home an awesome lens bracelet from Adam Elmakias! A big thank you goes out to him for supplying his product to our contest. Please visit his website to learn more about these fun accessories.

How beautiful are these? Will you be able to decide on just one favorite?!

Below you will find our Top Ten Finalists in the Global Category in our 3rd Annual Photo of the Year Contest. Please take a look at all 10 and decide which one is your favorite. To get a closer look, click the photo, wait for it to load and then click again. You will be able to see the set at full size, if you really want to inspect each one. ;) In order for your vote to count, you have to click the number of your favorite photo in the Poll at the bottom of the post AND leave a comment telling us which one you voted for and why you love it so much. If you don’t do both, your vote will not count, so make sure you follow the rules! Only one vote per email address.

Voting for the Global category ends on April 16th.

Your votes will be tallied and the Top Three in each category will be announced during the week of April 18th!

For those of you who have been following along, you already know that we had four awesome judges, tons of really great photographers, and some really awesome prizes all involved in our Photo of the Year Contest. Well, I have some more great news!

For the top vote receivers for the entire contest, we have another fantastic prize to announce. Our friends at Corel Corporation have generously offered to give downloaded copies of their awesome photo editing software, Paint Shop Pro Ultimate X3. It’s everything you need to edit your fantastic photos! Get advanced photo tools, and easy-to-use photo projects, along with powerful photo effects and digital painting together at one great price in Corel® PaintShop Photo® Pro X3 Ultimate.

How awesome is that? I can’t thank Sara, from Corel, enough for giving this wonderful gift.

So, photographers, get those votes in! The more votes you get, the more chances you have to win a prize!

This prize isn’t just for the photographers either! All of you lucky readers and voters can win, too! I will be picking one of you to receive your very own copy of Corel’s Paint Shop Pro Ultimate x3! So vote/comment in each category for your chance to win!

Are you ready for more voting and awesomeness?!

Below you will find our Top Ten Finalists in the Michigan Category in our 3rd Annual Photo of the Year Contest. Please take a look at all 10 and decide which one is your favorite. To get a closer look, click the photo, wait for it to load and then click again. You will be able to see the set at full size, if you really want to inspect each one. ;) In order for your vote to count, you have to click the number of your favorite photo in the Poll at the bottom of the post AND leave a comment telling us which one you voted for and why you love it so much. If you don’t do both, your vote will not count, so make sure you follow the rules! Only one vote per email address.

Voting for the Michigan category ends on April 14th.

Your votes will be tallied and the Top Three in each category will be announced during the week of April 18th!

Also, if you are taking a second to vote, please consider donating to Wish Upon A Wedding below. This amazing organization grants wedding wishes for couples faced with terminal illness and seriously life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Thank you!

Ready. Set. Vote!

Below you will find our Top Ten Finalists in the Engagement Category in our 3rd Annual Photo of the Year Contest. Please take a look at all 10 and decide which one is your favorite. To get a closer look, click the photo, wait for it to load and then click again. You will be able to see the set at full size, if you really want to inspect each one. ;) In order for your vote to count, you have to click the number of your favorite photo in the Poll at the bottom of the post AND leave a comment telling us which one you voted for and why you love it so much. If you don’t do both, your vote will not count, so make sure you follow the rules! Only one vote per email address.

Voting for the Engagement category ends on April 12th.

Your votes will be tallied and the Top Three in each category will be announced during the week of April 18th!

Also, if you are taking a second to vote, please consider donating to Wish Upon A Wedding below. This amazing organization grants wedding wishes for couples faced with terminal illness and seriously life-altering circumstances, regardless of sexual orientation. Thank you!

Yes, I said PRIZES! This year, as you may have noticed already, is different than years past. Not only did we add an awesome panel of judges, we also added some fun prizes for our winners! Here is what the winners will receive.

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For the 1st place photographers in each category, one of my most favorite items ever! If you haven’t seen these frames, by The Vintage Crush, you will probably have the same reaction as when I first saw them. How gorgeous are these? I am DYING to add a few of these to my office and the lucky three winners will get their choice of any color/style 8.5×11 frame in the collection. Lucky!

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All 9 of our Top 3 in each category will receive some super awesome lens bracelets courtesy of amazing photographer Adam Elmakias. How PERFECT are these for the contest? When I came across the Lens Bracelet website, I just had to contact Adam. I am so glad I did!

In early 2010, Adam Elmakias created his first set of Lens Bracelets© to be used as a promotional tool for his photography. Starting off with a single design, based on the 50mm, Elmakias began sharing the bracelets with friends, photographers and fans, giving away nearly 250 wristbands as he toured throughout the US and Canada.

After only six months, thousands of Lens Bracelets© have now been sold and shipped to individuals in over 50 different countries. The buzz around the bracelets has led to an expansion in Elmakias’ offerings: a multitude of focal length designs to choose from. Photographers and fans can now show off their favorite lenses, even when they aren’t shooting.

The timeless design was created by a photographer, for photographers and features classic embossed lettering and lens grip ridges that replicate actual lenses. The silicone wristbands are available in two different base styles and focal lengths of 50mm, 35mm, 85mm, 14-24mm, 17-40mm, 24-70mm, 24-105mm and 70-200mm. Size choices for Lens Bracelets© include 7″ circ. x 1/2” and 8” circ. x 1/2”.

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For our Michigan Photo of the Year winner, the always fabulous and business savvy Anne Ruthmann, has offered up a free pass to her Smarter Business Workshop in Michigan! How awesome is this? The workshop is going to be a really great resource for local photographers and she has a few scheduled around the US. Even if you aren’t in Michigan, you should definitely check this out. Anne has helped me in more ways than I can count and I just know this workshop will be amazing.

From the website: Photography can be an incredibly rewarding career, if you make smarter business decisions every step of the way. Success comes with great ideas AND great implementation. Too often photography workshops forcus on ideas, but without implementation, sustainable success doesn’t follow. I want to change that. I want to help you create a plan of sustainable success–ideas put into action–to move your business forward- from wherever you are now. Photography has empowered my creative life, and I can help you have the same.

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Each of our three First Place winners in each category will also receive a one year ad placement on The Bliss Blog! Pretty awesome, right?

I am not sure that I have mentioned this on the blog yet, so I thought today would be the perfect time to do so. As most of you know, I am involved in a lot of really great projects and a couple awesome companies. What you may not know, is that I also created a networking group for wedding and event pros in Michigan. This is by far one of my favorite projects and I think all of you might like it, too. The group is called Michigan Wedding & Event Professionals, but we call it MWEP for short.

MWEP is great for professionals, but it is also a really great resource if you are planning your wedding. The website lists out all of our members in an easy to read format, complete with contact names, email addresses and websites. All of the businesses listed are pretty awesome and are really helping our local community flourish. If you are in need of some awesome vendors, please check it out. We are even working on the launch of our blog, Mitten Smitten, which will feature real Michigan weddings, local vendor spotlights, advice and tips for planning wedding here in the Mitten State.

If you are a local business, and want more information on becoming a member, please visit the website and read all about how you can join. We have many different chapters where we host mixers every two to three months. These mixers are normally free to attend and are way more than a stuffy networking event. They are actually a lot of fun and offer a very easy, pain-free, casual way to build relationships with people in your local wedding community. Currently, we host mixers in Southeast Michigan, West Michigan, Mid-Michigan, Lakeshore, and Kalamazoo. We are currently working on adding in a Traverse City/Northern Michigan chapter and a Saginaw/Tri-Cities chapter. I am loving how MWEP brings the unity throughout the whole state, rather than just in one small area. There are so many creative and outstanding people out there and we are working to bring you all together, in a casual and relaxed way.

While we already have a really great base of 200+ people associated with MWEP, we are hoping to get this list to grow and include every vendor, of every type, in every area of Michigan. To do that, we need your help. Become a member, attend our free events, participate in the forums, get your business listed on the website and really celebrate the people around you. Membership gets you all of these things for a VERY affordable, low cost. Michigan is an awesome place to live and work and it is time we celebrate that! I believe this group has worked some major magic over the past year and really want you to experience it. We are only as good as our members. :)

You can also find MWEP on Twitter. Below is a collage from some of our local mixers!

Emma is another one of my Twitter friends, who I have never actually met in person (but we do have plans in the very near future!). This is especially crazy to me because we have been chatting via Twitter for years and live less than 40 miles from each other. Nuts, right? Emmaline Bride is quite possibly one of the coolest projects I have seen in a long time and I am finding myself recommending it to different people on an almost daily basis. This is definitely something to add to your daily read. Seriously.

From Emma: Hi! I’m Emma Arendoski, the CEO and Editor of Emmaline Bride which promotes the use of handmade throughout the wedding planning process.  We offer a curated Marketplace featuring the best in handmade, inspire DIY creativity with clever how-tos, and showcase Real Weddings by photographers across the country.  I live in the beautiful state of Michigan with my handsome husband and our two cats, Geppetto and Shadow.  I love travel, music, fashion, DIY, writing, coffee, and of course, all things wedding.

Wedding Photography Faves:

Wedding photography inspires me because it is able capture the love story of each couple. I especially admire candid and photojournalistic approaches, which convey the emotion of the event and take you through the wedding day as if you were in attendance.

Advice for the engaged:

If you’re looking for your perfect photographer, I’d recommend viewing ‘Real Wedding’ examples to get a sense of their approach.  With so many blogs and websites available, it’s now easier than ever to view portfolios and locate photographers in your area.  When you narrow it down, hire the photographer for an engagement session.  This is a wonderful opportunity to get a sense of the photographer’s style, approach, and professionalism, as well as make you feel more comfortable on your wedding day

One thing that everyone knows about Lauren is that she is passionate about what she does. Not only did she create one of my favorite wedding blogs, she is also an Event Designer and coordinator. She knows what she is talking about and loves to share her knowledge with those around her. Lauren is truly an asset to the industry and I am thankful to have her as a part of our Photo of the Year contest this year!

From Lauren: I first started blogging after my own wedding in 2009 because I missed weddings, and also because I had things happen throughout my planning that I wanted to help other couples avoid. Soon after starting my blog, I took a wedding planning class to learn more about weddings and how they should go, be planned, etc etc. Shortly after that class I was offered a job with a Tampa Bay event decor and design company, and have been working in the wedding industry ever since! Every Last Detail has become a blog where I use my experience both as a bride and as a wedding professional to provide insight and inspiration for brides and grooms. My main focus for Every Last Detail is to educate couples and encourage them to use professional wedding vendors. Of course I also emphasize using personalized details in weddings as well, hence the name Every Last Detail. In successfully achieving these objectives,  believe weddings will be SO much better for all of the parties involved!

Wedding Photography Faves:

My favorite things about wedding photography are the details of course. I also LOVE shots that capture the pure emotion of a couple or the guests even. And great light is always amazing. As for style, anything with fabulous details has my heart. :)

Advice for the engaged:

My advice to couples searching for a photographer is to 1) don’t feel like you have to confine yourself to only the town you live in, 2) look at the photographer’s blog posts as well as their website, and 3) Make sure you get along with them and feel like you’ve known them for forever!