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!

After a whole lot of work, we are finally ready to start the Photo of the Year contest! The votes are in and the Top Ten Finalists in each category have been selected. I couldn’t be more excited about the talent we are about to share in the coming week. This is awesome! The first part of the series of posts is going to be an introduction to all of our lovely blogger judges. These ladies took the time out of their crazy schedules to help select the Top 30 photos out of over 500 submissions. Yes, you read that correctly… 500 submissions! The biggest group of submissions yet! I can’t wait to share them all with you!

Here is who you will be meeting this week!

Tuesday is Brit Tucker, from Landlocked Bride. Wednesday is Courtney Dial, from Pizzazzerie. Thursday is Lauren Grove, from Every Last Detail. Friday is Emma Arendoski, from Emmaline Bride. Four of my favorite bloggers and twitter friends!

It is that time of year again! Can you believe it?

We all look through photos on different websites and blogs, right? So, I thought it would be a great idea to recognize the talent of the many photographers who work so hard to create the inspiring masterpieces we drool over every day.

The Third Annual Bliss Photo of the Year Contest in on (!!!) and I couldn’t be more excited. Last year, we had almost 10,000 readers checking out the 400 submitted photos and over 5,000 votes to name the top photos of the year. Almost TRIPLE the attention that we had the year before. I was shocked by the turn out! This year will be a little more structured, thanks to the insane number of emails and submissions received last year. We had photos from all over the United States and a number of submissions from all around the world, including South Africa, Ireland and Canada, to name a few.

So, photographers, let’s do this! Read the rules below to learn how you could have THE BLISS PHOTO OF THE YEAR! We have three categories this year; Engagement, Michigan, and Global. All should be pretty self-explanatory, but please leave a comment on this post if you have any questions, or Tweet me on Twitter (@BlissAmanda) and I will be sure to get an answer to you. Please remember to follow these rules closely. If you don’t, your submission may be disqualified.

Please feel free to share this contest with photographers. The more submissions we have, the merrier! The official #hashtag for this contest is #blissphotocontest. Check back often for contest updates and the beautiful artwork from some amazing photographers! You can see past contest posts by clicking HERE.

Last year’s winners…

Bryan Rupp Photography – First place in Global Weddings

Flashes of Life Photography – First place in Michigan Weddings

Derek Cookson Photography – First place in Engagement

Rules:

• Photo must have been taken in 2010.
• Only professional photographers can submit a photo, or the couple featured in the professional photograph, with written permission from the photographer.
• May NOT be from an inspiration shoot.
• Only one photo per category per photographer may be submitted.
• Must be submitted by midnight on February 10, 2011
• Send all submissions to blissphotooftheyear@gmail.com
• Email must contain the following:
  • Please TITLE your email with the category you are submitting to (Engagement, Michigan, Global) and your company name. For example: Engagement: Bliss Weddings & Events
  • Company Name, Location and website
  • Photographer’s first and last name
  • Name of Couple, Wedding Date if applicable, Location of shoot
  • A brief explanation of the photo
  • Which category you are submitting for
  • Please send photo as an attachment, do NOT paste in email
• If any of these rules are not followed, your submission will not qualify.

Process:

• All submissions will be received by Midnight on February 10, 2011
• A panel of judges will rate each photo and the Top 10 in each category will be featured for public voting
• Each category will have a week of public voting and the Top 3 will be announced

*Dates subject to change without notice.

Our gorgeous contest logo was created by Meant To Be Creative. Please do us a favor and visit her website! You can also follow her on twitter @Meant2bcreative and @Meanttobesent on Twitter.

While this time of year brings holiday cheer, time with friends and family, twinkling lights and cozy nights filled with hot cocoa, it can also bring the gloom and general blahness (yes, I made that up!) of winter. The days are shorter and there is a lot less sunshine to brighten up your day. So why not add a little spice to those darker nights with an adorable pair of these Santa Baby panties from Events by September’s Bride!

Here is how you can win a pair of these super adorable undies, delivered to you in your size of choice:

• For your chance to win, you must enter by December 22nd at 11:59pm EST and live in the United States.
• You can enter 3 different ways.
  • Comment here with your favorite accessory for winter time! Make sure to leave your email address so I have a way to contact you.
  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following… “Santa Baby, leave me something sassy under the tree! (via @BlissAmanda) http://www.yourblissblog.com“
  • Head on over to The Bliss Facebook page and leave us a comment your favorite holiday memory.

I can’t wait to send these beauties out to our lucky winner! Make sure to check back in January for a HUGE giveaway series that we have planned for you. Happy Holidays!

The first contest that we are featuring on Mitten Smitten is from the oh-so-fab Jen Lynne Photography, who is one of our amazing MWEP members. If you are like me, you love all things artistic. Well, Jen is offering a fantastic opportunity to one lucky couple who loves FILM photography! Here is a little snippet taken from her blog. After reading, head on over to her blog to enter!

From the Jen Lynne Blog: With the launch of my new business and branding, I also added something new to my packages.. film photography! You are probably asking why film, right? Well, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to explain my love for it, and before you start to think I am nuts for wanting to go back to shooting film, I want to tell you a little about how I see it:

To me, there is something about film that feels timeless, authentic and romantic. Yes, it is true, we have come a long way with digital cameras and we are very close to getting that “film” look with the lenses available to us. However, in my opinion, there is one huge difference, the colors. No matter how expensive your digital camera may be, and no matter how much time you spend in photoshop trying to replicate it, you won’t be able to get the same color flow from digital that you can on film.

Now a lot of people might disagree with me, and I am ok with that. The fact is that I will probably always be a digital shooter myself! Film brings a certain element and quality that you just can’t get from a digital camera.

Here is what the winners will receive:

6 hours of wedding day coverage

Travel with in the state of Michigan (travel fees will be applied for all weddings outside the state of Michigan and the United States)

Film processing and printed 4×6 proofs delivered in a custom made proof box

Film negatives will be cut and sleeved and delivered with the proofs

All film will be scanned digitally* and posted online for you to share with your friends and family

(*Digital scans may be purchased separately)

Best of luck! Please send us a message if you win! We’d love to see the beautiful photos.

Well, after 400 entries, five thousand votes, and the help of a few industry friends… Here are your Bliss Blog’s Second Annual Photo of the Year Contest winners! Monday, we announced the winners of the Engagement category. Yesterday, we announce the winners of the Homegrown category and today we are announcing the winners of the Around The World category.

Little known fact about our Around The World Category: The entries represented 14 different countries!

Congrats to…

Huge congrats go out to Bryan Rupp Photography! Not only are Bryan & Leah fabulous photographers, you can really get a feel for their sweet personalities on their site. To me, it speaks miles that Jordan and Luke (the couple in this photo) are the ones that submitted this picture on behalf of Bryan Rupp Photography! Congrats on winning first place. :)

Sybrand Cillié, of Pro Photography in South Africa was actually the winner of last year’s contest! Their work is always beautiful with a lovely vintage flair. If you have not seen it, please check out their website to see more of the gorgeous artwork!

I have to admit, I had never heard of Tag 7,  until this contest launched. I am now happy to inform that I am a HUGE fan. Their work speaks for itself! Beautiful, timeless, and full of energy. Congrats!

A big Thank You to everyone who voted! Please make sure to visit the winners’ websites and blogs to enjoy more of their beautiful work.

Well, after 400 entries, five thousand votes, and the help of a few industry friends… Here are your Bliss Blog’s Second Annual Photo of the Year Contest winners! Yesterday, we announced the winners of the Engagement category. Today, we announce the winners of the Homegrown category and tomorrow the winners of the Around The World category. Check back to congratulate all of the winners, or see if you are one of them!

Little known fact about our Homegrown Category: Only 48 votes separated first and third place!

Congrats to…

Congrats, Rachel! Flashes of Life Photography has won the top spot!

Also, congrats to our Second & Third placed photos by Inner Circle Photography & Melanie Reyes Photography!

A big Thank You to everyone who voted! Please make sure to visit the winners’ websites and blogs to enjoy more of their beautiful work.

Well, after 400 entries, five thousand votes, and the help of a few industry friends… Here are your Bliss Blog’s Second Annual Photo of the Year Contest! Today, we announce the winners of the Engagement category. Tomorrow, we’ll announce the winners of the Homegrown category and Wednesday the winners of the Around The World category. Check back to congratulate all of the winners, or see if you are one of them!

Little known fact about our Engagement category: Our top three had nearly 70% of the almost 2,000 votes!

Congrats to…

Congrats Derek! To see more of his fabulous work, visit his website!

Photo title: Naomi and Johnny. Info: An engagement photo! Naomi and Johnny were married Berkley, MI on September 12, 2009, but we took these engagement photos down in Hart Plaza one hot summer night in July.

Also, congrats to our Second & Third placed photos by Hillebrand Photography & K Holly Photography!

A big Thank You to everyone who voted! Please make sure to visit the winners’ websites and blogs to enjoy more of their beautiful work.

The Final Round is here! Our judges have narrowed all three photo categories down to the top ten of each category. I have revised the timing a bit to make sure that every section gets a solid amount of time for voting. Make sure you follow the directions below exactly, to ensure proper submission of votes. Only one vote per person! No cheating!

Voting for the Around The World Category will end at 7PM on Sunday March 7th. The final results for all three categories will be announced on March 8th, 2010! Best of luck to all of our participants and congratulations on making it this far! There were over 400 submissions this year!

The Final Round is here! Our judges have narrowed all three photo categories down to the top ten of each category. I have revised the timing a bit to make sure that every section gets a solid amount of time for voting. Make sure you follow the directions below exactly, to ensure proper submission of votes. Only one vote per person! No cheating! :)

Voting for the Engagement Category will end at 7PM on Friday February 26th. I will be giving each category a full 5 days of voting. So, make sure to check back on  Monday the 1st for The Around the World category and then the final results for all three categories will be announced on March 8th, 2010! Best of luck to all of our participants and congratulations on making it this far! There were over 400 submissions this year!

The Final Round is here! Our judges have narrowed all three photo categories down to the top ten of each category. I have revised the timing a bit to make sure that every section gets a solid amount of time for voting. Make sure you follow the directions below exactly, to ensure proper submission of votes. Only one vote per person! No cheating! :)

Voting for the Homegrown Michigan Category will end at 7PM on Friday February 19th. I will be giving each category a full 5 days of voting. So, make sure to check back on Monday the 22nd for The Engaged category, Monday the 1st for The Around The World category and then the final results will be announced on March 8th, 2010! Best of luck to all of our participants and congratulations on making it this far! There were over 400 submissions this year!

We all LOVE seeing photos of real couples, don’t we? Why not celebrate the fabulous photographers out there with a good old fashioned contest!

The details are simple. Just send a photo, our readers will vote, and a winner will be announced on February 16, 2010! Whether you are a photographer, a bride, a mother of the groom, or just a big fan (With permission of course!), send us your favorite photograph from a 2009 wedding to amanda{at}yourblissweddings.com.

This year, there will be THREE categories! Homegrown (Michigan based photography) Weddings, Nation-wide Weddings and Engagement Shots! Everyone can enter!

Here is the run down:

• Pick a max of three favorite wedding or engagement photos from 2009.
• Title each photo.
• Send an email to amanda(at)yourblissweddings.com with the photo, title and info about the wedding (location, couple’s names, date, etc.).
• Send Photo PER EMAIL. That means, if you have three photos, send three separate emails.
• You must put “Bliss Photo Of The Year + Your Company Name” in the subject of each email. This will help organize and prevent lost photos.
• Send these emails to me no later than midnight on 2.10.10
• Stay tuned for our announcement of the Top lists and spread the word about voting. We’ll send this info to you as soon as it is available!
• Winner will receive a very special surprise… Shhh! I said SURPRISE! :)

If you want to see last year’s winners, click here.

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with! Last year’s contest was a huge hit and I just know that this year will blow it out of the water!