I feel terrible that this wedding is just now getting on the blog. I seriously adore this couple! Jenny & Brenden’s wedding day was nothing short of fantastic. These two just radiate love for each other and love having a good time. Their wedding was the perfect representation of all of that and I was so lucky to have been involved. The photos, by Rachel Shomsky Photography, really speak well for the tone of the day, so I won’t bore you with words. Enjoy this big post of gorgeous pictures of pretty people and adorable details.

The Crew:

Rachel Shomsky Photography, photography
Bliss Weddings & Events, planning and coordination
Ysa Makino, wedding gown
Julie Strating, makeup
Owen Video, video
Domestic Arts, wedding cake
Main Street Dueling Pianos, entertainment
Adam Czap Photography, photo booth
Slows To Go, catering
Max M Fisher Music Center – The Music Box, venue

Visit Rachel Shomsky Photography’s blog post for a few  more photos!

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.

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!

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!

I am seriously one of the luckiest girls in the world. I have a great job, which I love a lot. I get to work with awesome people, who are more friends than vendors. I get to help pretty events come together like a giant life size puzzle. And my clients are the absolute best. Shannon and James are definitely a fun couple and I knew from the very first moment, when I met Shannon and her mom, that I was going to love everything about the wedding. I was totally right.

Shannon and James are one of those amazing couples that you can just sit back and watch. The way they interact with each other and those around them, is nothing but pure compassion and I was really fortunate to be a part of their wedding day.

The day started off like most weddings that I work on. Generally very smooth, a few little hiccups that need to be worked out, and a level of excitement that surpasses anything anyone can imagine. This day had one tiny little difference… the threat of lots of rain. Which normally would be easy to roll with, but with an outdoor ceremony planned, we were all on high alert. Ready to move chairs indoors at the very last second if need be. I am a true believer of putting good out into the world and getting good back, and Shannon and James sure do put a LOT of good out there. Wouldn’t you know it, after raining for a couple hours on and off, just about an hour before the ceremony start time, the clouds parted, the sun came pouring in and the rain completely stopped. It was PERFECT! We couldn’t have asked for a better day. Honestly. Just look at that view!

Pine Knob Mansion is one of my favorite places for a wedding. I adore the outdoor ceremony area, the perfect patio for cocktails under the stars and the inside just can’t be beat. My very first wedding was held at Pine Knob Mansion, so I think it holds a very special place in my heart. My first wedding and Shannon and James’ wedding had another couple of awesome things in common with each other… I also got to work on both with Dionne of The Shooting Gallery and Mary Ann Ross, the DJ extraordinaire who is on my top 5 list of favorite vendors ever. Fun, right? I also got to work with Liz at The Parsonage for flowers and linens, The Home Bakery for delicious cake and Deux Adore, who provided the hair and makeup. Three more of my favorites!

During the rehearsal, the night before, James came up to me and asked me to call The Parsonage and add a sweet love note into Shannon’s bouquet as a surprise. It was beautiful!

The scratch off lotto tickets and luggage tags that doubled as escort cards really added a sweet touch. James’ Nintendo controller cufflinks were also pretty awesome!

I am a big fan of personal ceremonies and having their family friend officiate was like a breath of fresh air.

I know what you are thinking. Was the cake as tasty as it looked? Absolutely. In fact, as I sliced and packed up individual servings for the guests to take home and all of the leftovers I sent with Shannon’s family, it was hard not to eat a ton of it. I was basically bathing in frosting that night! But it smelled amazing.

These two shots are my favorite. I love the look of the first, but Dionne is the first to actually catch me without my “business” face. This moment, as I helped the flower girls down the aisle, was one of my favorites of the day. Especially since I had Mary Ann by my side to keep the smile coming.

I mean, Come On! Look at this place. How could you not love Pine Knob Mansion?!

Shannon & James, Thank you so much for allowing me to be there to celebrate with you and help everything come together. Working with you for the long time that we did was an absolute joy. I said it often here, but you really did make me feel like a very lucky girl. Congrats on your marriage! I hope life treats you well in the Lonestar State! xo

Re-post from Valentine’s Day 2010!

One of my absolute favorite things about my job is the opportunity to meet and become friends with fantastic people in the industry. A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to meet Katie from Simply and Forever. Not only is she a totally rad person, but she writes a delightful blog for her wedding coordination and planning business. (Which I added to my Google Reader immediately!) When browsing her blog yesterday, I saw this lovely little engagement shoot by the fantabulous Stephanie Williams Photography. I couldn’t help but want to share this with all of you during our Valentine’s Day week series. How cute are the red hearts everywhere?

Want to see more? Head on over to the original post on Stephanie Williams Photography blog. Don’t forget to visit Simply & Forever’s Blog, too!

Today’s real wedding feature is an epic one! Emily Tishhouse, from Emily Kay Photography, sent these photos over and I am thrilled to share them with you. Cat and Josh seem like one of those awesome couples that you want to be friends with. I would have loved to have been at this wedding. How cute is that green crinoline, by the way?! Love it!

A little more about Emily and this shoot…

Fun Details: Cat & Josh used an oathing stone when they repeated their vows. More info about oathing stones here and they can be purchased on Etsy here.

This is Emily Tishhouse, owner and lead photographer at Emily Kay Photography. Our studio is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and we specialize in weddings and boudoir photography for the modern bride. We had the pleasure of photographing Cat and Josh’s fun vintage inspired wedding day! I love it when I get brides like Cat, who have unique, relaxed weddings where everyone has a good time. Their venue, Cobblestone Farm is my absolute favorite location to photograph weddings! There are so many great natural spots to take pictures and their barn is fabulous!

Want to see more? Check out Emily’s blog post here. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

Today’s Bliss Filled Feature is sure to warm you up on this snowy day (for most of the country, anyway!). The completely awesome Heather J. Photography sent these engagement shots of  Anne & Greg over and I couldn’t wait to share them with all of you. How appropriate is this shot for today?! Love. Love. Love.

One reason I am so excited to share this is because it shows all of you that you don’t need a fancy location, expensive clothes, or any of the frilly stuff to have an awesome shoot. I am a true believe that you should always be yourself in front of the camera. Less is always more! I mean, seriously, look at these two! They are so in love. The best accessory of them all.

Some Notes from Heather: We got together in late December for their engagement session in my hometown of Ruby. It was pretty cold that day, but luckily, they had furry hats and waterproof boots to keep them warm and dry.  Their whole session was a ton of fun, but if you ask me, I think they had a little too much fun throwing snow at one another at the end of the session.

These hats are my absolute favorite. Don’t they look cozy?

And I saved the BEST for last…. Snowball fight!!!

Thank you so much for sharing these Heather! Anne & Greg are sure to have a fantastic wedding. I can tell they are  a really great couple just by looking at these photos. Congrats, you two!

If you want more from this session, click HERE to head over to Heather’s blog.

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.