A fishy engagement story?

Okay, so I must share this hilarious engagement story from our good friends, Jeremy & Chelsey, whose winter engagement shoot we recently captured.

There is currently a Popping the Question contest going on at www.theknot.com sponsored by Target. The winner with the best proposal story will win $3500 to spend at Target. Fabulous!

Go to this link to read Jeremy & Chelsey's story:

http://global.theknot.com/contests/Target-Club-Wedd/Story.aspx?EntryId=10546

your own wedding CoLoR palette!

As a graphic designer, I am often searching for inspiring color palettes to use throughout brand identity systems.

I just recently came across this website called Colour Lovers: www.colourlovers.com

I was thrilled to find out that they have a Wedding section with popular wedding color trends, inspiration, palettes, photos, etc. I would have LOVED to have this prior to my wedding day. So helpful and it's really good to understand your overall color palette from the get go of your planning. Then you can really focus on bringing the various colors of your palette out in all the details. It will also lend to creating a more cohesive, coordinated atmosphere on your big day.

Hope you check this out! More inspiring/helpful websites to come.

Yessssss, I get to relive my wedding planning days vicariously through all of you bride-to-be's. THANK YOU! :)


screenshot of the Wedding section of the site:

one of the color palettes i LOVE:

Happy Planning!

Trouble Sleeping? Blog all about it!

Okay, so now I have devised a wonderful solution to those sleepless nights when I just can't seem to turn my brain OFF. I will gather all those random ideas that seem to endlessly bounce around in my head, preventing Z's, and put them to good use. Why not write on our blog instead of incessantly fighting off what could be very profound thinking at 12:35 am? Brilliant!

Hmm, don't get your hopes up about the profound part, but at least I can release some of this nocturnal energy (where was this at 8 am?) via a productive outlet.

The following are some of the random thoughts I had this evening (now morning) while looking up at our blinds and wishing the streetlights weren't so annoyingly bright and wondering why we chose to live in a townhouse that sits alongside a continually bustling city street:

• I recently crowd surfed for the first time in my life this past weekend. A group of us made the journey to Aspen to get there just in time to stand in 30 degree weather where my much adored indie-rock band Vampire Weekend would be playing at a small downtown intersection.

Notice lead singer Ezra Koenig's breath in the following photo:

     Photo by Michael McGrath. Denver Post.


No one seemed to mind the cold, most were pretty warmed up courtesy of the nearby Budlight stands, and VW put on an amazing show. They are one of those bands where once you see them live, your loyalty becomes solidified tenfold. 


Back to my crowd surfing moment (see how one thought can take you on a completely different, irrational course? I know, it's called ADHD. I need to see a professional). 

So, I would have never agreed to crowd surf if asked because simply put, it is dangerous and ya, you rely 100% on the attentiveness of complete strangers to keep you from really breaking something. A friend of mine decided not to give me a choice in the matter and being a little person, it was easy for him to heft me into the air. Before I realized what was going on, I was raised higher and higher and began to drift atop the swaying crowd and glistening lights, Ezra Koening growing larger and larger as I moved toward the stage. It was a pretty surreal moment. I gave into the crowd, cocking my head back and stretching out my limbs. I floated for what felt like an eternity then somehow I was gently set down back where my group remained. And ya, I couldn't stop smiling. That was fun. 


So let me bring this back around full circle. Tonight I was thinking about the timeline of our photography business and how it is growing much more quickly than I would have ever imagined for this first humble year in CO. I was wondering what and who could be responsible for this increase in our emerging Denver presence (I always say it's my Mom watching out for me) then an interesting metaphor became to materialize as I was simultaneously thinking, "Wow, crowd surfing is ridiculously awesome and that concert was totally worth the drive." All those little helping hands pushing you along unselfishly to greater heights. It made me realize what an odd concept that is and how blessed Tess and I have been out here thus far and how blessed we were where we came from as well. I attribute every goal we attain to hardwork, unrelenting passion and genuinely good people who stand by us. Whether it be the support, love, and generosity of our parents, families, and dear friends (and of course you, Jared), or other established industry professionals who are taking the time to share their words of wisdom and graciously telling others about us; bottom line = we are unbelievably blessed and grateful. 


Thank you to those that continue to lift us up as we pursue our love and joy in life. 


One more random thought I must release immediately; while Tess and I worked at a local coffee shop downtown today, a very peculiar, rambling homeless woman decided to sit at our table and divulge her life story and philosophies to us. Among her stories, which most probably aren't appropriate to share publicly, I keep thinking about how she declared that we are the only ones who can limit ourselves and our minds. No one else can do that to us. We will go as far as we believe we can. Good thought, lady. One rational thought amidst the chaotic spouting. 


K, now I'm tired. Buenas noches mis amigas. There will be more midnight ranting to come :) Instead of a quote, I bid thee goodnight with a little lullably from Vampire Weekend called Diplomat's Son.





xoxo
~KP

Things that make me smile....

On this snowy day I decided to share with you funny photos taken by Kimothy and I.


I laugh out loud whenever I see this photos of Kimothy's niece, Mia.

She seriously looks like a cartoon character!! haha

Bored doggy....

Kait has more personality than she knows what to do with....

Audrey cheesing hard...

Work it Debbie!

I think Victoria wanted to take the camera from me and toss it out the window..haha

See?...

Hope these pictures brought a smile to your face the way they bring one to mine:) Happy Wednesday!

Trunk Shows coming to Denver and SOON!

anna bé bridal boutique is having a few trunk shows starting tomorrow. Every bride shopping for a wedding dress in the Denver area must go there for three reasons 1.) the store's interior is amazing! (see the pics below) 2.) the prices are very reasonable 3.) the dresses are gorgeous!! Kimothy and I stopped in a few weeks ago and were blown away. Why couldn't we have found somewhere like this for her dress shopping?? 


some shots of the store taken from their site...

Pretty amazing, huh? Who doesn't want to shop here?

Augusta Jones' trunk show starts March 19th through March 21. 
<----one of my favorites from their website.

Stephanie James' trunk show starts March 26th through the 28th. I am in love with the tea length dresses she makes. The layering under the dresses is such a cute touch! Can I just wear this just because? 








Call anna bé ahead and make an appointment for the shows! 720.855.1111 And happy shopping! 

Maid of Honor Guide pt. 1

You've been selected as the Maid of Honor, congratulations! The first thing that went through my mind was now what?! Well, lucky for you I compiled a list of responsibilities and websites for you. This post concentrates on the duties and responsibilities of the MOH. Being selected as the MOH is a huge honor. You are someone that is very close to the bride to be and deemed trust worthy. Relieving the bride's stress should be your #1 concern. Many brides take on way too much and start to drown in the to do list. Ask her what she needs done.

The long and short of the duties & responsibilities: (more in-depth posts to follow!)
• helping the bride to be with anything and everything
• be prepared to give your opinion
• help address invites
• help with the wedding registry
• go wedding dress shopping
• hosting the bridal shower
• organizing the bachelorette party (best part of the whole process)
• standing next to bride at the alter, holding her bouquet, keeping the ring safe, fixing her dress and veil
• witness on marriage license
• giving a toast/speech at the reception

This checklist is awesome.

For more info check out
Bridesmaid 101
The Maid of Honor Guide
Our Marriage

Most importantly, have fun with the process. It is a once in a lifetime event for your bride. Make it less stressful and special for her.

Kimothy and I on her wedding day:) ....I really need that tan back....

Good friends are like stars…. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

— Unknown

We are in the biz of spreading love & joy...

As a photographer, one of the most rewarding aspects of this job is receiving positive feedback after the session is done, the photos have been edited, delivered and we continue our daily task of getting our business up and running. Tess & I have made it a priority to focus on maintaining our company goals, style, and high quality service & products. A great bonus to all this is establishing lifelong relationships with our clients who become our friends along the way.


I received this very sweet testimonial from Becky Bellows recently and thought I'd share. I will admit, I definitely shed a tear (or two!). My goal as the co-owner of this photography company has been the same from the very beginning: "Find Joy in Life. Share Joy with Others".  To think that our clients are immediately identifying with this in the service and work we provide them, is the most amazing feeling! 


Testimonial from Becky:


"I first discovered Kimothy’s talent when I saw gorgeous photographs she had taken of my good friend’s two daughters while she was visiting here in Virginia.  Upon seeing the photographs, I asked my friend whether Kimothy was available to take photographs of my children before she left town.   Lucky for me, she was available and she came by my home on her way to the airport.  My children are 12, 10 and 4, but my youngest has significant health issues that have caused her to be very delayed both physically and developmentally.  Before the photo shoot, I was unsure about how the session would go because my son (the 10 year old) never cooperates with photographers and my youngest daughter doesn’t understand enough to take directions.  Within minutes, my concerns evaporated because Kimothy was immediately able to get and keep my youngest daughter’s attention.  What was even more amazing was Kimothy’s ability to capture the essence of my baby girl in every photograph.  My husband and I always say that Annie is an angel, and Kimothy’s photographs are proof.   I don’t know how Kimothy did it, but she took the most beautiful photographs of Annie looking up at her, laughing on a swing, lounging on the couch, and being kissed by her older siblings.  The photos were so incredible that I had to buy the entire disc.  With the CD, my husband made calendars for family and friends and I picked out my four favorite and put them in our Christmas card.  I am still receiving compliments from friends about the photographs.  Kimothy was also tremendous with my two older children, taking photographs of them with their favorite things (for my 12-year-old, that would be her cats, and for my 10-year-old, it was his Transformers poster).  My husband and I were so pleased with Kimothy’s photographs (and with her – she really is a joy to be around!) that we can’t wait until she returns to Virginia to take more photographs of our children."

Thank you Becky for the kind words! I cannot wait to photograph the kids again next time I'm in the D.C. area!


A few of my faves from the session with Becky's beautiful kiddos:

This is Annie! She is an angel :) Such a sweet, lovable girl. 

Katie holding her prized cats!

Joshua, the Transformers buff !

Bouquet of flowers for the lady?

I just had to share some of the creative and beautiful bouquets I have been seeing on MarthaStewartWeddings.com. Choosing a color palette might be one of the hardest or easiest parts of planning. Depending on if you know exactly what you want. Some brides incorporate their favorite color along with the grooms. Once you have chose your colors you are able to really start the planning of all decorations and flowers. I found this website for choosing color palettes. Kimothy went to a paint store and collected color swatches. It was such a good idea because she was able to whip them out of her purse whenever people asked about her wedding colors.  


So creative. The florist, Michael George, took many rose petals to make one large rose. I love it!

Colorful ideas....

What flower is found on the face?....tulips!

and one for the men:

I lorveee the orange. Dahlias seem to be a popular flower this summer and they are really cute. Oh, Martha keep up the good work...

Happy flower planning!

Create your own Wedding Website

This blog post kicks off our wedding planning helpful hints for brides. Check back often for our two cents on the ins and outs of wedding planning.

Creating a wedding website is an important, useful, and fun part of wedding planning. There are so many cute and customizable templates out there. Many websites offer a lot of helpful tools to ease the stressful process. The free tools offered by many sites are: seating charts, vendor contact information, schedule payments, track gifts and thank yous, and most importantly, display engagement photos! Guests attending the wedding are able to access important information like ceremony and reception site, maps, bride and groom registry, RSVP, meal choices, etc. Every couple must have one and include it on your save the date, in our opinion.

Here is a short list of some of our favorites and some of our future bride's favorites:

•Wedding Mapper
(a favorite of the templates)

•Project Wedding (Kimothy used this as her wedding website. My favorite features were their love story and photos of the bridal party with bios on each member).
•Wedding Wire
•Wedding Window

(so many colors to choose from)

Hope this helps! Please feel free to comment and share your wedding website with us:)

Diane & Matt at Arrowhead

Tess and I spent this past Saturday doing what we love best, photographing an adorable couple on a gorgeous day at a stunning & unique location. Diane & Matt met us at Arrowhead Golf Course in Littleton, CO where they will be having their wedding on September 18, 2010. Arrowhead has got to be one of the most beautiful courses in the nation. The scenery is unreal! Deer frolic about the greens and the majestic sandstone red rocks tower over you as you look up in awe. This is definitely one of our favorite locations for a shoot, not to mention a wedding.

Diane & Matt How They Met...
She went to DU. They met at a party a mutual friend threw. Sparks flew. She lived in San Antonio but that was through. :) 6 months later...she came back to Denver for her one true love. And thus, Matt & Diane began and they've been inseparable ever since. (Kimothy is a rap supa staaaa)

Peruse through some of the shots we got of this hopelessly in love couple (picture says a thousand words...). They were such a pleasure to work with and so sweet together! We just stood back, let them naturally interact, and we couldn't help but continually letting out "oooo...awwwwwww...how cute!"

It got chilly as the day progressed, but luckily Diane holding Matt so close made for pretty adorable shots.

You can just feel the love. How cute are they?!

Love how in-the-moment they really were throughout the shoot!

"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul."
-Judy Garland

Chelsey & Jeremy Engaged!

We have know Jeremy for a long time, elementary school long time. Jeremy started dating Chelsey in college and we all instantly fell in love with her. We would joke with Jeremy that he didn't really have to come hang out with us just drop Chelsey off though. Chelsey was a bridesmaid in Kimothy's wedding and now Kimothy will be standing next to Chelsey's side as she marrieds Jeremy. I, on the other hand, will be photographing their every move (of course Kimothy will have her camera close by). We are more than flattered that we were asked to photograph their big day and we are soooo excited!


I was in Ohio a few weeks ago and snuck in some engagement photos on Jeremy & Chelsey on Valentines day. So appropriate. It was FREEZING that day but they were troopers.

*Side note, these photos would have been up much sooner but my computer decided not to turn on after the trip back to Denver. It spend a better part of the week at the Apple store. All is well now and so glad I purchased the Apple protection program. phew!! 

Valentines day isn't complete without conversation hearts... 

Desolate doesn't begin to describe Ohio in the winter. We decided to photograph down by the frozen tundra we call Lake Erie. It's completely frozen over. First time in 14 years. Brrr!

Eskimo kisses! I loved the hats. Pretty sure they were Jeremy's idea;)

When we are back in Ohio for a wedding in July we will be photographing Jeremy and Chelsey again. They will be able to shed their winter coats and hats in exchange for summer dresses and short sleeves. Who doesn't want engagement photos from every season of the year? :) Jeremy and Chelsey, we love you and miss you!!

Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be.  ~Robert Browning