E-pics are in!

And I love them!!!  The color, the lighting, the finishing, everything except my stomach or arms in certain pictures.  But she can't control that...

After the make up disaster it is such a relief that there are many pictures I want to have printed.  

Photog has a blog...

I stumbled upon a new blog by my photographer. Now she doesn't update nearly as much as I do but it gives me another site to stalk on the Internet - which I really don't need but I like.s

I hope she updates soon so I can see what kinds of pictures I like and want to have at the wedding.

Where in NY are E and B?

Now that we have a date for the engagement pictures, we have to pick a spot. One thought we had is to go to Prospect Park. This way we could scout out locations for the wedding day pictures. But then all the pictures would be from the same place.

Then B thought about Central Park - Bethesda Fountain specifically. I have always LOVED this area. You have water and trees and the rest of the city can seem miles away. Plus then we could walk over to the Arsenal where I used work and B can go to the Zoo.





Then there is a place I used to run a lot in New York City - Roosevelt Island. I loved to run around the Lighthouse. (I love any place with water.) There is also the remnants of the Smallpox Hospital and B said it looked like something you would find in an English country side. Though the facade did crumple recently so we would have to take the picture kind of quickly.




However, we have a few weeks to figure it out and we may come up with a new place we haven't thought of.

Our E-Pics

B and I are hoping to have a whirlwind wedding weekend in September. We are taking our engagement pictures (something we did NOT want but it is part of the photographer's package as she uses it as a way to get us used to the camera and learns how to best work with us), getting a marriage license on the Monday (it will be 55 days before the wedding), hopefully I will be getting a make-up and hair trial and B will try to arrange a meeting with the DJ. Oh the fun I will have checking off all those to-do items.

Oh and in order to have the best light, we could choose to have our pictures taken at 8 AM or 5 PM. We took the 5 PM option. It suits our lifestyle much better.

Now I just have to figure out where we are going to take the pictures. Any ideas are welcome.

New computer is here!

And I am learning the ins and outs of a Mac Book.  So far so good but I can't rename pictures I have imported and hoping to figure out that one soon.  I have over 1,000 pictures to import, name, caption, and organize.  I figure if I do one album at time (from Shutterfly, Picasa, etc) I will be done by Christmas.  This will also help me learn how to edit photos and then I will be able to make brilliant photo books for the wedding. 

Yummy Apple

We have a new computer on the way to the apartment. We are now an official Mac-owning household. I can't wait. My first priority is to get all my pictures in one location and labeled. It will take a while but I need things to keep me busy because too much of Jon and Kate Plus 8 makes me want sextuplets.


I also want to learn any photo editing software the mac may have because I plan to create the wedding albums and honeymoon albums using one of the online photo book companies (outlined here).

The photo project will begin once I am done with goccoing the invitations and other things that need to be gocco (some are top secret and some are bottom secret).

Mypublisher coupon code

Anyone interested in making a photobook on mypublisher can use this coupon code to get a free book: WEDDING241. Unfortunately it is a buy one book, get another copy free - not a true free book. Oh well. But it does come in handy if you are making wedding photobooks for various family members.

Wedding albums

One of the things we have considered doing, mainly because it will save money nd also because I like to do it, is create the wedding albums. Our photographer is giving us the files and I can do what I want with them. I have made a few photobooks using mypublisher.com and have liked the results (though I do want to get better versed in editing and manipulating the photos). But now there are a lot of photobook sites out there and I didn't want to start trying a new one with the wedding photos. But then yesterday, someone on the Weddingbee boards posted this very question and one reader is my new best friend. Her response outlined all of them and her experience with them.

In trying to find the perfect book...
ofoto.com/kodakgallery.com - not bad - usually have coupons floating around - at least you have everything printed on kodak paper. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 3

shutterfly.com - probably the least favorite of them - majority of my pictures came out blurry, but they keep on sending me coupons for free books where I just pay for shipping (go to theknot.com or thenest.com for these free book coupons) I give this one a 2.5

mypublisher.com - so far, one of my favorites - they have a coupon where if you buy one book, you get the second one for free and the quality is pretty good. So far, I like their hardcover books best from here. I give this one a 4

snapfish.com - I use this all the time to create random picture books of vacations for my friends and me, quality is pretty decent and I like being able to pick from their fun themes. Price is pretty good and you can find some good discounts online. I give this one a 3.5

Qoop.com - this one works with flickr so it was perfect getting an album set from them. Be careful though - their photo albums come in packs so you can't just order one, you may end up with a 4-pack, 3-pack or 2-pack. Quality is pretty good, decent.

I'm still working on wedding photo books from blurb.com and mpix.com so I'll give an update on that when I can. posted by ladysu

just an update - I really enjoyed working with blurb.com in creating my wedding planning book (from my blog) and then, working with mpix.com which is now my new favorite photo book for our honeymoon photo album. I give blurb.com a 4 and I give mpix.com a 4.25 :) posted by ladysu

Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset

I saw a post about this cool website that lets you know when twilight is for most US cities - Click here for the monthly sunrise sunset times.


Here are all the times for the wedding date:
Twi: 6:13am
Sunrise: 6:43am
Sunset: 4:38pm
Twi: 5:07pm
Moonrise: 6:42pm
Moonset: 9:43am

So I hope to have many of the pictures done by 4:38.

Gathering photos

In gathering up photos, I have been having a good laugh (even though I realize that there are not that many of me since I am the last of many). The styles of clothing, hair and even furniture (or accessories in Tim's case) is so dated. But sometimes I come across one picture and I can't even rationalize that the clothing choice was due to the trends at the time. See below.

I mean seriously - what am I wearing? Who bought it for me? And who dressed me in that? Did our home not have heat and I need to be bundled up? Can I hear through that hood?

Me and my parents - I remember that owl in the corner. I wonder where he is now. I guess he moved on and so should I.

My favorite picture

The picture below has been one I have loved since I was younger. My uncle sent it to me a few years ago but then my computer died and I didn't have any back ups. He recently sent it to me again so I could include it on the wedding web site.

Here with all the cousins (all at the time, about 25 years later Conor would join the group).

Karen, Jen, Ann, Billy, Kevin, Richie, and me on his lap

The reason...

The reason I am having fun with scanners is that B bought a scanner/printer. So now I don't have to go to Kinko's afterwork and he can print his sporting tickets at home. Yay!

Here is the Canon Pixma MX310. Isn't she pretty?

Fun with scanners

My brother Tim might have had a small heart attack after reading the title (I scanned a picture from 1980 that looks very dated. Don't worry Tim - that picture will have its day) but this "fun time with scanner" brings us my first grade school picture. B and I were going to use pictures of the bridal party during their childhood but have since changed our minds. So below is a picture that contains myself and bridesmaid Kim.

Timeline - pictures

Last night I didn't want to clean so instead I created a picture timeline. It is being very popular to do the pictures before the ceremony (making sure to capture the look of the groom when the bride presents herself). This way, the couple can enjoy themselves and spend more time with the guests at the cocktail hour and reception. B and I are not partaking in this new trend. Call me superstitious but I am not doing it.

Instead, we will take a bunch of pictures with the respective attendants before hand. B will go first with the guys and his parents. Then Ellen will go ahead of us to take some family shots and B will leave for the church. I will arrive and Richie and Billy will stay behind to take some pictures. They leave and I finish up with the girls.

Right after the church we will have to take at least one picture with B's family since shortly after the ceremony Ellen's soon to be born child will banished. I am sure it will come up during a therapy session years from now.

So then after the church B and I will go to the park to take pictures of us while everyone hits up Kelly's or Hunter's or just stays behind and prays some more (Kim I suggest you do the latter).

Then we will finish up formal pictures during the first half of the cocktail hour. We will have someone getting guests for photos so they don't have to miss out on the food and fun. By the estimation of 3 minutes per photo (sent to us by our photographer Sarah Tew), we will be done at 5:30, which gives us a half hour for the cocktail hour and more time to say hello to people.

Picture Pages

An ex-work colleague recently got married and shared his non-pro pics. They were amazing - and I was surprised that his friends/guests took them. So I wanted to figure out a way to get all the pictures that guests take at a wedding. Not only because they might be amazing but they also might contain moments that the photographer missed (hopefully because she was capturing another great moment). So I didn't know how I would go about collecting pictures from guests but then I read this blog post on Weddingbee.

B and I are going to set up an account and distribute the info (haven't figured that part out just yet). Guests can upload their pictures when they have a moment and we will have a copy of all the pictures. While this will mean even more photos for us to look through (and by us I mean me), we could find some great shots.

Bird's Eye View

While B was surfing the World Wide Web, he came across these pictures of the Picnic House. I like the new take on it.

Here are pictures from http://newyorkbirds.free.fr/brooklyn/prospect%20park/index.php. I guess they were shooting pictures of the Park from the sky.

Front

Back

Note to B: Don't hug me like that

OK! Weekly (a very reputable tabloid/gossip magazine) has the first pictures of Katherine Heigl's (Izzie for the Grey watchers out there) wedding. While the picture I have seen is not on OK! magazine's web site, it is on www.dlisted.com. So click here for the picture (and some snarky commentary).

Seriously - Josh (Mr. Izzie) is messing up the dress and seems to be crushing her. B - don't hug me like that during pictures or I will make the photographer touch and position your face. And you know I will do it.

Bridal Party Beware!

Don't piss me off or you will be stuck on armpit duty.

Those committing minor infractions will just have to keep my wine glass full.

(picture from divinecaroline.com via weddingbee.com)

But don't worry, I will never ask you or anyone else at the wedding to do this.

Random Old Photos

While my sister was visiting my uncle, they were going through old photographs. And because I find them funny and cute, I am going to share them with my adoring fans.

(I assume Uncle Billy took all these photos and deserves credit for anyone wanting to use them)

Here is me and my cousin Jen on the kitchen table. Because that is where you put babies in the 70s. And I think that is a can of WD-40 on the table with us which explains a lot.

My brothers Rich (left) and Bill (right) with our older sister Ann.

And my siblings with our other cousins, Karen (far left) and Kevin (far right).

Engagement Photo Session

So after one engagement photo session we hadn't planned on, we found out our photographer includes one as a standard part of every wedding package - even ours. Her reasoning (at least what she told us) is that it allows her to get a sense of who we are and what we like and it lets us get used toher and having a lot of pictures taken of us. She will take one of the photos and create cards from them that will be available during the wedding. These cards will have a website and password for the guests to see all the photos taken. Guests can also purchase them if they want is a benefit to her. All in all I guess I do not mind having it done.

I figure I can have a hair and make up trial and have the pictures done.