Here's another TT5 for all y'alls out there! Enjoy!1. Rebel Bite! So AJ told me about a new rockin' food truck we had to try called Rebel Bite, and it was coming to our neighborhood food truck lot! What was even better is that each day, Rebel Bite posts a trivia question or two on their twitter. First person to reply with the right answer gets some FREE grub! Ummm yes please!!! I really like FREE DELICIOUS FOOD! So I stalked twitter all day and bam! I won! Hooray! So AJ and I rolled up over there and ordered some deliciousness. AJ got the Karl B. Marx, a beefy grilled cheese. I got the cioppino (yum) and the roasted garlic eggplant grilled cheese (double yum). Rebel Bite made me a verrrrrry happy camper! Y'all should follow them and play their challenges! It's fun and the rewards are TASTY!2. Mexicali Taco Co Party! A few weeks ago, I wrote about Mexicali Taco and Co and how delicious it was. Last Saturday they threw a little party, and everyone who came down and ordered some grub got a free shrimp cocktail!!! Judging by the paragraph above, y'all should be aware that I love FREE DELICIOUS FOOD! So AJ and I hauled it to downtown and got our nom nom on! The free shrimp cocktail was so delicious it really should be on the menu permanently! But their quesadillas are also bomb, so I'm sure we'll be back again soon, free shrimp or not! ;)3. Carolyn's French Themed Engagement Party! So all my brides are awesome, but Carolyn who is getting married this fall has an extra special place in my heart! We hit it off since her very first email, and then the engagement session sealed the deal! This girl rocks! I was so stoked that she so generously invited AJ & I to her engagement party! Even better was that the party had a Springtime in Paris theme! J'adore la France!!! AJ and I had so much fun at the soiree, and we ate some delicious French food and got to meet all of Carolyn + Prescott's rad friends! So fun! I have a feeling the wedding will just be like hanging out with old buddies, which is RAD!4. Umami Burger. To be honest, I didn't love my Umami experience, but the place has been on my list of things to try for years now...so I figured I should write about it. I got the Portabello version of the signature Umami Burger, and yes it was dang tasty. It packed the punch with it's flavor for sure...but it was so small! And left me feeling so unsatisfied! We ordered the beet salad with our burgers and though I do love beets I was a bit disappointed in the salad itself. There were only 4 thinly shaved beet slices, the rest was arugula which was barely dressed. It was too bitter for me. I think where we mainly went wrong was not ordering enough sides like fries and onion rings. Oh well....perhaps I will try it again and feel better about it. Or perhaps not. I don't like leaving places hungry!!!5. New GAGA Songs! Eeeeep! With Lady Gaga's new album debuting next Monday, she's been releasing a whole bunch of awesome previews! As you know I love my Gaga, and I love getting these tastes of the new album! My favorite songs that have been released this past week are "Edge of Glory" and "Marry the Night!" I think y'all should give them a listen... so I am leaving the clips below! Check it out!
I'm back in action with another installment of Tuesday Top 5! Here we go!
1. Turbie Twist. I got a Turbie Twist in my holiday stocking last December and can I just say this thing rocks my world. In fact I have one on my head as we speak! What is a Turbie Twist you may ask? It's a highly absorbent terry cloth towel perfectly shaped to create a turban on your head. Get out of the shower with wet hair, put turbie on, twist and done! Voila! Wet hair is out of your way! There is nothing more I hate than when I'm in dry clothes and wet hair in sitting on my back. Yuckkkk. Oh and I have never been a fan of the blow dryer. Ever. So Turbie Twist is my new BFF. LOVE.2. Game of Thrones. Yay for new HBO shows! Especially the scandalous britishy ones! Gotta love! Game of Thrones premiered last night and I'm already hooked. I can't wait to see where this season goes!3. Homemade Gnocchi. My hubby has turned into quite the chef!!! A week ago he attempted to make gnocchi using Anne Burrell's recipe. It was a HUGE FAIL. The gnocchi turned into mush when they got boiled. It was sad. But then our favorite Fabio Viviani posted his gnocchi recipe on his blog and AJ decided to try again. And success!! Deeeelicious deeelicious homemade gnocchi. AJ is hoping that this will make me want to leave him for Fabio a little less. To which I say, AJ you better figure out how to talk in a cute Italian accent too! I kid, I kid.4. Pink toes! My toe's are painted hot pink right now and I love it! There is truly nothing better that perfectly pedicured tootsies! I always say I am gonna treat myself to pedicures more often but so often time just slips away! Now that sandal weather is here I intend to get my tootsies treated much more often. AJ even told me I should. Gotta love the husband's approval!5. Lady Gaga's "Judas". We all know that I am thoroughly obsessed with GAGA. So when her new single "Judas" hit airwaves on Friday I was all heck to the yeah!!! I download that single asap and have been playing it on a loop ever since. Bless my husband's heart for not complaining about it, though I am sure it is highly annoying. We don't quite see eye to eye on musical tastes... but I'm kinda glad about that as I proudly have the musical taste of a gay man! Anywho, yes "Judas" does sorta have the exact same formula as "Bad Romance"...but hey at least it doesn't sound exactly like one of Madonna's songs! Score for GAGA! Listen to "Judas" below!
So it's been, like, a MONTH since WPPI...and I never blogged about it. But I should have because it was awesome sauce.For those who don't know WPPI is the largest Wedding and Portrait Photographers conference and it takes place in Vegas every year. For some photogs it's play, for some it's networking, for some it's a great learning experience, but for me it was all of the above. My days were filled jam packed with going to workshops/lectures, perusing the trade show, rocking photo shoots, hanging out with fellow photographers and FINE DINING of course. ;)I carpooled roomed with two of my favorite people ever, Candice and Sarina...On the drive up it snowed....
So we pulled to the side of the road and took a few photos...of course!
It was pretty cold and wet so our photo session lasted about 5 minutes.... For Sarina, maybe two minutes! hehe!
Candice will brave anything for a photo which is why I <3 her!
The major highlights of my experience (besides eating at Bobby Flay's restaurant) were the photo shoots I got to take part of. I will be posting pics from these two very Vegas shoots asap! So stay tuned for those!Another highlight was seeing one of my albums used as a sample for the Leather Craftsmen booth at the trade show. Leather Craftsmen only had like 10 or so albums at their booth so mine really stood out! Take a look...
So cool!The other thing I did at WPPI was go to several different lectures...my favorite speaker was definitely Jill La Fleur who spoke about wedding photography from a planner's perspective! It was so interesting. Plus she decorated the conference room like it was a gorgeous wedding! It was sooooo beautiful and impressive! Made me kinda fall in <3 with her!So that's my little WPPI recap. Can't wait for next year! Stay tuned for posts about my photo shoots!
This week has been totally insane. First, my grandmother had to have brain surgery because she had a ruptured aneurysm. Some of you already knew that and were praying for her. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, because against all odds, my grandma is doing pretty well given everything she has gone through. She is recovering from surgery and is walking and talking and being oh-so cute! She is not totally out of the woods, but the fact that she is doing so well is truly a MIRACLE! For that I'm thankful.The night my grandma was admitted to the ER was the same night as the Earthquake/Tsunami in Japan. My heart aches for the Japanese people and animals! When I heard Ever Ours & Utterly Engaged had set up a way to donate to Japan via Shelter Box, I was touched. I want to help in any way I can. It's honestly the very least I can do. The universe blessed me by saving my Grandma and I feel more than ever a need to give to others! I donated to For Japan With Love and will also be observing a day of silence on my blog this Friday! I hope you will join me by doing the same!To donate visit: http://www.forjapanwithlove.com/
On Monday, I blogged all the details from the Serra Plaza Launch Party which I had the honor of photographing! Well part of the event was a FABULOUS bridal fashion show, styled by the amazing Hope Stanley and made up by Vivian Tran and the All Made Up Team!!! :) LOVEEEEE!!! The models all looked so amazing and as each one walked the runway I found myself swooning and saying "oooh if only I was getting married again I'd wear that!" "No! I'd wear that!!!" Yeah, I'm kinda a sucker for wedding couture!After the show, I got to have a little photo shoot with the models who could hang around! The idea was that Serra Plaza could use the photos for promotional reasons, but hey, who am I kidding, I just wanted to take pictures of these amazing models!!!!! So I did. And I LOVED it! Here's a look at those photos!!I love this first look! It's not too formal and has a great casual-chic feel to it! I LOVE the look of layered necklaces with a wedding dress! Fab!!!
Aughhhhhhh. This look KILLS me!!! If I was getting married again I totally would go this route. Honestly, I originally wanted a dress like this but never really found one that worked for my uber petite body. SO I ended up wearing a lace dress! LOL! So opposite. But yeah, if I ever get a redo, I'm all over this!!
I had so much time with the last model, Amanda, and I had a great time photographing her! I also LOVED her look! So chic and retro! And I love that the dress is short! Some times I wish I would've worn a short dress because they are so unexpected and stylish. But truth be told I guess I'm just a little too traditional. Still...maybe for a vow renewal I could wear this?? AJ do you approve??
Hello shoes!!! I love you? Will you be mine? Oh what's that? You don't come in size uber tiny???? BUMMER! Okay fine, I'll just live vicariously through my photographs.
Is Amanda fierce or is a Amanda FIERCE?! You betta work!
The photo on the left is one of my favorites of all time! Ohhhhh Amanda! You are GORGEOUS!
I am always thrilled and honored when I get to photograph an event or session for someone within the wedding industry. It really makes me feel that I am a part of the SoCal wedding community-- and not just that I'm a part of the community, but that I'm respected! So when Amanda Auer of In The Now Weddings and Events asked if I could come take some pictures at the Serra Plaza Launch Party her team was throwing, I was so excited! I'm pretty sure I did a happy dance!Serra Plaza is a brand new and super GORGEOUS wedding venue in San Juan Capistrano! I love it because its so close to the mission and the old town (perfect for bride & groom pictures) and the venue itself has wonderful Mediterranean charm! It's also an outdoor venue, with areas for the ceremony and the reception, which I LOVE! If you are still looking for a venue, or have a friend who just got engaged, I suggest checking out Serra Plaza! It's fabulous!The event was a brunch, which I think is so cute! I think the idea of having a brunch wedding is fabulous! And for couples on budget who still want a fabulous wedding, having a daytime wedding can save you big bucks! ;) Brunch lends itself to some super cute ideas, and Rachel of In the Now ,who designed the whole event, really took advantage of the brunch theme! They had a gourmet coffee station set up, and also a "Mimosa Bar." Guests could help themselves to half-filled champagne glasses and then choose from various fruit juices to finish filling their glasses with! It was super cute and delicious looking!I also loved the tablescapes Rachel designed, accented with lovely florals by French Buckets! I also thought the gift boxes they made, and the floral pin-on name tags were super cute!!!Take a peek at the details I snapped!
It's that time of year again.....time for WPPI! The world's biggest wedding photography convention! This year, thanks to the generosity of Leather Craftsmen, I have a full pass so I will be going to lots of lectures and learning a ton! I also will be involved on a few shoots. And of course, there will be some socializing too! Woohoo! I'm not really a Vegas person but I had a great time last year and I think this year will be even better. I promise to come back an even better and more awesome photographer! ;)So I will be out of the office Saturday 2/19 through Wednesday 2/23. I will have some email access but I honestly don't know how much time I will have to sit at the computer and write proper replies. So please forgive me if I'm a little slow in correspondence next week!And now I'll leave you with a cute picture from WPPI last year...
{Pictured above is Ellie M, Laurie Bracewell, Jenn King, Jasmine Star, moi, and Sarina Love}
This is kinda a hard day to write a Tuesday To 5 because this afternoon I am going with my mom to put one of my childhood cats, Whiskey, to sleep. :( He is 16 years old and suffering from kidney failure. It's so very hard to say goodbye to my long time friend. I was only 9 when I picked him out and took him home, so he's been a part of the majority of my life...If you know me, you probably know I am huge lover of animals and my pets are family...they are people to me. So today is very sad and it's hard to be cheery for this post.But never the less, I know this is life. It's bittersweet. There are very hard, trying and sad moments. But at the same time there are amazing, beautiful moments. If we don't take the time to appreciate the good, then we really aren't living life to the fullest. In fact, I write TT5 to remember & celebrate what I enjoyed about my week. I write to appreciate the fun and awesome parts of life. So on the saddest days it is important to write about the good...here goes:1. Industry Friends. I feel so lucky to have built so many wonderful friendships with my peers and colleagues in the wedding industry. When I first dove into the wonderful world of wedding photography in 2009 I knew not a soul except for my own wedding vendors. I had no one I could chat with and ask questions with. Of course, I did end up developing a few friendships in 2009 with other photographers, but my network was still small. In 2010 I really pushed myself to get to know more people, and luckily thanks to social gatherings, workshops and of course facebook/twitter it wasn't too hard. I feel so fortunate to know so many wonderful, smart, kind, creative people. It helps so much to get advice and to share stories about running a creative business! I am so thankful to my friends for teaching me so much and for helping me be a great businesswoman! I had some awesome revelations with friends this weekend, and I'm so thankful!2. Nutella Banana Crepes. I love nutella. I love bananas. I love crepes. And yes, I LOVE nutella, banana crepes! They are a trifecta of tastiness!! I had a very delicious nutella, banana crepe at L'Epicerie in Culver City last week. This week, I may just have to go back for more!3. Valentine's Day. Yesterday was a good day! I actually met a fabulous potential client in the morning! Then AJ took me to See's Candy so I could pick exactly what I wanted for my annual custom box of chocolates! I LOVE the caramels and chews at See's. I think my box is like 40% Vanilla Nut Caramels actually. For dinner, AJ and I went to one of our favorite sushi bars, U-Zen. It was very tasty! My favorite was the japanese scallop sushi. Two giant scallops with just a hint of lemon & salt. That's all they need. They are like pillows of heaven on my tongue! YUM!!! Being the romantics we are, we both pooped out around 10:00pm. But I had emails to finish so I did work kinda late. On Valentine's. While AJ snoozed away. It may not be glamorous always, but it's our comfy life. And I love it. Any day with my husband is a day well spent. Throw in sushi and candy and it's even better! ;)4. Booking season. You may or may not be aware that the wedding industry is in the height of booking season! Engaged couples are planning their 2011 weddings and finding vendors fast and furious! It's a very busy time as a photographer, but I absolutely love it. I LOVE meeting new couples. I LOVE the excitement of knowing a couple is the perfect fit for me and I'm the perfect fit photographer for them. And I LOVE getting emails from couples saying "let's do this!" It's very exciting and makes me oh so giddy! 2011 is shaping up wonderfully and I can't wait to shoot so many fabulous weddings this year!5. Sunny Days in February. I know that day is one of those gloomy SoCal winter days...but for the past couple weeks it has been just gorgeous, warm, sunshiney weather in Los Angeles! This past weekend was particularly beautiful! I loved going out with tank tops and feeling the warm sun beat on my skin! It's weekends like this past one where I feel sooooo incredibly fortunate to live in LA. The rest of the country is cold and longing for spring (I remember the feeling when I lived in Boston). But here in LA it felt like summer. Beautiful!
{Photo Credits Left to Right: FunMunch.com, Sees.com, Japanese Restaurant Info- UZen, Awaiting Buddha}
I am soooooo excited to share this news with y'all!!! Today we saw for the first time ever, one of our photos IN A MAGAZINE! I die! I don't think I ever thought that would be something that would happen to me! So to see a photo of mine in such a highly regarded magazine is purrrrrrrrrty exciting!!I may be getting a little too excited. You see, it's just one little picture. I photographed some of Erica O'Brien's GORGEOUS cakes for her portfolio, and Brides Magazine chose to feature it in this issue of the magazine! So without my friend Erica and her absolutely stunning cake design, this little moment of excitement would not be possible! Thanks Erica for trusting me to capture your amazing cakes!!! :)If you happen to pick up a copy of the spring/summer 2011 Brides SoCal magazine. please turn to page 166 and see my little photo!!! Or check out this scan below (sorry for the bad quality, apparently I suck at scanning!):
*The photo credit is in the crease so I couldn't scan it! But mine is the photo of Erica O'Brien's cake (pink background, bottom row left corner).So that's my exciting news!! YAY!
Wow, I can't believe this is my first Tuesday Top 5 of 2011! Sorry for the brief holiday hiatus with these! But now I'm back in the swing of things and ready to share! So without further ado let's talk Tuesday Top 5 Two Thousand Eleven!!!1. Hirozen Sushi. This is hands down one of my top 5 places to get sushi in LA and I had lunch there yesterday so it's fresh on my mind! I love love love this place! What makes Hirozen so special? Fresh sushi. Unique and exotic fish. Good ambiance and service. And their lunch special. You see, on weekdays they have the BEST lunch special ever called "Chef's Special Assorted Sushi." You basically get a platter with tuna roll and 7 pieces of Chef's choice ngiri. But the thing is you are getting really unique and tasty fish-- not your average tuna, salmon, whitefish, octopus platter. I've gotten to try so many exotic things on the lunch platter from abalone to white salmon to Tasmanian sea trout. I absolutely loveeeee getting the chance to eat at Hirozen and highly suggest you do too!2. Three Day Weekends. I work from home soooooo a lot of people don't get why I'd even care about 3 day weekends. But I do. Because 3 day weekends mean I get extra time with my hubby and/or an extra day to get weekend lunch with my mom! It can get kinda lonely working from home and during busy wedding season I'm not usually around on weekends which is when of course my family is. So yeah, 3 day weekends are awesome! An extra day to just be with the ones I love. I'm thankful I got to spend yesterday with them and can't wait for the next 3 day weekend to roll around!3. Breaking Bad. OMG! So AJ and I just started watching this show from season 1. Currently we are mid season 2 and dangggggg this show be gangsta homies! Seriously, I love Weeds and this show is kinda like that...but different. I always think its fun watching a show or movie where an innocent person goes bad! Maybe that's because I'm a goody-goody and I need to live vicariously through someone! Whatever the case this show is awesome and I'm hooked! I guess season 4 starts soon and hopefully AJ and I can catch up to it by then! Sweet!4. American Pickers. Double OMG! Who watches this show? If you don't you should! The title does sound a bit odd and its on History Channel so for a long while I had written it off as most likely lame. Then I gave it a chance and realized I didn't even know what the show was about. Basically the show chronicles these two guys who run an antique store in Iowa as they travel America looking through people's "junk" and finding some amazing antiques! I'm blown away by the stuff they find, it's pretty amazing!! I'm also blown away by their patience and willingness to dig through dark, dusty, bug and rat infested crevices just to find some "rusty gold." I don't think I could ever be a picker but I'm sure fascinated by what they do and what they find! If you have any interest in vintage stuff and antiques you gotta check this show out! It's awesome!5. Big Love Season Finale Premiere. Ahhhhhhh! Big Love on HBO is, like, my favorite hbo show! And this season is the last! SADDDDDD! But like any good HBO fan, I have been waiting for months hotly returning the Premiere of the final season! It happened Sunday and the show did not disappoint! It's so good though which only makes it that more painful that this is the last season! Still, I can't wait to see what's in store and how the story of the Henrickson's unfolds!! :)
YAY!! It has been a goal all of 2010 to see my work featured on the front page of Wedding Chicks. Because, seriously? I LOVE that blog!! So when I woke up this lovely January morning to see my photos there, I did the happiest of happy dances! Awesome. 2011, you already rock!! The pictures featured are wedding inspiration for a Secretariat/Horse Racing theme wedding! It's a must see!!Check out the Secretariat themed wedding inspiration on Wedding Chicks here:
And come back here tomorrow for more exquisite photos from this shoot!! :)
It's a new year!! Can you believe it's 2011 already?! I surely can't! But, I'm sooooo excited for this New Year! We have an exciting year ahead of us here at Ashleigh Taylor Photography! We have weddings all over SoCal and also a wedding in New Orleans!!! Laissez les bon temps rouler!But we still have slots to work with about 15 more couples in 2011! And that is our biggest goal for this new year-- to work with an AWESOME roster of soon-to-be-married couples in 2011. And also, a huge goal is to work with some of our favorite wedding vendors at some of our dream wedding venues. I really want to take my business to the next level in 2011 and I also really want expand my horizons, so my goal is to work with awesome clients who have awesome wedding plans in the works!! ;)When I set a goal, I don't rest until I achieve it! So, I came up with an idea... I have TWO giveaways in the works that I'm hoping will help me fulfill my goals of people and places I'd love to work with in 2011 and also GIVE BACK TO YOU! So here's the deal for giveaway #1. Below is a list of people and places I'm wishing and hoping and dreaming of working with in 2011. If you are a couple getting married at one of these places, or working with one of these vendors, I will GIVE you a free 16x20 canvas gallery wrap OR one free parent album* when you book any one of my 2011 wedding collections!! Yes, a free canvas gallery wrap or parent album (a $550 value) just for booking! But hurry, because this offer is only valid through February 14th, 2011!*You must book a collection which includes a wedding album in order to qualify for the free parent album. The canvas is available with all of our collections.Here is my wish list of venues I'd LOVE to shoot at in 2011:
The Viceroy, Santa Monica
The Viceroy, Palm Springs
The Oviatt Penthouse, Los Angeles
Smogg Shoppe, Culver City
Marvimon, Los Angeles
Vibiana, Los Angeles
Adamson House, Malibu
Crossroads Estate at Firestone Winery, Los Olivos (I die! I LOVE this venue)
Four Season's Resort The Biltmore, Santa Barbara
The Canary Hotel, Santa Barbara
The Skirball Center, Los Angeles
The Athenaeum, Pasadena
The Sunset Restaurant, Malibu (this is where I got married! LOVE!)
Shutters, Santa Monica
Greystone Mansion, Beverly Hills
Craven Estate, Pasadena
Il Cielo, Beverly Hills
Geoffrey's, Malibu
Malibu Nature Preserve, Malibu
The Parker, Palm Springs
The SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills
Villa Del Sol D'Oro, Sierra Madre
Calamigos Ranch, Malibu
Inn of the Seventh Ray, Malibu
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood
The London Hotel, West Hollywood
Montage, Laguna Beach
Seven Degrees, Laguna Beach
Reef Restaurant, Long Beach
Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
Union Station, Los Angeles
Figueroa Hotel, Los Angeles
Condor's Nest Ranch, San Diego
Rockwood Santa Barbara Women's Club, Santa Barbara
Bacara Resort, Santa Barbra
Pelican Hill, Newport Coast
St. Regis, Monarch Beach
The Bungalow Club, Los Angeles
Mission Inn, Riverside
La Venta Inn, Palos Verdes
The Wayfarer's Chapel, Palos Verdes
Hummingbird Nest Ranch, Simi Valley
Santa Barbara Courthouse, Santa Barbara
Casa Romantica, San Clemente
Serra Plaza, San Juan Capistrano
ANYWHERE IN HAWAII (yes, seriously, I'm dying to shoot a destination Hawaii wedding)
ANY DESTINATION BEYOND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (I LOVE destination weddings! Traveling is my favorite!!)
And here is my wish list for the wedding vendors I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to work with in 2011:
So as a reminder, if you are getting married at any of the places listed above, OR working with any of the vendors listed above, I will give you a free 16x20 Canvas Gallery Wrap OR a free parent album (valued at $550) just for booking one of my 2011 wedding collections! If this sounds good to you, please fill out an inquiry form and let me know who exactly you're working with, or what awesome place you're getting married at, and of course your wedding date! Then we can set up a consultation and chat more about details! This offer will expire February 14th, 2011, and all weddings must be booked by this date to receive this deal!
But wait...there's more! I know that there are still plenty of awesome people that I'd LOVE to work with that may not be getting married at any of my dream venues, or working with any people on my dream vendor list! So for giveaway #2, I will be giving away a free engagement/couple's session to take place in March 2011 in the Los Angeles area. Want to win it? Sure you do! To enter to win this engagement session you can do one or more of several things:
- Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about my New Year's Goals. Simply tweet this message: "Help @ashleightaylor8 achieve her 2011 goals! She's giving free goodies to couples w/ fab wedding plans! info here: http://bit.ly/e2lmUP" Doing this will enter you 1 time into the contest!
- Facebook about my New Year's Goals. First, you will have to Like us on Facebook so that you can tag us in your post. To tag us begin typing @Ashleigh Taylor Photography. Post this message as your status: "Help Ashleigh Taylor Photography achieve her goals for the New Year! She's giving away free goodies to couples w/ awesome wedding plans! get more info here: http://bit.ly/e2lmUP" Doing this will also enter you into the contest 1 time.
- Blog about it. You have a personal or professional blog? Sweet! Write an awesome post about my wish list and link to it on your blog! Make sure to leave a comment on this post linking back to where you blogged about it! Doing this will enter you into the contest 2 times.
- Do all of the above! If you are able to do all of the above you will be entered 5 times to this contest!!! Score!!
Lastly make sure to leave me a comment on this post to let me know where you have posted about my wish list! This way I can keep track of everyone who has entered! The winner will be selected at random and announced on February 14th, 2011. So make sure to stay tuned!!
Thanks to everyone for continuing to support my business and helping make my wildest dreams come true! I LOVE every single one of you more than you know! Happy New Year to everyone and may you each achieve all of your New Year's Goals as well!
xoxo
Ashleigh
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Wow, I can't believe its the first day of 2011 already! 1.1.11!!! How cool is that?! On Monday, I will be posting about some exciting goals I have for 2011, and some big GIVE AWAYS for you!!! But today I wanted to post one last "Year in Review" entry for 2010!When setting goals for 2010, the biggest dream I had was to be featured on wedding blogs! I LOVE wedding blogs! They are such a great resource for engaged couples trying to plan the biggest day of their lives. In 2008 and 2009, I must have read 10 wedding blogs a day! I was planning my own wedding and was thoroughly obsessed with every wedding blog I could find! No lie. ....but I never thought I'd ever see any of my photos on these big blogs!To see how many wonderful features we got in 2010 blows my mind! The blogosphere likes me, they really like me! I definitely feel like I accomplished that big goal of 2010, and to review all our features makes me feel super proud! I can't wait to submit more work in 2011 and see where we get featured next!!! But for now, before I dream forwards, let's look back just once!Our first big feature was Rachel + Mark 's wedding on Style Unveiled:
Here's another screen shot...
Jenni + Jamie's wedding was featured on Elizabeth Anne Designs (one of my all time FAVORITE blogs):
Zoe + Nima's engagement session was also featured on Style Unveiled:
Mike + Serene's wedding was featured on Wedding Yentas:
Dani + Tony's elopement was featured on Perfect Bound:
Brides.com featured a photo I took of one of Erica O'Brien's gorgeous wedding cakes:
Justin + Susannah's Mr. and Mrs. session was featured on Hot Pink Brides:
To cap it off, we already know of a few big & exciting features coming in 2011!! So stay tuned! :)And check in on Monday for our give away announcement!!!!!
WOW!! I cannot believe that 2010 is almost over! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is gearing up for a Happy New Year!!I also wanna say CONGRATS to anyone who got engaged this holiday season!!! Yippee! You're going to have so much fun wedding planning, at least I know I did when I was engaged! ;) And of course, what better thing to do then take engagement pictures when you are newly engaged?! Pictures are the perfect way to commemorate this magical milestone, and I absolutely LOVE photographing engagement sessions! In fact, I truly believe engagement pictures are a must do for all soon-to-be-weds-- check out this article to see why!So now that you've got engagement sessions on you're mind, I thought I'd share some snaps of some of my favorite 2010 engagement sessions!! I had SUCH an amazing time this past year getting to know all my fabulous couples, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos we created together! So without further ado, 2010's Engagement Highlights:We kicked off 2010 with Ryan + Kristina's Getty Center Engagement:
I LOVED Christina + Syl's colorful photoshoot at The Lab in Costa Mesa:
Then there was Elena + Memo in Culver City:
Zoe + Nima brought some fun balloons to their vibrant Santa Monica Pier engagement session:
Christine + Tyler's UCSB engagement was soooo meaningful, personal and BEAUTIFUL:
Andrea + Barbara commemorated their time together in Los Angeles with this fun Santa Monica engagement session:
Jeanette + Pete's Malibu engagement session was so playful and romantic! And that light augggggggggh!!!! See?:
Matt + Patricia's Shoreline Village Long Beach engagement session was so fun!!
Mandi + Dan's Santa Monica engagement shoot was everything I LOVE-- it was fabulous, fun, fierce and vibrant! LOVE:
We ended 2010 with Lizbeth + Robert's fun and fresh engagement session at the Griffith Observatory:
Another Tuesday, another Top 5! Let's get to it!1. Birthday love. Yesterday was my birthday. Yep it was. And I was BLOWN AWAY by how many people facebooked, called and texted to wish me a happy day! I was especially blown away that so many of brides sent me good wishes, many of them saying they were so glad to call me a friend! THAT MADE MY DAY! I love what I do. I love my clients. And I LOVE when they become friends! I am so thankful to be living this life and so excited for what the next year brings!2. American Pickers. New TV show obsession guys! American Pickers! Its about these guys who scour through estates, essentially digging for "treasure." They buy amazing pieces and then resell at their store. It's kinda an amazing show. Just to see the stuff some people have. And also to see the eye the Pickers have for finding awesome pieces amongst, for lack of a better word, crap! I really see this show as a wedding stylist's dream! All the vintage and shabby chic finds! Perfection! You should check it out!3. Pumpkin Pie. Do I really need to say more?? Pumpkin pie is da bomb!! It is without a doubt my favorite pie! So lucky me that my hubby made me one from scratch instead of a birthday cake! HOLLA!4. Holiday Music. 'Tis the season. When Christmas songs are stuck in my head at all hours. I literally break into song in public without realizing it. Maybe you've heard me humming to myself in the check out line at Target Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock. As embarrassing as the uncontrollable urge to sing Christmas tunes is. I can't help but love it!5. Maru The Cat. I know that with this last one I'm totally outing myself as a crazy cat lady...but I LOVEEEEEE Maru The Cat. I am obsessed with watching his youtube videos! I mean this cat? HE IS HILARIOUS! I just wanna cuddle him. All day long!So for now I will leave you with a video of Maru. It gets really good at the 1:11 mark. And seriously, if you don't find this funny then I don't know if we can be friends. ;)
I was inspired by J*'s post to also dig through all my photos from the year and try to show some pictures of me in action at weddings! You know just in case anyone is wondering what it's like behind the scenes when Ashleigh Taylor Photography shoots a wedding! I really wish I had thought more of this in advance-- like January 2010 in advance-- because unfortunately I don't have pics of me at every wedding I shot! Its kinda sad...like I wasn't even there...except I was! Oh I was! But I figured, let me show you the fun and funny photos I do have of me in action! So without further ado, here I am...in all my glory...shooting weddings!!! :::drumrolls::I'm a shorty so I always try to find chairs I can stand on...Yeah, I'll do anything to grab a shot!
Sometimes I'm a little touchy-feely to get just the right pose from my clients!!
I LOVE showing my clients photos from the back of the camera and seeing how excited they get! That always makes me happy!!
Um, I dunno what's going on here. I was clearly intensely focused on something! And thanks to the hubs for capturing me looking oh so sexy! ;)
I LOVE when I get to shoot alongside my hubby!! We make an awesome team!!
Awwwww me + Laurie at Pam + Justin's wedding! Laurie is my photog friend from DC, so when I shot Pam's DC wedding I HAD to have her along to 3rd shoot! Shooting with friends always yields fab pics!
I'm so adorable! Right???? Clearly I am.
Again, I LOVE showing my brides how dang gorgeous they look!! I think they love the instant feedback too! ;)
Always love getting a shot with my clients! Because by the time the wedding rolls around, my clients have become my good friends! Love you Ryan + Kristina! <3
Where's waldo?! I mean Ashleigh. Where's Ashleigh? I DARE you to find me in this photo. And hint, I'm standing on a chair again! ;)
Lastly, here is I am with Cindee at Roy + Kristine's wedding. I kinda told Cindee I wouldn't post this....but I can't resist!! SO please everyone leave comments telling her how very cute she is!!
So sorry the TT5 has been absent! Blame it on flu season! But now it is back again and I'm excited to share this week Top 5's with you!! So here goes:1. Thanksgiving. I haven't blogged since Thanksgiving...but my Thanksgiving was awesome! I cooked and ate so much yummy food and spent the evening with my family! Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Perhaps because food plays a central role. But mostly because the focus isn't on presents, it's just about sitting down at eating a good meal with those you love. And appreciating the good in life. And this year? It has had a LOTS to be thankful for. Especially, wonderful friends & family, my husband, our two amazing kitties and my FABULOUS clients!! :)2. Throat Coat Tea. If you got a soar throat, I HIGHLY recommend this tea. Not only is it yummy (it has a licorice taste) but it is SOOO soothing and really does help make your throat feel better. This is my secret weapon during cold and flu season, and has been for years! LOVE it!3. Pitbulls and Parolees. When I was sick, I watched a whole lot of TV. Especially at times I don't normally watch TV...so I got exposed to some new shows. I found myself watching a whole lot of History Channel, Animal Planet and Nat Geo. One show I discovered that really touched my heart is Animal Planet's Pitbulls & Parolees. It's all about the Villalobos Rescue center, where they rescue and rehabilitate pitbulls, and also employ parolees to help care for the dogs. This is a show about second chances and redemption, which I found really touching and inspiring. I also got so moved by the different stories of the rescued pitbulls. These dogs have been through SO many hard times, from being forced to be fighting dogs, to being abused, abandoned, and left for dead, to surviving storms like Hurricane Katrina. The center has 200 doggies that need loving homes and it BREAKS my heart. What Tia and her team do for misunderstood dogs, and people, is amazing and really inspiring. So now I'm kinda in love with this show!4. Boardwalk Empire. Boardwalk Empire had been my newest favorite HBO show! I'm in love! The costumes, the sets, the actors, the writing! It's all fantastic! And it definitely makes me so curious about the 1920s! What an intriguing era in history! Last night was the season finale of Boardwalk Empire and I'm already sooooo anxious for season 2!! No clue where the story is gonna go, but I cannot wait to see more!!5. The Glee Wedding. I know I'm a bit behind here, but I haven't done a TT5 since this episode aired...so HOW MUCH DID WE LOVE THE GLEE WEDDING??!! Well, I definitely did. I gotta admit...I cried! It was a really cute episode and I found myself secretly wishing it was real and I was hired to be the wedding photographer. Yeah you can say it, I AM A NERD! But whatever, I am a sucker for misfit teens singing show-tunes. Maybe the Glee trend will catch on, and next year I will shoot a wedding where the bridal party not only dances down the aisle, but also sings! In perfect harmony. Asking too much??
photos left to right: 1) good stuff and hot tv 2) about knowledge 3) homorazzi
First, I'd like to say I'M ALIVE!!!!! I'm so sorry for not posting at all last week! Right after Thanksgiving I got really sick with a fevery-laryngitis-flu type thing. And it was AWFUL! I didn't do a lick of work last week...and I hated it. I'd much rather be taking photos, editing and blogging than being sick!! Because, seriously, I LOVE my job! So I'm super glad to be back! And can you believe it's already the 2nd week of December?? I sure as heck cannot!!!Sooo...I thought I'd start a new series on this blog about things I LOVE. Just to share with my fellow readers some really cool products that make life a bit sweeter! What better product to start with than SOLEMATES!
Solemates are the PERFECT invention for brides!! Perfect!!! Every bride getting married outdoors NEEDS these!! And brides while you're at it, get your bridesmaids a set as well! They make great gifts and will be super helpful on your big day!Basically, what Solemates are is this little rubber stopper you add to your high heels to make it so you don't sink into the grass! I can't tell you how many of my brides get married in grassy areas, and don't have these! And then, when it comes time to take pictures on the grass, or even walk down the aisle on grass, they sink and lose balance! And really there is nothing worse than being uncomfy and feeling unbalanced on your wedding day! Solemates are **the** solution to the problem! I promise you will love them!! And they will make your pictures turn out better too! Because you and your girls will be able to stand poised and pretty on your big day! ;)The holidays are just around the corner, and these little gems would make a great stocking stuffer too! You can totally thank me later!! ;)
Last Thursday, my friend Sarina and I headed over to The Smog Shoppe in Culver City for Hitched Event. Hitched is kinda like a bridal show. But for hipsters. And like 10 million times cooler than your average bridal show. There weren't exactly booths per se for each vendor. But there were little displays here and there that gave you the idea of what your wedding could look like at The Smog Shoppe and also gave you a taste of each vendor's style and goods. Although I am no longer a bride planning a wedding, I wanted to go to meet new vendors, see what is up and coming in the wedding industry, and to see Smog Shoppe in person. It's right by my house and I had heard it was a gem of a wedding venue. But I had never seen it, so that HAD to change! heheI gotta say I really dig Smog Shoppe as a wedding venue!! Like, if I can pleaseeee book a 2011 wedding at Smog Shoppe I will be an incredibly happy camper!! It's a super hip indoor/outdoor space. Very modern but also a little vintage. There's something about it that's just FUN. It's definitely not a very traditional or elegant venue. But it is definitely a great spot for brides who want something different, modern with a hint of vintage, vibrant, chic and fun. It's an elbows on the table kinda venue while still being classy. And that is just so my style.I really, of course, enjoyed the Enjoy Cupcakes trailer! I was lucky enough to get to work with Amber and Kevin of Enjoy and Jenni and Jamie's wedding! There cupcakes are DELISH and their set up could not be cuter. I was recovering from my tummy flu that day so I couldn't try all their samples (gosh darn it) but the two cuppies I did manage to have were divine! Seriously brides, run don't walk to Enjoy Cupcakes!I also enjoyed looking at the display Lo Boheme and Untamed Petals had up. Both girls make sassy bridal hair adornments and I am in LOVE. I love love love sassy hair adornments on brides. Flowers. Birdcage veils. Feathers. Augghh. Just swoon.Another major highlight was all the different tablescapes that were set up. Each one was so unique and had such great style. Any bride would be lucky to work with any of the event stylists and floral designers that were featured. There was seriously some really lovely work. My favorite was probably by Jesi Haack (a planner/stylist that I am just dyingggg to work with) and Dandelion Ranch (amazing florals) because theirs was so very dramatic and clever. They created a hanging centerpiece and used tin cans as the vessels for all the flowers. It struck me because it was so beautiful and yet, it could probably be done on budget as the main motif was tin cans. I know money is tight right now for everyone and every bride has a budget to stick to...but brides! You don't have to sacrifice good design and style. If you think outside the box even tin cans (which you can easily collect over the year of planning) can look so chic as wedding decor! So yeah, Jesi + Dandelion Ranch rock on with your vision!Lastly, Sarina and I had our kicks in the Smile Booth which is a portrait style photobooth. They don't do prints on site but you can download them on their site after the event. Which is what I did. I love that they had such cute props available for us to use...I mean how can I turn down a sign that says "Ride Em Cowboy!"
So all in all I really liked Hitched Event and I hear they will be doing round 2 soon! So 2011 brides, you should consider going! They had a lot more fun, creative ideas than your average bridal expo. And really hip vendors!! I would seriously be happy to work with ANY of the vendors showcased at Hitched. All of them are A+++ So follow Hitched's blog and go to the next one! It'll get your planning juices flowing!
It's that time again! Another round of Tuesday Top 5 for your reading pleasure!1. Jasmine Star on Creative Live. So I don't know if y'all know, but if you are a photog you probably do...Jasmine Star did an amazing FREE online streaming workshop for 5 days. It was put on by the amazing Chase Jarvis and Creative Live team. Creative Live puts on all kinds of free online workshops for the art community, but seriously? The Jasmine Star event may have been the biggest thing they have ever done! Jasmine not only walked through how she runs her business, lots of Q&A, but she also shot an ENTIRE wedding LIVE so we could see exactly how she shoots a big day. And then the next day she showed us her entire edit. It was SERIOUSLY AMAZING. And I learned so much. It was a great thing for me because I saw that I do many things similarly which was an affirmation that I do things right and know what's up. But it also showed me some things I never knew about and also areas which I know I can improve. And really, that was the whole point of watching. To learn, and challenge myself and GROW. Thank you so very much Jasmine for being a complete open book! You have helped the community (and me as an individual) SO much more than you know! And thank you so much to Creative Live for putting on this extraordinary event! WOWZAS! Y'all rock! ...and clients? Y'all should know this experience has pushed me to grow and dream so much farther! Ashleigh Taylor Photography is ONLY going up from here! :)2. Kimchi. I have been working A LOT lately and I really needed a little date night. AJ asked me where I wanted to go and we ran through our list of usual places. Then he said..."I know, you want Tofu-Ya, right?" And internet, I was shocked! Cause that boy just read my frickin' mind! "How did you know?" I asked. His response? "I saw kimchi floating above your head." LOLZ forever. Yes, sometimes I crave kimchi and tofu soon and apparently it floats above my head like I am a cartoon character. We waited nearly 35 minutes to get a seat at Tofu-ya that night but it was SO worth it! :) That kimchi totally hit the spot! Mmm mm mmm mmm good!3. The Switch. On Sunday I went to see The Switch with my mom, and OMG, I LOVED it! Ok so is it a cheesy romantic comedy and therefore somewhat predictable? Yes. But you know what I really don't care. It was really cute. And super funny. And ummm the little boy in that movie is ADORABLE! I want a little boy JUST LIKE THAT! Cause that kid? He was stinkin' cute and sweet! I came home telling AJ about it and went through a "awww I want a baby phase." Then AJ reminded how much work children are and how you have to change their diapers and I was all...oh yeah I'm still so not ready for that! LOL. No, one day I do wanna be a momma. Hopefully to an awesome cute little kid. But right now? Soooo not ready. Maybe in about 4 or 5 years. Unless another romantic comedy messes deeply with my mind before then! hehe ;)4. InfoMania. Do any of you watch this show? AJ and I LOVE it! It's on Current TV and it's a clip show...kinda like how Best Week Ever used to be...only this is a bit edgier and smarter. I LOVE the social commentary segments like Brian Safi's "That's Gay" but I also just like the pure hilarity of Brett Erlich's "Viral Video Film School." Oh and don't forget Sergio Cilli's "White Hot Top Five" and "Music Intervention"! I love it! It's a super funny show and I totally suggest trying it out if you like funny stuff and TV. hehe ;)5. Aarti Party. So I am like a HUGE Food Network nerd and I could not have been happier when Aarti won Next Food Network Star. Fun facts: Aarti and I both used to write food reviews for LAist.com at more or less the same time. We also live around the same area and like some of the same Indian food joints. So what I am trying to say is, clearly, we are BFFs and I was rooting for her! Now home girl has her own show, and I LOVE it. I have been saying forever that I wish there was an Indian cooking show on Food Network because dang I love me some Indian food! And now it has happened! Oh happy day! Oh happy day!
From left to right: Aarti from FoodNetwork.com, The Switch movie poster from the official website, Infomania cast from the official website, and tasty kimchi from the kimchi wikipedia page.