Engagement Sessions

I just adore engagement sessions! They are fun, casual and make for some beautiful photographs, to frame and hang in the home for years to come.

Engagement sessions are a great opportunity for the couple to experience what a photo shoot can be like and to get comfortable in front of the camera. It is also a great chance for both the photographer and the couple to better get to know each other before the wedding day.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love being in the outdoors. I spend a lot of my spare time driving off the beaten track, walking and exploring new areas; always searching for that next magical location. Here are a few of my favorite engagement photos from 2012.

Have a great week!

Lani

Lani Elias Fine Art Photography

Makeup Trends 2012

What an amazing wedding season we've had this year so far! It's been so fun to be part of one of the most important days these couples will ever have together.

Blushing brides, crazy-fun bridesmaids and mothers of the brides have all been part of our year so far and we get excited for each new wedding because everyone is so unique and beautiful!

This year, makeup trends have taken a bit of a turn and we are loving it! Brides are thinking out of the box and letting their true selves shine through, and we see it reflected in their makeup styles too!

More than ever this year, we've seen lipstick make a comeback rather than just lip gloss and it's so much fun to play with more colour options and lipstick has the staying power advantage over lip glosses.

Also, lashes!! We've seen the most amazing lashes this year and we love when the girls get so excited when we show them their final look in the mirror complete with lashes. I would say 90% of the time we get the same response, "wow, they look so real!" Lashes can be as subtle as simply enhancing what you already have, or they can accentuate and make your eyes bold!

 Some colour trends this year have been golds and champagnes. So pretty, so classic, yet so much versatility. We've also played with bold eyes using carbon, coppers and greys.

 

We got the opportunity to do makeup for an amazing photo shoot together with The Southern Suite focusing on an organic theme and this beautiful green eye popped and added an earthy tone to the look.

We strive for each bride and their wedding party to walk away confident and excited about their makeup. Whether they wanted to just enhance their natural look, or go completely opposite of what they normally do. In the end, we want to see each beauty happy and excited to enjoy the amazing day ahead of them.

(This post is courtesy of the talented ladies of Glo Makeup Studios)

Perfectly Set - Chantelle & Jon

The Southern Suite collaborated for the second shoot of the Perfectly Set contest where two beautiful couples were voted our lucky winners.  The winners received a styled photoshoot from hair and makeup to a remarkable tablescape.  

The shoot took place in a enchanting location where the willow trees hung romantically around our styled tablescape.  The table was styled with a palette of grey, soft pink and metallics.  The vintage china, elegant stationery designed by Des of Paper Airplanes and delicate flower arrangement and bouquet created by Megan of Megan Lynne Floral Design created a stunning backdrop to our beautiful couple Chantelle and Jon.

Chantelle wore a romantic strapless mermaid gown provided by Bliss Bridal Boutique in Winnipeg.  A custom handmade fascinator designed by Kari of Dove Tree Art & Design was pinned amongst her chic braided updo by Kim at Shear Bliss Salon and Day Spa and Chantelle's look was polished off with soft, romantic make up by talented makeup artist Audrey of Glo Makeup Studios.  Once the table was set and the couple was ready we let the fabulous ladies of Jack & Ruby Photography and Lani Elias Fine Art Photography do their magic.

To view more photos from this shoot visit each vendors blog!
Styling & Flowers: Megan Lynne Floral Design
Stationery: Paper Airplanes
Styling & Hair Piece: Dove Tree Art & Design
Hair: Shear Bliss Salon and Day Spa
Makeup: Glo Makeup Studios
Photography: Jack & Ruby Photography
Photography: Lani Elias Fine Art Photography

The following images by Lani Elias Fine Art Photography.

 

 

 

Photos by Jack & Ruby Photography

 

Tips from the Pro's - Wedding Hair

The day of your wedding can be a hectic one due to all of the things that need to happen. Here are a few tips from Steph, of Shear Bliss Salon & Day Spa that will help you get the best hair experience any bride could hope for!

BOOK EARLY 

Early morning times book up very quickly, especially during the summer months. The sooner you book, the more likely your are to get the pick of early morning appointments, specific stylists and your salon of choice.

SCHEDULING

It is important to have a rough schedule of the day when you call to make your appointments.  Know what time the ceremony will begin and when you will be having your pictures.  Updo’s can take an hour and a half to complete so be sure to give yourself plenty of time.

HAIR TRIAL

Booking a trial run of your wedding day hair is a great way to experiment with a variety of styles to see what suits you best. It will be helpful to your stylist if you bring in pictures  to make sure you are both on same page. Keep in mind your style of dress and hair accessories (veil, flowers broaches etc) so that everything will flow together.  Remember, this is a trial run so you will want to see the whole picture.  It is a good idea to test out your wedding day make up as well when you come in for your hair trial.

DRESS COMFORTABLY 

If you are going to be laced into a tight dress for hours on your wedding day, you’ll be glad that you wore something easy and comfy the morning of. It’s important to make sure your top has a wide opening or will button down, so that your hairstyle stays secure and smooth while you transform into a beautiful bride :)

PUNCTUALITY 

It is very important that you and your bridal party arrive on time. The morning of your wedding can be very hectic, and arriving on time ensures that you’re morning will run smoothly for yourself, and for your stylist. This may be your only chance to sit and relax all day, so enjoy it!

THE MORNING OF

The biggest pet peeve as a hairstylist, is having an updo client show up with wet or damp hair.  We ask our clients to show up with clean hair, that has been washed either the day or night before. When hair is freshly washed or “too clean” it becomes slippery and very difficult to work with. Your style and curls will hold much better if your hair has been washed a day or two before, because it  will have a chance “roughen up” and create natural oils. Have hair that is naturally oily? Don’t worry! We have plenty of products to help manage your hair type.

Perfectly Set - Robin & Dan

We are excited to release the first session from our Perfectly Set Contest where two couples won an evening of pampering and a photo session with the Southern Suite artists. We had a great time with our couple Robin & Dan creating an organic theme for their session. Here is a sneak peek... For more photos from this session visit the various vendors' links below.

The following images by Jack & Ruby Photography

The following images by Lani Elias Fine Art Photography

See more from this session on the following websites. Flowers and Styling by Megan Lynne Floral Design / Stationery by Paper Airplanes  Accessories and Styling by Dove Tree Design / Makeup by GLO Makeup Studios Hair by Shear Bliss Salon and Day Spa / Photography by Jack & Ruby Photography and Lani Elias Fine Art Photography. A special thanks to Bliss Bridal for supplying the gorgeous dress.

The Importance of POST Wedding Photographs.

So, you said I do.  You had the big party, you got your hair and make up done, wore the dress, married the person of your dreams.  Now you are happily married.  Who says you should wait until you have children to do family photos?  We believe it is so important to document your married life together, and how better to do that than with annual photo sessions?!?!

We absolutely love having the opportunity to see our Jack and Ruby couples POST wedding.  Anniversary shoots are a perfect way to celebrate each milestone you reach as a married couple.  It's also a super fun excuse to go shopping, get your hair and make up done, and be a star for a day.

We met up with our 2011 Jack and Ruby couple Ranae and Elliot just a few weeks ago to celebrate their first anniversary.  We had so much fun reconnecting with them and hearing about their first year together.  We think it's so awesome that they chose to document themselves after one year of marriage.  When they've been married 50 years they can look back at these photos and remember their young love ;)

And here's a few other Jack and Ruby couples we've had in front of the camera "Just Because" or to celebrate anniversaries...

And... Even WE like to get our photos taken with our hubbies!  Here's Becky with her hubby Chris:

And Kara with her hubby Dwayne.  Hair by Erin at Shear Bliss and Make up by Audrey at Glo.  We HIGHLY recommend getting hair and make up done if you are getting your photos taken.  Go all out and feel like a million bucks!!!

Happy Monday everyone!