After the wedding, all of the guests were taken to a different beach on the Atlantic to embark on one of the coolest receptions you could ever be a part of, an ocean cruise on a katamaran. And, yes, “I’m on a Boat” was the theme song of the night.

2 weeks ago, Erin & Jeremy left Cincinnati to get married in paradise, and brought me with. Paradise being the Dominican Republic, in this case. Gorgeous couple, gorgeous family and friends and the backdrop wasn’t too shabby either. I had an amazing time and made some amazing new friends, most of which had tattoos!! There are SO many great photos that part 2 will be coming soon. Oh, and stay tuned for their ridiculous “trash the dress” session.

OK, ok. I know I owe you my “best of ‘09 wedding images” post, but things have been MEGA exciting here at EyeSpy.

This past fall I have been working with a fantastic photographer (video) and story teller, Nick Kesler. We actually go way back…we went to high school together, and I shot his wedding a few years ago. From all of the work I have seen from him, I had been trying to convince him to get into shooting weddings because what he does is so unique and amazing, so different than what anyone else is doing here in Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

I had seen a few photographer’s promo videos up on random blogs and thought, “hmmm…that could be cool”. I ran the idea past Nick and he was pumped to help me do it. He came with me to a wedding this past summer, then to a Trash the Dress session I had this fall, and then we finished up with a little Get-To-Know-Me interview session, cut out some swear words, kept some bits of me acting nerdy, sprinkled in some HAWT wedding images and edited it into a work of art.

It is an amazing video, a little peek into my life, my business and my head. You might even say that I get a little excited when I am shooting. HA!

EyeSpy Weddings from ClamLakeFilms on Vimeo.

Nick has taken my advice and will be shooting more weddings and turning them into mini-motion pictures. We have 2 weddings together for 2010, and maybe more!! He is currently putting together a super new website, so if you want his contact info, let me know!

**THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED**

Yep, you read that right…I am giving away some wedding photography for a lucky couple in 2010!! I really want to help a deserving and fabulous couple who loves unique wedding photography but is having a hard time fitting that into the budget. Trust me, I know! Matt and I could not afford a lavish wedding, or even an “average” wedding. We definitely scrimped on photography (in addition to everything else) and not a day goes by that I don’t regret that. I would love to help out some great people and really do something nice this holiday season.

The Deal!
2009 is coming to an end but before the year is over, we still have the season of giving to look forward to! And with that theme in mind, EyeSpy Photography will be giving away a day of awesome wedding photography to a deserving couple getting married in 2010. You can nominate yourself or anyone you know who is getting married in 2010 and has a great story of why they deserve free wedding photography. The winning couple will be announced on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2009.

The lucky winners will receive, 8 hours of wedding coverage by Stephany at EyeSpy Photography, a private online gallery, and a 20 page custom designed 10×10 album. You can purchase extras if you wish, like a disc of high resolution images or a gallery wrap, but it is not required. The contest is open to any couple anywhere, but if the wedding is to take place outside of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, travel costs will be covered by the winners.

The winning couple must be willing to appear on the blog and have their story told. The contest starts November 23rd and is open for submissions until December 15th. EyeSpy Photography will choose 3 couples as finalists for the public to vote on. Then, voting will take place thru December 23rd. The couple with the most votes will win. The winning couple will be announced Christmas Day, December 25th, 2009 on the EyeSpy Photography Blog.

The Prize!
(valued at $3000)
- 8 hours of wedding day coverage by Stephany at EyeSpy Photography
- online private viewing gallery
- 10×10 custom designed album

The Rules!
*To enter, email Stephany at eyespyphoto@msn.com, with “Spirit of Giving 2010 Wedding Giveaway” as the subject line.
*Include your story of why you deserve free wedding photography, your wedding date, your wedding location, city and state, your contact information and some background info on the bride and groom.
*Please attach a recent photo of the couple.
*The contest starts November 23rd, 2009 and is open for submissions until December 15th, 2009 at midnight CST. 3 finalist couples will be chosen by EyeSpy Photography and have their stories posted on the blog for the public to read and vote on. Voting will take place December 16th thru December 23rd at midnight CST.
*The winning couple will be annouced on Christmas Day, December 25th, 2009 on the EyeSpy Photography Blog.
*Couples currently booked with EyeSpy Photography are not eligible.
*Entries only accepted via email.
*Subject to dates that Stephany is not already booked.

Remember Tara and Joe who had the fantastic wedding in Puerto Vallarta last November? Well, it is currently being featured on the Arizona Bride website! Check it out!

More Mexico pics!!! I just got the film back!

I totally brought my trusty green Holga across the border to see what kind of Mexican goodness I could find, and I found it. Everything about Puerto Vallarta was beautiful. I took some photos during the wedding and at the TTD shoot. Here are a few for ya’ll to enjoy!!

So the day after the wonderful wedding in Puerto Vallarta, EyeSpy’s work wasn’t done just yet. Tara and Joe had planned on trashing the dress the day after the ceremony. Now its very simple. After you are married, you put on your dress and get a little dirty. And wet. And the lining may rip out. But its all cool cuz it was planned. So a few days prior to the dress trashing appointment, Matt and I did a little recon mission in the city of Puerto Vallarta. We found some good little streets, the city’s cathedral and figured we would work our way to the ocean. And that is exactly what we did. And it was a blast. Someone videotaped us as we were all frolicking in the ocean, so if you see us on YouTube, let me know!

So there really is no more explaining, Matt and I along with a bride and a groom getting dirty in PV. AMAZING.

Love this one

These 2 are Matty’s

My view

Matt’s view

Awesome.

Matt’s

Matt’s

I had been waiting for this wedding since September 2007 for many reasons. #1, it was in Mexico. #2, this would be the first time I had left Luca for more than a day. #3, I could not wait to spend more time with Tara and Joe because they were so incredibly fun! The build up was almost unbearable, so much planning, packing and coordinating. I can’t believe it has been a week since Matt and I met up with gang down in Puerto Vallarta. They had 40+ family and friends make the trip down and all of them were so welcoming and just plain nice, that I tried to get myself adopted into the family.

The wedding took place at Las Caletas, which is about an hour boat ride south of Puerto Vallarta. What a gorgeous property! Half jungle, half forest, crazy birds everywhere and a perfect beach for a private wedding ceremony. Kelley was the wedding coordinator there and she was so attentive to every detail. Right after the ceremony on the beach, we moved up a few stairs to dinner. Everything was open and airy and the food was delish. While the guests were eating, a dance floor was set up right on the beach. It was such a perfect night, tons of stars, no bugs and comfortable weather for partying. It was an incredible experience and I am so lucky to have been a part of Tara and Joe’s beginning. There are so many photos that I would love to share on the blog, but this is the condensed version of what happened…

Joe’s ensemble

Tara’s beachy gown

Matt’s perfect ceremony shot

I love it!!!!

Flowers by Jen, a friend of Tara

Choco-licious

Surprise entertainment for the guests: fire dancers!

Congrats TVT and JT!! We had the most fun shooting with you, talking about dogs, and having a few cold ones. We wish you the best and please hurry up and move back to Minnesota!!
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This wedding is a 2 part posting. The day after the wedding, Joe and Tara, and Matt and I went down into the city and did a day after/trash the dress shoot. The images from that are outrageous!!! I would say the dress got trashed. Check back in a few days to see this shoot. Its killer!!!!!!!

Oh my gosh, Matt and I just got home late last night from shooting an amazing wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Yes, the weather was wonderful, but the people we spent the last 5 days with were just great!

I have a ton of emails to catch up on because the lack of computers and random internet service, but that will just have to wait until tomorrow. I am spending today with my sweet little chunk baby, who I missed so much!!

I have a ton of blogging to do with the wedding, the trashing of the dress (HOLY COOL!), and some fun personal photos I took of the city. But here is a little teaser for you to keep you coming back for more…….