Ace & Whim Workshops: Phoenix

If you follow along on Instagram, you may have seen the posts about the lookbook photoshoot I did with Karie Denny of Ace & Whim for Smitha Menon Bridal. Well, the film is back, and needless to say...they.are.incredible.

I knew when I met this talented lady for the first time over coffee, that Karie and I would be fast friends. Fast forward a few more breakfast dates filled with business chats, a shared admiration of Joy Thigpen, Eric McVey and an overwhelming urge to elevate fine art weddings here in Phoenix, and I was bursting at the opportunity for us to work together. 

First the photoshoot, and now, a workshop.

I've signed on as lead stylist and creative director to the amazing film photography workshop that Karie and her husband, Field, have created. The goal is simple: seeking to connect, inspire and evolve one's artistry through an intimate exploration of fine art photography.

The date has been set, the location booked. On September 6th, a group of very talented photographers of varying skill sets will come together for a day of class instruction covering branding, vendor relationships and getting published. There will be an incredible styled shoot. Specific lessons in hands on posing and direction. One on one portfolio reviews with the photography masters themselves.

If this is something that you may be interested in attending, or know someone who would be the perfect fit - email us! There are only two spots left, but then again, for the right enthusiastic individuals we may consider opening up a few more. :)

Happy hump day, friends!

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10 Cities, 5 Months: Coffee Shops I Met & Liked

Sometime in January of this year, Chris and I started to realize we had some serious traveling to do in the spring & summer. What started as a list of one, a trip to DC to see the cherry blossom festival, rapidly grew as wedding invitations rolled in, birthday celebrations were announced, and the On The Run Tour schedule was published. 

Once our planning list hit five trips, we tabled DC (sadly), realizing there are not enough hours in our non-balanced work lives to make six trips happen. Yet, as I sit here writing after returning home from a week in Seattle...I'm so thankful we didn't stop at five. Or six. Or seven. Our last trip home rounded out TEN out of town trips in the last five months, making me - officially - an airport expert, wanderlust addict, and DOALLTHETHINGS enthusiast of a wedding planner. A title I'm happy to bear. 

In March we visited Las Vegas for March Madness basketball shenanigans, in April I traveled to Fort Collins to throw my best friend a bridal/bachelorette weekend, in May we road-tripped to Palm Springs for a Mother's Day celebration in the desert and drove up to Prescott to get out of the heat, to spend time just the two of us. In June we celebrated one of our best friend's birthday in Chicago, Lucky & In Love executed a gorgeous beachside wedding in Carlsbad at a private estate, then we rounded out the month in Denver, then Estes Park for my best friend's wedding. In July we celebrated america's birthday and the birth of my other best friend's baby boy, then jetted of to Nashville to see the gorgeous farm nuptials of my dearest friend from high school. Finally, we rounded out the travel schedule with a trip home to Seattle for the Jay/Bey concert, and to spend time with our families. 

I would go into extreme details about each and every city, the sights we saw, the meals we ate and the rooftop cocktails we enjoyed, but let's be honest that's probably boring if you're not one of the two people who experienced all of it together. Instead, I'll share the amazing little coffee shops we managed to find in each city, in case you ever find yourself needing a caffeine fix in one of these great towns!

- the 2014 cross country coffee tour -

Prescott: Cuppers

Chicago: Bow Truss &  Intelligentsia

Carlsbad: Vinaka Cafe 

Denver: Little Owl Coffee

Coronado: Tartine

Nashville: Frothy Monkey &  Crema 

Seattle: El Diablo & Cherry Street

Bellevue: Café Cesura 

And of course, the Phoenix Greats: Lola, Giant, Vovomeena & Cartel

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Color Studies: No. 2

When designing your event, from a small scale dinner parties to birthday celebrations, holiday gatherings to weddings, it can be a bit overwhelming to settle on any one idea (thank you, pinterest). Do yourself a favor and start small. The most simple way to begin an event plan is to select a few colors to base the look of the event on. You can then build in textures, shades, smells, sounds and tastes, based on that carefully selected base color palette.

Each week, we'll discover a new potential color palette to inspire the start of your next bash.

Poppy Red - 1788C // Orange - 1645C // Purple - 7676C // Deep Royal - 7687C // Sky Blue - 291 C // Light Yellow - 1205 C

Party on.

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