Vendor Spotlight: Ryan Weeger Photography

Ryan Weeger is such a talented photographer! He's young and so much fun. His creativity is unbelievable and he has so much passion for what he does.  Not to mention we went to high school together and were in the same Biology class!  We were both the dorky kids....but I must say, I think we have both blossomed quite well, haha :) Oh, and he skateboarded to the most recent time we just had coffee...that's pretty rad in my book!  Get a little glimpse into his fun personality, and enjoy some eye candy of his fabulous work.

·     Cat or Dog? I suppose I’m a bit of both, although we don’t have any pets we definitely have some food mooching kitties in our neighborhood. They guard our place when we’re out :)
·     Twilight or Harry Potter? Gotta say neither on this one. I’m definitely into the drama/comedy type movies, I like real like stuff!
·     Mac or PC? Most definitely Mac based, that warm glow of the apple on my macbook lid just keeps me coming back.
·     Sweet or Salty? Both! Have you even tried those sweet and salty granola bars? So good. I am all about mixing it up, food included.
·     Beer or Wine?  I am definitely into my beers, but no snobbiness from me, I’m an equal opportunity beer lover. My favorites drafts will always be craft IPA’s, I love the hoppy stuff. And wine? Sarah and I were married at a winery in Temecula and honeymooned in Sonoma, so we are definitely into wine as well.
·     Mountains or Beach? I’m definitely a mountains/cold weather guy. I do love the beach as well but there is nothing like crisp cold air and the solitude the mountains bring.
·     Neat or Messy? Clean cut and pretty darn neat. I like my stuff in order, no surprises!
·     What is the last book you read? The Internet is a Playground by David Thorne. If you are into ultra dry and pretty crass humor, you truly can’t go wrong or stop laughing with this stuff.
·     Most embarrassing moment? These happen a lot; I’m always pushing the limits to see what I can get away with, whether it be photographing a wedding or racing my bike. I am pretty competitive and the one embarrassing thing that stands out to me is quitting a bike race. It was really hot, and tough, and I gave in. It won’t happen again I promise that much.
·     Favorite sports team? I grew up in Huntington Beach and still live here. My favorite sports teams are definitely the Angels and the Chargers. I can’t wait till football season starts up again!
·     What was the last movie you went to see? I saw Crazy, Stupid, Love with my wife recently, it was AWESOME. 
·     Who would play you in a movie? Tough one, but I’d have to go with Matt Damon. Mostly for the fact that I love every movie he plays a role in.  
·     What is your favorite drink?  Definitely an Ice Cold Pliny the Elder Double IPA. I know it’s kind of a weird name for a beer, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
·     What is in your refrigerator right now? A bunch of good beers, lots of fruit, veggies galore, sandwich ingredients and of course some eggs and bacon. We love cooking from home so we are usually pretty well stocked.
·     What is your favorite place to eat? I am definitely a huge fan of Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach. For some local good stuff Sarah and I frequent the Secret Spot in Huntington Beach.
·     What TV reality show or game show would you go on? I am not a big reality show guy, but I would definitely accept an invite to the Shark Tank, I have some good ideas ;) I leave the game shows to my wife Sarah, she was on Wipeout and made it into the top 6!
·     How many pairs of shoes do you own? I keep it pretty simple, Flip Flops mostly when I’m not in my working weddings in my dress kicks.
·     Where did you grow up? Huntington Beach born and raised.
·     Where have you gone to school? I went to High School at Marina in Huntington Beach. I spent 3 years at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and 1 year taking photo classes at Orange Coast College.
·     What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Develop a relationship or connection with each of your wedding day vendors. It is such an intimate and special day in your lives and you want to be able to connect and get along with everyone involved with your wedding day, whether its your florist or photographer. Getting to know each vendor creates a great relationship from the beginning.
·     What is your best marriage advice? Stay true to yourself and put your spouse first. And don’t neglect those awesome date nights and spur of the moment trips and fun things you did before you were married! Now you can do that stuff all the time :)
·     One of your favorite wedding moments? I love the moment when either the bride or groom show their emotion, and when they can’t hold it back and get misty or shed some tears of happiness. Thats the best.
·     Anything else we should know? What I really love the most about photographing weddings is the connection with the couples I work with, and the relationship we develop before the wedding through their special day and afterwards. I live for the moment when a couple gets their images and is moved and emotions flow. That is when I am humbled and all the hard work has paid off, it truly is the best feeling.

  

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Vendor Spotlight: Bethany Commemory Fine Art

This is a very unique kind of wedding vendor post and I am so excited to introduce something so special to everyone! Bethany is an incredible artist who creates timeless pieces to commemorate a very special part of your wedding- the dress! She works hard to create unique pieces that are personal to you and your personality and style through a collage of mixed-media on canvas. It is evident through her paintings that she is so passionate about capturing the most special memories.  Check out her interview as well as some of her work below!

Also, don't forget to stop by her Facebook page and website!
                                                                                                                                                              Cat or Dog? Dogs: Hendrix and Jagger 
                                                                                                                                                      Twilight or Harry Potter? Twilight


Mac or PC? Both

Sweet or Salty? Both, one bite after the other ;-)

Beer or Wine? Beer

Mountains or Beach? Mountains until I can get back in my bikini

Neat or Messy? Neat

What is the last book you read? The Help 

Most embarrassing moment? The latest one - Not knowing who the owners of a prestigious bridal salon were at a recent event they hosted and asked them, "Do you work here?"

Favorite sports team? The New York Giants

What was the last movie you went to see? Crazy Stupid Love

Who would play you in a movie? Charlize Theron 

What is your favorite drink? Cucumber water

What is in your refrigerator right now? Greek yogurt and cherries

What is your favorite place to eat? Sushi, can't narrow it down to one

What TV reality show or game show would you go on? Big Brother

How many pairs of shoes do you own? 50+

Where did you grow up? Montville, NJ

Where have you gone to school? The University of Arizona
  
What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Do what is important to you and your fiancé. Give it personal touches special to the both of you. Don't worry so much about traditions - make your own.

What is your best marriage advice? Treat your husband today as if he were gone forever tomorrow.

One of your favorite wedding moments? Seeing my husband for the first time before the ceremony. It was the most calming and happy moment.

Anything else we should know? Some tips for working with me, it's easier than one might think. A bride, groom, mom, future mother-in-law, maid-of-honor/wedding party (my paintings make a great gift) just need to provide the following items to make the painting as special as possible -
- Photos of the dress
- Wedding/favorite colors
- Names and wedding date
- Important/Personal elements or symbolism to the bride and groom like where they met, got engaged, wedding location, vows, phrases, music lyrics, favorite flowers, favorite place etc.




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Real Advice From a Real Bride: YogaBabes

I love this segment we do every so often!  My former brides pass on advice now that they have been through it all!  A bride very near and dear to me, Jessica, shared some of her advice with me to post and I think it is so awesome.  She was working on becoming a yoga instructor during the planning process and she has passed on some fabulous poses and advice....although I don't think it's possible to look as good as she does in the pictures...gosh darn her!  Anyways, enjoy!

"In one month and one day I will have been married for one year! With our anniversary fast approaching, I have recently found myself reflecting back not only on the magical day itself but also those hectic last few weeks leading up to our wedding. The work it takes to make your wedding so special and flawless is, as all of you brides-to-be already know, tremendous. I was blessed to have found Holly early on in my planning process, so I had plenty of help along the way. Yet even with all the help in the world, planning a wedding can still at times a very arduous and emotionally draining process – am I right ladies?


Holly has asked me if I have any advice for her beautiful brides and I do. My biggest piece of advice is to make sure you take care of yourself. It is easy to forget about ‘you’ while busy taking care of day-to-day errands, taking care of the wedding contracts, and taking care of addressing all the save-the-dates (because let’s be real, your husband’s handwriting just won’t do). Do make a conscious effort to take a break from all things wedding at least once a day and do something just for yourself. This doesn't mean take a break from wedding stuff to work on other 'work' or chip away at your non-wedding to-do list. Taking a break really means taking a break! It can be journaling, knitting, reading, running, surfing, baking… anything that brings you happiness.

While I was wedding planning, I really relied on yoga as my 'break'. I found yoga to be cathartic, calming, grounding, and it left me feeling more positive. Participating in exercise of any kind is a fabulous way of effectively managing stress since exercise produces endorphins (your happy hormones). Interestingly enough, yoga made such an impact on my life, that shortly after my wedding I became a yoga teacher!

I have created a Simply Sweet and Stress-free series of asanas (poses) that you can try next time you feel like taking a break from wedding planning! I hope you enjoy the poses and my advice and they bring some peace to your very busy life. Never forget that all of your hard pre-wedding work will be worth it come your big day."
Simply Sweet and Stress-free Yoga
1.    Child’ Pose –. Bring your knees out wide, big toes to touch and sit on your heels. Lay your torso forward between your thighs. Extend arms out. Stay as long as comfortable.
2.    Puppy Pose- come onto all fours, so that your shoulders are above your wrists and your hips are above your knees. Walk your hands forward a few inches, engage your arms and keep them where they are as you gently pull your hips back and up. Maintain this pose for 15-30 seconds.
3.    Cat Cow Pose- Again start on all fours. Inhale to Cow, arch your back so your navel reaches for the ground and your tailbone and gaze reach up to the sky. Exhale to Cat, arch your back so that your tailbone points down and so does your gaze. Repeat Cat-Cow 3-5Xs.

4.    Bridge- come onto your back. Bend your knees and bring your heels right up to your bottom. Send your hips up high, tuck your shoulders under and grasp your hands under your torso. Gaze is straight up at the ceiling. Release your hands when ready to release the pose. Hold for 15-30 seconds before your slowly lower.

5.    Standing Forward Fold. Come up to standing and with a flat back slowly fold forward. When fully folded, arms can rest on the thighs, shins, or floor (but never on the knees). Stay in this stretch for 15-30 seconds and rise ever so slowly.

6.    Reclining Bound Angle Pose- Come to your back for our final pose. Bend your knees and let them fall open and bring the soles of your feet to touch. Close your eyes and focus on your breath (not on wedding planning hehe) and enjoy!




For more on how to live like a YogaBabe visit me at www.yogababes.me.