The weather outside is frightful, but working nonstop is so delightful.
This December has been incredible! We started it off with a huge Holiday Gala for Hilton Grand Vacations and their 2000+ employees. We had two photo booths and three photographers out for the occasion, two of which were posted up at custom holiday themed red carpet step and repeats. The backdrops were accompanied by on-site printing, so every guest walked away with an awesome holiday memento.
After that we jumped right into 14 days of NFR action! We provided two photo stations for the B&W Trailer Hitches’ official fan zone booth in front of the Thomas & Mack Center. Guests were able to take pictures with custom backdrops featuring the Vegas Sign or Bodacious the Bull. Both stations were in a dead heat for popularity, but Bodacious ended up beating out the Vegas Sign 836 to 754. It was a close one! No matter who won, they were both tons of fun.
Up next was some more festive photos printed on-site for guests at MolyCorp's big Holiday Extravaganza at Green Valley Ranch. What a beautiful property and what an amazing party.
Wrapping up this busy holiday season was Exel’s annual Holiday Fete. This is the third year in a row they’ve had our photo booth out for their event, and boy do they have fun with it. There is always a non-stop line.
And I have officially run out of monikers for ‘Holiday Parties’. So here’s to a great year and hoping next year is even better!
~ Mike
Wedding Photography :: Sara+Jeff :: Bringin’ that Hollywood Glam
My recent bride asked for a photo shoot that was a little Vegas Glam mixed with Hollywood Starlet, a hint of Pinup Girl and sprinkled with a bit of Rock & Roll. Nailed it!
The day started off in Sara & Jeff's corner suite at The Cosmo for some getting ready shots and then we quickly hopped in the limo to head to the ceremony at Alexis Park's outdoor gazebo. We jumped back in that stretch and headed towards the Royal House Hotel for a private cake cutting session at the swanky Barrymore. They were amazingly accommodating and opened the joint an hour early just for us. Plus, The Barrymore is the perfect spot to capture that vintage glam look! Then we were off to Fremont, but first a quick stop at the Vegas Sign, not the actual one though. We switched it up and opted for the Jerry Misko mural of the famed sign located at 1st St & Coolidge, snuggled deep in the arts district. It was a nice change of pace. We wrapped it up with a walk down the ol' glitter gultch! Downtown Vegas is always my favorite place to shoot weddings. The romance of the twinkling lights, the enchanting glow of the neon, combine that with all the diverse textures and Fremont Street truly is a photographers dream.
~ Mike
Fiesta de Quinceañera
Once again we were brought out to one of our favorite venues in town, Hacienda Gardens, for a Quinceañera celebration. And, of course, our photo booth provided the entertainment. Well, the photo booth, along with a live mariachi band and some choreographed dancing provided by the Quinceañera and her friends. The dancing is always so amazing at these events, they must practice for weeks! I know I couldn't do it. Only dancing I could pull off was waltzing over to the dessert table for a stab at the chocolate fountain. ;)
As always, I look forward to my next event at Hacienda Gardens. All of their Quinceañera and wedding receptions are always so beautiful! Make sure to check them out for your next party.
~ Mike
I'll Be There For You!
Our recent (and completely awesome) bride Branka got the thrill of a lifetime when Bon Jovi walked her down the aisle! Check out the article below. Unfortunately, Vegas chapels aren't too cool with letting outside photography into their ceremonies, so we had to miss the rocker. No worries though, the rest of her shoot was amazing! http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/stop-the-presses/jon-bon-jovi-walks-superfan-down-aisle-las-173058037.html
Wedding Photography & Photo Booth :: Lisa+Andrew :: Taking This Show On The Road
Our Vegas Views package is often used for engagement shots. Frankly, it’s perfect for them. :) Way back in February of this year, Lisa and Andrew had recently moved to Vegas and came to me to get some ‘Vegas style’ shots for their engagement session. One problem, Andrew wasn't a big fan of photos. Challenge accepted! It turned out to not be much of a challenge at all, our Vegas Views is designed to be fun and painless as possible and they were fantastic. But the true testament came at the end of their shoot. Andrew said, not only did he enjoy his time, but they were the best photos he’s ever taken and I was now his photographer FOR LIFE! They then informed me that their wedding was going to be in San Diego, not Las Vegas. No problem! Yup, it’s time to take this show on the road! Cali road trip!
This was an all hands on deck kind of wedding. They were looking for photography, videography AND a photo booth… all down in sunny San Diego. You got it! We packed up the gear and headed south. We got there a day early so we could scout locations and put together a game plan. This one was going off without a hitch. After meeting with the friendly staff at Torrey Pines Christian Church in beautiful La Jolla, we stayed for the rehearsal. The bride & groom were both so calm and collected. Andrew especially always has a cool demeanor to him, nothing can faze him (he didn't even sweat when the limo was a no show on the wedding day, eeek!) And Lisa, you couldn’t wipe the smile off her face if you tried. She was beaming. They are an amazing couple and I couldn’t wait to watch them walk down the aisle. After a little bit of sightseeing, we all called it an early night and got some rest for the big day.
Once the morning came we sprang into action. While Tyge was setting up multiple video cameras at the church, I ran to setup the photo booth at The Palms Banquet Hall & Restaurant where the reception would follow later. I doubled back and began shooting the bride’s preparation shots. I often get to see the look of happiness in the groom’s eye when he sees the bride for the first time, but I rarely get to experience that moment of awe for myself. When I walked in the room for the first time, she truly looked like a fairy princess. I was half expecting to see cartoon birds helping to put the veil on.
The ceremony was inside the stained glass adorned chapel at Torrey Pines. Being from Las Vegas I rarely get to see a venue this gorgeous. No offense Vegas, but everything looks like it’s in a shopping center. Afterwards, we brought the entire wedding party and every guest out to the front courtyard for one big group shot. I love finding new ways to document every wedding attendee. This was the perfect way to not miss a single person.
We then made our way back to The Palms, the reception was just as fairytale as the ceremony, full of teal lights and crystals. And, of course, the photo booth was a huge hit. The trend for the night at the booth was photobombing the group that went before you on their fourth photo. It made for some hilarious photo strips. The only thing that truly bummed me out about the entire evening, was when it was over. Working with Lisa & Andrew has been such a pleasure, I really wish they could get married every weekend. ~ Mike
