sooo without further ado, here is a peek at their wedding!

This was a truly cross-cultural affair with both Jen’s Korean heritage and James’ English background represented. The celebration began with a midweek tea ceremony at Jen’s family home. they were just adorable in their hanboks! The wedding ceremony was held at Cranbrook House and Gardens – I absolutely LOVE shooting Cranbrook weddings.  The grounds are just amazing for photography.

Jen and James both work in advertising/design, so it was no surprise to see they had created a beautiful crest for their wedding stationary.

loved her classic bouquet of white roses and her sparkly kate spades!

I LOVED these groomsmen’s style with the ties and cravats – so dashing!!ceremony in the Cranbrook libraryguests enjoyed tea, scones and passed champagne (among other goodies!) after the ceremony

meanwhile, we made ample use of the Cranbrook gardens…

reception at the Townsend Hoteland, i’ll end it with some bling thanks Jen and James!

Tom and I are looking for assistants for the upcoming season!

Please note – this is NOT a photography position.  It could possibly develop into some second shooting, but initially we are only looking for assistant work.  You will be setting up and handling lights, using a reflector, hauling gear, stuff like that.  Not the most glamorous gig on the planet – but for the right person, this is an excellent opportunity to learn a TON about event photography and on-location lighting.  The ideal candidate is at least 18 years of age, a hard worker, physically fit enough to carry 50+ lbs, and has a valid drivers license and reliable car.  You also have to be OK with pretty much giving up your weekends Interest in photography is a bonus but not necessarily a requirement.

Interested applicants should get in touch via email – info@abbyrosephoto.com  NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

Pay is commensurate with experience, but will likely begin somewhere around $10/hour.

Please help spread the word if you know someone you think would be a good fit!

And just because, what’s a blog post without a photo – meet our new pup, Sammy! He is bringing us SO MUCH JOY

i am SO excited to share images from this incredible event we photographed earlier this year.  Livvy and her family were a joy to work with and they amassed an absolute “dream team” of vendors to throw one heck of a party.  Check it out!

Photos at her Shaarey Zedek rehearsal

and than onto the party!  here’s where it gets really fun

First I’ll show off the artwork I created from her lifestyle shoot.  The inspiration here (obviously!) was the classic ipod ads.  I shot Livvy in-studio and recreated the ipod art in post-production

and here’s a peek at how the imagery was used throughout her party

the ballroom looked STUNNING.  Knollwood was completely transformed by Dee Dee Hoffman and her team with beautiful draping and lighting

gorgeous florals by Jeffrey at Fleurtech

And we can’t forget the STILTWALKERS and FIREATERS!!!

Miss Livvy was looking AHHHdorable

playing around with some more dramatic lighting to show off that dress!

StarTrax brought their A-team!

Livvy preformed an awesome dance routine with MCs Josh and Dennis for her big entrance

the hora!

super-yummy desserts – including frozen hot chocolate and pinkberry!!

and each kid went home with a customized ‘liv it up’ sweatshirt featuring my ipod artwork

whew!  what a fantastic party – thanks so much to Livvy and fam!  We loved getting to work with you guys!

synagogue: SHAAREY ZEDEK / party venue: KNOLLWOOD / planning and design: DDH PARTY DESIGN / dj/mc/dancers: STARTRAX / florist: FLEURTECH

First – a pic I took of her for her new website.  isn’t she stunning?!

and now, her guest post:

“Yes!”

Saying “yes” to your new fiancé is one of the most exciting moments of your life, which is then followed by some of the busiest moments of your life until your wedding day.  One important detail that often goes unnoticed is taking care of your skin. It is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for your big day, and that one hour facial can be a relaxing getaway from all of the excitement that surrounds your wedding. Aside from relaxation, taking care of your skin is the foundation for that dewy glow that is coveted by every bride. The skin care experts (licensed Estheticians) at Jessica’s Skin & Body Apothecary, based in Ann Arbor, MI, can assist you with creating a radiant look for not only your wedding photographs and keepsake album, but for a lifetime.

Exfoliation & Hydration

One of the most common problems that we see in the skin is dehydration. This condition can be caused by using a harsh cleansing routine: over counter cleansers, cleansing pads, and bar soaps; because these cleansers strip the skin of moisture while attempting to remove dirt, oil, and makeup. This leaves skin rough and often overly sensitize and red, dull and grey, or with superficial fine lines.

•Sensitive and red: A rough texture of the skin –from dehydration– creates the overly sensitive and reddish appearance. The solution is to use a creamy cleanser (that does not foam) twice daily. This type of cleanser will leave a lipid (oil) barrier on your skin that will protect and prevent moisture loss. Do not just splash your face with water; water is dehydrating to the skin too! Exfoliation for sensitive and dehydrated skin should be minimal. Jessica’s skincare experts recommend Pevonia’s Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser with perfectly round (not rough) jojoba beads in a cream base. For irritated skin, nourishment is the key.

•Dull and grey: When dehydration causes skin to look dull and grey, exfoliation is in order. The dead skin that sits on the surface makes your face look dull, ashy, and grey. To illuminate your skin, Jessica’s skin care experts will exfoliate it with lactic acid (the most hydrating of the exfoliating acids), and pomegranate and pumpkin enzymes. Following this, the Glymed Plus Hydrating Enzyme Mask can be applied to infuse your skin with hyaluronic and alpha lipoic acids, to brighten and plump the skin.

•Fine lines: Superficial fine lines are either created by aging or improper care of the skin. While we cannot easily get rid of the lines due to aging, we can easily correct those from improper care by eliminating the harsh cleansing routine and replacing it with creamy cleansers and cleansers with natural foaming agents. Using Glycolic Acid to exfoliate, in the form of a mask or night cream, is an effective way to soften fine lines. Jessica’s skin care experts recommend Glymed Plus Anti Aging Exfoliant Mask and Eminence Organic Naseberry Treatment Cream.

Ready for Your Close-Up

You will not be the only one appreciating your newly soft and glowing skin. Your wedding day makeup artist will as well and will appreciate it! This is because makeup will go on smoother and look more natural when applied on hydrated skin, hence that dewy look.

Jessica’s Skin Care Expert Tip:For focus on the eyes, consider using a Peptide cream (Glymed Plus Peptide Complex) to soften the tissues around the eyes. An eye cream rich in iron (Eminence Wild Plum Eye Cream) will reduce dark circles, while an eye gel with anti-inflammatory properties (Glymed Eye Calm) will focus on puffiness.

The Perfect Gift

Have you ever thought about asking for facial treatments as a wedding gift? What about giving it as a gift to your wedding party? Every time the bride looks at her photographs from her wedding she will fondly remember who to thank for her radiant skin. Added benefits to this gift is receiving lasting results for healthy skin as well as knowledge on how to keep up the effects of your facial from Jessica’s Skin and Body Apothecary that will be pictured in your keepsake album for a lifetime.

For more information and to book your appointment at Jessica’s Skin and Body Apothecary, go to www.jessicasapothecary.com

Thanks, Jess!  See ya at my next appointment

This was our first time shooting at Planterra – a huge indoor greenhouse in West Bloomfield.  such a unique and beautiful event space!  I think I gasped out loud when I walked in and saw the ceremony setup

the silver chiavari chairs were just perfect

you gotta love a bride who rocks blue shoes!

STUNNING bridal jewelery

and how fun are whit’s cufflinks?!

super-cool wood cut invites

really sweet moment with dana and her dad

first look with WhitDOGGY BUDDY!!!

a short and sweet ceremony

SUCH A STUNNING VENUE!  I just LOVED shooting here

these fun personalized photobooth strips helped guide guests to their tables

Dana changed into this adorable, sassy little dress for a choreographed first dance with Whit

awesome cake!

whit’s whole family are crazy talented musicians.  he performed a song he composed for Dana!

and that was followed up with a ukelele/harmonica jam performed by his whole family!COOKIE TABLE!!!WHIT AND DANA:  thank you, thank you!  We had a ball meeting and photographing you, and we LOVED shooting this Planterra Wedding – hope to be back soon!

venue: Planterra / planner: Andrea Solomon / cookie bar: Marty’s Cookies

When I’m meeting with prospective clients to discuss wedding or portrait photography, they are often totally confused about image retouching. I get asked things like “do you retouch every image” and “how do you get your photos to look like that?!”. Every photographer is different, but for me, there are three different “stages” of image retouching. There’s straight-out-of-camera, which is just what sounds like. The next level is what I call the ‘proof stage’. This is basic adjustments for color, density, and contrast. I shoot a RAW file, so every single image you see is processed at least to the proof stage. Often times, that’s enough! I pride myself on getting my images right in-camera, so really, they don’t need much. But sometimes I want to create something special, and that’s where photoshop comes in. The “art level” is the final stage of retouching, and this includes things like skin smoothing, beauty retouching, and custom toning and other creative effects.

Here’s a few examples from the session I’m working on right now. The images on the left are straight-out-of-camera. On the right they are “art processed”

now obviously, Catherine doesn’t need much here you can see I’ve removed some distracting elements in the foreground, warmed the white balance, brightened up her eyes a bit, used some very basic beauty retouching and applied a custom color tone.

same thing here – warmer tone, custom color

and a black-and-white example, too. straight-out-of-camera on the left, art processed on the right

Hopefully this was somewhat illuminating!  Of course, it would be pretty impossible to do complete art retouching on every single one of your wedding images (that is, if you wanted to get your proofs back anytime this decade!).  But every image that goes into your album is given this treatment as needed.  And with portrait sessions, every single image you order is always art processed.  I do like to ‘keep it real’ in my image processing, avoiding super-trendy looks and plastic-looking skin. But I also appreciate a little photoshop magic here and there

their adorable pups joined us for a bit in the beginning

seriously – the way these two look at each other!!  I MELT!

thanks guys!  we are SO EXCITED for the wedding – our first of 2012!!

A few portraits at Shaarey Zedek

and onto the party!  This was such a darling one – the theme was “Maddie’s Masquerade”

LOVE HER DRESS!!

I love how they incorporated images from our lifestyle shoot into the event decor.  I took these dramatic, black-and-white portraits of Maddie in the studio and graphic genius Barb Mandell created these pieces.

BEST BAT MITZVAH SHOES EVER!!

fun masks for the guests to play around with

Maddie has SO MANY FRIENDS – it was tough keeping up with her all night

super-cool dance routine preformed with StarTrax MC Dennis

yummy dessert table

the hora!

it’s not just the kiddos having a blast!

I loved this little father-son moment

dancing the night away….

Thank you Maddie and fam!  We had an absolute blast!

synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Zedek / party: Franklin Hills / event design and planning: Leslie Jacobs / DJ and MCs: Star Trax / day-of-coordination: Party Assurance

The weekend began with a festive rehearsal dinner at Woodford Reserve distillery.

the blessing

and now onto the main event!  the wedding day celebration, which was held at the historic Shaker Village just outside of Lexington.

not one, but TWO amazing dresses.  A Vera Wang for the ceremony, and a Monique Lhuillier for the evening

the most beautiful fall day you could ever hope for….

a set of candlesticks with the lyrics to ‘my old kentucky home’ for every guest!

crazy amazing bouquet (by Bel-Air Florists)

adorable kiddos

beautiful ceremony site

after the ceremony guests enjoyed lawn games and a killer bluegrass band

CAKE PINATA!!!

some really amazing musicians on hand to perform

and a bonfire (and s’mores!) to wind down the night….

AMAZING.  Thanks Bryan, Phoebe and family for including us in your day!

VENDORS:  venue: Shaker Village / florist: Bel-Air Florist / wedding planner: Marcie Hancock, A Thorough Fare / tent & decor: Skyline Tent Company / furniture: The Event Company / bluegrass band: Whistlin’ Rufus / reception band: First Impression

synagogue:Shir Shalom/party:The Henry Hotel/DJ:StarTrax/DOC:Party Assurance/on-site activities:Entertainment by Design

Want to see more?  As I was pulling images to blog, there were so many I loved, I decided to make it a featured gallery in my portfolio.  Check it out here!