Posted by: Turn Loose The Art | April 5th, 2011
Joanna and Drew hold a special place in our hearts. Not just because they’re our 2010 winners of the Free Wedding Photography Contest, but because we’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the last year, since we started talking way back when!
Their wedding day was a gorgeous mix of Southern style and Indian tradition, which made for elegant, yet colorful pictures throughout the day! Joanna was drop dead gorgeous in her wedding gown, as well as her traditional Indian sari for the reception. The ceremony was held at Canterbury United Methodist in Mountain Brook, while the reception rocked Linc Point in Birmingham.
There were so many unique highlights to Drew and Joanna’s big day, it’d be hard to list them all! A few favorites included the traditional Indian band which played the most BEAUTIFUL wedding music during the ceremony, the Indian-themed food tent at the reception, and the dance production put on by the bridesmaids and groomsmen in honor of the newlyweds!
Many thanks to the awesome vendors we got to work with during their day, including Happy Catering, Danny with Feel the Beat Entertainment, GoPro Event Solutions, and Design Productions.
To Drew and Joanna, you are both amazing people … and making a wonderful couple. We’re so grateful for the opportunity we’ve had to get to know you over the last year, and couldn’t wait to share a few images from you big day!
Two weeks in a row, the Colorbooth lit up the reception all night!
Tags: 3.0, alabama, and, Birmingham, brandon, canterbury, church, color, contest, cultural, d3, free, Free Wedding Photography Contest, gresham, indian, Linc, methodist, nikon, Photographer, photography, point, reception, simple, simple-color, southern, stacey, UMC, united, Weddings
Posted by: Turn Loose The Art | August 8th, 2010
Stacey and I were nothing short of blown away by the response to this year’s Free Wedding Photography Contest 3.0! We’ve seen the number of submissions and interest in the contest grow from year one to year two … but this year we saw the lid get blown off. More than forty submissions later, we found ourselves earlier this week making one of the toughest decisions that we’ve been confronted with since we started this little picture business back in 2005. There were just too many good stories.
We’re so grateful for each and every person who took the time to open up to us a little, and share some happy, sad, wonderful, difficult, awkward, and inspiring moments with us. From being forced to meet your fiance for the first time while singing “My Humps” at the karaoke bar, to waiting just a little too long for the “Yes” after getting down on one knee, this year’s stories also allowed us to laugh about some of the wonderful moments that people encountered on their way to finding love.
When all the deliberations were complete, Stacey and I felt like we had found three amazing couples, with three inspiring stories. Not all the relationships we chose started off great, or were without some bumps along the way. But one common factor in each story, is that all three of our finalists inspired us by overcoming great odds, long distances, and difficult moments in life. These couples have, or are, going through some serious trials, but it’s obvious that one thing that isn’t faltering is the love they have for each other.
So for a third year, we want to finish by sending a HUGE thank you to ALL of the couples, family, and friends who submitted stories to our contest. We’re always inspired to hear some of the wonderful ways that love and relationships can persevere and prosper, even through the toughest situations.
Without further delay, we’d like to announce our three finalist, in no particular order, for the Free Wedding Photography Contest 3.0! ….
(Side note for family and friends: Our judges want to hear from you! Use the comments section of this post to let us know WHO you think should win our Free Wedding Photography Contest 3.0, and why. Ready, set, go!)
DREW and JOANNA
CARMEN and CHARLES
ADAM and MARILANE
We’ll be sharing a little bit about our contest winners when we announce them next weekend!
The next step in the contest involves a number of our family and friends, who will now take their pick on who they feel the contest winner should be. We’ll be sending the stories off to my and Stacey’s parents, my brother and his wife, our best friends John and Kara, and our 2010 winners, Jessica and Mark. We’ll be contacting our contest winners next Sunday to share the good news with them, and get to work planning pictures for their big day!!!
For now, we’d like to say one more big “thank you” to all who entered this year’s contest, and good luck with all of your wedding plans!
(And remember, our judges want to hear from you! Use the comments section of this post to let us know WHO you think should win our Free Wedding Photography Contest 3.0, and why. Ready, set, go!)
-Brandon and Stacey
Tags: 3.0, Announcements, color, contest, free, Free Wedding Photography Contest, gresham, Photographer, photography, simple, simple-color, southern, Weddings
Posted by: Turn Loose The Art | May 4th, 2010
It’s hard to believe that it’s already time again for our annual Free Wedding Photography Contest!!! This is, by far, one of the favorite things that Stacey and I do with our business each year!
We’ve been so blessed to meet two amazing couples these past few years! We shot our First Year winners, Cassidy and Ben’s wedding last Spring …
… and can’t wait for Jessica and Mark’s big day this fall!
Sooo…… here’s the low down for this year’s contest …
Stacey and I are announcing today that we want to shoot someone’s wedding completely free of charge in 2011. But before you get excited…there’s a catch.
We’re looking for a couple that has a story to tell. Whether it’s a hardship they’ve overcome, or one they’re currently facing….we want to hear their story. And we want them, a family member or a friend to tell us why they feel we should shoot their wedding for free. However, it DOESN’T take a story of tough times or being down on your luck to win the contest. Perhaps you know a couple getting married soon who are active in the community, volunteer, or are simply amazing people. Tell us about them!!!
So here’s what the couple that we choose will get in return for their story:
- A full day of wedding coverage by Stacey and Brandon
- Their wedding proofs on a copyright-free DVD
- A free engagement shoot, including a copyright-free DVD of the images
- A free bridal shoot, including a copyright-free DVD of the images
Here are the guidelines:
- The couple, or a family member or friend of the couple, must submit a written story via email of why they feel they deserve a free wedding from Gresham Photography.
- The submission must include a picture of the couple for us to use when we announce the winner.
- Family and friends of the couple are more than welcome to submit for the couple, but please be sure they would want us to shoot their wedding before you do!
- The couple can be getting married anywhere in the world in 2011, but travel expenses are not included in the giveaway. While we will travel anywhere to shoot your big day, we simply can’t afford to pay for airfare, or travel outside of 100 miles from Birmingham, Alabama without a little help. We welcome submission from anywhere, but with the understanding that you might have to help out with some travel expenses if we pick you.
- Your date must be open on our calendar. We will hold all dates of submissions we receive open until a winner has been chosen.
- Your submission must be TRUE. This contest IS for couples who have overcome great odds, hardships, or are otherwise deserving of free wedding photography. This contest IS NOT for people who can afford a photographer, and just want to win something free.
Please include the following in your submission:
- The bride and grooms’ first and last names.
- Their story (How they met, got engaged, and why they deserve this free wedding coverage)
- Contact information for both of them.
- The wedding date and location (We at least need to know the city/town where the wedding will be.)
- A digital picture of the couple measuring no less than 900 pixels in size on its longest side. (The image is solely used in our blog posts announcing the finalists and winners, not in the judging/decision making regarding the contest!)
- All submission must be received by midnight on August 1, 2010.
- The final three deserving couples will be announced on our blog on August 8, 2010 by midnight.
- The final couple will be announced and contacted by August 15, 2010!!!
- Please email your submissions to brandon@simple-color.com.
Our selection committee will be made up of two of our closest friends, my brother and his wife, both our sets of parents, and 2010 Winners, Jessica and Mark. Stacey and I will choose the three finalists, but will leave the big winners up to our family and friends.
If you’d like to know more about the history of the Free Wedding Photography Contest, check out the blog post stream from the past to years!
That’s it! We look forward to hearing from you and please feel free to contact me with any questions!
-Brandon
Tags: 3.0, alabama, and, Announcements, Birmingham, brandon, color, contest, free, Free Wedding Photography Contest, giveaway, gresham, Photographer, photography, simple, simple-color, stacey, Weddings
