things that rock my world. blush magazine. an alberta lifestyle and wedding magazine.

I recently messaged Najla, the owner and editor of Blush Magazine and asked if she'd allow me to photograph her for my "things that rock my world" blog series. She obliged and I was stoked!! What a cool opportunity to meet with another small business owner, entrepreneur and dreamer! Blush, local to Alberta, features gorgeous Real-Life weddings, styled inspirational bridals with stunning details, and highlights hundreds of the best wedding vendors Alberta has to offer (See that gorgeous magazine cover below?  It was shot by local photographer Jill Coursen!  The bouquet?  Tickled Floral!  The gown?  From Delica Bridal!  Local awesome hardworking lady folk!). During the shoot Najla shared a bit of her journey to get her vision for Blush Magazine off the ground and then, once it had come to fruition, how hard she worked (for YEARS!!) to get it into mainstream stores. Blush is now published bi-annually and is stocked in Chapters and Indigo stores throughout Alberta. Be sure to check out Blush magazine next time you're wandering the aisles of those stores as well as the creative content that fill its pages!

Props to Jack'd Up Beauty Boutique for Najla's beautiful hair and makeup!

Noticed that gorgeous backdrop behind Najla? It's from the genius mind of The Paper Wedding by Carmen (Yes, it's made completely of paper!). She does work for tons of weddings and events so be sure to check out her work, too!

Know what else rocks my world? Check it out:

YEG Wed/POP Jukebox (A wedding blogger AND a killer DJ?? What?!!)

Eliasz and Ella (Banging bracelets and more from right here in Edmonton)

Beautygram (Don't send flowers! Send a Beautygram!!)

Lottie Da Designs (No joke - the most stunning bridal jewelry you have EVER seen)

Dani Press (Greeting Cards for this decade. Dani is da bomb.)

And hey, I shoot weddings, too!  Check my work out here and shoot me an email if you're looking for someone to capture your love!

suburbia hair spa inc. and a whole lot of gorgeous. edmonton photographers.

I truly do love networking with other professionals that surround the photography industry so it was awesome to meet up with Thyda from Suburbia Hair Spa Inc. in St. Albert to photograph some promotional material for her salon. Not only do they offer cuts and styling for both men and women but they also rock out makeup, manicures, pedicures and men's shaves! Check out some of my favorite photos from the shoot! Props to the hard work put in by an excellent team:

Hair/Pedicure: Suburbia Hair Spa Inc. Makeup: Hamana's Artistry Models: Amelia Neo (Numa Models) and Amanda Buyco

I love networking but my true passion is as an Edmonton wedding photographer!  Check out some of my wedding work here and shoot me an email if you're looking for a photographer for your wedding!

Photographers Edmonton, Edmonton Wedding Photographers, St. Albert Wedding Photographers

things that rock my world. YEG wed. edmonton wedding photography.

I adore weddings and love networking so I jumped on the chance to meet up with and photograph the lovely Stacey from YEG Wed. Stacey is an Edmonton wedding blogger who is extremely passionate about showing brides-to-be that they can have the wedding of their dreams right here in Edmonton. She makes a point of blogging about the best that Edmonton has to offer from photographers, venues, makeup artists, hairstylists...the list goes on! It was great to chat with Stacey over coffee about her love and drive for her businesses in this crazy industry that we both love so much. Kudos to her for working hard to make her businesses successful. It ain't easy but it sure is awesome and that pretty much rocks my world :) Stacey also rocks it as an incredible DJ with her company POP Jukebox - Check out her DJ site here if you're looking for someone to rock it at your wedding!)

I love photographing hard working entrepreneurs but, sure enough, my main passion is photographing weddings. Check out more of my wedding work here and then shoot me an email if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love!

Want to see what else rocks my world? Check it out here :)

aeris photography: an edmonton wedding photography workshop.

I'm just wrapping up another year of business and I have to say that every year I've grown. A lot. I'm ready to spread the love and share the in's and out's of what I've learned in my journey thus far so I'm now opening spots to my first Edmonton wedding photography workshop!

This workshop will cover:

-Light. Using natural light as well as on and off-camera flash (and when I use each one).

-Settings. How I achieve the looks I want.

-Posing. From individual portraits to posing a group and everything in between.  We'll also have a styled couple there to practice with!

-How to shoot in numerous wedding situations. Getting ready, details, ceremonies, family photos, Formals and bride/groom portraits, receptions, etc.

-How to shoot in in the best light and the absolute worst.

-Business. What I've learned about style, branding, editing, consistency and vision.

-Contracts.  What you need to know.

-Client Care. What I've learned about booking awesome clients and keeping them happy.

Workshop date is Sunday, February 22, 2015 

Time: 10 am until you feel like you've got a handle of what you've learned!

Where:  Woodvale Community Facility (4540 50 St.  Edmonton)

Cost is $350 + gst.  Lunch, snacks, tea and coffee are included.

A 50% retainer is due to book your spot. The remaining 50% is due one week prior to the workshop.

Shoot me an email if you want in and we'll make it happen! Can't wait to see you there!

things that rock my world. eLiasz and eLLa. photography edmonton.

It's no secret that I've become a sucker for an awesome entrepreneurial story. I can appreciate how tough it is to start and grow a successful business so when I come across people who have the drive, vision and strong work ethic (and awesome product) to make their dreams come true I LOVE meeting and networking with them. Enter eLiasz and eLLa. I first learned about this fantastic jewelry company a few years back when my dear friend and fellow photographer, Alora Marie, gifted me one of their pieces. I was reconnected with their company this year after meeting and photographing the owner/creator/mastermind behind Beautygram. Jenn from Beautygram offers eLiasz and eLLa jewelry in her custom gift boxes and had mentioned that the owners of this cool jewelry line were 1) local and 2) awesome. That's all I needed.

It was an absolute honor to meet up with Kristen and Martin, the husband and wife team behind eLiasz and eLLa! We chose to meet up and collaborate on their new collection and the rumors were true: They're good peeps.

Have a peek below at this awesome duo, their booming company and their killer product. I'm personally a big fan of the stackable stone bracelets with custom charms (one of mine has a little camera charm!! Cute!!!!).

PS: Like the clothes these models are wearing?  Wardrobe and styling courtesy of Miss Boss!

Photography Edmonton

Hey!  There are more things that rock my world, too!  Check 'em out here!

things that rock my world. beautygram.

Things That Rock My World is a blog series I started doing to promote and raise awareness of individuals, businesses and/or products that, well, rock my world. As I plug away trying to keep growing in my own business I'm especially drawn to powerhouse business women - women who have dreamt, tackled and pursued a goal and never looked back. So, when I had the opportunity to meet and photograph Jenn from Beautygram.com I was super-stoked to be able to capture the individual, business AND product all in one! I heard about Beautygram about two years ago after seeing an episode of Dragon's Den where Jenn pitched her product, a boxed gift of luxury beauty products that could be ordered online and hand-delivered (or mailed), to the Dragons. At the time I was trying to come up with something to gift my amazing brides and I immediately thought that this was EXACTLY what I was looking for! I started using Beautygram at the start of my 2013 wedding season and fell in love. I get to go online, hand pick the cutest, best-smelling, luxurious little spa-like items that I think my brides will like, type in a custom message for each bride and VOILA! It gets sent right to their door in the prettiest packaging!  Although I really like picking and choosing my items for my brides (my absolute favorite is the Cake Milk Made Velveteen Hand Cream - it smells like heaven) Beautygram also offers ADORABLE pre-made selections for baby gifts, Best Friends, bridal showers, and more. For realz, next time you're thinking about sending someone flowers you should definitely consider sending them a Beautygram!  And guess what?!!  Jenn sent me a discount code for all of my readers who want to send a beautygram to someone they love!  Type in AP2014 when you're checking out for 15% off!

I love the idea of photographing people as awesome as Jenn so I contacted her (I knew Beautygram was a Calgary-based company), chatted it up, and the rest is history. This lady is so fun and bright and I had a blast making a new friend. Have a peek at the video that started it all and then a peek into our time together and then really, go check out Beautygram, mmkay?

Have a look at just a few of the products Beautygram carries below (photos courtesy of Beautygram).

They recently partnered with Eliasz and Ella and are offering some select pieces that you can also put into your Beautygram box!

Well done, Jenn!  Your dream makes me want to dream, too!

things that rock my world. lottie-da designs...and a killer giveaway.

Being a small business owner myself, I've become a pretty big fan of promoting small businesses, specifically the business owners themselves - people whom I've met, whose work ethic I've seen, whose character speaks just as loud as their product. Enter Jaymie from LottieDa Designs. Okay, okay, I have a side motivation for being stoked about this small business - Jaymie is my sister in law. Not only have I fallen in love with my new sister (HUGS!!) but I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I first learned that Jaymie made bridal jewelry. Jaymie started LottieDa after she couldn't find anything for her own wedding that fit the style and quality that she was looking for in bridal accessories. I've looked around in my own fair share of bridal shops in the last 10 years and I have yet to see ANYTHING that matches the quality and all-around gorgeousness that LottieDa offers.

I've been singing Jaymie's praises for a while now and have been thinking that I wanted to do something to help more of the world know of her awesomeness. Hence, this blog post about another thing that rocks my world :) PLUS.....Jaymie gave me a pair of earrings to GIVE AWAY!!! In order to enter to win these earrings you need to comment on this blog post! That's it!! I'll be randomly selecting the winner from everyone who comments in early March so go ahead, share and comment!

These are the earrings up for grabs:

Check this out, too: All of my 2014 brides will be recieving a coupon code for a discount on anything in the LottieDa Designs Etsy shop! I happen to have a fair bit of availability left for 2014, too, so shoot me an email if you're looking for your own wedding photographer and think we might be a good fit. You can check out more of my wedding work here :)

Have a look at a few more selections of Jaymie's work below and then check out her entire shop here!

Gorgeous Drop Earrings:

Stunning hair combs and pins:

One of a kind hairpieces:

Beautiful and unique necklaces:

swept. an edmonton bridal experience.

Ok folks, listen up! If you follow Aeris Photography on facebook you may have seen a few posts I've recently shared about something incredible: SWEPT. SWEPT is a brand new, innovative, inspiring bridal show experience that you WANT TO ATTEND!! :)

*photo courtesy of Erin Walker Photography

Have you ever attended a bridal show before? You know the kind where you show up to an agricom, pay your fee and make your way through a crazy herd of people strolling by hundreds of booths and filling your plastic bag with pamphlets, free pens and magnets, entering draw after draw in hopes that you might win anything from anyone. Yah, those ones. Nothing wrong with shows like this but have you ever walked away more uncertain than when you walked in? Erin Walker, my pal, photografriend and the creator of SWEPT can relate. Read this excerpt about where Erin got the idea for SWEPT:

"[SWEPT] started out as a tiny idea, way back when i first attended a bridal show with a friend a few years ago. i expected the event to be like a wedding….i thought it would be beautiful, i thought i would leave inspired and pampered and instead i was left wanting more. the bridal show was just another trade show. there was no special atmosphere, and it felt like everyone was just trying to hand me pamphlets and sell me things. no matter where i looked in edmonton, there was no experience like the one i was hoping for at a bridal show.

fast forward a couple years and i was working in the wedding industry myself. i’ve learned more about the wedding industry from being a part of it than i ever would have seen at a bridal show! i’ve realized that some of the best and most creative moments i’ve had in my photography career have been collaborating with other creatives. the florists, planners, and designers we have in this city are unbelievable! working with other artists is inspiring, and it pushes me further in my own creativity.

realizing that creativity fuels creativity brought me full circle back to my experience at the bridal show with my friend years ago. what if we could create an experience where wedding vendors could collaborate and be creative, and brides could experience an over-the-top gorgeous event that would inspire them in planning their own wedding. this is where the idea for swept was born."

So here's what SWEPT looks like:

Enter a gorgeous venue (Edmonton's Royal Glenora Club) and get swept into an experience:

*photo courtesy of Erin Walker Photography

The Beauty Room - Be inspired by all things beautiful. Have a look at gorgeous gowns, get your groom measured for the perfect suit, have a look at some gorgeous hair and makeup looks for the year and get pampered by some of Edmonton's finest beauty professionals. Ask questions and receive answers from some top names in Edmonton's wedding industry.

The Inspiration Room - Get swept away by details! Floral arrangements, perfect tablescapes, gorgeous stationary...browse and breathe deep while sipping champagne and dreaming of your special day!

*photo courtesy of Erin Walker Photography

The Sweet Room - A room every bit as scrumptious as it sounds. Come taste, dream and chat with cake designers.

The Groom Room - A room for the fellas. Get your man inspired in his own right by learning about signature cigars, the perfect beer to suit his taste and more!

It gets better! Have a look a some of the AMAZING vendors participating in SWEPT:

• Poppy Barley
• Atmosphere Weddings
• Delica Bridal
• Hub Cigar
• Special Event Rentals
• Style Cakes
• Alley Kat

and so much more!!

So I can tell you want to come, yes?? Yes. SWEPT is taking place on Sunday, January 26, 2014. Tickets are pre-purchase only so get them now right here while you're already dreaming about it! Enter the coupon code GORGEOUS and get $5 your ticket!  Even more awesomeness??!  I'm giving away two free tickets!  To enter to win visit my Aeris facebook page, share the SWEPT promo post and comment beneath it OR share this blog post on your facebook page and message me to tell me you did it!  Winner will be chosen randomly on Monday, January 13!

While you're dreaming of your wedding I have to of course give a shout out to Erin Walker Photography so check her out! Along with shooting my own weddings I've also had the pleasure of second shooting for Erin and you can have a look at some of my own shots from weddings I've shot with her here, here and here! Both Erin and I still have availability for 2014 so give her a shout here or contact me here if you're looking for a photographer to capture your fabulousness!

things that rock my world. dani press.

I've been debating for some time adding a section to my blog for things that rock and so voila! Here's edition one! Since I started my own business I have come to have a new, fairly profound respect for small business owners. Owning and running a business is hard. Making a living from your own business takes a long time. Putting a service and/or product out into the world is daunting and incredibly personal and so, when I see a small business/small business owner working their butt off - pouring their blood, sweat and tears into their dream - and then seeing that they have the drive and work ethic to commit and see it through well then, I get excited. I want these people to see success because not only are they awesome people in their own right but their products are amazing as well!

Meet Dani. I went to school/church with Dani growing up although I'm a bit older than her so we weren't in the same circles. Regardless, we know each other. She's one of those people that I've had the privilege of creeping on via facebook for the last few years and I found it super cool when I found out she started her own stationary business, dani press (and here she is applying her hustle to the best darn indigogo campaign in her efforts to raise $10,000 to get dani press spread around the world - check it out!!).

Dani's a globe-trotter with a dream to keep people connected, inspired and motivated all through the power of words and getting that little something special in the mail.  Her cards are amazing and I can guarantee you they'll make you truly think and stir up memories about each exact person you could envision sending her cards to. If you love sentiment, thoughtfulness, non-cheesiness and most of all, people, then you should consider investing in dani and her kick-butt business. As if her work doesn't stand on it's own dani press also sends a percentage of every card sold to support These Numbers Have Faces, a charity organization that promotes leadership and entrepreneurship training and gives university scholarships to students in Africa.

Have a look at just a few samples of Dani's awesome work below and then head on over to danipress.com to stock up on some cards of your own. Own a shop? Contact Dani here to see how you can get her awesomeness in your store!

*all photos courtesy of danipress.com :)

Since you're here you're probably thinking that both dani press AND Aeris Photography are awesome so check out some more of my own work here and shoot me an email if you're also awesome and think our awesomeness should combine at your wedding! :) :)

things that rock my world. aeris albums. the most gorgeous display option in the world :)

I FINALLY had the chance to design and purchase a new sample album and I am BLOWN AWAY! Professional-grade albums are ridiculously beautiful. They're definitely pricier then something you can make on your own but ohhh, if you could just see it, you'd see why!!

This specific album is a 12x12 leather beauty with 25 pages.  Look at this gorgeous leather bound presentation box it came in!!

It comes with a care-instruction card.

I had chosen a while back to switch album companies due to some binding issues that I was unhappy with. Issue 100% resolved with this new company! Albums come with a blank black "buffer" page which prevents creasing due to no images being glued directly to the cover.

Check out these pages! The print quality is unreal and the center seam is almost invincible!

And finally, I am in LOVE with the stamping option for text on the cover! I've seen covers that are laser-engraved before but the stamped "look" is definitely a factor that drove me to this company

Love love love love.

That is all.