Finally! The day of John and Michelle’s wedding arrived… it felt like it took forever to get here – we were so excited to be able to give our competition winners their wedding photography package and they were the perfect couple to win such an amazing prize!

Saturday was very different to the ‘almost to bright to shoot’ day of their Engagement session at Henley Beach…. rainy and cloudy – the perfect backdrop we kept telling them…. John and Michelle did not let a silly thing like the weather spoil their day…

Sometimes people ask me if it is stressful being a Wedding Photographer…. Yes, it can be stressful… but it is also fun and rewarding and you get to meet so many wonderful people and see each couples individual touches to their wedding day.  But when you arrive to photograph the groom and you find this, you know that there will be no stress in the day at all……

The boys all looked gorgeous (can I call boys that?) in their shirts and a little fairy sent them some flowers to pin on as a surprise.. how nice…

Just as we were leaving the boys, the first drops of rain appeared on the windscreen…..  their last words to us were (regarding the location of the ceremony….) ‘You’ll find us’ LOVE how relaxed they all were.

And on to the girls…. where we found another house filled with beautiful, happy, relaxed people just getting the final touches ready…. and trying to be a little bit late to allow the boys to organise somewhere undercover for the wedding!

Kate and I headed to Henley Square, not entirely sure where the boys had relocated to…. and we found that they had cleared out the pub and had the verandah set up, guests and all, ready for an intimate wedding…. and intimate it was.  Having planned the ceremony to be outside, it was so lovely to see the owner of the local pub happy to empty out his venue so that John and Michelle had somewhere to have their wedding.

It was refreshing to be reminded that a wedding ceremony is not about the location or the weather but about the two people coming together in marriage and celebrating it with their family and friends… and from what I hear, getting married in a pub is perhaps more their style anyway…..

Seriously… how lucky were we that the rain held off for long enough for us to get outside for a few shots…. and then a mad dash inside as the rain came down again!

We headed to the Sandbar which was upstairs (closed – thank you!!!) and scouted out some great indoor locations…. it was a real challenge to not be able to go outside but we used every bit of light we could find!

How stunning are these two? They compliment each other in every way and are contagiously fun to be around. I could tell it was going to be a big night for the wedding guests!  The sun peeked through the clouds again for a very short time and we snuck out for a few more shots. So glad we did.

Thank you John and Michelle for a fabulous day – we loved every moment.

xx Merryn

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…and here is a special quote for a lovely lady I spoke to today – you know who you are….

‘To love means to never be afraid of the windstorms of life:

should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings.’

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

… the winners of the biggest competition for Head in the Clouds to date!

John and Michelle were nominated by a friend to win their Wedding Photography.  You can see their nomination here.

After 2 months of voting and over 200 votes the lucky couple will receive their wedding photography and full wedding package completely free!

Congratulations John and Michelle and Happy New Year to all! We look forward to working with you and will be in contact very soon.

We wish all our entrants a wonderful wedding day full of love and laughter.

Now, back to our holidays!

Kate & Merryn

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‘A new year is unfolding – like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within’

- unknown

As you may know, we have been running a competition in conjunction with My Wedding Magazine for one lucky couple to win their wedding photography. The photography package, valued at well over $5000, will go to a couple who would otherwise not have a photographer due to financial restraints.

Amazingly, the average cost of an Australian wedding these days is over $40,000! and often photography doesn’t get a look in when it comes to allocating out the budget. But our lucky couple will be winning the following:

- Engagement photoshoot and planning session with 8×10” enlargement
- 4 hours photography with two photographers (Kate & Merryn)
- 200 fully processed 4×6” proofs in proof box
- 20 page wedding album
- 24 x 20” canvas print
- online gallery
- Full Digital negs

Valued at over $5000!

We have had an overwhelming response to the competition, and we wish we could put every entry up for consideration, but alas, there can only be one winner!

This is where YOU can help. Help make one couple’s dream come true and vote for your favorite couple. Read below their submissions and fill out the form below. Its as simple as that.

We wish all our finalists the very best – we can’t wait to be working with one lucky couple early next year

And stay tuned, as we will be announcing the finalists on the 1st of January!

EDITED TO ADD: We’ve had one couple remove themselves from the competition as they believed they didn’t meet the criteria after all. We thank them for their honesty, and wish them a wonderful life together …

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John and Michelle – 6 March

John propsed to Michelle as they walked along the beach after dinner one night. John and Michelle are planning their wedding on the beachside of that same location.

John and Michelle have been nominated by their friend Alison.

‘John and Michelle spent a year working for a charity in Vietnam and didn’t earn very much at all. They returned home and got engaged and have had to cut back on a lot of the usual Wedding things, including photography’

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Vanessa & Nigel – 27 Feb

Nigel asked Vanessa to marry him on her birthday just after bringing home their little boy only a few weeks old.  They are tying the knot in a lovely little Church in Ashbourne on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

‘I would love to win the gift as we can not afford to have a photographer and it would be great to have some photos taken with my mum and little brother that I can hang on the wall and when I feel homesick or blue I can look at them and smile. Also I will then have something to send to my dad. I know Mum would love to have something that she can show all her friends back home.’

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Abbi & Anthony – January

Anthony surprised Abbi on her 30^th Birthday with an Engagement ring and a sign on the cake asking her to marry him.  Abbi and Anthony are planning a casual sunset beach wedding with 35 of their closest family and friends.

‘We don’t want it to be formal or like anyone else’s wedding. We are both very casual laid back people and like to laugh more than anything else so the
wedding will have to have some of the quirky elements that really make up our personalities. ,I want to laugh and laugh and remember the day as being not quite perfect but a hell of a lot of fun!’

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WIN your Wedding Photography – worth over $5000

Are you planning a small budget wedding (or know someone who is) and dreaming of having stunning wedding photos hanging on your wall? The type of photos that when friends walk into your house they whisper ‘wow‘? Photos that bring back those amazing memories you want to cherish forever?

Head in the Clouds Photography is offering one couple a wedding photography package worth over $5,000 absolutely free. To be eligible the couple must meet the criteria, being that you could not otherwise afford to hire a wedding photographer.

To enter, to nominate a friend and to read the fine print see the entry page here.

Entries are open until 31st October 2009. Finalists will be announced on 1st November 2009 via this blog. Voting will then be open to public vote until 31st December 2009. Winners announced 1st January 2010. Conditions apply. Please read conditions of entry here.

We cant wait to hear your stories! Good Luck!

Kate & Merryn

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‘A loving heart is the truest wisdom’

- Charles Dickens

….. it was very close but the final winner was….. number 19.  You can see the entries here.

A gorgeous mini designer album just like this one with number 19’s engagement/family photos is on its way…. congratulations…….

We will be in contact soon!

If you would like one of these little delights for yourself, whether it be for your wedding photos, family photos or engagement photos – we are currently offering them at an insanely low price (because we love them so much and want you all to be able to have one) of $50. This is a saving of over $250 and this price will never be offered again! Strictly limited to bookings made in August. For more information flick us an email at info@headinthecloudsphotography.com.au or call Merryn on 0412 754 114.

Ohhhhh they are so cute!

xxM

thank you to all the beautiful stories of romance and love ! here are our three winners …

From Renee Owen of OAKDEN:

“My fiancé and I were on holidays staying at Peppers Casuarina Lodge, Byron Bay. On the last night of our holiday we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the retreat’s restaurant,Wilson’s by the Creek. Guests where dinning indoors, however when we arrived at the restaurant, I noticed it was a beautiful evening, and I asked our waiter to set up a table on the outside balcony that overlooked the hinterland. We were the first couple to dine on the balcony that night and we started a trend. We enjoyed a beautiful three course meal, dinning on amazing food by candle light.

Gradually the guests left the restaurant, and my finance & I where the only people on the balcony. As we were sipping champagne and savouring our sumptuous desert, my fiancé got down on one knee and proposed, presenting me with my dream engagement diamond ring. My fiancé is very shy in public, so it was a complete surprise to see him get down on one knee and propose.

It was such a special evening; I will never forget that night and our happy holiday. We can definitely say that our Bryon Bay holiday was the start of a beautiful engagement”

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From Rebecca McMann of PARADISE:

“My fiance and I took a quick vacation to Port Fairy, just over the SA boarder into Victoria. We stayed in a gorgeous little weatherboard cottage opposite the little port. It was a rainy weekend in the beginning of March, and we had spent the day walking in the rain around the boardwalks and beaches and looking at all the beautiful little cottages. We went to the local pub for dinner, but as soon as we got there my fiance realised he’d left his wallet back at the cottage and had to race back to collect it. At the time it didn’t feel like he had gone for long!

We had a lovely meal and some beautiful wine. When we  returned to the cottage, the porch light was on. We got out of the car and I walked towards the cottage … I could see a row of rose petals leading in under the door. As we opened the door, the rose petals continued over the floor and spread out in the lounge in a great circle. My fiance asked me to stand in the middle of the petals. He got down on one knee and opened a jewelry box with the most exquisite diamond ring and asked if I would be his wife. I couldn’t stop crying and said yes immediately! It was the most amazing experience of my life!”

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From Helen Frankston of MODBURY:

“My fiance is the most un-romantic person I had ever met. The kind of guy who took me on a date and we had hot chips and sauce! But he’s gorgeous both inside and out, and we had been together for a quite a few years. My 27th birthday was coming up and I said that I would really like to just go out to lunch and have a quiet day. So we went out for an early lunch and headed home at about midday. When we were almost home, my fiance stopped the car and told me to tie a blind fold over my eyes and made me promise not to peek. I had no idea what was going on! …

We pulled into the drive way, and he walked me up into the house and out in the back yard. He took my blindfold off and in front of me was all my friends and family standing there shouting ‘happy birthday!’ … there were balloons and streamers and cheering … and I just burst into tears! It was amazing. The party went well into the evening and at about 6pm, just as people were starting to say goodbye, he started to make a speech. Everyone went quiet, and all of a sudden he was down on one knee asking me to be his wife! I said yes (of course! – and thinking ‘typical – no ring!) and once we had kissed and hugged and everyone was cheering for us, his mum came out of the kitchen with two glasses of champagne for us. I took a sip and realised there was something at the bottom of the glass! … It was a beautiful ring! ”

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CONGRATULATIONS! on both your beautiful engagement stories and on winning free tickets to the bridal expo – they will be in the post today! We’ll see you there!

Kx & Mx

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“I am like a falling star who has finally found her place next to another in a lovely constellation, where we will sparkle in the heavens forever”.

Amy Tan

The lines are now closed! and voting is now open!

A great competition for current clients for their chance to win a gorgeous mini designer album just like this one

We’ve had an amazing response and many of our loved clients have nominated their favorite image from their sessions … here they are, in no particular order …

vote here by signing up to our newsletter – voting closes midnight 10/08/2009 – good luck!

Well … it’s that time of year again .. come and join us at the Adelaide Winter Bridal Ideas Expo … details below 

.

We have quite a few discount entry tickets (entry for only $10)  - just flick us an email and we’ll send you a maximum of two discount tickets. 

We also have 6 complimentary tickets to give away … but this year we are going to make you work for them … (sorry!) … 

If you would like 2 complementary tickets sent out to you and your fiance*, just send us an email to info(at)headinthecloudsphotography.com.au telling us briefly about the romantic (or not so romantic) way your fiance proposed to you … we love to hear romantic stories! 

Entries close 5pm Tuesday 28th July – so we can post the vouchers out to you in time – SO BE QUICK!!! 

we will be at stall number 35 … 

SEE YOU THERE!!!! 

*conditions:

~entries must be received by no later than 5 pm on Tuesday 28th July 2009

~no more than 2 tickets will be posted out to the winning entry

~judges decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into

~entrants give permission to have their story displayed on the headinthecloudsphotography.com.au/blog 

~entrants must provide their full postal address with their entry

~Head in the Clouds Photography takes no responsibility for the tickets lost in the mail or for delay by Australia Post

xKate & Merryn xx 

your chance to WIN!

Wow! The last few months have been a whirlwind to say the least with the highlight being our annual interstate adventure to the PMA (translated: heaven for photographers) and AGM for the ACOCP.  We are very excited about some new additions to our product guide and a restructure in our wedding packages to make them more simple and flexible. To celebrate we are ready to announce our latest competition which involves YOU!

What is the PRIZE?

A custom ‘Designer Mini Album’ valued at $300. This is one of the new products we will be offering this year. We fell in love with these delicious 5×5” magazine style albums at the PMA and could not resist having them to offer to you, our clients.

WHO can enter?

To enter you must have had a photoshoot with Head in the Clouds Photography (yes, the mini sessions at Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens are included and yes, weddings are also included, and yes Engagement sessions are included! Anyone who has had a HITCP camera pointed at them is able to enter!) during the period October 2008 to July 2009.

HOW do I nominate?

Send us an email with details of your favourite image from your photoshoot.  Either the filename or a description. You can also nominate a friend – just email us the details of your favourite image from their shoot. Please email nominations to ‘info@headinthecloudsphotography.com.au’ by 26/07/2009.

How do I WIN?

Your image will be posted on the Head in the Clouds Photography blog on 27/07/09 along with all other nominations. Voting will then be open to the public via the blog until midnight 10/08/2009. The image with the most votes wins. Pretty Simple huh!

Winner will be announced on the blog on 11/08/2009 and the winner will be contaced by email.  Good Luck!

Wow. 

This little girl has come so, so far. 

Little Jorja was born a bit over 3 years ago, at 26 weeks gestation. Her wonderful mummy (one of the nicest people I have EVER met) won our “Spreading the (photography) disease” with her photo ‘mummy’s touch’ … seen here.

I photographed Jorja about 10 months ago, and she has changed so much. Such a cheeky little thing with a strong sense of self! A typical 2000’s woman! 

I had the opportunity to photograph her with her mum, grandmother and aunt, along with her 6 month old cousin in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens on Thursday .. it was a great shoot … 

I just loved the white dresses these two were wearing! … 

The sheer magic of bubbles! … 

A lovely one on the bench with grandma … 

{thank you so much for a wonderful afternoon! … you should be so proud of how far Jorja has come … she is an absolute sweety! … and her cousin is pretty darn cute to-boot!} 

Kx 

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I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family, he’s rich. 

~Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford, “Identity Crisis,” M*A*S*H