Vendor Spotlight: Ryan Weeger Photography

Ryan Weeger is such a talented photographer! He's young and so much fun. His creativity is unbelievable and he has so much passion for what he does.  Not to mention we went to high school together and were in the same Biology class!  We were both the dorky kids....but I must say, I think we have both blossomed quite well, haha :) Oh, and he skateboarded to the most recent time we just had coffee...that's pretty rad in my book!  Get a little glimpse into his fun personality, and enjoy some eye candy of his fabulous work.

·     Cat or Dog? I suppose I’m a bit of both, although we don’t have any pets we definitely have some food mooching kitties in our neighborhood. They guard our place when we’re out :)
·     Twilight or Harry Potter? Gotta say neither on this one. I’m definitely into the drama/comedy type movies, I like real like stuff!
·     Mac or PC? Most definitely Mac based, that warm glow of the apple on my macbook lid just keeps me coming back.
·     Sweet or Salty? Both! Have you even tried those sweet and salty granola bars? So good. I am all about mixing it up, food included.
·     Beer or Wine?  I am definitely into my beers, but no snobbiness from me, I’m an equal opportunity beer lover. My favorites drafts will always be craft IPA’s, I love the hoppy stuff. And wine? Sarah and I were married at a winery in Temecula and honeymooned in Sonoma, so we are definitely into wine as well.
·     Mountains or Beach? I’m definitely a mountains/cold weather guy. I do love the beach as well but there is nothing like crisp cold air and the solitude the mountains bring.
·     Neat or Messy? Clean cut and pretty darn neat. I like my stuff in order, no surprises!
·     What is the last book you read? The Internet is a Playground by David Thorne. If you are into ultra dry and pretty crass humor, you truly can’t go wrong or stop laughing with this stuff.
·     Most embarrassing moment? These happen a lot; I’m always pushing the limits to see what I can get away with, whether it be photographing a wedding or racing my bike. I am pretty competitive and the one embarrassing thing that stands out to me is quitting a bike race. It was really hot, and tough, and I gave in. It won’t happen again I promise that much.
·     Favorite sports team? I grew up in Huntington Beach and still live here. My favorite sports teams are definitely the Angels and the Chargers. I can’t wait till football season starts up again!
·     What was the last movie you went to see? I saw Crazy, Stupid, Love with my wife recently, it was AWESOME. 
·     Who would play you in a movie? Tough one, but I’d have to go with Matt Damon. Mostly for the fact that I love every movie he plays a role in.  
·     What is your favorite drink?  Definitely an Ice Cold Pliny the Elder Double IPA. I know it’s kind of a weird name for a beer, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
·     What is in your refrigerator right now? A bunch of good beers, lots of fruit, veggies galore, sandwich ingredients and of course some eggs and bacon. We love cooking from home so we are usually pretty well stocked.
·     What is your favorite place to eat? I am definitely a huge fan of Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach. For some local good stuff Sarah and I frequent the Secret Spot in Huntington Beach.
·     What TV reality show or game show would you go on? I am not a big reality show guy, but I would definitely accept an invite to the Shark Tank, I have some good ideas ;) I leave the game shows to my wife Sarah, she was on Wipeout and made it into the top 6!
·     How many pairs of shoes do you own? I keep it pretty simple, Flip Flops mostly when I’m not in my working weddings in my dress kicks.
·     Where did you grow up? Huntington Beach born and raised.
·     Where have you gone to school? I went to High School at Marina in Huntington Beach. I spent 3 years at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and 1 year taking photo classes at Orange Coast College.
·     What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Develop a relationship or connection with each of your wedding day vendors. It is such an intimate and special day in your lives and you want to be able to connect and get along with everyone involved with your wedding day, whether its your florist or photographer. Getting to know each vendor creates a great relationship from the beginning.
·     What is your best marriage advice? Stay true to yourself and put your spouse first. And don’t neglect those awesome date nights and spur of the moment trips and fun things you did before you were married! Now you can do that stuff all the time :)
·     One of your favorite wedding moments? I love the moment when either the bride or groom show their emotion, and when they can’t hold it back and get misty or shed some tears of happiness. Thats the best.
·     Anything else we should know? What I really love the most about photographing weddings is the connection with the couples I work with, and the relationship we develop before the wedding through their special day and afterwards. I live for the moment when a couple gets their images and is moved and emotions flow. That is when I am humbled and all the hard work has paid off, it truly is the best feeling.

  

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Vendor Spotlight: Troy Grover Photographers

Since I've been blogging so much about yummy food, I think its time to talk about one of my favorite photography duos, Troy and Aimee Grover. They are the cutest husband and wife team with such amazing talent! Every time I see them they are so fun to be around and make me feel so happy to know there are people like them in the industry.  They make working fun, and they are able to let their subjects feel relaxed and comfortable....including myself when Troy did my headshots last year!  Every moment they capture is effortlessly beautiful. Each photo is unique and the passion they have for what they do is evident in every picture. Make sure to check out their website to see their amazing work for yourself!!

  • Cat or Dog? Troy: Dog; Aimee: Doggie
  • Twilight or Harry Potter? Troy: Twilight; Aimee: Twilight
  • Mac or PC? Troy: Mac; Aimee: Mac
  • Sweet or Salty? Troy: Sweet; Aimee: Sweet- Chocolate lover!
  • Beer or Wine? Troy: Beer- Blue Moon; Aimee: Wine, sweet wine
  • Mountains or Beach? Troy: Beach; Aimee: Beach, a warm one
  • Neat or Messy? Troy: A very strategic messy; Aimee: Neat
  • What is the last book you read? Troy: Rework; Aimee: Rework
  • Most embarrassing moment? Troy: In a high school basketball game, I went up for a dunk, missed it, and then got a T for hanging on the rim. Then my coach turned all Bobby Knight on me.; Aimee: Singing a solo at church when I was little and freezing on stage when I couldn't remember the words.
  • Favorite sports team?Troy: LAKERS!!!; Aimee: Lakers
  • What was the last movie you went to see? Troy: True Grit; Aimee: Little Fockers
  • Who would play you in a movie? Troy: Will Ferrell in Elf! Smiling's my favorite; Aimee: Kate Winslet in The Holiday.
  • What is your favorite drink? Troy: White Chocolate Mocha non-fat; Aimee: Coffe with Coffee Mate Coconut Cream
  • What is in your refrigerator right now? Troy: Turkey, milk, eggs, cheese, grape juice, frozen dinners, chicken; Aimee: Dito
  • What is your favorite place to eat? Troy: Wood Ranch- best beef ribs ever!; Aimee: Urban Thai
  • What TV reality show or game show would you go on? Troy: I want to be on the Biggest Loser, but that involves me gaining a lot of weight so I might have to think about it; Aimee: Amazing Race!
  • How many pairs of shoes do you own? Troy: 6; Aimee: More than I need
  • Where did you grow up? Troy: Omaha, Nebraska...the good life!; Aimee: My younger years were spent in Huntington Beach then my family moved up to Washington for the dreaded Jr. High years. I made my way back to sunny California for college.
  • Where have you gone to school? Troy: Cal State Fullerton; Aimee: Biola
  • What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Troy: Hire a planner;) ; Aimee: Hire vendors that you really mesh with.
  • What is your best marriage advice? Troy: Love never fails...people fail. Don't ever give up! ; Aimee: You can never say, "I Love You," enough.
  • One of your favorite wedding moments? Troy: I love the best man speech because you never know what to expect. ; Aimee: When the bride and her dad see each other for the first time.
  • Anything else we should know? Troy: We just got a puppy! And with that we won't be having kids for a while ; Aimee: I love coffee treats!

To See Each Other or NOT See Each Other- Before the Ceremony

It's been the big debate lately....should you see each other before the ceremony or not?  Tracey Hanson from 2 Rings & a Dress Photographers wrote a great article about it that you should see below....  There are many factors to consider, and at the end of the day, you have to choose what feels right for you.  I just want to make sure you have all the facts. ;)
My friends over at Be Inspired PR, also wrote a great blog post about this same topic, so you should really check this post out also...you know, if you want to be thorough! :)
What are YOUR thoughts?? Will you/Did you/Would you see each other before the ceremony??  Enjoy!