Ask any of my brides: if there’s one item at a wedding that inspires me, it’s the shoes. On a wedding day, you can usually find me before all the action has started, rummaging around trying to find the bride’s shoes. I always love to get photos of them. For the next five weeks, I’m going to do an inspiration post on Thursdays that shows you my favorite single elements from weddings, starting of course with shoes (they are my favorite, after all). Hopefully they’ll help some of you brides with some ideas or if nothing else, be something fun to look at on your visit to my blog.

There’s something about bright-colored shoes that I can’t get enough of. I bought five pairs for this shoot.

I loved these yellow ones, with the teal background. Can you tell I had some fun playing with shoes?

That’s our new Le Creuset Dutch Oven, in a perfect coordinating blue. I couldn’t help but incorporate it.

I think these green shoes were my favorite of the bunch.

Yay for shoes! I seriously can’t wait for this year’s weddings and all the beautiful shoes I’m going to come across. Come back next week for another item I can’t get enough of at weddings (or in life) — desserts!

I love hanging with girls. There’s a certain vibe in a room full of girls, and it’s loads of fun.

Although I’m a wedding photographer, I get to photograph some amazing projects from time to time that are non-wedding related and I usually really enjoy these projects. Last month, I had the opportunity to photograph a bunch of the fun girls from the Northwest Girlchoir in Seattle, and it was seriously so much fun.

The Northwest Girlchoir is a really cool group with more than 200 members, ranging from age four to eighteen. We got together with about 40 of these high-energy girls at the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park and had tons of fun, even though it was raining! All the girls brought bright-colored umbrellas, which was super fun for everyone.

My connection with the Northwest Girlchoir is Kristi, the sister of one of my brides from last summer. She and I worked on putting together a set of photos that would really set this group apart in the choir world. I’m really happy with how they came out — I feel like they really capture the energy and vibrance of this fun group.

The girls were having so much fun that soon, they were actually dancing in the rain.

Thanks, ladies, for being so much fun to photograph! I can’t wait to see you all sing one of these days!

A KISS album, that is. Trust me when I tell you that you want one. I’m offering these albums in all of my wedding packages this year because I feel it’s important to have something real to hold and touch and remember with.

This one, with all its sassy hot pink leather, is mine. It’s a sample that I’ll use to show to clients this year, and it features the lovely, bright-colored wedding of Shannon and TJ, this past September.

The albums are thick and luscious, with the softest leather you can imagine. My sample album is a 10×10-inch model with lots of upgrades, like extra spreads. The entire album was designed by me, too.

Look at all those colors! These albums come in red, brown, pink, white, navy blue, lime green and black.

After all that, they come wrapped in these pretty slipcovers and they’re ready to share. I love them, and just wanted to share! Get ready, 2010 couples, for your very own!

My parents used to get Harry and David’s fruit-of-the-month club when I was a kid. It’s a cool concept. That’s why I was so psyched when my friend Arwa told me about Dress of the Month Club. It’s not really a club, but a new custom-designed dress every month from Liz and Kirsten, the minds behind this project.

Last weekend, I got together with Liz and Kirsten and their latest creation, just debuted for February: the Laura Elise dress. We took some photos of their friend and model Laura, and of course the beauty that was this dress. I think it’s gorgeous — if you want one of your own, you just have to ask (click here!)

It’s so energizing to me to work with other female business owners in this town — there is such a wealth of originality and promise. The Dress of the Month club ladies paired up with Brianna of Wallflowers Salon in NW, too — what a great team!

In case you’re wondering, brides, I did ask — and the Dress of the Month Club has done some work on bridesmaid dresses. If you’re looking for something you just can’t find, these might be your gals. If one of their custom designs isn’t the perfect thing, try their Dress-o-Matic feature!

Thanks, Kirsten and Liz (and Laura!) for being so fun to work with and for inspiring me on a Saturday morning. I can’t wait to see your next creation!

Ahhh, Hannah and Matt. They’re our friends that we met in a bar, and some of our fave people to hang out with. They braved the cold a few weeks ago for some fun pictures in their neighborhood, in the SE Hawthorne district.

I love all the colorful things you can find in a walking-distance radius in just one neighborhood. Portland’s great for that.

Hannah and Matt are sweet and silly — I think that’s why I like them so much.

The above photo (on the right) was taken in the mirror of a vintage dresser just outside a vintage furniture store.

Thanks, Hannah and Matt, for the frozen yogurt and the fun! You guys are the best.

Since January 4 (which was the day most of you went back to work after your holiday breaks), the inquiries have been flooding in. Since so many people get engaged over the holidays each year (yay!), there is always lots of interest right after the first of the year.

Some wedding vendors call it “engagement season.” I think it’s exciting. One thing we take for granted as wedding vendors, however, is that we do this every year. The people inquiring about packages and availability are doing this for their first (and only) time. Ever, for most of them.

So I thought it might be helpful to share some tips with all of you freshly-engaged guys and gals about how this all works (or should work) and how to get the most out of this time of fierce planning and anticipation.

When do I hire a wedding photographer?

A wedding photographer is a big piece of the planning process that is your wedding — I’m not just saying that because it’s what I am (honest!) — it’s really true. As such, it should be part of the first wave of arrangements you make for your big day.

You have to start with the venue, logically, because until you have it reserved, you can’t be 100% sure of your date. Then once you’ve got that nailed down, start your search. When you find a wedding photographer you love, book them before they can fill your date with someone else’s wedding.

Note: This is especially important for brides getting married in July and August. There are only nine weekends this year in that range, and tons and tons of people who want to get married then because of the usually-stellar Oregon and Washington weather.

How do I choose a wedding photographer?

It can be daunting to start out fresh searching for a photographer for your wedding. Instead of taking it to the gods of the Google search right away, try talking to your friends. Think about people you know who got married in the last several years and ask them what their experience was like. If they had a great one, they may recommend their photographer. If not, you’ll know who to steer clear of. Your wedding coordinator will probably also have some suggestions for you.

All that said, you want to find a photographer whose style you love, since that style will undoubtedly find its way into your photos. Once you’ve found one or two that you want to check out, let them know you’re interested and ask for pricing information, to make sure their vision is in line with your budget.

I wrote another advice post about a year ago about how to choose the right wedding photographer for you, so if you haven’t read that, check it out by clicking here.

What’s the process of hiring a wedding photographer?

This one differs just slightly from photographer to photographer, but let me give you the basic rundown, which I am taking from my own business, my fellow photographers’ businesses and my experience trying to hire one of my own back when I was a bride.

This process usually starts with you reaching out to the photographer and letting them know you’re interested, and asking for information about their packages.

Remember that when you contact a photographer to ask about availability, they’re going to give you the most up-to-date information, but it has a short shelf-life. In a month where there are thousands of people planning their weddings and asking vendors about their availability, there is a high chance that there will be others asking about your date (although many photographers, like myself, will call and give you the first right to the date in the event that someone else does want it).

Some people choose to book right away, but most people prefer to meet face-to-face with their photographer (when possible) to get a feel for what they do and how easy they are to get along with, as well as seeing some of their offerings and products in person. Then you’ll usually have a chance to sign a contract and put down a deposit to secure your date, which I’d recommend doing just as soon as you know you want to hire this person.

What if they’re already booked?

If you have your heart set on a photographer and someone beat you to the punch on your date, it can be a terrible feeling. But photographers (at least here in the Pacific Northwest) are part of a supportive community and most photographers you love will be able to point you toward someone who has a similar style and pricing options. Ask the booked photographer if they can recommend someone they’d trust and you’ll most likely get a great recommendation.

Enjoy your time out there planning and have fun! I remember how fun it was to be planning my own wedding a couple of years ago and I can’t wait to see what all you engaged couples come up with this year.

My new friend Elizabeth rocks. We met recently at an alumni event for our high school, and it’s crazy that we didn’t know each other before, because she and I totally click. Elizabeth has her own wedding coordination business, Elizabeth Ann Events. I talked with her recently for her two cents on wedding coordination and what she loves about her job.

“I loved planning my own wedding and I think weddings are such beautiful, mysterious events,” she told me. That’s what led her to wedding coordination, and she loves that they’re happy events with time-tested traditions and lots of excitement.

We met up at one of my new favorite Portland haunts, Lovejoy Bakers — I couldn’t help myself in there with all that yummy light. We had lots of fun.

Elizabeth’s advice on whether to hire a wedding coordinator is this: they can save you money and a whole lot of stress. “I can help brides find good vendors in a certain price range, as well as saving guests, the wedding party and parents a lot of heartache.”

Elizabeth wore these red shoes when we met — and on her own wedding day a couple of years ago! I knew we must have been kindred spirits, since I wore red shoes (reminiscent of Dorothy’s from The Wizard of Oz) on my own wedding day.

Elizabeth offers day-of wedding planning (the most popular choice), consultation plans and full-service wedding coordination. If you’re interested in working with someone I trust, feel free to get ahold of her through her Web site (click here). Thanks, Elizabeth, for being so classy and fun to photograph!

Alright, she’s lived here for awhile now, but it seemed fitting. My friend Andrea was my boss back in college — that’s how we met. She is a news producer now and recently moved to Portland. It’s been so fun getting to hang out again.

This week when we hung out, Andrea let me take her picture. She fed me this line like, “Oh well, I’m not very photogenic, but we’ll see!” which turned out to be nonsense, obviously.

This was a new place for me to shoot and I think I’ll use it in the future for some portrait sessions — but I’m not sharing! New places are hard to come by, and every photographer needs her secret spots.

I like that one because it’s Andrea with the Portland Streetcar behind her — Andrea meets the city of Portland!

This pink coat was a rescue, saved from a pile of donated clothes. I have to agree with Andrea — why would anyone want to get rid of it?

Thanks Andrea, for being such a fun friend! I had a blast on that windy, windy day with you. Not photogenic? Psssh.

I have been so inspired by the Portland business community’s efforts to raise money for the Haiti relief efforts that I’m jumping in too — through Jan. 31, anyone who books a wedding package will see 5% of their purchase go straight to MercyCorps and their work in Haiti — that’s from $120-$210 per couple.

It’s moments like these we’re reminded that we’re all people and that banding together makes me feel so hopeful about what people are capable of.

When you work at weddings, you meet other people who work at weddings. That’s been a really fun part of this job. Way back in July, I met Annie after Stefanie and Marc’s wedding. We got together a couple of weeks ago to get some new photos for her, and they’re so fun!

Annie Chen is a floral designer and she owns her own company, called Floral Sunshine. She prides herself on being a versatile floral designer with really clean, modern designs. They’re unique, but they’re not too out there, she said, she loves working with challenging flowers like calla lilies as well as classic choices, like roses.

One of Annie’s favorite things is when brides let her decide about which flowers to use. “It’s less restrictive, and it gives me the opportunity to use fresher flowers.” However, she said she’s very good at tracking down specific flowers if a bride knows what she wants.

One of the benefits she sees to using an independent floral designer versus a retail floral shop is that brides know exactly who is making their bouquets and centerpieces. “When you use a floral designer, you pay for the benefit of a designer’s touch,” she said. “But with me, the difference is that they’re not paying as much.”

Annie is looking forward to another wedding season on the horizon, and said she can’t wait to hear from couples getting married in 2010. To contact Annie, visit her Web site or call her at 503.706.6286.