Archive for the ‘Contests’ Category

Anniversary Photo Shoot: Matt & Sara

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

A few months ago we had a Photo Shoot Giveaway contest with Prashant from MFL Photography.
Remember the behind-the-scenes shots I took back here? Matt and Sara were the lucky winners, and now I have the gorgeous photos from Prashant to share with you!

Sara and Matt had gotten married spur-of-the-moment on a road trip.  They had decided that they were going to get married wherever they were at 8am and ended up getting married at a martini bar in Illinois.  I really wanted to include some road trip themed elements into the shoot, along with lovely vintage details because Sara really loves anything vintage, so I decided to give the shoot a 1940s vibe.

I rummaged up some vintage travel cases and found a vintage road map that I thought would tie in nicely with the road trip theme.  I remembered that I had seen an old gas pump in Kemah that would be a perfect prop to include in the shoot, so Prashant took photos of Matt and Sara all googly-eyed and lovey-dovey around the old-fashioned gas pump.

Sara had also told me that she and Matt liked looking at old homes, and right across the street from the gas pump was a lovely old, stately home that was the perfect backdrop for a late 1940s homemaker wife and her doting husband.

Prashant was great with directing Matt and Sara – you don’t often realize how hard it can be to do a simple pose for a photograph. Often photographers will just say “act natural!”, but with a camera in your face, it’s hard to do that!  Prashant gave clear, direct suggestions on poses that he thought would work well for the shot, and he was right every time.

Then Prashant took us to Galveston where he’d found some beautiful old weathered buildings with lots of character and texture.  Rich, gorgeous backgrounds that really made for some lovely photos and gave everything a soft, romantic feel.  I had asked Matt (who is in a band called Silent Canvas) to bring along his guitar because when he proposed to Sara, he had played it for her, surprising her at a restaurant when she was out with girlfriends.

Thank you, Prashant, for your beautiful images, and Sara and Matt for being such great subjects!

Behind the Scenes of Matt & Sara’s Photo Shoot

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

This Sunday was the shoot with Prashant from MFL Photography and our winning couple from our contest.  It was a lovely Sunday afternoon and our couple did a great job – they should quit their day jobs and become models!  Here are just a few behind-the-scenes shots that I took.  I will be sharing Prashant’s photos soon.  I can’t wait for you to see his work – it’s exquisite!  But for now you’ll have to settle for mine.

Along with Prashant, our lovely intern Ciara and my husband Brian came along to help out.  We were armed with vintage train cases, an old map, a vintage radio and a few hats.  I had talked to Sara a few weeks ago with my idea for doing a 1940’s style shoot and asked her if she had a pencil skirt and if Matt had suspenders – luckily for us, Sara adores pencil skirts and doesn’t Matt look cute in suspenders?

Prashant and I each chose a location to shoot.  The location I chose was Kemah, TX, and Prashant’s location was Galveston, TX.  I will explain more about the details and themes behind the shoot when I post up Prashant’s gorgeous photos soon.

It was a fun afternoon (despite an attack of mosquito monsters!), and I can’t wait to show you Prashant’s gorgeous pictures and explain to you more about the shoot.  Details to come!

We have a Winner!

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Congratulations go to Matthew and Sara Parrish, the winners of our MFL Photoshoot Giveaway.  It was a close contest for a while, but in the last few days, the Parrish duo took the lead to win it by 30 votes.

We are looking forward to putting this together along with the talented Prashant from MFL Photography.  Matthew and Sara are hoping for a vintage-themed shoot, so watch this space for a gorgeous vintage shoot in the weeks to come!

Photoshoot Giveaway Finalist #3: Yvonne & An

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Our third finalist couple is Yvonne & An.  There are three ways to vote for them – 1. “like” this post on the Precious Nuptials fan page.  2. “like” this post on the MFL Photography fan page.  3. Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the subject heading: “my vote is for Yvonne & An.”

Here’s their story in Yvonne’s words:

We met as friends through a mutual friend from our home church we have grown to dearly love.

Though our walks were not always easy, we continued to pursue a true relationship with God in our singleness, learning to trust Him with every aspect of our lives, including our love life. We met in August of 2009 as friends, and within two months, An knew deep in his heart that I was brought into his life on purpose, by God’s will. I WAS THE ONE.

Of course, when An confessed this to me in October, my reaction was typical of a woman with a guarded heart due to lessons from the past and wisdom from God. My immediate response was a rejection, and an offer to remain friends. He reluctantly, but respectfully, accepted my decision.

An not only continued to trust God and His promises, but he also continued to remain faithful to his own promises, and continued to quietly pursue me until God prepared us both to be ready for a relationship. He remained a true friend to me for seven months. In these seven months, God worked amazingly to transform both of us in ways we never expected. Prayers were answered and miracles took place. Little did we continue to know, God’s plan for us was only just beginning to unfold…

On the third of March, confirmed in the timing, he asked for my hand in courtship, and i happily and confidently accepted. Six months later, on the twenty-eighth day of August, surer than ever that i was his future wife given to him by God, he asked for my hand in marriage.

You have until Sunday, September 12th at midnight to get your vote in.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 14th.

Photoshoot Giveaway Finalist #2: Sara & Matthew

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Our second finalist couple is Sara & Matthew.  There are three ways to vote for them – 1. “like” this post on the Precious Nuptials fan page.  2. “like” this post on the MFL Photography fan page.  3. Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the subject heading: “my vote is for Sara & Matthew.”

Here’s their story in Sara’s words:

How he proposed:
After dating for 5 months, we knew that we were going to get married the next Spring after I graduated from college.  Being the impatient person that I am and being excited about finally meeting my lifelong soulmate, we often contemplated forgoing the wedding planning and just getting Matt’s best friend to marry us in his living room.  We never did go through with it, fearing what our friends and family would say.  In January, we took a rode trip from Houston to Chicago to visit some friends.  After 20 minutes on the road, Matt asked me if I wanted to throw caution to the wind and get married on our trip.  I thought about it for a half a second and said YES!  We agreed that wherever we were at 8:00 that morning, we would stop in that city/town and tie the knot.  The were officially wed in a martini bar in Naperville, IL. January 2, 2009.  We have been happily married for a year and half since and wouldn’t trade our story for the world!
You have until Sunday, September 12th at midnight to get your vote in.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 14th.

Photoshoot Giveaway Finalist #1: Heather & David

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

We have our three finalists for the MFL Photography Photoshoot contest!

Our first finalist couple is Heather & David.  There are three ways to vote for them – 1. “like” this post on the Precious Nuptials fan page.  2. “like” this post on the MFL Photography fan page.  3. Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the subject heading: “my vote is for Heather & David.”

Here’s their story in Heather’s words:

David and I have been together 6 years and will be getting married this November.  Our proposal was absolutely perfect! The week leading up to the engagement David had been acting off.  He told me not to plan anything for Sunday because he had plans.  The Sunday we woke up and it was cold and windy.  I had no idea what we were doing.  We got in the car and he mentioned the first part of my surprise was a picnic at the park.  He had the car all packed and ready without me even knowing.  We had lunch in front of the colored wall at Discovery Green Park.  We were having such a good time despite the weather.  He asked if I wanted to go exploring the park and when I got up he had risen to his knee to ask me to marry him.  The funny thing is that he had managed to hide our digital camera to bring along.  What he did not realize was that I did not have the photo card in it, so we were not able to get any pictures.  After the proposal I called my parents and the exact thing out of both of their mouths was “It’s about time!”

You have until Sunday, September 12th at midnight to get your vote in.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 14th.

Share Your Proposal Story and You Could Win a Free Engagement or Anniversary Shoot!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Simple, funny, creative, impromptu… We want to read them all!

We’re teaming up with MFL Photography to give you a personalized photo shoot styled just for you.  That’s right Precious Nuptials & Destinations will style your photo shoot backdrop and the talented Prashant of MFL Photography will document!  Three finalist will be featured here on our blog for our readers to decide on a winner.  With less than two weeks to go (deadline: midnight on August 31st), hurry here for all the details.

Texas Destination Wedding Planner

Win a free Engagement/Anniversary Shoot!

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

One of the most important wedding vendors you could possibly choose would be your photographer.  They are responsible for capturing the special moments of your day – one of the only tangible reminders you’ll have after the wedding is over, so choosing a great photographer is imperative.

Precious Nuptials & Destinations is teaming up with MFL Photography to bring to you a fantastic giveaway – a photo shoot captured by MFL Photography and styled by us!  We are excited to be working together with Prashant, the owner and head photographer, who is full of creativity, fresh ideas, and passion for the wedding industry.

CONTEST DETAILS:

This contest is open to any couple who will be available in the Houston area on the afternoon/early evening of Sunday, September 26, 2010.  You can be engaged or married, as this shoot will be either an engagement shoot or an anniversary shoot.  The prize will be a one-hour photo shoot captured by MFL Photography and styled by Precious Nuptials & Destinations, along with 20 digital images and two 8×10 prints.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. We want to hear your story!  Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com in 250 words or less either how you two met or how he proposed.  Make sure that in the Subject Line of your email you put “Photoshoot Giveaway”  and then both your names (eg. Photoshoot Giveaway: Alexandra & Jason) or your entry might not be included.

2. Please also include a brief sentence or two about your personal style and tastes so that we can start thinking about how we’ll style your photo shoot if you win (eg. “we both like bright colors, the beach and picnics, and quirky movies”).

3. Also make sure to attach a photo of the two of you together.

4. “Like” Precious Nuptials & Destinations and MFL Photography on Facebook.

CONTEST DEADLINE:

The submission period ends Tuesday, August 31st 2010 at 12 midnight.  Any emails received after then will not be entered into the contest.  Then from there we will review each story received and pick our three favorites, and then post them here on the blog and Facebook for the world to see on Tuesday, September 7th, 2010.  At this point, the contest is in the hands of blogland.  Readers will have one week to vote for their favorite story by “liking” the couple of their choice’s post on Facebook, or by emailing me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the couples’ name as the Subject Heading (i will repost how to vote when we get to that stage).  The winner will be emailed and announced here on the blog no later than Friday, September 17th, 2010.

Good luck!

Where’s your destination wedding planner???

Monday, December 7th, 2009

riviera-maya-destination-wedding

Scouting fabulous destination wedding locations, of course!

We’ve been hard at work, keeping up with trends, meeting reputable vendors, making wonderful contacts and getting a first hand view at fabulous locations.  It was our pleasure to absorb first hand information for over a dozen local resorts.  Houston couples seeking a destination wedding is only a direct flight away to the fabulous beaches of Cancun and Riviera Maya.

Stay tuned for more pictures and supporting details.  We’ll be sure to post images and details soon!

[To your destination wedding  :: Cheers!]

Modern Bride & SES Creations Giveaway!

Monday, November 30th, 2009

modern-bride-ses-creations-giveaway

Five lucky couples will have a chance to win a matching wedding band when purchasing a SES Creations Perfect Twogether engagement ring!  You must submit an entry voucher at the time of purchase.  Print your entry voucher here.  Here’s a list of participating retailers.

While you’re at it, be sure to enter for a chance to win a honeymoon in Aruba.  Here are contest rules and regulations.

Good Luck!

[To your precious nuptial :: Cheers!]

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