Friday, August 29, 2008

2008 Dates Still Available | Discounts Available

Half of the year has just passed and we have been busy photographing weddings, special events, and senior photo sessions. We are still meeting with brides for '08 weddings and booking brides for '09. Friday and Sunday weddings have been popular this year - more so than previous years for us. From what the brides have been telling us there is an over abundance of weddings this year thereby most of the popular weddings venues are booked for Saturday weddings. So, brides are opting to have their dream weddings on Fridays and Sundays. Wedding venues are offering discounts from 10% - 50% OFF! Brides...it's not a bad idea to have your wedding on a Friday or Sunday. I guess the challenging part would be accommodating your guests due to the late or early time frames.

Another reason why vendors are offering discounts is due to the status of our economy. In this respect I can only speak from experience. Our economy is not the same as it was last year or previous years. So, most couples are having to pay for their wedding expenses by themselves without assistance from external sources. I have noticed that businesses - large and small - are trying to make things affordable to their customer base - depending on their speciality.

So don't get discouraged...wedding/reception venues are willing to accommodate in these efforts. Most are in business to make your dream wedding a reality. Don't hesitate to ask if vendors offer discounts for Friday and Sunday weddings; much of this advice is documented in
The Knot magazine, theknot.com, Perfect Wedding Guide magazine; pwg.com and various bridal periodicals.

In lieu of this, we at Royal Photography, LLC are willing to offer discounts on Friday and Sunday weddings for the remaining of 2008 (based on availability). Please call our gallery for more details. Currently, we have a total of 15 available dates remaining in 2008 for Friday and Sunday weddings.


We look forward in hearing from you!!

"It's your wedding...you deserve the best!"

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Helaine + Charles | "I Am Loved"

A complete stranger could tell that Helaine and Charles are enthusiastically and totally in love with each other. I never met such a couple who couldn't keep their hands of each other. Needless to say, their engagement session was a breeze.

I took their e-session photos at the Overland Park Arboretum Tuesday evening. Their wedding is late September '08.

What was so gitty about their session was they brought a change of clothes and they both put on red "I am love" t-shirts! I was blown away and have never seen that done since high-school. By no means am I discounting their love for each other but it was just something that I never would imagined or seen done. Maybe we all can take a lesson in public display of affection. I can't wait until the wedding to see what else they have in store.

By the way, I wanted to post a comment from Helaine and Charles, the day after their e-session...

"Charles and I had so much fun last night! We were talking about how happy we are that we selected you as our photographer... you are GREAT! You made us feel so comfortable, could you tell? I just thought I'd drop you a note to let you know."





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Friday, August 22, 2008

FREE Photo Session | Winner of LSW Auction

A few months ago, the Lee's Summit West Touchdown Club contacted me to participate in a silent auction just before school started. I created a special coupon offering a FREE Senior photo session.

And the winner was Ben Seabaugh, a "Safety" for the LSW football team. We opted to do all of his photos in the studio. What's funny is while Ben was changing into his outfits, his mother told me that Ben wasn't too excited about taking pictures and didn't see why he needed to take senior pics. Let's just say after about 15 minutes into the session...Ben was having fun.

Thanks Lori and Jodi for the referral!!





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Sunday, August 17, 2008

Meet the Kidder Family | A Parent's Love

The Kidder's celebrated the birth of their new baby "Genevieve a couple of months ago. They currently have two beautiful little girls (Natalia and Eliza) and Genevieve makes "three". David, now lives in the house with with four ladies. I've known Carolyn for about two years and they called upon me to take their family pictures.






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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Today I turn 38 | Almost the big 4-0

This may be a little long.

Birthdays are days to celebrate...out of all the birthdays I've had this was the first time I felt my ago or should I say older. It's all good. Maybe what's getting to me is that the 4 - 0 is approaching. Like most people, the question that come to mind is that have I met my goals in life and goals that I have yet to voice. Some of the personal goals I have accomplished in the last 5 years are:
  • Got married to my beautiful wife Tailese at 33
  • Bought my first house at 33
  • Had our first child (Andrew Isaiah) at 34
  • Became a ordained deacon at 34
  • Bought my second house at 36
  • Had our second child (Sydney Gabrielle) at 37

Some of the business goals that I have accomplished in the last 5 years are:

  • Launched my first Flash website in 2003
  • Switched over from film to digital in 2003
  • Registered the business as a "LLC" in 2005
  • Took on two photography assistants in 2006
  • Launched my current - new website 2008
  • Photographed over 160 brides in the last five years

I have several other goals in my life and I'm going to do everything I can - God willing - to achieve those goals. Most importantly, I pray that God continues to strengthen my support group, family, friends and customers I come in contact with. I owe everything to my Heavenly father! My goal is to become a beacon of light for the brides I photograph - making sure that their wedding dreams come true through wedding photography. I believe that after all the money is spent on a wedding, the only thing a bride and groom have to remember their special day are their wedding pictures (a video if they chose to hire a videographer). Overall, we as professional photographers have a major responsibility.

My birthday celebration started Saturday late afternoon. I had to photograph a wedding Saturday early afternoon for 3-hours. Afterwards, my wife told me that I needed to be home because we had to be some where by 7:45 pm. I got home about 5 pm and we dropped the kids off at my mother-in-law's. My wife told me to head towards to Ruth Chris Steak House on The Plaza. This was our second time dining there and it's a very flamboyant restaurant. I had the Garlic Crusted Halibut and Tailese had the Petite Fillet. For dessert we shared the Apple Crumb Tart. Our evening ended about 10:15 pm and decided to drive around The Plaza for a bit. We were too full to walk and sleep started to come over us.

My only advice to any and everyone is to remain tenacious, focused and faithful in the gifts that God has given you. He will do the rest.

This was a very enjoyable 38th birthday and one that I will remember.

Thank you God!



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Thursday, August 7, 2008

IT'S HERE!!! | OUR NEW WEBSITE


We have finally completed our goal - and before our expected timeline!

A few weeks ago, I spoke about a "big announcement". Well...our new website is live. This was a huge task for me. I put in a lot of long hours and sleepless nights getting the site the way I wanted. It's more robust, sleeker and with BIG pictures - pictures that document detail in our clients. Go out and take a look and let me know your thoughts. I hope you will enjoy the new look and feel.

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Eunice + Casey | Harley's ride off in the sunset

Many of you may have remembered a while back that I was going to photograph a couple who are strong Harley Davidson riders. Well I met Eunice and Casey at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Fair on April 6 of this year. They stopped by my booth and viewed some of my work. A few days later they called me to schedule a consultation to talk with me further about their wedding. Making a long story short, they booked and I took their e-session at Longview Lake.

Their wedding was Saturday, August 2 at the Nall Avenue Church of the Nazarene. I might also mention that the minister that officiated the wedding has a daughter who I photographed her wedding about four years ago. When I saw the minister I knew that I remembered his face and after a couple of minutes we both discovered that we knew each other. Kansas City is such a small place. It's true when they say six degrees of separation.

After Eunice and Casey's wedding ceremony, both of them got on their Harley along with her father, stepmother and a few other Harley riders and rode off into the sunset. Actually, they traveled to their reception venue.

I'm still considering getting a Harley or at least some kind of motorcycle.

Congrats Eunice and Casey!





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Sargine + Terrell | Sunday afternoon wedding















Sunday afternoon on August 3, Sargine vowed to spend the rest of her life with her long time soul mate, Terrell.

Sunday was a hot one! Let me first say our intentions were to do a lot of the formal bride and groom formals outdoors - off site. That didn't happen due to choking hot weather. The Loretto, where Sargine and Terrell had their wedding, was very cool on the inside and we opted to do all the formals inside. I wasn't that brave - neither were the bride and groom - to tackle mother nature's scorching rays.

What was unique about their wedding was Terrell wore a chocolate tux with cream shoes; the groomsmen wore bone color tuxedos with chocolate vests. The bridesmaids wore chocolate dresses. After the ceremony, the bridal party processioned out of the chapel dancing in celebration of Sargine and Terrell.

It wouldn't be fair if I didn't commend KC Pro Jocks (Myron D) for his magnificent DJ skills. He kept the bride party and guest rocking during the reception. My hat goes off to Hill House for the dinner they prepared. You all could put momma out of business.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Blake!

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Friday, August 1, 2008

Busy weekend

Just wanted to give you all an update...

This weekend will be a busy one for me because I will be photographing a wedding Saturday afternoon in Overland Park and a wedding on Sunday afternoon in Kansas City - midtown (stay tuned for the images).

This week all of my time have been consumed with designing wedding albums for my 2008 brides. They are not wasting any time in getting me the images they want in their albums. Am I complaining? No. What's cool about it is that I can have a "work/life balance". I don't put any stipulations on the brides I photograph. Planning a wedding is hectic enough. So I will continue to say, take as long as you need in selecting your images - this is your wedding album and something that you will carry with you down several generations. I'm not going any where.

What I can say is thank God for a strong support group - some of which I have leaned on from time to time. You all have been awesome! ◦
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