We love this town.  We love the light, the sounds, the food – the age and mystery that lurks round every corner.  (Getting married?  NOLA is a splendid option.  Nothing beats a second line at a wedding!)

While in NOLA for a photography conference with PPA we decided to have one of our wonderful friends and faces, Abigail, meet up with us for some fun in the streets.

As you can see, we covered some ground and of course, all along the way Miss Abigail was met with big smiles, hoots and thumbs up!  It’s so fun just following her around.  She always draws a crowd.

The sound of music and taste of good coffee……fabulous creme brulee cooked to order by our amazing hostess………good wine and conversation well into the night.  That’s what this city means to us.  Miss it already.

We have participated in many shows across the South, meeting great new clients and collaborating with other vendors in our market.  Looking back over the years we have come to understand that the ZoomWorks client more often than not craves personal attention and quiet focus – elements that can be in short supply at a show.  Since we were going to be working at the studio this weekend, and Sundays are always a great day to be with friends, enjoying each others company, we decided to open our doors and create a ‘Sunday Open House’ party.  Everyone attending either of the great bridal shows in Athens this Sunday are welcome.  Feel free to drop by our studio with your friends between noon and 5pm (want a set time?  Just call so we can reserve that space for you), have a cup of coffee (or champagne!), look at our new products and Open House specials – discuss photography ideas or just enjoy sharing your plans for your wedding day. If you have the November 2011 Wedding Issue of Southern Distinction Magazine, you will see our work featured throughout, as well as examples of places we’ve been published.  Our studio on the Oconee River is a short drive from either the Classic Center or the Georgia Continuing Education Center.   We look forward to meeting you and your friends!

Easy, fun and oh so sweet!

To schedule a session, contact us at info@zoom-works.com, or call us at 706-227-3777.

Can we just say that New Orleans is one of our favorite towns for SO many reasons.  We’re headed that direction for a few days of inspiration, information and relaxation.

Can’t wait to share the sights and sounds with all of you when we return.  Let the good times roll!!!!!!!

With the pups away, and the stage cleared for fun, we worked through the day, clothes flying, fans going, music playing!  Leah has had acting experience which was very helpful in enabling her to ‘become’ someone else with each new scene.

At the end of the day we packed up the ‘costumes’, put away the makeup and Leah returned to the ‘girl next door’, sweet smile, book bag and all.   Thanks, Leah, for letting us tell your story at such a wonderful time in your life!

Pick color schemes that are fun and let the kids be playful in their wardrobe, keeping the adults in solids so that they don’t clash.  Here they used favorite reading books, a few fun stuffed animals and a home-made sign (family on a string!) to tie it all together – no pun intended.

And then set the tone on ‘playful’ so that individual personalities shine and you can really get a sense in the end of the ‘branches’ of the family tree.  We’ll be posting more ideas along these lines in the months to come, so stay tuned!  A heart-felt ‘thanks’ to the Labbo family for demonstrating all those great tips so beautifully.

You always hear people comment about ‘where has the year gone’, and well, we wonder too, but then we start to think back on all the wonderful moments, the precious children, the hilarious out takes, the glorious emotion frozen in time, the heartfelt tenderness, the beauty that takes your breath away.  Yes, the year has gone, but the moments remain forever captured so that we may all reflect on our lives, and the lives of others and the delicate threads that bind us together.

We thank each and every one of you who has stood in front of our camera, unafraid, and allowed us to ‘see’ you as you are.  And as you can be.  You touch us and change us for the better.

A toast to 2012, a new page and a new beginning.

Happy Holidays! As I sit here surrounded by saguaro, with a panoramic view of Superstition Mountain and 12 family members crammed into one rental property, I find myself preoccupied by two pressing questions. Is it cacti or cactuses? and Where are we going on our honeymoon?

My fiance and I have done quite a bit of traveling lately. I’ve been mistakenly typing “my finance” more often than I should (even though I’m a travel consultant, airfare is expensive). First I was in Las Vegas for an industry  conference, then Boston, New York and Seattle for Thanksgiving, then Jamaica for a site inspection and a couples getaway, and finally now, the week after Christmas, Arizona. With the wedding only six months away, it’s high time Dan and I to start ironing out the details of our honeymoon. I’ve been feeling like Cinderella, investing all my energy in helping other brides plan the perfect post-wedding retreat, yet somehow unable to visualize myself at the ball. In fact, I’m typing this by the fire grate, staring into cinders.

Most of my friends and family assumed that I had the whole honeymoon thing under control. But it’s like those popular trompe l’oeil pictures they used to sell in the mall back in the 90′s — the more you concentrated on the hidden image, the less likely it was to distill into view. It’s only when you relaxed your eyes enough that the 3D shark or wolf emerged from the background. (Apparently, stress has caused me to imagine our honeymoon as a predator). I’m finally managing to relax into a decision.

I’ve spent the last month like Goldilocks, trying on honeymoons. When we were in Negril for four nights, we stayed at an all-inclusive resort in a garden verandah. We lolled away the days strolling hand-in-hand along the seven mile stretch of white sand, eating an excess of conch fritters, and tipsily attempting exercise classes. It was a romantic and welcome break from routine. We left our computers at home and unplugged from the relentless pulse of updates. But by the fourth night, we had an unexpected realization: Dan and I want a bit more adventure on our honeymoon. I’m not saying I’d like to be mugged again in Barcelona by a sinister Moroccan — just that we want our honeymoon to involve an element of uncertainty.

And yet just last night, Dan’s aunt and uncle and cousin lost their way on an afternoon hike. What they lacked in breadcrumbs they made up for in cellular service. They called Search and Rescue and hunkered down by a dried-up river bed. Five hours later, they were ushered down the mountain in the freezing dark. Even though I’m surrounded by my finance’s — I mean fiance’s — family, which is a far cry from honeymoon conditions, I’m still making crucial modifications to my planning: I don’t want someplace cold, and I don’t want to make the local news.  “You’ve got to know where you’re going!” the Channel 5 announcer admonished. “You’re right,” I thought. “Dan and I need to pick our destination.”

We’re moving toward a final decision: Slovenia and Italy (Ljubljana and Venice, to be exact), with a sprinkling of Stockholm, Sweden. We’re going to take 10 days soon after the wedding and incorporate a healthy mixture of spontaneity and organization. We’ve discussed our priorities and come to the conclusion that we are the type of couple that craves mushy pockets of alone time, but likes to balance that with people-watching and cultural immersion. For couples getting married in 2012, I would offer the following instruction as you prepare to ring in the New Year: talk through imaginary honeymoon scenarios and see where you land!

Hair styling here compliments of our friend Stephanie at A La Fera Salon in Athens, Georgia.

Here’s their inside story:

Dubai is a meeting of exoticism and modernity in a luxury environment, all blended with outstanding service wherever you go. The venues are simply romantic, on the white sand of the beach facing the Burj Al Arab (the icon of Dubai), or on the golden dunes of a luxury hotel in the desert. Furthermore the cost of a wedding in Dubai is surprising affordable considering the emirate’s lever of luxury.

Getting married in Dubai is a wonderful and unique experience and you can select the most incredible venues. Have your wedding celebrated in front of the Burj Al Arab, in a luxury desert resort, or even on a cruise boat. The perfect season for a wedding in Dubai goes from end September till begin of June, so the summer here is too hot for a wedding and the couple should plan accordingly during these months.

Many wonder “Why should I hire a Wedding Planner?”. A wedding planner gets special prices from the vendors and secondly the wedding day is stressful enough and even if you have friends or relatives helping you out, there are always last-minute problems that can make the couple’s stress even worse without a professional help. Besides, Dubai is huge, so in terms of the services and the list of vendors, a wedding planner knows which are the best ones.

Moreover having guests coming from abroad requires accommodation and facilities and, of course, a bit of fun, such as a safari in the desert or a swim with the dolphins. Weds Dubai can also take care of the couple’s guests and arrange a real Dubai experience, making the whole event unforgettable for everyone.

For more information, you can go to Weds Dubai’s website, or send them an email to info@wedsdubai.com

Images courtesy of Weds Dubai.