KLD Designs - Seattle Portrait and Wedding Photographer

I have been wanting to change my website for sometime now. I was hosting with Wix.com, a truly great easy to customize website template company. The site I chose was flash based, which served me well for the past few years. I just feel it is time to go back to something simpler. I have created dozens of websites for clients and still feel simple is best. This time around I am trying my hand at creating a site using Adobe Photoshop. I figure I know the program so well I might as well apply it to something besides photography. There is no place like home.


I decided to keep my pink and brown color scheme and logo design. I still love it and don't want to change that one bit. I might play around with background color and dimension. I can get a little OCD about Photoshop designs. It's something I am always working on. Something funny (or rather peculiar) sometimes I will lay in bed and design things or tweak existing designs in my head. Either I really love what I do or I am obsessed. Maybe a little of both.

I am moving away from the flash design I created using WIX. I want to toy with using some more simplified java designs for the gallery. I didn't like the fact my flash site was not as customizable as I would have liked. Not to mention flash can be rather finicky on some computers. Why go through all the trouble? When people visit my website they are there to see my work and get a feel for my style and personality. I want to make their visit to my page easy and quick. The average person usually only spend 3-5 minutes on a photographers webpage. I wish I knew the same stats for Facebook pages for companies.



Here is a clip of the top banner and menu. I keep bouncing back and forth between designing and blogging. I forgot how frustrating website design is. It's one of those things that can really make me want to pull my hair out. It takes a special kind of person to do this for a living. Sometimes I forget to just walk away for a little while. I always figure it out after a timeout.

As for the finish date, I am expecting to be done by Thanksgiving. Lets cross our fingers. In the meantime keep an eye out for updates on the blog and Facebook.

It's been 3 months since the wedding. I feel it's time to get back on the photography wagon. I have done a good portion of portraits that I just haven't had a chance to post. I promise to get those up in the next week or so. Not only I am catching up on posting photos, I am revamping my entire website. So many options. *sigh* But that's a different blog post ;)

Ok back to my reason for posting. A lot of clients have asked to see photos from very own wedding. I have graciously obliged with a blog post. The very talented Michelle Douglas photographed the day. She's an up and coming photographer in the Seattle area. She was very kind and captured some truly emotional images.

I posted a lot of photos to show some of the details. We had made a majority of the items at our wedding. Honestly there are a tony of more things I will be posting of the items we made.

Each guest got to take home 2013 star champagne glasses.

As I mentioned in previous post, I made each of the jars and bows seen on the center pieces.

Each table had a Star Wars planet name.

The table runners were made from strips of burlap stenciled with our initials. What this doesn't show is right above the letters is the Rebel Symbol

The mother of the groom made these cute little fans that held a special hidden Jar Jar Binks mask.

Our rings right before we walked down the aisle.

The bouquet, garter and shoes we're all hand made.

Michelle took some time for some artsy photos of my dress.

Finishing touches before we walked down the aisle. I can't thank my ladies enough for taking such great care of me.

Just a random pose I thought of while getting the finishing touches.

Travis was so nervous before I walked out! I love the emotion.

I laughed when he said his vows and he threw a couple very adorable geek jokes in to get me to stop crying. Seriously I couldn't stop.

We did it!!

Now that's a genuine smile!

I couldn't stop starring at him. He looked great dressed as Han Solo. The guys were all Jedi and the girls got to keep it girly.

My gifts to the ladies. Each had a different color of purple.

I started having fun with poses. This one was my favorite idea.

Look at him with all those ladies! So much confidence.

I love this photo of the guys. The costumes looked great on each of them. The best man on the left and our jr groomsman were the only two to have the robe.

I had to through a Jar Jar Binks prank in somewhere!!!

Our wonderful officiant brought her son. He was so excited because he loves Star Wars about as much as Travis. He looked adorable as Darth Vader.

Just some one on one time with my new husband.

How can you not laugh looking at this photo?? This is Travis being totally himself. This was not a planned pose he just made it up as we went.

Posing with the bouquet.

Our first dance and first time dancing in public together. Our song was "Nice and Easy" by Frank Sinatra

I had to keep his eyes on me the whole dance. (not really a problem lol) I had a HUGE surprise for him right afterwards. This is his initial response.

The Washington state's official garrison of the 501st Legion: garrison Titan came as my big surprise.

How awesome is it to be force choked by Darth Vader.

The whole gang.

This was hand painted and mod podged with glitter.

Our cake toppers were collaged with cut outs just like the letters from my previous post.

I wish I could walk around like this very day. A Strom Trooper bride, ahhh the life of a geek.

If you have seen the Star Wars movies this quote won't seem odd at all. Inside were chocolates in the shape of Star Wars characters, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Storm troopers and more.

Who said Star Wars can't be rustic?

We ended up drinking from these glasses instead of the exquisite flutes we got as a gift. (I was so afraid to break them!)

The real faces of the Garrison Titan. If you haven't already heard about what they do please visit their website. http://www.garrisontitan.com/ Their groups around the country help raise money for charities by appearing in their movie quality costumes. They are truly amazing men and women, all or most have hand created fantastic Star Wars costumes. I cannot thank them enough for helping me give my husband a wonder gift for our wedding. We raised nearly $300 for the Seattle Union Gospel Mission.

Seattle Wedding Photography - $650

6 Hours
Unlimited Locations
Online gallery of all images
Digital Negatives with hi-res files - includes the right to make re-prints

$200 deposit required for weddings to reserve the date. Additional time $75/hr. No charge for travel for King County, $20/hr travel beyond.

Seattle Portrait and Headshot Photography $50

Phone Consultation before your session. We will discuss locations, wardrobe direction, and any questions you may have before the session.

One hour session, including my time and talent.

Online gallery of all images

Digital Negatives with hi-res files -includes the right to make re-prints


Newborns - $150

Newborn sessions are done in your home. This makes things easier on both mom and baby.

Phone Consultation before your session. We will your newborns habits, schedule and any questions you may have before the session.

One - two hour session, including my time and talent.
Online gallery of all images
Digital Negatives with 15 edited hi-res files - includes the right to make re-prints

Boudoir Photography- $200

 Phone Consultation before your session. We will discuss locations, wardrobe direction, and any questions you may have before the session.

One hour session, including my time and talent.

Online gallery of all images

Two wardrobe changes. Extra wardrobe changes $25 each. Between-the-sheet and/or implied nudes are included with either option at no additional charge.

Hair & Makeup service can be added to any boudoir shoot for only $85.

I promised the bride and groom to get a sneak peak up. Please enjoy.





 

I wanted to post the finished photos of the initials for our cake table.

I bought the letters at Joann Fabrics on sale before Christmas for about $3 each.

Travis and I picked our own images for our letters.

I had them hanging on the wall in our living room just plain. They were a brown craft paper coloring. I put up some really cute photos of Travis and I next to them. Now they are finished and in the same place. Everyone who walks in the front sees them immediately. I LOVE them.

See the original post here http://kld-designsandphoto.blogspot.com/2013/04/star-wars-personalized-initals.html



 

The more things I make the more excited I get for the wedding. I keep coming up with all these fabulous ideas to personalize our Star Wars wedding. It doesn't help I spend all my last moments before sleep browsing Pinterest and Etsy on my Kindle Fire. I am an Etsy junkie. I sell my own items and artwork on the site but I spend at least twice as much as I make on awesome handmade/custom items. If you haven't already joined the Etsy.com you should. However be prepared to lose several hours of your life to just browsing this awesomely addicting site.

I found these hangers on Etsy but couldn't justify spending $25 PER hanger. Plus I wasn't sure I could even engrave them and it not look like a 5 year old made them. Customized/Personalized Bridal Hanger for Wedding Dress - Wooden 

I ended up at Bed Bath and Beyond last week and saw a pack of hangers for less than $10. I had this half thought I could just buy them and but some kind of bow on the them. Easy enough, $2 per hanger and $1 worth of ribbon. Easy inexpensive custom hangers... I got home yesterday and laid out all the materials. Before I even knew what I was doing I had a pencil and a Sharpie marker in my hand. The crazy creative juices started flowing through me faster than I could draw. This is what I ended up with.

Customized Star Wars bridal hangers for the bridesmaids. So far I am most proud of these. There will oh so many more items to come. I need to buy more of these awesome little Vader helmets. I just wish I could find Boba Fett helmets.


I only made 5 hangers not realizing I needed to make myself one.  I am so proud of these, I can't wait to see them all lined up with the dresses on them!!
The bows were easy to make, just standard juke twine and sheer brown ribbon then I glued the helmet on. I did realize when I tied the bows on the metal part of the hang it spun around a lot. I just added a tiny dab of hot glue and solved that problem.



Each hanger was free hand drawn and each is unique. I wanted them all to be just a little bit different. I think I might go back and write the wedding date on the backside of the hanger.










I used just a standard sharpie marker but I think if I ever make these again (which I will for gifts) I would use two different sized markers, one for detailing and one for filling. I suppose I could add some spray clear coating to preserve these a little bit too.