Thanks all for the patience!  It has been a busy few weeks since we took a break from giveaways to do our annual “Best of DnK 2011″ contest!!  We’re picking back up with a beautiful head piece by Pris!

Here’s the scoop:

Here at DnK We are starting something new during the season of winter.  During the winter months {at least in Minnesota} weddings slow down a bit – so – we thought it would be a great time to feature some fabulous artists from Etsy.com who sell wedding related items!  Each week we are going to feature a new artist and they’ll tell you a bit about who they are/why they do and what they love about weddings – then they are going to GIVEAWAY one of their works of art!

Here’s how it works:

At the end of the blog post you have 3 options - make a separate comment for each one so you can have up to three chances to win!  {Each winner is randomly selected by random.org}

1 – ‘like’ DnK Photography on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your first comment!}

2 – ‘like’/'friend’ Pris on her Facebook page {once your a fan – just declare that in your second comment!}

3 – tell us what your favorite product is from Pris’ Etsy Store!

So here we go!  I am so very excited to introduce Pris – of Design by Pris – she makes beautiful headpieces, jewelery, accessories and more!
How you got started with your Etsy store/craft of trade?

I still remember how wonderful it was to get all my wedding accessories custom handmade and how important details are for a “dream wedding”; therefore, I would also like to be able to help other brides to create the perfect wedding accessories in the same way I did mine.
I began to design and create handmade hair adornments for brides at Design by Pris on Etsy since February 2010. My studio is a home-based where I usually work on my free time that I have from taking care of my two young children.

Your favorite thing about weddings?
My favorite thing about a wedding is to see a happy moment of two people who want share “one love” forever, to see a beautiful bride and a fine looking groom, to see a smile on their faces, to see their hard work of find all their dream wedding elements come in place to create their wonderful day to remember for a life time.

Pris has offered to giveaway a beautiful veil – perfect as a wedding day veil, groom’s dinner/rehearsal veil, girl’s bachelorette night on the town and more!

Comment below for your chance{s} to win these!!  Contest for the hairpiece ends at NOON on the 31st of January – winner announced that afternoon. Get your name in the mix!!  {Three times!}

Here’s the scoop:

Here at DnK We are starting something new during the season of winter.  During the winter months {at least in Minnesota} weddings slow down a bit – so – we thought it would be a great time to feature some fabulous artists from Etsy.com who sell wedding related items!  Each week we are going to feature a new artist and they’ll tell you a bit about who they are/why they do and what they love about weddings – then they are going to GIVEAWAY one of their works of art!

Here’s how it works:

At the end of the blog post you have 3 options - make a separate comment for each one so you can have up to three chances to win!  {Each winner is randomly selected by random.org}

1 – ‘like’ DnK Photography on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your first comment!}

2 – ‘like’ Juting Design Studio on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your second comment!}

3 – tell us what your favorite product is from Tina’s Etsy Store!

So here we go!  I am so very excited to introduce Tina – of Juting Design Studio- she makes beautiful invitations, wedding stationary, place cards and more!

How you got started with your Etsy store/craft of trade

I am a graphic designer who graduated from Cal State Fullerton couple years ago. After struggling trying to find a position during such a tough economy, I decided to start my own design studio business on Etsy. I have always felt passionate toward colors, patters, and nice textured paper. I wasn’t satisfied with freelancing just designing logos and websites – so that’s  when I decided to sell my own paper goods and design.  I really enjoy being able to pick the ink colors and printing paper. I have been creating new designs for almost one year and I love what I do.

Your favorite thing about weddings

My favorite thing about weddings is seeing all elements working together. There are endless things involved in planning a wedding; like the decorations, seating chart, place cards, menu, flowers, and much more. Oftentimes brides have to order their supplies from many different venders, which can be very stressful trying to have all of the elements match. Seeing the version in your mind finally comes to life and being presented in front of your family and friends is such a wonderful moment. That’s when you know all the hard work that you have put into the day are all worth it.

Tina has offered to giveaway 100 printed tiara black and white place cards and 10 matching black and white large folded table number cards. Not enough for your large wedding?  You can always order more!!  ; )

Comment below for your chance{s} to win these!!  Contest for the place settings ends at NOON on the 10th of January – winner announced that afternoon. Get your name in the mix!!  {Three times!}

Here is a peek at the place cards and table numbers up for grabs!

{Best part is – YOU don’t even have to write out each name!!!}

Here’s the scoop:

Here at DnK We are starting something new during the season of winter.  During the winter months {at least in Minnesota} weddings slow down a bit – so – we thought it would be a great time to feature some fabulous artists from Etsy.com who sell wedding related items!  Each week we are going to feature a new artist and they’ll tell you a bit about who they are/why they do and what they love about weddings – then they are going to GIVEAWAY one of their works of art!

Here’s how it works:

At the end of the blog post you have 3 options - make a separate comment for each one so you can have up to three chances to win!  {Each winner is randomly selected by random.org}

1 – ‘like’ DnK Photography on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your first comment!}

2 – ‘like’ Ley Collection on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your second comment!}

3 – tell us what your favorite product is from Ley Collection’s Etsy Store!

So here we go!  I am so very excited to introduce Clara – of Ley Collection – she makes beautiful hair pieces and jewelry – perfect for any bride or even a night on the town!

How did you get started with your Etsy store?

I began making jewelry when I was very young; I love the process of creating beautiful jewelry. I love to share my designs with everyone. When making more and mores designs {jewelry}, one of my friends told me that I can sell some of them through ETSY. This is a great place for people to sell and buy handmade designs, so I chose to start a shop last year.

What is your favorite part about weddings?

My favorite thing about weddings is when everybody sees how beautiful of the Bride when she enter the Church.
I love to be the one who helps create this beautiful Bride.

I know I am super excited for the lucky one that gets to have one of Clara’s beautifully made bridal haircombs – what a beautiful addition to any veil!!! {Or even on it’s own!!!}

Comment below for your chance{s} to win these!!  Contest for the hair comb ends at NOON on the 3rd of January – winner announced that afternoon. Get your name in the mix!!  {Three times!}

Here is a peek at the stunning hair piece up for grabs!

If you follow us on Facebook – you may have seen that Dan and I got to photograph and ACTUAL LIVE PROPOSAL!!!

One of the best nights of my life!! It was rather amazing : )  Since I am a bit consumed while watching the Packer game – please check out the album on our Facebook page until I get it blogged!

Merry Christmas and safe travels!!!

Here at DnK We are starting something new during the season of winter.  During the winter months {at least in Minnesota} weddings slow down a bit – so – we thought it would be a great time to feature some fabulous artists from Etsy.com who sell wedding related items!  Each week we are going to feature a new artist and they’ll tell you a bit about who they are/why they do and what they love about weddings – then they are going to GIVEAWAY one of their works of art!

Here’s how it works:

At the end of the blog post you have 3 options – make a separate comment for each one so you can have up to three chances to win!  {Each winner is randomly selected by random.org}

1 – ‘like’ DnK Photography on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your first comment!}

2 – ‘like’ Your Divine Affair on Facebook {once your a fan – just declare that in your second comment!}

3 – tell us what your favorite product is from Your Divine Affair’s Etsy Store!

So here we go!  Kicking off our Season of {Etsy} Giveaways is Diane and Gordon – with Your Divine Affair!!

How did you get started with your Etsy store?

I am a Wedding Planner and have sewn for years, so I can make many things my brides wish to have in their wedding. I also knew my husband could make just about anything with wood – so I could show him the great interest in custom, handcrafted items that brides love to use in their weddings to show their personal style.  As we began to make these items and saw the admiration for the great care and detail we take in our work,I knew our items could be popular on Etsy. We make a lot of our items from fallen wood found here in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.

What is your favorite part about weddings?

Our favorite thing about weddings now, is the fact that a bride and groom can put so much of their personality in their wedding. There are no hard and fast rules anymore, and as a wedding planner, I encourage each couple to project their tastes and likes in their style wedding. No more cookie cutter weddings! Each wedding is an event to remember for the unique details each couple brings to their DIVINE AFFAIR.

I know I am super excited for the lucky one that gets to have 50 of Diane and Gordon’s beautifully rustic Log Tealight Candle Holders – what a beautiful addition to any weddings!!! {Or even an evening, intimate wedding ceremony!!!} I am 110% in agreement with Diane that every wedding can be so very unique and personalized – it’s items like theirs that really help that happen!

Comment below for your chance{s} to win these!!  Contest for the Log Tealights ends at NOON on the 27th of December – winner announced that afternoon. Get your name in the mix!!  {Three times!}

We had a blast with Lance and Erin during their engagement session – it was a beautiful evening in May and we are so happy they came down to Minneapolis for it. We had the whole session at Wirth Park - remember?

We could just feel the love between these two : ) They have such a sweet love for each other that you don’t see just everyday.

Their wedding day was also beautiful – I mean – wasn’t October just spectacular??

Even though we only got to meet Becky before the wedding day – we knew that Dave must be pretty awesome to be marrying someone like Becky!

We headed up to Duluth for their mid-October wedding – and it was a beautiful day!!!

Okay…..

Maybe a bit windy – can you tell??

They had a beautiful ceremony – the church is just stunning!

After we went to a very neat park in Duluth and took some really fun pictures – the lighting was just perfect – let alone the fabulous bridal party and couple : )

They had a fun ride through town in the limo and we all headed to the reception where they had a beautifully decorated hall, with lovely decorated details, and so much fun!

Becky really thought of everything – they even had a cute floor print!  They also had a great DJ – he did a fun story line about Becky ad Dave, meeting, dating and engaged : )  It was so very sweet!

They also had a of of fun with the DJ’s coordinated garter and bouquet toss : ) it involved a bit of dancing, some singing and even a bit of jacket-taking-off-ing  ; )

B&D – we had so much fun with you two! Thanks for letting us be part of your day!

Anyways – their wedding day was just as wonderful : ) The weather? Wonderful : ) That golden yellow tree in Randee’s parents backyard? AMAZING.

Randee even told me she was at her parents just 3 days before their wedding days and the tree was 100% green! Thank goodness for the change in just 3 days – because I am just in love with that tree!! {and the 4 person crew to get the dress in the tree, me in the ladder and all of us safely down!}

Not only was their ceremony so sweet and heart-felt, but the speeches were touching and their dances – fabulous : ) Randee and her dad had a specially choreographed dance that started serious/normal/formal and ended that way – but had some fun bits in the middle – AND don’t forget the flash mob : )

Thank you Randee and Jakub for letting us be part of your day!! We had such an amazing time with you two and your fabulous families!!!

One way we like to do this is by meeting with our couples – often times we’ll meet with a couple 3-5 times before their big day! Sometimes, meeting that often isn’t as possible if the bride and/or groom lives out of state. Every so often we don’t even get to meet with couples for an initial meeting and they have to choose who to book as their photographers solely based off of emails, pictures and phone conversations.

Recently, we had a bride who lives out of state and wanted to ask more detailed questions about working with us from a bride and groom’s perspective. So, I told her she could look through our blog, pick any couple and {with their permission} I would give her their emails and she could ask anything : )

So she picked Joel and Karen – we photographed their wedding in August of this year. Joel and Karen have very generously allowed us to share their answers to the questions. They each responded to her individually – so you can see their personal answers below.

Thank you Joel and Karen for your openness, honesty and kind words; planning a wedding can be an overwhelming task. There are a plethora of vendors to choose from in the area and we greatly appreciate your time in helping brides and grooms get a unique viewpoint of what it is like to work with Dan and I.

We are so very thankful for you two – for your advice on SEO and cars, your love for dogs and your kindness. You two are a perfect example of the reason we do what we do – and love what we do : )

Overall, would you recommend them as wedding photographers?
Joel: Yes, absolutely yes. I would hire them all over again. Every day, all day. Our experience was terrific. I will save the why as I believe your other questions kind of answer that.

Why did you choose DnK?
Joel: Well, about a year and a half ago, one of my groomsmen got married and he hired them. I was a groomsmen for him so we met Dan and Karin then. I interacted with them throughout the wedding and really liked how they worked as a husband and wife team. It was apparent that this wasn’t just random people assigned to a wedding, but they cared. They know what each other is thinking and they work as a team. Sometimes one will have a vision for a photograph and the other will follow along, and vice-versa. After my buddie’s wedding, I knew that someday when Karen and I got married they would most likely be our photographers.
Karen: Joel and I have been in a number of different weddings, and there was just something about the way that they worked with everyone while keeping the bride and groom’s interest in mind. Also, I have been very particular about photos my whole life since I like to scrapbook. Once I saw their work with people that I care about, I was sold.

Did they communicate well with you up to the Wedding? (Were emails answered promptly, questions answered, etc.)
Joel: Their communication is terrific. They text, email, call, etc. I know they are busy, but they were totally there for us. They showed up on time and left when they said they would. Communication is 100% to me. I work in social media, so if someone isn’t on it, drives me nuts. They are great.
Karen: I’ll mimic Joel, we are both in the digital space professionally, so communication is the most important thing to us. We still text with them even months after our wedding!

At the wedding, did they interact well with you and the other guests? (Did they make people feel comfortable, did you have fun taking pictures with them, did they take charge when someone needed to line people up…)
Joel: Day of the wedding they completely fit in. They worked well with everyone from the kids in our wedding party to our grandparents. They are very accommodating. We had a Jewish wedding and so there are certain rules about when and where you can take pictures during the ceremony. They made sure they knew the rules to make sure no rules were broken, but they also made sure that we still got the awesome shots we wanted.
Karen: I actually sat them at a table of people that were around the same age and had some of the same interests. I don’t know if Dan and Karin really had a good time or not, but everyone that sat with them said that they felt like they were guests since they fit in so well!

Did they seem organized and on top of things?
Joel: They were very organized. My family is ridiculously OCD. Karen and mother provided them a mile long list on an Excel spread sheet with all the photos they wanted including names of the people. Dan and Karin kept it on their iPad and used it as a checklist. They are very organized. Nothing was missed.
Karen: Along with this, Karin worked closely the day of with my personal attendant to make sure that she wasn’t “bothering” me with different questions if she didn’t need to. Seriously a.maz.ing!

Did they get all the pictures you asked them to? (Style and content)
Joel: Everything we wanted, style and content, was taken. They didn’t miss a beat.
Karen: The best part about this is that they got different angles for every “pose.” Since the two of them work completely in-sync, I couldn’t believe all of the pictures for the few different places, styles and poses we did – and they are all unique!

Were you happy with the DVD of photographs you received after the wedding? Did you use those pictures for anything?
Joel: Our DVD had everything in organized folders. It was perfect and just as promised. I believe it took two or three weeks after the wedding to get it; which is a decently quick turnaround time in my opinion.
Karen: They live a few blocks away from Joel’s parents. They dropped it off at their house so we didn’t have to wait for it to come in the mail!

Any reason you weren’t fully satisfied with them as photographers?
Joel: If the above seems to be singing some positive praises, it is. Honestly, I knew after my buddies wedding we were hiring them. We looked at a few other photographers to please the parents, but in the end it was our choice. My mother also was happy in the end, and so were we. I would choose Dan and Karin again every time. No, they didn’t even pay me or give me a discount to write all the nice things.

Karen: Joel pretty much covered the majority of your specific questions, but I will add in a few things. Overall, we honestly can’t say enough amazing things about the two of them and we have worked with LOTS of wedding photographers (as bridal party members). While their work is amazing, in my opinion, they are just incredible people to know and have in your life.

Refer a bride and groom {who’s wedding is in 2012} to DnK Photography and upon them booking us – you receive a free portrait session!

Details:
If you have already referred a couple that has booked with us for 2012, please contact us at Info@DnKPhotography.com
The session is one hour in length and can take place between now and the end of May.
The session also includes 25 edited images with print release.
The session can be used by the person who referred the couple or can be given as a gift.
To redeem session, you must email us at Info@DnKPhotography.com to schedule your session.
This offer applies to weddings booked either with Dan and Karin OR with Scott and Hannah