Their website states: “Fair trade offers a sustainable alternative to buying sweat-shop made goods.  Fair trade is an organized social movement promoting standards for international labour, environmentalism, and social policy in the production of Fair Trade goods.”  As consumers we have choices and I am so happy to find a choice in the Cleveland area that doesn’t support child labor or abuse of workers in other countries.

I selected three outfits that I thought would make just great engagement session options.  I hope you’ll agree.

I had contacted Revive a couple weeks back to request permission to use their images.  I was so surprised when I showed up at the Janie and Jack shoots last week because Revive was just across the street.  I was delighted to go over and see the store for myself and meet the manager.  I plan to share “what to wears” featuring Revive a few times a year.  Look forward to more great stuff!  {And stop by Revive and check it out for yourself.}

See…I told you she was sweet.

…and happy…

O.K.  Get ready for this.  I am in love with these next two.

Look at those toes!

Thanks again {S} family.  Give her lots of kisses for me.

I have been going through images all day.  I think you’ll agree these kids are just adorable but they were all as sweet as can be as well.  I am so lucky to have a job where I get to meet kiddos like these.

How precious is this?

A big shout out to this last little girl’s brothers.  She came in with her mom, dad, and three brothers.  Those three (all five and under!) were so polite and sweet the entire time she was getting her pictures taken.  She’s a lucky girl to have these three looking out for her.

Thanks again to all the parents!  I am looking forward to meeting with all of you again.

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Have you seen the contest for March?  Nominate a deserving family or couple and you can win too.  Information can be found here.

Also, are you signed up for our mailing list?  Be the first to hear of contest, specials, and other information by signing up below:

A week later Aaron was back again, and she remembered his favorite drink.  He was impressed with her memory and with her and later asked for her number.  She hesitated.  Didn’t she just swear off this kind of thing?  But clearly Rachel has good instincts because she relented and handed it over…right after asking him if there was anything crazy she should know about him, of course.

They are good together.  Really good.  I love what Aaron says about her: “She’s genuine.  She never tries to project herself differently than who she really is inside. I know that she is always being herself around me, and because of this, I  knew from the start that I could always be myself around her.”

If that isn’t a recipe for a successful marriage, I don’t know what is.

Their pictures are especially cool because we did some of them in the fall and then Dave headed out with them in the middle of February.

And, here is they are with their son, Bosco.  {Ten points if you know where that name came from.}

I love this next one.  I told you they are great together.

Here they are outside the home they recently bought together:

Congratulations to Aaron & Rachel!  And Bosco of course.

Aaron is Dave’s son and I am looking very forward to photographing their wedding this September in Toledo.  If these engagement shots are any indication, it should be a great time!

Here’s a slideshow of more engagement photos.  Give it a minute to load…it’s worth it.  {If you are viewing this on Facebook or an RSS Feed click here to view and then scroll down.}

Rachel had plans for the images with writing on them…but I decided to have some fun with them in the slide show.  Cute, huh?

So, in between sips of a White Mocha, I met some of the cutest little munchkins I’ve ever seen.    I swear every kiddo I photographed could sign up for modeling.  Here’s a quick sneak peek of some of the adorableness:

Thanks to all the parents (and grandparents) from this shoot.  It was a blast working with all of your little ones.

Allow me to introduce Ryan to you.  He is one of the DJs at Beach Boyz Entertainment and I asked him to tell us a little bit about himself and the business.  I firmly believe that your wedding entertainment is an essential piece of hosting a wedding people enjoy.  If your guests aren’t having fun you will be disappointed and believe me so will they.

Some DJs in the industry are fantastic and others are just so so.  Do yourself a favor and hire a fantastic one like Ryan here.  :)

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a person who loves to have fun and take life by the horns. I have been married now for 7 years and I have two sons. Austin and Trevor. Austin is 6 years old and in the first grade and Trevor is 3 years old. They are incredible. I just recently bought a home in Firestone Park and loving it. It’s so nice to have the freedom of owning and doing whatever I want, which means, I was able to get a Pet! We have 1 cat named Charlie and a Dog soon to come!

2. Tell us about Beach Boyz Entertainment…where are you located?

Beach Boyz is a wonderful DJ Service. The customers come first. That’s how we separate us from everyone else. It’s not our show, it’s theirs. We want to cater to all that our clients want. We have around 20 guys at the present time working for Beach Boyz. Range from Rookies to guys who have been there for 15 years.

3. How did you become a DJ?

I used to work at Todaro’s Party Center in Akron as a busboy so I got to see DJ’s first hand and got to see how much fun people had. I wanted to be that guy who provided the fun. I loved it when Beach Boyz DJ’d the parties because they made it a night to remember. So that’s why I decided to become a DJ. Didn’t know music too well and was a little quiet, but wanted to try. Now I know thousands upon thousands of songs and have been with Beach Boyz for 11 years. I get to provide the entertainment and provide the smiles as people walk out the door remembering how much fun their event was!

4. What do you think is the most important role of a DJ at a wedding reception?

The most important thing about the role of the DJ is becoming the one to take care of the flow of the night. For Weddings, we make sure that all events are planned, ready to go…and we keep a good pace. If you let the party drag out and check in the guest(s) of honor, then people lose interest and the client thinks “what’s next…” Being able to work the flow of the music is most important too! Anyone can hook up an IPOD and run music off of it all night, but do they really know how to work the crowd. Do they know what song to play next to keep people dancing? No. They usually just have a pre-determined list and just the play button. We don’t do that. We work the crowd off the lists the Client provides plus what we feel would keep the dance floor alive. Also, our DJ Service works closely with all Photographers and Videographers. That’s the last thing a Bride and Groom would want…no pictures for a special event on their Wedding Day…a Father-Daughter dance could be missed. All Vendors know what is coming up. We Emcee the event and Coordinate all events.

5. What should a bride and groom look for in a DJ?

As you look for a DJ, get to know them. Get comfortable with them. The reason I say that is because they are the one’s DJing the night you are going to remember the rest of your life. The DJ makes or breaks your reception. People don’t really remember the food, or the drinks…but they remember the music.

6. What are some unique things you (Beach Boyz) offer?

Beach Boyz offers a variety of unique things. We have basic lighting to intelligent lighting…Fog Machines/Snow Machines/Bubble Machines/the list keeps going. We have props for all kind of events when it comes to Kid Parties (Hula Hoops/Miniature Bikes/Wide Selection) to keep people entertained. We also interact with the crowd. We don’t stand behind the DJ Table with our arms crossed the whole night or sitting down eating and drinking alcohol. We don’t eat and we don’t drink alcohol at events. Our concern is the Bride and Groom…not our party life!

7. Do you have any fun stories or experiences that you can share?

I have tons of stories that could take up pages as to things that have happened in my 11 years so I will keep it short and sweet. The experiences I have meeting new people every weekend are awesome! But the best part is when you run into those people down the road and they remember you! They say they still talk about their reception and how much fun they had. They say that every family gathering they have, their reception comes up as a topic every time and memories start flying out their mouths and they can’t stop talking about it. That is the best experience. I once had a Bride and Groom I DJ’d for 5 years ago…well, their friend got married this past summer and they were guests. They came up to me and said “you were our DJ and I am so happy to see you here tonight. We told them to go to Beach Boyz and get Ryan.” So for couples to remember me that far down the road is the most amazing feeling. I love being a DJ and I will leave you with a quote that I will hold true to and you will see how much I love being a DJ by this quote:  ”The day that this becomes a job is the day that I call it quits”

Thanks for talking to me and hope to see you all soon!!

Here’s a couple shots from a wedding last season where Ryan is keeping the floor hopping:

Prize: Heritage Studio & Gallery Photo Session with $200 worth of prints! {$350 value!}

Nominate a Couple or Family who you think deserves this Prize by doing the following:

• Writing an essay, in 800 words or less, explaining who you think should win the free photo session and prints. Tell us a little about the family or couple you are nominating and what makes them deserving.
• You may not nominate yourself or your own immediate family, but the person who nominates the winner will also win a prize {a 16×20 gallery wrapped canvas–$299 value!}
• Send your essay to amy@heritagestudioandgallery.com with the subject “march contest.”
• Please tell others about this contest by posting it on Facebook or twittering about it. We’d really like to help a family that would benefit from this gift. Enter by: April 2nd Winner will be announced: April 5th

And because a blog post without a picture is like shopping without someone else’s credit card, meet little {I}.  Isn’t she darling?!

• I will be shooting kids {Wow–that sounds bad–but you know what I mean} at a Legacy Village store on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I am hoping for lots of fun images to share.
• Aaron and Rachel’s engagement photos…coming to a blog near you.
• A “What-to-Wear” that will inspire any couple to schedule an engagement session. {Covered briefly in the newsletter…and, uh…speaking of the newsletter, are you signed up?  …And why not?  Sign ups are below and I promise not to flood your inbox.}
• A three month old with the sweetest little disposition you’ve ever seen.
• Our March contest–nominate a deserving family or couple {details to come}
• A wedding vendor interview

On second thought, that’s going to take more than a week but it’s such good stuff.  Don’t miss it!

And, because a post without a photograph is like March without sunshine, here is a shot of a booth Dave set up at Westfield Mall in North Canton this past weekend.  Did anyone see it?

1. Lying in bed for days isn’t as fun as it sounds
2. Cherry slushies might be the yummiest drink in the world when nothing else sounds good
3. The stomach flu should die a long and horrible death

I have lots more to blog in the next few days, but I just wanted to check in and say hello…oh and share this favorite image Dave took of his son and his fiancée.  {More coming soon!}

and {Baby V} is no different.

Ten tiny fingers…

…and ten tiny toes…

…one pouty mouth and an adorable nose.

Check out that hair…

And his smile…so sweet…

…good night and sleep tight {Baby V}.

Thanks {S} & {M}.  I loved meeting your little guy and look forward to watching him grow up.