Engagement Inspiration!

Some fun recent engagement sessions around town. I love it when couples choose a location that has meaning to them: where they first met, went on a date... makes it all the more meaningful! These sessions were in and around Minneapolis- downtown & parks, the new Twins Stadium and all the way to Hastings for a cool motorcycle session by the river.

See more on Facebook- hundreds of albums!

Your Mom will LOVE this...

email Ruth to order your Gift Certificate today or call 651.335.8198

Location Engagement Session

A fun way to spend a cold morning! Looking for great light and angles...

Cool Kiddo!

This was a fun session! What's cuter than a toddler with attitude?
Always on the lookout for cool photo locations- this is one of my new current faves! I look forward to shooting a few families and high school seniors here this spring!

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Babies, Babies & more Babies

From newborns to one year birthday sessions! Here are a few recent favorites!

Newborn Sessions make a great gifts for new moms and moms-to-be!

www.happilyeverafterphoto.com

See more kids and family images on our Facebook Kids Page!

What Bride's Don't Know

This post from Amy Rubin's Blog at Fete Perfection caught my attention. Here is a re-post. In the wedding business referrals are so important and we are happy to be referred by some of the best venues and wedding vendors in the Twin Cities. We have never paid to be on "preferred vendor lists" or paid in any way for referrals and we refer other wedding business's who do good work that our brides love.


My best advice is to work with established local business's that have a long history of happy brides and grooms. It is especially important in this economy to work with trusted, established vendors. Need a referral? Just ask me! Ruth 651.335.8198

What Bride’s Don’t Know
March 19th, 2010

As a wedding planner and one who believes in and teaches ethical business practices, I am dismayed by the number of wedding professionals who violate an unwritten “code of ethics”. So one might ask, if it’s unwritten how can it apply? Quite simply, our every day business practices should be dictated by the moral compass inside each of us. The compass that says cheating, lying and misrepresentations are wrong and do a disservice to our clients. Unfortunately, brides aren’t privileged to this inside information so here’s “What I Know and What Brides Don’t Know”

1.Accepting commissions or kickbacks for referrals to vendors is a conflict of interest. For example, if I refer a client to Vendor X who pays me 15% of an order rather than a more suitable vendor who pays zero, whose best interests are being served?
2.There are some wedding professionals who refuse to do business with others who do not provide kickbacks. Wow, I was shocked when I heard that.
3.Being on a “Preferred Vendor List” doesn’t always mean a vendor exhibits high standards and provides an excellent product or service, it can otherwise mean that vendor paid a fee to be “Preferred”. By the way, late last year the FCC required clear disclosure of paid relationships and advertising on websites, social media, blogs and other internet outlets.
4.There are a lot of awards and best of … distinctions in the wedding industry that do not represent the honor and achievement they appear to represent. Some are nothing more than a popularity contest - who garnered the most votes; and when you break it down, voting can be from anyone, anywhere in or outside the wedding world. To me, industry awards are much more representative of the excellence bestowed. These are awards given to recipients whose work was judged blindly by a committee of peers and recognized for their superiority in a variety of categories. I’m all for best of awards when voted on by brides – they have the right to vote for their favorite vendors because they have first-hand experience and provide honest feedback.
I am happy to say that most wedding professionals and all of the pros we recommend do follow that “code of ethics” but how can one be sure? Quite simply, ask. The wedding market is quite competitive and the only way to find out about a vendors business practices is to ask. Then decide who you want working on your behalf.

Share the Love

We are lucky not only to work with the best couples but also with the Twin Cities top wedding vendors! One of our faves is Sarah Trotter from Lasting Impressions (aka The Hardest Working Wedding Coordinator!). Sarah recently featured our newest albums on her Blog and I thought my readers might enjoy a few more links to words of wisdom from Sarah and a more...
Why Hire a "Day Of" Coordinator
Featured wedding by Happily Ever After Oct. 3rd
Featured Vendor: Happily Ever After
First Wedding of the Season
Lasting Impressions
If you are planning a wedding check out Sarah's site- you'll love working with her!

New Album Line: Produced Locally!

Just had to show off our latest albums! Perfectly sized at 8x8 featuring a smooth metallic finish on the cover* and fine art paper pages. Best of all they are produced locally and ready in just a few days! Want more info? Contact Ruth.

Oh and for the big question: How much do they cost? About half of what our regular album start at making them perfect for families, wedding party gifts, parents and portrait/ engagement session books. Let us design one for you!

*this album was designed with a photographic cover printed on metallic paper. Covers also available in leather & linen.

Q & A with Ruth Harper, owner and lead photographer of Happily Ever After

Q: How should couples begin their search for a wedding photographer?

A: Ask your venue first, get personal referrals from friends and co-workers and then check out photographers websites.

Q: What should couples be looking for on a website?

A: First of all a variety of images from lots of different weddings! Look for well lit images from dark chapels and dance floors. Brilliant color, close ups and full lengths, outdoor/indoor, bright sun and overcast. You want a photographer who is experienced and can work in any lighting situation.

Q: What if there are multiple photographers in one studio?

A: That is exactly our situation and each of our photographers have their own page with info about their experience and background as well as their own gallery and featured weddings. On our Blog you can also see more weddings from each of us and of course in studio we have multiple albums of complete weddings from each of us.

Q: How much should a couple budget for photography?

A: It will really vary by how much coverage you need, what style and size of album(s) you like and if you are having extra coverage of your rehearsal dinner or gift opening, Last Look Session or engagement session. Our coverages start at $1995 and our most popular package is our Album Collection One that includes a custom album for $3200. Be aware that the lowest price is not always the best value: "Good is never cheap and Cheap is never good,"

Q: What questions should couples ask potential photographers?

A: Talk about your day, what style of photos you like. Look at as many albums as possible to get a good idea for the photographers sense of style. Talk about your timeline for your day. Do they have packages or by the hour coverage? What is included? Do they have insurance (some venues require it) and professional backup equipment? What if there is an emergency or they are sick on your wedding day?

Q: Any other tips?

A: Yes, I think it is important for couples to understand that the photographer they choose for their wedding will be the one vendor they work with the longest. After the wedding the fun of the album design begins and choosing images to frame and enlarge and gifts for parents. It is important to choose a full service, professional studio that can make sure you get top quality prints and albums. We love designing albums- it is the final result of all of their hard work and planning which is why we include as many details as possible.

Last Note: Here are some links to other posts on our Blog for you to check out...

Albums: page designs, info and inspiration

Engagement Sessions ; Downtown Minneapolis Weddings ; Downtown St. Paul Weddings

Weddings by Season: Spring ; Summer ; Fall ; Winter

Facebook Studio Page: tons of photos, become a fan for studio updates

Lost Creek Calendars are Here!

Perfect for the horse or animal lover in your life! 100% of the proceeds from this calendar directly benefit the rescue horses at Lost Creek Ranch- a non profit horse rescue located in Ellsworth, WI.

Calendars are 13 months (through Jan.2011)and are $20 each.

Order from Ruth directly (ruth@happilyeveraterphoto.com) or use PayPal and order from the ranch: http://www.lostcreekranch.info/

Lost Creek 2010

Rain in January?

Kimberly & Michael 01.23.10

Mendakota Country Club

If rain on your wedding day means fortune and good luck then Kimberly & Micheal are one blessed couple! It didn't just rain, it poured! There were puddles that covered our boots but Kim and her fantastic bridesmaids smiled through it all! We made a stop at our favorite rainy day spot- the grungy garage before heading over to their warm and beautiful reception where guests were served hot fudge brownie sundaes!

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