ur ultimate goal as wedding photographers and artistic story tellers is to capture your wedding day in a way that creates emotion from our brides and grooms.  Most often, the first time we see those tears is when you're looking at your wedding pictures for the first time on the screen of our laptop or your computer screen.  That is, until now. 

Last week we had an amazing experience and I'll try to paint the picture in words for you.  We finalized Danielle & Brandon's wedding story by posting over 1,200 wedding images into their online gallery, created an 8 minute high definition slide show to music,  and Deb ( blow-you-away-talented designer of wedding albums) topped it off with an amazing wedding album pre-design.

We loaded all of the wedding images on to an Apple iPad - in well defined Albums (i.e. getting ready, ceremony, reception, etc.), loaded the slideshow in full 720p resolution, and added the wedding album pre-design on the iPad too.  I also created a HD BluRay disc of the slideshow (the reveal tool - as you'll see).  The plan was to meet up with Danielle & Brandon, both sets of parents, and some other interested family members last Friday evening at Danielle's folk's home (beautiful, btw).  We couldn't wait.  

It's so great having customers who are no longer customers, but friends who become fans.  And by friends I mean people you'd welcome in your own home to spend an evening with over dinner.  Deb and I work hard at building these friendships, friends who are fans, never again just customers!

So it was that we found ourselves in the living room of some of our favorite newest friends, eating dinner, talking, having a great time.  And that's when it started.  I took out the DVD and placed it into the BluRay player, pressed play, and for the next 8 minutes, we looked at the faces of 12-15 people, watching their emotion range from tears to grins to flat out laughter as they watched high definition memories unfold on the big screen.  8 minutes of them reliving their own memories of July 10, 2010.  8 minutes of emotion.  

But I won't soon forget the next 20 minutes.  I pulled out the iPad with the wedding album galleries on the screen and placed it in the hands of Danielle's dad (Tony), gave him a couple instructions, and sat back and watched.  The rest of the crowd said "play it again!" (referring to the DVD).  I glanced over at Tony and saw something amazing.  The rest of the clan was reliving the DVD, but not him; he's rifling (swiping) through the huge, crystal clear wedding images on the  iPad's beautiful screen (rivaling print images), all while reliving his only daughter's huge day - again.  This time in private; just he and the iPad Wedding Album Collection.

Then, without even showing him how, Tony started the wedding slideshow video on the iPad.  The whole room stopped and looked over because the very same DVD slideshow they all just watched 3 times on the big screen is now playing on the iPad.  Everyone got up and ran over to his chair in a kind of "you've-got-to-be-kidding" posture, and watched it, again, in high resolution on the iPad - over Tony's shoulder.  Tears, laughs, grins, it happened all over again.  But this time you could see it starting to hit, a kind of "ah ha" moment. I first saw it on Tony's face.  That's when the "moment" happened and it was defined in two words.  He glanced up at me with a grin and said, "how much?"

Over the evening, four Wedding iPad Collection's were purchased, all for family members who realized the value and power of what this amazing device is.  And the truly amazing thing, they weren't purchased to replace the leather albums already included in their wedding package.  They knew you can't replace the beauty and class of an exquisite leather wedding album that will become an heirloom and part of the legacy of the couple.  The iPads were in addition to the printed wedding albums.

Tony, Deena, Tom, Cheryl, Danielle, & Brandon, thank you.  For being open to accepting 21st century technology into of your big day.  Deb and I promise you will NOT - ever - be disappointed with that decision.




We love offering the iPad for our phenomenal couples.  And while NOTHING replaces a fine art leather Wedding album, proudly displaying your amazing story of your wedding day on a device that screams cool is a tremendous way to relive your day - in style.  And talk about portable?  You can go ANYWHERE, and everywhere to proudly display your wedding story.  

The iPad Wedding Album Collection:

It's your story set to music and displayed in a slideshow fashion in rich vivid color on the amazing new Apple iPad.  It's like your holding your wedding pictures in your hands while watching the events of your wedding day unfold on the brilliant screen.  

 
And to top it all off, not only can you view and proudly display your wedding album, but we'll load ALL of your high resolution wedding pictures on your iPad Wedding Album device - allowing you to create your own slideshows of your wedding pictures to proudly display on your coffee table or bookcase for a long time.

Contact us to check on availability and pricing... we can't wait to introduce you to the new iPad Wedding Album Collection

It's just another reason  you're gonna cry happy tears when you see your wedding pictures from GrantDeb Photographers!

anielle and Brandon were married in spectacular fashion last Saturday at the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center in Norfolk. It was an amazing event packed with color and sparkle and we couldn't have been happier for them as they pledged their hearts to one another in front of the gorgeous floor to ceiling glass that overlooks the Port of Norfolk. It wouldn't have been an event had it not been for the vision and design of their Wedding Planner, Lindsey Hocker of Simply Perfect Events. She and her team worked tirelessly to create an evening that Danielle, Brandon, their families and guests will remember for a long, long time. The entire venue was transformed with the florals and linens of Bella Flora, Distinctive Event Rentals, lighting and production by Tidewater Productions and Ampa Events. Programs and stationary were designed by CME Design Services and our favorite DJ, Luke Barton kept the dance floor hopping all night. Their gorgeous cake was by Chef De Long at Gourmet Bake Shoppe, and the delectable food was catered by East Beach Catering. And of course the night wouldn't have been complete without a Happily-Ever-After send off from Smithfield Horse and Carriage.


I couldn't decide...Color or BW...which one do you like?

o... there's something to be said about a guy who has the ability to plan a wedding proposal to the love of his life with surgeon precision, and keep said planned proposal a total surprise to his fiancée.   Now - separate those two by 2,800 miles for a long period of time and you'd maybe think the girl might expect the upcoming visit equaled "pop-the-question" time.  But in the case of Teddy and Amy, that absolutely was not the case.

I guess it may have something to do with the fact that Teddy (who is the guy with sick coordinating skills) never let on to Amy that this visit was anything other than a long overdue visit.  

Teddy planned everything, down to the time(s) we were to meet up with him; obviously in stealth mode.  So we stalked them, all night, starting at Fire & Vine, a very cool restaurant in Virginia Beach where he had white roses delivered and placed on their table.  Now, if I'm Amy, and Teddy's taking me to dinner at a hawt restaurant - and we show up to white roses?  I'm totally on to him.  She wasn't.

Neither was she on to me walking around the restaurant paparazzi style snapping pictures of the salad bar (my rouge, with the manager showing me pictures she "wanted" for her website while I "accidentally" snapped pics of Teddy and Amy).

And the long walk on the beach at sunset?  Clue? Nope - she was totally blown away when Teddy came right up to us on the beach, stopped in front of our lenses (as Deb and I pretended to be shooting surfers) - knealed down on one knee, took her hand and asked Amy to be his wife.

She said "Yes!" to the claps and shouts of a bunch of beach goers all around them.  It was cool.

Here are a few of the pics we took of Teddy & Amy's marriage proposal; the first two were taken in a very dark restaurant - but you can get the gist.


Here's a clue Teddy - NO PEEKING!


and yep - they wanted to get wet.  So  we ALL got wet - totally soaked!  Too fun.

f Jenny could have flown here she would have....literally...I mean with her own wings. This was the weekend she and G were coming home for their Engagement Party, and she was beyond excited. As in, there-are-no-words-to-describe-how-excited-she-was...that kind of excited. ;) We had emailed back and forth many times over colors and outfits, and outfits had changed many times...even up until the day of our session. And that excitement and preparation is exactly why I love her, and I'm sure all the people around her, including G, feel the same. This session was the first time we had met G and he was exactly what we had anticipated...her ROCK. He even put up with all our 'suggestions' like a good sport too! 

Since their party is tonight, we thought it would be fun to do a quick post so they could share a few of the images with their family and friends, and if all goes well a print will be made for them to frame. 

Jenny and G, it was a blast seeing you and your mom the other day. Fenway is probably the best behaved dog even though we feel sorry that she has to have such an awful name. ;) Here are a few of our favorites from your session at Fort Monroe and all our Yankee cronies will have to forgive us for photographing your Red Sox and Patriot Jerseys. haha! 

f Jenny could have flown here she would have....literally...I mean with her own wings. This was the weekend she and G were coming home for their Engagement Party, and she was beyond excited. As in, there-are-no-words-to-describe-how-excited-she-was...that kind of excited. ;) We had emailed back and forth many times over colors and outfits, and outfits had changed many times...even up until the day of our session. And that excitement and preparation is exactly why I love her, and I'm sure all the people around her, including G, feel the same. This session was the first time we had met G and he was exactly what we had anticipated...her ROCK. He even put up with all our 'suggestions' like a good sport too! 

Since their party is tonight, we thought it would be fun to do a quick post so they could share a few of the images with their family and friends, and if all goes well a print will be made for them to frame. 

Jenny and G, it was a blast seeing you and your mom the other day. Fenway is probably the best behaved dog even though we feel sorry that she has to have such an awful name. ;) Here are a few of our favorites from your session at Fort Monroe and all our Yankee cronies will have to forgive us for photographing your Red Sox and Patriot Jerseys. haha!