Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about: Contest Time!

Ok all my photoholic Junkies, I have a $20 Starbucks gift card up for grabs. I don't drink Starbucks, so hopefully someone else out there does :) Like this should be hard. In efforts to keep with the wedding theme, I wanted to hold a contest for the best father daughter wedding dance photo. Here are the rules:

1.) Anyone can enter ( photographers included) but if you are the bride/planner, etc.. you must provide credit to the photographer.

2.) The photograph must be of a father and daughter dancing at a wedding... you can interperet the rest :)

3.) Any style is allowed... but lets keep them PG :)

4.) Entries will be accepted through April 18th. After April 18th, I will pick out 10 of my favorites from the submission ( if we have more than 10) and post them on the blog for our viewrs to vote. Voting will close April 30th.. then your yummy card is on it's way!

To apply shoot me an e-mail justinemillerphotography@yahoo.com with the photog's name and website, and your contact information.

Can't wait to see what you all have!

Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about:Updated Wedding Photography Packages

The updated wedding packages are now available. These packages have been adjusted according to brides feedback, including more options for printed proofs from your wedding, wedding albums, and guest sign in books. I hope that you find these packages more well rounded. The updated packages and pricing are in effect for weddings booked after May 31st, 2008. So if you want to lock in the lower rate for your 2008 or 2009 wedding, contact me before May 31st. The packaged prices are valid for Arizona weddings only, destination weddings are priced on an individual basis. Please feel free to frop me a line if there is anything you wish the packages would include and we can work out a customized package taylored to your own needs.

Justine Miller- Arizona Children's Photography talks about: Happy 6month birthday Kaylee!

This self proclaimed " Queen of the World" turned 6 months old this week. She is a doll and one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen. I cant wait to see her continue to grow.

Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about: Sedona Anniversary Trip

Well, my husband and I celebrated our one year anniversary Monday! Yes, we made it.., LOL. It was an eventful week, as I had two Arizona Weddings to shoot and then we took off and drove up to Sedona Early Saturday morning for a relaxing getaway. Sedona is a wonderful Anniversary, Honeymoon or Destination Wedding location! First on our itinerary was a Pink Jeep Tour. We opted for the Broken Arrow and Scenic Rim Tour. To be honest the Broken Arrow Tour was AWESOME!!!! I could have done without the Scenic Rim tour. If I had children with us, the scenic rim tour would have been fine, but definitely no where as adrenaline filled as the Broken Arrow Tour. Our Tour Guide was very knowledgeable and even was nice enough to take some pictures of us.. none of which I will share here though.. I just don't think my over-sized sweater and beanie will do me justice... You know I look fabulous!

There was another photographer out on the trail taking an engagement couple out for some shots... I don't know how he convinced them to go on this tour with him.. he must have been one awesome photographer... at one point we were on e 45 degree decline. I almost abandoned jeep!.
We stayed at an absolutely amazing resort called Amara Resort . The rooms were cozy and the whirlpool tubs made for a romantic and relaxing time with my husband. They were even so kind as to send us a bottle of sparkling wine and truffles to congratulate us on our anniversary. The truffles were so cute.. they had the cutest heart shaped detail on them. I had to try and get a picture of them.. in my slightly tipsy state.. I managed to document one before my husband and I ate them all up! Thanks again for the treat guys it was super tasty and the perfect addition to our long bubble bath!
The next stop on our trip was the Gallery on Oak Creek for dinner. Let me tell you, this is one of the best dining experiences I have ever had! Chef Ivan Flowers really knows his stuff! We had a seven course meal with wine pairings and the menu was amazing.
We started off with e Deconstructed Nicoise'- which was a Ahi Tuna Shahimi paired with Olive Tapenade, Hard boiled egg mousse amongst other things. The chef paired this with a 2007 Seifried Gewurztraminer, which was surprisingly not as sweet as one may expect.
Next we were off to my absolute favorite, the Lobster Bisque paired with a 2006 Twisted Oak Viognier. The two paired together were so sweet and melted like butterscotch in my mouth. My husband and I could have walked away after that portion of the meal alone and been entirely satisfied in terms of taste. But onward we ate! The blood orange encrusted Sturgeon was next paired with a bean cassoulet and a 2006 Bodegas Agapito Rico Monastrell. The Sturgeon was Superb and the Bean Cassoulet was an amazing pairing with this meal. I loved this one!
In between courses we were served a Mandarin and goat cheese sorbet.. which was absolutely delicious. Ahh pallet cleansed for the nest item on the menu, Rack of Lamb served with a 2004 Kinton Syrah. The rack of lamb was tender and juicy, and although I was at my capacity, I managed to get half of this serving down.. the other half my husband so graciously finished for me :) We topped off the evening with a creme brulee and bottle of Opus One.. it was absolutely FABULOUS! Thanks again to Drew, Scott and Ivan for making a wonderful dining experience. Now off to drag our drunk butts to bed!
Ahhh Morning time.. where's the Advil?
Once we got the hangover situation under control, we ordered room service.. are we kidding, we weren't ready to see sunlight yet! About 11, I ventured outside to discover it was MIGHTY COLD!. I put on my sweater and went behind the resort where there was a creek. I shot some pictures down there and my loving husband came down to offer his modeling skills to me... again we wont show those here! But they were pretty funny.. too bad the guy on the balcony was secretly watching him the whole time.. and he was embarrassed. back to the room, time to get a massage! We went over to the Amara Spa and had a couples massage.. it was super relaxing, although my husband always gets the better masseuse... or maybe I am just overly picky! When we came out of the Spa we were surprised to see that the entire place was covered in white SNOW!!! Yes we were surprised with a lovely blanket of snow. unfortunately we had to check out and head back home to get our little girls. So that was it.. our trip was over.. back to Phoenix and reality. I sure did have a blast while it lasted, and can't wait to go back. If you stop by Sedona, be sure to check out Amara and say hi to Chef Ivan from the Millers!

Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about: Mark and Alisha's Arizona Wedding

Shooting any wedding is a special event, but I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot with Kristie Ottinger yesterday for a fun and extra special couple, Alisha and Mark. Their story was just amazing and I am so happy they found eachother AGAIN! I just wanted to extend a huge CONGRATULATIONS to the happy couple and a THANK YOU to Kristie.. check her out here http://www.photographybykristie.com/ The ceremony was held at the Arizona Trilogy Golf Club and was breathtaking. They got the most perfect sunset ceremony. I will have to post some more pictures once they are all downloaded. Here are some pictures I took of the happy day!

Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about : Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

I know most of my focus here has been on Planning and Photographing your Arizona Weddings, but I want to put focus on something special today. I am proud to be a member of a wonderful organization called NILMDTS. Last night I received a call from a grandmother who was expecting a granddaughter. Sadly they had discovered that their beloved granddaughter would be still born, and wanted to know if we could photograph the baby for them. It breaks my heart to hear that these things in the world happen, but I was overjoyed that the organization could give them lasting memories of this special yet tragic occasion.
I realize that Photography is such a special gift. It has the power to heal wounded hearts. It really is a gift from God. There are so many wonderful Photographers here in Arizona, and all over the country, that donate their time and efforts to these families. I just wanted to extend a HUGE thank you to all the photographers who offer their assistance for the cause.
Sadly, not many know of the organization. So if you or someone you know is facing or has faced the loss of a newborn, please pass the website along to them. The support does not stop with the pictures. And if you are a photographer who is willing to donate your time and talent to the cause, please don't hesitate to do so.

Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about : Planning an Arizona Wedding?

Arizona Brides, we all know how stressful planning any event can be, let alone your Arizona wedding. For many of us, we have lived our entire lives with a vision of what we want our wedding to be. We have envisioned the dress, the sparkle in our husbands eyes, the color of our bouquet and all the other little details we have dreamed of since we could remember. The stress comes in to play when it is time to execute these things. That is where a wedding planner comes into play.
I have photographed and been a part of many weddings, and one thing I can tell you for sure is that brides with wedding planners were much more relaxed at their wedding that those brides without. There are many levels of planning that wedding planners and coordinators offer, and I guarantee you the ladies at Sacred Moment Weddings have a package that will work for you.
I have had the pleasure of working with Wendy for an upcoming wedding for a lovely couple Sonja and Ely. Let me tell you, her inspiration board is to die for! She is just as lovely a person as you can get and really throws her whole heart into the art of planning a wedding.. check her BLOG here.
Not only can a wedding planner take the stress out of the day for you, but they also can offer many other benefits. They know the industry inside and out. They know who the reputable vendors are and can help to ensure that you get the right vendor for your wedding. They are up to date on current trends and almost always know the best way to get you what you envision for your wedding. They know the trick to make a handmade party favor that Martha Stewart would admire. The reasons why you should work with a wedding planner go on and on.
When you think of planning the most important day of your life, remember the photos will last a lifetime, but it takes planning to get the photos of your dreams.
Happy Planning and Congratulations to all my upcoming Spring Arizona Brides.

Justine Miller- Arizona Wedding Photography talks about : A New Search Tool for Brides Everywhere!

Ok my Arizona Brides,
If I am booked and you are having trouble finding the perfect Arizona wedding photographer, there is a great new search tool available to you all. Wedfog is an online directory of available professional photographers in your area. The website hosts a gallery of images for you to browse and lists photographers in your area based on prices and other brides rankings of their photos. The website is available to professional members of the wedding photography community and is an awesome tool for brides everywhere. The site also hosts a Forum where brides may ask questions and chat with professional photographers. check it out today!

We are in the process of updating our Blog.. Please be patient while we move our posts over to the new blog. In the meanwhile, all of our old posts may still be viewed in our old blog.
Thanks!