A Key West awards ceremony
April was a whirlwind month for me between weddings, engagements and commercial shoots I stayed so busy there were times when I wasn’t sure if I was coming or going. Made it through though and quite happy to be here again writing about my most recent assignments. I know, I know, this is the end of May but the blog tends to take a back seat to all of my other duties not just as a photographer but a business owner too. I have, however, some fun topics I'm working on now and will begin doing this at least bi-weekly from now on. Thanks for your patience and for your interest in my latest endeavors!
For this post, I’d like to single out a corporate event, an annual awards ceremony, for a new corporate client of mine; revol wireless. Yes, it IS all lower case. Check them out at: www.revol.com
Although my official specialty is wedding photography, Corporate assignments are always a welcome challenge. Really, if you think about it, photographing an award ceremony is alot like shooting a wedding. There are the "Stars" of the event, crucial moments, documenting the feel of the celebration and telling its story. The biggest difference is with weddings there are really only two "stars" whereas here, at revol wireless's annual company awards ceremony we have 15.
I’m always impressed with companies that truly value their employees and revol wireless is positively a class act!
Every year they fly the top 15 employees and their spouses to a resort destination for a few days of rest and relaxation and host a beautiful awards ceremony in celebration of each award recipient’s hard work and outstanding accomplishments. This company not only recognizes its top sales people, but the top performers within each job category too. Now that’s really valuing the entire team! It’s refreshing to see companies giving back to their employees rather than the corporate messes we see in the news all too often.
This year the ceremony was hosted at the Westin Resort in Key West, Florida. Beautiful warm, sunny weather was enjoyed by all for most of the week, however, on the day of the awards ceremony Key West experienced a torrential rainstorm lasting all day and into the evening. Initially, the event was to be held outside on the upper deck overlooking the pool in one direction and the harbor with Sunset Island in the other direction. Mother Nature with her wacky sense of humor had other plans. It’s a good thing Lisa and Scott from BTC were there to make sure the event wasn’t ruined! They had a well thought out backup plan, moved everything to a meeting room inside and arranged a set up that ensured a perfect flow for the dinner as well as the awards ceremony. Sorry, no pictures of either of them per their request. ;) I completely understand guys, I’m not the biggest fan of having my picture taken while I’m working either.
Delicious food, free flowing cocktails, engaging conversation, close camaraderie and honorable awards all combined to give this celebration its festive mood. Congratulations to all of the winners, your hard work really did pay off!
BTC and revol wireless, THANK YOU for choosing me as your event photographer! I hope to see you again at next year’s awards ceremony (wherever it may be)!
Allison and Eric's Key West Wedding
Welcome back! Thanks for being patient. I've never really been a diligent writer so I'm finding myself putting it off more and more and now I have so much to share I'm almost not sure where to start. So, how about I begin with my most recent wedding? Allison and Eric's...
Allison and Eric Irwin were married in an intimate ceremony on Smather's Beach in Key West on 4-11-12. A beautiful Wednesday, idyllic of the perfect weather we experience here in April. Blue skies, nice breezes, warm, clear water...it’s what the locals call "Chamber of Commerce" weather because THIS is the weather that everyone dreams of when they think of vacation in paradise. It couldn't have happened for a nicer couple either. These two are both absolute sweethearts!
After their ceremony we headed over to the Casa Marina Resort for a few photos in the warm sunset light before they shared an intimate dinner with their immediate family out on the pier there. They are planning a big reception for all of their friends and family when they return home to Kansas.
Initially, when I began putting this post together, I thought I might start by telling you my interpretation of their day, but, instead, I'm going to let the pictures tell you my side (since that's really my job, right?) and let Allison share their sweet love story in her own words. :)
"Eric was in the same class as my oldest brother, a few year older than me, and the first time we can remember meeting was when they were motocross racing together...years and years ago. We are from a very small town where everyone knows everyone else so, we had known each other for quite a while. We had been seeing each other off and on for the last few years but we both knew way back then that we loved each other. We started talking again and hung out June 4th of last year and have been pretty much inseparable since then. Eric is such an amazing man; it was easy to fall in love with him! We started talking about getting married and while on our way to a concert on August 19th we stopped at the mall and picked out our rings! Eric formally proposed to me on September 5th! We've been together (this time) for 10 months and were engaged for 7 months. We are so very happy and excited to be spending the rest of our lives together and can't wait to see what the rest of our years will bring."
Well, Allison and Eric, you guys are adorable together and its obvious to anyone around you that you two truly love and adore each other. I wish you a long and happy life together! Thank you for letting me share in your special day, it was truly an honor and a pleasure!
Allison and Eric knew they wanted a destination wedding but weren't initially sure where they wanted to have it. They talked about a few different locales but after speaking with some friends who live in Key Largo, doing some research and looking at photos from weddings here, they decided to have their wedding in Key West.
So, what do you think? Want to see more photos from their wedding? I've uploaded about a hundred of my favorites to the client gallery and Allison has graciously allowed me to keep it open so everyone can see! Click the link, then click on their gallery; http://www.marysveal.com/featured.html Oh, and don't be shy...leave a comment. I LOVE feedback!!!
Welcome! My first blog post ever!
Hello and welcome to my new blog! This is my first official post and I'm soooo excited to be able to share with you the wonderful experiences I've captured on film. Ok, so I use digital film, but still its captured images, with all of their beauty, emotions and experiences frozen in time and stored on a file nonetheless. Oh, yeah, *warning*...I ramble... :) So, let me brief you on where I am today, 3/15/12...
Although I've been shooting for the past 10 years, this is only my second official year as a full fledged Professional Destination Wedding Photographer. This past year, I had the honor and pleasure of capturing 47 weddings here in the Florida Keys and throughout south Florida. In light of my recent sucesses I've joined the Professional Photographers of America, (PPA) and aquired equiptment and liability insurance, all making this business venture/love affair I've embarked upon even more legitimate. Now, because I've been so lucky to have had so many wonderful and generous couples as clients, Wedding Wire has awarded Mary Veal Photography with its Bride's Choice Award for 2012! Let me see if I can attach the "badge"... I'm pretty proud of it if you can't already tell. *blushing*
 |
 |
This year, my professional goals include networking better and getting published. I need to get aquainted with other vendors so when brides ask me for recommendations I'll be able to point them in the right direction. I also want my clients to get some recognition for all of their hard work in planning the perfect celebration, so, I'm going to personally submit my 2012 couples to all of the publications I can! Its on record so I better get the ball rolling!
Now, its time to quit rambling and post this to see what its like! You can't have a photography blog without posting pictures either so, here is a picture that is one of my favorites from a recent wedding. This is Hope and Matthew Haverty who were married in a small ceremony on Smathers Beach in Key West on 2-3-12. I particularly like this because they both were so very serious and nervous but eventually warmed up enough to be playful with one another and I hope this captures the essence of their love....
passionate, intense and playful.
There is no way I can end this with just one picture. Here are some more from their wedding. Enjoy!
