Photo Credit: Evonne & Darren Photography

Photo Credit: Evonne & Darren Photography

Photo Credit:  Evonne & Darren Photography

One (1) grand prize winner will receive from the Hazel & Harlow signature collection a stunning antiqued “Love Bird” Pendant. The pendant is hand carved in 24K vermeil with white and green topaz stones to create a beautiful and romantic piece of jewelry (Retail Value: $150). One (1) grand prize winner will receive a 3-month supply of The Solution by Envision Beauty, a multi-use facial moisturizer that the most effective ingredients from Nature + Science in one powerfully concentrated formula (Retail Value: $237).

Three (3) runners up will receive Hazel & Harlow antiqued “Heart of Gold” petite pendant. The pendant is made of 24K gold vermeil set with pave white topaz stones that enhance the star motif (Retail Value: $75). Three (3) runners up will receive a bottle of The Solution by Envision Beauty, a multi-use facial moisturizer that the most effective ingredients from Nature + Science in one powerfully concentrated formula (Retail Value: $79).

Each individual entering the contest on the Hazel & Harlow site will receive 25% off their next purchase of Hazel & Harlow and of The Solution by Envision Beauty by entering the promo code “ENVISION” at check out (code valid from 2/15/2010 – 3/15/2010). Visit www.hazelandharlow.com and www.envision-beauty.com to purchase.

About Envision Beauty:
Revamp your skincare regimen in 2010 with Envision Beauty, a brand that aims to combine maximum simplicity with unparalleled quality. Their flagship product The Solution is formulated with the most luxurious and effective ingredients found in Nature and Science. Combined it powerfully nourishes, brightens and evens out the skin- repairing and preventing the signs of aging. Applied twice daily in place of a day cream, night cream, eye cream, moisturizer, anti-aging serum and pre-makeup base, The Solution rapidly produces drastic, visible results. Throw out your entire shelf of expensive, filler-laden beauty creams and serums! The Solution is all you need to Restore, Protect, and Perfect your skin.

About Hazel & Harlow:
Created from a sincere passion for emerging designer fashion, Hazel & Harlow makes each day an opportunity to experience the warm, contemporary and fashion forward shopping site, giving each individual something they can fall in love with – all at the most affordable pricing for such unique and special jewelry and accessories.

And you can see more photos shot by Darren and I below:

Behind the Scenes
Part One
Part Two

Beach weddings are one of the most gorgeous ways of celebrating your marriage.  The mood is perfect and the back drop is beautiful.  Finding wedding jewelry that coordinates with your sea side celebration is important to finish off the little details and pull your entire look together.

A great way to coordinate your beach wedding theme with your jewelry is to incorporate the colors found on the beach.  Of course sandy browns and pacific opals are the trend, but burnt orange and bright hues of blues and greens are great too.  This color pattern is great for bridesmaids but can also be worn by the bride if she prefers that extra splash of color.

Brides that want to still incorporate the ivory, creams, whites and crystal tones in their own look can still find crystal clear crystals and creamy ivory and whites to incorporate into their looks.  If the bride wants that beachy feel, wearing a clear starfish that sparkles is a great way of collaborating that look together.

Another way of incorporating the beach theme is to select a crystal starfish that matches your color theme, whether you’re the bride or bridesmaid, there are a wide variety of color choices available in stores and online, so finding a great match is easy if you are looking out for this design.

Beach bridal jewelry is a nice touch that looks fantastic on your wedding day, but can also be worn on your honeymoon and other vacations.  If you choose to give your bridesmaids beach wedding jewelry, they too will be able to wear their jewelry again after the big celebration.  Starfish are very popular accessory items currently, so wearing your beach wedding jewelry again is both stylish and trendy.

Thanks so much, Bonnie for being a wonderful guest blogger.  Make sure you visit Bonnie’s website at http://www.bonitaj.com for the rest of her bridal collection!

Here is the press release that they announced today:

Disney Announces Name For Oahu Resort
Disney’s first stand-alone property to be called Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa.
PRESS RELEASE — Hotels, 1/19/2010 12:13:55 PM

KO OLINA, HAWAII — The highly anticipated Disney destination resort currently under construction on the Hawaiian island of Oahu now has an official name and a dynamic new Web site offering an inside look at the project. The resort’s name - Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii - reflects the company’s deep commitment to celebrating the islands’ rich history and traditions. Plans call for the first phase of the resort to open in fall 2011.

“We want this resort destination to reflect the vibrant culture that surrounds it. The name ‘Aulani’ expresses a connection to tradition and deep story-telling - and its roots are here in this land,” said Joe Rohde, Senior Vice President, Creative for Walt Disney Imagineering. “We’re so grateful to the local Hawaiians who led us to the discovery of this name, and our goal is to live up to its meaning.”

Rohde noted that Aulani translated from the Hawaiian language to English, means “the place that speaks for the great ones” or “the place that speaks with deep messages.”

Near historical sites on the western side of O’ahu, Aulani will be located on 21 acres of oceanfront property in the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development. The Resort is planned to have 360 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas.

Design plans call for amenities to engage every member of the family, a hallmark of a Disney vacation. Among the recreational highlights planned for the resort are pools and sunset facing hot tubs, a snorkeling lagoon, a variety of kids’ club and other play programs for children, and a river, suitable for tube floating, running through a specially created volcanic outcropping.

The resort will also include an 18,000-square-foot spa designed with families in mind. The resort, built adjacent to a crystal blue lagoon and a white-sand beach, is planned to also have two restaurants, a 14,545-square-foot conference center and 48,685 square feet of outdoor venues. Located nearby are the existing Ko Olina Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed, 18-hole Championship Golf course.

Disney has launched a new preview Web site, www.DisneyAulani.com, to provide updates and background information on the resort now under construction. The site also details some of the adventures and amenities under development, and includes conceptual art, descriptions of resort highlights, regularly updated resort information and photos of Aulani as it nears completion.

“We are looking forward to welcoming guests to Aulani to share the fun, immersive family vacation experiences Disney is known for combined with the beauty and culture of Hawai’i,” said Djuan Rivers, Vice President, Disney Vacation Club and Resort, Hawai’i. “We are turning to the Hawaiian culture for inspiration in everything we are doing at Aulani, and we hope our guests will not only enjoy the Disney experience, but will also embrace the unique culture of Hawai’i and its diverse people.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My very first job out of college was with The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, so of course the Disney family has been really close to my heart.  I can’t wait to see how the resort looks!

Even though the photo session is from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm, the photographers have to leave their studio way before 1:00 pm to get to the location.  Then they shoot non-stop for the hours that are contracted, and that’s also the time that you actually “see” your photographers at work.

After the event, the photographers have stacks and stacks of memory cards of files (probably thousands) to download to their computer hard drive, their external hard drive, a remote server somewhere.  Then they start looking through all of the photos and do slight edit and color correction on each of them, so that they can upload to an online proofing gallery for the client.  Editing is a very time consuming process.

Photo Credit: Evonne & Darren Photography

And after the client selects the photos that they want, the photographers then further edit those photos and make sure they look perfect before they either burn them on a disc or order prints for the clients.  And if the client orders an album, that can take weeks to design the entire album and months to get it printed.

The few hours that the client sees the wedding photographer on site, is actually just 20% of what the photographer does.  A lot of work is being done AFTER the event to ensure that each client has amazing photos and memories of their most special day.  Hopefully you all have a better idea now as to why photographers charge what they charge.