springdale wedding photography « Erika Dotson Photography

Posts Tagged ‘springdale wedding photography’

Monday’s Favorites

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Alright I love doing this and while I missed the actual Monday mark, I’m posting it anyways!

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These ice lanterns are a total do it yourself project for anyone planning a winter wedding! How cute!!!

You need two buckets, one smaller then the other.

Some greens, I love to use olive branches.

Fill the biggest bucket half full with water.

Place the smaller bucket inside it and place some rocks or something heavy to keep in in place.

Add more water, the water level should be to the top.

Add your branches to the sides of the bucket.

Use some tape to keep the small bucket in the middle of the big one.

Now set the whole thing outside to freeze.

Once its frozen, remove the small bucket first and then the large one.

You now have a beautiful ice lantern.

Place a votive candle inside and voila, the party can start.

What a cute idea! And just for all you brides, details like this make your wedding rock that much harder!!! Photographers love little details!

I love how they pulled these centerpieces together! I usually get stuck in that rut that these centerpieces things have to be super fancy, but these are totally cute and another DIY!!!!

Steps for a Full Wrap Treatment
Step 1:Measure paper around the vase. Leave about 1″ on the neck for a ribbon treatment.
Step 2:Cut the paper. Adhere one edge of the paper to the glass with glue dots. Wrap the other side around and secure with more glue dots.
Step 3:Cover the top rough edges with a grosgrain ribbon.

Steps for a Middle Band Treatment
Step 1:Measure paper around the vase.
Step 2:Cut first band to measure 5″, second to measure 3.5″.
Step 3:Stick first wrap to the vessel with glue dots. Layer on the 3″ band,again using glue dots.
Step 4:Top it off with ribbon treatment.

Anything personalized is super cute but these are adorable. If you planned on a wedding in the summer and thought of these fans think how much your guests would love to have this keepsake!!!

I saw these at Forever 21 and instantly thought they would be perfect for a stylish bride!!!

This idea struck me as an important one for all couples planning a wedding. I like to ask “what is your photography budget”, and I usually get this response “well we really haven’t thought about it” or “we don’t really have one”. My first piece of advice for you is make one!!! It will be the most important thing you do to keep your wedding costs down and be able to get what you actually want. Wedding expenditures add up and quickly but if you are prepared with a budget that will help. Also it’s a great idea to start budgeting together as a couple, since now you’ll probably have some sort of a joint account. This website isn’t just geared toward weddings either but it’s a great way to keep track of what you are saving! Be sure to check it out smartypig.com

Enjoy!

-erika

Tired.

Friday, March 12th, 2010

It’s been a long day……..

But I’ve gotta go get rested up for our awesome Devil’s Den Wedding tomorrow! I’m super excited, even though I know you can’t tell in this image, and I can’t wait!!!! Congratulations Kelly and Adam!!!

Enjoy!

-erika

Bake Off!

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Ok so we really didn’t have a bake off because we all know I would win, but I did think it would be super cute to post these two pictures tonight! I made some banana bread and it’s amazing!

Enjoy!

-erika

Are we Step Up material?

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

Tonight we watched Step Up 2 at the inlaws house. Everytime I watch any of those step movies I totally wish I had any sort of dancing skill. All that awesome upbeat music just gets my heart pumping and you can’t help but want to get up and dance!!!! So of course we went home and did all our dance moves for practice……..

Enjoy!

-erika

Are you as amazed as me?

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

My husband is an amazing orange peeler. I want the whole world to know it too! Personally I find it very interesting that he can do this, why……well when I peel an orange there are about 50 pieces!!!

Enjoy!

-erika

Ashley and Jim // Arkansas Engagements

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Ashley and Jim drove up to Fayetteville for the weekend. They are such a fun and laid back couple! I enjoyed walking all over Springdale and through all the briars with them today! They will be getting married in Little Rock on July 17th this year. I’m pretty excited!!!!

I just love how happy they are in this one! Of and I love the wind blowing her hair!!!

Jim’s a lucky guy! Isn’t she just gorgeous, look at those eyes!

Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love Love. This may just be my favorite image of the day.

Cute shot in downtown Springdale.

Don’t they look so happy to be together! I just love shooting engagement pictures!

This was Ashley’s one request……field shots! I am in love with sunflare and fields!

Love the warmth and closeness!

Oh wait I forgot about this one…….totally hands down my favorite for the day!

Enjoy!

-erika

A date tonight

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

TW called me today and asked me if I wanted to go watch the basketball game with him tonight. The regional tournament was happening and they would be playing the winner of the two teams that played so as a coach obviously he needs to be there. He said yea we can go eat too, I said that sounds great. He said we’ll just go in at eat at the concession stand………..I started to laugh and said it’s a date! Very quickly he assured me that he meant to say hospitality room, even still we were going on a date! :) Also while we were in town I convinced him that we needed (really really bad) to do some grocery shopping. Now something very interesting about the two of us is we used to go grocery shopping once a week together when we were dating in Fayetteville. I loved that time with him so much! I remember not caring about anyone else. I remember dreaming of the day that we would be the cute married couple shopping together. We used to play marco polo in the store. Now that is something that we’ve held on to and when we can’t find each other we start yelling “marco”!!! I still love grocery shopping with TW as much as I did before, but I think now it’s because it means he’ll be paying!!! :)

Enjoy!

-erika

New temporary job

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Yesterday was my first day of training and today was SOOOO boring! It is so hard to sit in uncomfy chairs from 8am to 4pm! Honestly how do all those kiddos go to school all day long and pay attention? I fell asleep in my chair, I got up to go to the bathroom probably 5 or 6 times, the times I wasn’t going I was refilling my water cup. We have two more days left then I’ll be out in the country backwoods of Huntsville pestering people about how many housing units are on their property. Please take the time to respond to these people. I learned today that the census is how they determine government funding as well as how many representatives you get for your state. I think that’s pretty important! Well if you haven’t figured it out by now I am a 2010 Census Enumerator. Basically I’ll be going around to have brief interviews with people as well as leave them a questionnaire and be off on my merry way. If you need a job they are hiring right now, check out 2010census.com for more info. It pays pretty well and they pay 50 cents a mile too.

Enjoy!

-erika

Tummy Tuesday

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

It is 12 weeks officially today, that means it is now the size of a large plum! Apparently most of it’s major systems are in place, but obviously still need lots of maturing. Right now it’s bone marrow is super busy making white blood cells. I went in on Friday for a doctors appointment and heard the heartbeat again, this time it was 160 bpm. That was a pretty exciting experience and makes it seem that much more real, since right now I just feel overweight and not pregnant.

You can see some imprints of road maps on my tummy, so sorry. I pulled up my pants to sit comfortably through some training today, you’ll hear more about it tomorrow.

Enjoy!

-erika

Tanja and David // Northwest Arkansas Engagement Photography

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

I know you all remember the images I posted a few days ago of Tanja and David’s engagement….. they haven’t even been engaged a week yet (technically they will tomorrow) and we’re already shot some engagement pictures!!! I have a feeling knowing Tanja that there will be some more! I told her no matter what if it snows while he’s here we’re shooting! Sure enough it snowed like the very next day! I love Tanja to death, she’s one of those girls that can brighten a room just with her presence! Honestly there have been moments at work where everyone there was like “where’s Tanja?, I can’t wait till she gets here”. That should speak volumes about how amazing this girl truly is. I am fortunate enough that she actually wants to hang out with me at weddings all day! And of course we can’t forget about that boy….. David. He’s pretty cool too. Actually anyone from Europe that’s hanging around here is cool, I think it’s the accent. But in all seriousness, David really genuinely cares and loves my dear Tanja so he’s got to be an amazing man himself. He always can make you laugh too! Oh and I love to learn all the new words I’ve never heard before when I’m around him!!!

Congratulations you two! I am so excited and honored to share all these special memories with you guys! Best wishes and good luck.