Mary Meyer Photography

Las Vegas Strip Wedding Photography | April & Chase {Part 2}

2011-12-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to post one last blog before the Christmas and New Years holidays! This is another one about April and Chase's wedding earlier this month at Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas Strip. I'm going to make this short and sweet and mostly about the photos as I am currently in the Las Vegas airport about to board my flight home to Wisconsin for a week.

These are mostly group photos from the day of the wedding party and one of their entire wedding, including all their guests! Yes, I said all their guests!

Beautiful bride, April with her bridesmaids.

Hansom group of guys if you ask me :)

After the group photos, I took April and Chase around the casino for some quick couple photos!

They showed me this amazing location in front of Mandalay Bay with views of the front of the casino and even beautiful waterfalls! It was seriously breathtaking and I had no idea it even existed.

After some quick couple photos, we headed to their reception at RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay for some dinner and of course, wedding cake!

Cake cuttings always start out so happy! And then someone inevitably gets cake in their face...

To finish off the reception, April and Chase did a successful bouquet and garter toss!

That's all for now! I will be taking a small blogging hiatus for a few weeks for the holidays and then a week long trip to the Bahamas until January 15th. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays! Time to board this plane :)

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Boudoir Photography | Shaya

2011-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I posted a while ago that I will be starting to offer Boudoir photo sessions! Well almost immediately after I posted that blog, I received a message from Shaya about doing one. She got married in the beginning of December and she wanted to give her husband a boudoir album as a wedding gift. So naturally, I couldn't blog about her photos until after her wedding in case her husband (who happens to be friends with my fiance) might check out my blog!

Shaya lives in Wisconsin and when I was there a few months ago, I drove down to her hometown and we took some photos in her Aunts Shabby Chic guest bedroom. Her sister Sierra came along for some moral support.

Now since Shaya was doing these photos as a surprise for her husband, she had to outright lie to him about where she was going and who she was with! I believe the story was that she was checking out Sierra's new apartment with her roommates. But in all reality, she was getting all dolled up and putting on lingerie for me and my camera!

(If you are interested in booking a Boudoir session with me, please keep reading, some FAQ's will be answered at the end of this post)

Here are some of my favorites from our shoot:

This is a shot showing off the bottom of her wedding day Louboutins :)

Pearls are always a nice added touch to your lingerie.

This shot includes an awesome tattoo that Shaya has in remembrance of her two Grandfathers.

The Beautiful Shaya! Her green eyes are AMAZING!

Love this flattering angle... seriously everyone looks good in it. (not that Shaya needed any help with flattering angles, I'm just saying!)

Detail photos like these two are my favorite because they always leave the viewer wanting to see more!

And to end this post, mirrors are always a good thing to have at a Boudoir shoot! They make for interesting and creative photos :)

Thanks for reading!

Mary

You can find some information on my Boudoir package here. Please email me with any questions you may have about booking a Boudoir session. If you would feel more comfortable meeting me before booking something like this, call me up for some coffee! Or if you would feel more comfortable bringing your sister or your friend along to the shoot like Shaya did, that's totally fine as well. (I may just ask them to move around a lot to make sure they're not in the shot). And as always, your online album can be password protected so you can share your photos with only those you'd like to see them. I will only blog about your photos with your permission!

info@marymeyerphotography.com

Wisconsin Family Photography | Megan & Mackenzie Finn {Beaver Dam, WI}

2011-12-14T17:42:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I was just back home in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving last month. One of my best friends from High School was going to be home with her 3 year old daughter as well and asked me to take some photos of her! We decided to just do a quick little mini-session at a park near the house Megan grew up in. Megan and Mackenzie came to the park with Megan's dad as well (who just happens to be my childhood doctor!). It was great to see Megan and her dad and to finally meet Mackenzie!! When we got to the park, we soon realized that the playground equipment was, for the most part, the same exact equipment that Megan played on growing up! Kind of a cool experience for a family I think. Here are some of my favorites from the day:

Beautiful Mackenzie! I'm pretty sure Megan should get her into modeling...

Mackenzie loved the slide! She also loved Mr. Bear :)

She was all over the place! After swinging herself, she put Mr. Bear in the swing and pushed him!

Mackenzie seemed to really be drawn to this spaceship (on the left). She went back to it about 3 times that day!

Sliding again!

Megan and Mackenzie on what used to be a real tire swing, now just a "big plastic disc" swing.

Beautiful Mother and Daughter!

I really love this one of Mackenzie in the tire climb! What a cutie!

It was so much fun to meet Mackenzie and get to know her a little. And of course, always good to see Megan! Hopefully I'll see them again at Christmas!

Thanks for reading,

Mary

Las Vegas Strip Wedding Photography | April & Chase {Part 1}

2011-12-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I just photographed April and Chase's wedding last Thursday at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino! They were married in the Chapel there where no outside photography is allowed during the ceremony but they hired me to get photos before and after the wedding.

April and Chase are from Texas and had about 60 friends and family make the trip to Las Vegas for their wedding! It was a beautiful ceremony at a beautiful venue. It even rained on their wedding day which is good luck I hear! It must be extra good luck in Las Vegas because it very rarely rains here :)

This blog is all about the details from the day. These were all pretty much taken before the ceremony. Here are some of my favorite detail shots!

Here's the beautiful bride April getting last minute touches on her makeup.

I'm loving the black and white wedding trend. Here are April's shoes with the rainy gloomy day in the background out the window!

Her beautiful dress and amazing veil!

Maid of Honor, Heather, helping April in her dress.

Chase in his boutonniere. Don't worry, he wasn't in the same room before the ceremony!

Some of Aprils wedding day bling.

April's teary-eyed father came after she was ready to walk her down the aisle!

Here we go!! One last look at herself in the mirror and an exhale on her way out to the Chapel.

Now, outside photography isn't allowed but I'm just not allowed to use a flash or move around in the Chapel so I was able to capture a few special moments! Here is their first married kiss and heading back down the aisle together as a married couple!

And of course, their rings!

Here's just a detail of outside the Mandalay Bay Wedding Chapel.

Congratulations April and Chase! That's all for now but check back soon for more photos from after the ceremony!

Thanks for reading,

Mary

Las Vegas Christmas Card & Holiday Card Photography

2011-11-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to post a quick blog about Holiday card photo sessions! I'm going to be offering sessions December 2nd- December 12th. These sessions are short and sweet, 30 minutes long in a location of your choice. The turn around time is only 4 days for up to 10 photo options for your card! Here are a few examples that I've done already this Holiday season!

Here is Justin and Morgans. I love how simple, quirky and funny it is! Card layout from tinyprints.com

Here is Ryan and Kristins with their dogs Jackson and Tucker in front of the fireplace. Card layout also from tinyprints.com

This one is a custom design for Jon and his dog Millie in front of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign! This will be printed on a postcard from cardsdirect.com.

This year I am offering the 30 minute Holiday card sessions with up to 10 high-resolution photos for only $85. This offer does not include any custom designs or me ordering the cards for you, that will be up to you after you receive your photos. Here are some recommended sites with amazing designs and easy uploading and ordering:

www.tinyprints.com
www.minted.com
www.cardsdirect.com
www.zazzle.com

Most of them are currently having holiday specials for some great discounts on your order. Email me today at info@marymeyerphotography to book your Holiday photo session before all spaces fill up!

I won't be blogging again until after the Thanksgiving holiday so I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Take Care,

Mary

Parker Wynia | Las Vegas Newborn Photography

2011-11-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I'm just a blogging machine this week! Here's my third one in three days, this time of 9 day old Parker. I photographed his parents wedding earlier this year, you can check out Nick and Jenny's wedding post from Springs Preserve here!

Jenny and Nick welcomed Parker Allen Wynia to the world on October 30th. He's a beautiful, healthy baby boy who did not love having his photo taken! Well... I think he mostly didn't like us trying to move him into poses... We ended up getting some great ones though! Here are some of my favorites from the session!

Here's Parker all curled up!

Close up of his sweet little face :)

I know you've seen these rings before!

We headed to the park for a few photos at sunset. It was pretty cold though so we didn't spend too much time there. Love these of the family!

Aaaaand saving the best for last... this is really how he felt about us that day!!! hahahaha!

I love it! Parker is so unbelievably cute. I'm so excited for Jenny and Nick to have him in their lives. They are such great people and are going to be amazing parents. Parker is a lucky little man to have them:)

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Additional Info: If you are thinking of having newborn photos taken, it is ideal to take them within 10 days of baby being born. This way they are really small and cute and most importantly really sleepy! The older they get, the more awake they become. The earlier the better for photos!

Fremont Street Engagement Photography | Keri & Jason

2011-11-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone!

I'm so excited for this blog post because it was one of my favorite sessions of all time! Keri and Jason are an engaged couple getting married in Vegas and came to town for their engagement photos as well. They came to town with Keri's parents, Sandy and Tom, who have been married for over 30 years! Tom and Sandy haven't had any professional photos taken together since their wedding so Keri asked if it would be ok for them to tag a long and to get some photos of them as well! My answer was, of course, "Yes!"

I met the group a couple hours before sunset on Fremont Street on a Sunday. The Packers were playing that day so I wore a Packer shirt to support my (undefeated) team. Little did I know that Keri and her parents were fellow Packer fans and so we obviously hit it off right away!

The five of us walked along the Fremont Street Experience to get some Vegas-Style photos and here are some of my favorites from the session.

Keri and Jason!

Can't even believe the amazing light in this photo... oh and the couple is cute too :)

Here's the whole group together at Main Street Station off of my "secret" balcony!

Keri's awesome ring! I might love it because it looks a lot like mine.... maybe...

One of my favorites of Sandy and Tom kissing!

So cute together and clearly in love.

Keri is so cute here!

Another one off the Secret Balcony!

This sign is my absolute favorite to take photos at! I love this jumping photo on the right.

That's all for tonight! I'll post a link to their entire album when it's up.

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Family Photography | Huynh Family at Madeira Canyon Park

2011-11-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to the park near my house with the Huynh family to take some family photos. Vonny had just had baby Maia 3 weeks before so she wanted some photos of her before she started growing too much! The whole family came along as well for some fun in the park. It was a beautiful day, one of those last warm days in Las Vegas.

Vonny and Tison have 3 kids; big brother Jayden, little brother Jaxson, and baby sister Maia! Sounds like a handful doesn't it? I was amazed at how well behaved Jaxson and Jayden were. Here are some of my favorites from their session!

Vonny and Maia :)

Jayden being very serious for how much he smiles!

Here's Tison helping Jaxson hang on some branches

Doing it all by himself! And one of the whole family.

This is such a sweet one of all 3 kids! I love how gentle the boys were around Maia.

I love the smirk on Maia's face!

What's cuter than baby feet??? The answer is: NOTHING is cuter than baby feet!

The whole family again!

We even managed to get a sleepy Maia in a pumpkin for the fall!

This pumpkin shot was one of the hardest ones I've ever taken because Maia was NOT having it that day! Luckily, we got this oh-so-cute one of her in it! Totally worth it if you ask me :)

It was a great day in the park with the Huynh's!

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Old Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Carla & James Eloped!

2011-09-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

It's time (so soon, I know) for another blog!!! This one is of Carla and James, a couple from Canada who came to Las Vegas to elope and hired me for a little post-ceremony photo session. We originally wanted to take photos at the Neon Museum but because of a Photoshop seminar in town, scheduling there didn't work out :( But we made the best of it and went to Fremont Street for some Old-School Vegas photos.

We met on the corner of Las Vegas Blvd and Fremont Street to start out. One of my favorite bars in Las Vegas has to be Insert Coin(s) (which is just East of the intersection) where there are tons of old arcade games to play while drinking beer and listening to music. There are even lounge areas where you can play video games on big flat screen TV's on big plush couches! So we decided to go in for a few photos and to play a few games.

James headed straight to Tron.

We then just meandered down Fremont through the Fremont Street Experience. There are so many things going on and so many fun photo ops in Old Las Vegas. It's always an adventure. Here are some of my favorites from the evening.

These two are so adorable together!

I seriously LOVE this one under the awning of the Plaza Hotel.

Jumping for joy that they're married!

I sure have a lot of photos of these two kissing... :)

Love this black and white on Fremont Street!

Near the end of the night, they did a quick wardrobe change at Main Street Casino. We found this amazing little secret balcony and staircase. That's what I love about Old Las Vegas, hidden little gems that you'd never find on the Strip.

We were just having so much fun that we totally lost track of time! Carla and James literally had to jump into a cab to make their dinner reservation on time.

Congratulations Carla and James! It was so great meeting you both!

I'll post a link to their entire album when it's up.

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Family Photographer | Barrette Kids

2011-09-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

This blog is near and dear to my heart as the subjects are all my (soon-to-officially-be) Nephews and Niece! Eric and I were recently in Wisconsin for a few days and while we were there, we made a day trip down to Illinois to see his Sister, Brother-in-law, and their 4 kids. All between the ages of 3 months and 6 years old! Three month old Geneva is our only Niece out of the bunch, I guess the 4th time was the charm ;) Needless to say, they have their hands full and I was seriously exhausted after spending one day with this crew.

We arrived at their house around Noon, just in time for the two older boys to get home from school. We all had lunch and soon after the boys needed to burn off some energy so we went to the park which is literally in their back yard! I basically followed them all around with my camera and mostly got shots of the kids playing. We were able to get just a couple of "posed" photos and I use the term "posed" loosely for reasons, well... you'll see! Here are a few of my favorites from the bunch!

John climbing on the equipment. This won't be the last time you see him climbing in this blog!

Leo speeding down the slide.

Adam just smiling :)

Here are all three of the boys in the best pose we had all day!

Baby Geneva asleep on her Mom :)

Leo did NOT like his photo taken and he made it pretty clear to me... but he can't help but show his excitement while on a swing!

Here's what I mean about trying to pose these guys! "Leo being Leo" is what I like to call this one.

John seriously has some climbing skills. He's so good at it and his concentration while doing it is actually really impressive for a 6 year old!

Adam's chunky swinging legs!

I had to start sneaking up on Leo to get photos of him. Here's one of my favorite sneaky ones :)

And for the finale, we've got the whole crew together! Although not really concerned about smiling for the photo... I still like this one a lot.

These guys are a lot of fun and I love them but I think we'll be holding off on having kids for a while... Or maybe just hope for girls ;)

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Photography | Justine's Poolside Bachelorette Party

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Soon after I had my first Bachelorette Party in the books, I had another one scheduled! Justine also purchased a Groupon and used it for her poolside Bachelorette Party. Her and her friends got a Cabana at the Treasure Island pool for the day and I met them a little later in the afternoon for some fun photos. And "fun" isn't quite the word I'd use... what's another word for "super fun" or "extremely fun"? I can't really think of one, but that would better describe this group of girls! I think the mood was set with their Old-School colorful and flowered swim caps! They were so cool and caught the attention of everyone around. I even saw some people walking by taking photos/videos with their phones of this group!

When I walked up to the cabana to meet Justine and her friends, the first thing I saw was this banner, and I knew it was going to be a fun photo shoot :)

Yeah, you read that right! Here's a closeup just to make sure...

The beautiful bride-to-be, Justine.

Here's the whole group in their awesome swim caps!

Courtney, Justine, and Joanna sassing it up for my camera :)

CANNONBALL!!!!!!!

Just a shot of these totally rad swim caps.

These girls were just too much fun!

Justine and her beautiful Mother, Rose.

I just love this photo of Justine on the pool ladder!

And to end this blog, I'll post this awesome splash photo for the finale!!

So far I'm 2 for 2 on having SUPER fun Bachelorette parties to photograph! I may just put these parties on my menu of services to offer. What do you think?

Keep an eye out in the next month or so for some engagement photos with Justine and her Fiance!

Here is a link to the entire album of this super fun poolside party.

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Just for fun | My Trip to Boston to Visit My Sister

2011-08-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

So I've been posting so many blogs for "work" lately, that I've decided to write a personal one! (And I use the term "work" loosely because I love what I do so it's tough to call it "work" sometimes!)

A couple of weeks ago, I went to visit my Sister, Marie and her Husband, Kevin in Massachusetts. My Mom had a trip to visit them planned and when I got engaged in May, we decided I should fly out there too so us girls could go wedding dress shopping together! I did find a dress AND shoes!!! I can't post photos of my dress for obvious reasons, but I will give you a little preview of my wedding shoes:) They are Valentino and when I saw them, I seriously HAD TO HAVE THEM! I can't think of any more perfect wedding shoes!

From the side....

Alright, now that we have the shoe photos out of the way, on to details about my trip. The first night of my trip, Kevin's parents were visiting them also and our trips overlapped that one day. Kevin went to Maine to pick up some fresh lobster straight off the dock for dinner!

Ugh, pretty gross huh? Now I shouldn't say "lobster", I should say "lobsters"!!!

He bought MANY lobsters! 10 or 12 if I remember right. I have eaten lobster before... but I've never had to get the meat out of the lobster myself before. It grossed me out so much that I barely ate that night:( My big sister had to rip the tail off for me! I guess I'll always be the baby...

The next couple days consisted of dress shopping in multiple stores in Amesbury (the town my sister lives) and then Boston on Newbury Street! I found my dress at Vera Wang and my shoes at Saks Fifth Avenue on Newbury St. I never knew how exhausting dress shopping could be. It's actually sort of tough to get in and out of these things that are just layers and layers of fabric. Not to mention the stress of being in my underwear in front of total strangers to are helping me get into the dresses! It was all worth it though. When I put on my dress, I knew it was the one (even though a different dress brought tears to my Mom's eyes...) and finding my shoes that day was the icing on the cake. Now I just have to wait 5-6 months for my dress to be made and 1 year to wear them both!

The last day that I was in Boston, my flight didn't leave until about 9pm but my Mom's left at 11am... so me, Marie, and Kevin went to the Boston Harbor and other parts of Boston to walk around, hang out, and take some photos. It's too bad our mom wasn't around for it because it was a lot of fun and it's where I took the most photos on my trip!

We took most of our photos playing what Marie calls, "The Photo Game" where you give your subjects a scenario and then they react as if they are in that scenario... It was really fun and I'll try to remember what scenarios we were in for these photos...

I think this one was, "Pretend that you just got asked to dance at your first Middle School dance"

I like to think that my expression says, "Oh me?? I can't believe you picked me!" and Marie's expression says, "Oh yippie! I get to dance!" hahahaha!

This photo was, "Pretend that Kevin just won the Presidential election!"

We came across the Pirate-looking ship and Marie is looking out to sea for trouble...

Then we came across an old bridge at the Harbor and I made Marie and Kevin take some "normal" photos for me:) Kevin grudgingly did so, but I'm happy he was a sport because I love these two!

After the Harbor, we walked further into the city and came across this cool carousel! We started playing the "Photo Game" again, but I can not remember what our scenario was for this. Whatever it was, I like our reactions:)

Just my pretty sister...

After all this walking around, we ended up back at the Harbor and went to an awesome Italian restaurant. Right outside the restaurant there were these benches that had really high backs and Marie and Kevin were excited to see benches that were, "their size"!! Marie is 6'1" and Kevin is 6'7". You can see his excitement at this find...

After dinner, we went back to the car and I went to the airport. It was a really fun time and I'm so excited to have my wedding dress and shoes! It was such a great experience to have my mom and my sister there. It was a once in a lifetime experience and it couldn't have been better!

Sorry for such a mishmash of photos but I hope you enjoyed my very personal blog:)

Take Care,

Mary

Las Vegas Photographer | Nichole's Bachelorette Party | Las Vegas Strip Photos

2011-08-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday Everyone!

This blog is about photographing my first Bachelorette Party! Bachelorette Parties aren't normally something that I do, but one of my High School friends had purchased a Groupon from me to photograph her one year old son and when those plans fell though, we decided to use the Groupon session for her Stepsister/my good High School & College friend, Nichole's Bachelorette Party in Las Vegas! (Did you follow all that? haha!) Nichole and her bridesmaids (Sara, Kelly, & Keri), maid of honor (sister Jenna) and her Mom (Anne) invited me along to dinner and drinks after to get some photos of their shenanigans one night. We mostly hung out at the Cosmopolitan in the Chandelier Bar, but hit up a few other spots too! Here are some of my favorite photos from this super fun night!

The night started out with Anne, the Mother of the Bride getting carded! (notice her shirt is clearly labelled) Anne was so shocked she jokingly said, "you better get a picture of this!". And I did :)

Here is the beautiful and so-much-fun, bride to be, Nichole!

A close up of that blingin' crown

The whole group cheers-ing with their delicious martini's from the Chandelier Bar!

Speaking of the Chandelier Bar and Martinis....

The whole group again at a different bar at the Cosmopolitan!

The back of all their custom-made tank tops had Nichole's soon-to-be last name and their wedding date!

The whole group again, minus Anne since she was on crutches and stairs didn't really agree with her :(

The age old debate... I know it's ongoing in my house!

Ok, how cute are these undies?!?! We somehow convinced her to show them off... in the middle of the casino!! hahaha!

Here is one of the last photos we took that night, and possibly one of the cutest so I will say farewell with it!

It was a lot of fun girls! Thanks for inviting me along :)

Here is the link to their entire album! Check it out!

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Wedding Photographer | Mallory & Nick | Reception

2011-08-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Mallory and Nick got married on Coronado Beach in California about 2 weeks ago! One week later their parents threw them a reception here in Vegas where everyone lives. The reception was at Bahama Breeze, a Caribbean restaurant near the Las Vegas strip. It's a really cool place complete with palm trees, tropical plants, and even a babbling brook with a bridge indoors! Here are some of my favorite photos from their reception!

There was this amazing bright green bench out front that became a popular spot for photos with their guests!

It was a really beautiful day and the restaurant had amazing tropical landscaping.

Mallory had some awesome hair.

First dance :)

Totally awesome rings! I love that Nick's is black. I've never seen that before!

They had an amazing beach-themed cake!

Everyone at the party!

Nick's grandparents just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary! They were so cute, and I love this photo of them :)

Congratulations Mallory, Nick, and Kaden(their one year old son)! I had a lot of fun photographing this reception. Such great people all around!

Click here to see their entire album!

Thanks for reading :)

Mary

Las Vegas Photography | Wendy & Brandon | Fremont Street

2011-08-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Wendy and Brandon are a married couple from Alaska who live in Vegas now. Their story is very similar to me and Eric's where they met in High School and then met again later in life and got married! In High School, they both worked together and then years later, fate brought them back together and they fell so hard for each other that they married in Vegas at a wedding chapel! Since they were married at a chapel, they never really had any good wedding photos so they hired me to get some shots of them together.

We decided to meet on Fremont Street, aka: Old Downtown Vegas. I had never had a session there before or even BEEN there before so a couple days prior to our scheduled shoot, Eric and I headed downtown to scope the area and to have a few cocktails :)

Old Downtown was surprisingly a ton of fun! I had always heard bad things about it so I was really surprised. I love all the character and old neon signs! So needless to say, it resulted in some really amazing photos, some of my all-time favorites so far! Here are some of my favorites from their session:

This one was taken in an area with some old train cars lined up. It was an awesome location with amazing light!

These old casinos had so much character! This is in front of the Main Street Station Casino where we discovered margaritas for $1! Wendy and I only had a couple, I promise ;)

These two are so cute together! Wendy constantly had a smile on her face.

So many cool neon signs on Fremont! I love it.

Just so happy together!

I'll end this post with a shot of Wendy's awesome ring.

Even though Wendy and Brandon live in Vegas, Brandon still works in Alaska! He goes there and works in a gold mine as an electrician for a few weeks, then comes home to Vegas for a couple weeks and then goes back again! We discovered that we're pretty much neighbors, so next time Brandon is working, you should call me Wendy! We'll hang out :)

Click here to see their entire album!

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Family Photography | Danielle, Ralph, & Ava | Discovery Park

2011-08-03T02:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Danielle and Ralph found me through my Groupon Feature and booked a family photo shoot with me for them and their beautiful 6 month old daughter, Ava!

We decided to meet at Discovery Park in Henderson early in the morning to avoid the deserts intense sun and midday heat. Well... this just happened to be the week where it rained pretty much every day so it was uncharacteristically humid for the desert. I mean, it wasn't just a little humid... it was like mid summer, Wisconsin humidity and it's about 85-90 degrees on top of it! We all walked out of our cars to meet and were immediately sweating.

We made the best of it though and stayed in the shade pretty much the entire time. We got some really great photos despite the heat, humidity, and sweat! Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Everyone showed up to the session in their converse all-stars. Including Ava!

Great looking family!

Ralph making little Ava smile :)

I love her little heart pockets.

Look at those eyes!

Love this one of Ava on the slide!

And I'll end this post with this great one from the end of our session where Ava was about ready to go home and we were all so hot that all we could do was laugh :)

Here is a link to their entire album if you want to see more!

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Engagement Photography | Kris & JD at the Neon Museum

2011-07-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

A couple of weeks ago, I met Kris and JD at the Neon Museum (aka the Neon Boneyard) for engagement photos! It's no secret that this is probably my FAVORITE location for engagement photos. I actually just found out that it's going to work out for my wedding photographer to come to Vegas and take MY engagement photos there! Wooohoooo!! But enough about me....

Kris and JD came to town from Montana. I know a few people from Montana and for some reason, they all seem to be some of my favorite people and it turns out Kris and JD were no exception! They were just the nicest people and so clearly in love that it was infectious.

They came to Vegas during that crazy week where it rained every day for about 6 days straight. I've lived here 3 years and can't remember a time this has ever happened! We really lucked out with their shoot and only had a few sprinkles at the very very end of our time.

In my opinion, it's pretty hard to take a bad photo at the Neon Boneyard because it's just so beautiful every where you turn :) Here are a few of my favorites from their session:

I can't even tell you how many times I made JD pick Kris up like the photo on the left! He was a sport though :)

Probably my favorite of them all!

I am seriously loving non-traditional engagement rings recently. Kris' is a beautiful moonstone.

They are so in love I love it!

It may have been slightly sprinkling here... we didn't let it get in the way!

Kris and JD will be getting married in Vegas in a little over a week! I'm so happy for them and wish these two great people nothing but the best in their future together. It was great to meet you both!

Click here to see their entire album!

Thanks for reading,

Mary

Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Jenny & Nick | Springs Preserve

2011-07-18T03:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I have been wanting to photograph a wedding at Springs Preserve for sooooo long and I finally had the opportunity to do so a couple of weeks ago! Jenny and Nick also bought a Groupon for a 2 hour photo shoot and then decided to book me for a couple more hours on top of that for their special day. Now, if you put two and two together, you will realize that my business was a Groupon on June 12th, and this wedding was on June 30th! I'm pretty sure that these two planned a wedding in about a month! With my wedding planning so far... I have NO IDEA how they were able to accomplish this feat. Luckily they got married on a Thursday so a lot of vendors (including me) were available :)

The whole day was a pretty short one with the ceremony at 11:30 and the reception ending at 4pm. I arrived at around 10am to get some photos of Jenny getting ready and to get some shots of the couple before the ceremony. Here is one of Jenny looking herself over just before she went to see Nick for the first time!

And then for their First-Look!

Just a standard "Mary Meyer" photo that I like to take at all my weddings :)

The beautiful bride Jenny!! She was absolutely STUNNING.

Here is a photo of Jenny and Nick just having a little fun before the ceremony. It helps to loosen up a little!

Springs Preserve is such a beautiful place to have an outdoor wedding!

This is one of my favorites of the couple after the ceremony!

And for the finale...the bling!

My first wedding at Springs Preserve was a really great one and I think that has a lot to do with the great couple I got to work with and their awesome family and friends! I just love working on their photos because it's hard not to feel happy seeing their spirit and love for each other that shows through. I'm guessing you see it too :)

Thanks for reading!!

Mary

P.S. If you are looking for a wedding venue and are interested in Springs Preserve, let me know, I can get you in contact Jenny and Nicks awesome wedding planner Michelle!

Las Vegas Family Photography | Patty & Brando | Discovery Park

2011-07-16T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Sorry for my delayed blogs recently. I have been pretty backed up with work since my business was featured on Groupon! Speaking of Groupon... this blog is about a Groupon customer!

Patty and her 10 year old son, Brando met me at Discovery Park in Green Valley the other day for a family photo shoot! Now, I really wasn't sure how long a 10 year old would last taking photos but he was a really good sport for about an hour! He was actually really into it and kept telling me, "get a picture of this!" and then would either show off his Michael Jackson moves or create some scheme where it LOOKED like he had gone through all the money bars, without actually doing all the work! Clever little kid if you ask me!

Here are some of those Michael Jackson moves I'm talking about....

This photo of Brando through the fence was his idea! One of my favorites actually...

Peeking around at his beautiful Momma Patty!

This is one of my favorites too! I seriously think this kid should get into modeling Patty!

Giving his Momma some love!

And some more love blowing her a kiss!

This photo of the left was right about when Brando had enough "working it" for the lady with the camera! haha! Even when he's pouty he looks good in photos :)

It was a lot of fun hanging out with Patty and Brando that evening! Hopefully he'll still be up for taking family photos when he's 11!!

Thanks for reading,

Mary

Las Vegas Boudoir Photography

2011-06-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I've decided to start a new adventure with my business and soon I'm going to be offering Boudoir photo shoots! This will be the perfect gift for the bride to give her groom, or for your boyfriend/husbands Birthday, or for Valentines Day, or for Christmas... or to do completely for yourself!! I can't really see any reason why any woman wouldn't want to do a Boudoir photo shoot ;) I just did my first one with a friend of mine and I am so excited about the results that I just want to show you all of the photos! But I will respect her privacy and show you just one... for now :)

These photo shoots will be classy, tasteful and artistic! You will have a password protected album on my proofing site and I'll be offering custom photo albums as an option. I haven't quite figured out pricing and too many details about these photo shoots yet, but stay tuned for more info!

Thanks for reading :)

Mary

Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Kristin & Ryan Welch | 5.7.11- Part 2

2011-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

It's time for some more photos from Kristin and Ryan's wedding! Their wedding at the M Resort and Casino was a blast and oh so beautiful! Ryan is a Professional Poker Player here in Las Vegas and Kristin likes to dabble in the game herself. It was only fitting to get some wedding photos in the Poker Room because they spend time there together and with friends. Of course, the first hand played, Kristin won and raked in a HUUUUUGE pot!

Here's a closeup of Kristin showing off her chip-handling skills!

Before the ceremony, we also got some group shots. Here's the guys and girls groups.

Kristin's flowers were gorgeous!!

Here's the beautiful bride just minutes before she walked down the aisle!

First married kisses are my absolute favorite! Especially when the Groom lifts the Bride off the floor like Ryan did here :)

I'll end this post with one of my favorite photos from the wedding. We went out by the pool at sunset and captured some truly memorable photos after dinner.

I love this couple!

Thanks for reading :)

Mary

The Story of how the Love of my Life Proposed!

2011-06-05T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Five days ago Eric, the love of my life proposed to me! Eric and I have been together now for a little over 4 years but also dated in High School for a couple of years. So we "technically" started dating when I was 16... almost 12 years ago. We kept in touch in College and stayed friends. We've always had an undeniable and unmistakeable chemistry which apparently brought us back together for good:)

The Proposal:

Eric and I had gone on a hike in Red Rock Canyon about 4 years ago when I was visiting him in Las Vegas while he was playing in the World Series of Poker that summer. It's a beautiful hike where you follow a natural spring up part of a mountain to an old Miners cabin made out of stacked stones and a wood roof. The first time we were there we carved "Eric + Mary" in the wood.

The day before Eric started playing his first World Series of Poker event this year, he suggested we go on that same hike again before he would be sitting in a poker room for 1.5 months straight. "It would be nice to get some fresh air," he said. At the end of the hike this time, we went back into the cabin to find our names carved in the wood of the roof. Sure enough, there they were 4 years later! I sat down on a rock in the cabin for a couple minutes to relax after hiking all the way up there and Eric went outside. When I got up and left the cabin, I turned the corner and Eric was on one knee:) I was so shocked that I don't remember his exact words, but they were something like, "Mary, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?". And then he pulled out the most beautiful ring I've ever seen!

So it goes without saying that I said "yes". Eric is an amazing man and he has made me extremely happy for many years. I am on top of the world and can't wait to marry him next year!

Thanks for reading!

Mary

Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Kristin & Ryan's Wedding | Part 1

2011-05-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

This Saturday, some of my really good friends got married in Las Vegas! I met Kristin and Ryan about a year ago and Kristin and I have basically been inseparable ever since. I love her so much and I'm really happy that I was able to capture this special day for her and Ryan:)

I arrived at Kristin's hotel room at about noon on Saturday to get some shots of her dress, shoes, ring, and her getting ready. Her dress is so beautiful!

Luckily Ryan is super tall so Kristin could wear these:

I'm not going to lie, the first thing I noticed about Kristin when I met her was her amazing ring! It is STUNNING!

Kristin has a team of girls working on her and her 11 bridesmaids!

And to take the edge off right before she went down to see Ryan for the first time...

Ryan had no idea that Kristin was going to come see him at this moment. As you can tell by the look on his face in this first "First Look" photo.

Once it finally hit him, he was nothing but smiles:)

That's all for now! Lots of photos from this beautiful wedding to come in the next few weeks so keep checking back.

I also wanted to give a shout out to Lacey and Kayla at Plush Weddings and Events for helping Kristin plan this amazing day. They did such a great job!

Thanks for reading,

MM

Las Vegas Engagement Photography: Kristin & Ryan | Neon Boneyard

2011-05-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

This Saturday, one of my best friends is getting married in Las Vegas! I just recently blogged about her surprise Bridal Shower here. Kristin and Ryan are getting married at the M Resort and Casino which is sure to make for a beautiful outdoor ceremony and reception. Festivities begin this Wednesday with Kristin's Bachelorette party down on the Las Vegas Strip.

Last summer I took some engagement photos of Kristin and Ryan at the Neon Boneyard (a.k.a. Neon Museum). The museum displays many old neon signs from shut down casinos and businesses. Some of them are incredibly cool and make for very "Vegasy" and beautifully interesting photos.

I don't, for the life of me, know why I haven't blogged about these photos before but here they are 6 days before their wedding!

The best thing about photographing Kristin and Ryan was that I literally had to give them no direction on how to do cute looking poses that look "lovey"! They just naturally exuded love and affection for each other!

And one last one until we see some wedding photos!

Personally, I can't wait for this wedding week to begin!

Stay tuned for some Wedding photos on here soon:)

Thanks for reading,

MM

P.S. If you are interested in having engagement photos taken at the Neon Boneyard, there is a $200/hr "Photo shoot" fee charged by the Museum that you will be responsible for in addition to my engagement shoot fee. But booking me for just the one hour costs less than my regular 2 hour fee! We also have to schedule a time with the Museum that is subject to their availability. Contact me for more details at info@marymeyerphotography.com or 702-985-2111.

Las Vegas Photography | Engagement | Justin & Heather

2011-04-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I was contacted by Justin to take engagement photos of him and his fiance Heather on the Las Vegas Strip! I could tell through emailing with Justin that him and Heather would be a fun couple to hang out with for a few hours. They are from right outside Detroit, Michigan. I don't know what it is about people from the Midwest, but I swear, that we all are just subconsciously drawn to each other and get along immediately! Maybe it's just me, but it really felt like I knew these two for years after photographing them for 20 minutes.

Justin and Heather booked me for 2.5 hours so we would definitely have time to make it to the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign:

I don't know if you can have a Las Vegas Strip photo shoot without a stop at the AMAZING chandelier bar at the Cosmopolitan!

Another one with the beautiful afternoon light coming in at the Cosmo.

I'm really loving silhouette photos lately. These are from a maintenance stairway by the Aria pool!

The bling bling! I also loved Heather's bracelets to match :)

These two were so in love and they have been together since High School! I love a good High School Sweetheart story since I'm with my High School Sweetheart too:

Justin and Heather are getting married in Vegas in about a year and a half! Congrats you two on your engagement and I hope to see more of you!

Thanks for reading :)

MM

Las Vegas Photography | Surprise Bridal Shower | Kristin Bachman

2011-04-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

One of my best friends here in Las Vegas is getting married on May 7th! Some of our friends and me decided to throw Kristin a surprise Bridal Shower a couple of weeks ago and asked her to come to our friends house for a "BBQ" to "catch up". Kristin had no idea and was definitely surprised!!

Now... Kristin works out a lot and is always wearing sweats. Since this was somewhat of an important event for a bride, the host told her to dress up for the "BBQ". Kristin thought it would be hilarious to show up in a prom dress and a fur so that's why she's in this get-up! She called me that morning to tell me her little plan and I, of course, encouraged her! hahaha!

Remnants from a game we played:

There was a luau theme complete with crepe paper parrots!

Near the end, Kristin opened gifts (which she's already put to good use)

The surprise shower was a great success! I can't wait for the wedding in a couple of weeks:)

Thanks for reading!

MM

Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Danielle & Joe | Las Vegas Strip

2011-04-17T23:25:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to photograph Danielle and Joe on their wedding day! You may recognize this couple as I posted a previous blog of their engagement photos at Red Rock Canyon. You can find that post here.

As I mentioned before, Danielle is from my hometown of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. It was great to see a lot of fellow Beaver Dammers at the wedding :)

Danielle and Joe were married at Treasure Island at the Wedding Chapel. As a part of their wedding package, they received photography during their ceremony and I was unable to move around and get photos but Danielle and Joe hired me for before and after the ceremony.

Now... before the ceremony, we had time slots set up for the Groom's side and Bride's side and their families to get some photos out of the way. When the groom didn't show up for his 2:30 time slot and I couldn't get ahold of the bride, I was, to say the least, a little worried! Luckily Danielle is a laid back kind of girl and when I broke the news to her, she just rolled with it! Haha! I assured her it wasn't a big deal and we could just get the photos after the ceremony.

It all turned out alright and here are some of the photos from after the ceremony:
This one is from the boardwalk in front of Treasure Island

We headed across the street to the Venetian go get some more photos

Danielle's pink tulip bouquet was so beautiful

It was a beautiful day to get married in Las Vegas! Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day guys!

Thanks for reading,

MM :)

Las Vegas Engagement Photography: The Proposal | Ryan & Kendall Part 2

2011-03-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

I just love these photos so much that I had to blog a Part 2! I think part of the reason I love these photos so much is because of the pure joy that Kendall and Ryan were in after the proposal. You can just tell in their faces that they are extremely happy and so so in love. It means so much to me to be a part of such an important time in their lives.

Yesterday I showed you a little sneak peek of a photo taken at the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmopolitan. The bar is absolutely stunning and GIANT! It has 3 levels and I still feel like any photo I've ever taken there doesn't give it justice. It does make for a beautiful backdrop for photoshoots though.

Here is Ryan & Kendall right outside the Chandelier Bar.

And another one in black & white.

This one is so colorful and fun in front of a storefront!

After the Cosmo, we headed over to Aria. Aria is by far one of my favorite places in Vegas to take photos!

Right outside the Elvis Theatre is really beautiful!

I especially love Aria's pool area. You have to be a guest to enter... but they are so nice there that I've NEVER been turned down to take photos:) No one can say no to a bride or a newly engaged couple, it's just a fact of life!

We ended or proposal/engagement photoshoot excursion back at the Garden at the Bellagio. It's always tough to get good photos there because there are so many tourists but I got lucky with this shot on the left!

And here's another one of Kendall's ring just because it's so beautiful!!!!

I had such a great time with Ryan and Kendall and feel so privileged to be invited by Ryan into this intimate and exciting time of his new life with Kendall! I wish you two all the best in your marriage and new life together.

Here is the link to their album if you want to see more!

Thanks so much for reading!

MM

Las Vegas Engagement Photography: The Proposal | Ryan & Kendall

2011-03-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Ryan a while ago about engagement photos. As we were emailing back and forth about prices and details, in about his 3rd email to me he said something like, "Well I'm planning on asking her at 7pm in front of the Bellagio Fountains while the show is going." When I read this my immediate thought was...."HOLY SHIT! HE'S GOING TO PROPOSE TO HER!!" Now, I was just expecting this to be a pretty standard engagement shoot where both people in the couple are aware their photo is going to be taken, they are already engaged and just decided to come to the vegas strip for cool photos. Not this time! I had always wanted to photograph an actual proposal but I had never had the chance to so I was, to say the least, VERY excited for this opportunity.

Ryan had the whole thing planned out for Kendall. They drove from Arizona to Vegas for a few days and once they reached Vegas, Ryan had a lot of surprises planned...including the surprise of her life!

Now Ryan and I had to be sneaky about this. We had to plan an exact location to meet so I wouldn't miss the moment and we had to even email photos of each other so we would know what the other person looked like at our meeting spot! It all worked out great and when Ryan got down on one knee in front of the Bellagio Fountains, I was right there to get the moment on film.

Kendall was in shock! Here she is admiring the beautiful ring!

Speaking of the ring....

After the Proposal we headed to the Cosmopolitan, Aria, and then back to the Bellagio for an official engagement shoot! Here is one of the first ones from the Chandelier Bar at the Cosmo!

This is just the beginning of our 2 hour long shoot. Stay tuned for another blog post tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!

MM

Las Vegas Engagement Photography | Red Rock Canyon | Danielle & Joe

2011-02-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing someone I went to High School with in Wisconsin! Danielle was a year ahead of me at Beaver Dam High School in the early 2000's and long story short, her family is good friends with my boyfriends family and that's how we connected. Well now, 9 years later, Danielle is marrying Joe. They met in college in Green Bay, WI and will be getting married in Las Vegas in April this year!

They came to Vegas to check out venues for the wedding 2 weeks ago and while they were here, they snuck in an engagement session with me at Red Rock Canyon. Here are a few of the photos from the day:

Danielle and Joe are two great people and I hope their wedding day is fabulous!

Thanks for reading!

Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Kristen & Ivan 10-10-10 Part 2

2010-11-08T00:57:00.000-08:00

It turned out that Kristen and Ivan liked the vintage editing so here are a few example of some of their photos with a more "vintagey" feel!

Kristen and Ivan with Kristen's parents from South Dakota. (I'm from Wisconsin so I always love meeting a fellow mid-westerner!)

The park near their house, turned out to be a perfect spot for taking photos. It provided almost an arched walkway for the bride and groom.

Kristen and her bridesmaids were a lot of fun. They were ready to celebrate "Team Kristen and Ivan"!!!

After the park, we headed back to their house for the ceremony. Some makeup touchups and Kristen lowered her vail to head down to marry her future husband!

First married couple KISS!!!!!!!

After the ceremony, we headed up to some foothills leading to the mountains near their house. Luckily they had a friend with an off-road vehicle to get there because I know my car could NOT have made that drive. We arrived just in time for some sunset photos.

It was so great to be a part of their wedding day and I wish these two great people nothing but the very best in the rest of their lives together. Oh, and by the way, Kristen, my mom thinks you should be a model! ;)

If you would like to see the rest of their wedding album you can see it here.

Thanks for reading!

Las Vegas Maternity Photography | Shannon

2010-11-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends Shannon is about ready to give birth to a beautiful.... SURPRISE! Her and Dan, her husband decided not to find out the sex of the baby which I think is soooo cool! I'm so excited to find out if the baby will be a boy or a girl that I have no idea how Shannon and Dan were able to hold out so long!

These photos were taken when Shannon was a little more than 8 months pregnant. It was my first run at maternity photos, and I love working on them because I feel like she was just glowing and it's really apparent to me in these pictures! Do you agree?

Shannon is due is about 2 weeks and I can't wait to meet her little one! I'm sure there will be some baby photos to follow:)

Thanks for reading!

Las Vegas Wedding Photography: Vintage Style Editing

2010-10-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

As I was continuing to edit Kristen and Ivan's wedding today, I had a sudden urge to see some of these images have a more vintage feel. Sooooo... on an impulse, I went to the Totally Rad Actions website and bought some actions. $149 later, my photos are looking straight out of the 70's and I'm totally in love. This look isn't for everyone though and I know that. Chime in below to tell me how you feel about it!

Before

After

No matter how you feel, these girls are beautiful though, right??!!

Las Vegas Wedding Photography | Kristen & Ivan 10-10-10 Part 1

2010-10-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

I know that 10-10-10 was a busy day for Wedding Photographers and I was not an exception to the rule this year! I had the pleasure of photographing Kristen and Ivan's wedding at their home in Henderson, Nevada. They had decided about a month before on the date so they had very little time to plan an entire wedding! I don't know how they did it, but it turned out to be a great day. Kristen had decided on taking photos before the ceremony in a park near their home in the Green Valley area.

I first photographed Ivan and his groomsmen

Soon after Kristen and her Bridesmaids came for some group shots, what a great looking wedding party!

Kristen was such a beautiful bride and lucky for me she has the most amazing blue eyes!

I absolutely loved the colors she chose for the wedding. Here is one of my favorites from the day!

That's all for now! I'll post some more photos as I keep editing. Have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks for reading,

Las Vegas Engagement Photography: Rebecca & Matt | Wynn & Encore

2010-10-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca and Matt; a now married couple, as of a few days ago. (Congrats you guys!) We met at the glamorous Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip to start out our photo shoot adventure. After taking a few shots in front of the Wynn, Rebecca and Matt felt a little uncomfortable in front of the camera which isn't a surprise considering they had never met me before and let's face it, posing for photos to convey how much you love each other isn't an easy thing for most people. Rebecca jokingly said that they might "need a drink to loosen up"! Well, I think she was only half joking so I said, "well let's go find a bar!" We stopped at a center bar in the Wynn where Rebecca ordered some wine, Matt ordered a beer, and I ordered a cocktail. I'm not sure if it was the alcohol, or the fact that we were finally able to chat and get to know each other a little that made this adorable couple loosen up a little for my camera:)

Here is one of our first shots before the bar. If you ask me though, they didn't look uncomfortable. I guess when you're really in love, it's hard for my camera to NOT see it!

This one was taken in the same area outside the Wynn where some tourists were nice enough to wait for me to take a photo. I don't always get that courtesy!

And before we lost all light outdoors, we headed to a small patio area off of the Wynn Hotel Registration.

We then walked the long hallway that connects Wynn to Encore which is home to stores a girl can only dream of shopping at! When we reached Encore, we stumbled upon a beautiful garden by the pool where I had to nicely ask a security officer for access to ;) (left)

This was taken off a small balcony of a bar in Encore

Rebecca knows someone who works at Encore Spa who said it would be okay for us to take some photos there. It was absolutely beautiful and I hope to some day treat myself to a service there!

And well... if you put a naked statue of a man in your lobby, of course I will take a photo of someone pointing and laughing at it!

Rebecca and Matt are a great couple and I had a lot of fun getting to know them! I wish them nothing but joy and happiness for the rest of their lives together.

If you are interested in checking out their entire album, you can find it on my proofing site.

Thanks for reading!

My Mom's Glass Artwork:)

2010-07-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

I come from a family of really smart and successful women, and we all seem to have an artistic outlet of some sort. I'm the only one who decided to actually make my living doing my artwork. My sister is a Biomedical Engineer who makes absolutely beautiful jewelry and has a knack for interior design (I'll blog on her creations in the future). My Mom has been in Human Resources and Business Management for over 20 years and used to make her own Christmas Ornaments, is an amazing Landscape Designer and has now created these beautiful Glass Landscape Ornaments!

She scours 2nd hand stores and garage sales for anything that might catch the light and uses them to create ornaments to sit in your landscape including some that are actual functioning bird baths. These are not your typical garden gnome or lawn jockey people! When I was in Wisconsin a few weeks ago, I took some photos of her artwork and here are a few of them:

She even creates some for holidays, here is a 4th of July one she made

All of these photos are unedited! This is what they look like in person. I didn't want to take away from the beauty.

I just think that it's awesome that my mom is making these beautiful pieces of art and I'm so proud of her for using her creativity in such a unique way! I think everyone should have a creative outlet to express themselves be it, glass art, painting, PHOTOGRAPHY, jewelry making, design, etc... In my opinion, it helps you express who you really are and can be an escape from a stressful life :)

She does sell these so let me know if you are interested in buying one for your garden! ($50-$150)

Thanks for Reading,

AVP Volleyball, Huntington Beach | Kessy/Ross

2010-06-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

I was hired by 11 Management to photograph an AVP Volleyball team for one of the girls sponsors, Bodog.net. It was such a great opportunity because I was able to do what I love (photography) and shoot a sport that I love playing! I have been a competitive volleyball player my whole life up until a couple of years ago and I honestly miss it some times. But I of course love watching it, especially when the team is as talented as Jen Kessy and April Ross!

Now, I normally don't photograph this type of event, but I really couldn't pass this up. Especially with the free trip to Southern California! The AVP tournament was on Huntington Beach and it just happens to be where a couple of my good friends used to live and I absolutely LOVE the area. I only wish I could have spent more time there.

Jen and April ended up making it to the championship match and beating Misty May-Treanor and Nicole Branagh to win the tournament! Misty and Nicole are a very tough team to beat so it was a great match to watch from the sidelines with my Media Credential! Nicole Branagh played volleyball for my alma mater - The University of Minnesota, so it was tough not to cheer for her, but after meeting Jen and April, they are such great people, I think I'll be cheering for them in the months to come and hopefully in the next Olympics??!!

I was able to photograph two of their matches that day, here is one from the first match:

I was trying to get some more artistic shots which included the Bodog logo the girls were wearing because after-all, these photos were for their sponsor!

Here is April sitting on the bench taking a breather and focusing up during the championship match

This is Jen on the sidelines during the championship match!

After Jen and April won, ESPN2 interviewed them, this is a shot of that. They were on top of the world!

And finally, the girls up on the podium popping bottles of champagne in celebration of their win!

After the match, I was informed that this match was aired live on ESPN2! If I would have known, I would have used my DirecTV iphone app to record it at home. But luckily, Matt, the owner of 11 Management found this link for me to watch the entire match. AVP on ESPN.

I'm hoping to photograph these girls again but maybe in just a photo shoot on the beach where I can get some shots that I can actually control:) I have some great ideas that I'd love to execute! Good luck to Jen and April in the future, I'm definitely rooting for you both!

Thanks for reading,

Las Vegas Strip Engagement Photos | Amanda & Michael

2010-05-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

The other day I had an Engagement shoot with an adorable couple from Texas, Amanda and Michael. They wanted to have their photos on the strip because it was in Las Vegas where Michael proposed to Amanda! He popped the question at the Venetian so we definitely had to get some shots there to start out. While we were there, I was asking for engagement details and Michael had this big elaborate romantic plan to ask Amanda on the balcony above the front entrance to the casino looking out on to the strip. That was how it was, ugh... supposed to happen... Amanda got sick that night and he ended up asking her in the room. But hey, they can still say that they got engaged in Vegas, right??
Here is the balcony at the Venetian on which the proposal was going to happen, it made for some beautiful photos and was very romantic! Nice work Michael!

This is another one from the front of the Venetian where the gondolas are docked when not in use

Next we headed over to Aria and were able to sweet talk the security guard to let us into the pool area without a room key

Amanda warned me that since her and Michael have been together for eight years that they aren't really lovey dovey and that I may need to give them directions on how to be so for pictures! But she assured me that they DO really love each other:) It was clear to me that they were in love, and I really didn't have to direct them to portray that!

Here is one of my favorites from the day.

Amanda and Michael were such a great couple. It was a lot of fun for me hang out with them for a couple hours and photograph their obvious love for each other! I wish them a very happy marriage, but I don't think that they need my wishes for that to come true :)

Thanks for reading,

My first Engagement.... shoot

2010-04-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on my first Engagement shoot! I was contacted by Jennifer to get some pictures of her and Keith, her fiance, so they could have some photos to display at their wedding. Their wedding was in two weeks from the date of the photo shoot, so I had to get them edited fast! I'm mostly done editing already, it really helps when you're shooting a good-looking couple!

We started out at Red Rock Canyon State Park where we just drove the 13 mile loop and stopped wherever I saw a place with potential for a good photo. Here are some of my favorites from the Park:

It was easy to tell that Jennifer and Keith were in love when I was with them, but after looking at them in photos, it was even more clear how they felt about each other. You can especially see it in this one:

The landscape is absolutely beautiful at Red Rock, you can really see it in this fun photo of a piggy-back ride I made Keith give Jennifer!

On our way back to their hotel, we decided to make a quick stop at the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign since it was so close to where they were staying. Here is one of my favorites from the sign:

All in all, I think it was a very successful first engagement shoot! Jennifer and Keith really made it easy on me, they were really great people and I wish them all the best in the future and I hope they have a wonderful wedding on May 1st, 2010!

Thanks for reading,

Brides Have More Fun

2010-04-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

A while back I asked my already married friend Morgan to revive her wedding dress and go traipsing around Las Vegas in it for a photo shoot so I could get more bride photos for my website/blog/portfolio. We finally found the time to do it on Sunday and it was so much fun for both of us!

We started at 9am and I did her "wedding" hair at my house. Then she slipped on her beautiful dress and we picked out some jewelry for the occasion. We ended up going with a gradient pearl necklace that I bought in an Antique store years ago and pearl earrings that my sister made and happened to match perfectly.

First we just went to into my backyard for a few minutes and I actually captured one of my favorites of the whole day:

Then we headed to the park near my house where Morgan sat on rocks, swings, and even climbed a child size rock wall!

We then headed to the strip and started at City Centers new Hotel & Casino, Aria. There where so many beautiful places to take photos in that casino! Here is one from the ice cream shop.

We ventured to the pool after that where you aren't allowed to enter without a room key... but let's face it, no one can say "no" to a Bride! Even tough security guys! So he gave us the okay and I'm glad he did! Some of my favorites of the day were taken in Aria's beautiful pool area. Here are two I've already worked on:

Next we stopped at Bellagio and while waiting for the (crowded) fountain show to start, I found a little walkway surrounded by greenery that I made Morgan walk back and forth on too many times!

I found out that even though I had an idea in my head about where I would get the best photos, it turned out that a lot of my favorites where actually taken in places where we would be walking by and stop for a minute to get a quick shot like this one above!

While we were walking through the crowded casinos, people would yell "congratulations!" to her constantly, and we didn't walk by one person who didn't gawk and stare at her! She loved all the attention and who wouldn't?!?! That's why Brides Have More Fun!

Thanks for reading!

M

NBC Heads UP 2010

2010-03-24T00:51:00.000-07:00

This blog post is long overdue! A couple of weeks ago, Eric played in the NBC Heads up Championship at Caesars Palace. He had an automatic bid into the tournament from winning Cardplayer Magazine Player of the Year.

The event started out with a party at Pure Nightclub the night before the tourney to pick who would play each other in the bracket. Eric was matched up with the winner of the Heads up Tournament at the World Series of Poker in 2009... so needless to say, his opponent knew heads up play pretty well.

Eric had to walk a red carpet for the party which was pretty funny to watch a "jeans & t-shirt" Wisconsin boy in front of video cameras and photographers! (unfortunately I didn't bring my camera to document this) I did however bring my camera to the actual tournament the next day!

This is Cardplayer Magazine's camera man getting some footage of NBC's promotional banner

This is Eric playing against the WSOP Heads Up champion! Unfortunately, Eric had two bad beats in a row and was eliminated in the 1st round...

Just a close-up of Eric checking out his cards.

This tournament was really fun to experience and I'm so proud of my boyfriend for everything he has accomplished in the last few years! If you'd like to see him playing in this tournament, tune into NBC on Sundays April 18th through May 23rd at noon ET/11Central (9am Pacific) You can find a schedule here.

Thanks for reading!

M

Em Eye Es Es Eye Es Es Eye Pee Pee Eye

2010-02-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Eric played in the Southern Poker Championship in Biloxi, Mississippi about a week ago, and for some reason... I decided to go with. I know I've driven through Mississippi on a road trip with my Mom and Sister when I was little, but I didn't really remember anything about the place so I figured, 'Why not? This will be an adventure'!

We stayed in the Hotel/Casino that the Poker tournament was held in which was right on the Gulf Coast. Our cab driver took us 'the ocean route' from the airport and gave us a history about what has happened to the area since Hurricane Katrina. To the right of the road were the white sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast, and to the left was almost completely deserted land that was wiped out from the Hurricane. Our cab driver explained to us that before the Hurricane there were beautiful beach houses, bars, restaurants, and shops that lined this road but no one was able to rebuild because the Insurance companies found a loop-hole claiming the damage was caused first by the rising waters and since they had Hurricane Insurance, and not Flood Insurance, they weren't covered. It was pretty depressing to hear such a horrible thing happened to so many people who literally lost everything.

The area was absolutely beautiful and while Eric was playing poker one day, I went on a walk around the area and here is what I found:

Right next to our hotel were these remnants of a dock that I imagine was taken out by the Hurricane.

Here is a newly built foot bridge that juts out onto the water

A little self portrait while out on my walk:)

Palm trees and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino next door

And of course, the reason we were in Mississippi! Eric playing poker.

Thanks for reading!

Home for the Holidays

2010-01-03T13:56:00.000-08:00

As many of you probably know, I grew up in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The sign you see when you enter this town states, "Home of 15,000 busy Beavers". 'Busy' was an understatement for me this year with four Christmases to attend since both my parents and my boyfriend, Eric's parents are divorced. Honestly though, it could have been much worse. I love both my family and Eric's family, and spending time with both is always a fun and interesting time. Eric has three nephews between the ages of 9 months and 4 and a half years. They are all a riot to be around, and the craziness that ensues is beyond my belief.

Adam, the youngest Nephew on good behavior in his ExerSaucer.

Leo the 2 year old around bed time, definitely ready for bed, but he definitely didn't think he was.

While I was home, my sister and I had the rare opportunity to decorate (hundreds!) of Christmas cookies with our Mom, two Aunts, and our Grandma. It is a tradition for my Mom, Aunts and Grandma to do this together every year. It was a lot of work and took a few hours, but seemed to go by quick while joking around and catching up with the women in my family. I only hope that my sister and I can be a part of this tradition again next year!

Sea of Cookies!

Sadly, the holidays are done, but I must say, I'm happy to be back in Vegas with warmer weather, my own house, and all my great friends here! I hope your holidays were as great as mine!

Until next time,

Mary

Like a (Blogging) Virgin

2009-12-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I'm very happy to say that I am starting a blog in conjunction with launching my website (marymeyerphotography.com)! This blog and my website will constantly be a work-in-progress, so keep checking back to both for updates and new cool stuff.

Creating my website was a lot of fun, and I have to give some major props to Photobiz for their extremely user friendly webpage templates and AMAZING customer support.

I created my very own logo, which turned out to be a lot harder than I had expected since I didn't have any Graphic Design experience. For some odd reason, I believed that my knowledge of photo editing in Photoshop would translate to "very easily being able to create a logo". That wasn't exactly the case and luckily I got a lot of great tips from my good friend and Marketing Director for Vail Resorts in Colorado, Andreya Platt, and was able to come up with a design that I'm very happy with.

The rest of my website was easily manageable, and I learned a lot about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), web hosting, and lots of other stuff that I won't get into because it's technical and boring:)

The purpose of my blog will be to keep everyone updated on photo shoots I'm doing and to show examples of photos from them. I'll also be blogging about new editing techniques I'm using, my equipment, etc... so make sure to keep checking back! If you would like to become a fan of my photography on Facebook, you can do so here. Or if Twitter is your thing, you can follow me on there by clicking here.

Thanks for reading!

Mary