Denver Photographer Kristy Rowe

The Curtis Hotel Denver Wedding Slideshow – Kebi & Ian ROCK IT OUT!

moodeous — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:35:16 +0000

Dooooods I shot an amazing wedding last weekend! Kebi and Ian are ooooozing awesome and so are all their friends and families. So get on over to the slideshow and view it all day long! Click to see the AWESOME: http://www.moodeous.com/slideshows/iankebi/index.html

Or watch it here:

Moodeous Photography Featured On Marriage Dot Com!

moodeous — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:51:22 +0000

I’m excited to let ya’ll know that a Q&A with yours truly has just been posted on the marriage.com website! This is my first foray into sharing my expertise with a larger audience and I’d love to hear what ya’ll think!

Marriage.com is a website dedicated to bringing you the best information available on the web for newly engaged couples. Their blog features the “Daily Unveil” in which they feature resources and trends for planning your wedding. Check them out!

Below you can read the very kind introduction to my Q&A, then please get on over and read the whole thing by clicking here:

A picture is worth a thousand words. What wedding day is complete without the photos to refresh momentous memories? It’s so important for a couple to have pictures they love and can share with family and friends; so, it’s equally important to have a talented, dedicated photographer just like Kristy of Moodeous Photography, located in Denver, Colorado. Kristy was kind enough to spare some time to share some advice and tips on hiring the right wedding photographer. She also conveys how it feels to be on the other side of the camera.

And, just for fun, here are a couple pretty photos from a couple of my first weddings!

Curtis Hotel Wedding Teaser

moodeous — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:33:53 +0000

This weekend I had the extreme pleasure of photographing Ian and Kebi’s wedding at the Curtis Hotel in Denver Colorado. It’s a uniquely fun and colorful hotel that I’ve been excited to shoot at for a long time. Vibrant colors and decor along with it’s downtown location made for some beautiful pictures. But the highlights of the day were my interactions with Kebi, Ian and their wonderful family and friends. Not only are Ian and Kebi the kind of people I would consider friends, but so are their families. And it didn’t hurt that Ian’s family and friends all came here from a town neighboring my hometown in Pennsylvania. More on that later though, this is just a teaser post!

Print reads ” All the women moaning about finding husbands, have obviously never had one!”

Do or Don’t: Dogs in Weddings

moodeous — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:59:14 +0000

Okay, I admit it. I’m totally completely a dog person. I’ve been known to squeal at baby puppies and pretty much any other fuzzy baby creature. My dog and our 2 cats are all adopted from local animal shelters and I can’t help myself when the yearly fundraisers come around. At some point one of my donations resulted in a subscription to Dog Fancy. It’s generally a magazine that I flip through when I receive and then drop into the recycling bin that same day. Recently I stumbled across an informative piece about having dogs in your wedding and thought it would be fun to share.

In the all the weddings I’ve been to and photographed over the years I’ve only seen dogs in two. One was my brother’s wedding and he only invited the more responsible and mature of his two dogs. She was the ring bearer and she did a fabulous job, delivering the rings via heart shaped carabiners on her collar and then napping through the entire ceremony at the bridesmaids feet. It was adorable for their outdoor, nature inspired wedding and went off without a hitch. Below is a picture of Pearl being led down the aisle with the other Ring Bearer. Photo courtesy of John Nimerfroh, JDN photography.

A couple years ago I photographed a wedding at Hudson Gardens in Littleton Colorado with Melissa Rich Photography. where a dog trainer had managed to negotiate her three dog’s attendance at her wedding. One stayed long enough for pictures before he left for a more relaxing environment. The other two were part of the wedding party. One, a Great Pyrenees mix, walked the bride down the aisle! It was very sweet and the dogs were incredibly well behaved.

I think the key in both instances was having a well trained dog(s) and making sure the dog’s stress level was kept low. The dogs did not attend the reception in either case and were sequestered in safe environments where they wouldn’t be subject to dangerous table scraps, loud music or other stress inducing situations. Read the article below if you’re considering incorporating your beloved fuzzy family members in your wedding!

Wedding Flowers On a Budget?

moodeous — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:48:43 +0000

I’ve been working on this post for a while and last night I had the pleasure of sitting down with Julie McKenney of Bliss Elevated who told me she has tried DIY flowers and she says, :::::drum roll please:::::: “They’re not that hard!”. Her words finally made me feel justified in getting this post up. When you’re done here go on over to Julie’s blog and check out her post about the subject.

So for those of you on a budget the internet is a wealth of information for DIY and affordable flower options. To be fair if you CAN afford a professional, they do incredible work and are able to help you make decisions you might not otherwise have considered, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about. So first things first. How many flowers do you need?

If you’re ceremony takes place somewhere that is already brilliantly and naturally decorated, say the local Botanic Gardens, you can probably forgo the flowers. Below, we’ve got natural beauty in spades (especially the bride) and a simple ceremony without a lot of frills. Sometimes the location can speak for itself.

And fancy florists might not be your thing. Guess where these flowers above came from? A local grocery store. No kidding. Affordable and lovely. I’ve had brides who’ve ordered their flowers at Costco and the flowers were delivered to their front door the morning of the wedding. Doesn’t get any easier than that!

Set a budget and stick to it. Typically flowers are 8-10% of the wedding budget, but by being a bit resourceful you could save yourself some cash. Check out this GREAT post by Meg at A Practical Wedding to learn more about DIY flowers. You can save money by choosing local blooms that are in season, visiting the local farmers market and getting in touch with a wholesaler.

Ways to Save on Wedding Flowers:

Reduce the number of attendants in your wedding party. Less attendants means your florist will have to create fewer bouquets.
Reduce the number of guests at your wedding. Fewer tables means fewer floral centerpieces.
Choose in-season wedding flowers. They are often less expensive and easier to find. For a list of common flowers for each season, visit our wedding flowers by seasons guide.
Choose less complicated flowers. Certain flowers will run up of the cost of your floral budget no matter what season. Ask your florist to review your options with you.

- Flowers that tend to be expensive: Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, Orchids, Magnolias, Peonies, Gardenia and Hydrangea – Flowers that tend to be moderately priced: Orange Blossoms, Lavender, Daffodil, Daisies, Chrysanthemum, Carnations, Roses (due to huge variance in kind, quality, and color) and Greenery – such as ivy

Consider options other than floral arrangements for table centerpieces. Ask your florist for ideas. Scattered flower petals surrounded by votive candles create an elegant effect that won’t maximize your floral budget. This list of unique wedding decorations offers even more ideas for alternative arrangements
Choose a naturally beautiful location. A springtime wedding in a garden hardly needs additional floral arrangements, while an ornate church may be breathtaking on its own. Also consider that many facilities are decorated for the holidays, so holding a December wedding may provide you with gorgeous poinsettias and garland free of cost.

Great Deals on Designer Wedding Dresses and more!

moodeous — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:46:40 +0000

Check out this great article about RecycledBride.com on the www.marriage.com blog. I had no idea this site existed, but what a great resource for ensuring your wedding is both affordable and green too! According to the marriage.com blog, the owner of Recycled Bride donates 15% of ad revenue to Global Green. Seriously that’s some spending I can get behind! This site has just about everything you need for your wedding. Including mother of the bride/groom dresses for the savvy thrifty and fashionable mom’s out there.

And because every post needs a picture here’s a Show & Tell moment. Check out how gorgeous my bride Kim looks in her BORROWED wedding dress. No kidding! I love my clients for their fabulous unconventional weddings. Grooms rent tuxedos, why can’t brides?

The Average Cost of a Wedding

moodeous — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 22:11:10 +0000

Today is Valentines Day, so I thought I might tackle the topic of WHY people get married and what exactly weddings are all about. My two cents? Love. It’s about the love, people. It’s about the person whose eyes you want to stare into for the rest of your life. Its about celebrating that giddy once in a lifetime feeling. And celebrating it with the other wonderful people you love. Because love is special. So here’s my question. Does spending a ton of money on your wedding day make that love any more special? Seriously, does it?

Yesterday I sat down in a Starbucks with a potential client. I told her (as I do all of my clients) that she should meet with other photographers, see how their prices, products and photography differ from mine and most importantly see who they get along best with. As we talked she asked me why my prices are lower than other photographers. I explained that I keep my overhead low and keep things simple, you won’t get a lot of flashy packaging from me. The reason? I work hard to attract a particular type of couple. They’re the couple who reads the paragraph above answering, “Heck no! Money does not make our love any more incredible, amazing or breath-taking!. They are backyard brides, DIYers and often people who didn’t even know you could have custom designed wedding logos for your special day.

Depending on who you ask, the “average” cost of a wedding in 2009 was between $15,000 and $25,000. No kidding. With that money you could buy a car outright, put a nice down payment on a house or save for your child’s college fund. Or you could spend it on one day. One beautiful amazing day that you will cherish forever, but will go by in a flash.

If that number sounds absurd to you, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Lots of savvy incredible couples are taking the internet by storm, sharing their stories of beautiful, personal, sentimental, NOT average weddings that didn’t cost a fortune. So below I’m presenting you with a list of fabulous sites with real advice on maintaining your sanity while planning a wedding on a realistic budget and doing it all with style and grace.

If anyone wants to share their wedding planning stories, tips, tricks or photos please feel free to get in touch and I’d be happy to feature you!

Here are a couple photos of my best friend Michelle’s dress. She spent months looking for the perfect dress to reflect her style, coming finally to the realization that she needed something custom. That’s when her mother offered up her wedding dress and together they had it altered and rebuilt into the perfect dress. It was gorgeous, represented the importance of her family and tradition and came in well under budget.

Long Road Home

moodeous — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:37:04 +0000

Sometimes home calls. The calls don’t always come for the kindest of reasons, but these are hardest to ignore. I left Denver on a red eye last weekend for a trip back to Philadelphia. My Aunt, only 41 years old, had passed away. Brain Cancer took her too soon–leaving behind my 3 young cousins (all in grade school) and a grieving husband. I couldn’t imagine not being there with my family during this time. I feel lucky to have the means and the time to take. I feel lucky to have spent the week with the people who have been so formative in who I am today. I feel blessed for the love my family shares.It was a week of ups and downs.

A beautiful memorial service, absolutely overflowing with loved ones and memories of my dear “Auntie”, as I jokingly called her. She was boisterous and mischevious. You could not sit in a room with her and NOT laugh. Her personality wouldn’t allow it. She was kind and generous with her time and her talents. Her creative nature yielded murals, paintings, drawings and many an impromptu art lesson. She will be missed, but I try to remember how you couldn’t stop laughing when you were with her. How she’d want us to feel now. To carry on and find things to laugh at, even in the face of such hurt. I miss her. I grieve for her children. But I laugh thinking of the moments we had together. It almost doesn’t seem real.

Before I left Denver (a week ago today actually) I visited the Denver Art Museum’s temporary exhibit “Embrace!”, where 17 artists created pieces specifically for the unusual architecture. “Chamber”, a video installation by Charles Sandison really resonated with me. A vast room is filled with projections of words, symbols and phrases, moving across the angled walls and ceilings in a mesmerizing constellation. It was beautiful and soothing. I felt like the feelings I have about my Aunts death had been removed from my head and taken life. Like they had become part of a vast world of frustrations, pains, joy and the confusions of life that everyone experiences. I felt as if I could sit and watch the flowing characters all day. They gave me a sense of peace. Below is an image of the piece.

Under the Sea

moodeous — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:59:13 +0000

I was doing some hard drive house cleaning this morning (heck of a way to ring in the new year I know!) when I came across some photos I never posted. In fact I hardly even looked at them until today. This past November when we visited Drew’s grandparents in Florida we went to Mote Marine Laboratory. It’s a wonderful aquarium with a focus on ecology, preservation, science and education. They rehabilitate a lot of animals and do a lot of good for the under water community down in Florida. Mote has a Manatee research program which includes 2 incredible specimens that live at the Mote Laboratory, because they can not return to the wild. Their names are Hugh and Buffet and here are a couple photos of the adorable guys!

New Years Resolution: Dream

moodeous — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:29:35 +0000

For the past three years I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering with Wilder Elementary’s Kindgarten classes. The whole school participates in creating collective class projects, which are then auctioned off at the annual silent auction. The students create everything from mobiles to Eric Carle inspired art that helps to raise funds for the school. The Kindergartners now have a standing tradition of creating words by forming letters with their bodies. It takes a lot of parental involvement to get everything just right and I’m always impressed by how involved the moms and dads are. It’s a great school and a fun project that I’m told fetches a lot of bids and is well worth the many-parent effort!

So as we approach the new year, faced with new resolve, I wanted to include one of the words that the Kindergartners created. Dream. Because it’s such an easy thing to put aside as an adult–if we don’t continue to dream, imagine and be inspired as adults life gets pretty boring and our expectations become stymied and we settle. Don’t settle in the new year. Dream and be inspired.