weathered cement. fallen leaves. distant laughter & gentle breeze…ten.

have a lovely weekend!

I am in the process of looking over this year’s work and looking to start updating my website & I just fell in love again with the images from a styled photoshoot that was published on the Wedluxe blog earlier this year. I wanted to post some of the extra images that were not published on the Wedluxe blog. You can check out the Wedluxe post here.

I love the romantic, soft feel of this design…and I can just imagine how lovely it would be to sit at this table… It is so very pretty with pink & gold décor…and don’t you love the little details like the mini paintings in frames hung at each place setting? I think they are precious! This design feels so luxurious. If you are in the planning stages of your wedding, have a look through these images for some planning & décor inspiration. You can now also pin images from my blog as well if you are on Pinterest and gathering inspiration for your wedding.

What do you think?

Jen

Well hello again everyone. It has certainly been awhile since I have blogged! January passed so quickly this year, and I was thrilled to have had the opportunity to attend two amazing conferences back to back. First up was the Alt Design Summit in Salt Lake City, Utah. Then I attended the What If Conference in Cabo San Lucas, which is a conference for artist-preneurs. This could not have fit more perfectly into my travel plans…Alt Design Summit was January 18-20 & What If Conference was January 22-26…leaving us a day to check out Sundance Film Festival before heading to What If in Cabo…stay tuned to my next post to find out about that second leg of our trip.

The Alt Design Summit was amazing! It was an inspiring two days filled with the top lifestyle & design bloggers as well as other fabulous creatives. A highlight for me was to hear Ben Silbermann, the founder of Pinterest, as one of the keynote speakers. I LOVE Pinterest! Pinterest is website & app that acts as a visual pin board where you can create boards & then start pinning images from around the internet so you can create collections of everything that inspires you. Pinterest’s mission statement is to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.” Ben was a very interesting speaker, even though he started his presentation with telling us that he was not really a comfortable public speaker…he was truly awe-inspiring! Ben talked about the importance of surrounding yourself by people who inspire you & to bet on yourself because no-one else will. He shared his story with us and shared his opinion on why & how people succeed. In his words, “People succeed because they don’t stop & eventually something breaks.”

Ben always felt that the things that you collect said so much about who you were as a person…and so the idea & inspiration to build Pinterest began. Ben talked about Pinterest as the place to plan the most important projects in your life…and it’s so true, we are seeing more & more brides planning their weddings using Pinterest. I think this is an amazing resource not only for brides but for everyone. I have been using Pinterest now for several months, and you can check out my Pinterest from the link on the sidebar of my blog. Pinterest has exploded…it is no longer just for sharing beautiful photos, it is the best tool on the internet to discover, collect & plan all of your important projects, or simply the pull together all the things that you love.

Ben also talked about Pinterest’s goal to not to keep you online. It is their mission to inspire you to go out & DO the things that you love….and this is truly amazing! Ben shared his love for human discovery stories…about discovering things you would have never searched for.  Pinterest has become THE most beautiful place to discover things that you love. Ben shared this…”Discovering things about the world helps you discover things about who  you are.” All I can say is thanks Ben, you are an inspiration to all of us!

I could go on & on about the rest of the amazing speakers that presented at Alt. Some of my favourites were Bri Emery from Design Love Fest (one of my favourite design blogs), Danielle from The Jealous Curator, another wicked blog, Victoria from SF Girl by Bay, Camille Styles,  Jasmine Star, the fabulous wedding photographer who talked about the importance of your personal brand & rocked it, Anne Sage, the editor & founder of one of my favourite online magazines, Rue Magazine, as well as Cassandra Lavelle of Coco & Kelley who were all simply amazing! Alt truly knows how to put on a fabulous conference. Each day we saw 4 one-hour presentations that each had 3-4 speakers as well as our key-note speaker(s) over lunch. The speakers were concise with their presentations & truly shared such inspirational stories & strategies to build your personal brand, to grow your blog readership & to follow your heart & most importantly to Keep It Real (thanks Jasmine!!), which simply put means to follow what you are passionate about.

There were also industry people from HGTV, Martha Stewart Magazine, Chronicle Books, Better Homes & Gardens at Alt. It was a great place to network with the industry leaders within the blogging & social networking world.

Not only were our days filled with inspiration, Alt also had the absolute best ‘gift’ bags for attendees of any conference that I have ever been too…seriously, you would not believe the amazing swag that each attendee received from this conference. Unbelievable!! To top it off each night they hosted parties. So much fun! This next instagram photo is a picture of one of the amazing gifts that were given to every attendee at the conference by Cargoh. Cargoh is a curated online artist & designer marketplace & they gave out a unique handmade item to everyone at Alt. WOW!!!

We finished Alt on Friday January 20th, then my cousin Jane (& travel companion for both conferences) along with 4 of our new friends from Alt enjoyed an amazing day at Sundance Film Festival & then flew to Cabo the very next day.

Here are some pics from our amazing day at Sundance. Talk to you soon. -Jen oxox

We stopped for lunch at Zoom, which is Robert Redford’s restaurant on Main Street in Park City. It was a lovely place with delicious food & cold beer.:)

Next up was the Sundance Music Cafe, which was a sweet venue showcasing exceptional live performances of new, emerging and established talent. We were so lucky to actually get in without a VIP pass. Thanks to our new friend’s Alison & Michelle who talked us into the venue…All 6 of us got in & stayed there for the afternoon and got to listen to the fine performances of A Fine Frenzy, Jenny O., Josh Kelley as well as John Forté and friends featuring Natasha Bedingfield, Ben Taylor & Sergey…needless to say, this was an epic afternoon!

Here we all are…Alison, Jane, Michelle of On My Own Blog, Robin of RobinMiller.us & the Clevergirls Collective, Lisa & me…living it up at Sundance…plans are already brewing for Sundance 2013…;)

After hanging at the Music Cafe all afternoon, we walked up the Main Street to Sundance House which was  tented venue set up for the festival as a place to warm up for a bit, grab a quick bite, or a beverage of choice and relax with friends….and of course enjoy more live music and/or dj’s…

Here’s Lisa at our last stop of the day which was an Irish Pub that was packed….again we enjoyed even more live music & then found a table to grab some great pub food…then back to Salt Lake City to grab a few hours of sleep before getting up at 4 am to catch our flight to Cabo…stay tuned for my upcoming post about the What If Conference .

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you enjoyed a wonderful holiday with your family and friends! This past Sunday I was an exhibitor at the Wedluxe Wedding Show which was held at the Ritz-Carleton Toronto. This show was fabulous!!! It was a design feast. The Wedluxe team put on the absolute best wedding show in Toronto! It was truly an honour to be an exhibitor at the show. There were over 2000 people that attended the show, and at times there was a long line up to get in…This truly was the luxury wedding event not to be missed! It was so great to meet and chat with so many newly engaged couples!

Here are a few photos of my booth from my friend and amazing wedding planner, Carmen Luk, of Devoted To You. Carmen & her husband actually did live blogging at the show & in case you missed the show, check out Carmen’s wedding blog which features many of the very talented wedding professionals that exhibited at the show on Sunday.

Happy Holidays! I hope that your holidays are filled with joy, happiness and love! Enjoy this time with your family and friends! We are very excited this Christmas as our daughter is almost three, and it is truly amazing to see how excited she is about Christmas…We went shopping last week to pick up a present for her to give to daddy for Christmas…and she was thrilled to be a part of the process…and she hasn’t spilled the beans on what his present is…:) I am truly looking forward to spending this week with my family & I also hope that we get some snow as we are excited for the ski/snowboard season to begin…

Please note that our studio is now closed and will reopen January 2, 2012. All email & telephone inquiries will be answered upon our return.

Happy holidays!

Jennifer

Are you looking for a fabulous gift for your partner for Valentine’s day? Why not surprise him with a gorgeous custom-designed 10×10 couture {désir} boudoir book. Book your {désir} boudoir session this January between Jan. 6-16th & receive a complimentary one page 13×19 custom-designed wall calendar with your image of choice from your session.

Please call the studio the week of January 2, 2012 to book your session. Please note that the studio is now closed until January 2, 2012 & we will respond to all inquiries upon our return. We are currently booking midweek {désir) boudoir sessions between 10-5.

Visit my {desir} boudoir website at www.jenniferklementt.com to view my portfolio.

I wanted to share this lovely family portrait session that I photographed this fall in our studio. These two boys were such a delight to photograph & I love the images that we captured of them as well as the fun family portraits. My favourite family portrait from this session is the first one of them all laughing and enjoying such a great moment together…sitting in front of our exposed brick wall in the studio. Families always have so much fun together here in our loft studio. It is such an honour to document these cherished times and moments in our client’s lives!

I hope that you enjoy your holidays with your families. Rest, enjoy, laugh & relax. I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Happy  Holidays!

I am thrilled to be an exhibitor at the Wedluxe Wedding Show, January 8, 2012 hosted by the Ritz-Carleton in Toronto. The show is produced by Wedluxe Magazine which is Canada’s luxury wedding magazine. The show has been designed to be a sensory experience whereby the magazine pages come to life in a breathtaking display of creative ingenuity and visual extravagance.

A curated exhibitor list ensures that the show retains the same degree of exclusivity and luxury that is demonstrated in the magazine.

Attendees will be pampered from the first moment they enter the Grand Foyer of the Ritz-Carleton, Toronto. Luxe libations and decadent culinary samples will be served as guests are taken on a journey of wedding eye-candy and inspiration beyond the ordinary.

The experience is cleverly divided into six key areas of focus; The Grand Floral Foyer, the Design and Inspiration Ballroom, a Couture Gown Gallery, A Beauty Boutique and the Mad Men-inspired “Grooms Lounge” ( I don’t know about you, but if I were a groom…this would probably be pretty cool to check out!) No detail in the presentation of awe-inspiring ideas will be overlooked. Design aficionados will appreciate impeccable attention to detail across every area of the event including stationery, signage, audio-visual and luxe decor surprises that will be sprinkled through the day from start to finish.

The Wedluxe Wedding Show will become the most celebrated luxury wedding show ever to take place in Canada. I am looking forward to meeting you there!

Kim & Collin were married last August at the Fairmont Royal York. Their wedding was another one of my favourites from last year. The Royal York is a stunning venue for a wedding. The architecture, the history, the energy & life of the building is truly amazing. They were surrounded by a fabulous group of friends & family on their wedding day. I also just love all the beautiful design & stunning details like the gorgeous flowers by Pink Twig and the cake by Decadence by JK.

I have gotten to know Kim and Collin since planning their wedding and we have become good friends. It truly is a blessing doing what I do and working with so many amazing people. Kim is an interior designer in Toronto, and I was thrilled that she agreed to help me in designing my studio last year as well. It is a gorgeous space…and I will post some pictures of it one of these days…;) I love her design aesthetic & sense of style. My clients love my space, it is simply gorgeous, and I have Kim to thank for helping me bring my vision to reality. I highly recommend to all photographers opening a studio to work with an interior designer. They will help you to focus your vision and design a functional & beautiful space that matches your brand & style.

In any case, Kim also forwarded along some information for me to share with my blog readers about her wedding day. It was a beautiful day, and I was honoured to capture it for you both.

Happy belated first anniversary guys!
Jen

Here is some information that Kim also shared with us about their wedding day:

How did you meet?

Colin and I met in our last year of undergraduate school at Queen’s University. Although we had lived  around the corner from one another for two years, our paths never crossed. Then one evening, a mutual friend had a party and we stumbled upon each other. We continued to see on another at social functions, but did not start dating until the following summer when we both took positions in Kingston. We have been together ever since the summer of 2002.

Describe the proposal.

Colin surprised me with a night in Toronto at none other than the Royal York. I had a flicker of a moment when I thought he may be setting everything up for a proposal, but then chastised myself for trying to  build something up. He had a fantastic story to cover his tracks and explain the sudden plans: we needed to use a free voucher before it expired! We were hanging out in the room chatting after lunch when he started teasing me about going to look at rings at Tiffany’s. It was later in the day, so I made a comment that they would probably be closed before we could get there. He said that he had checked the times, and they were open later into the evening, and that we should go looking. So I jumped up and was getting ready to go whenn he came over to me and said that maybe it would be better if he just brought the ring to me. He got down on one knee and I was in complete shock! He was looking at me after he put the ring on my finger and was saying, um, so, is it a yes?!?!?! FINALLY, YES!!!

What was your favourite moment of the wedding day?

Both of us agree on our favourite moment of the wedding! During our rehearsal, our officiant mentioned that couples sometimes do not know when it is time to kiss and she will prompt us on the day if need be. At the ceremony, we came to a point where I was convinced that it was time to kiss. Judith, our officiant, paused and asked us privately if we were “ready”. I asked if it was time, and she said it was time. I looked at Colin, grabbed him, and kissed him! Everyone broke into streams of laughter and any nervousness that had been remaining was dissolved! I was a little early, but we had the unique opportunity to kiss twice during our ceremony…the first was just a little early.

How would you describe your wedding day?

Our wedding day totally exceeded our expectations! We were both able to relax and enjoy the “getting ready” phase of the day: the guys had a leisurely brunch while the ladies spent the morning beautifying. The ceremony went just as planned, and the rain stopped just as we were preparing for outdoor photos. We had a swanky cocktail party, complete with jazz trio, before a delicious dinner. The party continued well into the night with a live band. I believe my sister, Kate, the maid of honor, summed up the night best: I have never seen a more beautifully romantic, sophisticated, and swanky evening turn into such a rowdy par-tay! We had a blast and celebrated with all our family and closest friends…what more could a couple ask for?

Was there a specific theme or mood you were trying to achieve on your wedding day?

We wanted to keep everything relaxed and appropriate for the venue. We were in this beautiful historic hotel, in downtown Toronto, with almost all of our guests staying over night. We ensured we included personal touches wherever possible, and hope that everyone enjoyed the day and evening as much as we did!

What was your favourite design detail?

The Royal York is such a unique location with such a rich history. It played a big role in our day and was our favourite design detail. WIth such an amazing location, everything else falls into place easily!

How did you personalize your wedding day?

Most of our family and friends traveled from out of town for our wedding and we wanted to pepper the day with aspects of our lives. We included an Irish blessing during our ceremony for Colin’s family (Colin was born in Dublin and most of his family still resides in Ireland). We added a splash of my home town through our gifts. I was born in Traverse City, Michigan, which is know for cherries; jars of cherry preserves served double duty as our gifts and also our place cards.

What was your biggest splurge during the planning process?

Other than our venue, my dress! I went searching for my dress in Ontario and Michigan. With the help of the owner of the boutique, my mom, aunt, and I pulled a group of dresses. I had decided a the beginning of the day that I had done enough searching and would make a decision by the end of the day. The very last dress I put on became my dress! The simplicity and unique design was exactly what I was looking for!

What was the most luxurious aspect of your wedding?

The music was a common theme throughout the day and evening, and really pulled everything together. We had a string quartet for the ceremony, a jazz trio for our cocktail reception, and a live band for dancing in the evening. Our cocktail reception was held in the Imperial Room foyer, close to the lobby of the hotel. The appetizers, cocktails, low lighting, and jazz music combined for a truly magical time. What a treat!

Is there anything you would have done differently?

No, we would not change a minute of the day. We had an amazing day and were both fairly relaxed. We had private time with our families, each other, and a grand party to celebrate with everyone!

What is the most important info you would like to share with our blog readers about your wedding day?

The day was planned well in advance and went smoothly with the help of our families, friends, and vendors. Everyone was ontime, ready to help, and wanted nothing but the best for  us! This translated into an amazing energy that everyone enjoyed for the entire weekend. We had an incredible team of vendors that were assembled early in the game! We were especially thankful for the amazing staff from the Royal York that helped with the preparations and helped to create a seamless day for us and our guests.

Vendor List:

Dress: Legends by Romona Keveza
Shoes: Steve Madden
Rings: Blue Nile
Makeup: Kelly Thornton,M.A.C. Newmarket
Hair: Frank Lysonek, Shapes Hair Studio
Suits: Freeman Tuxedos
Ceremony Venue: Upper Canada Room, The Fairmont Royal York, Toronto
Cake: Decadence by JK
Favours: Brownwood Farms, Michigan Cherry Preserves
DJ/Band: Platinum Group Entertainment
Florist: Pink Twig

What is Help Portrait?

Help Portrait is a group of professional photographers in the City of Barrie and surrounding areas joining together for one day, using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season completely free of charge. We will be providing free portraits to people in the community who ordinarily could not afford the expense of a portrait session with a professional photography studio. This year our event will run at Collier Street United Church from 9am until 6pm. There will also be a few mobile photographer units photographing at some of Barrie’s long term care facilities. I am honoured to be photographing at Victoria Village with my good friend Susan Benoit of Diffusion Photographics this year.

The Origins

Help Portrait was founded by Celebrity Photographer Jeremy Cowart. This is about GIVING the pictures, not taking them. These portraits are not for our portfolio, website, or for sale. Money isn’t involved here; it’s having the chance to give a person or family something they may have never had before – a portrait together.

What happens on the day?

We will have professional photographers, make up artists, hairdressers, and other helpers (including students) at each location. When you arrive, you can avail of a make up session, hair styling and then come to the portrait station for your photograph. After your portrait is taken, we will have light snacks and refreshments available for you. There is no obligation for you to leave, plese feel free to spend time with us and chat. As you wait, your portrait will be printed usually within ten to fifteen minutes (depending on backlog) for you to take home.

Who can come for a portrait?

This is intended for people who ordinarily cannot afford a professional portrait sitting. Whether you are a single parent, family, homeless or whatever your circumstances, you are more than welcome to attend for a portrait. In the weeks leading up to the event, we will widely publicize the event details on our facebook page, posters and flyers distributed locally and local media such as Rogers TV, A Channel, and radio stations.

Who to Contact.

Christopher O Driscoll 705.726.8670 (Lead Coordinator)

Sponsor & Supporters

Mr. Michael Keogh, sales representative with Re/Max – Chay Realty has exceeded all expectations one could wish for from a sponsor. With the help of his generosity, Help Portrait has grown quickly here in Barrie. Helen Mountzou of Coty Cosmetics Inc. has also been tremendous with their donation of cosmetics for the make overs. Local hairstylists such as Marvel Hair School provided great service to us at our 2010 Help Portrait event, and will again be at our 2011 event. Local supermarkets including Zehrs (Bayfield & Cundles). Sobeys (Bayfield) contribute to our light refreshments and snacks, as well as the Telus Community Ambassador project. The Help Portrait Barrie Team asks that you support our sponsors and supporters, together as a community, we can all help each other.

How can I help?

We will require assistance in the following areas: make up artist, hair stylist, catering, advertising and volunteer staff.

If you want to be a part of this special day, please provide us with your contact information, or call us at the contact numbers provided and we will be in touch. Even if you can’t stay for the full day and can only manage a few hours, that’s perfectly fine. Having volunteers for a few hours at various stages of the day simply means we have a constant level of help on the day. Required information is name, email and a contact number, plus details of the service you are offering.

Donations of either products, services or monetary donations will help us achieve our goal that day would be greatly appreciated. All supporters will be actively promoted as we publicize the event during the year.

Help-Portrait Barrie is an independent group of volunteers who are participating in the worldwide Help-Portrait, Inc. movement to give portraits away to the underprivileged. This is not an officially sponsored Help-Portrait, Inc site, and is not managed by Help-Portrait, Inc. The opinions and views expressed on this blog do not reflect those of Help-Portrait, Inc. (www.help-portrait.com) HELP-PORTRAIT name and logo are registered trade marks of Help-Portrait, Inc. Used by permission only.