Amy Allen shares with Des Moines Wedding News how she found her calling for photography and she tells us about her funniest moment at a wedding.

How did you get interested in the photography business?

I took an interest in photography in high school and then took photography courses in college.  After my husband and I had our first child, I bought a 35mm film camera and that’s when it all began.  I was asked to take photos for friends and family and discovered that I had found my calling.  My work quickly grew into a small business…then that grew into a way of life for me.

Do you shoot any other types of photography?

Primarily wedding photography, but I also specialize in children, newborns and maternity photos.

What type of photography style do you have?

After years of shooting, I have developed my own unique style of photographing weddings.  It’s natural, fresh and intimate.  I am very extremely versatile.   It doesn’t matter how large or small the wedding party is, or where the wedding is located.  I make it beautiful. My photographs reflect my passion for what I do.  I enjoy every minute of it.

What makes you stand out from the other wedding photographers?

I am truly unique in Des Moines because I provide dual coverage by having another professional photographer with me.  My business partner is a national, highly publicized photographer who specializes in turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, via his outstanding creative and technical talents.  I have the rare ability to spot and capture especially unique and intimate moments throughout the entire wedding event.  Our combined talents and experience add up to a very, very special wedding shoot.  Because of this, I’m confident that you won’t find more beautiful or higher quality wedding photography than what we offer.

What special services do you offer?

I offer packages that include all edited, high-resolution images with full copyright.   Providing post-wedding support is almost as important as taking the photos!  I am always available to assist my clients with questions regarding the images, making sure that they are aware of all their printing options, providing recommendations on the best labs, etc.

What is the funniest moment you have seen while taking pictures at a wedding?

I was shooting a beach wedding in San Diego.  The bride’s life-long friend was not able to make it to the wedding (or so she thought).  Her friend surprised her by showing up just minutes before the ceremony began.  The bride spotted her friend, took off running across the beach and tackled her friend in the sand.  They were rolling around laughing and crying while the groom was desperately trying to pick her up so her dress wouldn’t get dirty!  But she was ecstatic and really didn’t care what happened to her dress.  It was  priceless!
What other hobbies do you enjoy?
I am into antiquing, hitting up local flea markets and estate sales!

What is your contact information if brides have more questions?

- Name: Amy Allen
- Email: amy@amyallenphoto.com
- Telephone: 515-277-0395
- Address: 5200 Ingersoll Ave  Des Moines,IA 50312
- Website: www.amyallenphoto.com

How did you get started in the DJ business?

I started out DJing in college for fun and it grew into a very successful part time gig.

In your opinion what are the most popular songs that are used for the couples first dance

Often times the couple pick a song that’s a current hit on the radio or something that everyone uses for their first dance.  Sometimes I look out into the crowd and see people roll their eyes like “not this song again”  My advice to couples is pick something that fits you and is unique
What is the funniest moment you have seen while working a wedding?

Quite a few times when the males in the wedding party start drinking, they enjoy stripping.  Many a times have the groomsmen ben half naked on the dance floor
What other special services do you offer?

Just DJing.  Often times I hear complaints about DJ’s trying to do too much and be too goofy MC at the event.  I’m really big on letting the couple pick all their music and playing exactly what they want.  It’s their night!
How are you different than the rest of the wedding DJs?

I don’t have any gimmicks or video’s or anything like that.  I don’t even have a website because I’ve been able to keep my price low by not having to charge more to keep those things running.  I have a low fee, and work closely with the couple to make their day exactly that, Theirs!
What is your contact information if brides have more questions?

- Email mason066@hotmail.com
-Telephone (515)419-3571

Merle Hay Younkers Invites You To Its Wedding Wishes REGISTRY EVENT

Join us for a special gift registry and beauty event for engaged couples

THURSDAY, JULY 24 THROUGH SUNDAY, JULY 27, 2008

OUR REGISTRY PERKS:

5% back on items purchased from your registry

15% completion coupon to help you get a few more of the things you were hoping for

FREE gifts from the vendors you love through our Royalty Gift program

Flexible return policy

ALL REGISTERING COUPLES WILL RECEIVE THESE ADDED PERKS:

FREE! Our deluxe wedding and gift planner – our gift to you just for registering! It’s a great tool to help you stay organized and will make a wonderful keepsake for years to come.

FREE! The July/August issue of Bridal Guide® magazine. Full of ideas, tips and inspirations to help make your wedding day spectacular! Available while supplies last.

SPECIAL OFFER! Let Estée Lauder treat you to their exclusive Signature Services - it’s all complimentary! Plus, you’ll receive a FREE 10-day supply of your perfect foundation and a deluxe mascara sample with your consultation.   Limit one per customer; while supplies last.

GREAT GIVE-AWAYS AND A CHANCE TO WIN GREAT DOOR PRIZES TOO!

VISIT WITH LOCAL WEDDING VENDORS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR WEDDING DAY

SOZO Events

Carefree Patisserie

Thomas Chaput Photography

Milroy’s Tuxedos

Call Your Merle Hay Younkers at 515-331-4804
to schedule your complimentary registry appointment.

Offers are valid only on new registries created Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, 2008.

You must register in person at the Merle Hay Younkers to take advantage of these special offers.

Shawna Jenson
Bridal Consultant
Younkers Merle Hay
Phone: 515.331-4804
Fax: 515-331-4896
gift.410merlehay@bonton.com

Erica Hartschen  tells us about the history behind the Hoyt Sherman.

What is the history behind the Hoyt Sherman?

A grand manor home built in 1877 by prominent businessman Hoyt Sherman; the structure is now a museum and performing arts center. The original house and gallery display an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century paintings and elaborately carved 17th century furniture as well as many rare, ancient artifacts. The newly renovated historic theater built in 1923, hosts an impressive array of world renowned musicians, theatrical productions, and local performing arts events.
Major Hoyt Sherman • 1827 - 1904
Born in 1827, Hoyt Sherman was the youngest son of eleven children. His family included older brothers, John Sherman, writer of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, and General William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War Hero.
Hoyt arrived in Des Moines in 1848 and shortly thereafter was appointed postmaster. He built the first post office, and bank, served on the town council and was very involved in local and state politics. President Lincoln appointed him Army paymaster at the start of the Civil War with the rank of Major. Upon his return, Hoyt teamed up with others and created Equitable of Iowa Insurance Company. During this time he also gave his counsel, time and money to ensure that Des Moines had schools, a college, a waterworks system and many more facilites. Major Hoyt Sherman passed away in January of 1904.
The Des Moines Women’s Club • 1907 -
Hoyt Sherman Place, built in 1877, stood empty after his death until 1907 when members of The Des Moines Women’s Club began using it as their clubhouse. The Women’s Club added a gallery to display their art collection and thus Hoyt Sherman Place became the first public art museum in the City of Des Moines. The Des Moines Women’s Club, always active in the community, invited many guest speakers to Hoyt Sherman Place to entertain and educate. Speakers included: Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller and Grant Wood. Eventually they needed more room for their speakers and activities, and the 1400 seat theater was completed in 1923.

Hoyt Sherman Place Today
Now, over one hundred years since Hoyt Sherman built his home, Hoyt Sherman Place is still a community attraction. With the help of The Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, this historical landmark is alive with concerts, art exhibits, tours, weddings and business affairs. We welcome everyone to tour the facility.

How many people can the Hoyt Sherman accommodate?

We can accommodate a maximum of 150 people for a sit down reception OR 220 people for a ceremony.

What do brides like most about the Hoyt Sherman?

The beauty, history, and pure elegance of the facility is what draws brides in!

What is your favorite thing about being in the wedding industry?

Being able to work with wonderful clients and be a part of their very special day!

What is the most memorable moment you have seen at a wedding?
With weddings all the moments are memorable!!!

What is your contact information if brides have more questions:
-Name Erica Hartschen
-Email hartschen@hoytsherman.org
-Telephone 515-244-0507 x204
-Address 1501 Woodland Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50309
-Website www.hoytsherman.org

Laura Bentley Director of Catering for Mojo’s on 86th tell Des Moines Wedding News about couples food choices for their wedding day.

What types of food do you offer?

We are proud to serve the finest, made from scratch products, using fresh quality ingredients from local farmers. Our menu has a wide range of entrees and hors d’oeuvres.  Some of our more popular entrees include our Pecan Chicken, Rosemary Pork Loin, Steak Au Poivre and Sweet Soy glazed Salmon.  Popular hors d’oeuvres include puff pastry tarts, house made pork sausage rolls, charcuterie tray and cured salmon sushi.
What special services are included with the catering?

We offer a wide selection of menu items but our goal is to personalize each menu based on the customer’s preferences, taste and seasonal availability of the freshest ingredients.  We are also easy to work with for special requests and dietary restrictions.  In addition to having a talented kitchen staff we also provide a professional uniformed wait staff, and complimentary cake cutting service.

In your opinion are Des Moines brides choosing to have sit down meals or buffets? Why do you think that is?

I find the trend this year is going toward hors d’oeuvre receptions and plated meals…so both in a sense.  I think the hors d’oeuvre receptions come more when the wedding is later in the day…a true evening reception.  Plated/served meals are more popular because brides are realizing that it is not always cheaper to go with a buffet and they are more formal.  Hors d’oeuvres receptions can add up to as much or more than a dinner buffet.

What is your contact information if brides want have more questions?

Laura Bentley
Director of Catering
Mojos on 86th
252.2550
laura@mojoson86th.com
www.mojoson86th.com – this does not have our catering menu…just our restaurant menus.

Brides need to call or email me for our current catering menu.

Tim Read tells us about how he started 5 Fingers Creative and what types of products he can design for brides.

How did you get into the design business?

I’ve always been creative in one-way or another. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawing. I worked my way through design school in Davenport, Iowa as an Illustrator and Graphic Designer in the mid 90’s. I freelanced for a while but eventually landed full time positions for a screen-printing company and an arts and entertainment rag out of the Quad Cities. I moved to Chicago in 1999 and worked as a staff illustrator for a printing company that made pull-tabs. It was a fun job but not much room to grow so my wife and I moved back to Iowa to start a family. I landed a position with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage where I started a design team for their advertising department. I enjoyed much success in this position but still hadn’t fulfilled my dream of owning my own commercial Illustration and Design studio. So, in October I started 5 Fingers Creative out of my home. In May I moved into my own studio in Ames. I have had much success with 5 Fingers Creative with clients all over the country.

How far in advance should brides contact you for invitations?

It’s important that I meet with the couples to hold a short creative brief to understand their needs and desires. I always like to get a realistic time frame before I begin any project. Typically I can turn around a project in a matter of a few months. However it always depends on my current workload. I think a safe timeframe is 3-6 months.

What is your most popular product?

5 Fingers Creative is a creative services business and being creative is what I do. If a bride and groom have idea of how they want to “jazz” up their wedding I can usually make it happen. However the request is unrealistic I will let them know right away and try to brainstorm other ideas that might work. The most popular product I provide is a fun illustration of the couple, the bridal party or parents that can be used on invitations, thank you notes, mugs, steins or dozens of other items.

Is your work done in digital format?

All of my work ends up in digital format and some of my product packages include a CD with the artwork on it for the couples to use any way they like.

What other productions you can design?

Other products include wedding logo, personalized gifts, caricatures, custom invitations and thank-you notes, save the date cards, place holders, coloring pages for children attending the reception, personalized candy bar wrappers for guests, Custom wine bottle labels, and much more. The list is endless. New ideas are coming up all the time. The best thing to do is plan a free consultation to discuss ideas.

What do you like best about working with brides?

Brides are stereotyped as crazy, emotional women who can easily turn on you if you’re not paying attention. IT’S NOT TRUE. The brides I have worked with have been fun open minded and enthusiastic. This is the most important day of a couple’s life and my job is to add value to the moment through my work. When brides understand that all I want to do is make people smile and create memories they really appreciate it. I’d say when a bride is creative and want to make the most of the day I am one happy camper!

What other hobbies do you have?
Hobbies? I am living a dream. I get to be creative for a living. Who needs a hobby when you love your work? I am a father of a 4-year-old boy and a 14-month beautiful little girl who are my life. Any spare time I have is spent with my family. Everything I do is for them. My hobby is make them the best people they can be.

What is your contact information if brides have any questions?
Tim Read
Principal/Illustrator/Graphic Designer
5 Fingers Creative
515-451-1684
timread@5fingerscreative.com
Www.5fingerscreative.com

Michelle Jacobs, owner of Your Choice Photography talked with us about her wedding photography business.

How did you get into the wedding business?
I wanted young couple to be able to have nice wedding pictures without having to pay the extreme cost.

Describe what your company does?
We take quality pictures for those on limited budgets

What do brides like most about your company?
That they get all of their negatives and can get pictures when they want

What is your favorite thing about being in the wedding industry?
Seeing the different types of weddings, and cultures and personalities
that go with the wedding.

What is the most memorable moment you have seen at a wedding?
A bride and groom had memorials on the altar of loved ones and included
them in the ceremony.

What is your contact information if brides have more questions?

-Name Michelle Jacobs
-Email michellejacobs@yourchoicephotography.com
-Telephone 515-321-0636
-Address: Altoona, IA
-Website www.yourchoicephotography.com

Musical Edge DJ Jeff Meuzelaar, Owner of Musical Edge, chatted recently with Des Moines Wedding news about his DJ business.
How did you get into the wedding business?
As a sophomore in high school, I bought a very simple DJ setup so that I could host dances for our high school.  Word spread quickly and before we knew it I was being contacted by many bride and grooms to be.

Describe what your company does?
We have positioned ourselves in the market to be among the few high-end professional DJ companies specializing in wedding entertainment.  We offer outstanding customer service, efficient online planning, state-of-the-art equipment, and we back all of our DJs with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

What do brides like most about your company?
Our competitive advantage within the Des Moines DJ market would be our young age and modern approach to our work.  All of our DJs are in their low 20’s allowing us to relate extremely well with the young adult crowd, which is the demographic group of many of the clients we work with.  We have a strong knowledge of music from all eras and genres, but we excel in “tactfully” mixing in today’s Top-40 hits in throughout the night.

What is your favorite thing about being in the wedding industry?
Personally, I love to mix in music throughout the night geared towards the older couples…nothing is more satisfying than seeing the older generations rekindle their youthful exuberance on the dance floor!

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What is the most memorable moment you have seen at a wedding?
Picture this during a garter toss…all of the guests crowded around the dance floor as the groom’s entire body is engulfed under the bride’s flowing white wedding dress.  He then emerges with a mouthful of cloth in his mouth…not the garter but a pair of oversized “granny panties.”  The funny thing is that his grandmother-in-law gave him the ludicrous idea to pull off the prank!

What is your contact information if brides have more questions?

Jeff Meuzelaar, Owner
Jeff@IowaDJ.com
712-541-0665
Pella, IA
http://www.IowaDJ.com

Des Moines Wedding News interviewed Becky about her business Big Day Wedding Designs.

How did you get into the wedding business?
As a bride myself, I was really into DIY (do it yourself) to try to make my dream wedding happen.  I realized I was pretty good at what I did when a lot of people asked at my wedding, “Who made your candle” and “Who designed your aisle runner?”  People were so surprised when I said, “ME!” that I decided to help other brides that aren’t so crafty have personalized items at their weddings as well.

Describe what your company does?
I specialize in designing custom monograms, hand-painted aisle runners with quotes, monograms or designs, personalized unity candles, memorial candles, programs, menu boards, seating charts…really, anything!

What do brides like most about your company?
Everything is 100% customized.  A lot of aisle runner or candle businesses out there will give you 10 options to choose from and they’ll change the names and colors and send it off to you.  I take pride in knowing that a bride has every right to have a totally unique aisle runner or a candle that doesn’t look like all the other unity candles you see at weddings.  I think that’s been the reason why I’ve been successful.
What is your favorite thing about being in the wedding industry?
Seeing happy brides!  I remember how stressful it was to plan my own wedding. I had no idea what I was doing! Looking back, I wish I had picked the brains of my vendors and friends so I could find exactly what I wanted without spending an arm and a leg.  Also, I really love wedding photography.  It’s amazing how awesome some pictures turn out!
What is the most memorable moment you have seen at a wedding?
Dance off.  Enough said

What is your contact information if brides have more questions?

-Name - Becky Berkenpas
-Email - bigdayweddingdesigns@yahoo.com
-Telephone - 515-865-7391
-Address - Ankeny, Iowa
-Website - http://bigdaydesigns.blogspot.com or www.myspace.com/bigdaydesigns