We have one last workshop of the year and still have some spots available.
Our wedding photogrpahy workshop on November 13th will be a full day of learning and fun so don’t miss out.

If you are looking to learn more about wedding photography or just want a fresh dose of inspirations our workshops are perfect for you! Workshops are the best way to ignite your passion and grow your mind!

For wedding photographers new to the business or seasoned wedding photographers looking for new inspiration, a full-day workshop incorporating instruction in digital cameras, shooting, lighting, Photoshop CS3, and post-production workflow.

Learn how to find your style and expand your creativity while unleashing the artist in you. We will cover some basics in using natural light in an artistic way and start to get a little more complicated with bringing in external lighting to your weddings.
We will show you how to turn the ordinary wedding scene into an amazing art piece.

From using creative compositions to
creative lighting and how you work with the bride and groom, we’ll show you how we turned our passion for the art of photography into a successful wedding studio. Its all about unleashing the artist in you and making your work shine!

Our last workshop of the year will be November 13th, 2009. For more information or to sign up go to our workshop page at:
http://www.workshopsfromtheheart.com

Sponsored by: Bay Photo Lab, Emotion Media, Albums Unlimited, FastTrack photographer

So you’re the best man or the maid of honor at your best friend’s wedding, and you managed to get past the ceremony without losing the wedding jewelry. You’re not out of the woods yet. As a best man or maid of honor, you have the privilege of presenting a speech at the reception. The expectations for this speech are high since it pays tribute to the couple on their wedding day, which is undoubtedly one of the most important days of their lives. While you might feel panicky or nervous, you can craft a thoughtful, eloquent speech by following a few basic tips.

Avoid Juvenile Humor and X-rated References
While some humorous references throughout your speech are fine and can make the speech more personal, avoid telling embarrassing stories or acting as if the speech itself is a joke. Refrain from telling any racy stories about the wedding couple or inappropriate jokes about the honeymoon. Remember that all ages might be present at the wedding and keep the speech G-rated. A combination of sincerity and light-heartedness can set the right tone. Make sure you are sober and pulled-together before giving your toast. If you are not a natural comedian, keep the speech honest and thoughtful.

Prepare and Practice
Write the speech at least 3 weeks before the ceremony so that you will have plenty of time to practice and refine it. Make several drafts of your speech and edit it carefully to ensure the final product is touching and special without being excessively wordy. You will want to give the speech from memory so having plenty of time to practice is key to a well-planned presentation.

Keep It Short and Sweet
The toast is not an area to ramble on or to tell the entire story of your relationship with the bride or groom. The best speeches are sincere and concise, and quickly over so that you can give the toast and move on with wedding festivities.

Stick to the Basics
While personal anecdotes are key to your speech, make sure you include the traditional information wedding guests expect from a Best Man/Maid of Honor speech.

• Introduce yourself and let guests know what your relationship is to the bride and groom.
• Thank the guests and parents for being part of the couple’s special day.
• Tell a brief story about the bride and groom, including observations about them as a couple. The story of how they met would make a nice element to this story as would a story about an important moment in their relationship.
• Praise the virtues of the bride (Matron of Honor) or groom (Best Man), letting everybody know what makes them a great person and why they are so important to you.
• Offer the couple some marital advice; this is a good area to include any wedding quotes you elect to use.
• Ask guests to raise their glasses and toast “Mr. and Mrs. Jane Doe”.

Just got engaged but still looking for a wedding venue? We have put together a list of some of the best Bay Area wedding venues that we have worked at, along with slideshows of recent weddings there so you can get a feel for what the venue really will look like on your wedding day. This is a very small list of places we have photographed, and we keep adding to the list so check back for new sites.

Bay area wedding sites

I have to post a little sneak peek of a wedding we photographed out at Chaminade in Santa Cruz recently. Kara and Jon were such a fun couple, I knew from the engagement session it would be a fun shoot and it was even better than I expected. We had great light during the day and everyone just had a blast at the wedding. Photos to come soon but here is one little sneak peek for you guys

I had to share a few recent comment we got from our brides that just made my day. We put so much into our weddings it just feels awesome when we get such love back from our great clients!

“Stagi Imagery is phenominal!! I sorted through tons and tons of wedding photographers, especilaly being in the central coast area, there were tons to chose from – as that’s a sought after location for weddings. I saw Mark Stagi had won several photography awards and that put me at ease as well as looking at his extensive portfolio of weddings in the area I had chose for my wedding location. Not only was he highly professional on my special day, but he blended well and was almost like having another family member there. The day goes by so fast, that Mark even captures things from my special day I never got a chance to see. So, those little things are priceless! When I finally received my wedding pictures, both my new husband and I were impressed to say the least! It was beyond our wildest dreams what Mark captured for us. Anoter reason to chose Stagi Imagery is because they put an artistic touch to every photograph they take. They have a keen eye for what looks the best! My wedding pictures are impressive, artistic, phenominal, and romantic. Mark even used the same location and created 4 different backdrops for our pictures. Chose Stagi Imagery for your special day! I wouldn’t trust anyone else on something that only happens once in a lifetime! I’ve also used him for Lifestyle portraits for family and again AMAZING job! Kristi Hollywood, CA

“Mark was the MOST AMAZING photographer! He took beautiful pictures and was so easy to work with! He’s perfect at “capturing the moment”. He took so many wonderful candid shots of us and our family and friends. And he’s so nice; he gets to know you as a couple and delivers to you what you want. We’re so thrilled with him as a person and as a photographer. We have the best pictures! ) I don’t have a bad thing to say about him!” ~Doug and Lauren

“Mark and his assistant were an awesome team at our wedding. They were fun, easy going and truly made taking photos feel seamless in the midst of all the to do’s on our wedding day. We had seen his impressive work in the past which was why we hired Mark but seeing what he did with our photographs re-affirmed what a great photographer he is. We asked for some fun non-traditional pictures to be taken along with the normal shots of the day of events, bridal party and family pictures and he did just that and more. We couldn’t be more pleased with the work he did. This was one of the most important events in our lives and we know that in the future we will relive those moments by simply looking at the emotion and special moments he brought though the camera. He knows weddings and “what to” and “how to” capture every important detail, it was evident by the phenomenal job they did. Thanks Mark!” - Omar and Lissette

To view more comments from our great clients go here:  http://www.wedclix.com/brides