We have officially moved…
Exciting News! October 14, 2009
Hi all!
Liddy here 
Just wanted to post some happy news that I am now officially a vendor on theknot.com .
Check it out!!
Now I am just as cool as Elizabeth.
Keep it real and look for new rockin ideas soon.
:::Cake Pulls Baby!::: October 1, 2009
i love lucky charms
Who doesn’t love the tradition of the cake pull? Well for those of you who don’t know.. At the reception the single ladies of the bridal party OR any single immediate female family member crowds around the cake table. When the cake is made several “pulls”or trinkets are inserted into the cake that have string attached to them. Each of the single ladies surrounding the cake grab onto one of these strings and pull. On each of these strings is a different trinket.
Here is a list of some of the common trinkets that are found in cake pulls and what they mean:
-Ring = Next to Be Engaged
-Fleur de Lis = Prosperity
-Anchor = Stable Life
-Spinning Wheel = Wisdom
-Captain’s Wheel = Shows Confidence
-Hot Air Balloon = Travel & Adventure
-Shell = Eternal Beauty
-High Heel = Life of Style/Fashion
-Wedding Bells = Next to be Married
-Flower = Blossoming Love
-Four Leaf Clover or Horseshoe = Good Luck
-Picture Frame = A Happy Life
-Heart = You have or will find True Love
-Telephone = Good News
-Thimble = You are or will be an Old Maid
-Wishbone = Success
Hope this made you feel lucky
Rockin out,
Liddy
Featured Shoot! ::.:HIEDI and NATHAN :::.:Love::.:: September 25, 2009
photo post::.:: by eray
Happy Friday morning! It’s good to be back in New Orleans and I’m ready to share this super fun shoot that went down about 2 weeks ago in the French Quarter. Meet Hiedi and Nathan:: traveled all the way from the big state next door: TEXAS!!! They wanted to do a shoot New Orleans style in the heart of the quarter to go along with their plantation wedding this May.
It was a hot muggy overcast morning in the Quarter. The streets were wet and the buildings and walls seemed to give off steam. You know those mornings in new orleans? It pushed us to find some indoor location like the Louis XVI hotel and then wrap up the shoot in the Renaissance Pere Marquette Marriot Hotel.
I loved the hotel lobby shots! Usually, the crumbly old textured walls and puddles steal my heart but for this shoot I liked the swank wall paper and the shiny swirly walls.
Thank you Hiedi and Nathan!! I really enjoyed your shoot. See you in May!
www.erayphoto.com
Featured Wedding::.::.Jessica and Lain!::.::Southern Oaks Plantation::.: September 21, 2009
Meet Jessica and Lain : September 5, 2009 : Married at Southern Oaks.
They planned a swank late evening wedding with several New Orleans touches like fleur des lis favors and a Gumbo cake.
Their ceremony was dreamy. I loved the dark outdoor setting lit by the glow of the plantation. One of my favorite pictures is when they were exiting going to the horse drawn carriage and when I used the flash it lit up all the dust in the air. It fills my heart with photo love for photos that happen when you don’t mean for it happen that way. A second line led them back to the front of the house…. Imagine getting married and the plantation bursting into confetti and fireworks with jazz music playing around you….
On to the photoroom… Southern Oaks has a room for photography so throughout the night a little bit of photo magic happened in here. I like the range of beauty to insanity.
::.:The Reception:.:The Second Line::.:. The Dance Party::.:
In the middle of the reception Jessica grabbed the microphone and sang a song to Lain. Everyone gathered in a circle around them to listen and their eyes were just glued on each other. I love the picture of Lain listening to her sing and the smirk on her face. *love*
And this is something I wanted to add on here.. The Bridesmaid Photobooth! Right before the ceremony – we had a brief amount of time in the photo room with just the girls so we did 4 pics each with each bridesmaid. They were funny coming up with 4 quick poses each. I thought these came out great and I edited them into vintage photobooth strips.
Cooonnnngrraatutullattions!!!
~Elizabeth
www.erayphoto.com
*Real Question is.. why have a wedding coordinator?* September 17, 2009
Liddy here,
Here are reasons why hiring a me, the wedding coordinator, may benefit you and make your day stress free:
1. I have experience when it comes to weddings! I can offer numerous suggestions what to do on your wedding day. Oftentimes, you will just have to show me one concept and I can show you a number of possibilities that can make that dream a reality.
3. I can be there for you! You are not a superhero and can’t be in 20 places at once. I meet with my brides and get a good feeling of what they want. That way I can help you make an informed decision to be able to achieve the wedding of your dreams when you can’t make it to an appointment. I mean, you have work.. you have a fiance.. you have a family and sometimes certain venues have particular hours when they can meet with clients.
4. My attention to details might even surprise you! Sometimes I can even point out some important details that you might have not paid so much attention to. I have great organizational skills and do not miss any minute detail! My experience in planning and executing that plan comes in handy when the wedding frenzy starts and you want to yell at your mama or the first person that looks at you the wrong way. No offense but this does happen a lot
5. I know how to deal with surprising glitches. I have experience in quick fixes and quick decisions. Should minor setbacks occur, my quick-thinking mind is there to save the day!
6. The stress can really get you down. Having me at your wedding event will minimize the stress that comes with all the preparations. Apart from having a perfect wedding, there are other factors that contribute to stressful wedding planning. I’m there to support you first and foremost. Think of me almost as your own personal cheerleader and therapist wrapped into one ball of energy! And most of the time I will be the one who faces all the stress and deal with it immediately before you even know it happened.
7. Having a wedding coordinator to plan your wedding day had always been viewed as a “luxury” that only the rich and famous enjoyed. This is not so much the case anymore and the number of people using wedding planners continues to rise every day. Because really.. planning a wedding can be like a full time job if you (the bride) decides to go it alone. This type of event involves a lot of time with so much to do and often not enough time to do it all! This event needs to be perfect just as you imagined and I want to help you through that process to make it as enjoyable as possible!
8. Last but NOT LEAST! As much as I enjoy creating your vision, I can work with Eray to make sure its captured just as you had hoped. For group photos I can step in as a ”photo coordinator.” Elizabeth and I discuss beforehand the specific groups that need to be photographed and I help assemble the shots; getting each group that needs to be photographed. I’m there to make sure everything runs as planned. Since Elizabeth and I are so involved in the day’s planning, it’s easy for me to step in to assist with any pictures which keeps the event running smoothly.
Of course if you have anymore questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
:::.::.:Matt and Lindsey::.:.”Puppy Love”:.::..Engagement Pictures! September 15, 2009
Photo time! Elizabeth here with a shoot hot off the camera.
I’m not sure what is cooler- the hip and crumbly setting of the the neighborhood: The Marigny in New Orleans or the fact that Matt and Lindsey brought Rizz their sweet adorable (and photo funny) dog to the shoot.
Matt and Lindsey are about to move to St Louis so they wanted to take their pictures that had that nawlins flava but wasn’t so New Orleeens mardi gras on bourbon street kinda feel. So we looked for old textured buildings and walked around this neighborhood in the beautiful setting sun (producer of almighty shadows and yellow sun kissed dreamy light) I love the last two hours of the day. its the best.
Rizz made several appearances and was so excited to join us that it made for some fun pics!.
and this building… oh my goodness every inch had a new color and they looked perfect in these.
Thank you again Matt, Lindsey, and Rizz!
~elizabeth
www.erayphoto.com
Memories.. September 14, 2009
Hi its Liddy!
So, I just realized that I really haven’t posted any pictures of actual wedding events that I worked.. here are a few from my time at Walt Disney World.. The room shots are all compliments of Disney Event Group’s Photography department All of these were taken at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Notice all the Castle Gobos because what’s DisneyWorld without Cinderella’s Castle. .
This last picture is what we called a “staged exit” which meant that after the ceremony was over, we would have all the guests line up outside the Wedding Pavilion and let them throw petals, bio-rice or bubbles at the bride and groom. This is a GREAT photo-op! After they ran through the center, the bride and groom would then take a quick ride around the parking lot while we would have all wedding guests who wasn’t family head to the cocktail hour. The immediate family would stay behind for a few extra photos. This is a wonderful idea because that way you don’t have stragglers standing around watching pictures being taken and it gives you and your groom some personal time with your families before the reception begins. You don’t have to worry about any group family pictures for the rest of the night.. it’s all taken care of and you can just dance the night away!
I hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane. ..
~Liddy
:.::.:Meet Rock the Diamond::.::. September 9, 2009
We’ve never formally introduced ourselves.
We are Rock the Diamond – a Wedding Coordinator and Photographer team based in New Orleans.
This is our blog where we feature wedding ideas, inspiration, and recent shoots.
Book us together and we’ll plan and capture your vision!
::.:..Rock the Diamond::.:.
Meet Liddy – The Coordinator Extraordinaire
contact: liddy.rockthediamond@gmail.com
Wedding inspiration: I draw my inspiration from the fashion world. I see what trends and colors are really popular for the season and try to incorporate those new trends into each event. At the same time, I draw ideas from the past. I love love love 40s or 50s style. That whole old Hollywood feel is my favorite! I like trying to combine the two generations to come up with something that’s simply perfection in every way by fusing the two. You can’t just have one idea.. you need a collection of them to keep your guests intrigued! And that’s what I’m here for
Dream Wedding Idea: This is a tough one! For me.. I would love a beautiful Fall Wedding with lots of rich colors, different textured fabrics and incorporating the “rustic” look. I do love those influences from nature ya know! I would also love to do a total Old Hollywood Themed Wedding.. costumes and all. Everyone has to be in the era. I have this idea in my head that would be amazing but I haven’t put it on paper yet. It’s a surprise I’m just going to bust out one day. Like I said before, I like taking a collection of ideas and fusing them together like a dream and making it work! I love when brides come to me with really off the wall ideas, that’s when I can be creative, but more importantly showcasing how creative the bride is to the guests. I pretty much have a dream wedding for every season and I can’t fill up this entire post.. I’ll post them when each season comes out!
What is your favorite part of the Wedding Day? Seeing the groom’s face when the bride walks down the aisle and he’s seeing her for the first time. It’s priceless! At that point you don’t need words to describe how true the love is.. it’s written all on his face.
Meet Elizabeth – aka Eray – Photo lover <3
website: www.erayphoto.com
contact: erayphoto@gmail.com
Wedding Photography Style: Artistic. I make art out of love. I love silhouettes, rich colorful tones, dreamy textures, reflections….. I prefer to set aside time on your day to rock out a fun photo shoot with you two and the bridal party. I do cover the basic traditional style but love to let loose with creativity.
Dream Photo Idea: I want to do a wild group picture that involves handfuls of petals and every guest.
What is your favorite part of the Wedding Day? It’s different at every wedding but I love those moments when you see something no one is paying attention to: like the bride and groom’s shadows, the way they hold hands, or see the unbelievable beauty of the church through a fisheye lens. I like spending the day looking at the wedding like its a piece of art: color, emotion, and light….
Tell us about how Rock the Diamond started? Liddy and I have been pals for a long time. She went away to Disney world to Plan Disney weddings and I went to California to get my start with Weddings. We’re both back in New Orleans taking on the wedding industry with our fresh unique approach. We enjoy weddings with personality and unique touches. The Rock the Diamond blog was born this summer. We want to share ideas and photos. Contact us! We’d love to hear from you!
Engagement Picture Props! Add a little Personality to your Pics! September 4, 2009
e, here
I always find that variety is the spice of life. When you do an e-session your going to be smiling at the camera walking around, kissing under trees… I want to encourage a little creativity in the props department. Bring something interesting, glamourous, silly, amazing… This is is what photos are made of!
I went onto my favorite site in the world etsy.com and took a look around for props that I though might add a little personality to your shoot.
Mustaches – yep. its all the rage.
Letters – Spell out messages in your photos
Accessories – my favorite! throw on some shades, wink behind a fan, dress it up
Big Rings – The shoot is devoted to that diamond lets ham it up
Footwear – throw on some roller skates, cowboy boots, high heels – aren’t you two soul mates? ohh snap! if your feet have style I usually snap a few…
Cuff links – I usually take pictures of your cute little hands together showing off the ring. rock the cufflinks too! maybe its a family heirloom or your initials?
Glam Headpiece – If you book me in New Orleans and we go to the French Quarter – rock a glam vintage look. The French Quarter is an old dreamy place built for photoshoots with birdcage veils… I’m just sayin……
A Phone- – we can have you calling each other and put the two pictures next to each other…
Portraits – hold portraits of someone else, your dog, a painting….
chalkboard – write the world a message. it can be as cheesy as “save the date!” or “thank you” for your thank you cards… You can say it was all your idea….
and the etsy shops for making this post possible:
somethingshidinghere.etsy.com frenchlogic.etsy.com recy.etsy.com artistbeinghuman.etsy.com jujulee.etsy.com vintageitemsmore.etsy.com sonsofbritches.etsy.com tiedandfeathered.etsy.com jorganJamber.etsy.com pillowfights.etsy.com cufflinkconnection.etsy.com mammysshop.etsy.com
