April 2007 Free Wedding Photography Give-Away Archives
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**CONTEST DETAILS**
April Bulletin
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill
We are inspired by the generosity of those who give freely of their time and talent. In the past, we have shared our own blessings by giving away sessions and products and by donating the profits from sessions and products to various charities. This time, we are going to do both...and in a big way.
From now until April 21st, we will be accepting nominations for couples whom you feel deserve our wedding photography coverage free of charge. Send an email to jasonangeliniphotographyorders@yahoo.com with the subject line "Nomination." Tell us a little about the couple and why they should win. Maybe they have a really sweet story of how they got together. Maybe they are both such giving people that they deserve something back. Maybe they are planning a really unique wedding, or they are having a very small wedding and cannot otherwise afford a photographer. In your email, let us "meet" this couple and hear why you think they should be chosen. You can include a picture of the couple with your nomination if you'd like; however, if you choose to do so please only include one picture. You can nominate yourself or someone else; however, we will only accept one nomination per person so do not nominate more than one couple or all of your nominations will be disqualified.
Mom, dad, and I will read the nominations and choose our top two finalists. On April 25th we will put the nomination stories from the final two couples on my blog. People will then be able to vote for the couple they want to win. Voting will be open until midnight on April 27th and the couple with the most votes will be announced as the winner on April 30th. That couple will receive wedding day coverage by my dad, a web gallery of their images, and a custom designed album--all for free.
Though we are giving the winning couple wedding coverage and an album free of charge, the couple or their friends and family members may purchase coverage add-ons or products such as prints, album upgrades, etc. Any profit made from the wedding of the winning couple will be donated to Food for the Poor, a wonderful charity that provides food, housing, health care, and other assistance to the very poor.
*All nominations must include:
-The couple's names as well as the name of the person nominating them and that person's relationship to the couple.
-The wedding date and location. Only weddings that will take place in West Coast or Central Florida will be considered. We
must be available on the wedding date to consider the nomination. We recommend nominating couples with 2008 wedding
dates or weekday weddings in 2007.
-An email address or phone number for the couple. We will contact potential finalists to verify that they would like
to be considered.
*Voting Rules:
-Voting will not open until after the two finalists are announced on my blog on April 25th. Voting will end at midnight on April
27th. Any votes before or after this will not be counted and the person who sent the votes will be disqualified from voting again.
-Once the finalists are posted, you will be able to place your vote by clicking the link for the couple for whom you are voting.
This will send us an email with your vote for that couple.
-If you are unable to vote by clicking the link, you can also place your vote by emailing
jasonangeliniphotographyorders@yahoo.com. The subject line of your email must state the name of the couple you are voting
for in order for your vote to count. We will not be opening emails; we will only looking at the subject line.
-Only one vote per email address is allowed. If more than one vote comes in from the same email address, none of the votes
from that person will be counted.
*Other Information:
-This contest is only open to new couples who have not previously booked with Jason Angelini Photography or any
other photographer.
-The event can be a wedding or a vow renewal.
-The winning couple will receive 8 hours of coverage by Jason Angelini on the day of their wedding, 2 months of on-line image
hosting and ordering, and a custom designed 10x10 album with 15 pages.
The contest is now open, so start sending in those nominations!
**NOTE: The deadline for nominations has passed.
Update: Our contest is underway! One couple will win wedding photography coverage by Jason Angelini, a web gallery of their images, and a custom designed album all for free! Any profit made from other add-on options or products will be donated to the charity Food for the Poor. To read the details and rules for the contest, go to our April Giveaway page. The finalists and their nomination stories are below in the April 25th blog entry. Be sure to send in your vote now! Voting ends at midnight on the 27th and the winner will be announced on April 30th here on my blog. Good luck to both finalists!
**NOTE: Current page is the April Giveaway page, so that link has been removed.
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**FINALIST'S NOMINATION STORIES**
**NOTE: Contest has ended. All links have been removed.
Couple One: Samantha and Patrick
Here’s our story (as told by Sam) –
Patrick and I met in 2005 via Friendster, the lamer and tamer version of MySpace.
Patrick had gone on Friendster to search for a girl, aged 25-30, within 100
miles of him, who also happened to be a fellow vegetarian. Only two matches came
up and I apparently was the only one of the two who didn’t seem like a total
crazy. So, Patrick sent off a message to me and it cracked me up. I was a bit
hesitant to respond since he lived in Venice and I in Safety Harbor – a good
hour and a half away. But I responded anyway and I’m so glad that I did. After a
few messages back and forth and a few awkward phone calls we decided to meet up
when he was going to be up in the area for the minor league baseball all-star
game (yawn). And what better place for an initial meeting/first date than the
Pie Factory, where their website proudly states that they are not a "coffee
house" in the '60s sense of hippies, poets and guitarists.” We hit it off and
had a great time and decided to meet up again and again and again. We dated long
distance for about 9 months, and then I decided to take the plunge and move
southward to Sarasota where I could pursue a new career and be closer to
Patrick. And after living here for about 6 months, Patrick turned in his keys at
his “oh so charming” apartment and moved in with me. Our relationship has been
filled with so much fun and laughter. Hardly a day goes by that we don’t crack
each other up and hardly a birthday goes by that we’re not swimming with some
sort of aquatic creature (manatees for sam’s birthday and dolphins for patrick’s).
On Groundhog’s day, and over a year a half into our relationship, Patrick
recreated on of our dates and popped the question…and I said yes!
We’ve only been engaged for a little over two months now, and are already in
full wedding planning mode. As we’ve been searching through books, magazines,
websites, and just tossing around ideas, one “trend” has been consistently
coming up: eco-friendly and green weddings. And since animal rights, the
environment, and shying away from excess are important to us, it only makes
sense for us to create a green wedding that will really showcase who we are
while also ‘educating’ our guests about what’s really important to us … and at
the same time, being an elegant, classy, and fun affair. One of the main reasons
that brought us together and that we love each other so much is that we are both
vegetarians for compassionate reasons. So, despite the possibility of a few
grumbly guests, we will be having a full vegetarian wedding, with vegan options
for our vegan friends. We want our guests, most of whom are not vegetarians, to
taste how delicious and filling vegetarian food can be, while also educating
them a little bit on what they’re eating and why. We’ll be doing a plated
dinner, rather than buffet, since buffets create more excess and wasted food. We
will feature vegan and organic wines (yes, most wine is not vegan since its
filtering process requires crushed animal bone) and organic beers. Our flowers,
for the most part, will be organic and we will use soy candles instead of
regular, petroleum based candles. Our registry has been linked to the I Do
Foundation where 5% of any purchases will be donated to the Big Cat Rescue in
Tampa – a sanctuary and rest home for retired, abandoned, and injured exotic
cats….All little steps towards creating a wedding that’s not only fun and
inventive, but that also gives back to the natural world around us.
We realize we may not be the most heroic couple out there, but we’re doing our
best to do our part for the world around us, and staying true to who we are. And
we know that we may not be able to create the ‘greenest’ wedding possible, but
we hope that the eco-friendly steps we do take will make some sort of change for
the better.
Thanks for considering us!
Couple Two: Portia and Aundre
Several years ago, I heard a quote that I have not been able to forget…
"Generosity is giving more than you can and pride is taking less than you need.
"
Portia and Aundre live that quote on a daily basis.
I met Portia in 2002 and was immediately struck by her poise and intelligence.
She was only 19, but you would have never known it! We immediately struck up a
close friendship and over the years, I would come to learn that her maturity was
well-earned.
Portia spent much of her youth caring for a younger sister and a mother who was
fighting a battle with substance abuse. While some teens were creating fake ID's
to get into clubs, Portia was pretending to be a few years older so that she
could get a job to help with household expenses. In a world when many might give
up or be tempted to seek assistance from others, Portia has relied on her own
inner strength to not only survive, but thrive. She is a rock for her friends
and family. She asks for nothing but love and friendship in return.
Aundre is the perfect match for Portia. Though I do not know Aundre as well as I
know Portia, I know he works very hard to support an ill mother in Trinidad.
Aundre and Portia have overcome similar
adversity and because of that, they share a camaraderie few others could match.
The two of them work very hard for everything they have. They both work "day
jobs," while each pursues their "dream job" on the side. Aundre aspires to be a
part of the music industry and Portia runs a fledgling catering business.
It's quite fitting that the two met at a first time home buyers class. Since
then, they fell in love and they have been saving to purchase a home together.
The two are so motivated to succeed on their own that, though they are engaged,
Portia does not even have an engagement ring because they decided it made more
sense to put that money towards the house fund. A year ago, Portia's car was
totaled in a car accident and instead of seeking a replacement; she opts to take
the bus in order to save for their home.
Portia and Aundre are used to hardwork, but I would love to see something come
easily for them. The gift of free wedding photography would be a well-deserved
blessing.
Attached is a photo of Portia and Aundre taken by Jason Angelini at my wedding
in 2005. I hope that the two will win this contest and be photographed as
husband and wife in 2008 by Jason Angelini himself!
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**CONTEST RESULTS**
WINNERS:
SAMANTHA AND PATRICK
With a "green wedding" to educate guests and share the couple's concern over the environment and animal rights, as well as a registry where a percentage of purchases will be donated to the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Samantha and Patrick have won the contest! Congratulations! We think it is wonderful that you want to use your wedding to "make some sort of change for the better" as you mentioned in your nomination. It is going to be wonderful to see all the organic and animal friendly details you incorporate!
Portia and Aundre's story was also one of love and generosity, as they work selflessly for their families and sacrifice to meet their life goals. We wanted to do something for them as well. After all, the reason for this contest is to celebrate the spirit of giving. We are giving them half off the coverage charge for their wedding!!
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**BLOG ENTRIES ABOUT CONTEST**
**NOTE: Contest has ended. All links have been removed.
April 30, 2007
With over 400 votes sent in 3 days, we have the winner in our April giveaway!! (Click the link to read the details and rules of the contest). They will receive wedding photography coverage by Jason Angelini, a web gallery of their images, and a custom designed album. In addition, any profits made from add-ons or products will be donated to Food for the Poor. And the couple with the most votes is...
Samantha and Patrick!!!
With a "green wedding" to educate guests and share the couple's concern over the environment and animal rights, as well as a registry where a percentage of purchases will be donated to the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Samantha and Patrick have won the contest! Congratulations! We think it is wonderful that you want to use your wedding to "make some sort of change for the better" as you mentioned in your nomination. It is going to be wonderful to see all the organic and animal friendly details you incorporate! Send dad an email and he'll get your date booked for you.
Portia and Aundre's story was also one of love and generosity, as they work selflessly for their families and sacrifice to meet their life goals. We wanted to do something for them as well. After all, the reason for this contest is to celebrate the spirit of giving. We are giving them half off the coverage charge for their wedding!! Just send dad an email or give him a call.
Congratulations to both couples, and to all the couples who were nominated! A quote by Elbert Hubbard says, "Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep." In that way, every wedding, every marriage, is its own celebration of giving. Thanks to all of you.
April 27, 2007
Today is the last day to send in your vote for our contest! Only votes received before midnight tonight will be counted. Be sure to read the stories of the two finalists below and cast your vote!
**UPDATE: Voting has now ended. Come back to my blog on April 30th when the winner will be announced!
April 25, 2007
Today is the day! It is time to announce our two finalists for the April Give-Away. We have been accepting nominations since the beginning of April and received so many beautiful stories of love and kindness triumphing! Thank you to EVERYONE who sent in a nomination and shared these stories.
Even after taking out the couples whose weddings we were not available for, we still had many couples to consider. It was very difficult to decide on only two finalists from all the nominations! We continued to narrow down the potential finalists and the more we narrowed it down the harder it got! Finally we were stuck. Mom, dad, and I just could not agree on the final two. We decided to call in some help and had others rank the order of the remaining couples. Using their input, we picked our two finalists. So without further ado, here they are:
Couple One: Samantha and Patrick
**NOTE: The nomination story for Samantha and Patrick can be read above in
the section titled, "Finalist's Nomination Stories." The story has been
removed from this blog entry.
**NOTE: The nomination story for Portia and Aundre can be read above in the section titled, "Finalist's Nomination Stories." The story has been removed from this blog entry.
Congratulations to both of the couples on being our two finalists! Luckily, mom, dad, and I do not have to decide on a winner...that is up to all of you blog readers! To vote for the couple who you think should win photography coverage by Jason Angelini on the day of their wedding, on-line image hosting and ordering, and a custom designed album all for free (and have all profits from their wedding donated to charity), just click on their names above their nomination stories. This will send an email with your vote. If you are not able to get the link to work with your internet browser or email service, send an email to jasonangeliniphotographyorders@yahoo.com with the subject line as either "Vote for Samantha and Patrick" or "Vote for Portia and Aundre." We will not be opening the emails; instead, we will simply be looking at the subject line of the emails and counting the votes for each couple. So it is very important that you have the names of the couple you are voting for in your subject line (by clicking the links above, this will be done automatically for you). Remember, follow the voting rules that we have posted in the contest details! Only one vote per email address or none of the votes from that person will be counted. Voting will be open until midnight this Friday, the 27th, and no votes received after that time will be counted. The winning couple will be announced on April 30th! We are so excited! Start sending us your votes, and send your friends, family, and co-workers the link and have them vote too!
We again want to thank everyone who sent in a nomination. We were so moved reading all of your stories. As you read in the April Bulletin and my blog entry at the beginning of the month introducing the contest, we decided to have this give-away because we were inspired to share a generous spirit. We wish we could have done something to celebrate the love and lives of all the couples. One particular nomination was for a couple whose lives were affected by a relative having Multiple Sclerosis. They were both participating in the MS Bike Ride when their nomination was sent in! My dad's father also had MS and dad did the MS Bike Ride the year mom was pregnant with me in honor of him. Any time you see dad, you will see him wearing a red MS Awareness Bracelet. Because this cause was one important to dad as well, we made a donation to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in honor of this couple, Courtney and Adam. Here is the email of the donation that we would like to share with the couple:
Dear Lucia,
Thank you for your gift to the National MS Society in honor of Courtney and
Adam. Gifts like these not only pay tribute to persons whose lives have been
affected by MS, they help fund promising research into the cause, treatment and
management of the disease.
If you have any questions, please contact the National MS Society at
1-800-FIGHT-MS.
Thank you again for your generous support!
The National MS Society
April 24, 2007
Tomorrow the finalists in our April Give-away will be announced! Come back to vote for the one you think should win free wedding photography!
April 22, 2007
All the nomination stories we received are wonderful, and it is going to be so hard to choose two finalists from the entries. We will announce the final two on April 25th and then voting will begin! You will be able to vote for one of the two couples from the time of the announcement on April 25th until midnight on April 27th (please be sure to read the voting rules posted in the April Bulletin.) The winner will be announced on April 30th! We're so excited!
April 21, 2007
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO GET IN YOUR NOMINATIONS! We can tell already that it is going to be very difficult to choose the finalists.
April 20, 2007
Tomorrow is the last day to get in your nominations for the wedding photography give-away! Read the April Bulletin for details and then email your nomination!
April 17, 2007
Less than a week to get in your nominations for a couple to win free wedding photography! Saturday is the last day!
April 10, 2007
If you haven't already, don't forget to send in your nominations for the couple you think should get free wedding coverage, including an album. See the April Bulletin at the top of my blog for details. We are taking nominations until April 21st. We received an email asking if vow renewals would count as part of the give-away. The answer is YES, of course!
April 2, 2007
In last month's blog, I told everyone to stay tuned for exciting news...and the time has come to share the news! We are having another contest, giving a deserving couple our photography services for free! Also, any profit made from the winning couple's wedding (from print sales, etc) will be donated to charity. Be sure to read the April Bulletin at the top of this month's blog for details.
One of dad's favorite quotes is by Mahatma Gandhi who said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." We are excited about being able to share our blessings through this contest, and just as we have been inspired by the generosity of others we hope to pass on that giving spirit. There is a great organization called Just Give that has a wonderful idea for engaged couples. Instead of a traditional gift registry, you can "register" for your family and friends to contribute to your favorite charity. Check out their web site at www.justgive.org. While there, be sure to read about other ideas for your wedding such as donating your flowers, leftover food, or even your wedding gown.
March 2007 Blog Announcement
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." --Winston Churchill
Stay tuned for exciting news...
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