A R T I S T N E W S L E T T E R

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

4Let t e r From Gre tchen

6Featured Ar t i s t

7Around the Of f i ce

8Featured Wedd ing

10Art i s t Rev i ews

12Art i s t Par ty | Award F ina l i s t s

14New Hire s

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Jackie & MattPhotography by Sara C | Videography by Jake L

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a l e t t e r f r om

G R E T C H E N

Great things are made up of little things

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When you look back on the last year

Who has inspired you?Helped you succeed?Encouraged you?Trusted you?Taught you something?

A year is a long time. Its easy to forget all the little things that have happened throughout the year. Its always easier to focus on the big things, the negative things, and the challenges that have come our way. Now, dont get me wrong, all of those moments are important to reflect on. However, most of us have experienced something little that ended up making a big impact on our liveswhether we know it at the time or not. Maybe it was someone believing in you when you didnt? Or gave you an opportunity? Perhaps someone just helped you out in a pinch. There have been many little things that have really been amazing in my life this year and I know I forget to celebrate the little things sometimes too.

As we get ready to prepare for the next season, stop and take a minute to glance back. Be thankful for all the wonderful little moments that have helped us grow and move forward. Keep the positive momentum goingextend a hand to another person because you never know who might just need something little to make a BIG difference.

When I look at the Bellagala team, it reminds me of this idea. Each one of us plays a small role in a very big day for two people. Think about how those little things we do, or dont do, can impact that day in a big way. It can be a little thing like pinning boutonnires when the groomsmen dont know how, helping a Bride out of a car, lending a hand another vendor, or simply holding a door for a guest. If we all do our best to help one another, the whole event will be that much better for the couple.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be apart of so many wonderful celebrations each year. I get to spend the day contributing to something big. I am so thankful for being apart of such an amazing team of people who are passionate about what they do.

What are you thankful for this year?

Gretchen GosnellDirector of Operations

l e t t e r f r om G r e t c h e n

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BEN E | ASSOCIATE VIDEOGRAPHER

I grew up in Maplewood, just east of the Cities, but was born in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted into the States when I was extremely young. Growing up, I wanted to do 800 different things when I was older, but I always had a love for telling stories. I re-enacted scenes from movies with toys all the time, and had an unhealthy obsession with Star Wars that still exists to this day. One of the reasons I became a filmmaker was to tell sto-ries that were escapes from everyday life, which is what Star Wars was for me. Whether it was for 2 minutes or 2 hours, the idea of capturing some-ones attention and transporting them somewhere else was magical to me, and I felt film always had such a unique way of doing that.

When Im not shooting, editing, or trying to learn something new, I sur-round myself with hockey in any way possible, whether playing pickup games, watching on TV, or playing the latest NHL video game. I also kill a lot of time scouring Netflix, raising foster cats for a friends rescue, and reading comic books and sci-fi novels.

Tell us about your experience with BellagalaI used to play a lot of sports when I was younger, and I watch a lot of sports now, and the best teams to play for are always the ones with a lot of heart and character, and I think Bellagala has done a great job building a team of just fantastic people to work with and learn from, and that starts at the top with their leadership, and works itself all the way down to the team they put on the field. I cant say enough about the other videographers Ive worked with through them. Just fantastic, ridiculously talented people. high levels of expertise and standards.

What is your #1 advice for VideographersIt comes in two parts that are very simple: Just shoot and have fun. I think its easy for us to get caught up in learning techniques and learning about new gear, but you dont really discover who you are as an artist until you stare a challenge in the face and take it head on, and thats why I always say just shoot stuff. It might suck, or it might be the greatest thing ever, but you never know until you see it, and thats how you find out how you commu-nicate your ideas through images. Thats the first part. The second part is easy. If youre not having fun doing it, dont do it. Its obviously not for you, because filmmaking and being a part of a team and a creative process is inherently just lots of fun.

f e a t u r e d a r t i s t

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SARAH | POST PRODUCTION

My name is Sarah Harms and Ive been with Bellagala a little over a year now! Last September I started with a Marketing Internship, then a Post-Production Internship, and am now working full-time color correcting with the awesome Post-Production team. I have many little tasks I do such as releasing wedding and engagement sessions, send out style profiles, make folders, send out emails, and anything else that is needed of me to do! I am now starting to second shoot as well! It has been a blessing and a half being able to have the opportunities presented to me. I have learned so incredibly much this past year, met amazing and talented people, and I know I have so much more to learn.

Im 25 years old, in my last year of school at Saint Paul College. Im gradu-ating with an AAS degree in Marketing, as well as Hospitality and Tourism Management with a Certificate in Event Management and Planning. Im an amateur photographer working on getting my own business, Big Country Photography, up and going.

Ive been getting more into photography these past 2 and a half years. Im a very artsy person, and photography is something Ive picked up myself with the help of a couple mentors and new friends. I believe pictures are the best way to put a smile on someones face, and capture moments that will last forever. Im all about positivity, and can find something good out of any situation. No one needs to focus on the negativities in life. Life is SO much better when you can think positively!

In my spare time I love to be in the outdoors whether its fishing, hiking, four wheeling, ice fishing in the winter, snow shoeing, boating, everything! I also have been making myself read more (short attention span), I have adult-col-oring books that are super intense and awesome! Obviously, I shoot when-ever I can with whomever I can. Im also a huge animal fanatic so I try to donate/help out at animal shelters, and Im also involved with the NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) Foundation here in the Twin Cities.

a r o und t h e o f f i c e

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f e a t u r e d w edd i n g

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ANN & DUSTINA U G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 1 5

E A R L E B RO W N H E R I TAG E C E N T E R

Photography by Jessica R | Disc Jockey by Kyle E Live Music by Jim P | Floral by Abbie F | Hair by Tara | Makeup by Mariah H

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a r t i s t r e v i e w s

JESSICA R | ASSOCIATE PHOTOGRAPHER

KYLE E | STUDIO DISC JOCKEY

Jessica did such a great job! She was professional and fun at the same time. We had a large wedding party and she handled it so well. She kept us all on track and on time. I sent her WAY too many pictures from Pinterest that I liked and wanted to try with our wedding photos, she graciously tried to do them all. Jessica met with us before the wedding to discuss what type of pictures we liked and made a list of all the pictures we wanted so she could refer to it on the big day. This made it easy for me since I did not have to try to remember what else I wanted or if we were missing anyone - she did that for me! I just received the pictures today and they are AMAZING! I am not photogenic and neither is my husband and we both look great! I cannot say enough great things about Jessica and I am so happy she was there to document the most important day of my life! Thank you Jess!

Kyle did a great job! He stepped in 2 weeks before our wedding when we lost our DJ. I was nervous because we did not have time to sit down and discuss our vision before the big day. He called the weekend before and we talked for about 10 minutes with what we wanted and our song choices for the first dance, father daughter, mother son, etc. Even though we did not meet in person before the wedding he did exactly what we wanted. Kyle changed up the music until he found what people liked and then stuck with it. The dance floor was still packed at the end of the night! Kyle also helped with the flow of the night. He made sure the entrance, speeches, and dance started on time. We ordered purple lights for the reception hall and I only wanted them on during the dance and not the din-ner. Kyle made this happen for me! Kyle was professional and pleasant to work with. I would recommend him for any DJ needs.

JIM | LIVE MUSICJim did a wonderful job. There was an issue with microphones for the ceremony and he dealt with it in a professional way and made it work! He is an amazing musician and we really enjoyed having him at our ceremony and cocktail hour. The guests loved hearing him play and it really made our day special. Jim even gave us a CD of his music as a wedding gift. I thought this was so nice and it will help us always remember our wedding day! Thank you Jim!

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ABBIE F | STUDIO FLORISTAbbie is amazing! She took all my crazy Pinterest pictures and made it a re-ality. She understood my vision and created it better than I could have imag-ined. My flowers were BEAUTIFUL! The colors were bright and photographed perfectly. She also made a garland with greens and flowers to hang from an arch for my ceremony. Again it was better than I imagined. Abbie worked so hard that day. She put all the flowers on the tables, pinned the flowers on the bridal party, and stayed late to attach the garland to the arch. She was profes-sional and a joy to work with. I wish she could make me a bouquet for every anniversary so I could relive their beauty! Thank you Abbie!

TARA | HAIR

MARIAH H | MAKEUP

Tara did a great job with my hair and with my bridesmaids! She listened to what I wanted and after my trial changed what I was unhappy with. I did not want the usual up do and she took on the challenge and made it look amaz-ing! She told me the night before the wedding she was dreaming about how she was going to make it work and mentally making a plan - that is dedica-tion! Tara has a great personality and was making us all laugh while we were getting ready. That helped me to relax and enjoy the morning with my brides-maids. One of my bridesmaids told me that she has never really liked her up do for a wedding before until Tara did her hair! Tara was a joy to work with and I would recommend her to anyone who wants to look amazing on their special day! Thank you Tara!

Mariah did an AMAZING job with my make-up! I dont wear much make-up on a daily basis and really didnt want to overdo it on my wedding day. I was wor-ried that I wouldnt look like myself. Mariah listened to my concerns and didnt over do it. I looked like a beautiful version of myself. I also have issues with sun-spots on my forehead and she covered them up perfectly. My wedding was on a humid August afternoon and even though I was sweating my make-up stayed perfect the entire day. Mariah was professional and an amazing make-up artist. I would recommend her to anyone who wants to look flawless on their wed-ding day. Thank you Mariah!

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15N OV E M B E R

5 : 0 0 - 8 : 0 0 P M

A RT I S T A P P R E C I AT I O N PA RT Y

ABULAE | 255 E 6TH STREET | ST. PAUL, MN 55101

RSVP | bellagala.com/rsvp

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A W A R D F I N A L I S T S

ARTIST OF THE YEARAshley B

Sam JAbbie F

MOST MARKETABLEJeannine P

Jamie RBarclay H

OFFICE IMPRESSIONAudra MChris D

Kirsten S

STUDIO DJ OF THE YEARMike HSam JTed W

ROOKIE DJ OF THE YEARPatrick SElijah VKaron S

DJ OF THE YEARErica BDavid CKyle E

ABOVE AND BEYOND DJErica BDavid CKyle E

IN A PINCH AWARDPatrick P

Dan FMichael R

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEARVerna PJessica RAllison M

VIDEOGRAPHER OF THE YEARBen EDan F

Luke W

FLORIST OF THE YEARHeather F

CarolAbbie F

EVENT PLANNER OF THE YEARAudra MMarissa PAnne W

HAIR/MAKEUP ARTIST OF THE YEARLori

MariahGretl

LIVE MUSICIAN OF THE YEARVinnie

JimSarah

PHOTO ATTENDANT OF THE YEARAmberAustinDan K

OUTSTANDING NEW ABULAE TEAM MEMBER

Jared WAmanda GMattea W

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Jackie & MattPhotography by Sara C | Videography by Jake L

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n e w h i r e s & r em i nd e rs

Sarah S | Second Shooter

Jared E | Photomingle Attendant

Diana B | Evening & Weekend Sales Consultant

Mathew B | Digital Event Operator (ABULAE

NEW HIRES

B E L L A G A L A2 5 5 E A S T 6 T H S T R E E T | S T. PAU L , M N 5 5 1 0 1

6 5 1 . 2 2 7 . 1 2 0 2 | B E L L AG A L A . C O M