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KNOT JUST ANY DAY TIMELESS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER NEPA VIDEOGRAPHER WILKES BARRE SCRANTON CUSTOM STATIONARY DESTINATION

Stephen’s Top Ten of 2018

wedding

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Hey everyone! My name’s Stephen, and I’m the lead videographer and video editor for Knot Just Any Day! 2018 was my first year with KJAD, and I was able to be apart of 10 weddings last year. Shooting weddings was a whole new thing for me, so I was nervous and excited to shoot so many! I had a blast at each one, but there were 10 moments this year that really stood out to me. So here are my top 10 Moments of 2018!

Allie and Anthony

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Allie and Anthony’s wedding was very special for me. I went to school with both of them; Allie is my age and Anthony was a year or two before us, so I knew them for a long time. I joined KJAD in early 2018, and when I found out I would be filming for the two of them, I got VERY excited. Fast forward to their wedding day and reception.. Anthony and his groomsmen rehearsed an entire surprise dance for Allie, and it was AWESOME. They had plastic toy trumpets and matching hats, and it was so fun not only to watch unfold, but to film. The other crew members and myself were running around like crazy trying to keep up with the action; it was just so much fun. My favorite moment from that dance though was when Anthony walked right up to the table where Allie and the bridesmaids were sitting, leaned across the table, kissed Allie, and went right back to dancing. It was just so smooth! He went from dancing to playing a toy trumpet to running to a table and kissing his wife and right back to dancing; didn’t miss a beat! It was so fun to see and I was smiling the whole time I was shooting it.

To check out more from their day, click here.

Elisa and Alex

Elisa and Alex’s wedding took place at Skytop Lodge, which is GORGEOUS. The two of them had planned a first look; something I have never shot before. I spent my morning with Steve as we shot for Elisa and the bridesmaids while Matt, Jimmy, and MJ went with Alex and the groomsmen. We found the place where we would do the first look, and it was this big open courtyard with the lodge in the background. I met up with the other KJAD crew members and introduced myself to Alex. I remember he barely said a word. You could see how nervous, eager, and excited he was to see Elisa for their first look. The time came for Elisa to walk out to Alex, and I had my gear set up to film in slow motion. Elisa tapped Alex on the shoulder, Alex turned around, and he just melted. They both looked at each other and hugged and kissed and it was just so emotional, and everything looked amazing. I just remember being there in the moment and thinking “they are going to be so happy when they see this footage”. I was so happy to capture that special moment. As an added bonus, showing the KJAD crew that footage when we got back to the studio was amazing. I’m pretty sure just about everyone got a little teary eye’d. (Erin here… It’s true, and we still tear up when we watch it every single time.)

Want to see more? Click here.

Geralyn and Lee

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Geralyn and Lee’s wedding was super fun. Geralyn was super energetic and bubbly, and everything was stunning. My favorite part of their big day was during their wedding formals at Fox Hill Country Club. We took Geralyn and Lee to do their pictures before meeting up with the rest of their wedding party, and we took golf carts to go from one spot to the next. I told them that while they drove their cart to just have fun with each other, joke around, and be natural, They did just that. Geralyn leaned over Lee to steer the golf cart while Lee had his foot on the pedal. Then they switched seats altogether and Geralyn drove all while I filmed it hanging out the back of a golf cart in front of them. It was super fun to film, and I think it turned into something very unique for the two of them.

Click here to check out more.

Nick and Jackie

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Nick and Jacqueline’s wedding was my favorite. Although, I might be a little biased in this decision because Nick is my brother, and I was his best man! KJAD shot video for the wedding, but (obviously) I wasn’t able to shoot the wedding because I was in it. Steve was the lead videographer for the day, so during the reception I saw my moment and had to mess with him. “So Happy Together” by The Turtles came on, and Steve was filming on the edge of the dance floor with his camera on a monopod. I walked up to him, grabbed the camera, placed it on the ground, and dragged Steve out to the dance floor where we sang and danced.. “I can’t see me lovin’ nobody but you, for all my liiiife!” It was such a fun little moment from my brothers wedding, and I’ll never forget dragging Steve out onto that dance floor.

[arve url=”https://vimeo.com/298453817″]

Danielle and Connor

Danielle and Connor’s wedding was my first wedding that I shot video for. It was very nerve wracking. I remember the day before thinking about what to wear, making sure my equipment was okay, and remembering I hadn’t been to a wedding in a LONG time before then. Since I was training during that wedding, I only shot the ceremony and reception. Their wedding became the first wedding that I would also have to edit for, which was even MORE nerve wracking. KJAD had wedding films for the past few years, so I wanted to edit the film in a way that was true to KJAD, but also showcased my own style. I remember the whole time I edited I was thinking, “I really hope I’m doing this right”. When I finished it and got the crew together to sit on the couches in the studio and watch the film, I was so nervous. We watched it, and everyone LOVED it. I think that was the biggest sigh of relief I have ever had. It felt so good knowing that the hours of work I put into piecing together Danielle and Connor’s wedding day into a beautiful film paid off and was loved by everyone.

See more by clicking here.

Alexis and Justin

Alexis and Justin’s wedding was at the beautiful Fox Hill Farm in Honesdale. The moment that stands out to me was their sunset shoot. The crew at the farm took us up to get sunset shots in a golf cart. I spent some time with the photographer helping her set up lighting, and then finally got my moment for video. We set up a shot of the two of them walking towards the camera and holding hands with the sunset in the background, and it was just gorgeous. It’s used as the final shot in their wedding film, and it’s such a big, colorful shot. It’s easily one of my favorite shots from this year.

Click here to see more.

Alyssa and Alex

Alyssa and Alex was my first wedding without the training wheels on. I was even more nervous for this one than my first one. I was about to spend the whole day with the bride and groom, which was new to me. My day started at Alyssa’s sister’s house and ended at The Beaumont Inn. It was a long, fun, and rewarding day. It was fun because I got to interact with the couple a lot more than at my first wedding. I was there for when Alyssa read her note from Alex in the morning to wedding formals across the grounds of the inn to the dance floor in the beautiful reception area. I remember getting home that night, exhausted, and thinking about how much fun I had over the course of that day.

To see more, click here.

Nick and Jackie

So, back to my brothers wedding. Yay, we partied, and, yay they are married. Okay, now time to get back to work… but wait, I need to edit my brothers wedding film!? Oh jeez… okay, I got this. Editing Nick and Jacqueline’s wedding video was a BIG task. It was a weird experience to be editing a wedding and using footage of me and my best man speech to tell the story of Nick and Jacqueline. Nothing can really prepare yourself for hearing your own speech paired with wedding background music. The best part was showing my family the wedding film once it was done. Everyone loved it, and it was definitely the most rewarding thing I’ve worked on all year.

Alexis and Justin

With most weddings, we run around and shoot pretty much all day. There isn’t much time for breaks or relaxing. The only time in the day that we can really do that is during the reception when dinner is being served. Usually we get a small side room or a table on the outskirts of the party. However, at Alexis and Justin’s wedding, they had set up a really nice area outside of the barn where the reception was being held. There were old couches and chairs set up and it was just a really relaxing spot. So, the crew and myself sat on the couches during dinner and got some time to just talk and relax. The sun was setting and it was such a hot day and it finally started to cool down. We all got the chance to just sit down, take a nice break, relax, and actually take it all in. There’s not many times when we get the chance to do that because we are usually running around capturing everything, so any time we get to sit back, relax, and take it all in is always appreciated.

Allie and Anthony

Allie and Anthony’s wedding, as I mentioned before, was a special one for me. I started at KJAD in 2018, went through training that year, and was still learning what it takes to shoot weddings. However, Allie and Anthony’s wedding was the point in the year when I thought “I got this.” Two other videographers and I shot this wedding, and we all coordinated throughout the day on what shots to get and where to set up audio. There was never a point in that day when I felt overwhelmed or flustered, and ever since that wedding I’ve felt the same way. Their day gave me a lot more confidence in myself as a wedding videographer, and their wedding film is one that I am and will always be proud of!

Well, there we have it. These are my Top 10 Moments of 2018. The past year was an amazing experience, and I loved shooting every wedding.

Here’s to 2019!

KNOT JUST ANY DAY TIMELESS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER NEPA VIDEOGRAPHER WILKES BARRE SCRANTON CUSTOM STATIONARY DESTINATION

MJ’s Top Ten of 2018

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KNOT JUST ANY DAY TIMELESS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER NEPA VIDEOGRAPHER WILKES BARRE SCRANTON CUSTOM STATIONARY DESTINATION

MJ’s Top Ten of 2018

wedding

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Our lead photographer, MJ, talks all about his Top Ten favorite moments of KJAD’s 2018 wedding season below! Yay!!

1.) JACKI AND KEVIN

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Itʼs always exciting when we get the chance to shoot for friends/ family and even more of a treat when its at a beautiful location! Jacki and Kevin got married at the unique room at 900 in forty fort. This place is a goldmine for cool photos! There are so many interesting nooks and crannies throughout the building, youʼll never run out of cool photos to shoot.

Click here to see more from this day!

2.) ZOE AND BRANDON

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We love to travel! This destination wedding was one of my favorites all year, filled with tons of exciting moments. Zoe and Brandon got married at Bonnie Castle in Thousand Islands, New York. The breath taking views and otherworldly scenery seemed endless, and we got to go on a boat! The venue is located on the mighty St. Lawrence River right on the Canadian border. In the middle of the river, on an island, is the famous and pretty epic, Boldt Castle! It was so much fun taking photos on the water near the castle, speeding around on a motor boat. It’s something Iʼll never forget.

Click here to see more!

3.) MAGGIE AND CRAIG

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One of my favorite moments of 2018 was at Maggie and Craig’s wedding. The couple held their celebration at The Westmoreland Club in downtown Wilkes-Barre. The reception was especially awesome. Tons of of our previous clients were guests. Their DJ was incredible and kept the party going all night long. The dance floor was consistently packed with smiling faces. I also made a buddy! From prep at Maggie’s mom’s house, to their ceremony at St. Leo’s Holy Rosary Church, to the party at the club, I worked closely with videographer, Molly Rupert, and had a blast. Getting the chance to share ideas and learn from other wedding professionals is a lot of fun!

..and here for this day.

4.) ALEXIS AND JUSTIN

This is one of my favorites because of the rustic, dreamy venue they chose. Alexis and Justin got hitched at Fox Hill Farms in Honesdale. We had a lot of fun incorporating the beautiful landscape into their photos. From the lush flower gardens to the super cool decor at the reception, this day was filled with tons of color that complimented the couples vibrant personalities.

You can also click here to see more from this day.

5.) ASHLEIGH AND JOHN

Ashleigh and John got married at Friedman Farms in Dallas, PA. I absolutely love this venue, especially when the main hall is all lit up. One of my favorite things about this day was way the couple decorated the reception. Everything was embellished with vibrant wildflowers. Set against the rustic wood and twinkle lights of the barn, it was definitely a site to behold. I was able to get up into the rafters just in time for the couples first dance and capture the magic from above. The dances were very expressive. From dad’s tears to the breakdancing groomsmen, everyone had a blast.

See more from this day by clicking here!

6.) DANA AND JANET

This was one of my all time favorites and my very first solo wedding! Dana and Janet got married at Terra View at the Stroudsmoor Country Inn, a scenic overlook where you could see for miles and miles. It was breath taking. A very intimate gathering of just 6 friends witnessed their union (and me snapping photos like crazy). Iʼve never seen anything like it and I definitely wonʼt forget it! Congrats Dana and Janet!

You can see more from this day, too! Click here!!

7.) SARA AND RYAN

One of my favorite moments of 2018 was at Sara and Ryan’s wedding. The couple got married at The Historic Acres of Hershey in Elizabethtown, and the venue was absolutely gorgeous. There was a really cool green house with climbing flowers, tons of rustic decor, and even a corn crib to take photos in! I love first looks, and its always exciting to figure out new and unique ways of shooting them. For this first look, we had their whole family watch from a second floor balcony of an old farm house while Sara approached Ryan along a beautiful walk-way. We were able to capture the couple’s reactions, along with their families.

Click here to see more!

8.) ERICA AND FRANK

This couple chose to tie the knot at Montdale Country Club in Jermyn. With their large wedding party we were able to create some interesting shapes and poses. One of my favorite parts of this day, was the completely custom arbor that Frank built for Erica for their ceremony. I just thought that was so sweet, and it came out stunningly. This was also one of the only weddings that I had a clear sunset for in 2018! We loveee sunsets, and to end the night we were able capture it perfectly.

Want to see more of that arbor? Click here!

9.) JESS AND BILL

Jess and Bill got married at The Westmoreland Club in downtown Wilkes-Barre. It was very elegant and the colors were beautiful. Shooting inside the club is super fun because around every corner is a gorgeous, classic composition just waiting to be photographed. One of my favorite moments of 2018 was at their reception. After toasts and dinner, the party was underway. If youʼve never been “iced” before, this was the place to have it happen to you. After being forced to down an entire smirnoff ice on one knee, Bill sneakily iced a bunch of his groomsmen. I personally found it hilarious! Go Bill!

To see more from this day, click here!

10.) ALIE AND JOEY

Alie and Joey celebrated their wedding at the Scranton Cultural Center, and they rolled up squad deep. This was one of my favorites because of the sheer massive size of the wedding party. I wish I had that many friends! It was so much fun directing and posing such a large group. Weʼre always up for the challenge, and the photos are always so full of life! We went to their friends’ family farm, got to play with some horsies for a bit, and then continued the party.

You can see more from this day, too! Click here!!

KNOT JUST ANY DAY TIMELESS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER NEPA VIDEOGRAPHER WILKES BARRE SCRANTON CUSTOM STATIONARY DESTINATION

Steve’s Top Ten of 2018

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Hi all! Thanks so much for taking the time to find more of my favorite moments/photos/events of 2018. This past year was one of our busiest seasons to date. Although we are only featuring a few examples of our favs, the year was packed with gorgeous weddings, awesome couples, and exciting moments. I could go on and on about each, but we have to limit it somewhere, haha. The KJAD crew is letting me have 15 instead of just 10… so consider the extra 5 a little bonus. So, here are a few of my favorites out of the 120,000 plus photos we captured this year. Enjoy!

1.) NICHOLETTE AND JUSTIN MARIAH AND RYAN

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I began and ended my year celebrating New Year’s Eve with hundreds of wonderfully happy people. New Years has always been the way to commemorate a new beginning, some place to start anew. Weddings in general are that, too. So, what better way to celebrate your wedding than to countdown to your new beginning with your closest friends and family? We can’t think of anything better.


“This is the start of something good, don’t you agree?”

Click here to see more from Nicholette and Justin’s wedding,

and here for Mariah and Ryan’s big day.

2.) ELLEN AND DONNIE

[arve url=”https://vimeo.com/321590452″]

So yeah… they had a SECOND LINE BAND AT THE END OF THEIR WEDDING THAT DANCED THEM OUT OF THE SCRANTON CULTURAL CENTER, DOWN THE CLOSED STREETS OF DOWNTOWN SCRANTON, AND RIGHT INTO THE AFTER PARTY HELD AT THE BACKYARD ALEHOUSE!!! That was me yelling… ’cause it was that cool. Everyone needs one. They won’t mind if you all copy their idea.

Click here to see more shots from this wedding!

3.) ELISA AND ALEXANDER

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Their first look was one that I’ll remember forever. I won’t get into the emotional side of it (I’m sure someone else will hit on that incredible experience), but my favorite part was Elisa’s long walk down the steps and across the flagstone walkway of the timeless, historic Skytop Lodge. To me it felt like she was in slow motion – maybe because of her epic dress or the gorgeous setting. Or, maybe because I was just as nervous/excited as they were. I’m not quite sure how to describe this unforgettable moment, but our videographer, Stephen, captured it exactly the way I remember it. Check it out here.

Want to see more from this wedding? Click here!

4.) ALLYSON, MATT, AND STELLA – RYANN, COULTER, AND EVELYN

I just love it when we get to see our past brides and grooms, especially when we get to do it from behind the camera… oh, and especially when we get to meet their newest additions to their family. We spend so much time getting to know our clients before their wedding day – during meetings, phone calls, and engagement shoots – that when we get to their wedding, they already feel like they are family. Then, once we spend the bulk of one of the most important days with them, we are definitely much much closer. It’s important to all of us at KJAD that no matter who we are taking photos or video of, they are comfortable with us being there… they may not like their photo being taken, but we tread lightly and carry big cameras. We absolutely want your experience to be whatever you hope it will be (but have it include us… and our cameras). So, to get to the reason why these photos were on my top 10 of 2018, it’s just because it was so nice getting to see everyone again… so thank you.

5.) KIM AND JOE.. AND LIAM, TOO

This one really gets me. Nothing compares to being a parent. I now realize what my parents meant all this time. Kim and Joe’s wedding was filled with beautiful details, (Kim’s shoes, dress, invitations, jewelry, and killer rings) wonderful people (especially my bubble blowing gentlemen), and even better (dare I say the word) moments. If you know me, you’ll know that I feel the word “moments” is totally overused in this industry. It mostly gets under my skin when it’s used to describe a forced or preconceived event. In this case, though, I feel it’s the only word I can use to show the weight and importance of a stand-out moment of sincere love and happiness. Before I tell you more about Liam, check out some photos from their wedding.

Cue Liam, Joe’s son. He completely changed how I look at weddings. Liam, also one of Joe’s best men, was right there in all of the important-best-man-spots throughout the day. He helped with the rings, spoke at the reception, posed properly for all of his best man photos, had a few laughs with dad, gave Kim the biggest hugs, and helped make the day full of wonderful little Liam moments. Everything we do at weddings is about family. It always has been and now, after this little fella, always will be.

For more from this wedding, click here!

6.) JACKI AND KEVIN

I’m one of the few people who loves to take photos of my friends’ weddings. As a photographer, I have a front row seat and get to see the entire day play out through my camera. I’ve known Jacki and Kevin for quite some time now, so it was absolutely the best when they asked KJAD to be a part of their wedding. For their engagement session, we ran around our hometown of Wilkes-Barre, and for their wedding we got the opportunity to shoot at the 900 Rutter Ave building – an eclectic, mural-covered warehouse filled with great local businesses. Each location allowed us to try some new things with our cameras – low light detail photos (that ring though!!), lifestyle engagement pics, epic pans and even tilt-shift portraits. I can’t pick just one of my favorite backdrops… so here are a few! P.S. don’t tell anyone, but KEVIN IS A SUPERHERO… just sayin’.

Want to see more? Click here!!

7.) ALLIE AND ANTHONY

Rice was one of the determining factors of Allie’s venue decision. No one ever gets to throw rice, no one ever rides off into the sunset after the wedding ceremony like they do in the movies with tin cans clanging around from the back of their vehicle. Well, Allie and Anthony actually had both at the historic Omni Springs Bedford!  Another great moment from Allie and Anthony’s wedding was their amazing ring ceremony. Their rings were threaded on a continuous string and passed around to every guest so they could pray, bless, and send best wishes to the couple while holding the wedding bands. I couldn’t get over how great this idea was, so I needed to find a way to leave my mark on the rings. I found the two guests where the string crossed the aisle and asked them to hold it taught for me so I could capture this meaningful shot for the couple.

See more by clicking here!

8.) MARY KATE AND JOHN

Getting to do a lake-front engagement session is amazing, especially during sunset at a meaningful place that holds years of laughter and fun memories for the couple. During this session, I wanted to showcase both the gorgeous sunset and their family’s boathouse. Mary Kate and John bounced all over inside and out with me to find that perfect balance. Two shots really stand out to me. One was taken from the opposite side of the home, through glass, and involved me hanging off the edge of the dock to frame them in silhouette against the evening sky. The other was taken when we made our way inside and incorporated the interior of the house with the night sky (made possible by some off-camera flash kung fu – thanks Miranda!).

9.) CAILA AND ROBERT

So, I’m not one to edit photos in a trendy way (don’t get me started on this subject – it’s a long, heated conversation that usually goes well with a beer or two). Anyway, I love that KJAD’s photos are true to life, colorful, crisp, clean, and timeless. In many ways, this photo of Caila and Robert is the exception. A HUGE trend in photography over the past few years has been to “fade” the blacks and whites. Lowering the white point and raising the black point in the tone curve creates a dusty, low contrast image. It’s super-noticeable in black and white photos. I chose to use this technique to blend the white sky into the glass and interior of Tavern on the Green, making a more cohesive image with less visual distraction. So, does it fit a photography trend? Yes. Does it serve the photo? Absolutely. In fact, we were thrilled when Tavern on the Green shared this photo on their social media network a few weeks ago. Special thanks to Caila and Robert for suggesting such a great location in Central Park.

10.) AMANDA AND SHAUN

Longwood Gardens’ majestic fountain display was one of the backdrops from Amanda and Shaun’s engagement session. We chose to do an evening shoot so we could end the session with the lit up fountain show. At one point during fountain portion of the shoot, I stopped to glance behind me to see if I was in anyone’s way. Turns out, I was standing in front of hundreds of people… not that I’m that tall, but I imagine I was a bit of a distraction to say the least. I mentally apologized, quickly got over it, and went back to capturing some of our favorite photos from this session.

_______________________

11.) ALYSSA AND ALEX

I just love these two. No one has more fun than Alyssa and Alex. I feel like I could put any photo of these two in this blog and it would have a great story to match. Thanks for an amazing beach engagement session and for a touching, heartfelt, laughter-filled, and joyous wedding day! Cheers you two!

Click here to see more from this day!

12.) GERALYN AND LEE

We love getting the chance to capture stunning evening photos. In Geralyn and Lee’s case, we tried something a little different. I could go on about the technical side of it, but I think it’s just better to say that the shot of Geralyn and Lee with the full sky behind them may be my favorite photo of 2018. Yay! But seriously, I can’t think of any part of the day that didn’t produce something amazing. We recently updated our studio walls and portfolio, so look out for quite a few photos from their day. They had such a beautiful wedding, and were such a wonderful couple to spend the day with.

Check out more from their day by clicking here!

13.) ELLEN AND DONNIE

I love bride prep. It might be my favorite part of the day. I always love getting to capture a beautiful portrait of the bride before hair and make-up are complete. Ellen’s before and after prep photos are a perfect example of just that. Can you guess which one is which? I can barely notice, and I was there!

14.) JULIANNA AND CODY

Look who caught me taking this candid of Julianna. Her pup was dressed to impress and ready to roll.

See more of this day by clicking here!

15.) RING, RING, RING

I love my ring shots.. just sayin’. I also love my Canon 100mm macro 2.8 lens of goodness. Here are few of my favorites.
“ring-a-ding-ding-ding-dong … keep their heads ringin'”

Cassandra + Christopher – Video

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Cassandra + Christopher – Video

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And guess what?… We were able to photograph this beautiful day too! Check out their wedding day photos here.

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KNOT JUST ANY DAY is a wedding photographY, VIDEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING COMPANY BASED OUT OF WILKES-BARRE, PA. KJAD COVERS weddings in NEPA, Scranton / WILKES-BARRE, Bloomsburg, POCONOS, Philadelphia, CENTRAL PA, New Jersey, Mount PoconO, Easton, Lehigh Valley, and surrounding areas.

KNOT JUST ANY DAY ALSO TRAVELS FOR DESTINATION WEDDINGS IN THE US AND ABROAD.

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