photo props

Oh, won't some upcoming bride and groom grab these?

(image courtesy of HelloLucky.com)

I love them! And what a fun and unique alternative to the mustache trend!

It's a sad, sad fact that the Midwest has always lagged a bit behind the coasts when it comes to some fads. While we might be ahead of the game in music, in other ways trends that are old news on the coasts are just starting to become popular around here.

Or maybe that's just for me. I'm pathologically uncool, so it's possible it's just ME that lags behind. Today I read an article on "10 Decor Trends to Skip" and no joke...I have five of them on my mental "to do" list for our house. (For those of you wondering how truly uncool I am, it'd be the accent wall, this poster, 'boutique hotel chic', this pouf, and chalkboard paint.)

Anyway, a lot of photo trends that are well established on the coasts are just starting to make appearances locally. While every other wedding in California last summer seemed to feature kitschy mustaches* or huge balloons** or vintage books and cameras, brides are just starting to ask about it here. And you know what? That's okay! If it's an idea you love, go for it. It hasn't been done by YOU before, and that very fact will make it different than the others. But while going for it, make sure that you don't lose sight of the little details that announce your personality. Those little details are what will make your wedding so special and memorable. Every wedding has a bride and groom, but not every wedding has a pewter deer head shot glass. Or a Russian bread-breaking ceremony. Or a pair of old lady glasses. Find those things that are special to you, whether it's a nod to your heritage, a family heirloom, an inside joke, or honoring a special place, and figure out a way to include them!


*I love these mustaches...but for less, check out these, or if you're on a budget, you can go here or here!). For a similar but slightly less done idea, you could do mustaches for the gents and lips for the ladies (seen here or here). Or even less done, glasses!
**I'm guessing you can figure out where to get balloons without my help.

mmm...cake!

There's no good way to ease back into things after such a huge loss, so I guess I'll just dive right in.

One of the blogs I read...and of course, I can no longer remember which one...featured a cake that was just about the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It was so gorgeous - just the picture looked good enough to eat. I went to the baker's site, and about fainted at the sight of so many stunning cakes. Unfortunately, she's in the UK, and I don't think cake would ship well across the country. However, that doesn't mean you can't use her amazing cakes as inspiration for your own! Here are a few of my favorites, the first one being the one that I am totally in love with and originally caught my eye, and the second one being another favorite - the simplicity! The elegance! The colors!



Aaaaand of course, I have to sneak in a cupcake picture. YUM.

Be sure to visit Maise Fantaisie for more cakes! (Warning: Don't read the description of the cake if hungry. I claim no responsibility for any weight gained as a result!)

if i could get married again...

...I'd totally wear this dress. I'm in LOVE.



If you're as in love with it as I am, check it out here. The best part? Um, $700. Yeah. LOVE.

wedding inspiration

I was browsing a favorite decor blog, With Two Cats, and found...and FELL IN LOVE WITH...this idea board:



View the full post here!

How stunning! It's a good thing I didn't see this before my fall wedding...I would have had to completely re-do everything to match.

Swoon!

More photo posts coming, I promise...still working on that huge project that's kept me so occupied!

hints and tips : weddings!

As a Christmas present to all the brides out there, I updated the Weddings FAQ and added some additional information. Be sure to check it out, even if you've read it before. :)

wedding idea : guest book!

Okay, so browsing one of my favorite catalogs, Uncommon Goods, I saw something that IMMEDIATELY made me think "wedding guest book!!" I think it'd be so fun and unique - and aren't we all looking for ways to make our weddings fun and unique? :) I loved my guest book, but I really wish I'd seen this first!

It's a cardboard frame with a honeycomb inset into which people can insert their wishes. It comes with 500 multi-color slips of paper, but how cool would it be if you cut your own out of beautifully patterned paper, or paper that matched your wedding colors? The frame itself can also be painted or decorated or covered in fabric to personalize it. And needless to say, it'd be a blast photographing it. :)

You can buy it here!

chris and lara : omaha wedding photography

So back in October, there was this wedding. It was at a beautiful location, and Chris and Lara....Wait, Chris and Lara? That's my name! And my husband's name! I guess this is MY wedding post! :)

I was lucky enough to have the amazing and talented Darbi of Darbi G Photography and Stacy of Stacy Reeves Photography come up to photograph my wedding. And come UP they did - Darbi from Missouri and Stacy from Texas! I've shot a wedding with Darbi before (this one) and Stacy and I together shot Darbi's wedding, so it was fitting that Darbi and Stacy shoot my wedding.

I'm going to direct you over to Darbi's blog to see pictures from my wedding. They're amazing. They're beautiful. The two of them did such a phenomenal job, I can't even tell you....

And yes, this post is five months late. Hey, I've been busy!

Anyway, click here to enjoy some pictures from MY wedding...and if you need a photographer in Dallas (where Stacy lives) or Austin (where Darbi will soon be living), definitely give them a call. While you're at it, check out the header of Darbi's blog - the rings against her signature turquoise and red background are ours!

If you're looking for some other fabulous wedding vendors, go no further than checking out my post on the ones we used here. I recommend all of them!

wedding vendors

As a recent bride (October!), I know a thing or two about planning weddings. And I know that the vendors you choose to use are hugely important to your day and they truly have the power to make it or break it....not that you'd be any less married with a bad vendor, but they can definitely make your day oh-so-much easier. And I lucked out...I adored my vendors. So to any brides (or grooms!) who are looking for anything, here's who I used! You can see pictures of most of this (my flowers, dress, location, etc) by going here and checking out my fantastic photographer's blog post about our wedding.

(Full disclosure: I didn't get paid or receive any discounts or anything to write this up...they probably don't even know they're listed here!)

: Location - Magnolia Hotel

Mindell is the wedding coordinator here, and she's wonderful. Hilarious and fun and not scared of anything...like when I asked if we could bring in a firepit for s'mores (yes!) or when I asked about adding a sauce to the chicken dish (they did, and it was UH-MAZE-ING) or when I considered going from an open bar to beer/wine only at the last minute (we didn't). She also is a lifesaver - when we discovered we'd left (okay, I left) our Polaroid film for the guestbook at home, she offered to have someone run out an buy some more for us! We didn't take her up on it - we used a digital camera instead - but the offer was so generous!

The ceremony site and reception ballroom were picture perfect....I'm still in awe. They set everything up wonderfully. The food was DELICIOUS and I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! The service was great as well. When you book your wedding there, you get the Presidential Suite for free, and it's perfect for getting ready in....great for pictures! And when we went back to our suite after it was all over, we had a surprise cheese platter and chocolate-covered strawberries waiting for us. YUM. The next morning, we discovered that the hotel had carefully boxed and bagged up everything and had it waiting for us to take home...all we had to do was carry it out!

I'm not going to say everything was perfect - there were a couple near misses like programs that went missing until just before the ceremony or cake knives that weren't set out - but anything that went wrong was so minor it barely feels fair to even mention it.

Mindell and the staff were wonderful and accommodating and the location was beautiful and I'd definitely recommend them to anyone. There are tons of pictures of this gorgeous venue in Darbi's blog post.

: Photography - Darbi G and Stacy Reeves

Book them. They're amazing. That is all. :)

Seriously, I can't say enough about them. They're wonderful people and I love my pictures. Darbi was the lead photographer and lead us she did....she had great ideas and I'm so, so grateful for her!

: Flowers - Mulhall's

First, the flowers were one of my FAVORITE details of the day.

Second, this was by FAR the best value of the day.

You might be thinking...Mulhalls??? The landscaping place?? Yes, that very one! Frank Piccolo is in charge of the floral department here (yes, Piccolo as in Piccolo's Flowers...only without the cost!) and he was absolutely wonderful! At our initial meeting, he was able to take all my ripped-out pages and idea and shape them into exactly what I envisioned - even before I was able to do so! I still can't believe HOW much we got for the price we paid, and even more so - the quality was phenomenal. I would not have been surprised if our total had been twice as much as it ended up being, especially with the out-of-season ranunculus and orchids in our bouquets and boutonnieres. They did an absolutely amazing job and I was so impressed! You can see a great picture of my bouquet in Darbi's blog post.

: Cake - Omaha Pastry (Dorothy Thompson)

Our wedding cake was SO good and looked beautiful! Dorothy was great to work with (although she does respond more quickly to calls than email - the opposite of me!) and she definitely knows what she's doing. The cake was my splurge - while we tasted cakes as low as $0.75 a serving, when I had Dorothy's cake at a Quinceanera I photographed, I knew I had to have it for my wedding. It was expensive, but sooooo worth it. She does everything by hand and you can really tell in the taste. I would definitely book her again! In fact....I kind of want to call her just to make a cake for me right now. OH! That just made me remember the top of our cake is in my parent's freezer. That made my day, knowing that fantastic cake is that close. :) Darbi has a picture of the cake in her blog post.

: Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses - Bridal Traditions

I loved my dress! Bridal Traditions did a fantastic job helping me choose. They were able to direct me right to the dresses that matched my criteria, but didn't blink when I wanted to try on some others "just for fun." Even after I had purchased the dress, they let me go back and try it on again in order to decide on what jewelry to wear and hairstyle. It came well before my promised delivery date, the alterations went perfectly, and it was ready to go - steamed and beautiful! - when I went to pick it up. My bridesmaids also got their dresses there and, other than one dress not quite fitting in the bust when it came in, they loved their experiences as well. You can see my dress and the bridesmaid dresses in Darbi's blog post.

: Tuxes - Bel Air Fashions

Don't let their straight-out-of-1995-website fool you...these guys know their stuff. I've been to dozens of weddings and photographed dozens more, and I can count on one hand the number of weddings I've been to that had no problems with their tuxes. Missing shoes, wrong sizes, wrong tie colors, pants that are a foot too long, jackets that don't even come down to the wrist.....we had none of that. Every single guys' tux looked like it was custom fitted. And we had a WIDE range of builds in our wedding party. And despite initially looking like they might be more expensive than some of the other options we looked at, the groomsmen paid less in the long run at Bel Air than they did for their tuxes for almost every other wedding they were in (we had a lot of weddings in our group of friends last year) - and with none of the headache. The best part was that they had SO MANY OPTIONS you could try on and see right in the store - a few places only had a book for you to look at, and when it came time to see it, you had to order it first! My brother liked them so much he used them for two proms too! Another highly recommended vendor, and as usual...check out Darbi's blog post for pictures.

: Music - Ben Doll (Complete Music)

I actually felt kind of bad - I straight up let Ben know during our phone consultation that I thought DJs were pretty cheesy...and he did a great job minimizing the cheese. :) I was worried that we might not have many dancers, but he kept it going all night (we even kept him an hour later than we had planned!). He always checked with us before moving onto the next event to make sure we were ready for it. Complete Music didn't have our first dance song, so he downloaded it, but he somehow ended up with a different version of the song. However, he was a rock star and played it off my iPhone and you would never have known - the transition was flawless. And to make it even more difficult, I asked him to fade it out before the ending at a specific part...and he nailed it! We also requested a special intro song that he didn't have, which he was able to find (the drum intro to "Shipping Off to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys), and special dinner music (I had heard Irish instrumental music played during the dinner of another wedding by a different Complete Music DJ, and Ben got the music from him so we could use it too). And wow, after writing out all my special requests here, I realize how much of a pain I must have been! But the most important part is that he got it all RIGHT! Definitely recommended.

: Seating Chart and Guest List - Martha Stewart Weddings.

I checked out a ton of online guest managers and seating chart gadgets...and this was by far my favorite. You'll need to create a (free!) account, then go to "Planning Tools". The only two I used were "My Guests" and "My Seating" but they were lifesavers.

: Guest Book - paper lust

I love it. It was customized just for us with our colors and our theme, and it turned out beautifully. If only I hadn't left the Polaroid film at home.....ahhhh well. You can look at a picture of ours here.

: Save the Dates - VistaPrint

I made our Save the Dates in Photoshop and had them printed as a postcard at VistaPrint. It was like $10 for 100....is there a better value? They turned out really cute and the printing was great for the price! The design, but not the actual postcard, is here.

: Invitations - Copper Willow Studios

Okay, I lied. Not all our vendors were perfect. This one was horrendous. I was told that the invites would ship before May 16, and they didn't ship until over two weeks later. I finally got them, and they color was off - I was told "soft white" and they were very cream (definite yellow tint), the "extremely subtle deckle edge" looked like someone ripped it by hand, and they were PRINTED CROOKED. In addition, a piece of the invitation suite was missing and I had to dig through all my emails to show that I really had asked for/paid for/proofed that piece. I ended up having to virtually redo them. I would have loved to have just reprinted them through someone else. I'm not even linking to them because they don't deserve it. (I just checked their site, and it hasn't been updated in a loooooong time...maybe for a reason!)

: Favors - WaxWizard

Our favors doubled as our placecards and were pretty darn adorable, in my opinion. We got mini apple candles from here - cheap, shipped fast, and looked exactly like the picture!

: Bridesmaid Gifts - Amazing Wholesale Scarves

One of the gifts in the bridesmaid's totes was a green pashmina - I knew it could get chilly in October and wanted to help them keep warm, plus add a pop of color to their dresses. These were cheap and surprisingly good quality! You can see tons of pictures of the wraps on Darbi's blog post about our wedding (linked at the top).

: Bridesmaid Jewelry - Lindsay (lindz_@hotmail.com)

I kept hearing on TheKnot.com people raving about the jewelry that a fellow Knottie had made, and when I needed jewelry for my girls I emailed her right away. It was beautiful, made well, and the girls loved it...I wanted some for myself! :) You can see pictures of the girls wearing the jewelry on Darbi's blog post as well.

: Makeup - Michaela @ MAC Cosmetics (Oakview Mall)

Michaela was awesome - our trial run in the store was a blast, and she didn't blink an eye when I called her later to make some slight changes. She showed up right on time and with everything I needed, and I loved my makeup! It lasted all night, too....very important! :)

hints and tips : handling anxiety during a portrait session

As a soon-to-be bride, I spend WAY too much time browsing wedding sites. It may be an addiction. A completely ridiculous addiction considering that 90% of the planning is done and the content is therefore not relevant to me. Hopefully after the wedding I'll be able to tear myself away from them....

Anyway, while on one of my favorite blogs, I found this great article on managing your nerves during your wedding portrait session and wanted to share.

The Wedding Portrait Session - Manage Your Anxiety and Ease Up with Three Simple Tips

before and after

Wondering what a picture looks like straight out of camera (or SOOC as we photographers call it :P) versus what it looks like after a little editing?

Voila!

hints and tips : your newborn session

So....you are having a baby. Now what?

Hopefully, you are scheduling a newborn session! Click here for newborn session rates. I generally recommend scheduling it within a few days of your due date. Ideally, we like to do pictures during the first week if possible, and no later than ten days after birth. The newer, the better! Babies quickly lose that telltale newborn look and the ability to sleep through anything, including posing and being moved around. If you deliver early or late, just keep me updated and we'll move the session date around to accommodate the little one's timeline. :)

During the actual session, we'll take lots of breaks (not counted against your two hours) as needed for feeding/nursing and diaper changes. And don't worry - all babies pee or poop during the session at least once, usually (of course) during the naked baby pictures. I haven't had one where it hasn't happened! In fact...well, just look here. :)

We'll usually schedule the session to begin two hours or so before twilight, which is when the best light of the day occurs. Hopefully the nursery has a big, beautiful window; if so, we'll shoot in there! If not, don't worry...we'll scout out the best location! The session should take place at a time when the baby is usually sleeping. Feeding him or her before the session starts is usually a good idea to help put them in that nice deep sleep where nothing bothers them! To help them stay asleep, keep the entire day as quiet as possible. Don't give them a bath that morning (it can sometimes make them flaky or rashy) and enjoy an uneventful day at home.

Before the session, clear out any extra messes around where the photos will occur. You can move out smaller pieces of furniture that are easily moved (like the Diaper Genie). That will give us more room and ensure that the background isn't cluttered.

If you want fully naked baby pictures, about half an hour before the session is scheduled, loosen your baby's diaper so that there aren't any marks on their tummy or legs. For some babies, this also will encourage them to pee...which might (but probably not) help prevent it later during the session. Just keep the new diaper loose too. If you'd prefer he or she keep a diaper on, that's fine too! If you're using disposable diapers I have a diaper cover we'll put over the diaper so it doesn't show.

Before the session, bring the heat up in the room where we're shooting so that the baby will be comfortable when we get to the naked baby shots. A space heater is great for this! Don't worry about it being uncomfortable for me - I dress in layers and you might want to do the same. :)

If we're doing family shots with mom and dad in the pictures and you're comfortable with it, consider wearing something that allows you to bare your shoulders as much as possible - a tube top or spaghetti strap tank for mom or shirtless for dad, for example, to get some skin-on-skin pics. If not, no pressure - just wear a black t-shirt or something similar. Why black? It makes a great background for babies! Your hands and feet might be in the picture, so if you need to make them pretty before the session, do so. :)

For the baby, think plain, solid colors. Avoid crazy patterns on clothes and blankets. Stay away from stark white, but pastels and light colors are fine. If you have something special you want to dress the baby in, like an heirloom christening gown, be sure to have it on hand! We'll do lots of naked and diaper shots, though, to really show off that newborn look. In fact, I've done entire sessions where the baby never had a stitch of clothing on. :)

I have some props that I'll bring with me (including diaper covers, hats, blankets with fun texture, etc.) but anything you have is fantastic too - just make sure to have it handy for our session.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer!

hints and tips : how to tie the perfect tie and bow tie

At almost every wedding I attend, I'm asked to tie someone's tie. Luckily, I learned how to do it when I played a guy in my high school production of "Guys and Dolls." And folks, I can also do a sweet little hat flip trick learned directly from Nathan Detroit!

I stumbled across this video on how to tie a perfect Windsor knot and thought I'd share, since it seems to be something of a lost art. :)


And on a related note, I DIDN'T know how to tie a bow tie...granted, most people who use bow ties are using clip-ons, but if you're going old school, here's a video for you!

hints and tips : how to pin a boutonniere

Easily the most requested non-photography thing I'm asked to do at weddings is pin on the boutonnieres. In fact, it was one of the first things I taught my assistant to do! This video is not that great, but still the best one I've found - the trick is starting the pin BEHIND the lapel. Then go through the lapel and into the stem, then back under the lapel. I wish this video had verbal instructions, but what can you do? Maybe I'll make my own video someday. :)

hints and tips : choosing a wedding photographer

You might expect to get some biased advice here, seeing as I happen to be a wedding photographer. Well, that's partially true. As a photographer, I know how vital the wedding photography will be to your big day - which is unfortunately something some brides don't realize until it's too late.

No matter who you decide to use for your wedding photographer, make this the one place you don’t skimp. Planning a wedding on a budget is an enormous task, but the photography budget should be one of the last things you cut. The day after your wedding, the food will all be eaten, the cake will be gone, the flowers will be dead, and your dress will be hanging in the back of your closet, but the pictures of your day will be around forever. In the end, after it is all said and done, they will be virtually the only physical reminder you have of your day. This is the part of your wedding that your kids will see - and their kids, and their kids, and so on - so make sure that the legacy of your wedding will be something you are proud to share. The old adage you get what you pay for is never more true than when applied to wedding photography!

When it comes to actually making the decision...now that's the tough part! :) First and foremost, you should LOVE their work. It shouldn't be "good enough" or something you can just LIVE with - you should be genuinely excited about it! If you see anything in their work that doesn't mesh with your style, consider walking away. Asking a photographer to change their style to is destined to give disappointing results. How do you know if a photographer has work that you love? I always recommend visiting their blog - and visiting regularly! Their blog should have their most recent work posted on a regular basis - it will allow you to see their work across a variety of subjects and locations. On their site, the photographer can pick and choose only the best shots, so looking at the blog will offer a better glimpse of their true ability and style as it is NOW (after all, their site may be five or ten years out of date!). Also, ask to see an entire wedding from start to finish - the same files that the couple received. The photographer may be a fantastic portrait shooter, but their getting ready or ceremony pictures are less than amazing...so it's important to ensure that ALL your pictures will be what you want! Or maybe you don't really care about the getting ready pictures, but want amazing portrait pictures - so make sure they can provide that!

Almost as important as loving their work is getting along with the photographer herself (or himself)! This person is going to be with more more than almost anyone else on your wedding day - they'll be your shadow! It's important that your personalities don't clash. For instance, I'm definitely not a wallflower - I love interacting with you and your family and friends and guests. I almost always leave a wedding feeling like part of the family! If you're looking for someone to stand in the shadows and snap away ninja-style...well, it's probably not me. :)

The third thing to consider is what you want out of your photography. Most photographers can offer customized packages if their standard packages don't offer what you want, but always double check! If you want lots of prints, you might want to consider a photographer who provides you with the high-resolution images on a disc. If you want a big, beautiful album, be sure that the photographer offers that and ask to see a sample. If you're mostly concerned about viewing your pictures online, see if they will provide an online gallery.

The last thing to consider is budget - as I said above, photography is one of the few places where splurging and getting what you REALLY want is absolutely worth it! If you can sacrifice a layer of your five-layer cake, or serve pork roast instead of filet mignon, or offer house liquor instead of top shelf....well, it might just end up being a decision you'll be glad you made for the rest of your life.

hints and tips : posing

Many people absolutely hate the way they look in front of the camera. And really, it's understandable - in pictures, you see yourself in ways and angles that you aren't used to seeing. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help.

You may feel stupid, but practice in the mirror ahead of time. Figure out which side of your face photographs better, practice facial expressions and natural looking smiles, and get an idea of what poses work best for your body using some of the suggestions below. The one caveat to practicing in front of a mirror? Don't do it to the point that you can't feel natural in front of a camera anymore.

Good posture and a long neck go a long way in making you look slimmer in pictures. Stretch out your neck and tilt your head down just slightly to avoid the appearance of a double chin. If you are standing, plant your legs at a 45 degree angle to the camera with one leg a step back, and shift your weight to that back leg. Twist at your waist toward the camera, so your upper torso is facing the camera but your lower torso is angled slightly away from it. If you aren't sure what this pose looks like, open any fashion or gossip magazine - stars and models have this pose down perfectly.

If you’re sitting, be sure to sit up straight and point your knees away from the camera. Also, rather than pressing your arms to your side, hold them slightly away from your body so they look toned and slim. If you are carrying a bouquet, try holding it slightly lower than your waist and point the fullest part toward the camera, so that the best part of the flowers - the top - is captured. Although it feels natural and fun, avoid posing with both arms stretched around the people beside you - it broadens your shoulders in an unflattering way and more than a few, um, bosoms have popped out of strapless dresses!

While posing, think happy thoughts. You don’t necessarily have to “make love to the camera,” but think happy thoughts toward it at the very least. After shooting for what may seem like hours, your cheeks may start to hurt. The solution? Give your poor face a rest and don’t smile between pictures. If you have a problem blinking when you get your picture taken, close your eyes and then open them when the photographer is snapping the picture (it helps if the photographer announces when each picture will be taken by saying, “On three - one!...two!...three!”). If they aren't doing that, ask them to!

Despite all this complicated advice, the best thing you can do to look good in front of a camera is to relax and have fun! It sounds trite and obvious, but it really works.

hints and tips : hair and makeup

What looks good in person is unfortunately not always what looks best in pictures. A few careful decisions can make the difference between a good portrait and a great one!

If you are getting a facial, your eyebrows waxed, or your hair cut or colored, do it at least two weeks before your photo session or wedding to avoid any unhappy surprises and give you time to minimize the damage should anything go wrong. I would recommend against making a drastic change to your hair or makeup - pictures are best when they capture you as you are used to appearing. Of course, you'll be a little more dramatic, but try to keep it true to you. For instance, if you're a low maintenance girl whose makeup collection is limited to Chapstick, you might not want to go with thick, black, winged eyeliner on the big day. You want to be able to recognize yourself! If you do decide to try a new hair or makeup style, give it a trial run beforehand as well so you have time to get used to it and so you can make sure you really like it.

Keep makeup simple and use a matte powder to avoid shine. Because makeup gets darker in photos, avoid very dark colors, especially in lip liner (unless you have darker skin). Bring your makeup with you for touch-ups between pictures to keep it fresh. Always put on a touch of lip gloss – that’s the one place you DO want shine! And don’t forget to make sure your makeup is waterproof (this goes triple for you brides!). Perhaps most importantly, stay away from sparkly or glittery makeup (slightly iridescent is fine). In photos, light will reflect off of individual pieces of sparkle and show up as white dots in the photos. It might look good in person, but it doesn’t work well for photographs.

What about tanning? I admit it, I love tanning. While a little color on your skin can be a good thing, be wary of getting too much color. Whether you fake bake or spray tan, it's VERY easy (and very tempting) to get too dark! And believe me - you want to recognize yourself in the pictures! The camera also picks up orange and yellow tones in skin, so though you may look beautifully bronzed in person, to the camera you may look a little George Hamilton. And no one wants that! :) This is especially true if the others in your wedding party - especially your husband - aren't as sun-kissed. So tan if you will, but please - keep it to a minimum!

If, worst case scenario, you wake up with a giant pimple the morning of your shoot, fight the urge to pop it! The red mark it will leave is more noticeable and harder to fix than the bump. If the blemish is already red or you couldn’t resist popping, dab Visine Eye Drops on it to help remove the redness, then cover it up with light makeup (even you gentleman can do this!).

Carry oil blotting sheets (found at all drugstores) with you during the shoot, especially if you tend to have oily or sweaty skin. This will help you look great the entire day and well into the night, even after your makeup has worn off.

hints and tips : wedding timeline and photography

Timeline tips

Your wedding day is going to be crazy busy. It's important to have some sort of photography schedule during the day, so that people know where they need to be and when they need to be there. It also gives a limit as to how long the formals can drag on - even the photographer knows that formal group shots are everyone's least favorite part of the day, and keeping them as short as possible makes everyone happy. Along with the schedule, write out a list of requested formal group shots so that two weeks later you don't start to think, "Hey, did I include great-grandma Doris in those...? I meant too....shoot!"

Speaking of formal pictures, one of the most common questions is, "How much time should I allow for formal pictures?" As I said above, everyone hates formal pictures (here's proof). The family hates waiting around for their turn, the wedding party just wants to get to the party, you and your husband (or wife) just want to celebrate being married, and no one wants to stand around taking pictures for an hour. So keep your list short and sweet and really take time to think about whether you'll cherish that picture of you with each usher individually in ten years, or if you would have been just as happy with a picture of you, your honey, and ALL the ushers at once. Once your list is done, you can estimate it will take three to four minutes for each group. You'll want to be entirely done 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes before the ceremony, as that's when the first guests will start arriving. You'll also want to add a 15 minute or so cushion to the allotted time - more if your family is chronically late (like mine). For example, if you end up with 15 poses, multiply 15 by 3 (45) and by 4 (60) and it will take between 45 and 60 minutes to get them all done - and then add another 15 minute cushion to accommodate late people. So you'll want to schedule at least an hour to an hour and 15 minutes for photography. If your ceremony is schedule for 2pm, we'll want to be completely done by 1:30 (remember, a half hour before it starts), which means you'll need to schedule the formal pictures to start between 12:15 and 12:30. Is there a chance we'll finish early? Sure! But in this case it's definitely better to have too MUCH time than not enough time.

When deciding on the flow of pictures for the wedding day, consider breaking tradition and doing the formal shots BEFORE the ceremony and doing a "First Look." While you and the groom (or bride) WILL see each other before you walk down the aisle if you do this, for many couples the benefits outweigh that negative. For one, everyone’s makeup and hair is freshly done and is looking its best. If anyone is missing or late, or some pictures are missed, you can take a few minutes after the ceremony to grab them quickly instead of tacking more time onto the already long photo session between the ceremony and the reception. It allows the couple to get to the reception faster, which the guests will love you for. A bonus for more reserved couples is that it allows them to get some of the emotion of the day out of the way in private, so they are more composed when hundreds of eyes are on them during the ceremony. It lets you and your soon-to-be-spouse actually take a moment to interact and appreciate each other - hug, talk, show of your wedding gown or tux - which you can't do during the ceremony, and which you often don't have time to do later (trust me...it gets busy!). I'll be able to arrange a private, quiet moment before the formal shots begin for the first look to occur, so the feeling of seeing him or her for the first time isn’t entirely lost (or lost at all - I did one with my husband, and the feeling of walking down the aisle was still intense!). For more on first looks and the benefits, check out this post by the amazing Jasmine Star (which includes some thoughts from the groom's perspective), and this post (which includes pictures of MY first look!) by the wonderful Stacy Reeves.

Also, if time allows, I highly recommend scheduling some time for non-formal, fun shots of just the couple or the couple with their wedding party - or both! I especially love having time to get shots of just the girls, just the guys, and the whole wedding party together...of course, with some time for just the couple together as well. These are usually done at a third location near the ceremony or reception and can be some of the most fun shots of the day. For proof, just look here! Or here! Or here, here, here, or here. If you really are pressed for time that day, you can always schedule a day-after session for the next day and grab amazing pictures like this or this.

For more on timelines, check out DarbiG's great post about it here.

Other wedding tips

If you are taking a limo or trolley to the reception site, consider inviting the photographer (um, that'd be me!) along with you. There can be some fun and emotional shots during the ride, and if you have time the group can stop at a fun location to grab some crazy shots.

With all the excitement and emotion, weddings can be stressful for everyone involved. Don't be afraid to ask for a moment - either alone or with your new spouse - to decompress and be away from everyone (including me) if you need to do so. Take the time to center yourself and relax before heading back out to join the party.

And finally, while it sounds obvious, don’t forget to eat throughout the day! A little food puts color in your cheeks, and the last thing you would want is to faint from low blood sugar on your big day (seriously, it happens!!). And as someone who loves a good glass of wine, I hate to say it, but be wary of drinking too much - this is likely going to be the most expensive night of your entire life and you definitely want to get your money’s worth by remembering as much of it as you can! At least wait until I leave to get rip-roarin' toasted to avoid embarrassing pictures. :)

hints and tips : clothing

When choosing clothing for a portrait shoot, opt for solid colors. Rich jewel tones work especially well. Stay away from bright white (ESPECIALLY if the other person is wearing dark clothing), busy patterns (which draw attention away from your face), bulky clothes (which make you look bigger), and turtlenecks (which make you look shorter and, well, neck-less). Match your clothes to the location - trendier, edgier cloths for an urban, gritty location, or more classic clothing for a park, for example.

If you are posing with more than one person, make sure your clothing doesn't clash! A family or engagement shoot will look dynamic when everyone is dressed a similar color and style. Try laying out all the outfits beforehand to make sure they go together well and that no one piece stands out too much.

If we plan to be moving around a lot during your portrait session (i.e. seniors or engagement sessions) and you're going to wear killer heels...consider bringing a pair of flip flops or flats to wear while walking; you can change back into the heels for pictures. I put that in bold because I promise you - you'll be so glad you did!

For a more detailed list about what to wear (and what NOT to wear), check out this post by my friend and amazing photographer Stacy Reeves.

hints and tips

PORTRAITS
(SENIOR, ENGAGEMENT, BOUDOIR, MATERNITY, NEWBORN & BABY, FAMILY, ETC.)

Frequently asked questions - portraits

Your newborn session

Handling anxiety during a photo shoot

Tips on posing naturally

Hair and makeup during a photoshoot

What to wear during a photoshoot


WEDDINGS

Frequently asked questions - weddings

Choosing a wedding photographer

Wedding timelines and tips

Hair and makeup

How to knot a tie perfectly and how to tie a bowtie

How to pin a boutonniere

Who did I use as my wedding vendors?

frequently asked questions : weddings

: How do I choose a wedding photographer? Are there any hints for choosing a wedding photographer?

Yes! Check out the post I wrote on choosing your wedding photographer here.

: How long have you been shooting weddings?

I've been shooting for friends and family forever...professionally, since 2007.

: What type of camera and equipment do you use?

I currently shoot with a Canon 5D digital camera. My favorite and most-used lenses are the Canon 50mm 1.2L, Canon 24-70 2.8L and the Canon 70-200 2.8L. I also have backup equipment including an extra camera body, lenses, flashes, batteries, memory cards, etc., that I bring with me to every wedding JUST IN CASE. I haven't had anything fail on me yet...but if it DOES happen, I'm prepared!

: Will YOU be the one shooting my wedding? Do you have an assistant?

Yes and yes! I shoot every wedding I book. I do bring an assistant with me to every wedding to help me out (so keep that in mind if you need to include us in the meal count if it's a full reception!). However, she does not shoot. You can add a second (or third!) shooter to your package for an additional cost.

: How many weddings do you shoot in a year?

I shoot about 15 weddings a year, and I only book one wedding per week. Believe me, you don't want a tired, cranky photographer to shoot your wedding! Doing one a week gives me time to start the editing process, make sure my equipment is ready to go for the next wedding, and most importantly time to recharge!

: How do I book you for my wedding?

It's easy! I need a signed contract and a deposit. To set it up, just email or call me to schedule a meeting. At our consultation, we'll discuss your wedding, the type of package that fits you best, answer any questions that you might have, etc. At that point, I'll also go over the contract with you. Most couples do choose to give me their deposit and sign the contract there, but some like to take the contract home and mull it over with their parents or away from the pressure. Either way is fine! Just remember - the date isn't reserved until I've received both the signed contract and the deposit. If two people are interested in the same date, the reservation will go to the person who turns those in first.

: How many pictures will I get from my wedding? How long will it take?

While it varies greatly depending on the wedding, I shoot around 1,500 pictures at an average wedding. In general, your gallery will have between 500 and 600 fully edited pictures six to eight weeks after your wedding. What happened to the other thousand that I didn't edit? Well, most of them were duplicates since I might shoot several frames a second in some cases. For others, someone had their eyes closed, someone walked in front of the camera, the flash didn't fire, it caught you in a bad angle....I may cut an image for any number of reasons. Remember, I want you to look your best and have the best pictures possible!

: Will I get any black and white pictures? What about selective color? Sepia? Texture?

You will definitely get some black and white pictures! However, I do not provide every picture in both black and white and in color. Why not? Well, there are some pictures that lend themselves well to being black and white and some pictures that do not. For example, if you get married in a church with a busy background and lots of colors, the colors may distract from the main subject - you! To help draw attention back to where it belongs, I may convert the picture to black and white (examples here and here). Conversely, if you're wearing a brightly colored shirt against a contrasting background, you'll really pop out of the picture - and converting to black and white will draw attention AWAY from you (examples here and here). I may do a tonal monochromatic picture with a blue-ish or sepia tint depending on the feeling of the image as well. I will occasionally, but rarely, do a picture with a texture overlay - although I love and adore the look, I realize that it is a trend. I try to keep your pictures as classic and timeless as possible - your hair and clothing will give away the date enough, the pictures don't need to look outdated too! I do not ever do selective coloring for the same reason - it's a trend, only one I really dislike personally. :)

: Can I print from my disc of images?

It depends on the package! The silver package comes with low-res files that are great for sharing online or via email. The gold and platinum packages both come with high-res files that are suitable for printing...up to poster size, if you so desire! You can make as many prints from your disc as you want.

: What about making prints?

If you purchase the full disc of images or opt to receive the high-res file, you also receive print rights with your pictures. This lets you make as many prints as you want! While you can, of course, make prints from your local Walgreens, I recommend using a quality service like Mpix. If you have a CostCo membership - surprise! They do good prints too!

If you purchase a print from me, I will guarantee it for color and quality. I will also check it for any extra editing that it may need prior to printing - for instance, editing out blemishes or other small things that I don't do for the high-res files on the disc.

Regardless of whether you're printing it yourself or buying it from me, check out this post by Stacy Reeves on cropping. Remember, images straight out of the camera are sized at a 2:3 ratio, meaning that with 4x6 or 8x12 (or 16x24, 32x48, etc.) prints you don't have to do any cropping. However, if you order a 5x7 or 8x10 or other size, you will have to crop the image. Consider this before ordering prints - if important parts of the pictures are near the edge, they may be cropped out if you order those sizes.

: I found a photographer who will give me the raw, unprocessed files from the wedding for me to print from. Will you do that?

While some photographers do provide unprocessed images to their clients, I personally do not. I believe my clients hire me not just for the pictures I take, but for the editing I do to each image. I include high-res files in two of my packages and it's always an option to add on if it's not included. This allows you to print the images whenever and wherever they want!

It's the best of both worlds, and my preferred solution. I wouldn't want you to have or print unprocessed files - they don't accurately reflect my work and you won't be looking your best - but I do want you to be able to print if you want to!

: What are the albums in your packages like?

Mmmm...they are beautiful! I use a company that works exclusively with professional photographers. Your album will be leather-bound in Italian leather (it's absolutely sumptuous!) and the layouts will be printed on real photographic paper, then permanently bonded to cardstock. The result is a thicker, more durable page. You don't have to worry about the pictures curling or sliding out of the album like you might have seen in your parent's wedding album. Would you like to see some pictures of what your album will look like? Okay!

: Do you ever do custom packages?

Of course! The pre-created packages work for 95% of couples - but if you're in that 5% who is looking for something just a little different, I'm happy to customize a package just for you.

: Who did you use for your wedding vendors? Do you recommend them?

I loved (most of) my vendors. I have a list and some reviews of the people I used right here.

: Do you have any recommendations to help make our wedding unique and memorable?

For sure! To start with, make the wedding YOU. Make it personal. This is by far the biggest, most important part. Every couple has unique aspects to their relationship, whether it's a shared love of classic books, '76 Cameros, Guy Richie, s'mores, whatever! Take that unique thing and work it into your wedding somehow. Decorate the cake table with classic love stories. Do your grand exit in a '76 Camero. Use quotes from "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" as your table names. Supply a firepit and provide s'mores as a late-night snack (I did, for my wedding!)! With a little bit of thought, you can find ways to incorporate these types of personal things into your wedding without being cheesy. Toast with your favorite beer instead of champagne. Have a food station featuring your favorite foods, and one with his. The possibilities are endless!

Similarly, look for things that are different. Instead of using a guest book, use a wishing frame. Instead of a cake, do a sundae bar. Instead of doing a bouquet toss, present the bouquet to a favorite aunt, or to the one who has the next wedding coming up! Attach a gift card to the garter to give some incentive to the guys. Rap your vows. Dance while you go down the aisle. Scour Etsy (my ALL. TIME. FAVORITE.) for unique, handmade wedding finds - from gowns to headpieces, from invites to programs, from favors to ring bearer pillows.

Pay attention to the little things, like colors, fonts, designs, etc. You might not think people notice that your invitations and place cards and programs all used the same font and same beautiful magnolia flower design....but they do! Even now, a year after my wedding, people comment on the details...and I didn't even think anyone would notice them! :)

No matter what, every wedding has aspects that are going to be the same. In the end, no matter what, two people are coming together in love. But there are so many things you can do to make your wedding day YOURS...why wouldn't you? :)

: How should I fit photography into my wedding timeline?

I must be reading your mind! I wrote a post about that here.

: What's a "first look"? Should I do one?

A first glance is when the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony - which does break tradition, but has a lot of benefits! You can read about my thoughts on the first look at the timeline link above, and I recommend checking out this post by the amazing Jasmine Star (which includes some thoughts from the groom's perspective), and this post (which includes pictures of MY first look!) by the wonderful Stacy Reeves.

: Do you have any hints about hair and makeup as they relate to photography?

Of course! You can check them out here.

: Any ideas for fun places for our engagement shoot?

The possibilities are endless! Looking for an outdoor location? Dog park! City park! Kayaking! Cutting down a Christmas tree! A field! A lake! Golf course, amusement park, farm, sidewalk cafe, building a snowman, rollerblading, rooftop, junkyard, playing softball, the zoo, Fontenelle Forest, playing mini golf. Boating! Buying a hotdog from a street vendor! What about some indoor locations? How about playing Wii? Doing yoga? Jumping on a bed! Having a pillow fight with feather pillows! Painting a wall! Grocery shopping! At a pet store, at a flower shop, at an arcade, bowling. At a pizza parlor? At an ice cream parlor! Going antique shopping! At a stadium, in a fancy hotel lobby, at a skating rink! At a one-room school house!

Find a place that just screams "you." Think, too, about when you're getting married. If you're getting married in the summer, do you want your engagement pictures taken in the summer to match your wedding pictures, or do you want them in the winter for something completely different?

Bring props! Look for Scrabble letters that spell out your name or the word "love." Bring posterboard that says your wedding date. Have him hold a sign that says "Will you marry me?" and her hold a sign that says "Yes!" Bring your grandma's antique teapot, bring the set of your first edition encyclopedias, bring the chair that's been in your apartment since you were 18. Think about the little things that make you guys YOU and we'll try to incorporate them into the pictures!

: Would you shoot a gay wedding?

Absolutely. It would be an honor.

: Why, oh why, is wedding photography so expensive?

Great question! Not because it's hard to answer, but because it's so easy! I wrote a little bit about this very subject here. Why is it worth the investment? Because when all is said and done...it's all you'll have left from this very expensive, very important, once-in-a-lifetime undertaking - other than your new spouse, of course!

It's easy to assume that all you're paying for is six or eight or twelve hours of coverage on your wedding day. While that's partially true - you're definitely paying for that! - it's not even close to everything. Also included in the price of each package is meeting with you both in person and on the phone prior to the wedding, wedding day preparation (making sure all the equipment is working), the backing up and storing of the files after the wedding, posting the photos online, creating a wedding album (if it's in your package), creating the disc of your images, paying the assistant, keeping current with equipment, and the most time-consuming part....EDITING the pictures. It takes about eight hours to edit for every hour of shooting. And will I ever give you unedited pictures? Absolutely and unequivocally not. Editing is such an important part of the creative process, and, while the nice camera is part of it, it's one of the big differences between the pictures you get from your friend's point-and-shoot camera and a professional photographer. For another perspective, and a chart of what photographers actually do all day (hint: it's not all taking pictures and partying like a rockstar!), check out this wonderful post by the equally wonderful Stacy Reeves (who shot my wedding with Darbi G!).