"Wedding Weekly"

Comparing Photographers ~ Is it All Apples & Oranges?

Sometimes I forget just how hard it is to choose a photographer. I look at photographs ALL THE TIME, so I have learned to look at an image of someone else and picture myself in that setting and in that pose. I knew that when we asked Bit of Ivory Photography to take our anniversary pictures, that we would LOVE the outcome, because I knew and understood her work.

But training your eye for that sort of thing takes time. So I understand why it's hard to choose one photographer. Perhaps Photographer A recently photographed a wedding with a similar color scheme and feel to yours and you can see yourself in those images. And then Photographer B shot your friend's wedding last year and you feel emotionally connected to the images. And what about Photographer C who did a beautiful wedding of a bride in a lavender field that you can't stop thinking about, even though you're getting married in the city.

Obviously this is a hypothetical example, so there's no telling which photographer would be the perfect fit.

But hopefully it shows that style can be REALLY hard to compare. And I think that's why a lot of people start comparing on price. Comparing two photographers with completely separate styles is apples & oranges. Because while price is a factor, it's not really what separates one photographer from another.

A friend of mine recently shared a brilliant blog post by NY based maternity and newborn photographer Francesca Captuo and it captured this concept perfectly. She compared photographers to restaurants and I'm going to borrow that analogy.

When you're considering where you want to eat out, your first thought is probably what kind of food you want to eat. Are you craving a burger or do you want seafood? Once you decide that the style of food you want is seafood, you'll make plans to go to your favorite seafood restaurant. The one that draws you the most.

You're not going to change your mind halfway there and decide to just eat at the burger place instead because it's cheaper. And you can just ask them to make you seafood right? No. That doesn't make sense. If you really want seafood, you're ok with spending a little extra.

Now sometimes you do have a budget in mind and you have to take that into account. As much as you might like to, you can't eat at fancy restaurants all the time. If my husband and I are looking for a cheap meal option, we might choose Chickafila, Moes, Thai, or pizza. It all depends on the style we want. But we're not going to pick Chickafila just because it's a couple dollars cheaper than pizza. If we want pizza, we're going to get pizza. So once you determine your budget for your wedding photography, look at the options within that budget for which style you like the best.

Some photography styles can be hard to pick out, but others are simple. Bright colorful images. Subdued soft images. Heavily edited. Natural edits. Blur. Sunflare. Flash. Use of props. Posed. Candid. Lifestyle. Casual. Formal. Black and white. Vintage tints. All these things distinguish one photographer from another.

You probably have opinions on some of these things right away, but there are probably some that don't really stand out to you. So maybe you feel the most drawn to bride & groom portraits that are outside at sunset with a wide variety of poses, but you're not sure where you land on editing. That's a great starting point!

When you're trying to choose the right photographers, take a little extra time to look at their work. Send them an email and see if you connect with them on a personal level.

I'm not saying all this to say you have to pick me. I'm not the wedding photographer for everyone. And I'm ok with that.

Your memories are too important to rush this decision. Your memories are too important to choose based on price alone. Your memories are too important.

I recommend taking a minute to read Francesca's article as well. She's talking about newborn photographers specifically, but I think her side by side comparisons really show the different styles of photography.

Top 13 Photos of 2013

I know, I know. I'm a little behind on the "recap 2013" train, but having a wedding in the last couple days of the year and then taking a few days off kinda throws you for a loop.

So here are my favorite images from the past year, in the order that I captured them.

These two photos were taken at a beach wedding that I 2nd shot, but haven't had the opportunity to blog yet. This pretty is coming soon! 

Nikki & James' Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center Wedding in Norfolk

I'm usually terrible at picking favorites, because there are dozens of shots from every wedding and session that I'm head over heels in love with. So these are the shots that came to mind right away when I thought through the sessions this past year.

2013 was a great year, but I'm excited to see what 2014 holds!

Guest Blog: Karen Roa on Wedding Floral Tips

I started my wedding weekly series to pass along tips and advice to my brides. I want to share things that I learned as a bride and things that I've learned as a wedding photographer. I want to help them plan the perfect wedding day, enjoy it to the fullest, and have a beautiful collection of images to treasure for years to come.

But there are topics that I don't have the knowledge to cover. And florals is one of them. So today I would like to introduce you to Karen Roa of Aleen Floral Design.

Photo credit: Leah Kraus Photography

Karen got her start in San Diego working as a floral assistant for her aunt. In 2007 she started Aleen Design, which is named after her grandmother and located in Williamsburg, Virginia. In the past few years her business has bloomed (horrible pun intended) and she brought her mother on to help with the workload.

Karen has graciously agreed to guest blog for me today and give you all some floral tips for your big day. (And check out this gorgeous bouquet she made for our stylized shoot!)

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of meeting Caitlin Gerres while working on a stylized elopement shoot. I instantly liked her and knew future collaborations would be in store. Little did I expect a package to arrive a few weeks later of classy postcards displaying her beautiful images of my floral designs from the shoot. She is talented and amazingly thoughtful. So, of course I quickly said yes to her request to give you all some floral design tips for your weddings.

Planning a wedding can be a daunting task, especially since you don’t do it often! Tapping into your vendors’ knowledge and experience will be the best way to avoid bumps, ease your stress, and make for a memorable day. We do weddings all the time, so let us guide you.

When you sit down with your floral designer, there are several details he/she will want to know. Come prepared to your first consultation with the time and location of your ceremony and reception. Know if the location allows open flame or if candles need to be enclosed in glass.... or if battery operated candles required. Explain the overall feel, color scheme, and atmosphere you envision before the meeting. Personally, I love knowing a couple’s story and vision before our first meeting. It gives me a chance to come prepared with ideas that reflect their relationship and style.

Sharing your desired budget as you start conversing with your florist is VERY helpful. Your budget acts as a boundary that determines flower types and styles that are possible versus those that could break the bank. Unlike the packages photographers offer, floral design is completely dependent on the flower types and styles chosen for a wedding. Being aware of your budget upfront allows your florist to steer you towards flower varieties that are cost effective and reflect your theme. Here are a few ideas that can aid the budget:

1. Pick flowers that will be in peak season the month of your wedding. Kale for winter, ranunculus and peonies for spring, sunflowers and gerbera daisies for summer, and dahlias for fall make wonderful feature flowers for any arrangement. 

2. Reuse the bridesmaid’s bouquets for table decor. If you choose to have all of your pictures taken before the ceremony, the bouquets can be used on some of the guest tables for centerpieces. An event coordinator can collect them from your girls after the ceremony to discreetly place them in vases before the guests are seated. Or if you are having pictures taken after the ceremony, ask your florist to place vases of water along the head table interspersed with votive candles. As your bridal party is announced into the reception, the bridesmaids can place their bouquets in the waiting vases. Reusing the bouquets cuts down on the number of centerpieces you will need.

3. Repurpose aisle and alter arrangements to brighten miscellaneous reception tables. Moving decor from the ceremony to the reception may incur an extra fee, so make sure to ask your florist. If not, aisle markers and alter arrangements are great to use on the gift table, guest book table, bar, etc. to warm up the room. 

This is your day. You want to enjoy it to the full. Ask lots of questions of your florist so you have peace of mind and fully understand the process. I’d be happy to help you in any way as you plan your big day. Just hop on over to Aleen Floral Design for more ideas.

Wedding Weekly ~ The Shoe Game

The Shoe Game is one of the newest phenomenons in wedding receptions. It's a cute way to mix up the flow of the evening.

Sometime after the cake cutting and toasts, the bride and groom sit or stand back to back on the dance floor. And they each hold one bride's shoe and one groom's shoe.

The DJ reads a list of questions and the bride and groom answer by raising the appropriate shoe. It's funny when they agree and funny when they disagree. And it's hilarious when the groom know he's going to be in trouble with his answer, but he raises her shoe anyway. 

The questions should include some sweet questions, some silly questions, and some you'll-be-in-trouble-when-you-answer-honestly questions.

Who is the better driver?
Who made the first move?
Who will do all the cooking?
Who is the best at keeping surprises?
Who is better looking?
Who wears the pants in the relationship?
Who said "I love you" first?
Who is more likely to clean the bathroom?
Who is messier?
Who made the best first impression on the other?
Who is the best dresser?
Who is more addicted to coffee?
Who is in charge of the remote?
Who is the biggest baby when sick?
Who is always right?
Who has the wackiest family?

I'm sure many DJs have a pre-written list of questions that they can use at any wedding, but it's always fun to add more personal questions into the mix.

The key to making the Shoe Game a success is that the bride and groom can't know the questions ahead of time. Instead, they should ask a close friend or family member who knows them both well to prepare the list, so they can answer the questions on the spot.

Wedding Weekly ~ Planning a Wedding Around the Holidays

I've always wanted to attend a New Year's Eve wedding. Probably because Ryan and I are those lame people who sit on the couch in our pjs and wait for the ball to drop. Then we kiss and go right to bed. BORING!

But as awesome as a New Year's Eve wedding sounds to me, planning a wedding on a holiday weekend can be a tricky situation. Many people have yearly traditions that surround each major holiday. So what happens when your cousin's wedding is scheduled on the same day you always go to Aunt Shirley's house to make Christmas cookies?

Christmas Celebrations-158.jpg

Even if brides and grooms plan a wedding close to a holiday, say the Saturday after Thanksgiving, some of the guests might be traveling halfway across the country for their Thanksgiving feast and won't be back in time for the big day.

While many guests might have to resolve family conflicts in order to attend the wedding, there are advantages to having a wedding on a holiday weekend. A three day weekend might mean that out of town guests won't have to take a day off of work to attend the wedding. If brides and grooms plan their wedding on 4th of July and pick the right location, they could treat their guests to some free fireworks! Holiday weddings can also make the theme and decor really easy. Christmas cookies and milk during the reception? Yes please! Vases filled with Christmas ornaments for centerpieces? Couldn't be easier!

In spite of how easy it would be to decorate, Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving are probably the three most inconvenient holidays for wedding guests. The "safer" holidays to choose are Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4th, and Columbus Day, but many people have long-standing traditions for those holidays as well.

Brides and grooms who decide to move ahead with a holiday wedding should be understanding if some of their guests just can't make it. Also, they should be aware that hotel and travel expenses could be more expensive due to the holiday and remind guests to book early.

Want more wedding weekly?

Wedding Weekly ~ Wedding Day Snack Bag

Weddings are long events, with bride and bridesmaids getting ready at lunch time or even earlier and not getting a bite to eat until after they finally sit down at the reception. A hungry bridal party is never a good thing, and a hot, hungry, and dehydrated bridal party is even worse.

The easiest way to avoid wedding day hunger? Snack time, of course!

I have low blood sugar, so eating every few hours has always been a part of my routine. I knew that I would need a snack on my wedding day. So I scheduled it in.

And make sure you take the white gown and dressy clothes into consideration when you fill your snack bag. Some do's and don'ts:

-Clear liquids: bottled water or Capri Suns

-Nothing that melts: sorry, that means no chocolate

-Nothing messy

Some safe choices? Pretzels, goldfish, gummy bears, string cheese, carrots, granola bars. Bite sized snacks.

After all, it's not every day that you can gobble down animal crackers and two packs of fruit snacks in a wedding dress.

Or you can always bribe your caterer to bring you a plate of cheese and fruit before the ceremony. That would be a little more high class.

But nowhere near as fun!