Wedding Tip or Trick of the Week

Good Monday morning everyone!

I can't believe it's almost November. This year has flown by amazing fast - but I guess that can happen in a busy year.

But on to this week's topic/tip. In the past I have felt a little weird bringing this up with my clients; but I've learned that the topic of "feeding your photographer" is a necessary evil, and I know this from experiencing my own wedding.

It never crossed my mind that in my ever growing guest count I needed to add two more guests that I had rudely forgotten: our photographers. Luckily our photographer was nice enough to gently remind me before the big day that both he and his assistant would need to be fed.

Now that I'm on the other side of the wedding, it's ever such a wonderful thing, after shooting for five to six ours, to be fed and re-hydrated.

I decided to make this our tip for the week after reading this article from the WPJA. If you need a laugh I strongly encourage you to read the point of view of the starving artist at the above link.

Since I know most of you are probably thinking, "Well, duh - of course I thought of that!" I'll let this post be short and sweet. I just want to leave those of you like myself, who are preoccupied with thousands of other important wedding details left to plan, one final reminder: please feed your photographer at the reception (and I'm sure the DJ would be appreciative as well).

David and Sarah's Wedding

So I've mentioned this amazing couple in the previous post - but because they're so awesome I want to mention them again: David and Sarah Fordyce!

These two love-birds married Saturday at New Life Community Church in Artesia, CA. I was a college roomie with Sarah my senior year, and David (who I only recently met) is a jewel. When I first saw these two together I could tell it was a great match.

Their wedding was just amazing - it was filled with love, friends and what I like to call a "personal" touch. Most of what took place was sponsored by people they knew - good friend's singing the solo, David's mom hand-made Sarah's dress (talk about amazing!), and more!

I'm so excited for you both - have a wonderful honeymoon and a blessed marriage!

Here are a few of my favorite pix...














And here's their slideshow. Enjoy!

Wedding Tip or Trick of the Week

Last night I shot my friend, and former college roommates', wedding. Being at the union of these two wonderful people really taught me something about the weddings I photograph - I love knowing the couples I work with.

You see when I arrived at Sarah and David's wedding I already knew many of the people there, who arrived early to help setup. I was greeted with warm smiles and thoughtful "It's been a while, how are you?" greetings. The "moment catching" (aka. photo taking) began almost instantly as inside jokes and stories from the previous night's mishaps flew around the room. No awkward tense feelings arose as the "photographer" came in. None. Just old friends hanging out, and one happened to be taking a lot of pictures.

As I was later photographing Sarah as she was peaking around the corner to watch her friends practice their solo one last time, it struck me that I had been almost waiting for this moment. I noticed that Sarah, as usual, was so excited that her friend's would be singing at her wedding she couldn't help but bounce around with joy. So it was a natural response for her anticipation to spill over and cause her to peak for just a few moments as they practiced. I don't think it was luck that allowed me to catch that precious moment (and a few that followed). I believe it's because I'm friend's with Sarah.

And, because Sarah knew me, she was comfortable in expressing and responding to and in her excitement.

That's a moment you want to remember forever.

Knowing a person, or a couple, allows you to almost predict some of their most quirky or intimate emotional responses to situations. You can catch that glance across the room - or the knowing look of "I love you" - it becomes natural to anticipate a priceless exchange about to take place when you know who those people are.

Knowing the couples we work with also makes the wedding day that much more exciting. They know they can ask me for just about anything; and when I tell them it's time to go take their couples shots it's a moment their excited about.

So whether I've known you for five minutes, or five years, understand that my goal is to get to know you and your fiance so I can so truthfully and beautifully represent your love.

Micah & Rachel's E-Session

I had so much fun meeting and photographing Micah and Rachel for their engagement session Monday night. We meet down at the Bay Theater in Seal Beach, CA.

Rachel told me that she loves old movies and that they both enjoy the beach - so I knew almost instantly that this would be a great location for them.

We had a lot of fun and after Monday night it's obvious how much these two love each other; and I can't wait to photograph their wedding next month at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach. Congrats you two!

Take a look at their E-Session slide show below!

Jack & Ashleigh's Wedding

Jack and Ashleigh are an amazing couple. These two are the definition of flexible and adaptable.

Their October 12 wedding, which was set to take place at the lovely Mt. Terrace facility in Woodside, CA, had some unexpected weather changes. Instead of the beautiful outdoor wedding they had planned, at the last minute it was transitioned into a beautiful indoor wedding at the venue due to the downpour of rain that happened just hours before their ceremony was set to begin.

This slide show reflects their inner characters. You'll see their love, joy and excitement - despite what others who are less adaptable may have considered as a disappointing situation.

Congratulations you two!

Wedding Tip or Trick of the Week

Wow! So last week's post on how to work with those around you to make your day fabulous went so well I'm venturing on to the second edition of this weekly blog post.

In today's editorial I want to talk about how to schedule enough time in your day to get the photos you want (and paid for).

It makes me so sad when a couple has invested so much time and money into finding the photographer they can't wait to work with, only to have enough time for a 5-minute session of just the two of you on your wedding day when you were probably hoping for so much more when you booked this amazing photographer.

Now, a skilled professional can do wonders even with only 5-minutes (I speak from experience), but I guarantee that a majority of the images you swooned over on their website were from weddings and couples that scheduled in time for their photos. So, how does a couple that's short on time "budget" for a lengthy photo-op session with their amazing photographer on the big day? Simple (but I make no promises on this being easy).

See Each Other Before the Wedding. Now I've been a long time advocate of not seeing one another before the ceremony - that's how we did it at our wedding - but I must say that there is an art to doing your portraits this way, and if successfully and artistically accomplished it can be a beautiful moment that you would have otherwise missed.

Here's how it works:

*Schedule your portraits to take place several hours before your ceremony (3-hours is comfortable). Meet your beloved at a designated place with just you two and your photographer. By meeting while your photographer is present you can capture an amazing moment in time - the groom seeing his bride for the first time, the bride seeing her groom all dressed up. And the best part? No one to interrupt this precious moment that you two share once in your lifetime (only your photographer present to document it all). Then take the rest of the hour, while you're still drinking in the moment, to take the rest of your photos together. No pressure, no tight schedules, no guests to mingle with from out of town.

*Schedule your bridal party to arrive a couple of hours before the ceremony. Meet up, all dressed up, and take the group photos at this time. Again, no pressure, no tight schedules - only time to get creative!

*Lastly, schedule your immediate family members to arrive about 1-hour before your ceremony. If there are any shots left before you have to get prepared for the ceremony those can now be taken after the ceremony, or later during the reception.

Now this plan takes a lot of preparation - making sure bridal party members and family know where and when to arrive ahead of time. And, here's the key, making sure you're ready on time! But if you plan for delays (trying telling your hair stylist and makeup artist you need to be ready one hour before you actually need to be ready) everything will run smoothly.

Not only will you get treasured photographs of you and your love seeing each other all dressed up for the first time, your wedding planner will thank you for not running 20-minutes behind due to family formals, and you'll be able to enjoy the presence of your friends and family during the cocktail hour and reception.

Evan & Nicole's E-Session

Evan and Nicole - thank you two for the amazing time Sunday!

We had a blast on their e-session shoot in Santiago Oaks Regional Park. This place is beautiful and I highly recommend visiting soon!

Check out their slide show too, just below.

Wedding Tip or Trick of the Week

So I'm starting a new thing. With my new schedule (yea freedom!) I'm all about new things lately; but I just ate some 71% Cocoa from Venezuela so we'll see how this goes.

I talk with so many different brides each week - some first timers, some getting married for the second time, some who don't have any time to plan to those who keep their binders with them constantly (you know who you are - I was one of you, too!).

But for all these different women, one thing remains pretty consistent - this is one, if not the, first wedding you've ever planned. Your biggest birthday party to date probably hasn't had as much detail or thought gone into it as this one day event in which you go from Ms. to Mrs. And rightfully so - this is a life changing day. It should be grand (albeit, not necessarily grandeur); whether large or small it should be meaningful to you and your Mr.

So how does one go about planning this once in a lifetime event? Simply.

How does one got about planning this once in a lifetime event simply? Find people you trust to help make it happen so you don't have to do it all.

So often the person you hire to do your cake, your hair, the DJ or your photographer (eh, 'em...such as yours truly) are FILLED with ideas, wisdom and a genuine willingness to help you ! Please ask us! That's why we're professionals - although we have not necessarily planned the entirety of a wedding hundreds of times, within our respective fields we've worked with and been a part of hundreds of weddings. We may even know how to do something you haven't hired us for just because we are consistently, and because we love, being at weddings.

Let me give you an example: just the other weekend I was with a couple and as they were getting ready to cut their cake they said out loud, "How are we supposed to do this?" Friends and family just stood there with the look of, "We have no idea," on their faces. So I was given the opportunity to lean in and quietly make a suggestion. They laughed and proceeded to have a glorious time at it.

So, as my files upload to Pictage for Wes and Tessa (see previous post for link to slide show), I urge you who are in the midst of planning - ask me. I may not always have the answer, but I'm sure willing to help you find it. :)


Blessings,
Christine Smith