Nicol & Joell - September 27, 2008

I loved working with Joell & Nicole! I spent the entire day with them.  It was a lovely traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Elizabeth Seton and the reception was at Glen Eagle Country Club.  

The truth about Sarah Palin

Urgent!!! Hey people,  please go out and buy the October issue of Rolling Stone magazine and read the article about Sarah Palin (or go to your local mega bookstore and read it) -  please if you haven't registered to vote do it this week and exercise your right and privilege to vote!!!! 

Hair and makeup - don't be late for your wedding!!!

Getting your hair and makeup done on your wedding day should be an fun and easy.  You should feel like a princess afterwards, pampered and pretty.  Your hair should look beautiful and your make up should be natural and comfortable.   However, it is super important that you do a trial run before the wedding, to avoid common mishaps.  The worst things that I have seen?  I've seen a bride break out in hives because she was allergic to the makeup artist's products.  I've seen a bride in tears because she hated her hair.  I've seen a bride getting hair extensions the day of and be one and a half hours late to her own wedding.  I've seen a bride's mascara running down her face from crying during the ceremony because it wasn't waterproof. I've seen make up get cakey and smeared in the heat and humidity!  If you are wearing your hair down, flyaway hairs are a concern if you are on the beach and it's hot and breezy. The hair sticks to the face.  It can create a mustache effect when you have a tendril cross over the face, usually crossing an eye, and above the lip. Sounds freaky, but I've seen it so many times!     I've had a bride try colored contacts on her wedding day, which irritated her eyes and turned them bright red, swollen and bloodshot. MAJOR ISSUE:  If your bridesmaids are getting their makeup and hair done also, please start early!  I've seen brides running so late because everyone else was taking so long with their hair and make up.  It's a nice idea to have everyone get their hair and make up done, but it is the bride's day, and it should NEVER hold you up and make you late for your own wedding!!  I'm not going to show you any disaster pictures, but here are a few pix of  recent brides who did good! They had updos that looked young and pretty, and makeup that was simple, and elegant! 

Wedding photographers are miracle workers

Do you ever watch America's Next Top Model?  This is a good example of how, even in a controlled environment - amazing sets, lighting, make up and hair artists, clothing stylists, time and top photographers- it's hard to get a great photo of someone! Like most of you,  a lot those girls have never modeled. Most people are not celebrities, actors or models who are used to constantly being in front of the camera, are comfortable with strangers snapping pictures of them all day long and are posing even when they are not posing. Try this with a multitude of uncontrolled and different backdrops, lighting challenges, heat, humidity, stress, a big white dress and only one chance to get the shot and the task is daunting!   Sometimes I get to a wedding and have never met the bride face to face, especially if it's a destination wedding.  But experienced wedding photographers have mastered these exact situations,  and this is why you need to get an experienced professional photographer!  When I started in this business in 2003, there were a handful of amazing photographers in town, most still shooting film.  Now with cheap digital SLR cameras available, it's become a lucrative weekend job for a lot of soccer moms and amateur photographers.  For a few hundred dollars, you can get a website.  You can even buy stock photography wedding pictures for your site!  Chances are if you find someone charging a whole lot less than normal, they are not an experienced professional.  Just because the pictures are on someone's site doesn't mean they took them.  Get professional references in addition to bridal references, from wedding planners & venues.  Ask to see several entire real weddings (should be at least 300-800 pictures). A good photographer won't hesitate to show you complete weddings.  Do an internet search of your wedding photographers, this will help you determine if they have experience, have been published, and are legitimate. If you can, meet with your wedding photographer, and look at their work.  They should have an extensive display collection to show you.  You may see these pictures that I've posted on another photographers website - Last year I was considering going into business with some people and I had given them some pictures to use for the website (they were not photographers).  IF you want to know who it is, feel free to contact me and I'll tell you. The partnership did not work out, but now they have a website in which 90% of the pictures are my pictures from weddings they weren't even at!  So please be careful and hire an established experienced photographer!  

Wedding Photojournalism

Most of what photographers do at weddings could be called wedding photojournalism.  We're there to document the day as it unfolds.   Of course the group shots will have to be set up,  I like to have a half hour alone with the bride and groom to do the "romance" shots.  Shots of each of you, some traditional poses, some high fashion/magazine looks and some action shots. I'll give you some direction, and through this we will have captured moments that look like they happened naturally. I'm not saying that those moments won't be happening all day in the presence of all your family, friends and guests.  I like it when my couples see each other before the ceremony in an intimate setting.  It's an amazing moment when you see each other in your wedding garb on your wedding day.  There is an air of excitement and anticipation, not only of your wedding ceremony but your whole life together!  It is so meaningful!   Sometimes it's hard to experience a true intimate moment when there are a couple hundred of your guests watching, not to mention the distractions that you will have.  My advice is to be present in the moment - smile & be happy, linger in the looks, hugs, embraces, let the tears flow, and don't sweat the small stuff, like a little dirt on the bottom of your dress! It should be the most amazing day of your life and hopefully you will savor every minute.