Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Things We Love #2 -- Don't Forget the Details

To a bride, their wedding can be an exciting affair that goes by quickly, in a whirlwind of emotions.  Brides can easily miss the small but significant details of their own wedding that they planned, from the location of the wedding down to the favors that they plan to give to each and every guest.  They might not get the chance to sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty that they've created especially for this day!

This is precisely why we love "Shooting the Details"! The details are all of the things that tell the story of the wedding day.

Maybe the bride looked high and low to find the one and only vendor that could create a customized banner that illustrates the eternal bond that she shares with her husband to be.

Maybe she selected the perfect pair of shoes that shows her personality through and through.

or maybe, just maybe their shoes tell the story of their courtship...


These are the  memorable moments that add to a compelling story and make their story complete. When a bride looks through her wedding album, and can appreciate how beautiful her wedding day really was, we can be confident in knowing that the details have told a significant part of the story  and will never be forgotten.

 

 

Monday, September 5, 2011

Things We Love #1 - Upcycled Wedding Envelopes

As you know, we are very much conceptual photographers.  That means that we are constantly looking for creative shoot concepts to infuse into the photography coverage on the wedding day.  It doesn't have to be anything major like a styled shoot concept (although we do love styled photo shoots), but something simple and unique in a few of the pre-wedding photographs is always fun.

So for LaDane and Mawuli's wedding we wanted to try this confetti shot that was DIY inspired. Of course we needed confetti, right?  Well! Do you know how hard it is to find cool confetti in this town of ours? We eventually resorted to making our own confetti, which was used in some of the shots, but we also wanted something with bigger paper pieces.  Again, finding it in Bowie....NOT! So, we went to good ol' trusty Etsy.  WE LOVE ETSY!  In fact, ETSY should have been the first post for "things we love!" We clicked on pages, and page, and pages of shops selling confetti, and just as we were nearing the final few pages, we stumbled on Lyndsay's shop, and she had exactly what we wanted in the colors we needed! Yay, Lyndsay! Our Hero!!!

We feverishly ordered the confetti (we're about 6 days out from the wedding at this point) and await its arrival from Canada praying that it arrives in time.  It does. Yay, Lyndsay! Our Hero!!!  But not only does it arrive on time, it arrived in the cutest little bridal envelope made from wedding magazines (so "GREEN").  It was just adorable!

We think these envelopes would be particularly cute for wedding planners. Use them to send notes to your clients!

Check out Lyndsay's Etsy shop HERE !

Here are the envelopes...  By the way, these images are courtesy of Lyndsay herself, who happens to be a photographer.  We LOVE showing LOVE to fellow photographers!!!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Edible Arrangements For the Wedding Day

I wish we could take credit for this brilliant idea, but we can't. We will, however, pass this little tip on so that you can come out looking brilliant and wonderful for your next wedding or event.

We all know the day of the wedding is a bit hectic. Whether you're a bride, a bridesmaid, a groom or a vendor, somehow eating really kind of falls to the bottom of the priority list when you're trying to get prepared to walk down the isle.  Well, at our last wedding, someone was wise and creative enough to put it at the top of their priority list, and what a world of difference it made.

My bride sat there getting her make-up done and all the bridesmaids and groomsmen were scattered throughout various rooms in the house prepping, as well.  The vendors, including, Janna and I, were working extremely hard in 90 degree weather.  Suddenly, in walks someone carrying a huge Edible Arrangements bouquet that had just been delivered to the venue.  What a fabulous sentiment, and the bride was soooooo surprised!!!!   Darn!!!!! Why didn't we think of it???!!!!  Anywho....kudos to whoever  it was that sent the delicious Edible Arrangement.  You are a hero!!!!

Why is it such a great idea...

  1. It's just a sweet (no pun intended) sentiment.  The idea that someone had the forethought to ensure that the bride/groom and bridal party had something to eat, is heartwarming.

  2. It's good, light and quick. No one wants to eat anything too, too heavy prior to the wedding, and on a 90-degree day, like we had, the fruit was very refreshing. As a photographer, it was easy enough to grab a stick and go. Disclaimer: I know some photographers would not dare eat while shooting an event, but in this case, our team arrived extremely early to have some wiggle room. Plus we had the privilege of having the most awesome  bride, groom, wedding party, and mother-of-the-bride who went out of their way to make sure we had eaten and had something to drink.

  3. CONVENIENCE - this is the key selling point for us.  Think about the wedding party, especially the brides, bridesmaids, mother-of-bride/groom, hostesses.  If they're already in full make-up, they need something that they can eat without making too much of a mess of their lipstick and make-up.  Since, the fruit comes on a stick, it's very easy to share and doesn't require anyone to run around looking for plates and forks.


So, that's the story.  Everywhere you looked someone was munching on a stick of refreshing fruit.

If you're a vendor (wedding planner, photographer, make-up artist, caterer), and you want to go above and beyond for your bride and groom, consider having an Edible Arrangement delivered to the wedding venue or wherever the bridal party is getting ready on the day of the wedding.   You're wedding party will be most appreciative.

And because every blog post is better with a picture...