Albums
There is nothing more rewarding then to deliver and amazing wedding album to a client. Queensberry is the main company I use for photo albums. Their albums are hand crafted in New Zealand and custom designed by my team and me. I don’t usually talk about wedding albums until after the wedding, because there is no point. Upon meeting my clients I will show my album sample so they can get an idea of the options available to them. As far as the design that’s all done after the fact. There really isn’t anyway to tell what an album is going to look like, how many pages are needed until after the fact.
Every album I’ve created for my clients has been unbelievably stunning.
Professional Photographer
Every year around this time I get flooded with inquires about my wedding packages. I lovingly call this time of year, booking season. Today I had two conversations one with a groom who was telling me that they weren’t happy with their wedding photographer (it wasn’t me) and the other with a bride on a tight budget.
To start, the two conversations go hand in hand. It breaks my heart to hear anyone had a bad experience with their wedding photographer. If someone uses another photographer you still want their wedding to be the most magical day. The bride that contacted me with the tight budget wanted me to drive 1.5 hrs each way, and shoot her wedding for $200.
$200 might cover my gas.
This is what is involved in all my weddings..
Time – Every time I shoot a wedding I spend time beforehand researching the location, checking my gear, checking weather, taking account the timeline and planning my shots. On the wedding day I will run around for 8hrs capturing all those magic moments. After the wedding I will spend about a week editing every single photograph.
Experience – Photography has always been my passion. I graduated for the top photo school in the country. After school I worked for the Top fashion and celebrity photographers in the industry. I started my own business and have been shooting weddings for YEARS.
Cost – I show up to every wedding with over 10k in equipment. I bring lots of back up equipment to insure your memories. I have to pay for things like insurance, advertising, computer equipment, etc… I spend a fortune on hard drive space to insure your memories are backed up in several different places. I even go so far as to store hard drives in multiple locations to protect memories from things like fire.
I’m sorry for the rant. I can’t tell you how much I love what I do! Its such a joy and blessing to be apart of so many special days. Its just so frustrating to think brides have no problem spending their entire wedding budget on a dress, and then they skimp on the photographer. Here is the ugly truth… That dress is going to look so amazing that day but your going to want to burn the photos.
This bride seemed pretty upset when I wouldn’t photograph her wedding for $200 but the truth is I could never offer her quality images at that price. As always I told her that if she did find a photographer that would be willing to shoot her wedding for that price… Please send me their portfolio and I’ll give you an insider perspective. No one ever takes me up on that offer. I guess they think I would rip the photographer apart so they’d hire me. Again the truth is I’ve been hired 4x to reshoot weddings. You can never capture those special moments on a reshoot. Its heart breaking!!! I would rather have someone hire a good photographer to shoot their wedding then hire me to reshoot it.
Just because everyone asks… when we do a reshoot the dress is dry cleaned, flowers are ordered, hair makeup done and a tux is re-rented.
Photography by ….?
I didn’t get a chance to get this little rascals name but I know this camera is not his. Which means some where out there, someone is looking through their photos and is finding a picture of me. (taking a picture of him) I just think this photo is adorable.
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| From Favorites |
Things could always be worse..
As much as we all hope every wedding is picture perfect sometimes things do go wrong. Its important to keep in mind when planning your wedding that everything might not go as planned. From my experience if a bride rolls with it and keep a good attitude they’ll find the humor in it all. Here is a list of the things I’ve seen go wrong at weddings.
– Timelines are always the first to go….
– Drunk Bridesmaids throwing up in the bathroom *only occurs with younger crowds and open bars
– Names Spelt wrong on announcements, invites and information boards
– Missing family members
– Brides dress rips
– Brides dress won’t bustle
– Officiants show up late
o Many times Officiants will do multiple weddings in one day and traffic tends to occasionally hold things up.
– Bride dress day of wont fit
– Strapless Dress is so heavy it keeps falling
– People getting arrested for fighting
– Public screaming matches between the brides family and grooms family
– Rain outdoor ceremony no back up plan
– Air conditioning broken and its about 1000 degrees inside
– Jealous bridesmaid roast
– Unity sand container breaks
– Unity candles go out while trying to light it
– Fist fights where location had to call in additional security
– Flaky bridesmaids being flaky
– Brides late
– Grooms late
– Groom at alter forgets his vow, awkward silence….
– Groom refuses to take sunglasses off during the whole ceremony
– Bride’s mom falls off the chair during the Hora
– Really bad speeches
– Mother-in-law after trying to plan the wedding, calling the bride a bitch, decides to wear a white dress to a wedding
– 1000 degrees in Redlands during August. Outdoor wedding not one umbrella or an ounce of shade.
– Power goes out to the whole neighborhood
– Sprinklers go off during a backyard wedding
– Divorced parents getting upset at one another for bringing dates
When things go wrong I find brides handle it one of two ways.. They laugh it off and the party goes on or they get emotional cry and sometimes scream. Crying and screaming is generally a buzz kill. Guest tend to get freaked and want to leave.
Unity Candle Tips
Lighting a unity candle is an old wedding tradition. Typically there are three candles on a candle labra. Before the wedding ceremony the mother of the groom and the mother of the bride light two candles on either side of the labra. During the ceremony the bride and groom light the candle in the center using the two pre lit candles. The unity candle symbolizes two families joining together. This is a tradition for an indoor ceremony.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen couples attempt to do the unity candle outdoors only to have the wind blow the candles out. Every single time I’ve seen it done in an outdoors ceremony the candles never stay lite. Trust me it’s a really awkward moment when a couple in the middle of their ceremony have their unity candles blow out because of the wind.
Which is why people started doing sand and wine ceremonies. Same exact concept except you don’t have to battle the elements and you avoid awkward moments.
I hope you find this helpful. I’ve been photographing weddings for years and have tons of experience in what works and doesn’t work for weddings.
Los Angeles River Center & Gardens Wedding
Montage Wedding, Laguna Beach
Los Angeles Biltmore Weddings
Vanessa and Ramiro are about the two nicest people in the world and I wish them the very best. second shooter Erin Mc Chesney
Vows 2.0
Found this one in Redbook…Thought it was very cute.
Vows 2.0 – You’d marry him all over again (but make these new promises first)
My darling wife, I swear…
…that you will really enjoy Netflixing The Wire.
…to stop referring to your friends as “The Coven.”
…to never, ever try and pass off a cubic zirconia as the real thing.
…not to tell your grandmother that her wig resembles a giant dirty q-tip.
…that on our anniversary, I will finally wear those tiny, tight boxer briefs you got me, even though their emasculating and should be called “panties.”
My darling husband, I swear…
…that you will really enjoy Netflixing The L Word.
…to say yes more than I say no. To life in general, but specifically to sex.
…not to wake you up at 3 am to ask if you’re having trouble sleeping too.
…that I will stop trying to trick you into eating vegetarian hot dogs because your right they’re kinda gross.
…to give up on marital mind rereading and drip loud, insistent gift hints around Our anniversary.