Include Personality and Theme Photos in Your Wedding Album

Why not remember the excitement of your wedding through fun pictures instead of the customary stock photos?  Traditional wedding photos are wonderful, but they are not the only memories to have.  It’s your day!  What better way to remember it than celebrating your personality through your wedding photos? From the Converse wearing crew, to the cigar celebrating groomsmen with superhero bridesmaids, and the beauty of the beach bride, your personality should not be hidden.

Do you have something to enthuse over with your significant other- like a sports team or a movie character? Bring the things you love to your wedding for an amazing time! A great example would be a wedding around a couple who grew up lost in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. The magic of the books is not something that can be explained, it can only be shared. Transform the wedding venue to match Hogwarts, The Stark Tower, or The Disney Princess Castle - whatever your personalization calls for. The rest of the photos will add to that theme, adding personality to your wedding album, always remembering the way you once were.

Capture the fun side of your wedding and its guests so that you can be reminded years from now of your important day by allowing the individuality to shine through in your pictures.  Personality photos allow your pictures to speak of your character without you saying a word.

Heading back into our Harry Potter theme, check out this amazing cake as highlighted on offbeatbride.com!

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Photos That Capture The Timeline of Your Wedding

We all know the classic wedding shots that you just have to have. The Bride getting dressed, the bouquet toss, and the cutting of the wedding cake always show up in photo albums because they are key pieces in most cases. Ideally, you'd have photos of every minute of your wedding, but realistically- your big day is much too busy for such a thing. There are a few scenes you must capture in addition to any other photo plans you may have. Taking these photos will ensure you remember the timeline of your wedding night, from beginning to end.

What you can do, is plan a photo for each milestone of the wedding process. Including certain effects will make for beautiful photos in chronological order, allowing you to relive the night with those viewing your album.

Start with the dress- everything starts with the dress! Take a photo of the dress on display, as a symbol of the official start of your wedding day. This is a great introduction or cover photo for scrapbooks as well. 

Dress Photos

Include the guys getting ready as well! Ensure that your photographer catches the mood of the room while they prepare. Even catching something as sweet as groom's mother helping with his tie is enough to pull on the heartstrings.

The Guys Getting Ready

Sneak in to get photos before the reception starts, you'll want to remember everything from the music to the aesthetics of the room. A calm photo of the undisturbed scene will bring back the excitement from before the event.

Reception Display

For your final photos, ensure that you have an exit photo, like the “Just Married” sign heading off into the sunset, or the new bride and groom heading into their new home. Whatever works best for you, end your album with that and use it for follow up “Thank You” cards for your guests. 

Five Must- Have Posed Wedding Photos

For this post, I will take you back to my stance on posed photos. While some poses turn out like stock photos you see in cheap picture frames, others turn out breathtakingly gorgeous and deliver an almost candid feel. 

Bridalguide.com recently posted fifty of the hottest photos and must-have shots. No two shots are alike, and no shot is easily captured, so you're sure to get a wedding portrait free of clichés and cheese. Even posed photos appear candid and offer the same sentimental value as natural poses, when executed properly. I've included some of their examples below for your enjoyment. Browse through my takes on the photos they highlighted, or read the full article here. Leave us a comment and let us know which pose you'd love to have with your new spouse!

The Unconventional Bride & Groom Exit

Petals on the Runway

The Enthusiastic Groom

Shadows at Sunset

Aerial View Photos

The Key to Amazing Wedding Photos

The Key to Amazing Wedding Photos

This is your wedding day; you will be radiating and glowing with happiness naturally- so do not pay attention to the cameras. Whether your photos are posed or candid, try not to think about the smile- just think about your new spouse!

Some women have confidence issues when it comes to sensitive areas like the chin and shoulders. Using angles from above will disguise many minor imperfections that get you down. Another thing to think about is profile. Are you a big fan of your nose or do you prefer distant photos of yourself? If you know you want to avoid profile photos, you can save yourself time for more flattering poses. Arms are another big issue for some brides- so the angles matter for which position you stand in as well. There is no shame in having a few imperfections, especially when looking to hide them in wedding photos. Let your photographer know which poses you have concerns about and why, and you will be on the right track to having stunning photos.

Save The Date DIY Photos & Ideas

Special “Save the Date” Ideas Using Photos

“Save the Date” announcements usually arrive shortly after the proposal. They are a great way to let people know when you plan on getting married, but not in the near future. When the date is not official, but you want your guests to prepare, send this friendly note with a touch of sentiment.

So, what “Save the Date” ideas fit your wedding? Do you have a theme or are you going traditional? These questions are the first of many when sending out your notices. The most important thing is to include a professional photo of the newly engaged couple. This shows your guest that the wedding is concrete even if you have not set plans yet.

“Save the Date” Ideas

·         “Save the Date” Magnets. Use a photo with your significant other to design stunning and fashionable magnets that ask your friends to save your wedding date. They will proudly display them in their homes for years to come. Some magnets cost less than a dollar on websites like Wedding Paper Divas.

·         “Save the Date” Photos. This idea might by my favorite, at risk of sounding biased. Construct a tangible version of the date you plan to marry using DIY projects, and then use the project in the picture. These shots are adorable and timeless, making a perfect save the date notification and a perfect memory.

[Image Courtesy of http://www.bridalguide.com]

·         “Save the Date” Messages. Using photography or Photoshop, create message inside the actual photo that deliver the date. Use objects, inside jokes, or artistic ability to send your message to family members.

Examples:

·         Scrabble Tiles

·         Small Chalkboards

·         Digital Art

[Image Courtesy of FYI]

Posted By: Rick Dean

Pink Wedding Dresses & Other Fabulous Ideas

Colored Dresses & Your Wedding

As weddings continue to head towards unique and innovative, we see less of the usual traditional wedding banalities. For example, brides are not overly impressed with white dresses anymore. Whether it is due to a celebrity, or a lust for originality, brides everywhere are stepping out to break the mold.

Check out some of these beautifully done wedding dresses, with a splash of color.Will you have a beautiful traditional white dress, or a beautiful colored dress? Whatever your choice is, your wedding is your decision, and so sticking to the traditional white is NOT a requirement.

Aside from Jessica Biel, other celebs have donned the pink dresses and they NAILED IT! Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, and Gwen Stefani all had gorgeous memorable dresses that deviated from the usual white dress.

 “I wanted the dress to be very romantic and feminine and a shape that I very rarely wear. I have never been crazy about all-white wedding dresses, for me at least. [Giambattista Valli] had created that same fabric in a fuchsia-and-pink combination for a dress in a previous collection, and I asked him if he could create that same pattern in a white combination, and he suggested pink. It was a bit of a leap of faith at the time, but it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. [Putting it on], I felt like I had made the right choice. I felt elegant. And it moved like a dream.” - Jessica Biel told PEOPLE Magazine

Posted By: Rick Dean

[Images Courtesy of PEOPLE Magazine]

My View on Posed Wedding Photography

I recently had a potential client ask to see more “candid” images from my portfolio as she compared my work to another wedding photographer. She is looking for a photographer for her wedding next fall, and does not like the idea of “posed” images. While I did provide additional images for her to view, I also encouraged her to view a complete set of proofs in the client area of my website. Viewing these photos is the only way for a bride to truly evaluate the manner in which I cover their wedding. I do not miss a single moment. 

Most images captured during a wedding are candid, in that the photographer does not intervene to create the shot.  So what she may be really asking about is more of what I describe as “moment within a moment” shots. I create these shots by capturing real moments like the tear streaming down a father’s cheek as they dance, or the groomsmen pranking the groom.  The bride in a special moment with her maid of honor may be completely missed by another photographer, if he is too focused on making things appear natural. As a wedding photographer, to catch the perfect moments you need to be at the right place at the right time.

Moments like that are priceless and I am always on the lookout for those opportunities. Although, I have to say that throughout most of the day these moments can be few and far between.  Think about it, a wedding is a totally planned, orchestrated event! Everything is scheduled: getting ready, the ceremony, the dances, and toasts from your loved ones. Even the cake cutting, bouquet or garter toss, and formal exit are planned ahead of time, and are often predictable.  This does not leave much room for spontaneity.  

My view is not to interfere, but rather, create opportunities for moments to arise during the times I interact with the couple. I take idea of the moment and make it happen without appearing cheesy or corny; sometimes magical moments reveal themselves that never had a chance to blossom on their own.  Maybe I ask the groom to whisper something to his new bride or I ask the father of the bride to pause before going down the aisle.  I might just ask a bride to simply look at her ring. While the idea is set up, the pose and facial expression come naturally from the flush of emotions. These photos appear candid, even though they were originally planned out.

Also, because I generally shoot with a second shooter, that photographer is tasked with getting unusual angles of classic opportunities; she is also an extra pair of eyes, allowing her to anticipate the “next move” while I am focused on a shot. To help a potential client work through this, I will share a group of images and ask her to pick those that are posed and those that are not posed.  They are all posed to varying degrees by me but that is usually quite a surprise to the potential client.

Look for a photographer that appreciates getting those “moments within a moment”, make sure that you hire the photographer from the beginning to the end. Consider hiring a photographer that has at least a second shooter or even a third.  This prevents missing special moments, candid or not!