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WWW.NATIONALWEDDINGPHOTOGRPAHERS.COM
Each day I continue to receive more e-mails in reference to being listed on www.nationalweddingphotographers.com. A site for wedding photographers to be listed. But only the best wedding photographers… Recently we had redgeckostudio.com come on board. One of the top wedding photographers in Wisconsin, a couple more Indiana Wedding Photographers, South Carolina Wedding Photographers coming around and more.
This blog will continue to be filled with some great tips but I also felt like sharing the great news about more wedding photographers at National Wedding Photographers Website.
WWW.TABPHOTOGRAPHIC.COM
As a wedding photographer in new England that shoots around the country I often get many questions about other parts of the wedding day and needs. I refer to many great sites for answers if I don’t know them and below you’ll find one. So from a wedding photographer in Ct. you get some wedding gown tips…
PERFECT WEDDING DRESSES
Choosing wedding dresses is one of life’s most pleasurable dilemmas. Getting it right, however, takes some planning – and a little expert advice. Here’s a crash course in bridal wear.
Your wedding dresses provides a chance to dress completely different than you do on any other day in your life, so feel free to pursue your bridal fantasies when you start shopping. Experiment with different styles to see what suits your figure, and don’t rule anything out based on how it looks on a hanger — many wedding dresses look odd without a figure filling them out.
How formal is your wedding? Generally, the more formal the wedding, the more formal the bride’s wedding dresses. Also, keep the season of your wedding in mind, since some wedding dress fabrics might be too heavy or light for certain times of the year.
Consider your comfort, both physical and emotional. All eyes will be on you throughout your big day, so this might not be the best occasion to wear your first strapless wedding dresses. And a body-skimming sheath won’t let you kick up your heels on the dance floor as freely as you might like. In each wedding dress you try on (and later at the actual fittings), try sitting, dancing, and hugging. Wave your arms around to make sure the shoulders and sleeves aren’t binding. Pay attention to weight — will wearing pounds of beading leave you exhausted? Will a full skirt present a tripping hazard? Does the wedding dresses shape cry out for a higher heel than you care to wear? In general, try to visualize yourself wearing the wedding dress throughout your ceremony and reception. When the picture is right, you’ll know it.
Have the Wedding Dress Flatter Your Figure
Wearing the right cut for your body type can highlight your best features and downplay those you’re concerned about.
The Triangle (small on top, heavier on the bottom)
The key here is to have the wedding dresses balance your proportions. Broaden and emphasize your top half with full sleeve treatments, padded shoulders, or pouf sleeves that extend your shoulder line, and a textured bodice accented with lace overlays, appliqués, and beadwork. Elongated bodices and skirts with controlled fullness will emphasize your waist and de-emphasize your hip area. Avoid set-in sleeves and narrow shoulders, skirts with side panels or excess fullness, and body-hugging sheaths — they’ll make you look disproportioned.
The Inverted Triangle (fuller on top, narrow hips)
In order to de-emphasize your shoulder area and give more width to your lower body, look for wedding gown with minimal shoulder details, simple sleeves, moderate padding, and natural shoulder lines. Simple bodices, with accents kept to a minimum, will draw less attention to your top. For better overall proportion, wear a full skirt or a style with skirt details such as peplums, bustles, sashes, and bows. Avoid wedding dresses with full sleeves, slim, straight skirts, empire waistlines, and plunging necklines.
The Rectangle (nearly equal bust and hips, minimal waist definition)
To create the illusion of curves, look for full, voluminous skirts with jewel or bateau necklines. Horizontal detailing will draw the eye across the body and combat vertical body lines, and oversized shoulders and sleeves will add width to your top and shape to your overall appearance. Avoid slim silhouettes or wedding dresses in soft, clingy fabrics that will only make you appear too thin and narrow.
The Hourglass (small waist, full hips and bust)
To maximize your curves and maintain balance, look for wedding dresses with simple, classic lines like sheaths and mermaid styles — too much detailing can make you look heavier than you really are. Show off your shoulders with off-the-shoulder sleeves, v-necklines, and strapless wedding dresses. Avoid wedding dresses with very full or ruffled skirts, pouf sleeves, highly detailed bodices, and high necklines that cover the shoulder area and minimize the bust.
Camouflaging Concerns
Petite figures are lengthened in controlled-but-full skirts with minimal details. Basque waistlines, simple sleeves, modestly detailed shoulders, vertical pleating, and a-line or princess silhouettes elongate the torso and add height. For slim petites, the sheath or mermaid style is ideal.
Full figures look best in fitted v-neck bodices and dropped v-waistlines. Full skirts camouflage hips and thighs and shoulder pads make waists look smaller. Styling details around the neckline draw the eye up. Long sleeves tapering toward the wrist slenderize arms; avoid strapless or sleeveless wedding dresses which only emphasize fullness. Opt for wedding dresses where the fabric drapes gracefully to the floor instead of ones that are form-fitting, body-hugging.
Minimize a thick waist with an empire waistline. Princess-style wedding dresses elongate a short waist and lengthen the torso. Long waists look shorter when the waistline is cut above the torso, as in a basque-waist wedding gown. To slim heavy hips, try a full-but-controlled skirt without bows, flounces, or ruffles.
A full bust is flattered in an off-the-shoulder portrait or v-neckline with minimal detailing. Small busts look larger when accentuated with intricate details and on-the-shoulder necklines.
Finishing Touches
Once you’ve chosen a wedding gown, the salon will order it and then custom-fit it to your body once it arrives. Typically, you’ll require three fittings before your wedding gown is ready. It’s best to bring the lingerie and shoes you’ll wear with your wedding dress to your fittings so that you can see how the entire ensemble looks together. (If you’re not sure what kind of undergarments your wedding dress requires, ask your fitter for advice.) It’s also a good idea to bring your mother or maid of honor to your second or final dress fitting so she can learn how to help you get into your wedding gown and how to bustle your train, if necessary.
Even if your wedding dress is ready well in advance, resist the urge to pick it up until the week of your wedding. Your bridal salon is better equipped to store your wedding dress properly than you are, and you wouldn’t want it to get wrinkled or crushed in your closet.
No Regrets: Finding The Perfect Wedding Dress
Don’t make up your mind for or against any wedding dress without trying it on. Hangers just don’t do justice to some wedding dresses, and others may not flatter your figure as you’d hoped.
It’s nice to bring your mother or maid of honor along for a second opinion (and some major bonding) while wedding gown shopping, but make sure you stay true to your own style and aren’t swayed by their comments, or by those of the salespeople. Do not allow yourself to be talked into anything — if you’re not positive about a wedding dress, keep looking.
Don’t worry if you feel a touch of buyer’s remorse after you choose your wedding dress — it’s a big commitment and it’s natural to wonder if you made the right choice. Focus on how you felt when the wedding dress was on and you realized it was the one, and the doubts will fade away.
Top trends:
- Bare arms. The look of the moment is sleeveless, with a tank bodice or narrow straps, regardless of the season. Strapless wedding dresses are also popular, often paired with a wrap made of a length of sheer fabric.
- A-line, sheath and bias-cut shapes. Cinderella is dead, done in by simpler, sleeker columns and more natural silhouettes.
- High-quality fabrics. Simpler styles demand finer fabrics. High-quality silk satins, peau de soie and crepe have the necessary substance to fall gracefully.
Sweeping veils, headpieces. A long trail of tulle makes the ideal counterpoint to today’s smoother wedding dresses. The same goes for headpieces, now available in an array of lustrous, contemporary designs.
Wise brides have budgets
Often brides end up spending more for their wedding dress than they intended. The industry is geared to make it happen. In a shop filled with wedding dresses between $800 and $5,000, a $2,000 price tag can look like a bargain. Determine your budget before you set foot in a bridal shop and stick to it. What to expect in your range:
$500 and under. Brides with small budgets have more options than you might imagine. Outlets and discount houses are obvious sources of low-budget bridal wear. Brides low on funds but high on ingenuity troll vintage shops and online mail-order sources for bridal bargains. And non-traditionalists often find that a few hundred dollars buys a knockout evening gown that’s better made than bridal wear at twice the price (see Anything goes).
$500 to $1,500. The zone where what you get for your dollar varies most, depending on where you buy. At mainstream retail shops, brides will find many designer labels for under $800, usually in good-quality synthetics. Above that threshold, most wedding dresses are made of silk. Popular heavy silk satins commonly command $1,000. Discount outlets and mail-order houses frequently sell the same styles for 20 to 30 percent less. Another excellent option: custom-made bridal wear. Most brides don’t realize that independent couturiers can design a one-of-a-kind, made-to-measure wedding dress for less than designer gowns of similar or inferior fabrics and quality. Why? No advertising, no middleman.
$1,500 and up. Wedding dresses this costly should be made of excellent fabrics, drape beautifully and exhibit carefully finished seams and handwork. Retail shops offer countless designer gowns in this range, but unless you crave labels, it makes more sense to have a dress custom made for you. You’ll get more for your money. Full service bridal shops usually offer custom gown design. Independent couturiers – often artists of supreme skill – are an even better bet.
Three low-budget tips:
1. Embellish an off-the-rack dress. Hire a seamstress to add trimmings, or do it yourself.
2. Wear something borrowed. Have your mother’s, grandma’s, sister’s or aunt’s dress fitted to you.
3. Order a designer bridesmaid gown in ivory or white.
The above article is from www.mrsparty.com
For all of your photography needs
There comes a time when one must go from being a Ct. wedding photographer to a Ct. portrait photographer. Not that I’m one over the other at any point in time, but more so the fact that wedding season is, for the most part, wrapping up.
What does that mean? Really, it means that it’s time to get all the wedding albums out, shoot all the portrait sessions that I have lined up in the new portrait studio located in Real Artways on Arbor St. in Hartford, and enjoy each and every minute of the winter season. And really, just make it a superfantabulous winter!!!
Really, that’s what being one of so many Ct. Photographers is all about. Speaking of which, I recently joined a very large group of wedding photographers where we are all quite talented. So while I too am a destination wedding photographers and have a Florida wedding or two booked, a New Mexico wedding, New Hampshire wedding Newport Rhode Island wedding and more booked. Well, when it comes right down to it, if I’m booked and not available for your wedding, I’ll hunt down the right shooter for you out of all my new wedding photographers that have become close friends. After all, that’s what it’s about. Finding the right wedding photographer for you. So again, you can easily view www.tabphotographic.com for my work and we can chat about your needs, or like I said, I can also help you find a different wedding photographer to fit your needs. Just give us the chance.
I am pretty sure that the coming months will be filled with thoughts and memories of looking back over the year and all the weddings I shot.
And I just came across an article which made me really look back and think about all the cool escort cards that were at each wedding. For the most part, all different than any other wedding. The escort card is such a great way to take your motif and spread it even further. Maybe even giving the guests a look at what’s to come. Below is a bunch of photos from the article which was written on the knot. Not much of an article than it was a bunch of great wedding photography shots of said cards.
So with out a doubt, being a Ct. wedding photographer and destination wedding photographer is a great thing. What other professions do you get to be thrown into a new enviroment with new details, new faces and new smiles each and every day? That’s surely part of my life as a wedding photographer in Ct.
It’s been a fun season of wedding photography and recently I’ve been hearing a ton of great feedback. But not only that, in the past two weeks I’ve heard my business spoken of on a much larger scale. From Wedding photographer in Florida. to Boston Wedding Photographer to Destination wedding photographer. Now some of you may ask why that’s such a great thing??? Quite simply because I’m based out of Ct. and began on a much smaller scale as a Ct. wedding photographer in Central Ct. but have had things just blossom into pure greatness!!!
Now the other thing that I have come across with the past 3 weddings I have shot is more important to you. From wedding dresses to wedding cakes to wedding hair styles. There are many things to consider and make out the way you want them. And HAIR seems to have been a big one in the last 3. Not because they were super picky, but because they didn’t like their hairstyle on their wedding day. So I have a couple quick and simple tips…
Don’t get your hair cut right before your wedding. Weeks before, yes if you much. But not with in a week. Or even two. ( I had a bride with new bangs and she hated them on her wedding day. They wouldn’t do what they wanted because they were used to being pulled back as longer hair. She didn’t know how to style them and they frustrated her beyond belief for her day)
Do a test run on your hair. Make sure you like the style, make sure you like the stylist and make sure it is how you want to look in your wedding photography for years to come. You don’t want to be looking back at your wedding pictures with this “uggg… is that me” thought… Most recently I had a bride who had her hair all styled and when the sylist left the room she started to take it all apart to make it look the way she wanted. When in reality, he should have done that in first place.
And last but not least, don’t colour your hair the day before your wedding. Give it some time to tone down and work for you. A bride coloured her hair for her wedding day, only to then have redish orange hair with darker eyebrows that she used a redish orange makeup pencil to colour in her eyebrows to look a bit more like her hair… Just didn’t make for a good combination….
So while yes, I’m just a New England wedding photographer in Southern New England. I also run into these situations more often than I would like. I guess it’s just a good thing that I keep the bobby pins, hairspray, stain stick and more in my camera bag huh…
I completely understand when people believe I’m just a Ct. wedding photographer in Central Ct. But here’s the thing, really two things, The first, I don’t believe that there’s a “JUST” to being a wedding photographer. It is, after all, one of the most important factors to a wedding day. The other is being located in Ct.
I was recently asked about a wedding I shot in Portland Oregon. Just about as far away as I can get while staying in the country. They wanted to know why I enjoyed being a destination wedding photographer. And I guess the first thing that I loved was how one couple knew me as a ct. wedding photographer while now, this other couple knows me as a destination wedding photographer.
Really they’re both one in the same but I’m sure, if you asked any of the destination wedding photographers out there, it’s about so many great things. From the aspects of travel, to the new location, to still being part of your day. When shooting a wedding that’s out of my area it becomes more of a journey. A journey that brings me into this couples day, so much closer.
So what is it about being a destination wedding photographer that I love??? Quite simply, the adventure, being invited into a couples day and capturing the adventure they’re on. The moments, the energy of this new location and the love of coming together while away in a distant location. All so great!!!
So you’re ready. You’ve enjoyed the first couple weeks of your newly engaged status and you’re ready to tackle your dream day. Just remember through all of this that it’s your dream day and you shouldn’t let anyone or anything take that away from you. Take on what you can when you can and know that it will all fall into place as it should…
However, in order for everything to fall in place, you need to know what that everything is. And you can’t really determine that everything before setting up a budget. Believe me, as one of many wedding photographers across the US, we hear of budgets and try to work with budgets the best we can.
First things first, is the word around the country. And that word is about the average wedding. Maybe you’ll want to sit down for this, but the average wedding at this time is around $29,000.00. Typing that tells me why the budget is the most stressful part of the entire set, so hopefully I can share some words of advice with you to help assist your day.
First things first is setting the budget and to do so you need to sit down with everyone involved. It’s the oldschool way to say that one certain family covers the cost for everything. With the cost of weddings rising, the amount of people helping on the financial side has also gone up… (thankfully)…
Now that you have come up with a realistic budget that works for everyone involved, it’s time to determine where that money is going and to allocate it to the correct pieces and parts of your day. Sit down and come up with a list of items and details that you will need for your day and how much, roughly, you’ll have to allocate to each one. (I have a great spreadsheet that I share with my brides that I would be more than happy to e-mail you. Just shoot me an e-mail and I’ll get it out your way) From there, really look at your list with your fiance and determine what the most important parts of your day would be. Much like I do as a wedding photographer with all of my brides. I don’t believe in packages A, B, or C because I don’t believe each individual couple has the same thoughts and or needs for their wedding photography.
From there, you’ll need to set up a reliable way to to account for each and every part of your wedding day and the budget. There is software out there to help with that or just a simple spreadsheet will do. But something that will keep it all under control is a must!!!
If the money is something that is already there, put it in the bank! And not in one of your pre-existing accounts but an account for your big day. That’s the only reason that account will exist. Don’t use money out of it for gas, food, or anything else. Let it accrue intrest and stay safe.
If you’re starting with nothing and need to work it up, plan on putting a piece of every paycheck into the account. And think about paying for as much as possible with a credit card that will supply frequent flier miles, cash back or another useful bonus. But what ever you do… TRACK IT ALL!!!!
Shine on,
~Tim
NEXT Wedding tip coming up – Saving $$$ tips
I can’t say as it’s an easy thing, choosing a wedding florist and all… Let’s face it though, you want flowers, you almost need flowers. So what do you do? Where do you start? What kind of flowers, what florist??? First things first, you obviously have a theme you want to go with. Colours you want to use and an over all appearance that you’re trying to make work. So go with it. But if you really want to make your day something else, ask florists about flowers you may not see every day or at every wedding. Sure, late summer into early fall you have sunflowers that are beautiful. But the rest of the year, put the work into their hands. Have things ordered. But do so in time that the flowers will actually be there. But the other key, is the florist themselves. Look at many, DO NOT CHOOSE the first one. You may see the flowers and they may look beautiful, but STOP, you’ll think that about all florists. Look at the bouquets they’ve created in the past. Look at the details of how they wrapped the stems. That’s one thing I’ve seen as a wedding photographer is the bouquets not really holding together through the night. Where at other weddings they’re as this as a brick! Ask them how long they will have the flowers before your wedding. That last thing you want is flowers that are already wilted. Ask them how they will transport them. Many florists just lay the flowers in boxes and drop them off. The flowers sit for a few hours in these dry boxes and start to wilt right then and there. My mother has done flowers for many weddings. It’s not her career, she does it out of her garage but you know what, never is a flower delivered that isn’t in water. From the bouquets to the center pieces. They’re in water until the last minute. PERIOD! I can’t say as if this was the most informative, but the point I’m trying to get across is simple. ASK QUESTIONS. A flower is not a flower is a flower… Ask where the flowers come from, how long they’ll have them pre-wedding, how they will be transported, what kind of fillers are going to be used, what is a back up plan if special order flowers don’t come through??? ASK ASK ASK…
Excerpt
As a wedding photographer I see all toooooo often photography being put on the back burner while the wedding dress, the cake, the reception venue and more take center stage. I don’t say this because I’m a wedding photographer, I say this as an individual that wants you to have the best memories captured! PUT THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY on the top of your list. There are many reasons for this, some of which are outline below, but before we go any further I want you to just think about it from one direction…
3-7-15 years from now, the day will be way in the past… Now stop, what will you have to remember YOUR day, possibly the day you dreamed of your entire life??? You’ll most likely have the dress, heck, you may even still have the top of the cake in the freezer…. What you won’t have are all the small details, you won’t have the DJ, you won’t have the food, you didn’t purchase the venue where the reception was held, nor the Limo, the church and more. But what you will have are the photos. You’ll have the wedding photos which you will have hopefully looked through since your day. So now the question is, do you want photos that are just that, photos, or do you want so many of the moments, the laughs, the smiles and the details in beautiful pieces of work? The photography truly is one of the few things you’ll still have years down the road. And below are a few tips to help you find the right photographer… Before those are 3 simple guide lines that I like to pass along…
- LIKE THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WORK!
- LIKE THE PHOTOGRAPHER SO THAT EVERYONE GETS ALONE
- And last but not least, MAKE SURE IT WORKS FOR YOUR BUDGET
- In my eyes it’s advisable that you begin looking for a wedding photographer the second you get engaged. Why? Quite simple, first off, the more you get done and the sooner it happens, the less stress you have in the future. Secondly, wedding photographers book up fast, at least the great wedding photographers. We’re not even done with 2008 yet and I personally have weddings booked into 2010! The photographer you find should provoke a reaction with in you, and not a bad one.
- Find out how much experience the photographer has, not saying that in-experienced photographers don’t know what they’re doing. I mean heck, we all needed to start some where. But what I can say on a personal level from as a wedding photographer is that experience means we know where to be and when to be there. We can generally be ready for shots before you even know what’s about to happen. Let alone knowing how to work with other vendors on your day, the schedule, not being in anyones way and more.
- Studios which employ more than one photographer can be a bit shady. Why? Because at times you never really know who’s going to show up to shoot your day. They can promise one person and have another show up and more. How would you feel with a stranger walking into your day??? Let alone following you around for the entire day. God forbid you not get along with said photographer.
- Make sure you know what you’re getting. Now adays with digital, most photographers include all images on CD, just make sure you also share the rights so that you can print images if you so feel the need. Get everything in writing, no verbal promises at all!
- Get a contract and book with a deposit. Wedding photographers truly do book their days fast and you don’t want to spend all this time finding the right photographer only to lose them to another wedding because you didn’t leave a deposit and get a contract.
- Make sure to schedule all the time you want. From before the ceremony through the reception. I personally don’t believe in setting strict time limits, but you will find some photographers that put 6-8-10 hours time limits with no wavering. 6 hours hits and they’re gone!
Honestly, I could go on, but that’s a good place to start… Just find someone that you like, has great work and fits with your budget and style!!!
Shine on,
~Tim
I know, it’s crazy. I don’t know why but I continue to come back to wedding cakes…. Who knows, if I had to take a guess though, well, it’s really quite simple. I’ve been shooting a ton of weddings and seeing a ton of cakes. Not to mention this show we’ve been watching, I want to say it’s on the discovery channel? Not sure? But it’s all about cakes and many cake making competitions! Seriously unreal. Makes me think, hey, I can be a wedding photographer and a cake designer in one stop! HAH! Of course next would have to come florist and then why stop there, I might as well get ordained. LOL…
Anyway, Cakes, Love them! A video?? Heck yea! Right here!
And check out these pics!!!! http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/category/pastry-images/wedding-cakes
And on an important note, keeping your cake in budget from elegala.com!
Ways to Save – 7 Wedding Cake Budget Tips
Let them eat wedding cake – without eating up your wedding budget…
Your wedding cake should be eye-catching, fabulous, and of course, tasty too! And just like every other aspect of your wedding day – costs can creep skyward. But don’t let a tight budget stand between you and the ultimate wedding cake. Size and design are the main determinants in wedding cake cost. You can play with these elements to create a confection that is super-fab….and kind to your catering tab.
Have your cake (and eat it too) with these budget saving tips:
Cut that Guest List
As with all cost-per-person aspects of your wedding, narrowing down your guest list will result in significant wedding cake savings. Less mouths to feed = less slices; you get the idea. And any cake cutting fee, typically charged on a per slice bases as well, will also be reduced.
Hip to be Square
Square wedding cakes yield more slices than round ones. So go square – and make a deliciously modern statement!
Go Natural
Hand-constructed gum paste or sugar paste flowers can quickly rack up your wedding cake cost. Substitute these costly adornments with fresh fruits and flowers – an inexpensive option that is equally stunning.
Keep It Simple
While intricate, over-the-top cakes evoke the ultimate in wedding day opulence, today’s shift towards modern minimalism can foray into the world of cake design. Simple wedding cakes can be deliciously chic. So lose the ornate adornments and infinite skyward-stretching tiers, and opt for a clean design with an impeccably smooth surface. Add simple details such as a Swiss dot pattern or wide ribbon around the base. Stick to one flavor, as multiple flavors will increase the bottom line.
One Stop Shopping
If your wedding venue offers an onsite caterer, employ their services for your confection as well, and save on delivery and service fees. You will also ward off chances for a transportation mishap – a headache you surely want to avoid on the big day. Many reception sites offer a wedding cake as part of their package deal, so be sure to inquire when scouting reception sites. You can find more questions to ask your reception site here.
“Dummy Cakes”
Fancy a towering and dramatic wedding cake but don’t want to shell out the extra cash? Instead of paying for extra layers, ask your baker to create faux layers consisting of iced Styrofoam. Trust us – your guests will never be the wiser; it will be our little secret.
Outside the Proverbial Cake Pan
Of-the-moment brides are breaking with tradition and forgoing the cake all together – presenting instead pies or pastries on tiered platters as the centerpieces of their wedding receptions. Depending on your selection, this can be an uber-chic way to save. Dare we say it, even doughnuts are in vogue and have been spotted at some of the poshest black tie events!
And I even wrote an article on ehow.com about choosing the right cake. Just a cake filled week huh. http://www.ehow.com/how_4575483_choose-wedding-cake.html
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