Take A Tour of Debbie and Dave's Wedding

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Let's take a tour of Debbie and Dave's wedding of two weeks ago.....

Debbie wasn't sure if she wanted to do "getting ready" shots as she is camera shy and she thought her girls might be "too much" for me.  lol  No worries, they were very gentle with me.  

The image below shows a bride in deep thought.  It was taken at a hotel in Highland, Indiana.  Debbie was surrounded by family plus me and my assistant.  If she needed privacy, we went outside to take detail shots of her flowers.

Judging from this image, I think her Dad may have been a little bored after deciding to visit his daughter and her bridesmaids.  I love catching these type of candids.

Soon she would be walking down the aisle.  Time for some detail shots of the shoes resting on her dress.

It's obvious that Debbie adores her Dad, so I was glad to have caught this shot in the Jury Room of the Criminal Court Building in Gary, Indiana where the ceremony took place.

Meanwhile, Dave - our groom was anxiously awaiting everything to begin.  He was being tugged all over the place by friends and family.  I was lucky to have caught him alone in this shot.

Now, onto the main event....

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After the ceremony, the nervousness subsided and the laughs began as guests greeted the happy couple.

I surprised the newlyweds by popping into the limo right quick for a candid shot that you don't see too often.

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We then headed for Oak Ridge Prairie in Griffith, Indiana for some formal shots.

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Here is an image that combines a detail shot of the flowers taken at the hotel earlier that day with one from the park.

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Here is a possible Wedding Album cover that I designed for Debbie and Dave to consider.  This is what we discuss at Premiere Night.

By this time, the entire Wedding Party (including the kids) was ready to do just that - party!!!

First dance for Debbie and Dave....

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Guests join in....

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Time to toss that bouquet!!

Below is one of my fave moments of Debbie and Dave.  I wonder what he said to her?!!

I like to capture a little bit of movement of the dancers at the reception...

This last image is one of Debbie and Dave's favorites.  He loves the retro looking black and white and she loves the "old timey" look including her pose.  

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 Thanks for taking the tour!!  Stay tuned, wedding season has just begun!!!

Last Minute Preparation for Wedding Season

Lookout all you brides, here I come!!

Wedding Season begins for me this Saturday with Debbie and Dave.  This will be a short post as I'm in preparation mode for them and my other brides and grooms.

Here is just some of what I'm doing at this time:

• Tonight I visit the site of formal shots at the exact time we will be doing them on Saturday.  I will be taking the bride and grooms shot list along with me, check the outdoor light and the scene in general.
• Charging up the battery for my portable light kit.
• Testing out the specialty lens I rented especially for this occasion.
• Printing out a mini map for the bridal party for the trek from the ceremony to the park for formals.
• Checking the weather.  Getting my umbrellas ready if needed.

 Debbie and I have already been in contact this past week.  However, I may get in touch one last time to see if there are any changes and any other special requests.  My prep list is a lot more extensive than this, but time is a restraint right now.  Just trying to instill the idea that "just showing up" with camera in hand is NOT my method (nor should it be anyone other photographer's method) for approaching a major event such as this.  Not that it's not going to be fun!!  I plan on having fun along with my couples and their guests.  

Stay tuned for more updates and images as the season rolls along.

Did you get your homework done?

This past weekend I met with Heather and Gordon at the beautiful church they are getting married in - Grace Lutheran in Hobart, Indiana.  They gave me a tour of the church and described in detail how they envisioned their ceremony would take place.  I was able to take notes, offer suggestions and grab a few quick test shots.  We then headed to their reception hall and went over the details of their arrival and where in the hall I would set up a backdrop for portraits of their guests.  I will be scouting locations soon for their outdoor formals as well.  I consider this part of the photographer's "homework" that must be completed.

I also hand out homework to my couples in the form of a Wedding Shotlist that I use a a guide so I don't miss anything important.  Heather and Gordon simply checked off things I already had listed and used the blank back of the form for special requests.

Once I have a timeline established, the ideas of the bride and groom as well as myself locked in - everything goes into one document.  It gets printed out and my assistant will have it with her throughout the wedding day.  This keeps all of us on track and helps me get the shots we are all looking for.

So don't forget to complete your homework assignment!!  I give Heather and Gordon a grade of A+.  :)

The Wedding Rehearsal

I always try to make it to the rehearsal of the ceremony if possible.  I do this for a variety of reasons.

• I get to take test shots of the venue.  Not only do I get to test out my exposures, but I test out different composition and angles as well.
• I get to give "the speech" to the wedding party.  Beyond introducing myself, I get to give tips on how to stand, placement of hands and flowers, etc. that will help make them all look good in the photographs.  I also get to tell everyone to SLOW DOWN when walking down the aisle.  :)  Sometimes the jitters of the day have folks running a marathon.  I like to get several shots off of the procession just in case we catch some odd expressions in one.  I can then have an alternate to choose from.
• This is a perfect opportunity for me to chat up the Pastor and find out his or her rules.
• Sometimes major changes get made at this time.  This ensures I'm in the loop.

It is perfectly understandable if you would not like me to be there.  However, consider letting me drop in and take a few shots.  One cool idea is to place some rehearsal images in their own little section of the wedding album.