And The Band Played On

As you consider the entertainment for your wedding reception and pour over the many DJ's available to you, give live entertainment a shot.  Can a band play every single request that your guests might throw at them?  I'm sure they might try and come up short.  What they do bring to the table is a memorable, personality driven delivery of music and revelry.  Look for a group with a good front person, a flexible set list and you will be able to provide a unique night of entertainment for your guests.  Give it some thought.

Proper Technique: The Bouquet Toss

Okay, gather around brides. Today we are going to talk proper technique for a bouquet toss. Here is an example of what can go wrong and what we can do to avoid this mishap.

Problem: Bride throws her bouquet up and hits a light fixture or the ceiling and it fall to the ground where a bridesmaid has to pick it up.

Solution: Ask your photographer to huddle with you beforehand and pick an area with high clearance. Toss behind and out.

I also ask brides to take it slow and tease the crowd by looking behind her a few times before throwing the bouquet. This builds excitement and also give me a a couple of opportunities for some some nice shots of the bride with her female guests waiting in anticipation. I will then step to the side and capture bride, bouquet and crowd in one shot.

Bonus tip for grooms: You know that garter you want to hurl like a fast ball in the world series? It is as light as a feather. It's not going to go far. Stay fairly close to the guys and give a light toss to keep it airborne for a little while.

Food and Your Photographer

One thing I have found out since photographing weddings is how nice and accommodating people can be.  The bride and groom and their parents really, really want their photographer to eat and enjoy the same meal as their guests.  I don't want to offend them, but I politely decline this gracious offer.  Why?

While I don't take photographs of people with their mouths full of food, I still like to be ready for spontaneous happenings.  I recently saw a table stand up and break into song.  And then another table did the same.  And then another...  This "downtime" also is perfect going around and getting detail shots.  So, I tell my couples to save their money and not include me in on the dinner.  I'll sneak in a few energy bars at some point.  Chances are I had me a nice big breakfast too!!

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