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!!!

Venue Spotlight: County Line Orchard

I attended an event last night at the County Line Orchard in Hobart, Indiana.  They have a new barn for events.  I know that sounds so "Indiana hokum" on paper, but I have to say that is makes for a terrific venue for weddings.  I have not shot there, but I would love to do so.

The photo galleries at this link are of the old room which is still available and makes for a nice setting as well.  However, the new building is quite nice and very large with room for seating of 1200 people!!  The stage ( I was at a music event last night) can accommodate large bands or DJ's and features a built in sound system.  For such a large room with tall ceilings, the sound was very good last night.

This will kick off a week long series with a "think different" theme.  Check back all week for more ideas to make your wedding unique.  Here are some images of a "family style' wedding I shot last year.  It was all outdoors, including the reception with a complete playground for kids.  A great time had by all!!

Music for your Wedding Reception

As I meet with more and more couples, one of the most consistent things I hear is how they would like to make their wedding unique and not run of the mill.  They are usually telling me to do something different in the photographs.  I'm listening and I will do so.

I also have some suggestions for making the reception really stand out - consider hiring a live band!!  My previous post had this listed as a "hot trend" for 2010 weddings.  This is partly inspired by a recent publicity shoot (see above) I did for Nomad Planets.  Although they are in no way a "wedding band", there are a number of great Northwest Indiana groups who entertain your guests.  I'm willing to bet they are even more reasonably priced than a lot of DJ's.

If you do go with a DJ, there is nothing wrong with providing them with your own music that means something to you as a couple.  This is also a great project for the groom and his best man.  Guys will love this part of the wedding planning while the Bride and her MOH can get the "dirty work" done with the decor and the formal wear.

Hop on over to The Brides Room for some music suggestions old and new.

Guests Portraits at the Reception Hall

This image was taken at the Mendez Wedding a few years back.  They purchased an add on to my Wedding Package called Portraits at the Reception.  It's great, because for one low fee you can treat your guests to studio quality portraits during your reception.  There is no sitting fee at all. Imagine guests from out of town mingling with folks they haven't seen in years and being able to get a great quality shots together.  It's an opportunity that may never happen again.  

The only caveat is that some reception halls have this prohibited in their contract.  You sometimes may have to negotiate this point and make it clear to them that no cash is exchanging hands on site and that their facility is not being used by the photographer to make extra cash.  I understand that some photographers will have a register going to charge the guests.  This will NOT happen with SBV Photography.  This is simply a complimentary service courtesy of the bride and groom.  

Many facilities have no problem with this at all.  It's just something to look for when picking out your hall.  I'd be glad to assist you in securing this service at your reception hall.