Sock Monkies
Ezra had his one year old portraits today! He is such a sweet little guy and is really active (I’ve kind of forgotten what a handful a one year old can be!). Big sister helped entertain him (she also held her own portrait session of her doll) and Mom coaxed smiles out of the little guy.
His whole bedroom was themed around sock monkies, and I loved pulling all of them off the shelf and letting him play. And then Mom pulled out the cutest little bear snowsuit and we played for a couple minutes in the snow. Since not much snow has been on the ground, it was his first experience with it, and it was fun to photograph his confused expressions ; )
Here are my favorite images, enjoy!
Purple Neigh
Adalynn had her two year old portrait session today! The house was decked out for her birthday party…all in purple. Adalynn LOVES purple. She also loves horses, which she calls a Neigh. What an adorable little girl. It has been fun seeing her grown up!
Though bribery in the form of a neigh heart sucker was needed, she started to smile and enjoy herself, especially when mom put on some dance music. The exact opposite of Adalynn was her big brother, who wanted to be in all the pictures too! He settled for playing a tea party at the end =)
Here are my favorites, enjoy!
Destination Weddings
Wedding trends go in cycles just like everything else in life. It is fairly easy to look back into the history of architecture, fashion or commerce and see hills and valleys of repetition. In my personal opinion, I think we are starting to go back to a hippie way of life…many friends in my circle are sick of commercialism and our food being full of junk and we crave a simpler time. To me it seems like we’re back in the mentality of the Arts and Crafts movement. Where after the industrial revolution, people were sick of mass produced items and started to invest again in handmade heirloom pieces.
The current wedding trends seem to be heading back to a simpler time as well. Couples are saying no to the wedding parties of 20 people that was typical a few years ago and are going smaller. The size of the guest list is going down as well, as couples realize they can have more flexibility with budget if there are less people at the wedding. Foodie and farm weddings are so in vogue right now, along with using boutique studios and hand made details. Couples are appreciating having a personal relationship with their vendors and are eager to personalize their wedding down to the last detail.
Along with this trend, comes more acceptance for eloping or having a destination wedding.
Destination weddings rock. We have done quite a few, both as a photographer that travels to a location and as a local photographer that works with an out of town couple. We have been able to go to California quite a few times, the east coast a couple times, Chicago, Ohio, and Mexico. This November, we’re shooting in the Bahamas, and we have a few other destination weddings that are in the planning stages right now.
The reason we love destination weddings isn’t because we like to travel…that is a big perk, though! We love them because it allows the couple to truly personalize their wedding, and I think it gives them so much more freedom. Do you want your wedding to be just the two of you, getting married on a cliff in Scotland? Or maybe a small group of your closest family and friends traveling to Bora Bora. Maybe you want to have a camping trip in Yosemite or a romantic weekend in New Orleans…a destination wedding is a perfect way to explore a new place, or share a favorite with the people you love.
A destination wedding can relieve a lot of stress about hurting feelings with a guest list, and it can stretch the wedding celebration out over a couple days rather than trying to cram everything into one. You get to spend more time with your guests if you choose, and you can avoid a lot of the little stresses that come from everyone wanting to “help” you plan your wedding.
This doesn’t mean that destination weddings have no stress at all. It requires a lot more organization, and the ability to roll with the punches. Hiring a planner is highly recommended to make sure all the legal aspects and details involving travel are well thought out. Destination weddings aren’t necessarily the cheap way to go, but if you’re going to spend $25,000 in a ballroom with 200 guests or $25,000 on an intimate vineyard wedding under the stars with your nearest and dearest…it can be a more pleasurable way to use your budget. And here is some food for thought…eloping and taking a honeymoon and then coming back and throwing a killer party for your family and friends is another fabulous option. And if you play your cards right, can actually save you money (and get to wear your wedding dress twice!).
Destination weddings aren’t for everyone, that is for sure. But don’t rule them out. Don’t just think of the typical wedding as you’re planning your own. Know that there are a million options out there!
Leading Lines
Weston and Kelly had their engagement session today. I had a location I had always wanted to use for portraits, and they were sweet enough to let me use it for their session. They were so cute together, and the images were aimed at showing how they interact with each other…though one is pretty abstract…in fact, see if you can spot the couple =)
Here are my favorites, enjoy!
Baby Loves
Tonight I met little newborn Emma and Morgan. Brand new twins, these two are so adorable and sweet! Which isn’t a surprise since their parents are some of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. Though Daddy went for 50 hours without sleep after they were born, it seems like they’re getting into the swing of things…and we even managed to get a few portraits of the babies together (and a couple of the pups, too)!
Embrace the Moment
I had a fantastic groom this year (well, all of you are wonderful, but he really stood out) that taught me an important lesson…embrace the moment. Now, Lucien was not a “typical” groom. He was very involved in the wedding (oh, how I wish that this was what a “typical groom” was!) and organized. He is a man of spread sheets, but also one that enjoys life. For their engagement session we chatted over the champagne of beers, baby! This guy is a blast!
For how much time both he and his fiance put into the wedding, I was preparing myself for the fact I may have to deal with one or both of them stressing out. How incredibly wrong I was. Even though the wedding day included two ceremonies and a large reception complete with food stations and dragon dancers, Lucien was all smiles, and cool as a cucumber. I was intrigued. I had seen weddings that were much simpler still get a breakdown or two from someone…not this wedding, everyone was happy, joyous, smiling…and then I saw it.
I saw Lucien, in a room full of people celebrating, hugging, laughing…and he is standing in the corner all alone, just observing. At first, I thought something was wrong, so I went over to see if he needed something. “No,” he said, “I’m just remembering this moment” Throughout the day, I noticed him doing this. Taking his time to share a drink with his closest friends, saying meaningful toasts, watching his gorgeous wife hug her sister, goofing off with the flower girls, and taking brief pauses throughout the day to just embrace the moment.
Now, how did he do this? This part is just speculation because I’ve never asked, but I think it is pretty accurate. I think he is the perfect type A. He spent a lot of time before the wedding organizing, budgeting, hiring good vendors he could trust. He knew all his vendors by name, and we had a lot of communication and clarification to make sure we were all on the same page. He also gave his vendors freedom to do what they do best, the ultimate form of trust. He knew the colors and basic design his floral designer would use, but certainly not the specific elements (and oh my gosh did Zinnia Design Floral go above and beyond and create gorgeous pieces!) So he put in the time before hand, and then let go. Trusted. Had fun. Enjoyed his day. Savored every moment.
More of us need to do that on the wedding day. Hire vendors you trust completely, and then sit back and enjoy the day. If you are the father of the bride, take a moment and watch your daughter. Watch her smile, laugh, twirl in her dress. If you are the bride, take a minute to breath, remember what this day is all about, whisper something in your fiance’s ear, write him a note to be delivered as he is getting ready. Treat this day as the meaningful day it is. Don’t run around in tears because the centerpieces aren’t perfectly in the middle of the table, or your flower girl isn’t cooperating. Don’t let your wedding day be a blur in a negative way. Breath. Relax. Savor. Embrace the Moment.
Independent Wedding Association Fair
Today’s Independent Wedding Association Fair at the Hotel Ivy went so well today! Even though winter suddenly decided to bring on the cold, we had a great turnout. Many of the brides had been to last week’s Unveiled Fair and I like that they attended both (as did we) because they were able to see two different ways to have a fair and see a different set of vendors. There were sessions throughout the day with a variety of topics, some with panels of experts and some with a presentation. Couples (and there were a lot of them!) were able to ask questions and talk in depth with vendors without any sales pressure. Delish food, refreshing drink, and beautiful wares were all there for couples and their families to touch, taste, see and experience.
I simply love everything that is about this fair and hope you didn’t miss it! If you did, here are a couple pictures, and be sure to follow the IWA on facebook to stay in touch with what events are coming up! Also, if you haven’t looked through it yet, the IWA’s inspirational Ezine called Hearten is on the website and is oh so lovely. Check it out!
Below are pictures of some of the booths…Hotel Ivy served up mussels and mini mushroom sandwiches, Cocoa and Fig introduced a new line of mini jar desserts, Uilleann Pipes gave a festive sound to the space, Chowgirls had fondue!, JoyNoelle set up shop to show of her gorgeous designs, Rocket Science ‘s booth desplayed a lovely arrangement by Sassafras Floral, Cocoa and Fig really know how to do a dessert table…each time it is fresh and eye catching, and RedShoes26 Design and Jeff Loves Jessica had unique displays showing their creative work.
The Perfect Wedding Kiss
We, at Studio Laguna, aren’t big posers. We tend to like to capture the moments between a couple naturally and as they happen. However, more often than not, a couple doesn’t know HOW to stand and act with a camera pointed at them, and they want a bit of guidance. It can be very intimidating to have your pictures taken, especially when all the photographer does is point a camera at you and say, “just keep being yourselves”. Things can get awkward quickly.
So how do you find the happy balance? Be aware of your body language and practice before your wedding. Practicing your wedding poses sounds a bit type A, no?
Well, photographers can 
always tell when someone is comfortable in front of a camera and when they’ve practiced kissing and being at ease with each other.
I’m not saying you should be constantly camera aware and making sure your good side is always visible…that ruins the spontaneity and naturalness of the images…but if you practice and let things become more natural, then it makes being photographed so much easier.
Here are a couple tips for how to naturally pose yourself so you look your best.
The Kiss at the Altar – Usually, when an officiant announces the couple married, that is when the first kiss happens. Sometimes the couple is facing the officiant, and sometimes they’re facing the congregation. Rather than both of you facing each other and kissing, you can have just one person turn 90 degrees and the other just turn their head. I love having couples perpendicular to each other because it creates visual interest (see image at the top of this post). And remember to show emotion!!!! The first kiss doesn’t have to be slobbery and explicit, but who doesn’t want to have their spouse tenderly hold their face or shoulders and pull them into a kiss. Celebrate that you just got hitched!
Speaking of tenderly holding your face…I LOVE when couples hold each other. Seriously, show a little PDA! A hand gently brushing a strand of hair behind her ear is such a lovely image and can be even more romantic than a kiss. Holding hands, putting hands near the face or back of the neck, pulling each other in close, all show intimacy without getting too kissy kissy. Many times the most romantic images are an almost kiss, not a full on kiss.
General Romantic Pictures – The trick to most images with a couple is to have the girl lean her hips towards the guy, and the guy put his upstage (away from the camera) hand around her waist and pull her in close. 
So the girl doesn’t look squished, make sure to lean back at the waist a bit and turn your shoulders towards the camera. So, hips facing the groom, bend back a bit at the waist and twist a little so shoulders are angled towards the camera, with downstage (near the camera) shoulder angled down a bit. Also add a bit of bend to your elbow and keep your arm slightly away from your body so you aren’t pushing your forearm into your body. Subtlety is key with posing, don’t go all Hollywood red carpet and have exaggerated angles, just do little things. Like right now, I bet you’re hunching over as you read this…just straighten your back! The little moves like this is all it takes to flatter your body more in photographs.
Another good thing to remember, is that the objects closest to the camera are the largest. So if you’re sitting on a bench with your feet out towards the camera, they will look massive compared to your head.
Gazing Into Each Other’s Eyes – these can be cheesy, but also beautiful and romantic. The biggest trouble with these images is that it can create a double chin, especially when there are height differences. To deal with this, you hold your shoulders stiff and stretch your jaw towards the other person, it feels weird, but helps! And honestly, we mostly do the “get your faces really close and stare at each other” pictures because of the laughter that almost always happens, THOSE are the pictures we want!
To practice these techniques, simply start paying attention to your posture. Stop slouching! Start noticing how you interact with your fiance…how you hold hands, sit on the couch together, snuggle, walk down the street. Just noticing your natural body language will help you be more comfortable. An engagement session is also a fabulous way to get to know your photographer and become more comfortable in front of a camera. I can’t count how many times a client has said, “that was easy!” or “that was nothing like I thought it would be!”
Now, the take home lesson to all of this advice is to not look stiff. You have to be comfortable in these poses. If you feel like a robot, then maybe it is best to not worry about this sort of thing. The other trick? Hire a good professional photographer that can not only put you at ease while they’re photographing you, but know HOW to photograph someone of any size at their most flattering angles. When you work with a pro you can trust, then you relax and know your images will be lovely.
Winter Wedding Discounts
I was talking with a caker friend today about off season discounts. We simply don’t offer them. We feel that our time and costs are worth the same whether it is on or off season…and we’re not the only ones. This isn’t to say offering winter discounts is wrong at all, heck, some wedding businesses even work on sliding scales during the entire year! While it doesn’t hurt to ask a vendor if discounts are available, it also shouldn’t be expected that you’ll get a discount for a non summer Saturday wedding.
In the winter, most flowers are out of season. The cost of flying in blooms, especially very seasonal blooms, is pricey. The same seasonal logic goes with food and desserts. I just learned the price fluxuation of butter from summer to winter…it is a lot of money! Lets move on to venues…heating a large venue is very expensive, and safe transportation of guests and staff come into play. For photographers, I think it comes down to editing time and delivery of albums and prints. When the holidays roll around, things take twice as long, or you have to pay hefty rush order fees.
That being said, winter is my favorite season for weddings! But if you’re thinking of having an off season wedding just to save money, you might be limiting yourself as far as vendor choices go. Not all vendors give winter discounts, not because they’re scrouges, but because it might cost MORE for them to operate in the off season, not less.
Just some food for thought =)
Independent Wedding Association’s Indyspire Fair!
I know that I have written over and over again about the Independent Wedding Assocation. And that is because I love this group of vendors so much! We are all dedicated to educating the couple, embracing couples that want out of the box weddings, and delivering top notch quality products and customer service.
I highly suggest coming to this fair. It is low key and informative, with no high pressure sales…just vendors who love what they do and are excited to share ideas. In fact, we see many couples come at the beginning and stay all the way to the end of the fair because there is so much to see and learn. The fair is a great experience! I hope to see you there!
