Organizing the formal, posed photos on your wedding day can make the difference between you getting to your reception in a timley manner and it draging on so long some of the guests start to leave because of the delay. In this post we will talk about how or organize them, it's up to your photographer to get them done quickly.
The journalistic photos take place throughout the day, sometimes without you even being aware of it, but the formal posed formal photos need to be scheduled. If you plan it well, you can capture everything you want, and get to your reception in a timely manner.
This post contains information that we send out to our clients before the wedding so that they can get an idea of what to expect as far as the photos are concerned. It's part of a series of e-mails we send to give bride and grooms a better understanding of how the process works. It covers how WE work on the day of the wedding, but it will give you some guidelines on planning your own wedding.
On the day of your wedding we will arrive about a half hour early, giving us time to set up our equipment and allow for unforeseen traffic or other delays. If you would like, the photographers assistant can take photographs of the bride getting ready in the dressing room, and the photographer can take some photos with the groom and the guys. This will all depend on location and the package you have selected but we will cover this at the consultation before the wedding.
If you don't want to see each other before the ceremony, but want to get as many photos as possible out of the way, so as to get to the reception as quickly as possible, we will spend a half hour with the groom, the groomsmen and his immediate family. We'll then have the groom hide out and spend another half hour with the bride, bridesmaids and her immediate family. We need to be finished a half hour before the ceremony is to begin. There is a good general rule of thumb that says your guests will start to arrive about a half hour before the ceremony starts. There is another rule of thumb that says that some of your guests will be late, but that's another story.
If you decide to see each other prior to the ceremony, we break the photos down in three groups, the bride and groom, the wedding party and the family. We will start wih the bride and groom two hours before the ceremony, move on to the wedding party and then family,finishing thirty minutes before the ceremony is to begin.
During the ceremony we will usually sit a few rows back from the front and photograph each person as they walk in, and then move to the best location to record the ceremony. Usual this in the back, behind your guests but it depends on the location. We will sometimes be closer to the front, but we always try to be inconspicuous and not move around during the ceremony. We want to record your wedding, not become part of it.
Once the ceremony is complete we will record the recessional and the hugs and kisses. If we are doing any formal posed photos after the ceremony we will set up and be ready to go as soon as possible. We will start with family, then the wedding party and finish with the bride and groom. Our goal here is to get the best photographs in a timely manner and to spend between 30 and 45 minutes after the ceremony for these photos.
Once the formal posed photos are completed it's off to the reception. We will photograph any introductions you have and all the formal events of the reception: the toasts, first dances, cake cutting the tossing of the garter and bouquet along with a lot of candid photos of you and your guests.
The reception is the DJs (or bands) gig and we generally follow their lead. We will introduce ourselves (if we have not worked with them before) and work with them as the reception moves along.
In general we will cover your day from start to finish. When we are done we will say our good-byes to the two of you and the parents, just to make sure that we have covered everything.
Chances are you have been looking at your wedding album a lot: showing it off to family and friends and reliving your wedding memories time and time again. Just like any other important item you own, you'll want to take extra precautions so that it will last a life time. Here are some tips on preserving your wedding album and your memories.
Having been in the wedding photography business in Visalia for many years we have seen wedding albums get damaged because of careless handling, so we thought you may want a few tips on taking care of it.
Your professional wedding album is made of mostly paper, photographic paper as well as the paper pages that the photos are bound to. High temperatures and high humidity, both of which we see a lot of in the summer here in the Visalia area, are damaging to paper, so keeping it in an area of your home where the temperature and humility is moderate is best. Areas such as the living room or bedroom are the best places to store your album where as, areas of the house that have a higher humidity like the kitchen or bathroom should be avoided.
Also avoid rooms that you keep closed up, don't heat or cool, maybe only use for storage of items you rarely use. This might make a good storage room for those things that you don't use much, or maybe it's a guest room that you only air out when expecting company. The high summer heat and its accompanying humidity or the moist cool temperatures of the winter, over time will shorten the life of your photos if kept in a room like this.
If you taking it out of the house with you to show someone, or bringing it to work in the summer, don't leave it in the car. That stifling summer heat in a closed car can climb to 200 degrees even higher in the summer, this kind of heat can speed up the deterioration process. You may even come out to the car to find that the pages of your album have already started to curl a little if you do this.
Of course, it goes without saying (but here I am saying it) that you should have clean hands when your viewing your WEDDING ALBUM album and don't let kids turn the pages. The natural oils found on your hands as well as those found in foods (like pizza) will not only stain the photos, but over time will damage the paper. Encourage little ones to look at the pictures as you turn the pages, even thought they might have just washed their hands, if they put their hands in their mouth whether it be, to suck their thumb, chew their nails, or lick their finger to turn the page, the moisture (saliva) found in the mouth contains enzymes that not only help to break down food that you eat, but can also damage your photographs.
Keep your pets away from your album, especially puppies that love to chew on everything. We have had a couple of instances where couples have called back after several years, asking to have their albums repaired or replaced because the family pet has either damaged a few pages or the entire album.
If your album does get dirt or smudges on the photographs, clean it off as soon as possible. Dirt can be gently wiped off with a soft towel or tissue, but smudges are best done with products designed for just that purpose. You can get a product called Photographic Emulsion Cleaner, or PEC plus their lint free non abrasive wipes from Amazon, both for under $20, that will come in handy for any other photos that you own as well. We use this same product in our studio and we will be glad to clean your photographs for you, if you would prefer to have it done professionally.
Your wedding album is made with only the finest materials and if you take some simple steps you can make it last a lifetime.
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wedding album
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wedding photography
This is first instalment of our best places to get shot in Visalia series
We are often asked about locations for great photographs in and around Visalia, so we decided to put them down on paper, or in this case, on our blog. This first in a series of articles about our favorite photographic spots. Just jot a note in the comment section if you have been to these places to take photos, or if you know of other places that would make a great photo.
Mayors Park
Park settings have been and continue to be a favorite place to shoot wedding, engagement, and family portraits. By far the most popular one in Visalia is Mayors Park, located at the junction of West Main Street and Hall, just about a half mile from the Court House, where Mooney Blvd turns into West Main St., right next to Dr. McAlifs office. It's close proximity to many churches and reception venues and provides a lovely background. Another big benfit to mayors park is that is is not crowded,in fact, about the only other people your going to see there are other people taking photos, making it an ideal location.
Just about any time of the day works at Mayors Park, but the best times for photos are morning or late afternoons. Many people look at the location only and don't consider the background, which is one of the most important elements of a photograph. Some locations don't work out well related to the time of day and/or because of a poor background. Mayors Park provides not only a beautiful background, but works well in both morning and afternoon lighting.
When I photograph in the mornings at mayors park I will position subjects facing west so that the sun is behind them, creating a nice back-light and in the evening I will position them facing east to capture them in a warm background light.
Another benefit to Mayors Park over something like Mooney's Grove is that there is no charge to enter the park. But a disadvantage is that there are no restrooms at Mayors Park, which may take a little extra planning on your part if you would like to change outfits for some of the photographs, but I have had people change in their cars.
The city of Visalia has a web page giving some information on mayors park, here is the link.
http://www.ci.visalia.ca.us/depts/parks_n_recreation/parkinfo/mayors_park.asp
Google Map of Mayors park:http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1551+W.+Main+St.+Visalia,+CA&sll=36.337037,-119.292512&sspn=0.006707,0.007725&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=17
Is the title of this blog really
possible? When I talk with other photographers, especially those who
are not in the wedding business, they often come back to me with
something like, "Oh man, I could never do weddings, what with
all the Bride-zillas and their mothers, weddings are just to
stressful" But,for the most part, we don't get many stressful
weddings and I think this is because most of the weddings we
photograph have professional vendors that have been in the business
for many years and know what they need to do to make your day
perfect. This is the big secret of a “Stress Free Wedding Day”
By choosing vendors with
experience you'll help alleviate a lot of the stress that comes with
trying to do things yourself. When you decide that your brother has
catered some great family picnics/BBQ's and he'll be able to save you
some money by cooking for your wedding, YOU may end up being the
catering staff that day, getting the food ready, and making sure it's
getting served to your guest. Your bound to have some last minute
things go wrong and that is a perfect recipe for stress. A
professional caterer will have plates, utensils, napkins, table
cloths and staff to take care of your guest. If your having a
backyard wedding, they can point you in the direction of a good
rental company for tables and chairs. When you arrive it will have
already been set up and when you leave that night you won't have to
worry about the clean up, or getting the rentals back.
The same goes for the DJ, when you
have a good friend who has DJ-ed a few picnics or a small dance, do
your wedding, once again it maybe you that becomes the reception
coordinator, setting the agenda and telling him when you want to move
on to a reception event. Sometimes even mom or dad become the Emcee
for the evening, they are now working your wedding, not just sitting
back and enjoying it. A good DJ can make or brake your day, I've seen
it many times. Things just seem to lag because the DJ doesn't know
how to coordinate the reception. They're not sure when to do the
First Dance, when it's time to cut the cake, or when to start the
garter/bouquet toss. Or they just can't speak clearly and/or talk on
the microphone, worse yet maybe they can't stop talking about
themselves.
The florist is also important,
having beautiful flowers is one thing, having them prepared so they
don't wilt, delivered on time, labeled, and ready to go is the
important part.
Last but not least, is the
photographer(you knew this was coming). The photographer spends more
time with you on your wedding day then any other vendor, from the
start, to the end of the formalities. We are with you. You maybe
thinking about hiring a good friend who just got a nice camera at
Costco, or an uncle who takes great photos on vacation, but who has
never done a wedding before. Family and friends know your wedding
guest and can become distracted in conversations, missing that
perfect photo opportunity. This can be a sure way to make your day go
bad! And as photographers, our job is not over once we have
photographed your special day, but has just begun when the wedding is
over.
When the other vendors are done,
we're just starting. We will be getting your photos ready for you to
view and select, so that we can create your album. If your uncle or
friend cant get their stuff together and takes forever to deliver
your pictures, then that's even more after wedding stress for you,
stress you don't need. Hiring professionals may seem a little pricy,
and you may think you can save money, but in the long run, it is like
buying tires for your car and then putting them on yourself. You save
money, but the stress you get from the installation is just not worth
it.
Here is a list of venders that we have
worked with for many years and who can help make your wedding as
stress free as possible. These are just some of the many venders that
we love to work with because they have passion in what they do.
DJ: Mike O'Neal's Dance macnine
http://www.dancemachine.info
Mancini Emcee and soundMancini:
http://mancinimc.com
Catering: Sue Sa's Crative Catering:
http://www.suesacatering.com
Flowers: Sweet memories Flowers:
http://www.sweetmemoriesweddings.com
Cakes: Shelly Wayde:
http://www.gourmetdessert.net
Here at Roy Dressel Photography we try and make the process of working with us easy, we realize that this is going to be new for you. We supply information all through the process letting you know what to expect Selecting your wedding images, a few ideas
We put the following information in with all our
wedding preview CDs to help our bride and grooms in the selection
process. If you have gone through the process and have some ideas we
would love to here them. It can be a daunting process, going through
the hundreds of images. Hopefully this will make it go a little
smother. We supply an album or book or both with all our
packages so the notes you see refer to those books.
You find yourself staring at all the beautiful images from your wedding day and sometimes it becomes overwhelming. How do you select the ones you want in your books? How do you narrow it down? From recent experience I have a few ideas.
First, Create a folder called Wedding, or Wedding Images or what every you want to call it, so you can easily remember what it is and where it's at. Now put all the images that are on your preview CD into that folder, then create the following folders inside the main folder, call the first one "Album", make a second one called "don't like, or something like that for any images you simply don't like. Now, make a third folder and call it "Photo Book", this will be for the images that you'll want to put into your hard cover photo book.
I like to go through the images and decide which ones I don't like first. This will get them out of the mix and free you to see just the ones you like.
Now, go through the remaining images and select the ones you like the best and put them into the "Album" folder. Once you have done this you will no doubt have to many images in that "Album" folder, now it's time to go back through these images to weed them down a bit. It may be time to get a cup of coffee, maybe even go to Starbucks and get a nice Caramel Frapachino, give it some time and come back to it later.
Once your back to it, open the Albums folder and really go through it, looking at each image, asking yourself if that image is really something you want in your main album or maybe it should go into your photo book or fun book, or maybe that is an image you don't really want after all.
Sometimes this will take several sessions to get down to a reasonable amount of photos for your album. Remember that you can add images to your album, up and above those that came with the package. It's flexible.
Once you are happy with the images that are in your Album folder, and did the same for the photo book, it's time to transfer those numbers to your album order form and bring that form back to us, and we'll do the rest.
Here at Roy Dressel Photography we try and make the process of working with us easy, we realize that this is going to be new for you. We supply information all through the process letting you know what to expect at the next stage.
Categorized In:
selecting photos
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wedding albums
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wedding images
We all know that planning a wedding can be a bit stressful, but this dream my fiancée had was just a little bit beyond the word stress. She even dreamed that I was taking appoints for photos shots on my wedding day..
Kids and I are at the studio
Roy's working our pictures in between customers
I'm not sure I should be sitting -will it wrinkle my outfit
Roy's charging us $1,039 or no pictures
I just started writing the check when Roy calls us in
I'm hoping he'll let me pay later cause I'm his fiancé
We start to pose and I realize I haven't cut ALL the tags off my dress (and there are lots!!!)
Daughter is not cooperating with pictures and starts acting goofy...which actually helps get a good picture
Roy take us in another room, show us how he uses the portrait music to make another music video with a green screen
His son is there - I get upset with him because he was suppose to take pictures so Roy wouldn't see me in my dress - he shrugs and walks away - we never did a consult with him maybe that's why he didn't show up on time
Roy comments on my shoes (black high top tennis shoes with silver trim) it wasn't a good comment
Roy shows me a pamphlet about how he's going to present all this motorcycle stuff/games just before the wedding
These are not the shoes I planned on wearing - what shoes were I going to wear???ummm???ummm???
I forgot my shoes!!!!
Stop at Kmart - They direct me to Gemco 3rd floor
Can't find Gemco shoes cause they are locked behind closed doors
Clerk hands me veils instead of shoes from behind closed door
Laughs and sneers at me when I say I am in a hurry to get to my wedding and need shoes
Tried on veil messed up hair
I finally remember what shoes I bought to wear with my dress "they are in Fresno - no time to go back" I tell clerk #2
Bought cheap jelly shoes -clear with silver sparkles
I now panic!!!!
I not only forgot my shoes, my hair is a mess, - the curls keep falling out of the hairpins. I didn't pack for the honeymoon night, I didn't pack for the cruise, I forgot to turn the guest count in to the Lampliter, but it's too late, will there be enough food.?.. there's no time to go back to Fresno to get my stuff , ... .... .... .... ...
I wake up in a sweat ... check the computer its 30 more days until the wedding...pppp!
Then I wake up in a sweat, check the computer and its actually 35 days...better then my dream I really have more than 30 days left...Yeah!!!
Over the years the style of wedding photography has changed a great deal. Back in the 50s and 60s photographers shot with bulky 4x5 sheet film cameras called Speed Graflexs. These cameras were slow and thus most wedding albums of that day included just 10-12 B&W 8x10 prints. As cameras became smaller and easier to work with photographers began taking more and more photos. In the 70s and 80s, medium format cameras such as, the Hasalblads, Mamiyas, Roleflexs, and Bronicas became the tool of choice for the wedding photographer. In the mid 80s when Roy Dressel Photography got its start, the medium format camera ruled the market. During that time when we photographed a large wedding we would show maybe 200 proofs to the bride and groom. However, when digital cameras became good enough to rival medium format cameras in quality, the amount of photographs that were taken at a wedding soared as bride and grooms began looking for that photographer who would capture every part of their special day. Nowadays, it's not unusual to take between 500 to 1000 images during a wedding. In Addition, the style of wedding photography has changed to a more candid and less posed way of capturing the most important day in the life of a newlywed couple.
Over the years wedding photographers have had to adapt to survive. The digital era has brought with it challenges, today's photographers who have been in the business for some time, as Roy Dressel Photography has, (26 years) have had to change the way they do business and adapt to this new photography style. We have adapted and embraced the challenges and therefore, are thriving because of our experience.
Our web site contains a great deal of information on our packages and prices, as well as samples of our work. If you, or someone you know, has recently become engaged, we invite you to our web site to find out why Roy Dressel Photography is the place where Wedding Memories Begin.
Click Here to Get More Information On Our Wedding Coverage
(Packages Start at Just $499.95)
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photography
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weddings
