Attention Brides!

Wow! This summer has been awesome...my best wedding season by far. I've been to so many fantastic weddings and met so many amazing couples. I feel honored to be a part of the most sacred show of love two people can make for each other. I've definitely been brought to tears a few times by the unique ways couples have chosen to share their love.

On top of all the fun I've been having, I've also done a lot of thinking. I've come up with a few things that are sure to raise the bar on my brides' wedding experience. Here are my new tips for happy brides:

-Album Favorites: When choosing your album favorites, be sure to keep in mind that your album should not only tell the story of your day, but should also be a piece of art. Choose the creative shots we take, such as your dress in a doorway or you and your new husband kissing in a field of wildflowers. Think long and hard about leaving the family formals out of your album! Those make great prints, but tend to clutter up your beautiful album. As an aside to this, I'd love to make a new and fun suggestion: choose only 10 of your favorite photos and leave the rest up to me! Instead of narrowing your list down to 40 photos, only choose your very top 10. I will add the photos that I think will compliment those that you've chosen and make amazing layouts. Trust me. This is what I'm good at. :)

-Shot Lists: I hesitate to say this, but I must be honest with you. This summer I have realized that shot lists given to me by brides can really stunt my creativity. Instead of being free to create wonderful compositions my clients have come to know and expect, I'm worried that I've forgotten something from the shot list I was given. Constantly checking that 2-, 3-, or 4-page list takes away from me creating my magic. To make your photos the best they can be, I would suggest limiting your shot list to groupings of people that you'd like a photo taken of. Anything beyond that, such as posing or compositions, please leave to me!

-Details: Tough love, baby: my photos can only be as good as what I'm given to photograph. When working out the plans for your big day, think of the details! Would you like an example? Gladly. :) The bride's dressing room...if you get ready in the church nursery and it has cartoons painted all over the walls, there's no way I can fix that in my camera to look elegant! Or if the dressing room is the church basement, I might not be able to find a window to silhouette your dress in. Also, think about backgrounds for the big events - cake cut, first dance, etc. Blank walls aren't too interesting for that.

Lastly, if you have any questions or want my input about any of the wedding details that might pertain to photography, do not hesitate to ask. I will gladly give you suggestions to help you make wise decisions that will result in pretty photos. I love my brides!