1950s Engagement Photos for Jessica and Keith

A few months ago our clients Jessica & Keith had a fantastically fun and over the top engagement photo shoot.  During our very busy day, we covered everything from the 1920s to the 1960's while we took over the streets of historic downtown Ft Myers.  These photos inspired by the 1950s are my favorite of them all.

 Because really, does it get any more classic than Tiffanys?

And did you know that Tiffanys now has an engagement ring app?

 

 Jessica officially becomes a "G" later this spring with an Art-Deco wedding!

 You can see more of their photos, including the Mad Men and Great Gatsby looks on Photographer Tonya Malays new website.

The creative team:

Photography: Tonya Malay Photography

Wardrobe: Wende' Gilmore, owner of the authentic vintage boutique Vamped Up Vintage

Location: Historic Downtown Fort Myers

Hair: Lindsay Johnson

Makeup: Hope Henderson with Hope Artistry

Bridal Portrait art and tips for your bridal session

A bridal portrait is the perfected image of you in your wedding gown.  Traditionally,  the photo session is scheduled a few weeks prior to your wedding, so that a print can be framed and prepared for the wedding day and/or wedding announcements.  Last week I was introduced to another phenomenal idea for using your bridal portrait.  Enter artist Diane Bronstein.  Diane takes the bridal portrait image of you in your wedding dress and paints a watercolor or pencil "gown painting".

From the frame-able gown painting she can then also create thank you cards. Aren't they stunning?
To have your gown portrait made, her fee is currently $185.  She does offer options for oil paintings, digital scans and reproduction rights.
I wanted to include a few bridal portraits in this post so that you could have an idea of what portraits can possibly look like.  So I reached out to some of our photographers and had them send a few favorites over.  Between the images below, I will also give you a few tips, how-to and why to have a bridal portrait. Imagine these images as a watercolor or sketch!

Above Photo Credit: Impressions Photography.
Tip: One of the best things about having your bridal portrait taken in advance is that it will cut out a big portion on your "photo" time on your wedding day.  Its a good 30-45 minutes that you can free up on your already packed wedding timeline.
P.S. This is our bride Lindsay from this past fall- couldn't you just die over her dress? The train was detachable.

 Above Photo Credit: Ashley Brockinton Photography
Tip: You can have your portrait taken with or without a bouquet.  You can also choose to have your portrait taken in a studio like this one, or outside.
P.S. This is Christy, the winner of the 2011 Grand Wedding!

 Above and Below Photo Credit: Nancy Cohn Photography
Advice: Don't be afraid to be yourself.  Yes, I think you should absolutely get a classic image.  But how about something fun too (below)?

 Above Photo Credit: Audrey Snow Photography
Side note: Notice that in this image she's holding her bouquet.  Personally, I do think it adds to the bridal look.

 Above Photo Credit: Mike Moreland Photography
Side Note: This is Brittany, one of our brides from this past spring.  Be sure to pick up the Occasions Magazine (Winter 2013 Florida or Georgia issues) to see her stunning white wedding wedding feature!

Above Photo Credit: Maria Glassford Photography
Tip: Bring your mom or a friend with you to help you maneuver in and out of your dress.  One person is enough though- your session should not be turned into a party!

 Above Photo Credit: Tonya Malay Photography
Advice: Your bridal portrait day is also a another great opportunity to fine tune your wedding day look.  Be sure to have your hair & makeup done for this!

Why You Should Get Engagement Photos

If you are engaged and planning your wedding I highly encourage you to have engagement photos. Not only are these photos a great keepsake and so fun to do, but they have come such a long way since the traditional staged portraits from the '90s. They are now so much more fun and creative.Check out Aly & Michael...
 

Photos by Concept Photography Save the Dates created by Minted.

Reason #1: Getting engagement pictures done will give you and the photographer the opportunity to get acquainted before your wedding day. This means one less stranger that will be in your face wedding day. Plus after working together once you will feel much more comfortable being yourself.

Reason #2: While you will love your wedding day photos, there will come a time that you wish you had another great picture of you and your groom outside of your wedding dress.

Reason #3: Engagement Pictures provide a great picture for your Save the Dates and for wedding websites. They are fun, corky and totally natural.

 Here are a few more Engagement Pictures from our clients that we are dying over!

Christy & Keith our 2011 Grand Wedding Couple. Photo Credit Maria Glassford

Kate & Ryan. Photo Credit Ashley Brockinton

Aly & Michael. Photo Credit Concept Photography

Liza & Todd. Photo Credit Maggie Stolzberg Photography

Nick & Sara our 2010 Grand Wedding Couple. Photo Credit Riversedge Lifestyle Photography 

Photo Station Backdrops

One of our favorite extras at weddings the last few years have been photobooths and photostations.  They are a riot!  I'll admit I was skeptical at first, thinking it would be childish.  I was 100% wrong.  Guests LOVE them, and the memory books made from them are fantastic.
I tend to prefer the photostations because we can completely customize the background by having the background re-made for each wedding.
Yesterday I hit my favorite fabric shop to look for backgrounds for Southern Sweetie brides wedding later this month.  Since her wedding reception will be outside under a beautiful century tent at the Gasparilla Inn, we decided to go with a photo station rather than a photobooth.  It just allows for a bit more flexibilty in placement (this is the logistical planner in me talking).
I walked into the shop and had an idea of what I wanted, but knew I was going to find more:

You'll notice that I narrowed it down to only prints.  Solid backgrounds are fine- but not very exciting or fun.  And since photo stations are fun...
When choosing your background, if you do go with a print, make sure the print is large enough and has some contrasting colors to actually show up from a few feet away.  Tiny little polka dots wouldn't work, and neither would pinstripes.  In other words, bold works best.  This is also a place where you can and should tie into the overall design of your wedding- but think a bit outside the box.  For goodness sakes, don't match it to your bridesmaids dresses; it'll look like your maids attire was made from drapes (i.e. The Sound of Music).
Here is what we ended up picking.  I'm so excited to get in there!

P.S. Props are fun and make for some hilarious photos.  Consider placing a basket of wigs, boas, mustaches, hats, chalkboard/chalk next to the station or photobooth.

A Most Gorgeous Wedding: The Martha Paltrow Series

We nick-named Alison the most appropriate name ever: Martha Paltrow. Why? Because she is the complete personification of a blended Martha Stewart and Gwenyth Paltrow and so was her amazingingly stunning destination wedding on Captiva Island.
We were so fortunate to have Impressions Photography on board for the weekend to capture what was one of the highlights of the year. Because there were just so many insanely beautiful images, I'm going to share this wedding over several posts. So be sure to check back regularly, or even better- go ahead and subscribe (right sidebar) to ensure you don't miss out!
The wedding weekend officially started with the bridal party enjoying a spa day and the grooms party having a great day of golf. Then, just before the sunset, all 96 guests were invited to a welcome cocktail reception at Palm Tree Landing of Sunset Beach located on the South Seas Island Resort.
The Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner was held right on the beach. The tables were covered with natural adobe linens keeping the soft beach feel alive.
For center pieces they had frosted votive candles with Phalaenopsis Orchids designed by Floral Artistry on each table surrounded by natural plants that the bride designed herself, which included a small local plant in a small glass vase with natural rocks on the bottom. The wine bar was decorated with Italian Ruscus garlands.
After having a few cocktails and passed hors d'oeuvres of Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and Raw Spring Rolls (Rice paper wrapped crab, carrots, lettuce, asian noodles, and carrot ginger sauce) the guests enjoyed a selection of fresh grilled bbq favorites along with a chopped salad of Manchego, peppers, tomatoes, and olives.

Also on the menu was grilled corn on the cob, oven roasted baby potatoes, sliced watermelon, and cornbread & biscuits. And of course, it wouldn't be an island dinner without some Key Lime Pie!
Before the night ended, all the guests laughed and cried while watching a highlights video montage of Alison & Andrews lives including their dearest family and friends.

Wedding Photography you might not have known about (but you should)

Your wedding, although its one of the biggest events in your life, literally life changing, passes by in just a matter of hours. There are so many ways to capture more of everything that your wedding means to you through photography. So I called up one of our Wise Bride experts, Audrey Snow to explain all the different wedding photography options that there are. Audrey and her photography partner & fiance Michael are based out of Sarasota.
Looking back, I very much wish I'd had the opportunity to do a few of these, especially the Bridal Portrait. And even more so, I wish I had some of these of my parents. So often we forget to think of the future.
Here are all the various types of wedding photography we could list. The descriptions are all Audreys words- thank you so much Audrey! Check out more of Audreys words and images on her blog

Engagement: The engagement session is a more casual reflection of the bride and groom. While sometimes dressy, it's usually not as formal as the wedding day look. More often the engaged couple will be in jeans or other more casual looks. Another great chance to play around with different locations and styles. With these images, many couples will make fantastic guest books for the wedding, or submit one to the local paper for the engagement announcement. We love engagement sessions so much we include them in all our packages. It gives us a chance to get to know our couples before the big day and all work together.
Pre-wedding Celebration coverage: How much thought and planning goes into the events leading up to the wedding? Engagement parties, showers, rehearsal dinners? Why not round out your wedding image collection by including your pre-wedding events in your coverage? Tell the whole story! This image is from an engagement party/ceremony that took place months before the wedding. Images from this day will likely be included in their wedding album along with images from other events surrounding their wedding.

Boudoir: A sexy photo shoot of the bride done just for her groom (she's likely to be in gorgeous lingerie), the boudoir session is typically done anytime in the months leading up to the wedding, sometimes even on the day of. Smaller coffee table books and fine art prints are wonderful finished products for presentation. Could there be a better gift? Nope, but the truth is it ends up being just as much a gift for a woman to herself. Playing supermodel and having amazing images of yourself to show for it is so much fun.
Bridal Portrait: A bridal session is all about just the bride alone in her dress. Somewhat like the boudoir shoot, the bridal session takes place in the months before the wedding or at the very least, earlier the day of. If the session is planned for an earlier day it can be a fun opportunity to get images in a different location than the wedding/reception location. Some of a woman's most beautiful moments are in her wedding dress, she deserves a little extra press in it! As a photographer I could photograph just the bride all day long. Many of my favorite images are brides alone where they can really shine and take the attention solo for a bit.
Day before/Day after: Concerned about not having enough time to get all your favorite wedding images on your wedding day? A shoot in your wedding clothes the day before or after the wedding can be the perfect solution. This couple did most of their wedding photos the day before to be able to spend more time with their guests they day of rather than spending the time on photos. They were relaxed and had a great time shooting all over town. Important note: If you choose to do the pictures the day after, I still recommend shooting on the actual wedding day everything you would if you didn't have the extra shoot planned. Just to be on the safe side. Think of the day after shoot as bonus images rather than replacement images. And consider changing up your look just a little. Had a tough time deciding on the veil, or his tie, etc? Try this shoot with the runner up goods and enjoy some variety in your images.

Wedding Day:Wedding day coverage usually begins with getting ready moments, and continues to include ceremony coverage, formal photo sessions of family, bridal party, and of course just the bride and groom (all of which may actually happen before the wedding ceremony rather than after), as well as reception coverage. It is likely anywhere from 6 to 12 hours of coverage on the day of the wedding and is combination of true photojournalistic moments and more loosely posed, stylized shots as well as lots of images of the details that make your day unique to you. These are the images to remind you exactly how your wedding day looked and felt for years to come.Trash the dress: A session done sometime after the wedding where you don't worry about getting a little wet or dirty or messing up the dress. Locations might include in the water at the beach or in a swamp. Activities might include anything you wouldn't expect to see someone dressed up participating in. Painting, auto repair... you get the idea. It's about creating fun, daring, unexpected, dramatic images. You don't even have to use your actual wedding dress. Check out a local bridal shop's clearance rack. This gem came from the off the rack sale from a local bridal boutique. We spiced it up a bit with a corset and accessories and had a ball!

Quite a list isn't it? You can catch Audrey and Mike on twitter for more wedding photography tips and tidbits
Quick Tip: Many of these images taken prior to the wedding can be used in your wedding videos and slideshows. Check with your videographer on how you can incorporate them.

Pretty DIY tablescapes

I got together with Impressions Photography and AMC Video to produce this short video of some tablescapes several weeks ago. Here is my honest opinion when it comes to DIY. It is not easy and it is very time consuming, and isn't always less expensive. However, if you are having a very small wedding, perhaps just a table or 2, it can be worth your while and really fun. For these tablescapes I picked up all the candlesticks, cylinders, and vases from Homegoods. The roses are from Sams club, which you can order online.

If you aren't going the DIY route, looking at DIY projects you've found online at places like Wedding Bee, Style MePretty, and Snippet and Ink can be great to bring to your florist, wedding planner/designer, and stationer for inspiration!
Oh my gosh, I nearly forgot the amazing cake! Kakes by Karen let us borrow this modern creation from her studio bakery. I have to admit, I had a very difficult time trying to pick just one cake. She's so talented. And NO, I do not recommend DIY wedding cakes- ever!

Wow ceremony decor without blowing the bank

This is absolutely my favorite way to dress up an outdoor ceremony site. Everyone always decorates the aisle. Sure. It's great. And it's also anything but unique. Still, I think some attention should be placed there. however what is almost always missed is the back row of chairs. Note that I said back row- not all rows. Sure you can do every seat, but really, you can get away with just the back row and make quite the impression.
There will be so many photos from behind your guests, and it is the first thing your guests will see as they arrive- so why not take advantage of the design opportunity?

Things you can do:

• Chair Covers
• Chair Sleeves/drapes
• Garland (Flowers, shells, greenery- like Italian Ruscus, ribbon)
• Paper Lanterns
  
• Paper Mache Letters
• Bows or sashes (ok, not my favorite- but they can look nice if done properly)

Wedding Pictures you ask for vs. the pictures ultimately purchased

As I was helping one of my clients find a photographer this past week, I asked as usual,

"What kinds of pictures are the ones you are drawn to? What pictures are you most looking forward to having?"

If I am lucky enough to have the client in our planning studio and brides library I will sit down with the client and we'll go through some of the wedding albums photographers have given us and some wedding photography books. I have to go through this process because narrowing down the enormous list of talented photographers isn't a task I take lightly and it is incredibly time consuming.

Anyway, more often than not, the response to my question is:

"I don't like the posed pictures, I want candid (or photojournalistic), and I absolutely have to have sunset photos, and I don't want to see the sweaty dance photos."

I wondered if this is what actually ends up being the case though. So I asked some photographers who follow me on twitter,

"What are the 2 most REQUESTED pictures (before wedding day) & the 2 most PURCHASED after?"

Here is what some of them had to say:

"I get a lot of formal requests and a lot of group photos are often purchased." Alicia Williams of Cordele Photography

"Most requested: formal poses, most purchased: guests buying posed & candid photos of themselves (not bride&groom)" Anne Ruthmann of Anne Ruthmann photography

"Requested: "lots of details" & "don't want to pose" Purchased: Posed couple and posed family." Kara hudson of Solais Photography

"2 most REQUESTED pictures: candid + romantic shots. Most PURCHASED: I agree with Anne, guests buying pix of themselves + formal" Shari Bare of Shari Bare Photography

"Requested: candids, photojournalism style shots. Purchased: posed groups, posed couple shots" Christine Tremoulet of Christine Tremoulet Photography

How about that? Looks like there are some differences. What does this mean? It means you should be looking very closely at everything your photographer shoots. Ask to see at least 2 recent complete weddings. Why two? Because every wedding is different, and different lighting, venues, and people make all the difference when you're "browsing". Ask yourself if all of the above mentioned requested and purchased photos are done well, and are there enough of them.

This blog: How to find pictures of our real weddings

Let's say you came here specifically to find pictures of the weddings I have been so fortunate to plan and design. The easiest ways to find what you are looking for is to do a lijit search (right sidebar) on either:
Wedding locations you want to see (i.e. South Seas Island Resort, Casa Ybel Resort, LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort, Miromar Lakes Beach Club, Ritz Carlton Naples Beach or Golf, Boca Grande, etc.)
or photographers names (i.e. Impact UK, Ashley Brockinton, Julie Goodacre, Susan Stripling, Impressions Photography, Jason P Smith, etc.)

You can also scroll all the way down and just click on the real weddings label. That will give you all of them. Some of them have the lousy pictures we took (believe me- you'll see the difference), some will have links to video trailers, and others will have the images our amazing photographers have shared. be forwarned, this one takes a long time to load because there are so many images.

A Beautiful Rainy Wedding Day at the Ritz Naples

Last month we had a stunning formal wedding weekend at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples Beach. I'm not going to say, "Unfortunately, it rained" because while the rain did come, it was still an amazing evening. There was nothing unfortunate about it! We had back up plans in place and had called for all the events to take place indoors several hours in advance (this is crucial!) so that everything would seem as it had been planned that way all along. The key is to make certain it does not appear to be a last minute move.
All photos on this post were taken by me, so yeah, they aren't so good because I am not a photographer who knows everything about lighting, angles, speed and all that stuff I find unfathomable to remember all at one time. But you get the point. To see better photos- always check out the photographers websites & blogs!
Location: Ritz Carlton Naples Beach
Photographer: Michelle Reed
Flowers: Ritz Carlton
Cake: Ritz Carlton
Band: Vox Blu
The band was unreal. We had Vox Blu at a wedding last year and I was immediately a fan. I was so excited when Kim picked them out for her wedding. They have the best Michael Jackson compilation of any band I have ever heard. There was not a single soul in a seat. Honestly, the dance floor was packed the entire night. Well, until the fire alarm went off. But that's another story. Anyway, the Hora was off the charts! Kim and Steve were up in the chairs many times until Steve was ultimately dropped. Oops. No worries though, he landed on both feet.

Weddings by Socialites Party Reminder

I like reminders. That way I don't forget. Makes sense right? HA!
Here's your reminder and a couple more hints of super huge prizes to win tomorrow night our Party for the Brides. Did I mention that there will be champagne and cupcakes from FLOUR Cupcakes (yum is an understatement):
From Ken Wells at Cabbage Key Inn (oh how I wish I was allowed to win this one): A Two night stay with dockage included. You guys know how I feel about Cabbage Key...this place is so cool. We go every chance we can get. As someone who considers a night away is worth millions, this is worth 3.5 million.

From Shari Bare who decided to donate to the prize pool in a MORE THAN GRAND way...check out this blog post. Hmmmm you think maybe her prize might include one of these?

I'll bet that someone who loves to plan weddings and has a wedding planning studio might donate something wedding planning related as well. I don't know, just a wild guess. I'll guess that something like that might be GRAND several times over.

Oh, and just like I mentioned before in this post...photographer Julie Goodacre is in on this too. Totally worth stopping by for.

Wedding Pro's...want in? It's not too late. Call or email me.

Calling all brides!

As you know, we're gearing up for our 2008 blog showcase and we're off to a great start. The Planners & Wedding designers across the country are ready to start creating a showcase piece based on what you envision, and we have a list of amazing photographers a mile long ready to photograph! Much to my surprise, we're short on brides!
The process is easy- your showcase planner/designer will contact you and let you know what showcase piece they'd like to create for you. Then all you have to do is give her/him your thoughts/ideas on what you'd like to see.

"Oh, you're doing a place setting? Great! I'd love to see something really contemporary, with greens, whites and golds. Oh, and I love the look of glass. Love, love, love glass. And my favorite flower is a rose, if that helps at all."

Easy right? Then you and your showcase planner/designer and the photographer will get together to photograph you, your planner/designer, and the showcase piece. All the submitted showcases will be featured on the blog in August.
That's it! Nothing but fun wedding inspiration. Free of charge, full of smiles. If you have a photographer or planner you'd like to work with, send me an email and I'll see if I can get you matched up!
Here's the list of cities we for sure need participants from (but we're not limiting to these!):

Boston, MA
Captiva Island, FL
Conneticut
Denver, CO
Ft Myers, FL
Las Vegas, NV
Los Angeles, CA
Naples, FL
New York, NY
Newport, RI
Sanibel Island, FL
St. Louis, MO