Wedding Tips - Photos by Tinywater Photography

Paige you are oh so cute! <3 http://t.co/yrIpp7nw # 11 hours ago

Bachelor Party Time!

April 5th, 2011

And a little write up by the very talented Audrey of Botanica Florals Designs:

The Spud Bar was created with the pondering question of “What would a Bachelor Party look like?” While a bachelor might not pull this look together, his fiance or wife just might. And think of what a gift that would be for the guy in your life? Perfectly masculine with a down to earth mid century flair complete with personalized beer bottles. And all the potatoes you could ever want. Easy to do, easy to prepare and fast too!

Which man doesn’t like potatoes, or anything deep fried for that matter? Themed with a mid-century modern feel from the paper labels to the orange and green colors throughout, this is the perfect party idea for a bachelor party, a sports viewing party, or just for the family!

The labels were inspired from mid-century shapes and signs. Vessels used included vintage green glass, wooden elements and clean white plates. Florals used included green dianthus and leucadendrons, simple, but complimenting to the overall feel.

Baked potatoes with all the toppings, variations of potato fries with dipping sauces, mashers and beer make this table totally delectable for the man in your life.

And a heartfelt thank you to Maddy of The Inspire Bride for featuring this fabulous set up on both her websites, The Inspired Bride and Somewhere Splendid, our favorite party inspiration website.

Be sure to visit her websites and check out the posts, we are so delighted!! Thank you so much Maddy, you’re such a rockstar!

Now just remember to carb up!

And a super huge thank you to Aurey for styling and putting together this beautiful potato bar.The paper products and design were absolutely fabulous and the florals were perfect!! What a great idea for a guy’s spread! Are you going to be doing this at your next man party?

Petronella - Yummy!!!! Yummy details

Dave Shilling - i looooove potatoes. Guys would totally eat all that stuff.

Una Bella Sera

April 29th, 2010

Crystal Lequang of Amazae Special Events and Nicole Ha, the beautiful ladies of Una Bella Sera have outdone themselves again! Beautiful, gorgeous, mouth watering wedding decor is where these two truly shine. This year was no different than the past two years of the event, Crystal and Nicole put together perfect design vignettes of sophistication, creative imagination and whimsy. We are ever so thankful and honored to be one of the featured photographers of the event. Thank you so much Crystal and Nicole!

martha - Pure eye candy, everything is amazzing and wonderful! Talent abundantley floweing everywhere on this shoot!xoxoxo

Your Ideal Wedding Photographer – Our Ideal Wedding Couple

March 26th, 2009

I was inspired by Christine Tremoulet’s Ideal Client and Freedom article on photolovecat. There is a huge movement in the wedding photography industry, if not the whole wedding industry, to move towards the high end bride spectrum. It seems that frequently, that is what photographers are looking for, a bride of a certain budget. There are workshops and educational DVD’s just on how to attract the higher end bride. But what about brides and couples that appreciate and care about your work? This is what we have come to realize a long time ago, just like Christine. We would much rather be working with brides who are emotionally invested in our work, who appreciate and love our work for being us. We would rather be spending a Saturday and weeks of working after the wedding on a couple who are as into our photography and their wedding photos as we are.

When we work with a couple that appreciates our work and give us free reign (as our couples do), we do our best work! It’s when our creativity sings. When we connect with couples emotionally and aesthetically, we understand what they want and what they envision. Which is why we always meet every single couple before we agree to take on the wedding comission. We sit down with them and ask each couple what their vision is for their wedding photography. Often our consults last for 1-2 hours and we enjoy every single meeting regardless of booking. And if we don’t match up well, we don’t mind referring the couple to another fellow wedding photographer.

We are not the ideal wedding photographer for everyone. Not everyone likes our style, and that is ok. We don’t need everyone to like our work. We just need the couples we want to work with. But because of this our Signature Style can develop and soar instead of becoming stagnant as artists. Because of this we can be unique and offer unique couples something different. And because of this we are more a boutique studio than your other average wedding photography studios that all look alike. Because of this our couples come to us. Our clients know that they are receiving an inidividual and unique experience from us. Our ideal clients trust us and get into their sessions with us. They trust in our vision of documenting their wedding day. They are making wedding photography an investment for their lifetime and we are an important priority on their list. Most importantly, they like us and connect with us.

We often have fellow photographer friends asking us how we get the couples so relaxed and so happy in their photos. Or how we can get them to climb up on rocks or lie down on the ground in their wedding attire. Really, it’s all a matter of trust and connection. Our couples laugh in the photos because we are laughing with them. Our couples will do what we suggest because they want good photographs and trust us. They look relaxed because they ARE relaxed. Simple concept isn’t it?

The couples we meet and work with are all very dear to us, regardless of their budget. Each have an important and sweet story behind their courtship and relationship. We laugh with each one and shed a tear during the first dance, a father’s toast or maybe a special vow. We don’t need every single bride to be a high end bride and we have no need to market ourselves as a high end wedding photographer.

And in fact, let’s be perfectly clear here, if you have a rocking and awesome unique and offbeat wedding, we would bend over backwards, die or kill to photograph your wedding regardless of your wedding photography budget. No lies about that! And we would rather be working with couples with the unique and offbeat weddings anyhow!!

Photographers who want to know how we get our unique brides and want to photograph a unique wedding, you guys have to understand that the brides find us because we have similar philosophies. And you cannot photograph a punk wedding just for portfolio usage when you don’t understand the subculture enough and you don’t shriek over fluevog boots like we do. Sorry!

So all couples, be sure to sit down and think about what you want out of your ideal wedding photographer. Yes, we understand that economically, times are tight. But if wedding photography is important to you, make the time and financial investment to find a wedding photographer that you like and connect with, not just one who has ok photos and rock bottom budget prices. When you have photographs that portray you and your connection as a couple, it’s not longer just photographs. It’s art. And that is why we are artists.

Jason - Great advice. I remember chosing our wedding photographer for a similar reason - we felt like we connected with him, we felt he understood what we were after, and more importantly, we trusted him. With so many other important aspects of your day to keep under control you need to trust those you involve. Then you'll be relaxed. I agree - you've got amazingly relaxed and happy looking couples throughout your portfolio, love it. Keep up the blog posts, you're a regular in my RSS reader.

Katharine - Hear hear. Connecting with my photographer was the most important thing for me - that and loving their pictures! I had a bad experience with a photographer who obviously wanted the "high end" clients. We had set up a meeting; he messaged me to tell me he was there, but we were already there and he was nowhere to be found. I can only assume he was hiding somewhere to check us out and when he saw me take out my phone he knew it was us, and decided we didn't look like his kind of clients. Never been so angry in my life! Many phonecalls and a few emails later, we never got an explanation out of him. Asshole. Anyway, my point is go on doing what you're doing, get clients who LOVE your work, and that's all you need! I'm so glad you're not only focused on the $ signs.

Caroline - katharine, that sounds utterly ridiculous. that's insanity, what a marketing move. i can't believe someone would do that, what's the point. i do have to say though that to be fair, since we are both full time photographers in this company, we also need to be financially sound, so while we would love to offer rock bottom packages, it's simply not feasible. plus it would devaluate the whole industry. although i have to say that there is a huge different between just photography and art. and we are lucky our clients all know that.

Michele B - Well said! Wedding photography was THE most important thing to me when I was planning my own wedding. At the end of the day, the pictures are the physical memories of the event so choosing the right person is very important. Also I would just freak out if one of my brides wore Fluevogs too! I love those boots!

Rhee - BLESS YOU!!!!!! This is exactly, exactly, exactly what I've been screamin' about. Beautifully put.

Charise - Well said! Awesome post!

Bree - This is so important! And true for us as well! We don't want EVERY client, we just want the ones that we connect with us and we get them and they get us! It makes for a better shoot and a more relaxed day for everyone! Awesome post!

Eco Chic Weddings – Green Weddings – Green Wedding Photography

March 25th, 2009

Sure, being green is trendy now and there is a whole new movement to be green. But there is a difference between just being green because of the trend and being green as a lifestyle. We firmly believe in being green as a committed member of the Greener Photography community and highly encourage other photographers to make this switch. How did we make the move to be more green? We moved to a more digital studio, we got rid of as much paper products as we could and switched to online bookkeeping and business systems. Cutting out film in our photography decisions means that we are producing less toxic output. Few people truly understand just how toxic film processing is. And while we greatly love and admire the look of film (we started with film years ago), we believe that the enviromental concerns greatly outweigh the aesthetics. We made 4×6 print proofs an optional choice instead of including it in our packages. We would rather our clients only print the photos that they want and conserve paper and energy usage. For the same reason, we cut out proofbooks and offer online file proofing and individual digital file downloads. We deliver all our contracts and communications online instead of by mail and cutting down on marketing kits, print marketing and focusing on online marketing such as our blog. This not only reduces paper usage but also reduces carbon output produced by shipping and transportation. The paper we do use is recycled; it is important to adopt a recycling program. All of our packaging revolves around recyclable materials as much as we can.

We try to source businesses that are local to us, or use energy as efficiently as possible. But remember, an internet based company across the country might be using less energy than a local company. Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors where they source their materials. Remember that it’s not just about being enviromentally green but being ethical in production. In the same vein, we have also sourced green wedding albums and green wedding album vendors who have similar beliefs. There are other numerous personal lifestyle changes you can adopt to be more green. This has been a long time passion of mine, from buying locally to sustainable farming and etc. As a personal decision, I have stopped eating beef and pork a long time ago; but did you know that not eating beef cuts down your carbon footprint more than if you stopped driving? I kid you not; there are various articles online for this if you do not belive me.

Most of all I would like to say that being green or moving towards a greener photography studio should be a lifestyle and ethical decision and not just for a business/marketing decision so you can hope to get more clients.

Some methods you can adopt as a photographer:

recycle your electronical equipment,
cut down on your ac, use fans and open windows
use rechargable batteries
unplug unused equipment and appliances
limit frivolous packaging extras
buy used items
go to a library to check out magazines
group ingoing and outgoing deliveries
use energy efficient computers
opt out of printed catalogs
use a personal water bottle or water purification system
program your computers and monitors to sleep or turn them off
shoot with natural light as much as possible versus studio lights

greener Eco Chic Weddings Green Weddings Green Wedding Photography

It is always nice for us to work with like-minded couples, but how do you have a greener wedding? Lucky for you, Style Unveiled put together an awesome guide on 101 ways to make a wedding eco-chic. So be sure to check it out, they did it much better than we could ever have.

spl squares r 01 Eco Chic Weddings Green Weddings Green Wedding Photography

Style Unveiled is also looking for green wedding stories, so be sure to send them yours!

Jenna Cole - Would you mind emailing me about how you offer individual digital file downloads? I would really like to offer my clients an option like this but I don't really know how to go about doing it.

Caroline - jenna, it totally depends on how you provide client proofing. email me and we can discuss

Wedding Photography and the Wedding Budget

June 26th, 2008

A friend recently sent me this CNN article about wedding budgets. Yes, we all know that a wedding budget can slowly add up or quickly get out of control. We have all heard the rants on how the wedding industry is getting crazier. But honestly, between you and me, this does not have to be the case and beautiful weddings can be done without going overboard.

The CNN article really brings up many good points. And if you have a friend who is a blooming Martha Stewart to be, then you are in luck! DIY items adds both charm and individuality to a wedding. I have seen some beautifully done DIY items from wish threes to candy buffets.

One statement from the CNN article under the “Target where to save, where to splurge” headline rings true for me:

“ Michelle and Jason knew exactly where they would loosen the purse strings: photography. “That was one area we didn’t want to scrimp on,” says Michelle.“

I have met way too many women who have said they wished they splurged more on photography or that they knew about us when they got married. I am not just saying this because I am a wedding photographer but a good wedding photographer will make your wedding look gorgeous and make a bride look and FEEL fabulous. A good wedding photographer knows how to pick angles that flatter you. We know how to get the shots that portray your personality. We also know how to get the shots that express your love, intimacy and devotion. We work hard to accentuate the beauty of your wedding. We look at the light, the architecture, squeal at the marvelous colors, get excited over table settings and we delight in every little detail, every litle bow, and every flower petal. We can make you look and most importantly, feel, glamorous, chic and beautiful. Simply put, a good wedding photographer is not just a photographer, we are artists and that is what I believe in. Our work is not simply photographs but works of art, emotion and memories. Wedding photographs are an artform.

There are wedding photographers for every budget range. But what you are paying for is not just technical skill but artistic skill. And skill and talent are two very hard things to put tangible money figures on. Then comes experience, and that creative eye that is priceless.

We are completely different from your normal wedding vendor, we believe in personal attention and service. We start working even before the wedding. During our consultations, we are figuring out what the perfect couture wedding collection would be for you. We are taking our time to get to know you and get on a personal level. We have had 3 hour consults because we devote that much personal attention. We spend the day with you during your engagement session. We laugh, we share, we smile together and have fun. Many of our couples end up extending their engagement sessions as well.

Then comes the big day. We are the vendors that are there from start to finish. We usually start when the bride is getting ready in the morning or mid afternoon. By this time, I always feel like we are friends sharing the special day. I am there holding her hand, jumping up and down with her in excitement. I am enjoying the bridesmaids’ excited chatter and inside jokes. Before the ceremony, I am there reminding her to breathe and that she is gorgeous. I smile during the ceremony as they kiss for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. , and I tear up during the father daughter dance. I laugh and have fun with my bride and groom during the photo session and get in the middle of the action on the dancefloor. And frequently, you can find me feeling so honored when one of the mom’s tell me how much they loved their kids’ e-session. In short, we make sure we wear comfortable shoes.

After the party, we laugh and exchange stories on the way home. We head home pumped, ready to sit down and edit the wedding photographs for weeks to come. We can’t wait for the day that we get to see you again to go over your photograps, prints and albums. We usually end up meeting again on your anniversary, for your maternity session and our favorite, for your newborn photos. We believe we remain friends with our clients because of our work, our connection and our personal service. But mostly because we love our clients, and we love what we do and that shows in our work. And all that is hard to put a price tag on.