How to Make a Wedding Special - for the GROOM!

Traditionally, it's all about the bride in wedding planning. Marriage, however, is better if it's a 50-50 deal. Start your marriage off right by including the groom in all planning. The groom should think carefully about what kinds of photos he wants of himself and the people and things that he feels strongly about. Everyone has stuff they love, and both bride and groom should be able to include some in the wedding. Most guys love their cars or trucks. Brides may not want them in the wedding, but things special to the groom can be included in the photography. Love grows when both bride and groom plan the wedding and think carefully about what memories they want to preserve.
 

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How to Create a Wedding Cake That's You

In wedding planning, choosing the cake is a big deal; much like the dress, it has to be uniquely you! Why is that?

Why do we have wedding cakes at all? Here’s a fun historic rundown beginning in ancient Rome. The ceremony included wheat or barley cake broken over the bride’s head for luck and fertility. The newly married couple would share a few bites as well. The English took on the bread idea and in medieval times started stacking buns and scones, and even cookies as high as possible (that’s where the tiered idea originated). In olden times the couple was supposed to lean over the cake and kiss without toppling it! (What happened when it did topple? Yikes!)

Then those wonderful French took up the idea and cakes became confectionary. Yum! Full of sugar the way we love them today. There’s a lot more to the story but the idea of cakes being a major element in a wedding goes back millennia.

Tiered cakes, the higher the better, work well with wedding photography as you can see in the photos. Cakes that shimmer and shine or are artistic in other ways make memorable photographs. Gold, silver and red are vibrant colors for cakes and are always romantic.

If your budget is tight, have a small tiered cake for the photos, and a big sheet cake for the guests. Just remember, the cake is far more important to you and your beloved than it is to the guests, so choose a design you love. Don’t forget to save a piece in the freezer for that first anniversary!

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From Beginning to End, A Wedding is Simply about Love

Why are there so many tears at weddings? There’s crying when everyone is getting ready – both the females and the males!  Tears appear when the adorable little kids head down the aisle, and they really start when the bride and her father or escort first appear. More tears during the vows, then happy tears when the couple is pronounced husband and wife. Tears during heart-warming toasts and first dances. Even tears of relief when it’s over. There is so much crying at weddings, it’s no wonder everyone is ready for a drink!

Love is the guilty party in all this crying. Yes, blame it on LOVE. It’s what makes grown men cry when they realize how blessed they are to have found the love of their lives. Brides, who have emotion continually building during the day, always shed tears. Proud mothers and fathers, grandparents, friends, everyone is touched by the undeniable fact, that no matter what happens, love exists. It always has and it always will. Humans will be drawn together to connect heart to heart as long as there are humans.

A wedding we recently photographed shows the evidence of an abundance of love everywhere we looked. This was a family that was so supportive and loving of each other. We have no doubt the bride and groom, will live long and joyfully. We hope you enjoy the photos. 

How to Control the Stress of Wedding Planning & the Big Day

If your wedding day is supposed to be one of the most meaningful of your entire life, why is there so much stress getting to that day and through that day? Has it always been that way? Do consumer lifestyles and the demands of social media make wedding preparations more stressful than in olden times?

Wedding planning has most likely always been stressful for women. In the distant past, brides were often very young, and mothers did all the planning. Brides-to-be actually had very little to say about anything. (They mostly worried about the wedding night!) Today’s brides-to-be are inundated with advertising and promotion about how weddings are supposed to be. In truth, the wedding is supposed to be the springboard for a long and happy marriage and the joining of two families. That ideal can get lost in the shuffle so fast. Even the most independent women in control of their own lives can feel they're losing control during the wedding planning process.

Strange as it may sound, a bride-to-be who has a breathing practice, no matter how simple, can build a protective wall around her emotions so that she can navigate the tumultuous waters of wedding planning where everyone has a suggestion.  Breathing exercises can be done anywhere and no one has to know. Close your mouth (and your eyes if possible) and inhale through your nose for a count of four.  Hold for a count of seven. Exhale slowly for a count of eight. If you’re in a store surrounded by salespeople, or with your anxious mother-in-law-to-be, just quietly do your breathing exercise and you will relax. Bad and costly decisions are made when people are stressed.

If you develop a breathing exercise like the above, or some other meditative exercise and do it over and over as you plan the wedding, you will have it within you for the wedding day. You will be able to remain poised, calm, and enjoy yourself. Plus, you’ll look more beautiful in your wedding photos when you’re relaxed and your joy is spontaneous and genuine. 

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How to Build a Bridge of Memories from Your Wedding Day Forward

Photography builds a bridge of memories from the joy of the wedding day to the weaving of families through the birth of a child. We love being asked to do family photography for clients whose wedding we photographed. Besides being a treat to see the happy couple again, it’s a joy to see the results of their union in either a baby or simply how love has expanded in the blended families. With a professional photographer, everyone gets to be in the photo and there are no weird selfie angles. Enjoy these photos from the wedding and the family get-together two years later. Autumn is a wonderful time of year for colorful family photos, so reach out to us if you would like to schedule a session.

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Kids Add Spontaneous Joy to Weddings

In the not too distant past, children were always part of weddings. Some couples today want kid-free weddings and receptions and that’s okay. If the wedding theme is sophisticated, and carefully curated, kids can mess it up. However, in most cases, children add a wonderful dimension to the event. Babies and kids are a clear sign that life is meant to go on and on.

Communication is key to having kids actually in a wedding or just attending. Talk with the parents to let them know that you want the kids to be present, but also give the parents your expectations of kid behavior. Parents differ wildly in the behavior they allow. Just talk to them before the event so they understand what you want on your wedding day, and you understand the needs of their kids. Don’t be too rigid though, kids are kids, and they bring a spontaneous joy to the occasion which comes through in the photography. 

Even very young children sense that weddings are special because they’re a blending of families. To a child, family is everything. If the bride and groom can relax and enjoy the children at the wedding, they’ll have photos they’ll love to share. The more kids, the merrier. 

Red is for Romance, Love & Passion!

If you want a wedding look that’s jazzy and energetic, incorporate the color red into your palette. Don’t overdo it though. Red is a powerful color. Like fireworks, it needs to be used cautiously!

All through history, red has been associated with deep longing, energy, sexuality and joy, the intense emotions in life.

Red is also associated with the ideals of courage and strength, two traits needed for a long and successful marriage!

Daniel says that “even a touch of red in a photo compels the viewer to look more deeply at the image”.

There are many elements that are critical for creating great images like shape, shadow and balance. Color is a big one. As you create the decorative elements for your wedding, take the time to look with a critical eye at your creations and imagine what they’ll look like in a photo. Weddings are short, photos are forever! 

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How to Let Your Creativity Flow for Your Wedding

One of the pleasures of being a wedding photographer is seeing the unusual ways in which each couple creates their authentic experience.  The basics are often the same - ceremony, reception, family photography, etc. It's the little things that make lasting memories and memorable photos.  Creating decorations, gifts, little flourishes that capture your personalities and the various aspects of your relationship can be fun. Although most brides (and some grooms) want their weddings to make an impression, in the long run, it’s more important that they create memories for themselves. Creativity doesn't have to be costly.  Simple, natural things put together can give your guests a memory of what you and the day are all about. If you don’t think you’re naturally “creative”, forget the word and just find decorations, flowers, colors, and other things that you like. 

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How to Add the Magic of Water to Your Wedding Experience

In northeast Ohio, we are blessed with one of the Great Lakes, our own Lake Erie. There are also many inland lakes and even ponds and streams in the Metroparks that can be ideal backgrounds for engagement and wedding photography. Being married near a body of water adds an element of timelessness to a wedding. Lake Erie has looked like it does now for ten thousand years. That’s 400 generations of humans! Even with the long history of our lake, your engagement or wedding photos on Lake Erie will be unique. The sky and the sunset are different every hour of every day.

Sunset photography is almost always exquisite because you have the backdrop of the huge lake and the huge sky.  The palette of colors that Mother Nature creates on this background makes the most amazing photography especially when they surround a couple who are deeply in love. If you want a smaller, easier to access body of water, take some time to visit the parks and wooded areas, where they may be found. We also have many Location Spotlights in our list of blogs which with water features.

How to Have a Soul Satisfying Home Wedding 

There are reasons beyond budget to hold your wedding in your home or the home of a loved one or great friend. For many people, home really is where the heart is, as the old saying goes. A home wedding can be soul-satisfying because if done well, it can bring a deep feeling of satisfaction that you’ve started your new life with your beloved emphasizing the importance of home and family.

Here are some things to think about in deciding whether to wed at home or at a venue:

What rental items (chairs, tents, lighting, etc.) will you need for the size wedding you want? Will you end up spending more on your own rentals than you will for a professional venue that already has the items?

From the photographic point of view, are there places within the home or lawn that will make good backgrounds?  Gardens are great if they are weeded or if enough flowers are in bloom. Look at all the spaces in your home and yard that might be used for photography with a critical eye.

If the wedding or reception is to be held indoors, is there available natural light? Natural light is the secret to the most beautiful wedding photos.

Is there enough space so that the guests are not too close to the wedding couple during the ceremony? 

Remember also, that this is one day in your wedded life. There are hopefully years and years to come.  Don’t buy furniture or do renovations that are expensive for this one day, unless you and your betrothed love them.

How to Choose Wedding Attire for an Entire Day of Being the Star!

Brides-to-be pour-over glossy magazine pictures and internet sites featuring everything from glorious wedding dresses and shoes to jewelry, gloves, hairstyles, makeup, and the whole array of wedding paraphernalia. Dreaming is easy but just remember, you’ll want to be a vision of beauty for the whole day and evening too on your wedding day.

Comfort is an element of planning your wedding attire that brides seldom seriously consider, until the wedding day when it is too late. Your groom will most likely be wearing comfortable flat-heeled shoes while you totter on heels that show off your dress, but make walking and dancing a major feat to be accomplished. Even small weddings may mean a long day from the time you begin getting dressed until the last guest leaves. Changing clothes for the reception is an option, but many brides want to remain the star of the show until the last possible minute. Everyone wants photos on the dance floor in their dresses.

If you plan carefully, you can go all day without wilting or getting blisters. Well-planned, you’ll remember the day as being wonderful instead of hot, scratchy, and overwhelming. When you find the dress you love, use your imagination to see yourself wearing it through weather changes and all of the activities of your wedding day. Choose shoes that are wearable all day or have multiple pairs available. Break them in before the wedding. If you plan to kick them off on the dance floor, make sure you won’t trip over your dress!

Consider the weather and your comfort in makeup. We’ll have a future blog on applying makeup for optimal photography. The glossy magazine photos and Instagram shots that attract you are edited. Weddings are real-life events that require careful consideration. Years later when you look at your photos and see how comfortable and happy you were on that spectacular day, you will be glad you took the time.

How to Choose the Vision That is You

There are pivotal moments in each person’s life when choices are made that create a path in a new direction. The choice to become engaged and married is certainly one of those moments. Many women and some men too find that the decision to marry and to hold a wedding propels them into looking deeper within themselves. “Who am I?” is an age-old question. For couples who have never planned anything as monumental as a wedding, that question comes up. The questions of “who are we as a couple?” and “how do we want to present ourselves as a couple to our families and community?” are more concepts to think about.

Wedding planning that starts out simply often takes on a life of its own, especially when friends, family, and professionals get involved. It goes better when you’re clear that your wedding is the springboard for the rest of your lives together. In planning how you want your wedding to look, and more importantly how you want it to feel, be true to yourself. Shakespeare said it best centuries ago… “this above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man”.

These Daniel Photo Pro photos of four brides show how each was true to the vision that felt right for her. 

How to Choose Your Wedding Colors. Forget the Trends – Make It You!

What happens when you let the colors of your imagination run free?  This is what happens…the colors that make your heart fill up with emotion also begin to glow in your mind. Life overflows with wonderful colors. Think about it. Does Lavender make you feel beautiful?  Does Orange fill you with a zest for living? Does Red remind you of your passionate side?  Does White emanate romance?  Does Turquoise bring on your peaceful, happy place? Does Yellow make you want to jump for joy?

Your wedding is one of the most important times in your life when you can use the colors that you LOVE to set the stage for your new life. Just like walking into a colorful home gives you a sense of the owner’s personality, your chosen wedding colors vividly say who you are and what brings you happiness.

There are many design elements used in wedding decorations. Whether you have a wedding planner, a friend helping you, or are doing your own planning, the choice of color must be yours. Color will play a big part in your wedding photography and your guests’ emotional experience of the wedding, so create it with the color or colors that are YOU!

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