Photography is capturing light. When deciding where to put a couple for photographs, we will choose good lighting over a pretty background any day. The light is so important. This is why we totally, completely, whole-heartedly, absolutely, unreservedly  (you get the idea!) recommend having your reception lighting done professionally.  Professional lighting transforms your wedding site from ordinary to simply stunning. Lighting creates a mood and makes everything — including your centerpieces, cake, and guests — look better. Professional lighting is not as expensive as you may think and in our humble opinion it is worth every penny.

We cannot stress enough that lighting MAKES the reception. Here are a few photos from our recent professionally-lit receptions. We think they speak for themselves. :-)
-Jenn and Kaylinn

Denise and Geoff’s McNay Wedding Reception:

Jessica & Will’s Southwest School of Art and Craft Wedding Reception:

Jill and Matt’s Y.O. Ranch Resort Wedding Reception:

Julia and George’s Witte Museum Wedding Reception:

Stephanie and Greg’s Witte Museum Outdoor Wedding Reception:
Lighting by Illuminating Celebrations

Kira & Turner’s 6th Street Studios Wedding Reception:

MaryAnn and Matt’s Witte Museum Wedding:
Lighting by Illuminating Celebrations (www.illuminatingcelebrations.com)

Moneeza & Sarfraz’ Wedding Reception:

Jackie & Jared’s Sheraton Gunter Hotel Wedding Reception:
Lighting by Illuminating Celebrations (www.illuminatingcelebrations.com)

For more tips on making your wedding photos as gorgeous as they can be, click here!

Tip #1 – Plan a good timeline

If ever a bride asks “What is the ONE thing I can do to get the best wedding photos possible?”… “Plan a good wedding day timeline” is our answer. It is THE most important tip we can offer. “What makes a good wedding timeline”, you ask? Plan MORE time than you think you’ll need for everything. Weddings are unpredictable. Plan a timeline with wiggle room for dress bustling, makeup retouching, groomsmen running late, finding Uncle Leo for formal family photos, etc! Avoid having to cut your photo time short in order to make up for time lost somewhere else. If your hair/makeup person says she needs an hour, plan an hour and 1/2. If it typically takes 15 minutes to get from your hotel to your ceremony site, plan for 30 instead. Call us. Email us. We will help you plan a custom timeline that will save you lots of stress! :-)

Tip #2 – Be on time (and lie a little!)

So you’ve planned your wedding day timeline and have vowed to stay on track all day… great! The tricky part will be getting everyone ELSE (bridesmaids, groomsmen, vendors, parents, etc!) to arrive on time. Tell everyone to be there 15-30 minutes earlier than what you’ve planned. That way, everyone will be there when you need them to be there. And don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us. ;-)

Tip #3 – See each other before the ceremony

Seeing each other before the ceremony isn’t for everyone. With that said, this post is about getting the BEST photos possible on your wedding day. Doing a first look is huge because we have more light and more time, which leads to more creativity and (ultimately) more amazing photos. For more info about doing a first look, click here.

Tip #4 – Have professional lighting at your reception

When it comes to getting great reception photos, professional lighting is THE most important thing you can do. Lighting creates a mood and makes everything — including your centerpieces, cake, tables, etc. — look better. Professional lighting is not as expensive as you may think and in our humble opinion it is worth every penny. For more info about having professional lighting at your ceremony or reception, click here.

Tip #5 – Plan a cocktail hour

You’ve spent countless hours planning your wedding details, so we want to be sure and take photos of all of your hard work! Planning a cocktail hour (in a different room/location from your reception area) is the best way to ensure we’ll be able to take photos of your place settings, center pieces, etc. before your reception area is full of guests.  A cocktail “hour” isn’t necessarily an hour long – sometimes it needs to be longer (sometimes shorter) depending on how far your ceremony site is from your reception site, how many family photos we’re taking after the ceremony, etc. Contact us and we’ll help you plan a custom timeline that will allow plenty of time for photos of your reception details!

Tip #6 – Do a practice run!

Engagement sessions are super important! We include a complimentary engagement session in all of our wedding packages because they are fun, low-pressure situations where we can get to know and become comfortable working with each other. Our photography style is candid, relaxed, and unposed — which always requires some time for our subjects to “get comfortable” in front of the lens and learn our shooting style. Brides/grooms who shoot with us PRIOR to their wedding are more relaxed in front of the camera because we’ve tackled that awkward, get-comfortable stage ahead of time! The other benefit is that you’ll get to see images of yourselves long before the wedding, so you can tell us what angles you like and what shots you don’t care for.

Tip #7 – Don’t stress the dress!

Brides, this one will be hard (I know, I just got married last year!)… but try not to worry about getting your dress dirty. The good news is, no one will see that little bit of dirt on the bottom trim (we promise!). We will never ask you to do something you’re not comfortable doing, so decide ahead of time that a little bit of dirt is ok. Breathe easy and think about the amazing photos you’ll have when we ask you to walk into an open field or next to a river, for example. :-)

Tip #8 – Tell the fam to stick around

We take formal family photos immediately after the ceremony. Be sure your family knows this ahead of time! Rounding everyone back up can be time consuming, and we want you to get to your reception as quickly as possible.

Tip #9 – Trust us!

Trusting your photographer is such an important part of getting amazing wedding photos. It is crucial that you feel at ease and trust our ability to capture your big day. It happens all the time… a bride (after seeing her wedding photos) says to us “I had no idea WHAT you were thinking when you took that photo… but now I get it and I LOVE that shot!” If we put you in front of an unusual background or pose you in a way that seems strange at the time, trust our vision!

Tip #10 – Show our photos to your bridal party ahead of time

We’re modern/fun photographers – our shooting style may be different than what your bridal party is expecting. Be sure they’ve seen our work ahead of time so they know it’s ok to relax and have fun in front of the camera.

Tip #11 – Have fun!

Photos are better when a couple is genuinely having a good time. So be playful with each other – hug, kiss, talk, dance… forget about the camera as much as possible!

Tip #12 – Do you!

Don’t wear too much makeup or do something with your hair that is not “you.” Don’t let anyone tell you that you need lots of makeup for photos! You should look like yourself, only slightly enhanced. On the same note, self tanner (aka oompa loompa cream) is NOT your friend! You’ll thank us later, we promise.

…there you have it! Twelve easy ways to get the most out of your wedding photos! For more {our 2 cents} tips, click here!

As you know, Jenn just got married last year, so we know what it’s like to try to choose the perfect vendors… you go through 100 vendor websites, read tons of reviews, check the wedding forums… and at the end of the day, you’re no closer to finding the perfect florist/DJ/caterer than you were when you started. Yea, we know… ;-)  It’s overwhelming.    

Sooo… this is where it gets pretty awesome for you… because (here comes a shocker) Jenn and I go to weddings for a living. Yup, we just so happen to work with all types of wedding vendors every week. We know the good ones, the great ones, and the please-don’t-hire-that-guy ones. And we wanna share our knowledge with you. Alas, welcome to our first “featured vendor” post. And who better to be featured first than the amazingly talented Tricia Hamil.

Tricia Hamil of Viridian Design Studio (www.TriciaHamil.com) is one of our faaaaavorite vendors ever. EVER. There is no way we can really explain how amazing her work is, but I’m gonna try. :-) Viridian Design Studio is a floral design AND event coordination studio. Basically, your one-stop-shop for flowers, decor design, and event coordination/planning. Hire them to handle just one aspect of your big day, or hire them to do it all… it’s up to you. They are equipped to handle any event – no matter how big or small.

Jenn and I decided to feature Tricia when we realized that her floral designs were catching our attention EVERY time we saw them. We go to a lot of weddings, we see lots of floral designs and a ton of wedding decor… so we are not easily impressed. But when we go to a Tricia Hamil event, we can TELL it’s a Tricia Hamil event before we even ask. The quality is better, the flowers are prettier and the arrangements are more unique. No two designs are ever the same — every time we see decor from Viridian Design, it’s something we’ve never seen before.

My favorite thing about Viridian Design: They have this weird way of incorporating the bride & groom’s style into the wedding decor. If the couple is quirky and fun, you can bet the decor is going to be quirky and fun. If they’re a simple couple, an modern couple, a vintage couple… you guessed it, the design will reflect that. I love love LOVE that Viridian Design entire goal is to define, refine and incorporate their clients style into their wedding. It is something no other vendor can do like they can.

Here are several of our fave photos of flowers & decor by Viridian Design Studio:

We asked a few of our past brides to tell us a little bit about their experience with Tricia Hamil and her team.
Here’s what Amber had to say:

“Tricia and her team far exceeded my expectations. I provided her with a few photos
of the flowers that I liked. Not only did she recreate the rustic elegance that I was
aiming for, she also put her own unique touch on every arrangement.
Tricia Hamill was an absolute joy to work with.”
-Amber

Here’s what Emily had to say about  Viridian Design Studio:

“Planning a wedding is really stressful and it’s in my nature to want to follow up a lot
with vendors to make sure they are doing what they need to do. I quickly learned that
with Tricia and her staff, I didn’t need to do this.

I had little décor at my outside wedding and the flowers needed to be colorful and fun.
The corsages, bouquets, center pieces and all things flowers were gorgeous. We had to
change our plans and set up inside instead of out on the lawn, her staff was calm, got
things done in a quick, timely manner and helped calm my nerves.

Tricia had a way of helping me better express my vision when I couldn’t come up with
the words. Saying that she and her staff are creative experts is an understatement. Tricia
and her team will listen to your idea and make your vision come to life. I loved my bouquet
and seeing my bridesmaids just as excited about theirs made me so happy! I can’t say enough
positive things about Tricia Hamil and her team! Let the pictures do the talking!”
-Emily

So there you have it — Viridian Design Studio is amazing!! :-) Here is the web address: www.TriciaHamil.com Give Tricia a call, talk to her about your wedding vision. Watch her work her magic. You’ll be blown away. We promise.
PS- To read more of {our 2 cents}, click here!
-Jenn & Kaylinn