Katie and Schuyler had a whimsical wedding day at Palma Ceia Country Club in Tampa, Fl. From the vast greens of the golf course that they pranced upon, to the simplicity yet true elegance in Katie’s dress, and the epic ice luge that captured everyone’s attention- this was truly the most perfect day in a beautiful place that made for amazing images they’ll enjoy for years to come.
Scroll on to see a highlight from their colorful and whimsical Tampa wedding day
Something we hear over and over again in our initial client meetings is "Your pictures look different than everyone else's, but they're still timeless. How do they look so soft?" And honestly the number one most important piece of that puzzle is the fact that Justin has over 16 years of experience, and he truly has a gift that you can't teach in my opinion ;)
But the other piece that makes all the difference is the fact that we use film. When I say we use "film"- a lot of people think I'm talking about movies. But I mean "old school", load it in the camera, have it developed in a dark room, FILM that we put in our cameras! You'll see a lot of people stray away from film these days because to be honest, it's a specialized skillset that takes a lot of practice, and it's more expensive. But we understand that delivering high quality, timeless, gorgeous imagery to our clients is beyond worth it. Keep scrolling below to find out why you need to hire a film photographer for your wedding day.
After photographing 500+ weddings, and more than 50% of those having a first time officiant (usually a friend or family member) we thought it was about time to share a few of our best tips! If you’re a bride or groom to Bo and are going to use someone you know personally to officiate, send them this link to help them along!
Alex and Billy knew they wanted to have their wedding day at The Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL from the moment they stepped foot inside. From the modern black and white checkered floors, to the grand staircase, and the fact that the food is far more delicious than your typical “wedding food”- this was the perfect place to host their I Do’s in front of all of their family and friends.
Scroll on to see a highlight from their colorful and whimsical Tampa wedding day
I am 100% convinced that the months you are engaged (and enjoying your wedding to follow) happen at a speed double that of normal life. When I look back on this special season for Justin and I, it truly is a BLUR!And I know I’m not alone in this sentiment- we hear it from our couples on almost every single final call- “I can’t believe it’s actually here already!”
I really want to go back and give my younger self a huge hug and thank you, because we had the forethought to make sure we had a lot of special moments during this season photographed. As time goes on, these photos become more and more priceless to us and bring us so much joy looking back!
Simple yet modern wish a dash of elegance is how to perfectly describe Charley and John’s wedding day. On our favorite little island of Gasparilla, Charley and John had a wedding day for the books. From kisses shared underneath the Banyan trees lining the streets, to laughs and hugs on the white sand beach, this wedding had so much overflowing warmth. Aside from all the love, Charley and John had stunning details- from gold-rimmed silverware to impeccably white furniture & florals, this wedding exuded elegance to the nth degree.
Before the wedding, we asked Charley what the most important thing to her is for the day and she said: “I do want to document all the beautiful details we put so much thought into but I care most about the capturing the emotion and experience of the day, particularly the love between John and I, and our family and closest friends. I hope the photos are able to reflect the just as beautiful, much more intimate and special micro-wedding we're having during this historic time, quirks and all! Like any guests wearing masks, or the maid of honor sitting at her own table during dinner, or having a 12 piece band for 30 guests! We want to remember the best day of our lives exactly as it is! :)”
Despite their wedding being in the middle of COVID, they safely and beautifully said their I do’s and we could not be happier to have been a part of capturing such a wonderful and unique wedding day. Scroll down to see their Gasparilla Island wedding.
This wedding made possible by this talented and creative team:
Venue: Gasparilla Inn & Club
Planning: NK Productions
Florals: Botanica Florist
Band: The Rivertown Band
Gown: Monique Lhuillier
Videography: Eli Meyer
One of the things I will forever love about our job is how unique each and every couple is. From learning the story of how they met, to learning the friends and family most important to them, all the way down to the wedding day details they decide to choose, we love getting to know the couples we serve :) That said, one major detail that we find varies from couple-to-couple is whether or not to have a first look. While many feel they have to have one, others prefer not to and feel it’s just not their style.
Today’s blog is for the couples in camp no first look! Rather than try to convince you of the reasons I think you might love a first look (I already wrote a blog on that here!) today I’m going to walk you through three must have tips for a relaxed wedding day timeline WITH the traditional “aisle moment”. By the end of this blog, you’ll be more prepared to make an informed decision that is best for you and your significant other.
Most people know that you might take photos with your bridesmaids pre-ceremony, but something many don’t consider is taking individuals with family, too! Any images you want of just you with parents, siblings, and grandparents can be taken before the ceremony along with bridal party and individual bridal portraits. This way, your post ceremony to-dos can look a bit like this:
5:00- Ceremony begins
5:30- Ceremony ends > Recessional > Cocktail hour begins
5:35- Immediate family photos
5:55- Full bridal party together
6:05- Bride and groom portraits
6:25- Portraits end > Get bustled and ready for introductions
6:30- Cocktail hour ends
After reading the prior timeline if you are thinking, “20 minutes? That doesn’t seem like much!”, you are totally right! Compared to an engagement session that lasts one to two hours, 20 minutes is a super fast window. We can make magic happen in 20 minutes if we need to for sure, but if you like the idea of a more relaxed and enjoyable portrait time with your hubs-to-be, a longer cocktail hour is just the ticket. This allows you to have more variety in locations, posing, and simply more bride and groom portraits to choose from in your final gallery! BONUS: With 90 minute cocktail hours, you can even sneak a drink or two in at the end with your guests!
Often we’ll hear people say they don’t want a first look, and that they also want their ceremony just before sunset so their guests can enjoy the view while at cocktail hour. Now, you can absolutely take all of your photos in the dark (and we have all the most up-to-date flashes and equipment to do so ;) ). But if you find yourself liking the the images you see showcased on our portfolio/Instagram then having sunlight is an absolute key ingredient. Let’s say the sun sets on your wedding day at 6:00. In a perfect “no first look” timeline world, the timeline would look like this:
4:00- Ceremony begins
4:30- Ceremony ends > Recessional > Cocktail hour begins
4:35- Immediate family photos
4:55- Full bridal party together
5:05- Bride and groom portraits
5:40- Portraits end > Bride and groom grab a cocktail with guests
6:00- Sun sets > Cocktail hour ends
This way all of your photos are in daylight and your guests can still see a gorgeous sunset before they head into the reception.
There you have it- our three must do tips to use when not doing a first look. I hope this provided you a visual of what a “no first look” wedding could look like in an ideal world to get both your traditional aisle moment AND dreamy photos! That all said… check in with yourself to see if you are having one of these thoughts now:
But this is still not enough time for portraits of just me and my groom/bride
I would like to be able to fully attend & enjoy my cocktail hour with friends & family
I get nervous at the idea of not seeing my person until 4:00 or 5:00 pm on a day that’s supposed to be about the two of us
If this is you, be sure to check out our blog that specifically focuses on why you might love having a first look. After reading both, you can compare the pros and cons to see which feels right for you. But please remember this- no matter what you decide in the end, your wedding is sure to be one of the best days of your entire life. And when you get down to it, celebrating your love is all that really truly matters.
Happy Planning!
Ashley
Imagine this: Your 10th wedding anniversary is coming up for you and your husband. (Not me freaking out that Justin and I are already halfway there…!) You never got around to making an album or prints after the big day and thought it would be cute idea to collect some of your images to use for an anni gift. The only problem is you can’t seem to find ANY of the photos. You no longer recall where they were backed up (if they were at all?) and the panic begins to set in.
This is just an example of many could-be scenarios that show why backing up your wedding images is SUCH an important step after you receive them!
Today, I want to share with you tips that will leave you knowing without a doubt that your images are safe & secure (in multiple places). And for those of you who are not as technologically savvy, I promise to make this as easy to understand so you too feel your images are properly stored (Bonus- you will also acquire some new skills!)
To start, we’re introducing you today to your new best friend- the 3-2-1 rule. This rule originated in the IT world as a practice for backing up computer data. Now many photographers (including Justin & I ;) ) follow it for safeguarding images. The rule simply states saving three copies of your data, in at least two different ways, and one of them as an offsite copy. Ultimately, the big idea behind it is to have your images stored in various, different places. This way if your internet crashes or you misplace your album, you can rest easy knowing you were proactive and still have a copy or two of your images safe & secure!
Ansley and Sean embracing after their first look.
There is a multitude of providers to choose from! A few we can recommend are Microsoft One Drive, Dropbox, and Google Drive. A storage provider is a relatively inexpensive option and is usually pretty straightforward for uploading your photos to :)
Charley and John strolling down the aisle.
An external hard drive is another place we’d highly recommend backing up your photos. Having an external hard drive ensures your photos are doubly secure in a place beside an online platform! While more expensive than storing with an online storage provider, external hard drives are great in that they usually come with even more storage capacity. In addition, many are water-proof, drop-proof, and have high speeds making them a quick, easy, and safe option for putting images on. All you have to do is plug them into a computer. We’ve linked one of the most popular hard drive options that photographers and others alike love here. You can also store this at a loved ones home so if there were a fire, flood, or some other crazy scenario that might compromise any prints or albums in your own home, you’ve got everything safe and sound somewhere else!
Ragan and Barrett’s bride and groom portraits.
I can give so many reasons as to why purchasing an album is always the best choice (and I do in my album blog linked here) but just the simple act of storage is another one. Having an album as a final location to keep your images is the most special place of all because owning a physical copy of your most important day that you can hold in your hands and relive over & over again is truly priceless. (Our wedding day album is sitting right on the coffee table where I often find myself flipping through it and appreciating the memories of the best day ever!) Prints are also a nice alternative to put in frames and place around your home to enjoy every day. Either way, nothing beats having a physical copy of special moments from your wedding. They are right at your fingertips and come without all the hassle of technology.
Alex and Billy preparing to make their exit.
So there you have it- the 3-2-1 rule for having multiple copies of your photos. Three copies, at least two of which are different types, and one stored somewhere else.
This is the final and most important step to make sure your precious wedding day images are kept safe and sound forever!
XO,
Ashley
