What a great New Jersey wedding Ceremony!

This guest blog is from my colleague, Cathy Deschamps, an artisan photographer in Montana.  I have to admit that I spent WAY too much time (on a workday) poking around her fascinating blog, and of course, the photos are a hoot in themselves…her thoughts about her work are insightful and enlightening. And her dogs are adorable!

      I’ve spent almost half my life working with doctors. Most of them specialize in one field of medicine. Why? Because that is how you perfect your craft. They become so highly skilled in their field because they focus on that specific parameter. I subscribe to that philosophy with a camera. When I started my photography I dabbled in a little of everything. Then I realized I had to narrow down my field in order to become better at it. I chose portraits, pets and weddings.  Every wedding is different and often times I learn something from it. As photographers go, you can become stagnant and shoot the same poses over and over, or you can choose to learn new things and grow. Trends change, so should your craft. Being willing to learn new aspects of photography will give your clients the feeling that you really care about what you are doing. I tell my colleagues to always keep the original photo and supply it to the client when you are doing enhancements. That way when the trends change, they still have a timeless original file. When I interview a couple for a wedding, I try to understand what their vision for the day is. It’s their wedding, not mine. Being flexible is also a benefit to your clients. I like clients who want something beyond the cliche so I can be creative for them. When I shoot portraits my goal is to make a connection with the subject/subjects. If we can find something fun to talk about, they become more relaxed and it shows in the pictures. Some of the best shots involve laughter. At each wedding I look for little moments. It could be something as simple as a smiling relative, the proud father, a whisper between the couple or tears of joy streaming down someone’s cheek. I have a photo of my Aunt wiping away a tear at my own wedding. That photograph is even more special to me since she passed away last Christmas eve. I look at the scene, the background and compose the shot. I don’t just press the shutter and hope I get something good. There are photographers who don’t have faith in their ability or technical skills. They are the spray and pray group. Spray and pray is when a photographer shoots 1000-3000 photos at a wedding hoping to get 200-300 good photos.  I arrive before the wedding with a plan and back up equipment. The average number of photos after editing a wedding will be 200-400. To give you a better perspective 400 photos in 7 hours equals 57 photos per hour, nearly 1 per minute. I hope now it will make sense why 200-400 is the norm.

I still love to take photos of old barns and antiques, it just doesn’t pay very well. It’s mostly for my enjoyment and something different for my website viewers to look at.  Find your niche and elevate it as high as you can!

Are you wearing a White Knot? I am; many of my friends and colleagues are, and here’s why:

The White Knot is the symbol for support of Marriage Equality—the right for any loving couple regardless of gender to be married under the civil laws of the state and the country. Everyone should have the right to tie the knot.

Marriage Equality is a vital civil right denied to most same-sex couples except in that handful of states where it has finally been recognized. It is vital because marriage is about committed couples—all committed couples—who want to make a lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other. This can only strengthen family and society. This is why Marriage Equality is important to everyone.

It’s not just about the word Marriage. Denying committed couples the security and legal protections of marriage hurts them. It’s just plain wrong to make it harder for them to take care of and be responsible for each other. The institution of civil marriage offers equal protection under the law when it comes to taxes, health care and decision-making, employment benefits, and perhaps most importantly, raising healthy and happy children.

So I ask you to join me today in showing your support for Marriage Equality and equal rights under the law for everyone. Wear a White Knot every day. Tell people why you are wearing it. And if you can, hand out White Knots to those around you.

For more information, go to http://www.whiteknot.org There you can find out how to get White Knots, make your own, get more information about the issues, and even donate to help spread the word.

Thank!

Planning and budgeting for your wedding is a LOT  like planning and paying for your starter home. The obvious similarities?  It  is a huge purchase.  It is an expression, perhaps, the first, of your couple style. AND you will be spending a lot of money in a situation where you may not feel that you’re informed enough to  feel totally comfortable.

So many factors can contribute to your decision, but perhaps the most important (or close) is your budget. Every couple has one, sparse or generous.  While it may not be the only thing on your mind, it certainly looms large. No one wants to walk away from such an important purchase with buyers’ remorse, fearing that they have made an expensive purchase that wasn’t the right choice. In the case of your wedding, those multiple expensive purchases contribute to a day that cannot be done over; it truly is a “once in a lifetime” experience.

Decisions based solely on price can cause regrettable (and avoidable) disasters on your wedding day.  Like the classic joke, “The food was terrible, and the portions were so small!”, five hours of an obnoxious DJ or an out of tune band will ruin your reception, no matter how many mirrored balls, inflatable guitars or ‘dance motivators’ they throw in for “free”.  Five thousand photos that are carelessly shot, amateurishly lit or cropped and delivered late are not going to capture your wedding day in a better way than 500 artistically created pictures that really tell your story. (And there is just no way to know what great shots were missed.)  A cake no one eats is well, a cake no one eats……and a ceremony everyone yawns through is a terrible way to start this precious moment in history; yours, your friends’ and your families’.

When you buy a house, a common phrase is, Location location location!  Buy the most  house you can afford in the best neighborhood, not the most expensive house in a less than desireable neighborhood.  How does this translate to your wedding? Easily. Instead of finding the cheapest professional in any category, strive to put together a team of the people that you truly want to create your wedding, and then work with them to see just how that can happen.

Every wedding professional who truly is that, a professional, wants to work with the couples that want to work with us. We want you to understand why we charge what we do, how we are uniquely qualified to be a part of your wedding, and how we might work together to stay within your budget. Your photographer might suggest a shorter period of coverage (maybe just before  the ceremony and then  part of the reception, rather than spanning the entire day, from makeup to the last crumb of cake). Your invitation artist might deliver your wedding stationary in components, ready for your bridal party to assemble. Your officiant, (that would be me!!), might offer to do a quick run through of your processional before the wedding rather than on a separate day.  (I also offer a printable, decorative copy of the ceremony readings that some of my couples have used instead of favors.)  All of these are invisible ways to include the vendors who will truly enhance your days.

None of us want our couples leaving their reception thinking that their day was vastly more expensive than they hoped; that is not the memory we are striving to create. Great, experienced, enthusiastic wedding partners are worth every penny that you’ll spend on them, and they’ll help you spend it wisely. That is our wedding gift to you.