Professional Guest Photographer

Photo by: Brett with Birdsong Photography (with permission)

 I was wandering along my Facebook stream, and I happened upon this... it's a view I've seen more times than I can count and it makes me sad.

It makes me sad for a few reasons; 1. This means that the Professional Photographer is missing a potential once in a lifetime image, that the bride and the groom are paying them to capture. And 2. This means that the guest(s) are really not "in the moment" they are too busy glued to their digital device to enjoy the actual moment and create a memory, rather than a less than stellar photo.

Here's the deal, this image sparked a really nice conversation amongst Professional Photographers, and I wanted to share this with you, mostly because I love ya'll so much. And becasue knowing your special day is coming up, you may want to ask Aunt Martha to P-U-T-T-H-E-C-A-M-E-R-A-D-O-W-N.

Your photographer is paid really good money to take amazing pictures of you on your wedding day and can miss something vital that cannot be redone, or reinacted, or restagged.

Brett (the photographer) also has a clause in his contract that states: "...you, the bride/groom, understand that well-meaning guests with cameras are responsible for missed shots." It totally bites that a photographer has to have something like that in their contract.

Some of the photographers weighed in:

"I missed a 'kiss' shot once because someone with on-camera-flash double flashed my nicer, softer, bounced flash. *sigh*." (said Photographer Megan)

"I missed the brides and grooms exit, with sparklers and everything, because of the grooms dad!" (said Photographer Michelle)

"...linebacker bridesmaid a couple of years ago that body-slammed me so she could get the bouquet toss with her iPhone..which I missed because of said body-slamming..." (said Photographer Brett)

I remember a couple of years ago Off Beat Bride did a post on An Unplugged Wedding. This is something to definitely consider.

What are your thoughts?

Elevator Wedding Pictures

Original Source: More than an Image

I just think this would be such a cool way to end your wedding album.

(and now, of course, I have Love in an Elevator stuck in my head)

Hire a Professional Photographer

I could get on my soap box right now, and tell you how important it is to hire a professional photographer, if you've read my blog for a while, you know that I didn't hire a professional for my wedding, and wound up with green photographs. Green. Like Green, Green.

Don't believe me... check it out!

Okay, so here you see why Aunt Martha may not be the best choice for your wedding photography. Cuz, she did such a great job at my wedding.

So, here are side by side images that were taken around the same time... the one on the left... professional photographer. The one of the right, a friend with a super nice camera.

In the interest of full disclosure - I stole this photograph from Planning...Forever Events

Rae Leytham: Amazing Photography

I believe that a photographer's sole job is to capture your wedding on film and tell a story, your wedding story.

So when looking for your wedding photographer, ask to look at their albums (digital or book or whatever) and if you can't really see a story, then well, you've been warned.

When I saw this wedding on Rae Leytham's site, I just knew I was smitten with this couple, and I hadn't even met them. Yet I felt like I was totally at their wedding.... maybe I was the Maid of Dishonor in my head... did I just say that outloud?

This was just a snippet from this amazing couple's wedding, check out Rae's blog for more gorgeousness!

What was your determining factor when looking for your photographer?

Ring Pictures

I kinda love pictures of wedding rings, they symbolize so much.

So, when I am looking for gorgeous images, I tend to go for the rings....

I was stalking a photographer's blog - Russell Martin, and I stole borrowed some of his ring pictures...

What do you love about your wedding rings?

Is there anything fun you want to do with your rings for your wedding pictures?

What size portrait should I get for my wall

Portrait sizing by Meg Fish

This example shows a baby, but really it could be anything... a wedding image, an image you took with your camera and want to get a print for the wall over the couch or mantle...

I just thought this was a great idea to show you just how small an 8x10 looks on the wall.

What do you think? Does this help you?

Wreck the Dress

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So you spend a good amount or a lot of money on a dress that you're only going to wear once. Do you keep it preserved so you can one day hand it down to your daughter or do you take a crazy awesometastic "wreck the dress" photo shoot?

As amazing as these pictures would be to have to remember your wedding, would you consider wrecking the dress?

Southern DIY Wedding

Footstone Photography

 



I was stalking Footstone Photography's Pinterest Page and found this beautiful DIY Southern wedding in a barn, no less!

And I was smitten.

Footstone Photography

To me, it screams Mason Jars, Bow Ties, and a ton of charm.

Love, Love, Love!

Birthday Party Photography

Gabriel was recently invited to one of the coolest parties we have ever been to! I mean the cool-est! There were mermaids and water, and crafts, and music and swimming... and a killer bounce-house-water-slide.

Well, Gabriel wanted to go swimming, and I got suckered conned drew the short straw, to go with him. But I am so glad, because the sly, ninja like photographer, Rya, caught us having the best.time.ever.

I love the unabashed awesome fun we are having, it's dap-smag on our faces... can't hide it.

Thank you, Rya, this is an image that we will cherish for a long long long time.

Before the First Look

Style Me Pretty

For brides and grooms that don't want to see each other before the ceremony, bad luck and all, we love this idea for photography together, separately.

The look that is exchanged when the bride and groom see each other for the first time is priceless!

This photography idea is perfect for couples who want a pre-wedding photo without ruining the first look, and I love the shot taken between two levels!

Dogs at your Wedding

Style Me Pretty

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We are all for inviting the four-legged family members to have fun in all the festivities and to take adorable "awww" inducing photographs with. 

We definitely approve of this trend!

Have you invited your pooch to the party?

We would love to see your pics! Send them to me melissa {at} awesometasticblog {dot} com

Alternative Footwear and Vintage Scenery

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Love this look of matching Chucks for a twist on traditional wedding footwear! Between the shoes and the vintage truck you can tell this couple is stylish and playful.

And you know that Saundra at Planning Forever...Events would LOVE this!

Young Love

Jeff Stoner Video

Meet Patti and Danny, a long long time ago and now!

These two were friends all through out their growing up years and there wasn't a dry eye in the house during their wedding at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes.

How cute are those matching bathing suits!!!!

I saw this on my friend Jeff Stoner's facebook, he video'ed their wedding, and I just knew it was too cute not to share with you!

(I totally think about the pictures of take of G and Z, and using them as blackmail at their wedding.... I wonder if Patti and Danny's parents thought that too?)

DIY Photobooth

Style Me Pretty

As much as we love a good photo booth, there's just something whimsical about a simple frame hung on a tree branch! Perfect for an outdoor wedding or party!

So sweet and Rustic Chic.

Don't forget you still need someone to take the pictures.

Wedding Party Balloons

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I know I am jumping the shark, I totally do, but I love big fat overdone balloons!

Big, bright balloons add the perfect amount of pop (pun totally intended) to an otherwise basic wedding party photograph. It's a great prop you can have tons of fun with, and it also can mask any scene you may not want as a background in your photos.

Are you over the balloons, or do you love them as much as I do?

Bridesmaid Photography



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As the saying goes, sometimes it takes an army. (It really doesn't, a good wedding planner can get you into your gown lidkey split)

But this makes for a great picture of all the bridesmaids together for a more unposed picture. This way you get all the girls getting the bride ready.

HINT: Have all of your Bridesmaids be in their dresses when you get dressed, this way they aren't in PJ pants and a button down T-Shirt for pictures of you getting dressed.

Save the Date with Paint

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Get a super cute save the date picture by making a fun day out of your engagement photoshoot with a giant white canvas or a wall and tons of paint!

I love this!!! There are so many Save the Date ideas and this is just clever and totally adorable!

Would you consider doing this for your Save The Date?

Polaroid Guestbook

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Looking through all of the Polaroids later would be so much fun and a ton of laughs! Much more creative than a plain old guestbook!

The idea is to use this board as a place card board, and your guests will exchange their placecard for a poloroid of themselves, so it's sort of a placecard-photo-booth-guest-book-fun-time thingie.

Which I love, what do you think?

Multi-colored Bridesmaid Shoes





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We've talked about white bridesmaids dresses before, and regardless of how you feel about them, this combination is just fantastic, all of the bright pops of colors with the heels and the way the brides' bouquet ties it all together is just plain awesometastic!

We love this... what do you think?

Gallery Leather Album

The Leather Gallery Photo Albums from Gallery Leather are beautiful for wedding photos! They sent us some albums so that we could check out the quality, and see if it was something we'd like to use for our images. And really, It's so easy to slide in all your photos and put a handwritten caption underneath using the cards in the back of the album.

I can't wait to sneak in all of our family images and keep them for our families to look though over the years. I couldn't think of a better way to cherish all of those images you've been hanging on to.

The pages are also acid-free, so they will keep your pictures safe through the years.

Gallery Leather's  travel leather photo album comes with the option of a window so you can personalize your album, which makes for a great gift to the in-laws or parents!

Gallery Leather sent the leather gallery photo album and leather travel photo album with window for us to review free of compensation. We only review the most awesometastic things!