Why should I hire a professional?
Many times a bride tries to cut costs to save money on the wedding. I know because I was a bride and had a very tight budget. Everyone has their reasons for that but the one place you don’t want to skimp is your photography or videography. Photos and videos are the only tangible reminders that you will have of your wedding for the rest of your life. If you skimp on these things then you could end up with some pretty sore memories. I wrote a blog post about this that you can read here. If nothing else, please go here and look at the photos to compare. You don’t have to read the article, but you can see for yourself the difference between the side by side photos of an experienced professional and an amateur photographer. The photos will say it all. So before you go hire Uncle Bob to save money, maybe go with chicken instead of steak, choose an iPod instead of a DJ, but whatever you do make sure you hire a professional photographer and videographer. Even though I may not be the photographer for you, whether our personalities don’t mesh, I don’t fit into your budget, or you have someone else who’s work you love, please do yourself a favor and hire a professional.
What is an e-session?
An e-session is an engagement portrait session. These sessions occur a couple of months before the wedding so you can choose to send wallet sized photos of your favorite photograph out with your invitations. You can also choose to have a customized guest book created with your photographs in it to have your guests sign their names around your pictures. There are endless possibilities of what you can do with your e-session photos!
What do I wear to an e-session?
The best thing to do is wear something that you feel beautiful in! Usually you want to wear something with 3/4 length sleeves. Try to stay away from jersey dresses or dresses or shirts that poof out that can make you look pregnant. Where something that you feel sexy in that you would feel comfortable having anyone see. Choose colors that work well together (you don’t want to try to match blue bottoms with a blue top unless they came from the same roll of fabric). Bring multiple changes of clothing. Also try avoiding skirts, dresses, or any other bottoms that show your panty lines. Wear something that fits your figure and your body type. Avoid baby doll dresses. Try to avoid neon colors! You don’t want to look like you’re wearing the sun and reflecting neon colors, like yellow, all over your fiance! Avoid the turtle neck! And for the love of humanity… Avoid the mullet!
What should the groom-to-be wear to an e-session?
The groom has less options, which makes things easy. Guys should bring a pair of nice jeans and a pair of nice dress slacks. They should bring a casual button up shirt and maybe a polo shirt. They should always wear stylish shoes that can go with either. Men can get away with wearing black or white tops. Usually neutral tops are best because that leaves the pop of color to the bride-to-be’s clothing choice.
What’s a “Trash the Dress” or “TDD” session?
A “trash the dress” or “TDD” session is a photography session where you get down and dirty with your dress! That’s right! Anything from playing in the mud to jumping in a fountain or even tearing your dress apart! These sessions can be so much fun! You get to put your dress back on, play in a fountain or on the beach with it, getting it all sandy and wet, you get to have ice cream fights (usually your spouse is with you to help trash it) or other food fights, sit in a dirty alley with it, just about anything you want. If you’re interested in trashing your dress, use the “email me” link in the navigation bar to send me an email of your interest.
What is a “Boudoir” session?
A boudoir session is a portrait session that is very intimate. Usually the bride-to-be has classy pictures taken in her lingerie to give to her husband-to-be on their wedding night as an intimate gift that is for his eyes only. These photographs are not pornographic but reflect more of a “Victoria’s Secret” catalogue. Be careful though. Boudoir photography has a fine line between classy and sleezy and some photographers don’t know where that line is. To give you an example of classy, check out this link to a very talented photographer named Chelsea Nicole’s blog on a boudoir session she did. http://chelseanicoleblog.com/?p=605
How should I prepare for a boudoir session?
You should consider getting your hair and make up professionally done because someone who specializes in hair and make up can give you a very sexy look that you may not be able to do yourself. You should also pick something to wear that you are comfortable in and that makes you feel sexy. Remember the idea is sexy, not sleezy. Classy, not trashy.
