Wedding Tip: #12

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony - Part 5

Three more words, Other People's Makeup!

So, somehow you made it through the ceremony and everyone still looks good. You're prepared for the receiving line or you're planning to release the aisles so you can greet all the guests and make sure you don't miss anyone. Then it happens, the hug, the kiss or the touch that transfers someone else's makeup to your clothing. Not everyone is as careful as you and they aren't always aware of what they're doing!

Wedding Tip: #11

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony - Part 4


In one word, Makeup!


Weddings are a very emotional event and rightfully so.  All the time you spent doing your makeup and the bridesmaids' and the mothers' will probably have to be spent again after the ceremony due to the flow of tears.  In addition to makeup needing to be redone is the possibility of puffy eyes and and red noses.  I think you get the picture...

Second Bridal Show Of The Season

We're taking a break from the wedding tips to remind you all that the Overland Park bridal show is this coming weekend.  You can find more information on the Perfect Wedding Guide web site.

We look forward to visiting with many of you and getting those dates scheduled as they're going to be booking fast.

Wedding Tip: #10

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony - Part 3


Everything's fresher!


This is an easy one, especially if you plan on doing the wedding outside.  People look their best before a long day of activity.  Flowers haven't wilted and neither have the people...

Wedding Tip: #9

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony - Part 2


Stress!  Nerves!  Whatever you want to call it, your wedding day will probably have its share of butterflies.  A lot of the unease comes from a mental countdown to the big moment.  The closer you get, the more nervous you may become.


All of that pre-wedding nervousness goes away when you plan to see each other ahead of the ceremony and get all the photographs done early.  I've been thanked numerous times by brides that realized how smooth and relaxed everything was by doing the photographs first.

Wedding Tip: #8

Consider doing all your posed, wedding party and family photography before the ceremony.

This will be multi-part simply because there are so many reasons to do your photography ahead of time.  Most think this is simply for the photographer, but it's mostly for the bride.  Sure, the photographer gets the benefit as well, but you'll see in the following list of reasons why we're just looking out for you.

First, I want to start by saying that doing all your photography before the wedding ceremony will in no way jeopardize your special first moments together.  In fact, my first reason to do the photographs ahead of time is that you can set up a first meeting that will be superior to the traditional one.  Let's take a look at the differences.

The traditional first meeting happens when you come down the aisle.  What's the problem here?  You're sharing your first meeting with 250-300 people.  You get to the end of the aisle and it's in the middle of your ceremony so you can't say anything to each other.  He can't comment on your dress or tell you how beautiful you look.

The first meeting that is set up before the ceremony can be much more emotional.  You can even set it up to be like the ceremony itself.  Put all involved in your ceremony in their places and walk down the aisle like it's the real thing.  Another option is to have this moment between just the bride and groom.  The bride comes in to a room where the groom has his back turned, she calls his name, and turns to see her for the first time.  Many great photographs have been taken during this moment because you are much more free to express yourselves alone than in front of 500-600 eyes.

To be continued...

Wedding Tip: #7

After yesterday's bridal show, I decided a good tip for today would be even more photography related than normal.

Choose a photographer with wedding experience!

I know there are many talented photographers out there, but only a portion of them have true wedding experience.  This is important because this is a one-time event for you.  In a portrait session, you can redo any photographs that aren't satisfactory and even reschedule for another date if there is a camera malfunction.  In a wedding, it has to be right the first time and they have to be prepared for absolutely anything.  They have to perform even among the most stressful of situations.  A wedding is a whole different level of photography.

So, what constitutes wedding experience?  Everyone has to have a first time, right?  Well, I recommend that they have at least been involved with weddings for awhile, whether they were an assistant or a second shooter.  Then, they at least know how things work and the flow of the day.  They've also, hopefully, seen some hectic moments that they will have to learn to handle themselves.

Wedding Tip: #6

A tip for shopping for your dress: remember to try sitting in your dress.

Whether it sounds obvious or even ridiculous, I've witnessed many times where brides are not very comfortable in their dress when they're sitting, and you'll be sitting a lot more than you might think.  It's a long day and you'll want to rest whenever you can and then there's the reception which will include some sitting.

How does it go overlooked?  Well, the dress shops want to give you the princess experience so they put you up on these pedestals to make sure the dress falls really well and lets you see the full effect of the dress. It's style over function.  However, function can be a big part of a happy memory of your day.

How you feel when sitting in your dress will make a difference in your photographs as well.  First, you know well that many types of clothes look much different when you sit than when you stand.  Second, those high fashion poses are only possible if you can move and sit freely in your dress.  Finally, you don't want any "unfortunate accidents" to occur if a dress happens to react unexpectedly during your big day.

So, remember to take the full test drive when dress shopping.

A.W.Chris At Bridal Show On Sunday...

In a week, Sunday, February, 14, we will be at the bridal show in Independence, Mo.  It is sponsored by The Perfect Wedding Guide.  We would love to see some of you there and have the chance to visit with you about your plans for the grand event that is your wedding.

For more information, click here.

Wedding Tip: #5

Let's talk candles.  If you're including them in some way you'll want to keep a few items in mind.

Since they are part of your day, your photographer will want to incorporate them in any photographs done before the ceremony.  Since they were used for the photographs, it's always a good idea to have replacements so you can swap them out before the ceremony.

Some candles are a form of one-time-light.  They are supposed to light really well the first time and then not as well going forward.  This can be bad so be aware.

Lastly, if you are thinking about candles outside, make sure they are covered.  Sure, there's safety to consider, but it's also about keeping them lighted.  It's hard enough getting them to light and keeping an open candle lighted is next to impossible.

Wedding Tip: #4

Consider very sturdy flower types for the men.  While you may have your heart set on these wonderful flowers that are rare and are being flown in from some exotic location, remember who will be wearing them.  I have seen many a busted stem or even the flower itself because of the carelessness of the wearer.

You can tell them hundreds of times to be careful, but men simply don't care as much about flowers as women.  They also don't want to wear their jackets that much.  This means they take them off as much as possible and drape or toss them over anything in sight.

So, for the men, good strong flowers will make it through the day better.

Wedding Tip: #3

Bridal portraits are still a good idea.

First, maybe I should tell what a bridal portrait is since they are not as in vogue as they used to be.  A bridal portrait, traditionally, is where the bride has a studio style portrait session in her dress prior to the wedding. The idea was to have a professional studio portrait in the dress and have it available for display at the wedding or reception.

While I don't discount these reasons for doing a bridal portrait, the real reasons I recommend a session today have changed along with the brides.  Brides want their wedding to be perfect and have very high expectations.  Why shouldn't they?  One way to insure a better outcome is through a bridal portrait and here's why.

The bridal session gives you a dress rehearsal at several items on your list, including flowers, hair, makeup, and the dress.  Use the session as if it were the wedding day, take a look at how everything turns out in your photographs, and make any changes you feel are necessary.  That way, when your wedding photographs are complete, you'll be happy with every detail shown.  Plus, it lets you know exactly how long it will take to get ready and if the dress requires any additional alterations.

Wedding Tip: #2

This may sound all too simple, but remember to make every moment an event.  This is a good way for you to remember all of those special times.  It's also a good way to incorporate others in the many tasks you have to complete before the big day.  So, whether it's the invitations or deciding on a seating plan, make it an event to remember.

One overlooked way to add something to your wedding is to have bridal portraits done.  We'll save the reasons for another tip, but for now just remember that, here, you can include your bridesmaids.  They can all be involved in helping you get ready for the session as well as be a part of those moments when you are all made up for the first time in your dress.  Then, you and all your girls can put on some jeans and matching solid colored tees for a fun party-pic style grouping at the end.

Have Fun!

Wedding Tip: #1

In the coming weeks, we'll be offering tips for weddings as we get closer to the heart of wedding season.

The first wedding tip is about your engagement photographs.  Yes, they are related to your wedding.

First, you really should think about having a professional create your engagement photographs.  The reason is the following tip.  The person you hire for your engagements photographs should also be the person you are hiring for your wedding.  Here's the reasons why.

1) You will have an opportunity to start a rapport with the person that is going to be working along side you to make your wedding day great.  Use this chance to get acquainted and make your wedding day that much better.

2) You may find you don't really get along with the photographer and have time to do something about it.  This means, of course, you want to find a photographer that understands you want to do the engagement session as a way of testing the waters.  Many photographers include an engagement session in their wedding packages.  If this is the case, ask them if they will credit this back if you decide to book your wedding with them.  With all this in mind, you'll want to schedule engagement photographs early.

3) Many products can be customized for the telling of your love story from the engagement through the wedding instead of just the wedding.  More options is good.

Photography Date Announcement

Some of you had asked to be updated.  So, for those following here on my blog or on facebook, we will be photographing at Northland Christian on Tuesday, January 19.  This is for the winter sports as well as catching some of the students and groupings we missed for the yearbook.

Upcoming Bridal Shows...

For all those brides looking to get a head start on all their planning for 2010, there are a couple bridal shows coming up.  There's one the 14th.  Information on that one can be found here.  Then there's one on the 16th in Topeka.  For more information, click here.

Nikon D900 Coming?

Rumblings are beginning to be heard about a new DSLR from Nikon.  It's going under the designation of the D900.

While a new cool piece of gear from Nikon would be great, there is some strangeness to where it would find its place in the Nikon roadmap.  It's not simply a matter of making a camera to fit a market for Nikon.  For those that are not familiar with Nikon, here's a brief look at their naming structures from their inception to now.  And, yes, they are highly predictable and consistent.

Starting with film cameras, the professional models had the designation of Fx, starting with the F and ending with the still prominent F6.  The next step down from the flagship film cameras was the F100.  There was only one Fxxx, but you'll see the parallels in a moment.  The SLR consumer film cameras had a designation of N.  So, the highest end consumer camera was the N90.  They also had Nxxxx numbers like the N2020.  Each designation represented a different market for them, including separate designations for even the point and shoots like the Coolpix.  Lastly, it's important to note that the higher numbers always represented the better camera (in each market).  So, a Nikon progression would be to start with two digits, either even numbers or odds (N50, N70, N90).  Then they would move to the other in replacing those models.  Then they would move to the off numbers like N65 and N75.  You get the picture (yes, the puns are always intended).

So, what does the DSLR market look like for them?  They started out with the landmark D1 and have moved up the numbers like expected.  Any small advancements get an S added to the name like the new D3s.  The highest end gets the X, currently the D3x.  They have recently added their Dxxxx models which are the D3000 and the D5000.  Then there are the Dxx models that have followed their normal naming process, D40, D60, D80, and D90. Finally, there are the Dxxx models.  There is, currently, the D300/D300s and the D700.

So, history lesson over, what is so strange about the D900 rumored?  The D900 would max out that number market leaving only room to insert a new model between the D300s and the D700.  Sure, you could add the D800, but the D900 basically fills that spot because anything much greater than the D700 would be as good as or better than the Dx models.  Confusing?  Does it really matter?  No, on both questions.  However, if the rumors are true, it will be quite interesting to see what other models will be replaced, including the D3x.  Ah, now you see where I'm going!  A D900 will mean there's probably other new goodies to follow.  It's all a numbers game...

For more information on the latest Nikon rumors, go to the Nikon Rumors site.

A.W.Chris And Perfect Wedding Guide

Recently, we signed up with The Perfect Wedding Guide.  So, you'll be able to see us in their upcoming book some time in March as well as on their web site as of right now.  The link to check that out is here.  Plus, we'll be doing a pair of bridal shows, one in February and one in March, so come check us out.  We'd love to visit with you.