Today is the final instalment of our 10 Wedding Pitfalls to avoid on your Wedding Day. All too frequently I have seen some of the same situations arise which are well beyond the contemplation of the Bride and Groom. Today we list the final three.
8. MINISTER'S LOCATION DURING THE CEREMONY
Recently, for some unexplained reason, some Ministers/Officiants have decided to locate themselves immediately in front of the Bride and Groom for the duration of the Ceremony. This unfortunately obscures the view of the Bride and Groom during such critical moments as the Vows and Ring Exchange.
Obviously, if the Officiant chooses to stand immediately in front of the Couple, not only will you be hidden from the view of your guests, but there is a good chance your Photographer will be hampered in recording important parts of your ceremony as well. Please discuss with the presiding Officiant where they will be located during the Ceremony.
9. UNITY CANDLE
Many ceremonies include the lighting of a Unity Candle. If one is to be lit, consider placing the candle forward enough to allow for the lighting of the candle while standing behind it - facing your guests. This way, onlookers will see the front of you, rather than your backs, as the candle is lit!
10. AISLE RUNNERS
Aisle Runners are equipped with a pull-string that is usually tied in a bow and stuffed inside the tubing. If the string is not untied, the string will appear to be inadequately short, and the aisle runner will not unroll correctly, causing an awkward moment for the unsuspecting ushers. Before the Wedding Day, check to see if the pull-string provided has at least four feet of clearance from the Runner roll when pulled taut.
These are some of the many hints and suggestions we give our Brides when we discuss how to make her day flow as smoothly as possible. We hope they are helpful!
In an earlier post, we gave the first 3 suggestions in a continuing series which may help make your Wedding Day flow more smoothly. Today we continue with four more ideas you may want to consider.
4. BRIDAL BOUQUETS
If you have selected "real" flowers for your Bridal Bouquet, and the Bouquet is of a substantial size, you may want to consider its weight - because you will be holding it throughout much of the day. A Bride who is slight of build will find it difficult to hold a heavy bouquet in a graceful manner, which may be evident in the photographs. "Artificial" flowers photograph well, will not wilt in the summer heat, and are substantially lighter weight than "real" flowers.
5. ALLOW 50% EXTRA TIME FOR HAIR APPOINTMENTS
Over the years, the number one reason for a Bride and Groom to arrive at their Reception later than planned can be traced all the way back to the start of the day - at the Hair Salon. More often than not, Hair Stylists usually underestimate the time required to create an intricate hair design. The result is a Bride who arrives late to the church for important pictures which are scheduled prior to the Ceremony. These are pictures which will still need to be taken; however they will now have to be done after the Ceremony. Plan for at least 50% extra time if your day includes a trip to the hair salon.
6. SCHEDULE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Your Photographer should provide you with a Schedule of Photography which will act as an excellent Day Planner as you organize your day. You may want to make photocopies of it, highlight time slots, and mail them to the various participants to inform them of their respective times to be photographed.
7. ENLIST A "GOFOR"
To expedite group and individual photography both before and after the Ceremony, it has been shown to be very helpful to have one person appointed as "gofor" who can assist in "rounding-up" persons who are to be photographed.
Hopefully these four tips will be helpful as you plan your Wedding Day. We'll be posting the last 3 tips in an upcoming blog entry soon!
Recently we obtained new software which nothing short of amazing in providing that special "finished" look in our portraiture! What does it do? It's like having a makeup artist on call 24-7. We can't wait to use it on our next photo shoot!
Check out the "before" and "after" results. First the fully enhanced, retouched image:
Now the original image:
All of your Wedding Images from Robert Charles Photography are Fully Enhanced, Fully Retouched. This requires an additional 10-14 hours of additional work, but as you can see, it's worth it!
Why settle for less?
For the past few years, Flush Mount Albums have become the hottest thing in Wedding Photography. After photographing a wedding, Studio owner Rob Annis personally designs customized Spread Pages by integrating, fusing, and overlaying images from your wedding day.
Whether we've photographed our Brides on a backdrop...
Or outside ...
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... there is no better way to proudly display your Wedding images for the years to come!
Originally published on May 31st
This week we had the opportunity to photograph Corey, a local High School Senior. What made this photo shoot memorable was that Corey brought along his long-time canine friend, Shadow. Although Shadow was a reluctant participant, we were very pleased with the results, and Corey will have these memories for the rest of his life.
From time to time, we will be posing some hints and suggestions to make your Wedding Day flow more smoothly. All too often, we see at least one (or more) of the 10 problems which can hamper an otherwise well-planned day. Today we'll post the first 3 problems in a series.
1. DON'T BE ON TIME - BE EARLY!
The biggest favor you can do for yourself on your Wedding Day is to be ready early. A late start guarantees a frenetic pace in an attempt to recover lost time - and will lower the quality of photography your Photographer will be able to provide for you.
The number one reason why the day starts behind schedule? Hair stylists who underestimate the time necessary to finish their work. If you are planning on having an intricate hair style, we suggest you allow at least 30-45 minutes of a "fudge factor"!
2. ACCESS TO THE CHURCH
Your Photographer may need access to the site where photography will begin as much as one hour prior to the start of photography. Please make sure arrangements have been made to allow your Photographer access before your listed "Start Time".
3. DELIVERY OF FLOWERS
The Bridal Bouquet and Attendants' flowers will be needed prior to the start of any photography. We suggest you call the Florist to make sure flowers will be delivered at least 30 minutes before photos are to begin. This way, even if the Florist is running late, Photography can still start on time without a hitch.
We hope these first 3 suggestions are helpful as you plan your wedding. Look for the next 3 hints in one of our upcoming instalments!
A couple of months ago our web site Host informed us they were no longer going to support the blogging format Robert Charles Photography has been using for the past 3 years, thus losing all of our posts. "Rats!", I said. (O.K., it wasn't really "rats", but ... you get the picture). Since a majority of our posts deal with substantively valuable information, we have gleened some of the most requested ones and have reconstructed them for our readers' benefit.
We hope you'll find many that are useful. And thanks for visiting our site!
Rob
