Bridal Tips - Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!!

I don't know how they do it but some women can squeeze their feet into tall spiky heels and still walk. If you're like me and cant go shopping for 6 hours in your stilettos; then don't try it on your wedding day!

Many brides are switching their high heels out for some comfort at the reception. I've seen more than one bride put on white converse. Others have slipped into ballet shoes or flip flops after their first dance. However, if you don't want to loose the height try switching to another pair of heels that have different pressure points.

When you are shopping for your heels look for a pair with a thicker sole. Pass by the super thin soled heels that allow you to feel every pebble in the pavement. Happy shoe shopping!!

Bridal Tips - Questions to Ask Wedding Photographers

There are so many vendors to hire when planning a wedding and most couples don't know a whole lot about photography. Here are the questions I would ask a photographer and the answers I would hope to hear.

1. Do you shoot RAW or JPG? Hopefully RAW. If they say JPG then ask "what size JPG?" If they shoot files that are any smaller than large fine JPG's - run the other way. You need at least a fine large JPG to get a good enlargement. But there are a few "pro" photographers out there that shoot medium JPG.

2. If you haven't photographed at my wedding venues will you scout the location? The answer should be yes unless there is a lot of travel involved. If your wedding sites are a distance from the photographer's location they should agree to show up a little early on the day of the wedding to scout out good picture spots.

3. Can I purchase the full size images files for printing? Typically a pro photographer can deliver you a higher quality print than if you go down to the local lab yourself. However, if you are planning on making some reprints yourself you don't want to be surprised if your photographer's policy is to not release image files. If a photographer says they don't release the image files or at least not for a year, keep in mind you will need to pay their prices for any enlargements and reprints.

4. How many images do I get to see after the wedding? You should be able to see all the images except tests shots, blinks and if they have a photojournalistic style a few mess ups. Even if the photographer only prints a certain amount of the images for you all the rest should at least get posted to an online gallery. Because his/her favorite 500 might not be your favorite 500.

5. How much post processing do you do to your images? I run almost all my images through a PhotoShop action. This takes a lot of time! Your photographer should at least run actions (digitally enhance) 100-150 of their favorite images. The rest of the images should be adjusted for color and density.

Have questions or comments regardign the bridal tips? Feel free to send me an email!

Bridal Tips - Picture Scheduling

Pictures before or after the ceremony? I get couples asking this every week.

Every wedding is different (that's what I love about my job). However, I have seen some trends over the past 5 plus years. When the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony there are way more images of them together than when they don't. Also because they are not rushed these couples tend to be more relaxed and enjoy the day more.

Brides often say, "I don't want him to see me before the ceremony; I want him to be surprised". So some couples go to elaborate lengths for the first time the groom sees the bride on their wedding day.

Last year a groom was blindfolded for a 10 minute limo ride with the bride to the picture destination. He could hear her voice but not see her. There the bridal party led him to an unveiling spot where the bride took off his blindfold so he could see her for the first time that day. After they had a moment together we proceeded to take all the bride/groom and wedding party pictures. It gave us plenty of time for lots of variations and fun shots and the groom still had his moment of anticipation and surprise.

The advantage is that there are fewer images to take after the ceremony and the bride and groom often have the chance to join their guest for a drink before dinner.

If you are saying this is not for me then keep these tips in mind when creating your schedule. If you take most the family, bridal party and bride/groom images after the ceremony you have a lot of images to fit into a short amount of time (typically one hour). Have your bridal party, immediate family and yourself ready early so you can take as many of family and friend pictures as possible before the ceremony.

Also, ceremonies almost always start 10-15 minutes late. Put this in your schedule. If your invitation says 3pm put on your schedule that the ceremony actually starts at 3:15pm. If you are not taking the bride/groom images before the ceremony this 15 minutes could be crucial!

Look at your scheduling closely before the wedding so you can enjoy your day and not be rushed.

Bridal Tips - Scheduling Hair and Makeup

I am asked many of the same questions by brides while they are planning their wedding. So I've decided to start a weekly bridal tip. Check back every week for a new tip or sign up for a subscription to be automatically emailed when the blog is updated.

Brides often ask me about pre-ceremony schedules. So this weeks tip has to do with scheduling your makeup and hair.

I've seen late hair and makeup postpone a wedding by 1.5 hours. Okay that is the extreme, but I believe you cant schedule your makeup and hair early enough. It always seems to take longer than you might think.

If you run late with hair and makeup not only can it delay your ceremony schedule, but it can cut into your pre-ceremony picture time. If this is the case you might end up with twice as many images to be taken after the ceremony. This can make for a rushed and stressful situation for you and me alike.

It is better to be ready early and have the time to take lots of pictures and just relax. Maybe even enjoy a glass of champagne with your girl friends.

Do yourself a favor! Add at least a half hour to your hair and makeup schedule so you can keep it low stress!