Stop by and visit us this Sunday, July 18 at the Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show at the Baton Rouge River Center from 12pm-4pm. We will have lots of information and samples for you to indulge in. Look for me walking around taking candid shots too. Watch out! You just might be featured in the next post

Tell all your friends about this awesome promotion! This is a great way to show off your favorite engagement photos on the day of your wedding and have all your guests leave you some fun messages!

Here’s a fun little sneak peek of Amy and Brian’s engagement session we did on Angola Prison property April 25, 2010. This sequence was from a wheat field near the old death row building. I don’t normally upload cheesy things like this (animated gifs…so 1990s!!!) but whatever. This couple was super fun and this shows it.

During Chasity’s bridal session, she was extremely attentive to my direction and it ultimately resulted in one of my favorite bridal photos I’ve taken in a few years. I couldn’t wait to photograph her wedding at Lakehouse in Baton Rouge on October 30, 2009. She and Michael agreed to do the first look which took a slight bit of convincing, but since their ceremony was after dark and they really wanted some killer shots together, it was the only option really. And because they did the first look, they were able to knock out all their family and wedding party photos they wanted before the ceremony began. But of course, the best part was they got to treasure each other and laugh together before they got too busy to breathe. Thanks for viewing the photos!

My favorite image taken during Chasity's bridal session in St. Francisville, LA

It all started with a desire to show off Nottoway Plantation, the largest Southern United States Plantation, and their brand new renovations. I have always been drawn to the location because of it’s gorgeous one-of-a-kind castle-like home and it’s carefully landscaped grounds. When Lexi De Brock, the wedding coordinator of Nottoway, met me we began talking about a way to promote the place to future brides. We decided a mock wedding in which we chose all the vendors would be the best method to promote Nottoway in the right light.

As with any wedding (even if it is a mock wedding), I first needed a bride and groom, so I chose Libby and Drew Murrell for their uncanny ability to be super natural and fun in front of the camera. I shot their wedding video at Houmas House Plantation so because I never got to photograph them, here was my chance. I teamed up with Baton Rouge florist Kali Soulier of Trinity Flowers, LLC to help organize the vendors, people and the “look” of our wedding. Kali did an immaculate job with the flowers and gave me a white flower petal aisle for the bride to walk down. Talk about beautiful! She created wonderful white and ivory flowers arrangements throughout the ceremony site including many pomanders for each of the 10 hooks that were positioned next to each row of chairs. She also hung white lantern globes from our two large live oak trees, and finally, she provided the programs that were hung on the backs of the chairs. Limousine service was provided by Professional Limousine Service, Inc., the cake provided by Fairy Dust Cakes, hair and makeup provided by Tina Rodosta of Bridal Beauty Consulting, tuxes provided by Squires Formal Wear in Baton Rouge, and bridesmaid dresses provided by Bridal Boutique. Kelsey from Something Borrowed provided the beautiful gold table linens for the reception and the ceremony chair sashes. I photographed and Contrast Films filmed the wedding in HD using 5D Mark II DSLR/video cameras for ultimate quality.

We spent two months planning this day and in the end, we had a grand event with everything from a bridal luncheon to outdoor ceremony with a flower-lined aisle (I always love weddings with flower aisles) and plenty of time to photograph the couple. We also had a small reception complete with dancing. Libby’s dad even played piano for Libby while her mother sang beautifully.

Lexi and Nottoway’s entire staff was a pleasure to work with and if and when you have your wedding there, you’ll be greeted with a warm and friendly smile from them. Lexi is so great with the details! Thanks Lexi!

Here’s a full list of our vendors for the mock wedding. They are all top quality vendors in their fields and I highly recommend them for your wedding.

Wedding Venue:
Nottoway Plantation (Lexi De Brock, wedding coordinator)
30970 Highway 405
White Castle, LA 70788
866-527-6884
www.nottoway.com

Photography:
Eye Wander Photo (Aaron Hogan, of course)
Baton Rouge, LA
225-772-4051
www.eyewanderphoto.com

Videography:
Contrast Films (Jordy Wax and Chase Smith)
Baton Rouge, LA
225-278-8185
www.contrastfilms.net/weddings

Florist:
Trinity Flowers, LLC (Kali Soulier)
Baton Rouge, LA
225-772-6970
www.trinityflowersllc.com

Hair & Makeup Artists
Bridal Beauty Consulting (Tina Rodosta & Katie Percy)
2834 S Sherwood Forest Blvd
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
225-292-0055
www.bridalbeautyconsulting.com

Bridesmaid & bridal dresses
Bridal Boutique
8750 Florida Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70815
225-925-1135
www.bridalboutiquebr.com

Tuxedos & Men’s formal wear
Squires Formal Wear
Baton Rouge & Lafayette, LA
225-769-3312 or 337-981-9760
www.squirestux.com

Limousine Service
Professional Limousine Service, Inc.
Denham Springs, LA
225-791-1711
888-791-1711
www.prolimo.com

Cake Bakery:
Fairy Dust Cakes
35055 Hwy 16, Suite 2J
Denham Springs, LA 70706
225-665-1880
www.fairydustcakes.com

Table & Chair linens:
Something Borrowed (Kelsey)
Lafayette, LA
337-330-2547
www.somethingborrowedonline.com

Officiant
Steve Smith, Justice of the Peace
Plaquemine, LA
225-776-1519
ssmith@theamegroup.com

Jennifer & Michael Guillot in Napoleonville moments after exiting the church from their ceremony.

Dear former brides,

This page is dedicated to every former bride who wishes to talk about her wedding so that she may inform new brides-to-be things she should do when planning her own wedding. Now that your wedding is all over, you may look back from time to time to reminisce on your special day, thinking about everything from, “I am so glad I did this…” to, “I wish I’d done this…”
Consider the following questions, and as you answer them add in some advice for current brides who don’t have the insight you do. Simply copy and paste the questions into a new “comment field” at the bottom of this page. Type in your answers and advice.

1. How long did you plan for the big day?

2. Do you think it was long enough or could have been longer? Why?

3. How far in advance did you get your dress?

4. How far in advance did you book:
ceremony/reception site(s)?
caterer?
cake maker?
photographer?
florist?

5. Was there any logic to the order in which you booked each of these vendors?

6. How did you feel when you realized your day that’d you’d planned so long for was coming to an end? Did you feel good about it or did you feel as if it  was too rushed? That it was happening all so quickly?

7. How much of your wedding day do you actually remember? Or were the emotions too strong for you to create lasting memories of it all?

8. What was the greatest thing that happened on your wedding day (the most memorable, special, unique, etc)?

9. What time was your ceremony: afternoon or evening? Explain why or why not it was the best time to have a wedding.

10. Was the moment during which your groom first saw you on the wedding day as special as you expected it to be? Be real here. This is the moment most brides build up in their hearts to be the highlight of the entire day. Was it the  moment you dreamed it would be?

11. If you could do the “first look session” to get better quality photos of you and your new husband by doing them PRIOR to the ceremony in a private session, would you do it? Would you recommend other brides do it or do you feel the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding day is more important than having better quality photos of themselves together? Please elaborate as much as possible on this topic.

12. If you did the “first look session” prior to the wedding, please talk about that experience here and explain why it was or was not a great experience.

13. Looking back, what would you do differently at your wedding (if anything) if you were to start the planning process all over again? Think of anything from different vendors, more vendors in different categories, location changes, flowers, do wedding photos (first look private bride-groom session BEFORE ceremony? Anything?

14. If you did not have one, would you choose a videographer to capture the “motion” of your day in an emotional manner if you were to do it all over again?

15. What do you WISH you knew going into the wedding planning process that you now know after the wedding?

16. Any other advice for current brides?

Here’s some engagement photos from our session on September 29, 2009. But first, be sure to play their fun slideshow to give you an overview of their engagement session.

Katie & Ryan's reflections at Red Star Bar in downtown Baton Rouge, LA

Happy bride-to-be. She couldn't stop smiling and laughing the entire session.

"Bling, Bling," says the ring.

What a beautiful couple!

One of my favorites of Katie and Ryan! They are adorable people and so fun-loving.

Inside the Shaw Center for the Arts

Another of my favorites...oooh, the sky is so pretty. But someone had to add grafitti to one of BR's historic landmarks.

Playing like children on the water tower.

Gorgeous eyes, Katie.

All alone in Tsunami's private room, except me peeping through my camera lens.

Ryan steals a kiss atop Tsunami overlooking Mississippi River with Old State Capitol in background.

So sweet yet slightly sensual. And a bit grainy.

While wedding coordinators are often most sought after for providing new brides with feedback on how best to plan their weddings, one of the most valuable resources for a bride comes from her photographer. Despite what some wedding planning guides indicate, booking a photographer 12-16 months before the wedding ensures she’ll have not only the best photographer but also his or her input into how to organize the day such that great photographic opportunities naturally occur. By booking a photographer soon after the wedding date is set, she is setting herself up to have the best photographs possible.

As a wedding photographer of eight years, I am used to being one of the last vendors selected for the wedding. This can result in the bride making poor choices in regards to the ceremony location, time and lighting, which in turn have everything to do with how well the photos turn out. The photographer is the one person who will document every aspect of the wedding from pre-bridals and the dress to flowers at the venue to the programs and the cake. Often they can provide valuable insight into what works and what doesn’t. It’s important to heed to a photographer’s suggestions because long after the wedding is over, all that remains are the pictures.

Importance of location
A true photographer can use any location to get great photos, but one thing a photographer is not is a magician. If the couple has not booked their venue yet, they should consult a photographer for options. While some may be out of the budget, all will be at the very least highly photogenic. A photogenic location has more to do with the type of lighting and type of small structures on site than it does the overall “feel” and opulence of the venue.

Heavy wall texture and bold contrasting colors play a huge role in a venue’s photogenic nature. Ponds, bridges, small doorways, steps, alcoves and arches provide better photo opportunities in most cases than majestic buildings with elaborate gardens. The best wedding photos are the unscripted moments between people, and simple, non-distracting backgrounds and the presence of natural lighting only enhance that.

Of all the elements that make a venue truly photogenic, lighting plays the most important role. More specifically, the presence of late afternoon sunlight in the photogenic areas described earlier helps the photographer create the most breathtaking photographs filled with depth and dimension. While most modern professional cameras can shoot in low light, it’s still important to have a decent light level to ensure clarity in the photographs.

Importance of ceremony time
Sunset and early evening weddings are the two most popular times for ceremonies. From a photographer’s point of view, photos come out best during either overcast days or late afternoon. If you want a sunset wedding, consider having the ceremony begin 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to sunset, which allows for optimal lighting during the formal portraits of the newlyweds to be taken immediately after the ceremony.

If the ceremony will be in the evening, especially one that is outdoors as is common in cooler months, make sure the photographer has an opportunity to see the ceremony site lit up at this time of day prior to your wedding day. It will give him/her an idea of what type of external lighting he/she may need to make clear photographs.

While a coordinator can help make this daunting process of planning a wedding easier, the photographer also has valuable information that adds can make the wedding not only more beautiful on the wedding day, but for generations to come through the stories the photographs tell.