For me, one of the biggest details on a wedding day is the bouquet. As a wedding photographer, I have seen a LOT of gorgeous bouquets. I have gathered a few of my favorites here for your enjoyment.
Which one is your favorite? Tell me in the comments below!
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You've just gotten married to the love of your life, and you're anxiously awaiting the images from your photographer so you can share them will all the people you know and love. But here's the thing: your photographer's contract says it could take between 6-8 weeks! What the what!? How could that possibly be?
Of course, every photographer is different. Some photographers take 2 weeks and some take 12. There are many factors that go into this, and each photographer runs their business differently. My typical turn-around time is 6 weeks, and here's why.
Danville Bed and Breakfast Wedding
It may not look like a ton has changed in this image, so let me walk you through it. I use two programs to edit my images: Lightroom and Photoshop. The vast majority of my editing is done in Lightroom. The first thing I did was apply a preset (I use Mastin Labs). What a preset does is applies a few pre-selected adjustments to an image all at once so you don't have to do it individually every time. After the preset is applied, I then make exposure (brightness) adjustments and temperature (blue-orange) adjustments. For this image, I brought the exposure up and the temperature up (more toward orange). After all of the basic adjustments had been made, I did a simple retouch on this beautiful bride by softening her skin and removing a few blemishes. All-in, this image took me about 3 minutes to edit. That doesn't sound like a ton, but when you have 800+ images from a wedding, that can add up quick (to 2,400 minutes or 40 hours!)
The Royal Crest Room Wedding
In addition to all of the adjustments I mentioned for the first image, this photo also had to go into photoshop. This location is a golf course in St. Cloud (The Royal Crest Room). While it is a beautiful spot, there are some golf course specific things I didn't want in my final shot, like those cart path markers. So, I had to take the image into photoshop to remove them. This image was simple to do, so maybe only an additional 5-10 minutes. Some images are far more complicated.
Cypress Grove Estate House Wedding
During the busy wedding season (October-March here in Orlando), I am shooting a wedding almost every weekend and engagement sessions during the week. That means it may be up to three weeks after a wedding before I can even start my editing because I have previous weddings and sessions to finish first. Now, I always edit a few previews for my clients right after the wedding so they have something to hold them over, but then I might not touch their images again for a couple of weeks.
Banyan Estate Wedding
Keep in mind that your photographer doesn't spend all of their free time editing. We answer phone calls and emails, we drive out to coffee shops to meet with clients, we design albums and other print products, we are out photographing sessions and weddings, we attend networking events to build relationships and market our business, we write blog posts to keep our website up-to-date, we spend time on social media to build an on-line presence, and so and and so forth. Being a business owner is hard work! And then we must have time for family and sleep! Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it all :)
Rosen Shingle Creek Wedding
Listen, if I wanted to bang out a wedding in 2 days, I could. But then it wouldn't be up to the quality that my clients hired me for. When you select your wedding photographer, you're choosing not only them, but the quality of images you want for the biggest day of your life. The memories that you will look back on always. Don't you WANT your photographer to make sure they deliver you their best?
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A first look is a special moment before the ceremony where you and your groom (or bride) see each other for the first time in a private and intimate setting. Take for instance this series below.
There are many advantages to including a first look in your wedding day plans.
Wedding days are STRESSFUL. There is a lot going on, and it can be a challenge to keep everything running smoothly (which is why I HIGHLY recommend hiring a planner!). In a typical wedding without a first look, there is approximately one hour between the ceremony and the reception for formal photos. The photos that must be completed in this time are family formals, wedding party photos, and bride & groom portraits. Because family photos take such a long time (it can be difficult to keep everyone present and on-task), this often leaves photographers with 15 minutes or less for the romantic bride & groom shots!
Enter the first look. When a first look is done before the ceremony, the bridal party photos and the bride & groom portraits are done before the wedding ceremony. This allows for a much more relaxed family formal time, and it allows the bride and groom to enjoy the cocktail hour. Now that's what I call a win-win!
As mentioned above, when a first look is done before the ceremony, there is more time for bride & groom portraits. More time means that you'll receive a much higher amount of those romantic images in your final gallery. A typical wedding gallery for me when the bride and groom did NOT have a first look includes about 30 bride and groom portraits. When the couple opts for the first look, that number rises to well over 100!
A common push back I hear when a couple does not want to do a first look is that they think the moment when the bride walks down the aisle will not be as special. That couldn't be farther from the truth! You will still get that image of your groom when he first sees you walking up that aisle toward him. A first look helps to build excitement even more, not diminish it :)
I do not pressure my clients into a first look if they are adamantly against it. After all, I didn't do one at my own wedding. But I wish I had. Remember how I said family formals can take a really long time? Yeah, mine definitely did. I have NO romantic photos of my husband and I before the sun went down because of it. That is one of my greatest regrets. So should you do a first look? I think the answer is clear. Yes!
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Words cannot describe how much I absolutely LOVE this venue! Up the Creek Farms is my dream wedding venue, without a doubt. It is the perfect spot for a vintage glam or country chic wedding. Your ceremony can take place underneath majestic oak trees draped with Spanish Moss, and your reception will be in a gorgeous barn/ballroom. The grounds provide ample choices for stunning photographs. There is not one bad thing about this venue!
The flat rental fee includes exclusive use of Up The Creek Farms for your wedding day. The fee covers guest parking with an attendant, 12 hours of venue rental from 11AM-11PM, bride and groom getting-ready suites, an outdoor ceremony, and an indoor, air-conditioned reception. The reception includes 60-inch round tables with your choice of linen color, and mahogany chairs. Your rental fee also includes a credit to event decor rental from Crystal & Crate. There is a per-person price for cocktail hour and food. This per-person price assumes a minimum of 100 guests, and a maximum of 200. There are discounts for non-Saturday weddings.
Yes, included in every package is a month-of coordinator.
Up The Creek Farms does not allow the use of outside caterers. However, couples will have their choice of ten different caterers on the approved list. This gives you the ability to have any kind of food that you want at your wedding.
There is a preferred vendor list, but there is no charge to go outside of the list. That being said, all vendors must have proof of liability insurance to work on property.
You have two options for your outdoor ceremony in the case of inclement weather. The ceremony can be moved to the boat house, or the ceremony can be moved into the reception area.
Up The Creek Farms hosts a single wedding per day. This means you will not need to worry about working around other couples' celebrations.
Check out the beautiful bridal getting ready suite below!
A place for the guys to hang out before the ceremony.
Ceremony location at Up The Creek Farms.
This spot at Up The Creek Farms would make for some gorgeous bride and groom photos.
Cocktail hour area.
Bar for cocktail hour at Up The Creek Farms.
And now, for my favorite part: the GORGEOUS ballroom!
To book your Up The Creek Farms wedding, click here!
Next up in the venue spotlight series is The Garden Chateau. Located in Winter Garden, Florida, this venue is the perfect spot to have your wedding when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando. From the second I pulled into the circular driveway out front, it felt like I was a thousand miles away from the chaos that is the most popular tourist destination in the world. The Garden Chateau is the ideal blank canvas for any wedding you can dream up. There is enough space to host any wedding, from an intimate affair to a grand gala.
The most popular reception area.
The rental fee for The Garden Chateau includes 15 hours of access to all public areas on property. This includes valet parking for guests, a ceremony area, a cocktail hour area, a reception area, the catering kitchen, restrooms for the guests, a bridal suite, and a groom area. Your 15 hours start at 9:00AM and run until midnight. The reception must end by 11:00PM, and cleanup must be complete by midnight. Any overages in time may result in additional fees.
Yes! The Garden Chateau is one of very few venues in town that allow you to bring in the caterer of your choosing. The caterer may use the onsite kitchen to warm food, but everything must be cooked off site. Both the caterer and bar must have liability insurance to work on the property.
Yes, there is a preferred vendor list, but there is no charge to use someone not on the list.
It is a good idea to keep an eye on the weather forecast leading up to your big day. If rain might be coming, you should look into renting a tent for the outdoor areas. If you have fewer than 130 guests, the wedding may be moved inside the home itself.
The Garden Chateau hosts a single wedding a day. You will not need to worry about working around other couples’ celebrations.
The grand staircase is the first thing you see when you walk in the front doors. This is a popular ceremony location for smaller, intimate weddings.
The library is one of the more versatile rooms. Depending on the size of your celebration, this room can be used for the cocktail hour, a buffet serving area, or even the reception area.
Speaking of cocktail hour, the balcony is another popular location. The balcony has breathtaking views of the rest of the property.
The catering kitchen.
With the foosball table and the big screen TV, the groomsmen will love getting ready in this room. The bridesmaids may also lay claim to it.
The bridal vanity.
To book your Garden Chateau wedding, click here.
