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4 Reasons You Will Want to Have a ‘First Look’

  • Wedding first look

 

Want to Have a ‘First Look’?

During the wedding planning process, there is always one hot topic that the bride and groom will talk about: the ‘first look’. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, a first look is when a bride and groom meet together privately and see each other before the ceremony begins. This is different from the traditional ways, where the couple will only get to see each other during the ceremony.

While some may say a first look is unnecessary and untraditional, some will also claim that it is a must. Regardless of what you may believe, we sometimes suggest that you consider it as there are some compelling reasons why you may want to have a ‘first look’.

4 Reasons You Will Want to Have a ‘First Look’

  1. Your wedding is held during winter

Typically, if you plan to hold the wedding ceremony late into autumn, during winter, or even early spring, you may want to have a first look done. This is because the sun sets quite early, and if you are holding your ceremony later in the afternoon, there will not be any natural light left for the photo-taking session.

As such, a first look early on ensures that you and everyone else will be able to have photos taken using the light still left before it goes below the horizon.

Photos taken during sunset are of course taken at sunset, after the ceremony, but you need not take as long as you usually would due to having had a photoshoot done before your ceremony.

You may have also considered having an engagement shoot done previously also for the same reasons.

Lightning
  1. The reception follows the wedding immediately

If the reception starts immediately or almost immediately after a wedding, you will want to have a first look session done before the ceremony. Otherwise, you may spend the majority of your time during reception, taking photos rather than enjoying your meal. This is especially true if you also plan to have pictures of friends and family, which reduces even more time for your post-wedding activities. 

On top of that, if you are planning to enjoy plenty of cocktails and other drinks during the reception, you may not look at your best after a few. In other words, you may want to have a ‘first look’ as it will ensure you and your partner can have your photos taken before getting busy with the ceremony!

First look
  1. The location of the wedding is far from the reception venue

Many couples hold their reception on the same or near their wedding venue. However, some may hold their reception far away from the ceremony location. If the latter is your case, then it is smart to want to have a ‘first look’ before the ceremony. This way, you do not have to rush around trying to take pictures right after the wedding to give you and the others more time to reach the venue and prepare for a wonderful night. Plus, a first look ensures you get plenty of photos to add to your album, whereas rushing for pictures taken will only significantly limit how many photos you get!

first look in Kuitpo Forest
  1. You are afraid of the pressure of your emotions at your ceremony

Perhaps the most common reason why people want to have a ‘first look’ is that they are afraid that the nerves leading up to a traditional ‘first look’ as the bride walks up the aisle may be too much to bear causing ugly crying or other such emotional reactions you may not want to display in front of family and friends.

Having a first look allows you to get these nerves and emotions out of the way before the ceremony thereby lessening the chance of not looking your best during the ceremony.

Grooms first look as she walks towards him

If you believe that you will have a rushed photo-taking session due to the tight wedding schedule, then you may want to have a ‘first look’ before the chaos ensues! Sure, the ceremony will be a blast, but you may regret it later when you find out that the resulting photos were not what you expected or that you do not have enough to work with because you didn’t allocate enough time for it.

Save yourself the headache and do a first look if any of the above reasons apply to you, or you simply want to see the love of your life before everyone else!

Sven Studios is a professional wedding photography service that helps couples capture their weddings’ emotional memories to treasure forever. If you are looking for the best wedding photographers in Adelaide or around Australia, get in touch with us today to see how we will capture the best moments of your day!

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Debunking Common Myths About Wedding Photography

  • bride and groom on a rock

Common Myths About Wedding Photography

Your wedding day is, of course, one of the most memorable and exciting moments in your life. It is the day when two hearts intertwine, committing to giving unconditional love and care.

The smiles, glances and all the memories can be captured in beautiful photographs. That is why it is necessary to hire reliable wedding photographers to make sure that your big day will be unforgettable.

When planning for your wedding photography, there can be a lot of things that you may hear. Below are some common myths about wedding photography that you should be aware of. Don’t worry; we’ve busted them for you!

Debunking Some Common Myths About Wedding Photography

Myth: I need to provide a “to-do” list of the wedding shot samples to my photographer 

Selecting a wedding photographer to capture one of the best moments of your life is crucial and there are many reasons why.

While it is good to assert your dream wedding ideas, it is better to trust the photographers to make your wedding photos memorable. Let their creativity flow. Trust in their expertise. Trust them fully by letting them do their best shot. 

Giving them a very detailed list of wedding pictures may make them feel like they cannot be creative on their own. It may even result in some delays as photographers have their personal touch and unique styles for every event that they cover.

Of course, you can always tell them if you want a specific wedding pose that you have been dreaming of or those very important family members you want to be included in the photoshoot, it’s just when a couple gets a little too controlling is when the photos produced tend to be of lower quality.

Bridal Party playing rugby on Crozier st

Myth: Candid/new-age photographers are not really into taking family portraits

Candid, and natural photography refers to the type of photographs captured with no creation of a posed appearance. This does not necessarily mean that photographers nowadays do not take family photos at all.

While candid photographers love to capture moments as they happen, they also take formal portraits. Because a wedding event is an occasion with your most favourite people, they would love to capture those happy faces posing in front of the camera – it’s kind of what is ‘expected’ from wedding photography, so not to have them at all in a wedding album would be a bit silly.

Kuitpo Forest Bone Gully Family Shoot

Myth: I do not need to hire a professional wedding photographer; my friend can do it with a DSLR

A wedding is like a one-time big-time event. You just can’t reschedule it for the next day if things do not go as planned. Having a good friend who can take good, decent shots for you is really helpful, but having professional wedding photographers can provide you with expertise and back-up if something unexpected happens. 

Don’t you want your friend to enjoy the wedding festivities as a guest? Or are they not important enough and you relegate them to being behind a camera all day? Having a professional come in means they will act professional, they wont act as a guest – only enough to be able to capture that personable vibe you have going on your day.

There is also probably a good reason why your professional wedding photographer is a professional wedding photographer, and not your friend with a camera. It’s what they do. It would be like hiring a friend to fix your roof just because they own a ladder.

Wedding disposable camera

Myth: The quality of my wedding photos will depend on the brand of the camera or on how expensive the equipment is

This is an old, old myth about wedding photography and has always been a subject of discussion. While a good camera helps in catching nice photos, it is still the photographer who is the one to capture stunning images. A good camera can bring a difference but only to an extent because, without a professional photographer’s skill, not much of an result will be achieved.

There is an old joke that goes something like this – ‘A chef notices a photographer flipping through some photos on their laptop while sitting down for lunch, admiring the photos the chef quips ‘They are some nice photos, you must have a nice camera!. To which the photographer replies ‘This is great food! You must have amazing pots and pans!’

The camera is a tool to do a job, while there are different grades of tools available, they are all still tools, and it’s not until a skilled person who knows how to use the tool uses it to create, then it’s nothing.

Of all the myths about wedding photography, this is probably the most common one to have come up at a wedding. It can be fun to talk gear to fellow camera aficionados, and I personally am guilty about super excited about a new camera I might be using – but it really doesn’t matter.

bride and groom looking at camera on their wedding day

Myth: If only we have the best location, then we can have the most amazing wedding photos

Not all weddings have to happen in grand, majestic locations. Sure, there are some picturesque places that photographers had a chance of shooting for an event. But because your wedding may not be held in the most splendid place in town or on the cliff side of Santorini, that does not mean that your wedding photos will not be as amazing as you want them to be.

Professional wedding photographers are trained to capture moments from simple spaces to the grandest spots, with the aim of creating something special for the couple they are shooting for.

Money shot of Crozier st

Entrust your wedding moments to professional wedding photographers. Forget the myths about wedding photography and make sure to achieve your dream wedding with their help.

Our wedding photography services at Sven Studios will make your wedding a moment that is worth remembering. Contact us today for more details!

 

 

 

 

 

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National Wine Center Wedding – Pat & Kat

  • Pat & Kat

    National Wine Center Wedding

    bride and groom leaning against the gate house

Pat and Kat held a stunning National Wine Center wedding early in April surrounded by delightful family and friends who all made sure that Pat and Kat had an absolute blast on their big day!

The sun was shining, the Adelaide Botanic Gardens looked amazing and the National Wine Center Wedding staff were top notch! They even helped me find a park right outside – which is often very tricky around the Botanic Gardens!

Preparation

I started out the day at Patrick’s place of preparation with his groomsmen and his parents. They were all in good spirits, with Patrick’s parents super happy to be as helpful as possible!

Wedding rings on grooms tie
Cufflinks lined up
Smiling groom staring at camera
Groomsmen getting ready on couch
Through the doorway at groom getting ready
Mum looking on proudly
Groom staring out window
Dad helping son put on tie
Mum helping son get ready
Smiling Mum as she helps with tie
groomsmen ready to roll
Groom looking great in the ally

It was a treat to head to Katerina’s place of preparation – what a stunning house almost on the waterfront at Semaphore! I was super lucky to get a park as the entire area is always swarming with beach goers, but I lucked out right outside the house!

Inside there was a hive of activity, from the bridesmaids fussing about trying to fix broken earrings to little babies being fed by grandparents, and of course the bride herself getting herself ready with makeup, and hair.

The house afforded quite a few nice vantage points to take some lovely photos – and we simply ran out of time using them all!

Wedding dress reflected in mirror
Wedding dress hanging at end of hall
Bride walking towards her wedding dress
Perfume
Hugs with bridesmaid
bride having her makeup done
bride having her makeup done smiling
bridesmaids helping with earrings
bridesmaids having fun in gown
OMG an engagement ring
Bridesmaids seeing bride in dress
bridesmaids helping sort out wedding dress
bridal party together
bride standing in front of front door in wedding gown
Finishing touches on brides hair
Bride looking in mirror as Dad looks on

National Wine Center Wedding Ceremony

Pat and Kat’s National Wine Center wedding ceremony took place on the grassy area just beyond the main bulding, while it was a very sunny day, the surrounding foliage of the bushy trees provided for quite a bit of shade for the ceremony and guests and provided a lovely green backdrop for all their photos.

Groom waiting patiently under the trees
groom and groomsmen lined up at front of ceremony
Bride and father walking towards ceremony
Bride approaching ceremony at National Wine Center
grooms first look at the National Wine Center
bride and groom holding hands during ceremony
National Wine Center wedding ceremony
Bride looking at her groom during the ceremony
Bride turned towards groom
national Wine Center Wedding Ceremony under sun
Groom reading his vows
Exchanging wedding rings at the wedding ceremony
First kiss at the National Wine Center wedding
Bride and groom newly wed
Bride and groom under petals
bride and groom showing off their wedding rings

Adelaide Botanic Gardens Photo Shoot

As the National Wine Center shares a border with the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, I often like to refer to the venue as the Adelaide Botanic Garden’s unofficial 10th ceremony location where there are normally 9 within the gardens proper. As such we spent a little while walking about the Gardens for glamour photos – even venturing into the nearby Botanic Park to make use of the stunning moreton bay fig trees.

National Wine Center Wedding Photo
bride and grom under hollowed out foliage
Passionate kiss in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens
bridal party selfy
bridal party surrounding a tree
Closeup of wedding rings on hands
Sitting on a bench together under a tree
Wedding photo in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens
Bridal party together in the botanic gardens
bride and groom leaning against the gate house
Together sitting on the roots of a large fig tree
Enjoying the yellow colours of leaves in Botanic Park
Botanic Park wedding photo
Standing together near a large fig tree
bride and grrom under the veil together
Bride and groom leaning against a fig tree
Bride and groom amongst the Adelaide Botanic Gardens
bride and groom in front of a doorway
Sunset in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens
Closeup of bride and groom amongst the trees

National Wine Center Wedding Reception

Pat and Kat held their National Wine Center wedding reception in the Exhibition hall, on the second story of the wine center. The appeal of this particular function space for a wedding reception is the wide open, but segmented spaces for each part of the wedding reception. As you walk in the main doors, there is the bar and where I set up my photobooth alongside the tables for gifts, and other wedding knick knacks, then there is a central area for the dance floor, and finally the seating areas with ample room for hundreds of guests.

The walls of the exhibition hall is lined with wine bottles and iinteresting tidbits on the history of wine making in South Australia and Australia as a whole. It’s a very nice space which oozes elegance and formality.

One fun thing that Pat and Kat decided to do for their wedding that was quite unique was create a bit of a ‘couple’s logo’. They used their graphic design skills to produce a logo based on their P & K initials which they then used on pretty much everything to do with their wedding day – from invites, cufflinks, photobooth printouts, even a giant decal the National Wine Center had placed on their dance floor. I thought it was pretty awesome, and a very neat way to personalise everything in a simple, but smart way.

Towards the end of the evening we managed to duck out to the main entrance to the National Wine Center to use from smoke in a can and lights to take some after dark photos, and Pat and Kat also organised some sparklers for a sparkler send off which was pretty enat walking down that long, curving walkway!

PK decal on dancefloor
Wedding cake on display
bride and groom entering National Wine Center wedding reception
bride and groom cutting their wedding cake
Guests enjoying the photobooth
Succulant
Speech giver
Bridal party at head table
Bridesmaid having fun
First dance closeup
Groom concentrating on first dance
National Wine Center Wedding Photography
Kiss on the dance floor after first dance
Father daughter dance
Hugs after Daddy daughter dance
Starting the dancing off
Guests having fun on the dance floor
Smokey wedding photo at National Wine Center Wedding
National Wine Center Werdding photo with smoke
Dancing guests green light
Getting the bride to dance more
Exit under sparklers
National wine center wedding Exit under sparklers

Thanks so much to Pat and Kat for having me be your wedding photographer! I had a great day and I hope you guys enjoy your photos!

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The Pros of Having Couple Portraits Before Your Wedding Day

Having Couple Portraits Before Your Wedding Day

For a number of reasons, many couples choose to have couple portraits taken before the day of their actual wedding. These shoots are done either in their full wedding attire, including makeup and hair, or in a more casual style which is more of an engagement shoot. There are several advantages to making that choice for your couples portraits.

A huge advantage of having couple portraits done before your wedding day is that you’re given a delightful collection of photographs that you can put on display on your wedding day, or even use on your invites, or RSVP website.

Bride and Groom together in the vineyard

Some pros of having couple portraits before the wedding day itself

Additional Creative Shots

Having a separate shoot on a different day means you don’t have to settle for a place that’s just close to your ceremony or reception. You will be able to select a location of your choice, and given the number of wedding photo locations in Adelaide alone, there’s sure to be a lot of options. You can even have a photoshoot in a place that means something special to you and your significant other!

Not only will the photos in general improve greatly because of the varying backdrops, but also, the photographer will be able to experiment to see what can work on your big day. Timing is also everything, and it is possible to better schedule specific photos for the best lighting during the day, all the way up to sunset, or perhaps just after sunrise if you’re keen to wake up that early!

Walking along the Mt Lofty Botanic Gardens dam

Extra Candid Guest Photos

Wedding photographers see time as an incredibly precious resource on a wedding day. Having your couple portraits taken before the actual day of the ceremony and reception means that they have more time on their hands to capture other things. They will be able to spot as well as document more moments that are candid and genuine.

A seemingly quick hour long session for couples portraits, or glamour photos on the day itself can actually keep your photographer for longer when you consider the time spent on preparation and travel time. Traditionally taken as the final step after group photos with family, and before the reception couple portraits can take up much of your day so it can be a big advantage to have already had your photos done in order to spend more time with your guests on your actual day.

Waterfall wedding photographer Hobart

Photographer Test Shoot

One of the key aspects of taking on a couples portrait session prior to the wedding day is testing the photographer. See if the communication with them flows well, and if they make you feel comfortable in the first place. Check on things like how well they planned for the shoot, and if they turned up early. Afterwards, look into whether or not the final photos are to your liking and meet your expectations. Also check if you received them on time, and if the quality is up to your standards.

I can’t tell you how many times people who arent overly happy with their wedding photos get in contact with me with the often impossible request to ‘fix’ them for them. This situation can be avoided if you thourghly research your photographer and make sure they ‘fit’ into your day as well as they possibly can.

One Tree Hill Engagement shoot

Getting your couples portraits done before the big day holds a lot of advantages for you and your photographer. There is more space for your photographer to be creative and more time to plan when you have them done on a separate day. On your end, you will be able to have more relaxed photos and, on the day itself, be able to spend more time resting between the wedding ceremony and reception.

Looking for wedding photography packages in Adelaide or around Australia? Contact Sven Studios today! Allow us to capture the precious memories of your wedding day in a fun and relaxed way that you’ll be proud to look at forever!