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Plan Your LGBTQI+ Wedding – Questions to Ask

Same-sex wedding cupcake display with dance figurines and floral accents.

Plan Your LGBTQI+ Wedding – Questions to Ask

If you have stumbled onto this blog post, then congratulations on getting engaged! Planning a same-sex wedding may be time-consuming and tedious—as well as exciting, don’t get us wrong—and it is important to make sure that you have everything figured out before the big day. One of these essential tasks is finding the right photographer to help you plan your LGBTQI+ wedding.

Since a LGBTQ+ wedding may not be exactly the same as a heterosexual one, there may be some considerations you need to think about before agreeing to hire a specific photographer. When it comes to taking pictures with your partner, you want to make sure that you are able to find a photographer that has experience approaching your wedding the way you would like.

Questions to Ask the Photographer when you plan your LGBTQI+ wedding

Here are a few questions that you may want to ask the photographer you are thinking about working with.

1 – Have you ever worked with a LGBTQI+ couple before?

It is important for you to ask this question. A photographer who has already had working experience with an LGBTQI+ couple will have an idea of what you may be interested in when it comes to the pictures on your wedding day. 

However, take note that you should never totally dismiss a photographer from the onset just because they do not have experience photographing a same sex wedding yet! It just may make things a little easier to educate them on what you expect and any social faux pas to avoid.

Lego brides

2 – What is your photography style?

Look into their individual style. Great photographers will be able to capture the emotions that are present in each moment. Many photographers are able to have various photography skills that may stretch across different styles to help you negotiate with them as to what type of style you want them to use for your wedding pictures.

Brides having fun at their Adelaide Sailing Club wedding

3 – May we see some of your samples?

It is incredibly important for you to ask for samples of past work and projects that they have worked on in the past. These samples may be able to give you an idea about what style they have. Not only samples too – try to view a full album of what they have presented to past clients – hopefully similar to the wedding you are planning for yourselves.

When it comes to wedding pictures, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What your friend or family member may consider to be a beautiful picture may not be exactly what you envisioned! Looking at a photographer’s samples will help you decide if their output is within your preference. 

Brides sharing a moment

4 – Is there any family drama that may rear it’s ugly head?

It’s an unfortunate fact that when you plan your LGBTQI+ wedding it can bring out the ugly side of certain family members. If you know of any such issues perhaps take certain steps to avoid these personal issues from impacting on your day, and let your photographer know.

When you plan your LGBTQI+ wedding, while it may be hard try not to invite guests you know don’t agree with your choices, or if unavoidable be sure to let them know they are loved so they can show the same.

It’s a tricky issue but thankfully society has finally come around to the idea of LGBTQI+ weddings abut there may still be some closet troglodytes around.

brides on the beach together

5 – All the other usual questions you might ask a wedding photographer

Your wedding is still a wedding, even if you plan your lgbtqi+ wedding, plenty of questions will be the same as a hetero wedding. Question about insurance, turn around time, how you will receive your photos, etc. I’ve written about this in depth in past blogs here.

Simpsons pig wedding cufflinks

Your wedding day will be one of the most important days of your life, as well as your partner’s. You will want to make sure that everything is as close to perfect as possible when you are planning for this special day!

If you are shopping around for wedding photographers in Adelaide, come to SvenStudios! We understand how crucial your wedding photos are, and we want to play a part in helping you immortalise your special day. We will be ready to show you wedding photo samples and discuss packages with you. Entrust your wedding day photography to our professional photographers; contact us today!

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Tips For Dealing With Wedding Day Family Drama

  • Group shot

 

Dealing With Wedding Day Family Drama

So, your wedding day is finally just around the corner, and you can’t help but be so excited for the new chapter you’re starting with the love of your life. Dealing with wedding day family drama though is weighing on the back of your mind as you know not everyone sees eye to eye with you.

Now that you’re well past the planning, hiring, and spending on vendors, there isn’t anything else to worry about and you’re probably spending far too much time wondering about about family drama during your ceremony or throughout the day.

Why family drama?

Let’s face it: no matter how much we’d like to believe that we came out fine regardless of how crazy life was growing up, the fact is that our families have their fair share of drama. Every family is different of course, with varying degrees of issues, but it’s important to think about dealing with wedding day family drama beforehand to that none of it ruins your day.

If you’ve searched the web for “best recommendations” and wedding day tips to put your mind at ease with your big celebration coming up, then you probably heard and read some family drama horror stories. In fact, watching a bit of reality TV may have opened your eyes to the fact that having a brawl, shouting match, or lots of tension break out during a special occasion can become reality. Although those TV shows are absolute trash…

I personally have covered weddings as a photographer where receptions have been shut down due to rowdy behaviour, or the bride and groom has enlisted the services of a security guard – so they certainly can happen.

group photo at Alru Farm wedding

Common wedding day family drama problems (and how to fix them)

Although we’d all like to think that our relatives love us so much that they won’t let pettiness drive them to ruin our special day, the fact of the matter is that there’s no such thing as too safe. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as immunity or full prevention for problems like these because you can’t really tell whether or not they’ll come up. This is why you’ll have to know how to effectively deal with wedding day family drama problems before they snowball into bigger ones that can ruin your day.

If you’re looking to ensure that the biggest moment of your life isn’t shadowed by wedding day family drama, here are some potential problems you can prepare for (and how you can solve them):

Drone group shot at Ekhidna WInes

You have an overbearing parent or sibling in attendance

One of the most common problems that soon-to-be-wed couples end up struggling with is an overbearing parent or sibling that can’t seem to keep themselves together. 

While your frantic family member may have the best intentions for you in mind, the fact that this is a day that’s also special for them may be causing them some excitement as they strive to make sure everything goes well. Fortunately, you can prevent your family members from pushing the boundaries on your wedding day and messing things up by setting them aside somewhere private and asking them to calm down.

A common way this rears it’s head as a photographer is the family friend who has a camera who loves to take photos, but don’t really realise that the official photographer is there for a reason.

All that needs to be done is before the wedding gently remind them that they are paying for the photographer to be there – draw on the fact that they want the guy with a camera there as a guest and not to worry about working too hard. This way it wont hurt their ego so much.

Guest group shot

You have family members that share a whole lot of family history 

Whether it’s in the context of divorced parents who aren’t on good terms or an uncle that hates another uncle over something they said once during Christmas, feuding family members essentially present an imminent threat. Considering that family beef can bear so much tension during your big day, it’s important that you diffuse a potential bomb before it blows up. 

When it comes to preventing family members from feuding and turning your reception or wedding into an untimely boxing match, the key to success lies in learning how to separate them. Separation mostly involves doing everything to keep people with beef far apart from each other—something that can manifest itself in the form of special seating arrangements, timed sections, and the like.

One example of effectively separating feuding family members to avoid drama is to tell your photographers about such situations so that they can take the necessary precautions to avoid accidentally grouping them together!

It’s one reason why making a list of family photo groups is so important – as your photographer will not know any family history and has to rely on your direction on the day to capture any desired family groups.

Group photo

Dealing with family drama is never an easy task, especially when it happens during your wedding. Through this guide’s help, you won’t have to worry about these certain scenarios of wedding day family drama having problems bulldoze through your day and end up cutting your special day short (which can surprisingly lead to more problems in your own marriage)! 

Sven Studios is a team of Australian wedding photographers that you can rely on to have your priceless memories immortalised. If you’re looking to not only manage your potential family drama and have some amazing pictures to boot, get in touch with us today!

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Important Wedding Photography Dos and Don’ts

All photographers view weddings as a major day. This is because the amount of responsibility on the shoulders of wedding photographers is gargantuan. After all, it’s one of the biggest days in the life of the couple involved. In that case, there is no question that nerves will always be part of the equation for each and every wedding that they cover.

The key to successfully executing wedding photography is to ensure that both the groom and bride are comfortable in front of the camera’s lenses. A pre-wedding photoshoot is a great way to manage the nerves on both sides and establish better rapport between the photographer and the couple as well – but it’s not a requirement.

I feel as though being a successful wedding photographer is really all about putting the trust in oneself and your experience in order to be confident in capturing the day no matter what is thrown your way. Being flexible is very important.

There are also some wedding photography dos and don’ts that really need to be heeded at every wedding. While these guidelines are primarily for your wedding photographer, knowing these will help you be more mindful of photography details during your big day.

Some simple Wedding Photography Dos and Don’ts

  • DO focus on even the smallest details

Weddings are planned months in advance, and often, even years. It’s safe to assume that even the most minute detail was well-thought-out and has some sort of significance. Aside from candid couple photos, and even some sneaky shots of guests with their guard down, the photographer should look at the setting and small details the bridal couple has put effort into.

Your photographer should ensure there’s a photo of the entertainment at the reception, especially if it’s your favourite performer. Shots of buffet or plated meals are a must, too. If an heirloom has been passed down to either bride or groom, a captured snap of that should not be missed as well. 

This is something you should communicate to your photographer – as even the best wedding photographers may sometimes miss a ‘must have’ shot that you expect to have. Despite it being best to let your photographer have freedom to do their thing – pointing out small details would always be appreciated.

Guest gift

  • DON’T stand out so much or call attention to yourself

Weddings and the receptions that follow are incredible training grounds for photographers to be ninjas. It’s important that people are able to feel unobstructed by cameras suddenly in their face, or by constantly being asked if they’d like a photo. While there may be an idea for a great group shot, the photographer shouldn’t start pulling people from different corners together just for a shot unless it feels absolutely necessary.

OMG an engagement ring

  • DO use natural light where possible

Authenticity comes through in a photo well when natural light is involved. There’s a lot of family and friends at these events, which leads to emotions running high. These are some of the best moments in the life of both the groom and the bride, so it’s best to make sure the day is captured accordingly and reflects as much. Even if you have a flash kit, only use it when absolutely necessary; nothing beats the magic of natural sunlight.

bride looking out window as she gets ready

  • DON’T get caught up in capturing everything

Aside from the key shots, there’s a lot of room for candid wedding photos. If the photographer finds themselves missing a moment by a few seconds, don’t dwell on it. There should be another candid moment worth capturing after all. The photographer shouldn’t attempt staging the shot either. It’s natural to miss some things, since it’s practically impossible to photograph every minute or instance during a wedding and reception.

If a bride asks for a specific photo though – it’s certainly best practice to go grab it! haha

Laughing and playing

Weddings are undoubtedly special for the couple getting married, which is one main reason why wedding photographers feel immense pressure. A good way to start a good working relationship between you and the photographer is a pre-wedding shoot. There are several wedding photography dos and don’ts, and it’s vital you choose a photographer where these comes naturally.

Looking for wedding photography services? Contact SvenStudios today! Allow us to craft the precious memories of your wedding day in a fun and relaxed way.

 

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4 Common Misconceptions About Wedding Videography

  • Adelaide Wedding Videography

 

Misconceptions about wedding videography

Your wedding is probably going to be one of the most memorable moments of your whole life, so it’s only natural to want to capture every single detail of the day. Wedding videography helps record all the heartfelt emotions and standout moments of the event that photography alone may miss.

However, you might be a little sceptical about some hearsays from fellow brides and grooms who may have opted to give the videography little to no thought, or perhaps regretted their decision not to have a videographer after their big day.

4 Common Misconceptions About Wedding Videography

Here are some common misconceptions about wedding videography and why you shouldn’t take them at face value.

“Photos Are Enough”

Often it’s the justification for not getting a videographer or having a budget for it is because a wedding photographer is enough. We agree that wedding photography is an important part of planning, especially if you want to see all the stills, stolen shots and photos where you didn’t think you were smiling, but you were. However, wedding videography can be just as important.

Videos can capture the sounds and movement of a party that some photos are unable to emulate—the popping of the champagne bottle, the clinking of glasses during a toast, the song you first danced to, the messages from your parents. It’s an unmatched moment to have all that on tape and to watch the wedding through the cinematic lens of your videographer.

If it’s budget constraints you’re worried about, there are plenty of photographers out there – my self included – that offer ‘hybrid’ video coverage allowing a highlight video snippet of your day to be captured alongside photography as a single person – saving money on having a second dedicated videographer in tow.

“Anyone Can be the Videographer”

Although it seems tempting to cut costs and get a nephew of yours to take the video through their camera, you won’t get the same result as professional wedding videographers from a studio. There’s sound editing, transitions, angles and shots that have to be considered when all is said and done.

Let me highlight one of those points – SOUND RECORDING! While your nephew may have the camera, it’s not that often they also have the appropriate audio equipment and backups for if it doesn’t work out right.

You’ll get a better product and outcome if you get some experienced people into the venue. Check price lists and background for past work they’ve done that you might want in your mini-film. The quality of a great wedding video is simply incomparable and something to be treasured forever.

Mobile phone photo 2

“Choose a Videographer the Night Before”

It’s much more recommended to book a videographer in advance, especially experienced ones who might have their schedules full months, even years before an actual wedding. It also gives your chosen videographer a chance to get to know you and the vision you’re going for in the video.

It can be personalised as much or as little as you want to. If you want to incorporate a specific concept into the wedding video outside of the ceremony and reception, you could have a small discussion about that, too.

Gallop bridge Wedding photo

“Wedding Videos Are for One-Time Viewing”

This can be a personal choice, but wedding videos were made to stand the test of time. Rewatching it helps you observe new details. You can show the recording to other loved ones who might not have been able to attend due to different circumstances. You can even show the videos to your children and grandchildren! 

Or if you’ve forgotten what it’s like, you can always look back at it with a particular fondness, especially after so many years have elapsed. You have proof of experiencing that much happiness, laughter, love and tears. 

These misconceptions about wedding videography being that it tends to be watched once and never again tends to stem from the fact that traditional wedding videography products can be a chore to watch, being hours long. Modern videographers like to offer ‘highlight’ montages these days to combat this – providing a short snippet of your day edited to music that is much easier to watch.

 

Wedding videography can be a truly delightful thing that will help you earn a keepsake after the big day. And hey, we won’t judge you if you want to fast forward and skip it to the part where you both say ‘I do.’

Keep in mind these common misconceptions about wedding videography and hopefully you’ll think twice about having a video made on your day. We highly recommend it!

SvenStudios offers both wedding videography and wedding photography in Adelaide and around Australia. We help craft the precious memories of your matrimony so you can have a reminder of your grand love. Get in touch with us today!

 

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4 Tips to Help You Get the Best Candid Wedding Photos

Wedding photos come in all sorts of styles. Some are incredibly curated and staged, whereas others are emotional, natural and tear-jerking. Some of the most popular wedding photo styles are candid ones—and for a good reason too! It captures the emotions in the moment felt by the couple, and for many people, such pictures tell excellent stories that are remembered forever. 

That said, candid photos, despite looking natural and relaxed, can be quite tough to get right—even for the ones in front of the camera. After all, there is a fine line between a candid picture that looks beautiful and heartfelt and one that puts a damper on the event because of any forced reactions.

4 Tips to Help You Get the Best Candid Wedding Photos

To help you get the best candid wedding photos possible from your day, here are some tips on how you can do it right.

  1. Be yourself

Perhaps the best tip to get the best candid wedding photos we can ever give you is to be yourself. Do not stress out about looking good or posing. While they both certainly are beneficial to a good photo, it probably will not happen if you worry too much about it! For that reason, you should simply enjoy what is happening around you for the best candid photo. 

Plus, when you finally see yourself in the picture, you truly know that the emotions you felt are genuine and true at that moment in time. Whether that be tears or laughs, what you truly feel during the wedding will be what is reflected in the picture.

A big reason why I like to be as hands off as possible while shooting a wedding – particularly before the ceremony is that nerves play a big part in how people act. There is nothing worse than a photographer telling you want to do on one of the most emotional days of your life! The emotion captures in a photo is key to the best candid wedding photos, so I like to take photos of things that are happening – not things that are too forced.

Santorini Wedding
  1. Grab a drink

Whatever it is you like to drink, be it wine or beer, then go ahead and grab a bottle! Alcohol does fantastic things to make people more talkative, happier, and show their true emotions. 

Of course, you should not be going overboard, as that will only end in tragedy. Just a drink or two is enough to get you relaxed and emotional, setting yourself up for a perfect candid photo. Even if you do not drink, simply holding a cup can make you feel all the more relaxed. So, for the sake of a candid photo, hold a cup at the very least! There is a reason why it’s sometimes called ‘liquid courage‘.

Woodstock winery wine bottles
  1. Put on your outfit

There will be a moment during the wedding that you will have to put on the best clothes to present yourself to your loved one. While it may seem a little counterintuitive to take pictures before you wear your dress or suit, it is one of the best times to do so! This is because, during this time, there will be plenty of emotions in the air. From friends making jokes and you simply looking happy, possibly a little nervous, these moments are perfect for stunning candid photos.

Al-Ru Farm bridal preparation
  1. Set a schedule

We all know that time is money, and more often than not, you are too busy rushing things to sit down and take a photo. This is fatal to candid photos, so it is always recommended that you plan everything with enough time to be relaxed. When you are not stressing about time, you are far more likely to be yourself and look like you are enjoying your time! 

With that in mind, take the time to create a detailed timeline, preferably with the photographer to ensure you have enough time for photos, candid or not.

Kangraoo Island Elopement photoshoot

While there is a place for formal photo-taking sessions, candid pictures are just on a whole other level. It captures the true essence of the wedding and the emotions felt by each individual in the picture. If you are interested in having such photos for your wedding day, then remember the tips above. They go a long way in ensuring this special day is captured in its best light, providing you with the best candid wedding photos possible to remember the wedding for years to come.

If you are looking for the best wedding photography services, then we’re the ones you’re looking for! At Sven Studios, our mission is to provide you with the best services that will capture this special moment in the best way possible. Connect with us today to book us for your event!