Tag Archive for: ideas

6 Things to Ask Before Committing to a Wedding Photographer

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Things to Ask Before Committing to a Wedding Photographer

Posing for a camera for hours is already challenging enough. Finding a quality photographer that fits your budget is another hurdle. If you are afraid of not liking what you see after spending so much on your wedding photography, here is one truth you should remember:

Your wedding photos will turn out better than expected if you are comfortable with the wedding photographer you hire. The secret to ensuring that you and your photographer have good dynamics is that you understand how they work and have no doubts about their service.

Wellington Park Wedding Photo

This scenario may seem too good to be true, but it happens pretty much every weekend as there are some amazing wedding suppliers out there! To find the right photography provider for you, the first thing you need to do is ask the right questions to get the answers that will calm your nerves.

Here are some things to ask your wedding photographers so you will have nothing to worry about later.

6 Things to Ask Before Committing to a Wedding Photographer

#1: Ask What Is Included in Their Service

All weddings have a budget, so it is essential to know where your money is going. Before settling with a wedding photography service provider, they should have presented you with a breakdown of things you will get from their service. For example, knowing if you will get a printed photo, album or just digital copies is a crucial detail to know. From there, you can determine if you need to allocate more of your budget for printing your wedding album.

Digital Deluxe Album

#2: Ask for Client References

Every photographer should have a list of clients who can say good things about their service. Once your photographer shares this list of references, you get in touch with these people and ask for their opinion about them or verify what the photographer has said using a reputable source of reviews, such as ABIA. Reviews on Google and Facebook are also helpful as you need to be identity verified in order to post a review and is more difficult to fake. The best way to assess a team’s performance is by learning about other clients’ testimonials about their work.

Wedding photo with photobombing koala

#3: Check Their Lead Time for Post-Editing

Every couple is excited to see the photos of their memorable day. Before getting too giddy about it (and for less disappointment as well), make sure to ask your photographers when you can expect your final photos. Photographers do not have the time to do a quality check for every click they make during a wedding. Editing ensures that the pictures you get are of the best quality.

Couples can expect to wait up to 3-6 months for the busiest photographers, while that turn around time can be much shorter in the off peak periods of the year.

On a side note plety of photographers also opt to outsource their editing workload and can therefore have their photo collections done quicker. I prefer to have full control over all the creative processes so I personally tend to be a little slower, however still fairly quick usually taking no more than 2 months. COVID however has caused quite a bit of backlog so recently I’ve spread out to 3 months, but thats still a fairly decent timeframe!

bride and groom on hill over ocean

#4: Find Out Their Turnover Details

Aside from the timing, check the details for the turnover of the photos. Will they give you a flash drive, or will they require a hard drive from you? Will they send over a download link, provide you with access to their web gallery, or will they only hand over printed copies? All these details should be clear before you sign your contract.

SvenStudios USB

#5: Ask If They Accept Special Photo Requests

Every experienced wedding photographer already has a mental list of photos to take on a wedding day, but if you think you need a particular shot that they do not usually offer, make sure to request it. To make sure that the photographers will not forget, list it down and keep a copy for yourself. This is particularly important for group photos as chances are if you do not have a list of photos you’d like taken – they simply wont be taken!

A photographer does not know your family dynamics, nor who are the important people in attendance – they rely on you to sort out your group photos and a list is the best way to not miss any.

group photo at Ekhidna Winery

#6: Check the Payment Terms

Before deciding to work with a photographer, do not forget to ask for their payment terms. Photography services usually require a deposit, or retainer fee before the actual event. Make sure you know how much you need to pay and how youre able to pay so you will not be surprised later.

Bride bag

When your prospective wedding photographer asks if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask and get the answers you need. A photographer that welcomes your questions and answers them to the best of their abilities can tell you how well they value their clients and the work they provide. If they know how to make you feel comfortable at this stage, that says a lot about their capabilities. Do your research until you are satisfied with the information you find. Hopefully this list of things to ask before committing to a wedding photographer will help!

What I personally like to do when meeting with a prospective new engaged couple is that I like to walk them through an entire wedding – hopefully similar to what they have in mind and hopefully while walking through what that other couple did would give this new couple ideas on how I work, what they can do and most importatly, what they would look like in their own photos!

Are you looking for wedding photographers? Let SvenStudios capture your wedding memories in photographs that you will cherish forever. We are your professional wedding photography solution in Adelaide, and we cater to wedding services no matter the location. Contact us today to inquire about our services.

 

5 Iconic Wedding Photographs Shot list

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  • Engagement ring in red bouquet

 

Iconic Wedding Photographs

Weddings are one of the happiest moments in a couple’s life, and it’s a milestone worth remembering for years to come; that’s why having a professional photographer capture the intimate affair is essential. 

But even the most picture-perfect shot won’t make an impact if it doesn’t speak to the personality and expectations of the bride and groom. It’s always important to let your photographer do their thing with heir own artistic eye to capture what they think are the best weddings shots – but it’s also helpful to communicate any ‘must have’ shots you expect from your day.

List of 5 Iconic Wedding Photographs

With that in mind, some of the essential shot-list every wedding album should have includes the following snippets: 

  1. Getting Ready for the Big Moment – Pre-Wedding Shoots (Candid Moments and Mementos)

Every wedding album needs a behind the scenes shot of the bride and groom getting ready for the biggest day of their lives. This is arguably the only time couples can feel glamorous while getting made and dressed up – it’s also the last morning that you will be referred to as ‘unmarried’ so it’s important to capture these moments.

Some examples of the iconic wedding photographs your wedding photographer would be looking to take would be the make-up process, a closer peek at the wedding dress / suit details, the couple’s accessories or mementos (like the rings, shoes, jewellery, bouquet, and even the wedding invitation), and candid moments in between glamming up. 

Bride looking out window at Thorngrove Manor
  1. Groom and Bridal Party – Go Traditional or Crazy with Friends and Family Before the Wedding 

Weddings not only celebrate the love shared between the couple but also between family and friends! It’s a special day where everyone can reconnect and have fun together, so it only fits to capture it with your gals and guys. Couples can go with traditional shots and go crazy the next — the mood and personality of your shots are yours to make! 

The fun thing that I like to do when taking group shots like this is that I like to do the ‘crazy’ shots before anything else – that way the smiles of doing something crazy are still on your faces once I quickly call for a more ‘formal’ shot.

The fact of the matter is that nothing about being prepared in front of a camera is natural, so you really need to have a bit of fun with it all in order to capture anything that looks ‘natural’.

groom and groomsmen having fun on driveway
  1. The Iconic First Meeting Between the Bride and Groom – Walking Down the Aisle 

Every moment before then is leading to this one where the blushing bride makes her entrance and walks gracefully down the aisle with her parents tearfully by her side. At the opposite end is the proud and emotionally-packed groom, waiting for his bride-to-be to meet him. This is a critical, heartfelt moment the photographer shouldn’t miss! 

More and more common are what’s known as the first look photoshoot, where this emotional moment is actually done in private – or sometimes surrounded by the bridal party before the ceremony begins. The benefit of this is that you get to remove any fears of being overly emotional in front of family and friends at the ceremony – and it can even help out with potential changes in scheduling due to unforeseen circumstances – like late cars, etc.

Grooms first look at bride at the Watershed Cafe
  1. Father/Daughter and Mother/Son Dance 

Another emotionally charged and profound moment is during the dance between the father and daughter or mother and son, both of which shows the genuine connection passing between generations. Next to the first meeting between the bride and groom, this scene will undoubtedly put anyone to tears. 

Father daughter dance
  1. Shared Happiness at the Reception 

After the vows and the sombre moments, it’s time to capture the couple and their loved ones in their best elements — having fun and dancing to their favourite tunes. This should be colourful and let everyone’s personality shine through!

Guests having fun in the photobooth

Let your photographer capture your iconic wedding photographs

Beyond an eye for finding beauty in odd angles, the photographer you hire should also be experienced in wedding photography. After all, you need to see shots that best represent the special moments of your wedding — from iconic scenes to never-before-seen images that are unique to your day; the right photographer ensures you won’t miss a single thing. 

As I stated before however – please make sure your photographer is aware of any ‘must have’ shots you’ve already pictured in your mind in having! Unfortunately we are not mind readers and if we miss something, just know that not everything can be captured on a day!

Brides having fun at their Adelaide Sailing Club wedding

Why Choose SvenStudios to Take Your Wedding Photos in Australia?

If you’re looking to capture the beautiful moments leading up to your lovely day, we’re the best wedding photographers in Australia to call. We strive to keep your precious memories and iconic wedding photographs alive with our high-quality photos you can treasure for years to come, so get in touch with us today at 0401403080 to see how we can share your love story in the way you would want to remember. 

 

Wedding History – Why Do We Throw Confetti at Weddings?

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  • Bride and groom exit

 

Why Do We Throw Confetti at Weddings?

There are plenty of ways to welcome the bride and groom to their new life as a married couple. Besides standing up and giving them a round of applause, one of the most popular ways to recognize the union is by throwing confetti. However, how did this practice come about? and why do we thow confetti at weddings? Or failing that rose petals, or bubbles or even leaves?

History

This practice was actually something that began in Italian weddings two centuries ago. Nobles used to throw candies and flowers during the parades while dames threw eggshells filled with essences and perfumes. In Italian “confetti” is actually not what you throw at celebrations; the term itself refers to candy-coated almonds that you hand to guests as party favours – Also known as dragée or comfit. The thing you throw is called “coriandoli.” The English language simply adapted the term despite being a misnomer. 

The throwing of confetti relates somewhat to the act of throwing rice at a wedding. This is a tradition that is still being practised to this day for couples that want a family. It is a symbol of fertility and luck for the couple as parents. 

The first paper confetti was produced for the Carnivale di Milano with the intention of celebrating joyous occasions. The British then adapted this and introduced it to a wedding in 1875. 

Throwing confetti is laced in a rich history of taking inspiration from one culture and adapting it to a new one. Wedding traditions from various cultures around the world have overlapped and combined and intertwined to such a degree that it’s not unheard of to see confetti in weddings around the world. 

It’s Fun!

Confetti was meant to bring life to celebrations and memorable festivities, so why can’t it be at a wedding? The bright colours of confetti celebrate joy and can make the ceremony more beautiful. 

Some of it will get on your hair, the veil, the dress, and the suit, but that is not really something to worry about. Seeing your spouse’s suit or dress covered in it can bring a big smile to your face, which is always a great thing when you leave the aisle together as newlyweds.

Bridal exit from their ceremony

It Makes Great Wedding Photographs

It’s okay to think about how the photos will turn out. Confetti brings a great visual element to your photos, bringing in bright specs of vibrant colours into the frame. Many liken the confetti to petals falling from the sky, especially when beautiful colours are chosen.

Getting good shots with confetti in the air will be tricky. It’s probably not something that your friend with no photography experience can capture on their phone. To make sure that these come out right and perhaps even more stunning than you would ever imagine, you need a professional photographer to do the job for you on the day of the ceremony.

Bridal exit

Confetti is however not great for the Earth as it’s often made of plastic, or coloured paper that will not biodegrade well – so many wedding venues will actually charge a cleanup fee in order to allow the use of confetti or not allow it at all! Some environmentally friendly alternatives include rose petals, gumleaves that have been hole punched, bubbles, or if at night time, sparklers!

National wine center wedding Exit under sparklers

Whatever reason you want to have confetti at your wedding is valid. It’s a fun idea that is laced in many great customs that anyone can adopt to make their wedding day special. It’s a celebration of love and great joy, so go ahead and incorporate it into the ceremony if you want to. The wedding photos after will be filled with amazing colours as you walk up the aisle as newlyweds.

Make your memories last with the best wedding photos to remember them by. For the best wedding photography services in Adelaide, get in touch with Sven Studios. We capture moments as they happen, bringing the joy of weddings through our photos. Contact us now!

We also have a whole heap of other wedding custom origin stories along with the answer to why do we throw confetti at weddings?, so feel free to get in touch for a bit of a chat! We love talking wedding!

 

Making It Magical – 10 Tips to Get Good Wedding Photos

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  • South Australian Museum wedding photo

Tips to Get Good Wedding Photos

In a person’s lifetime, there are special days that are noteworthy. Among these special days is the wedding day, memorable not only for the couple but their loved ones. It’s a union of two people in love with each other, a lifelong commitment that entails laughter, joy, sickness, challenges—for better or worse. 

Since it’s an extraordinary day, it’s essential to have the day captured through the best possible photos. These photos will let the couple reminisce about their special day in all the years to come. For this reason, it’s essential that you prepare well. 

10 Tips to Get Good Wedding Photos

What exactly should be done to get good wedding photos, however? Read on below.

#1: Hire a Professional

Of course, this is the first obvious step. If you don’t get a professional photographer, chances are you wont get good wedding photos! It’s best to scout for multiple talented photographers, and you can judge the quality of their work with their portfolio. Keep doing this until you narrow down your choices before finally choosing a photographer for your special day.

It’s also best that you meet them first before choosing them for your day. For them, it’s pretty much a job interview, and they would be bringing samples of their work to convince you that they’re the right person for the job.

Ingle wood inn wedding photo

#2: Check Their Packages

If your photographer is a professional wedding photographer with a good portfolio, they may offer packages for clients. A wedding photography package usually includes how many hours that’s included for your day, as well as any physical products such as albums or prints. Aside from that, it can also cover your photographer’s additional fees, such as any travel expenses or any special expenses they may have to do something unique.

You can also check the number of staff that will be involved in the event. If you’re getting a large studio, you can have more than one photographer. One will be taking photos of the newlyweds, and another will be taking photos of the guests, and so on. This is very handy if you want multiple aspects of your special day shot in photos. 

Digital Deluxe Album

#3: Sign a Contract

If you want everything to go smoothly as planned, contract signing must be done. This way, everything will be done by the book, also serving as your ultimate form of security should someone try to go out of bounds that may violate the contract. 

Signing a contract also allows you to have legal recourse in case something happens on the day such as the photographer not showing up, or some other disaster.

Smiles under the trees

#4: Practice Your Poses

As a photographer, I hate posing people it always feels forced and unnnatural which is obvious in the final photos I take. So when I say ‘practice your poses’ in order to get good wedding photos, what I’m actually saying is to treat your photoshoots like a date and do stuff you would usually do on a date. Walking hand to hand around pretty places, whisper sweet nothings into each others ears and simply make each other smile.

There’s nothing worse than turning people into mannequins!

bridal party walking down crozier street

#5: Consider Making a Moodboard

A mood board is a collection of photos that you can use as source material for your projects. Moodboards, despite being a collection of random images, have several things in common. Moodboards can be similar in themes present in the sourced photos or their mere colours. Pinterest is a modern way to put something together in this regard.

Since mood boards are used for projects, a wedding photo shoot is not different. If you have a mood board set for your wedding photoshoot, you can kind of direct the aethetic towards what you’re after a lot better!

Checking back to point one on this list – you’ve probably selected your professional phtographer based on their previous work, so hopefully you like what they have produced in the past in their style. Try not to dictate the style you want them to create, but rather trust in their own artistic style and allow them to produce what you liked in their work in the first place.

Night time photo at Sunnybrae wedding

#6: Choose Accessible Locations

During your wedding photoshoot, you don’t want to spend a significant amount of time travelling from one location to another. It can be challenging if you and your photographer if you’re spending time you should be shooting simply getting to places. Sometimes to get good wedding photoos you need to spend as much time as possible to get it right and you cant do that in a car.

To prevent this from happening, you will need to be smart when choosing locations for your wedding photoshoot. You can still choose to have your photoshoot at several different areas, but it would be best to be in close proximity to each other. To make things easier, you can always have your photoshoot in one location, and plenty of Adelaide wedding venues certainly allow for this!

Ekhidna wines wedding at sunset

#7: Use ‘Toss’ Items

Generally, ‘toss’ items in a wedding are only seen when a flower girl tosses flower petals along the aisle as the bride walks behind her. However, you can also choose to incorporate toss items in your wedding photoshoot. 

Toss items add flair to the photos since they can also be viewed as decorations. When thrown in the air, toss items can also result in laughs, which elicits joy. 

Other props also help here such as smoke, or water from a hose to mimic rain, even sparklers! They all come together to make some unique shots.

Bride and groom exiting Sunnybrea wedding

#8: Get Competent Makeup Artists

Looking your best is very important—it’s your wedding photoshoot after all. Since it’s a photoshoot, you must get makeup artists competent enough for you to work with. Like your photographer, they are also most likely to have a portfolio, especially online. Instagram is a common way to select a favourite makeup artist.

You should also not forget about makeup retouching. They can provide you with it, but it will also be good for you to pack backup makeup just in case.

Concentrating on makeup

#9: Create a Schedule

Since it’s your wedding photoshoot day, it’s good to have the day planned ahead of time. While there is a chance that it might not be followed, it can give you an idea of your window and how long the time should be spent in an activity during the photo shoot.

Darwin’s Pride rock

#10: Relax and Have Fun during the Shoot

Having an unpleasant mood during the day of the shoot itself can lead to bad photos. In order to get good wedding photos, you should not sweat about the little things, such as a shoot relocation, because of external factors and things you cannot control such as rain. 

Your photographer will be the one to keep you on schedule since it’s what you paid them for. It’s essential to get your best looks on your wedding photoshoot day, so keep in mind to have fun!

Bridal party walking together along Grange Beach

Your wedding photos are what you’ll look back on in the years to come. It contains all the joys of you and your partner on your special day, so you should make sure to get a photographer who’s up for the job and has a track record you can trust to get good wedding photos!

Wedding photos are important because they are a precious memory of your wedding day. If you’re looking for wedding photography in Adelaide, SvenStudios is the studio for you! Aside from the standard wedding photography service, we also offer wedding photo booths! Contact us today to learn more!

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

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  • 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!