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The Importance of a Photo Schedule on Your Wedding Day

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  • Bride and groom silhouette

 

Having a Photo Schedule on Your Wedding Day

Weddings are hectic affairs. You spend months and months preparing every detail like picking out the perfect dress and suit, decorating a venue, and sorting out a seating chart. When the wedding day finally arrives, it all whizzes by in a flash. Having a photo schedule on your wedding day will help certain ‘must capture’ events be remembered in your album.

There are so many things that have to fall into place in the span of a few hours. If even one element is late, it throws the entire day off. You will need to go from dressing up, getting to the venue on time, having the ceremony, and then entertaining guests at the reception. Somewhere in between, you will have dozens of precious moments with family and friends that you will want your wedding photographer to capture.

Wedding photographers are experts at observing events as they unfold and figuring out the best moments to capture. However, they can only be at certain places at once. The thing with modern, journalistic wedding photography is that they can’t ask you to repeat the moment because they got the angle wrong or the lighting was off. They have to work within the situation in front of them, timing included.

If you don’t want your photographer to miss out on anything during your wedding day, it’s best to take a small amount of planning time to make a deliberate effort to plan certain photos you’d like to have taken. You may have a general schedule of the major events, but getting down to the details such as having specific call times for bridal parties, setting aside an hour after the ceremony for intimate couple portraits, and making sure there are ample opportunities for group photos during the reception.

Having a photo schedule on your wedding day is an excellent way to ensure that you, your bridal party members, and your guests are camera ready at the critical moments. Modern wedding photography is all about ‘capturing the moment’ so to speak, so having a photo schedule on your wedding day seems a little counter-intuitive to that – however the idea still has merit when you’ve got your heart set on a certain type of photo, or specific setup you MUST have.

The Importance of a Photo Schedule on Your Wedding Day

If you are in the middle of planning your wedding day, these are the reasons why having a photography schedule is important:

You will want to take preparation photos

These will be your last moments as a ‘single’ man or woman. This will also be the last time your family will have you all to themselves. Taking the time to capture some candid photos as you prepare for the most significant moment of your life is something a lot of people feel as though isnt important; however when considering your album as a story of your day, it’s a wonderful opener, leading into the rest of the story of the day.

Also, having your photographer document your preparation is a great way to warm up to the big event, and get used to having a camera around all the time.

Bride looking out window

You will be surrounded by family and friends that you don’t see often

Your wedding may be the only occasion to bring all your friends and family together in one place. There are only a few other moments in your life when you will get to have them all in the same place celebrating a happy occasion. You will want to make sure you have keepsakes of your time together, so having a photo schedule on your wedding day will help capture everyone there.

bridal party peeking through window

You will need as much natural light as possible

The timing of your photoshoot is especially important if you plan on shooting outdoors. If you are going to have individual shots or your newlywed photos in a garden or a beach, you will need to make sure you go at the right hour, so you have enough sunlight for your photographer to work with.

Semaphore Beach Sunset

The unexpected can happen

As much as you want everything to go smoothly, things may not always go according to plan – in fact chances are they won’t. Unfortunate things can happen, like getting caught in a traffic jam between your hotel or the venue, or there might be a hiccup with the venue. Having a schedule will get you back on track even if you have to push some things back a bit.

Having a photo schedule on your wedding day is simply a way to list things that you need to happen on your big day – so if you need to rearrange things, it’s right there in front of you so you don’t forget.

Laughing

You can relax and focus on other things

With a schedule to guide everything, your MC can corral the photography crew into the right position to save time. You don’t need to be anxious thinking about whether you got a chance to pose with your grandparents, your university friends, or your colleagues from school. You can leave your worries behind and focus on wearing your most radiant smile instead.

Fun in the sun

You can never go wrong by taking a few extra steps in planning – even if it’s a very simple list of things that *must* be done. Wedding photography doesn’t get a do-over, so it is vital to control as much of the frenzy as possible. Your wedding photographer will work their magic, but only if you point them in the right direction.

Are you looking for wedding photography services? Our team of professionals will help you so you can look back on all the precious memories of your perfect wedding. Contact us today!

Wedding Services That You Should Invest In

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  • Looking back

Wedding Services That You Should Invest In

It’s a universally known fact that weddings can be quite expensive. Some people spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to experience their dream weddings, and you can’t really blame those people who only want the best for their special day. If that’s the way they want to celebrate their love, then everyone should let them be!

When planning for your wedding, you can do anything you want. However, if you want to save money while getting the best out of your wedding, you should be smart about how you spend your money. There are a few items that can be cut while not having much of an impact on your big day, but then there are wedding services that you should invest in.

I feel as though these three wedding services that you should invest in are the most important when considering your budget and perhaps leave these three items aside from any cost cutting you may end up doing.

Wedding Services That You Should Invest In

  1. Professional Wedding Photography

As a wedding photographer, I may be a little biased here, but your wedding is one special moment in your life that you will hopefully cherish for the rest of your life.

There’s nothing wrong about getting someone from your friend group or getting one of your family members to take your wedding photos. However, getting a professional wedding photographer on your wedding day can bring more personality and professionalism to your photos.

Having a photographer that is not directly a part of your wedding day brings a multitude of different benefits other than of course the wonderful photos they produce.

  • A professional photographer is tasked soley with taking photos of your day and wont be distracted by partying and catching up with guests.
  • The experience a professional brings will show in the final product they produce – far and away from Uncle Bob with a nice camera.
  • A professional will have better understanding of the flow of a wedding day as they will probably have atended hundreds before yours, and therefore able to capture more heartfelt moments.

Ten years after your wedding, you would want to see photographs of your wedding that bring back the same emotions that you felt on that very same day. It would be nice to have something truly beautiful that you and your partner can reminisce on.

Bride and groom on Maslins Beach
  1. Wedding Video Coverage

Aside from your wedding photos, making an investment in a wedding video is something that augments your memories in a way that a sinlge photo cannot do. Some people may think of it as unnecessary, but if you are the type of person who loves sharing your precious moments with your friends or who prefers visual keepsakes for re-watching in the future, then you should hire a videographer.

Aside from capturing the highlights of your wedding, it also allows you to relive moments that you may not rememeber from your wedding day due to it being such a whirlwind of emotion. Perhaps a clip of:

  • Your friends wishing you a happy marriage
  • Epic moments on your wedding that no one expected
  • Your maid of honour’s and best man’s wedding speech
  • You and your parent dancing from other people’s perspective
  • And more!

Another really cool wayu to relive your wedding day is via Virtual reality technology where you can wear a VR headset and rewatch your ceremony or first dance from the perspective of your guests. It just so happens I offer this as part of my usual photography packages.

If photos capture precious, intimate moments, a video captures incredibly fun and memorable moments on your wedding day.

  1. Wedding Coordinator

Personalizing your wedding can be pretty exciting, and hiring a wedding coordinator may not usually be on a list of wedding services you should invest in. But hiring a wedding coordinator that understands your needs and wants can significantly affect how you prepare for your wedding. When you hire a professional to do miscellaneous stuff for your wedding, you’re allowing yourself to savour each moment that passes by, and you get to focus on yourself and your partner.

DIY-ing your wedding can save you a lot of money, but the downside with that is that sometimes you don’t get to enjoy the excitement of your wedding because you were too stressed out planning everything on your own. It can be a lot of fun, but sometimes you need that little bit of help with someone who has done it all before.

Most importantly, you can better enjoy your wedding as you’ll be more grounded in the present during the wedding, instead of worrying about how the event is going. When you hire a wedding coordinator, you wouldn’t need to worry about little things that go wrong, allowing you to cherish the moment.

hugging bridal couple

Weddings can be more expensive than you can imagine. The average cost of a wedding in Australia in 2019 according to EasyWeddings was $32,940. If you want to save money, you should be smart about where to cut costs. Ask yourself what exactly it is you want to prioritize.

More than the material things, please do consider not ckimping out on these wedding services that you should invest in. They may make or break your big day and the nenories that you were looking forward to creating just wont be what you imagined they might be.

3 Logistical Reasons Why Smaller Weddings Are Better

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  • Out on pride rock

Why Smaller Weddings Are Better

Most people are enamoured by the idea that weddings need to be grand and expensive events, seeing that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. EasyWeddings research has pout the average cost of an Australian wedding at $32,940!

This notion, however, is often the cause of stress for the bride and the groom, both financially and logistically. The advantages of a small wedding, on the other hand, are many, even if people who are accustomed to traditional weddings would tell you otherwise. Also due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people are being forced into having smaller weddings.

So I’m here to say, Less is more, even at weddings and why smaller weddings are better!

It’s not your fault to want to dream big about walking up to the altar with your soon-to-be spouse because a momentous occasion deserves a certain level of extravagance. However, there’s more than one way to dream big besides going all out with larger venues and crowds.

Ekhidna Winery Wedding Ceremony

Let’s explore three convincing reasons you should aim for less in planning your wedding and why smaller weddings are better!

3 Logistical Reasons Why Smaller Weddings Are Better

  1. No more complicated invites

The best part about choosing to go small for your wedding is that you’ll have fewer issues with attendance. Since you won’t have to deal with distant friends and relatives, you don’t have to prepare for extra seats for surprise plus ones on the day itself.

Having a smaller event keeps your guest list compact to your closest friends and family. On the other hand, this might make some of your distant friends and family bitter about not getting an invite. You should remember to let them know that you’re cutting back on going for a grand occasion so that you can have a more intimate event so that they’ll understand your wishes.

Usually omitted guests are cool with this, especially as though many people understand the huge costs weddings can be. They’d be even more so considerign the current travel bans due to the pandemic!

Invite
  1. Fewer people means less planning

A smaller event means a smaller guest list, which leads to fewer seats to fill, and less food to prepare. One of the most painful parts of planning a wedding is making sure that everyone is covered for seating, food, drink and even bonbonerie.

Since there’ll be fewer people attending, you’ll be able to focus on just the important people in your life. Instead of shaking hands from one table to the next with acquaintances that you barely even know, you’ll be able to keep the engagement short and compact without worrying about overcrowding or overtime.

You’ll even be able to personalise your tables a bit more with a menu that people you know will enjoy, provide inside jokes and even give out personalised gifts if youre doing that.

Gifts
  1. You can upgrade your wedding for other luxuries

With a smaller event, you’ll be able to cut down on your expenses drastically. This flexibility in the budget will allow you to purchase other luxury options that you wouldn’t be able to purchase with a large crowd in mind.

Furthermore, you’ll be able to hire more experienced photographers and videographers who can make the most out of the small venue you’ll use. You can also buy more expensive food options since you’ll be serving a smaller crowd. Reallocating your budget from logistical necessities to luxury options will give you a variety of ways to make your wedding more memorable.

wedding dress hanging in tree

A wedding shouldn’t be a stressful situation to plan, prepare, and execute – rather it should be a bunch of fun! Remember that your marriage is not a contest in one-upping your relatives’, your friends’, or even your parents’ own matrimonial ceremonies. It’s an event that you want to share with your special person in the best way possible.

8 Unique Stay At Home Date Ideas to Spice up Your Relationship

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  • One Tree Hill Engagement shoot

 

Stay At Home Date Ideas You Can Use to Spice up Your Relationship

 

All over the world, going out for a date night is increasingly becoming a challenge for many. This is not about having kids who may insist on going everywhere you go. It’s about staying safe inside your home. More so, if you live in a suburb, driving to the city for a date night can be tricky. Staying at home doesn’t mean you have to forfeit your relationship or allow it to suffer. There are a lot of things you can do to spice it up even during a pandemic like COVID-19, but also for when all this is over and you just feel like having a date night at home 🙂

Whatever your reasons for staying at home; we have researched lots of options for cute stay at home date ideas. All these date ideas are budget-friendly and don’t involve much technology! So you don’t have to run down your credit card to give your date a treat during this time. So below are 8 easy-to-plan, enjoyable, inexpensive  stay at home date ideas you can try at home with your significant other. Stay indoors and have some fun!

  1. Play a Board Game

Game nights are fantastic ways to have a date while staying indoors. You can start it with a glass of wine, then bring out some cards, or set up a cheese board and begin the challenge. The truth is that you will find yourself engrossed in gimmicks, deep conversations, and funny spanks with your date as you have more time playing such games indoors.

Let’s not forget the series of little arguments that may arise when one person decides to play smart on another as the game progresses. Such can trigger the feeling of togetherness and forgiveness.

board game date night
  1. Pretend The Electricity Is Out

You might have tried this when you were a kid. It’s normal to find some kids switching off all lighting in the home and pretending as if the electricity is out. Then they begin to play hide and seek game or tell ghost stories. You can try this too with your date. Amidst the dark corners of your home, you can tell ghost stories, light candles, and play a guessing game.

  1. Have a Tasting Party

This could turn out to be one of your favorite stay at home date ideas. Just create fun tasting stations. You could organise any kind of tasting. From smoothie to wine tastings, the sky is the limit. Pick any theme of your choice, and it could be cookies, ice cream, whiskey, and even chocolate. Just ensure there are a lot of options available for you and your date.

Food platter
  1. Make Dessert or Dinner Together

Making dinner after a stressful day can be tiring. But not with the stay at home order. Ensure you both have activities cleared up for the day. And fix a time to cook your favorite meal together. It’s an excellent way to reconnect, especially if you haven’t seen each other for quite some time. The meal or dessert should be something you both haven’t tried before. Take pictures as you cook to make it fun and memorable.

  1. Organise a Romantic Quiz Competition

When was the last time you both laughed over a topic or the inability of one person to answer a question correctly? This is one fun way to spice up your date life. There are lots of “questions for couples” articles and books online. If you feel you and your date haven’t sat down and laughed for a long time, or you have trouble discussing anything that doesn’t end in an argument, then this tip could help. Make a list of interesting questions to answer over some glasses of wine or coffee. In the end, you will discover new things about each other.

  1. Turn Your Bedroom Into a Romantic Hotel Room

Staying in a fancy hotel room could make your date night as romantic as it gets. But this is not always within the budget. More so, you can transform your bedroom into a romantic scene for the sexiest date night at home drama.  Here are some ideas to help you:

  • Place a bottle of champagne or other drink in a bucket of ice close to the bed.
  • Turn on soft music and light some sweet-scented candles in different corners of the bedroom.
  • Sprinkle flower petals on the bed and make some chocolate covered strawberries.
  • Make your favorite dish, and serve your date in bed.
  • Watch romantic movies together in bed till when you both doze off.
romantic bed
  1. Paint With each other

When was the last time you both tried your hands-on painting? Perhaps, you can remember how romantic and fun it was for your relationship. But what if you haven’t done so yet, no worries! You can still make it a vital aspect of your staying safe at home date ideas.

Get some watercolor sets and a large paper. Then sit together and paint your favorite masterpieces and make a mess! It can be more fun when you both try to guess what the other party has painted. You don’t have to be an artistic genius to do it correctly. Watch some tutorials on YouTube and practice it together before setting the table for the real game.

As far as stay at home date ideas go, this is the one that will likely stay with you. Even if you’re no good at painting, just the reminder of this activity would be worth framing and putting on your wall forever!

painting
  1. Play The Role of an Interior Designer

This is a perfect date night idea you can organise in a budget-friendly manner. Research some DIY home design ideas together. Take notes of the tips and materials needed. You could redesign the living room, kitchen, or bedroom. Whatever you feel comfortable with, just make sure it suits your style and budget.

Hint: This at-home date idea will make you discover lots of fascinating things about your partner, such as favorite color, taste, and design style.

Stay At Home Date Ideas are fantastic for many reasons. It helps you and your partner to discover things about yourselves that wouldn’t have been possible on a regular date. Staying safe during a pandemic doesn’t mean you should put your relationship on hold. Try these tips and take your love life to greater heights! When we are all aloud outside again I’d love to go out and have a photoshoot together! 😀

Bridesmaid gift ideas

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As a wedding photographer, I’ve been privvy to a vast variety of different bridesmaid gift ideas, so I thought I might make a list of some of the more thoughtful bridesmaid gift ideas that I’ve come across at my weddings. Giving your bridesmaids a gift before your wedding ceremony is a modern traditions and is seen today as a way for the bride to thank her entourage on a personal level for helping her plan and put together her big day.

Bride and Bridesmaids looking at ring

Bridesmaid gift ideas

Jewellery

The most common of bridesmaid gifts are pieces of jewellery. Usually given to accentuate what the bridesmaids are wearing on the day, and also to give a bit of uniformity between the bridesmaids – if that’s the style you’re going for at your wedding. Jewellery can also be very personal, it’s usually small and easy to package as a gift. Generally jewellery gifted in this way should be something you’d know your bridesmaids would like to wear and enjoy after the day itself.

Personalised gowns

During your wedding preparation with your bridesmaids, it’s fun to dress up in matching gowns that have been embroiled with either their names, or fun monikers, such as ‘bridesmaid #2’ or even ‘bride’s b****’, depending on your personality 🙂 There are a number of different ideas when it comes to this sort of thing and while the gowns are personalised specifically for this one wedding, they can be used at home for lazy days also.

Gowns

A services gift certificate

Here’s one that’s not directly related to your wedding! How about gifting your bridesmaids a gift certificate for a massage, or a beauty treatment, or even a portraiture sitting with a professional photographer? This can be a great idea to allow your bridesmaids to pamper themselves after your wedding day and to show them that you think they are all beautiful and care about them outside the sphere that was your wedding day.

Personalised items

One common gift I’ve been seeing lately are personalised items such as wine glasses to drink from at the reception, or even clothes hangers to hang dresses on. These are easy, simple gifts people are bound to use more than once, or at least put them someplace in their home so that they will be reminded about your wonderful day and the role they had to play in it.

Wedding reception

Personal artwork

This one may not be to everyone’s taste, but if your the artsy type, one of the most personal bridesmaid gift ideas I’ve ever seen was a personalised piece of art drawn and painted by the bride herself. This is heartfelt, personal and cheap! And it’s something that your bridesmaids will no doubt put on display once they get home. Failing that I’ve also seen professional artists at weddings where they would hand out quickly drawn caricatures of guests at your wedding reception, but this really falls more into the reception souvenir category along with photobooth photos.

Clothing

Be it shoes, a bag, or even her dress, having a formal dress for each girl at a wedding can get expensive, so many brides opt to make this their bridesmaid’s gift. It’s practical too in many ways, as if it’s the type of dress that would not look out of place at a club, or even at work it may get quite a bit of wear out of it. This goes for shoes also, and you can never have too many clutch purses to choose from can you?

Bridal Party Dresses

There are of course a thousand other ideas for bridesmaid gift ideas, just to list a few other ideas – body products, candy, movie tickets, etc. But really whatever you decide to give, or not give your bridesmaids, I’m sure they’ll love you just the same 🙂