Robert Brault said it best:

“Most of us don’t need a psychiatric therapist as much as a friend to be silly with.”

And so went the magical week of attending the Digital Wedding Forum’s annual convention. This year, it was in New Orleans – a city that will forever remain in the top of mind as a magical, wonderful, smelly city that leaves it mark deep in your soul. It changes you. You never want to leave.

My personal highlights were shooting for DWF Cares – where we met couples that lost their wedding images in Hurricane Katrina. Bridal businesses provided dresses and tuxes for the guys. With about 50 wedding photographers in tow, we explored the French Quarter and took some great images for these couples. The event was led by John Michael Cooper and Dalisa of Altf in Las Vegas.

We also attended many seminars, taught by industry leaders – that have changed my business.

By the end of the week, I had attended countless seminars, met some amazing people, and literally had one of the best weeks of my life. Is it OK to say I enjoyed some beverages and the company of some wonderful people?  All in moderation, of course ; )

Some new “Industry Friends” I am so thankful to have met:
Liana Gonzales
Joseph West

And of course, hanging out with old and wonderful friends:
Jason + Sara Martin
Alex Vazquez
Tara Sproc

Enjoy some shots from the various parties and shoots!!

How do most people spend the day after their wedding?  Basking in the sun, Sipping mojitos?  At the spa?  Not Pam + Dave….we spent the entire day roadtripping down the Florida Keys on an epic Trash The Dress session.  We started in Islamorada and ended up at the “Southernmost Point” in Key West.  We broke a few minor laws (just misdemeanors - this is a TTD sesh, after all), scaled some fences, waded in the sea, and entertained an ornery group off Duval Street.

It was a great day with even better people.

I always enjoy a good destination shoot, especially when the wedding is in the Florida Keys in October.  Pamela + Dave were married at Pierre’s Restaurant in Islamorada, FL with their friends and family.  I loved hanging out with their ‘New Yoaka’ family and getting to know them.  We spend the entire next day on an epic roadtrip down US 1 to Key West where we thoroughly trashed that dress!

Wedding planning season is just about here, and another year of some amazing weddings is behind us.  I wanted to share some ideas and lessons learned from weddings I have shot and from weddings where I was also a guest.  Hopefully these will help everyone that is out there planning their day.

Watch the slideshow. 

Slideshows have become almost synonymous with weddings.  Everyone wants to show friends and family all their cool trips and things they have done – after all, its a pretty important story of how you arrived at finally being married.   However, while the 35 minutes of images might be cherished by you, don’t expect your guests to be mesmerized past 5 minutes.

Bust out the iMovie, or hire a company to help put the show together.  PowerPoint is for the cream-colored walls of corporatedom, and doesn’t belong in your wedding.  Keep it awesome and short, and you will leave your guests with something to talk about.  And they can get to partying – which we all know is why they are there anyway.

Matt + Kara did a great job with keeping people interested in their slideshow.

 Toasts are great, but keep ‘em to the key people. 

Similar to the slideshow, toasts can run long.  Guests that are hoping to eat, drink, and dance really don’t want to sit through an hour of people talking.  Keep your toasts assigned to the key people in your life – the emotions will be more concentrated, the words will mean more, and your guests will avoid the sighs of when yet another person lumbers from the back to grab the mic.  Don’t let the DJ or MC ask the crowd for additional toasts.

Some people live for this day. Let them have their moment.

Seeing each other before the wedding? 

You might have read my earlier blog post on the topic…and the benefits are still the same.  Consider finding a special spot near the ceremony venue where the two of you can spend some fleeting quiet and romantic moments before the intense day about to unfold before you.

By seeing each other before, the schedule will be more relaxed, you can control the spot for some great images, and the moment will most likely mean more than just keeping a secret for a bit longer.

 Invest in the venue – then the photography. 

This is near and dear to me!  Most people hear “Always invest in your photography first.”  And, while I agree to an extent, the most amazing photographers can’t provide truly amazing and captivating images in a lackluster venue.  Take a stellar photographer, have her/him shoot a wedding in a wooded field with views and wilderness.  Then take the same photographer and have them shoot a wedding in a Red Roof Inn’s conference room…and….well, you get the idea.

Amazing venue = GREAT images. Promise.

Spend some money and time in finding a venue that reflects who the two of you are.  Whether its a wooded pond in the Gorge, an old barn, or an Herbary, spend your time finding a great place.  This will  make for a happy photographer (we love shooting in amazing places, really) and your images will, in turn reflect your personalities more – since the venue reflects the same.

 Amazing venue  = GREAT images.

Isn’t that the end goal of all this work in the first place?

Hopefully these tips will help shape your planning.  As always, if you have questions on a wedding idea, feel free to email me and I will be more than happy to give you a second opinion.

I met Shannon + Levi at an old farmhouse on Sauvie Island.  It was a beautiful fall day and we had an awesome time.  I always love it when an engagement session starts with great light, a wonderful couple, and ends with an ice cold pint of some of Oregon’s finest microbrew.  We journeyed around Sauvie Island, eventually ending at a pumkin patch and a Captured by Porches beer truck.

Did I mention the killer vintage Harley or their awesome dog that tagged along?

All’s well that ends awesome.

Lindsay + Tim were married at one of my favorite venues – Bridalveil Lakes.  This is a tucked away wildeness spot in the Columbia Gorge.  The light filtered through the towering trees onto their ceremony spot - which they arrived at and departed from in canoes.  It was a truly spectacular day.

Check out their wedding day fusion video!

No one really thinks of an old building being an ideal wedding venue.  But, once I met Shelly + Bart and they explained their idea, it sounded amazing.  The venue (was NOT an old building, actually) was a fully renovated downtown Seattle loft with a wonderful crew and even better sunset.  It was a wonderfully unique wedding (we were invited to do shots at a random bar we walked by during the formals – Shelly + Bart obliged) and not one I will soon forget.

Check out their wedding day fusion video!

I remember meeting Coral in a cozy Stumptown Coffeeshop.  She had an amazing energy that I knew would make for wonderful DIY wedding.  Coral + Ryan were married at the Blue Heron Herbiary on Sauvie Island under a warm sun and surrounded by even warmer family and friends.

It was one of those amazing Portland Summe days at the Rose Garden at Washington Park.  Amelia + John were married in the Shakespeare Garden surrounded by their family, friends, and  a whole bunch of tourists.