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Country charm

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:36:36 +0000

At long last, an actual wedding post! Today photographer Katie Lewis shares a charming country wedding she recently photographed. Enjoy :)

Tenielle and Scott were married at an adorable country church in Leonard, ND. Their wedding was totally and completely about who they are and celebrating their backgrounds. Not to mention incredibly home-made! The groom wore a kilt made in Scotland of his family’s tartan. The bride wore a dress that she designed and made herself. Yup she made her own dress! She also made the bridesmaid dresses!

During and after the ceremony they incorporated wedding traditions from their many backgrounds. For example, they took a piece of tartan and bound their hands together during their vows. This is a Scottish tradition symbolizing being bound together in marriage. As they left the church the wedding party laid fir boughs on the ground for the bride and groom to walk on; a German tradition.

The reception dinner took place on the front lawn of the church. The bride’s brother built a wooden structure behind the couple’s sweetheart table. Every table had beautiful different china. The bride’s mother made all of the food including the amazing desserts!

When the bride and groom left they changed into more comfortable clothes. The bride wore her grandmother’s hat that she wore on her wedding day. They took off on a horse drawn carriage and then took off for their honeymoon in New Zealand.

Where will you get ready?

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 06:35:12 +0000

Today’s post comes from Katie at Katie Lewis Photography

Where are you getting ready on your wedding day? This is usually a question that most brides and grooms don’t really think too much about. The majority of the brides and grooms that I work with decide to get ready at the church they will be getting married in. I get it. I mean, you don’t have to get ready someplace else and then jump in a car in your dress, which can sometimes be challenging. But I’m not going to lie to you …

I hate most rooms that churches put brides and grooms in to get ready.

For some reason most churches place the bride in the nursery. Why do they do this? Maybe it’s to prepare you for your next possible stage in life but that’s the only reason I can think of. Most nurseries have crazy colored walls, horrific fluorescent lighting and don’t even get me started on all the kids’ toys laying around. Now even if you don’t get placed in a nursery, the rooms either have the terrible fluorescent lighting, no windows or both. So I am going to put something out to you lovely FreshWed readers. A little double dog dare, if you will …

Consider getting ready at the hotel you will be staying at/having your reception or at your home. Here are a couple reasons why this is a good idea :

1. Especially in a hotel room, there are always large windows that will let in the most beautiful and flattering light.

2. You and your bridesmaids won’t have to haul everything to the church. The girls always bring all their make-up, curling irons, etc and then you’ll have to figure a way to get all that back to the hotel after the wedding. Why not just make it easy and get ready at the hotel?

Here are a few images from the few weddings last year that got ready at hotels and their homes :

Alie got ready in her room at the Radisson and had the limo pick her up to bring her to the wedding location.

Kristin got ready in her father’s house and drove with friends to the wedding location.

Sarah got ready at her hotel and it gave us the opportunity to take a few beautiful portraits of her in her room. She actually rode with me to the wedding location!

Where you do plan to get ready on your wedding day?

Should you see each other before the ceremony?

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:10:20 +0000

Everybody has heard of the superstition that it’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding ceremony. In this day and age, many couples are choosing to forgo tradition and set aside time before the ceremony to take pictures. They are choosing to do a first look. Typically first looks take place at a location of the couples choosing and is just the couple and their photographer. This allows for an intimate moment between the bride and groom that may be hard to come by during the day! After, pictures of the bride and groom, wedding party and formals with family can all be taken. Once the ceremony is over, everyone can relax and the bride and groom can spend time with friends and family without the pressure of pictures.

Photographer Katie Lewis asked what a few of her brides from 2009 had to say about their first look experience.

Couple : Megan and Mark Proulx

Why did you do a first look?
Mark and I did a first look because we chose to take pictures before the wedding and wanted the first time we saw each other to be special! Also, it helped ease nerves and pre-wedding jitters to see each other before.

Were you happy you did the first look and would you do it again?
Yes! The pictures from the first look were very special! :) We looked so excited!

How did your groom feel about it?
He liked it, I believe for the same reasons. Its nice to see each other and get your tears and nerves out!

Do you feel like it took some of the pressure off?
Absolutely. I was much more composed at the ceremony.

Some brides worry that having a first look will ruin the experience of walking down the aisle. Did you feel like this happened for you?
No. Walking down the aisle was just as special and the excitement of seeing him waiting for you at the front of the church brought completely different emotions.

Couple : Madison and Jake Murray

Why did you do a first look?
Well, my husband and I got married on a Friday evening in the summer, with the reception right after. Since we had all afternoon, we figured it was a good idea to do pictures before and take all the time we need without feeling rushed.

Were you happy you did a first look and would you do it again?
I loved doing our first look; Katie found a great place outside the church for us to meet and I felt so giddy and excited for Jake to turn around. I would love to do a first look again … with the same guy of course :) The excitement of seeing each other for the first time all day is well worth the wait.

How did your groom feel about it?
Jake was on board for the first look. It’s a special moment for just the two of us where we can be ourselves and kiss and cry without feeling staged or awkward.

Do you feel like it took some of the pressure off?
On the day of the wedding and once the party was at the church, I was already relieved, but taking pictures and first looks early in the day was a great way to relieve the stress and pressure of sitting around a hot church not being able to see the one you love. Plus its a great way to spend time with your party and take some fun pictures, especially when you’ve got a fun, laid-back photographer.

Some brides worry that having a first look will ruin the experience of walking down the aisle. Did you feel like this happened for you?
As far as the bad luck in seeing each other before the wedding, I don’t see anything bad in it. To be honest, I think seeing your future husband/wife before is a special time filled with ‘I love yous’ and the laughs of ‘I can’t believe we’re doing this’ helps bring the stress level down when you know the other one is just as happy and excited as you. I felt there was no bad luck at all. We had a beautiful day. It was a day filled with our family and friends that people still talk about to this day. After five months of being married, I’d say we’re doing pretty good!

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This post was written by the fun (and funny!) Katie from Katie Lewis Photography. Katie Lewis is a North Dakota wedding, senior and child photographer based in Fargo. Here’s a quick Q+A with Katie :

How long have you been in business?
I have been in business since 2006.

Who is your ideal client?
My ideal client is someone who believes that photography is a very important part of their wedding day. They are fun, creative, go with the flow and like to laugh and have fun.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I love having fun with my clients on their big days and having clients that are totally willing to let me try new and creative things.

Did you go to school or are you self-taught?
I did go to school. I have my Bachelors in Photojournalism from MSUM. After finishing up my degree there I moved out east to attend the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Massachusetts. I graduated from there in 2006 and moved back to Fargo to start my business.

Creating video slideshows

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:38:01 +0000

If you search the internet you’ll find instructions on creating your very own wedding day slideshow. The trouble is none discuss how to make a video people will actually want to watch. As a DJ, Robert Benda has watched about 100 videos, made 25 and has advice for those who hope to regale their guests with pictures of their childhood.

Photo by Milestones Photography

From DJ Robert:

The point of a wedding day slideshow is sharing something personal for all of your guests to enjoy. But the fact is most slideshows are not very fun. Inevitably they end up being ten minutes of every picture someone could find with either the bride or the groom in it, set to three slow songs (if they’re not slow, they’re usually either “Small Town” by John Mellancamp, “Forever Young” by Rod Stewart, or “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen).

Here are a few tips to create a great slideshow:

First, find every single picture of you, your fiance, your wedding party, your parents, and anyone else who has ever been important to you. Search old photo albums, ask friends, your friends’ parents, and family members. See if you have your parents/grandparents’ wedding photos or photos of wedding party members when they were kids.

You will not be using all the photos you find. Rather, now you have a great pool of photos to work with. Eliminate anything repetitive (that photo of you playing at age 6 is essentially the same as the one of you playing at age 7). I often see repetition with the bride and groom’s photos. There is always a series of the same photos: The couple looking at the camera in front of a generic background — the only thing that changes is the bride’s hairstyle from photo to photo. Cut them down to just one or two.

With each picture displaying for about 5-7 seconds, you’ll want to end up with about 50 pictures total for about five minutes, though exceptions can be made if you are lucky enough to have a lot of great pictures.

See if there is any surviving video or audio from your youth. One bride had tapes of her singing when she was 2. Another couple had video from the 80′s. Or record one or both of you telling a story to lay the audio over the top of the pictures (any story, about a parent, a specific memory, the time you met).

Photo by Milestones Photography

There are lots of creative ways to use the photos. Maybe have a younger (preferably funny or embarrassing) photo turn into the recognizable one of your bridal party members. Or if you have all your school head shots, you could create a quick flipbook style, through-the-years thing (that means each photos shows only briefly, not seven seconds each).

Lastly, the music. Music can really change the tone of your video. Please don’t feel limited to slow songs. Or Springsteen’s “Glory Days” (not actually a ‘fond memories’ song). Look through songs you like and think about if you have any songs that trigger childhood memories (like a dad who used to sing “Rainbow Connection” or a daughter who always played “The Music Box Dancer”).

To put your slideshow together, you can probably find a friend or relative who’s got a thing for technology to create it. But if you’d rather have your guests relax during the reception, see if your DJ, photographer, or venue provide a slideshow option. Sure it’s great to have family or friends take care of the slideshow but it’s even nicer to let them enjoy the party.

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Robert Benda is a master of ceremonies and disc jockey for weddings (and charity events) in the Red River Valley. You can check out his web site here : Robert Benda

How long have you been in business? Since 2005, but DJ’ing since 1998

Who is your ideal client? Couples who expect more from their DJ. People who are open to fun ideas and a are looking for a personal touch.

What is your favorite part of your job? Hmm, that’s very tough. The occasional dance-off or the Worm is good, but really, I’d have to say getting to see people on their best day.

Did you go to school for your job or are you self-taught? There are schools? No, I learned on the job at a big company. It was about two years before I started to figure out I could do better than the status quo there.

Cold weather photo tips

admin — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:09:06 +0000

With all of the cold and snow we’ve had lately, it is safe to say it’s officially winter in North Dakota! Winter weddings can be oh-so-lovely and sophisticated. But the cold weather always causes a few challenges for wedding photos, especially if you are hoping for a few outdoor shots.

Wear a cover-up to stay warm. Most wedding dresses and bridesmaids dresses are sleeveless, so if you are planning on going outside for photos, you’ll need to cover up. Shalls, fur wraps, coats and hand mitts can all be stylish and functional during winter months. If you don’t love the look of a coats or cover-ups in your photos, then ask your personal attendant to come with for photos. Wear your coat right up until the photographer starts snapping, then ask your personal attendant to hold your coat (and maybe the bridesmaids’ coats, too!).

Keep those toes warm with boots. Can work for bride and bridesmaids (see above) or groom and groomsmen (see below).

Don’t bring real flowers outside. Flowers can get brown and wilted in cold weather, so either opt for no flowers in your outdoor photos or have a small bouquet of silk flowers put together to use outside (see below).

Schedule your photos before the sun sets. It gets dark earlier in the winter (around 4:30pm!), so if you’d like outdoor photos it’s best to schedule them before your ceremony. Or, if you love the look of Christmas lights in the background, wait ’til after the ceremony.

Do you have any cold weather photo tips? Let us know in the comments section!

All photos by Shawna Noel Photography

Do you need an engagement session?

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:18:05 +0000

Happy Monday, friends! This week we have a fun giveaway contest … check back tomorrow for the details! For today, we have a post on engagement sessions from Shawna Noel Photography.

Engagement sessions are a great way to get that perfect photo to announce your engagement in the newspaper, but it’s not the only reasons to schedule a session.

As photographers, we love shooting engagement sessions because it gives us a chance to get to know our clients before the wedding. We get a sense of what kind of a couple they are — do they like to laugh, be serious, smile a lot? Also, our clients get an idea of how we work and gives them an idea of what to expect from us on the wedding day. It’s a win-win for everyone.

We’ve seen really creative uses for engagement photos in the last couple of years. You can use a photo for the newspaper, of course, but there are so many other things you can do. You can use them as part of your centerpieces on your reception tables to add a personal element to each table. They make adorable backgrounds for table numbers, too.

In lieu of a traditional guest book, couples have been using their engagement photos in photo sign-in books. Guests can then leave messages to the couple in the book instead of just signing their name. It makes a great keepsake for after the wedding.

Other ideas for engagement photos :
• Frame a photo with a large matte for guests to sign on
• Arrange engagement photos on a table with other family wedding photos
• Use in a banner above the head table

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This post was written by Shawna Noel Photography. Shawna Noel Photography is modern wedding and portrait studio in Grand Forks, N.D., that creates relaxed portraits and captures real moments . Here’s a Q+A with Shawna ::

How long have you been in business?
Shawna started Shawna Noel Photography in 2004 as a part-time business while she was working at a newspaper. Eventually she left the newspaper to work at Shawna Noel Photography full-time. Associate photographer Kory Wallen has been working with Shawna since 2004.

Who is your ideal client?
Shawna and Kory’s ideal clients are modern, creative couples that want unique images from their wedding day.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Shawna loves getting to know her clients and enjoys working with them on one of the biggest days of their lives. Kory loves only working one day a week (he’s kidding, we think!).

Did you go to school for your job or are you self-taught?
Both Shawna and Kory attended college and majored in photography. They started to define their style in college while working at the student newspaper (where they met in the darkroom) and interning for local portrait, wedding, and commercial photographers.

Check out the Shawna Noel blog here to see more examples of engagement photos and wedding images.