click here to see Christian and team’s insane portfolio and some gorgeous real weddings!

From Christian…Coming up with a good wedding day schedule can be challenging–you have hair and makeup, bridesmaids and family members coming and going, and photographs being taken. You want to make sure that your big day goes smoothly, but at the same time, it’s your wedding so you want to have fun and be relaxed. Planning ahead and coming up with a realistic schedule with your photographer can help to avoid some of the confusion and lead to better, more natural-looking photographs.

In general, most couples hire a photographer for a minimum of eight hours. This allows enough time to capture the getting-ready process, portraits, the ceremony, and the majority of the reception. Also keep in mind that you will have to allow for travel time if you are going from one location to another (i.e. ceremony to reception, etc). Below are some tips to help you plan ahead for your big day.

Getting Ready: Some of the best candid photographs are captured during the getting-ready process, so it’s important to schedule about two hours of time with your photographer for this part of the day. Your photographer doesn’t need to be there at the very beginning of the day when none of your bridesmaids have their hair or makeup done, but enough time should be set aside so that they can get some great shots of you and your wedding party. Typically, the bride’s makeup will be applied last so that she looks fresh for the ceremony, so make sure that your photographer arrives before this to capture those beautiful shots of blush and lipstick being applied in the mirror.

Couple and Family Portraits: When you meet with your photographer before the wedding, you will go over which portrait combinations are important to you, and that will have an effect on how much time you will need to set aside. However, make sure you edit your list down to only the necessary shots that you will want for family posterity. Taking pictures of every possible combination of the wedding party and bride and groom could take hours, and if you have hired a skilled photographer, they will capture shots of you interacting with your bridesmaids and groomsmen organically. As a general rule, you should set aside one hour for your couple portraits, and one hour for your family and wedding party portraits. If you are shooting in more than one location, you may need more time than this to allow for transportation and set-up.

Some couples enjoy the tradition of not seeing their partner before the ceremony, so they take family portraits beforehand and their couple portraits afterward during the cocktail hour. However, I recommend that you try to take all portraits before the ceremony if possible so that you are not rushed to get to your reception and can take time to enjoy the session. The best natural light occurs in the late afternoon, so it’s ideal to take your portraits at that time of day before evening falls.

Ceremony and Reception: The remaining time with your photographer can be spent capturing all of the special moments that occur at the ceremony and the reception. Most ceremonies will take up about an hour of the photographer’s time (allowing for guests to enter and be seated, and exit afterward). This will leave about two hours at the reception to photograph important moments like the first dance, the cake cutting, the bouquet toss, and any other memorable events that you have planned. You’ll also be able to get some great shots of your guests on the dance floor, but your photographer will have made their exit by the time the open bar becomes a little too much of an indulgence for some of your guests!

A little planning ahead can really make a difference in getting relaxed, natural looking photographs. The key to a wedding day schedule that works is communicating with your photographer about the events of the day and your must-have shots. After that, you can just relax and let your photographer take care of the rest.

We asked Christian a question that we’ve gotten a lot about photographers: “What do I do if I can’t afford a great photographer for 8 full hours?” Here’s what he said…

If price equates quality I would go for a better photographer for less time and go for more before and ceremony coverage and do only the first hour of the reception venue. However, most photographers won’t book a less than 8 hour day a year in advance. With that said, there is an in-between solution. To book a photographer with a renowned studio who educate photographers and have an emerging talent pool. What the client gets is an emerging talent whose images are quite good, albeit can be a bit experimental and not as polished as the bigger names.

Well said. Thank you so much to Christian Oth and team for sharing his day with us and giving us a glimpse into the beautiful work that he is out there creating. We heart you…in a big way.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth, Schedule, Wedding Day Schedule. Photography Schedule
Post categories: Wedding Photography

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

We really wanted the wedding to be laid back and comfortable for everyone.  We envisioned a big vacation for everyone with a big party at the end.  We invited the guests (just close friends and family, total of 30) to come a week early so we could visit and enjoy the outdoors (fishing, hiking, rafting, etc.).  We kept it simple and focused on the beauty of Jackson Hole, it’s our favorite place in the world and we wanted everyone we love to share it with us.

For the ceremony, I wanted to have the perfect view of the Tetons and I scouted so many different ranches for the right spot.  I wanted to say our vows outside with the mountains surrounding us.  We had a tent set up in case it rained (thankfully, it didn’t), bar, and appetizers.  Overall, I went for a sort of mountain chic vibe.  I wanted it to be simple, natural, and elegant.  The Amangani was exactly what I had in mind…modern but a bit rustic.  It was a great contrast to the Lost Creek Ranch, which was pretty rugged (it’s a working horse ranch).  It was a little unconventional, but we like to break some traditions.

I was happy with everything, but of course, there were things that didn’t go perfectly.  If I could go back and change anything, it would be to try to slow down, enjoy every minute of that day, and just focus on my husband!!

Florist: Sarah Seymour at Gild the Lily Too / Hair + Makeup: Frost Salon  / Shoes: Jimmy Chou / Venue: Lost Creek Ranch & Amangani, Jackson WY / Photographer: Alison Mayfield for Christian Oth

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: alison mayfield, Christian Oth, Intimate, Jackson Hole, Outdoor, Wyoming
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance

Now, if I had to make a list of my top five favorite venues around the country…Blue Hill at Stone Barns would be at the top of the list. It’s a blissfully gorgeous place and when Christian’s team gets an opportunity to photograph a wedding there, you can pretty much bank on perfection. This one, photographed by Shawn Connell for Christian Oth, is not only beautiful…it’s thoughtful and elegant with a focus on handcrafted details and a layering of beauty. Click here to see even more.

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

Matt and I are well known amongst our friends and family as “good hosts”. We love to cook, eat, and spend quality time with the people we care about. Matt is the savory cook, and I am the baker, and so it makes for a good pairing when there is a celebration to plan or even when there isn’t we always seem to come up with an excuse for a party. When we got engaged (in Central Park during an unexpected torrential thunder and lightening storm… oh wait that’s another story), we knew immediately that we wanted our wedding to continue this tradition of showing love thru food and thoughtful attention to detail. We wanted our guests to feel cared for from the moment they opened their Save-The-Date to again months later when enjoying their wedding take-away of Northwood Apiaries wildflower honey.

From the beginning it was also important to us that we work with people whose crafts we admire and respect and to allow them to showcase their own skills and artistic view points. We are both artists; he is a Graphic Designer and I am a Fine Artist who works (mostly) on paper. We didn’t want to redesign or mold a space to fit a theme, instead we wanted a place that already prioritized what we were looking for: amazing food set in the romantic outdoors. Serendipity was on our side when the only day available at Blue Hill at Stone Barns was a year to the day from our engagement. Blue Hill’s sense of responsible and sustainable farming and cooking combined with their staff’s incredible quality of service and care made for a seamless experience. It actually felt like they read our minds at varying times, which is a unique and rare quality, and much appreciated.

The planning process flowed easily from this point. I didn’t want the restriction of having to choose one or two “wedding colors.” Instead I wanted the palate to highlight and explore the relationships between the different elements of the wedding: intimate romance, elegant gardens and farms, with a soft but clean edge. We chose to work with Matthew Robbins in designing the flowers and décor because I had long coveted his aesthetic talents and exquisite color sense.

One of the most fun parts of planning our wedding was working together as Bride and Groom to-be on all the design details. And while I put more than my two cents in, Matt designed EVERYTHING that got printed for the wedding. The Save-The-Date dish towel was one of our favorite pieces because it highlighted what was to come: a food-centric, festive wedding with a reusable purpose. We purchased the dishtowels from Ikea and had them silk-screened with Matt’s design, and then with the help of my friend Brita (who also happens to be an event designer, we packaged them up in parchment tissue and brown paper boxes I got from Uline and tucked a letter-pressed accommodations card inside (see unveiling here).

The inspiration for the design motifs of the invitation suite stemmed from a combination of flowers found in Blue Hill’s gardens and vintage European type ornaments. Matt worked with the Brooklyn-based letterpress company, Sesame Letterpress, to get the tight registration needed for such detailed lines and varying type. We kept the cost of the invites down by only using two colors and by assembling them ourselves.

As for the wedding itself, we had the very best time imaginable. We worked with our officiant to customize and write our ceremony and vows because while neither of us is traditionally religious, we wanted a spiritual and personal ceremony. It was first and foremost that we include Matt’s son, who was our ring bearer extraordinaire. We also wanted to pay tribute to the joining of our families who have offered us such incredible support. I think the photographers, Shawn and Meredith, tell the story of the wedding day with perfection and captured everything from loving glances to the dip of our first dance to the full moon. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat and I wouldn’t change a single thing!

Venue/Food: Blue Hill at Stone Barns / Photographers: Shawn Connell of Christian Oth Studio / Flowers and wedding planner: Matthew Robbins Design / Graphic Design: Matthew Poor / Calligraphy: Ann Vollum / Letterpress: Sesame Letterpress / Cake: Ron Ben-Israel / Wedding Dress: Christos by Amsale / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaid dresses: Alix & Kelly / Hair: Corey Henderson (my hair stylist for 10 years!) / Make up: Deborah Altizio / Music: John Ragusa Music / Officiant: Shauna Kanter Weddings / Cinematography: Film Jones

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alix + Kelly, Ann Vollum, Blue Hill At Stone Barns, Christian Oth, Christos by Amsale, Film Jones, Matthew Poor, New York Weddings, Ron Ben Israel, Sesame Letterpress
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings, Traditional Elegance

From Shawn, the groom, on his proposal…

I had her best friend Melissa fake an emergency to get her out of the office on Friday around 11am (I had also let her boss know so she would be able to leave).  The plan was for them to get an early lunch at a nearby restaurant, but Melissa called at the last minute and said she was so upset she couldn’t handle being in a public restaurant and that Kristen needed to meet her upstairs at the outdoor rooftop lounge.  I had the whole rooftop blocked off and was waiting for her to arrive.  She arrived on the roof at around 11:20am where she found me waiting for her. I walked her over to the corner of the rooftop with a view North (Empire State Building etc) where I had a table set up with champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and the ring there for the proposal.  She said yes and then I surprised her with a trip to Turks and Caicos for the weekend.

From the bride, Kristen…

We selected Wolffer Estate because we love the Hamptons especially in the summer, we wanted to get married outdoors and it’s so beautiful there with all the lush greenery and gorgeous white hydrangeas. I’m from New Orleans and Shawn is from Boulder so we thought it was a good compromise location that would embrace both of our personalities and tastes.

We loved our ukulele player Josh Cho who played and sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What A Wonderful World while I walked down the aisle. He also played Jack Johnson’s Better Together for the bridesmaids to walk to.

Our gift bags that we worked so hard on were natural cotton totes that were reusable and earth friendly. The totes had a map of the Hamptons on the front and were filled with local snacks like Tate’s cookies, North Fork Potato Chips and Wolffer Estate Wine. We personalized everyone’s dinner menu with their name on it as a nice touch.

My wedding dress and veil: Vera Wang / My Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Shawn’s suit: Valentino / Shawn’s shoes: Prada / Wedding bands: Kwiat / Bridesmaids dresses: Thread / White Roses/White Hydrangeas: Sag Harbor Florist / Food and Wedding cake: Fresh Flavors / Florist: Sag Harbor Florist / Hair/Makeup: Daniel Martin and Seiji Yamader (Wall Group) / DJ: DJ Ray Jarrell and DJ Ani Quinn / Videographer: Open Eye Media / Photographer: Christian Oth

PS…For those of you who are loving the Today Show Wedding happening live, we’ve got the gorgeous images from Denis Reggie right here on SMP. Click here to see the all of the pretty!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: black bridesmaid dress, Christian Louboutin, Christian Oth, Fresh Flavors, Green, Hamptons, Kwiat, Prada, Sag Harbor Florist, Thread, Traditional, Valentino, Vera Wang, Wall Group, Wally West band, White, Winery
Post categories: Hamptons Weddings, New York Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

click here to see so much more!

Photography: Shawn Connell for Christian Oth / Planner: Nicky Reinhard from David Reinhard Events / Florist: Stone Kelly / Band: Elan Documentary / DJ: Michael R Jarrell / Lighting: L&M / Cake: Ron Ben Isreal

And as we come to a close on this day of TOTAL real wedding craziness, I want to say a huge thank you to all of the brides, grooms and vendors who have left us inspired and excited. Don’t forget to click thru the galleries if you are interested in seeing more of each wedding!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carolina Herrera, Christian Oth, David Reinhard Events, Elan Documentary, L&M Sound and Light, New York City, New York Weddings, Ron Ben Israel, Shawn Connell, St. Regis, Stone Kelly
Post categories: New York City Weddings, New York Weddings, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance

That isn’t all friends! Check out this gorgeous video of the whole affair by Films by Francesco.

{click here to see the full wedding}

Devon and Dan got married in Ligonier, PA which is just outside of Pittsburgh. Dan’s last name is Bird which was the inspiration for the bird theme throughout the wedding. The groom and groomsmen kicked off the day by taking a trip the a shooting range to shoot some rifles. Then Terri the planner did such a great job on bringing the winter theme of the wedding together while keeping it young and modern. Dan, the groom is also a musician and put on a surprise performance for the bride at the end of the night. Fireworks were also set off at the end of the night.

PS…we’re getting the details on the attire and accessories as we speak!

Photography: Christian Oth / Invitaions: Ceci NY / Planner: Bob Sendall, All In Good Taste Productions / Film: Films by Francesco

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 37 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth
Post categories: Traditional Elegance

And to add to the eye candy that we’ve been sharing today, here are a few more of his absolutely lovely weddings. This one, shot by Shawn Connell for Christian Oth, was held at the Plaza and lived up to the beauty of the venue beyond compare.

This next little work of art was shot by Michael Falco for Christian Oth and was held at the Harold Pratt House. And I am obsessed.

And lastly, this absolutely gorgeous wedding shot by Alison Mayfield was held at the Capitale…

I really wanted today to be a canvas for incredible wedding photography on Style Me Pretty. We owe photographers like Christian so much for allowing us to feature their work, to inspire brides through the photographs they capture. So although I didn’t go into detail about the weddings we featured today, I hope that you were brought to tears, made to smile or inspired to create a relationship with your photographer that will allow for images like these to come shining through.

And a huge thank you to Christian and his team for spending the day with us! Don’t forget to check out their fancy new site…aside from individual portfolios for each of the photographers he works with, Christian has also included a list of his favorite wedding resources. It’s genius.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 28 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth, New York City, Photography
Post categories: Wedding Photography

For those of you that don’t know Christian….ummm, how do I possibly give his work justice. Christian and the photographers that work with him are genius. Their images are so good they’ll easily make you cry, make you laugh, make you wish they were hanging on the walls of your home. Oh and did I mention that he’s also cute and has an accent. AND he just might have won the award in my head for best wedding photograph on the planet. So without further ado, here’s Christian Oth!

image by Christian Oth, a collaboration with Jung Lee from Fete

Communication between the bride and the photographer is key to capture those stunning, meaningful images that last a lifetime. In this two-part discussion, we’ll discuss the icebreaker questions to build a relationship of value with your photographer, (because conversations make relationships, and result in better pictures), and wrap up with Do’s + Don’ts that are helpful for taking pictures at every event.

Conversations Make Better Pictures

Booking your wedding photographer isn’t another check off a Wedding To Do’s List, never regarded again until the wedding commences. A conversation needs to turn into a relationship, so the photographer “knows” you better for your wedding photography, and takes the most meaningful pictures. This holds especially true for photographers who specialize in photojournalism or a hybrid version of photographic styles.

Regardless of whether the relationship is a direct one: couple to photographer, or through an intermediary such as a wedding planner or mom, the key element is dialogue. The couple, and others involved with the wedding, all want her day to be as magical and memorable as the photographer would like to capture it. There are three questions that a photographer has about you, before the most meaningful shots are achieved at any wedding: Who Are You?, What Do You Look Like?, and What’s Your Style?

by Michael Falco for Christian Oth Studio

Who Are You?

Get to know each other, do it by an in-person meeting, if you haven’t done so already. If your schedules don’t allow, at least skype or google chat to communicate with each other. During this face – to face the photographer can get to know your personal style. So much is communicated non-verbally. Are you a graphic designer, a real estate lawyer or an acrobat? Discuss how you met your fiancée and simply tell the photographer a little about yourself. Ask the photographer how he/she got into this field. Discuss your wedding and talk about the details, both of a visionary and logistical nature. Give the photographer a sense of who you are and what you want as a person. Photographers need to know, in advance of your wedding, how, where, who, and what kind of shots are expected to be captured on the day.

by Christian Oth

What Do You Look Like?

Definitely do an engagement photo shoot with the photographer. It’s great for you to get to know the photographer, and it’s best for the photographer to take your best angles. Remember, photographers are visual people, they need a visual reference of yourselves to take great shots. If you can’t do an engagement photo shoot for whatever reason, send the photographer some pictures of you – individually and as a couple, as the more information shared with the photographer, the better the results.

What’s Your Style?

What’s your color scheme, your wedding theme, what will it look like–in seasonal colors? What is your personal style, both everyday, and for your wedding? Will you have a salsa band or Yo-Yo Ma perform at your wedding? Will there be a groom cake at the rehearsal dinner? Will you come in with a pony? I’ve seen it all. Photographers and their crew need to know these details before the wedding. Obviously, not everything, but the more, the better. It gets the photographer as excited about your wedding as you do. A lot of these details get fleshed out in the planning process and by the time the wedding comes around, another pow-wow with the photographer is on the to-do list.

image by Shawn Connell for Christian Oth Studio

How do we handle this at my Studio? We seek out communication with the clients, because we recognize that for all weddings, it’s the human connection expressed at weddings that make the most moving photographic images. This personal meeting is a must. It’s the one that is hardest to schedule, because most couples get very busy with family and last minute planning details. So, I always push for at least a phone call, a video chat or a short in person meeting going over the final details. Trust me, this last meeting works wonders in the personal relationship. If for nothing else, the photographer who you might have booked a year ago gets a good refresher just before your wedding.

Often, a wonderful confluence of the factors mentioned above occur at destination weddings, achieving the best photos. Since they tend to be multi-day engagements, the photographer has time to scout the locations, plus, get to know the family and special relationships between the couple and their loved ones.

image by Shawn Connell for Christian Oth Studio

We work with brides and a coterie of talented wedding planners, acting as conductors of the orchestration of elements that help make the documentation of the wedding day flawless. We know how timelines affect the photography, regardless of scale the wedding may be. For high-end weddings, no matter how hectic the bride’s schedule becomes, the photographer must still get to know her better to take the best photos. All weddings are moments of one’s lifetime—how many chances do you have to get it right? That’s why these conversations between the photographer, bride and wedding planner build relationships well before the wedding day, and make things picture-perfect.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth, Michael Falco, Photographer, Relationships, Shawn Connell
Post categories: Wedding Photography