We have more coming up in just a bit. Lots of wedding pretty today!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black and White, black and white wedding photography, Photography
Post categories: Wedding Photography

I am totally smitten with Duston Todd and his playful, but absolutely gorgeous photography. Definitely check out his blog for some serious eye candy!

What I love about this next set is more than just the photography, which is obviously gorgeous as it was shot by the genius that is Brian and Stella Alesi. But, it’s the concept behind the shoot that really makes me happy. As huge fans of Austin’s live music scene, the couple had their photo shoot at some of their favorite hang outs, the rock n roll spots that hold their fondest memories…

Bottom line to a great engagement shoot? Let your personalities shine through. Whether it’s splashing around in a baby pool, blowing bubbles in a great field or hanging out at your favorite bar…let who you are as a couple come through your photographs and they will forever be something that you treasure.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Duston Todd, Engagement Shots, Photography
Post categories: The Blog

From Andreas…

The ceremony was held by the family pond, and over 100 guests were seated for the ceremony. About four minutes in, the clouds started gathering. This wasn’t any ordinary rainfall though. We all saw the dark clouds and felt the damp wind, and I think we all thought it would hold off from slamming us for at least the duration of the ceremony, but it came down so quickly and with such force that basically everyone got soaked in about 30 seconds.

All 100+ guests ran to the reception tents which were still being set up and waited there as the bride and groom decided what to do. They chose to go ahead with a tented ceremony, however the clouds parted and the plans changed yet again! So, we huddled together under crab apple trees with umbrellas out just in case it rained again, and the ceremony began. I think that was probably the best decision they made that day because it was very cute, romantic and intimate. Both families were standing together about 8 feet from the couple as they exchanged vows, and wouldn’t you know it, just as they kissed it came down again with an intensity I have not since seen! At that point, the bride was no longer upset, and the guests could not care less about their wet suits or dresses – it was a really, really nice wedding! The rain didn’t stop until 3am that night, so the rest of the evening was spent sitting in the tent. We did manage to get into the barn next to the tents where they had their first dance under candlelit chandeliers, and that was a nice finale to the day.

I love what I do, and love working with couples that love the art that I produce for them, so it ends up being a win-win situation for everyone.

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Up next…the GRAND prize winner of our DIY giveaway!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andreas, Photography, Photojournalist
Post categories: Wedding Photography

As a photographer, do you have any advice for brides who are looking to get fine art style photographs from their wedding?

There are a LOT of photographers out there these days, and the number of photographers shooting weddings is growing.  It’s hard to differentiate styles of images between so many photographers these days, so I feel for the couples out there – it’s confusing, especially if you have don’t have  an arts background. It’s hard to find a photographer that really stands out.  In Toronto there are many, many photographers yet only about 3 photographers that really stand out as truly unique, with an original and consistent look to their work.  However, one piece of advice that I give all couples that ask that sort of question is this: When reviewing portfolios of photographers, if you find images on a site that stop you in your tracks then book that photographer. Art is so personal and subjective, what I may think of as average may knock someones socks off, and in the end, that’s what matters.  So, my advice would be to pick by your initial reaction to their art.  I think that meeting your photographer is an  important part of the process as well, but I don’t think it’s crucial.

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So much more on the way! Oh and don’t forget to check out the Little Black Book Blog...featuring THE CUTEST Cardgirl Invitations and the real wedding that they inspired!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 1 comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andreas, Black and White, Photography, Photojournalist, Toronto
Post categories: Wedding Photography

Well, one of THE most talented photographers in our Little Back Book, Andreas, who focuses his efforts on black and white photography is stopping by today to share a real wedding and a pretty incredible behind the scenes take on wedding photography.

The hope is that through Andreas, you will understand what you need from your own photographer, that if his work resonates with you, you will be better equipped to articulate your vision to the photographer you’ve chosen.

Tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind your photography?

I’ve been photographing weddings for six years, and have shot over 200 weddings, and my inspiration has always been the interaction between the bride and groom, recently however that’s changed and evolved a little bit. My wife and I have two children, and our daughter is only 2 years old, but I tell you, it’s changed how I shoot now. I don’t think there is one father daughter dance where I don’t think about my little girl and I dancing together like that, and for me, the important photographs are those moments – the interactions between family and the nuances in their expressions.

Those little “slice of life” snapshots are to me, for more interesting than a posed or directed shot. It sounds like such a cliche, but capturing those images that “tell a story” is what I love about documenting a wedding. Those are the types of images I look for when shooting a wedding, and those are the images I show in my portfolios and albums.   I typically work with couples that understand what is involved of doing straight reportage photography at a wedding – the reality is that sometimes things don’t  happen as planned or as you want, and you just have to roll with it.  As an artist,  the hardest part of the day is capturing a set of images that when presented in a sequence from start to finish, give the viewer the sense of being there first hand.

My photographic inspiration for my work has nothing to do with wedding photography at all actually, but rather, war photojournalism – the polar opposite of weddings!   War photographers are probably the most talented photojournalists out there because they make art in a split second in very difficult situations. I almost never look at other wedding photographers for “ideas” or inspiration, because I don’t want to find myself at a wedding trying to copy or repeat a certain shot or look that I saw somewhere else. I think the only way to be original in this industry is to simply be the one that documents what happens, not to direct or pose anything at all, and that’s what I’ve been doing for a while now. Some couples get it, some don’t, and that’s perfectly fine with me. 

A friend of mine said that if he were to get married all over again, he wouldn’t even hire a photographer, just a good journalist – I guess that’s what I try to be when I shoot a wedding: a story teller. I capture images of shy kids, nervous brides, proud fathers – these are the characters that make up the stories of each wedding day, and that’s what I focus on.

My goal is to provide the couples that I work with, a highly edited, selective group of photographs that show that sort of emotion in the image.  I focus on composition, the light, and the emotion, and try to capture images that mean something, rather than just shooting thousands of random snapshots and then calling it “candid photojournalism” – anyone can do that with the cameras that we have these days. That’s not art though.

So much more to come!

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Post tags: Andreas, Black and White, Interview, Photography
Post categories: Wedding Photography

For even more inspiration, check out Stephanie’s AMAZING home and studio that I featured on my Design*Sponge guest blog!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Photography, Stephanie Cristalli
Post categories: Featured

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | Comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Christian Oth, Photography
Post categories: Featured

The oh-so-talented team at Holland Photo Arts (Anne and Bill Holland) have sent me tons of great photos and details from this wedding that I will post later today.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bouquets, Holland Photo Arts, Photography
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Wedding Photography

Thank you so much to photographer, Jen Fariello, and event planner, Jennifer Carroll for sharing this beautiful wedding with us. And to Tatiana and Justin, congratulations on an absolutely lovely day! Here are the vendors that helped with the event…

Wedding Designer & Planner: Jennifer Carroll of Jennifer Carroll Events, LLC, Photographer: Jen Fariello
Flowers: Pat’s Floral Designs, Hair & Makeup Artist: Lucinda Riley of Face Value Studio
Lighting: Blue Ridge Light Forms, Greenery: Greenscapes Nursery, Venue: Veritas Vineyard & Winery, Cake: Anita Gupta of Maliha Creations, Italian Pastries: Giancarlo, Harpist: Adrienne Wager, DJ: Derek Tobler

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Arienne Wager, Blue Ridge Lighting Forms, Charlotte, Derek Tobler, Face Value Studio, Giancarlo, Greenscapes Nursery, Jen Fariello, Jennifer Carroll Events, Lucinda Riley, Maliha Creations, Pat's Floral Design, Photography, Veritas Vineyards
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Nichols, Destination Wedding, Lisa Lefkowitz, Mexico, Photography
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Cultural Beauty, The Blog, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

all of these gorgeous images were captured by the amazingly talented Lisa Lefkowitz

The wedding was held in Mexico and really focused on unique and approachable details that would leave guests with a romantic, beautiful memory.

From Amy…

The hanging ribbons in the wedding theme colors were a total “day-of” decision. We had originally wanted to do something w/ flowers trailing from the flowers but the place we were hanging them from was over 16′ high so I decided to cut lengths of ribbon to line the entry so the wedding colors were the first thing guests saw. When they blew in the breeze they were very pretty!

Right before guests sat down, I clipped fresh bougainvillea and tucked it into each napkin. I tied the napkins with pink string just to add a little color and to hold down the bougainvillea

The luminaries were STRAIGHT out of Martha Stewart. We cut gold doilies and put them inside white paper bags and weighed down w/ sand.

For the bouquet and the centerpieces we scanned pictures and emailed them to the florist in Mexico. With a language barrier and a destination wedding, a picture literally does tell a thousand words. The florist did a great job of duplicating the flowers we wanted.

Instead of reserving seats for family members w/ flowers, we took sprigs of Eucalyptus to mark the rows. They smelled wonderful!

We have so many more images coming from this lovely wedding!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amy Nichols, Destination Wedding, Mexico, Photography
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Real Weddings, Wedding Planners & Designers

From Jessamyn…

Jacqueline and Gregory hired a Chez Panisse chef to make the food, and enlisted their favorite bakery to make 3 (!) amazing cakes decorated with fresh fruit, as well as a collection of petit fours. Amazing!

The only problem was that the whole day was planned to be outside – from ceremony, mingling, portraits, dinner and onward – and it was unseasonably freezing and rainy on their wedding day, so there was a bit of extra stress and worry as they tried to manage all of the details as well as make adjustments for moving the dinner inside the small house. They were amazingly calm and collected as they decided to have the ceremony outside (where there were just a few small sprinkles) so that they could enjoy the dramatic view, and the dinner inside, with long family-style tables, a crackling fire, and the kitchen just feet away.

This gave the whole reception (though a little cramped) a really wonderful entertaining-at-home feeling!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chez Panisse, Jessamyn Harris, Photography
Post categories: Real Weddings, Wedding Photography

Jacqueline and Gregory’s wedding took place on Moon Mountain in Sonoma, with about 50 of their closest friends and family members. Their priorites were fresh and delicious food, quality time with their loved ones and beautiful photography. I have more details and photos from this wedding to share throughout the day, so stay tuned to see how they pulled off such a beautiful day!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jessamyn Harris, Photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Wedding Photography

What I really love about these details is the understated elegance that completely captures a Hawaiian vibe. Although the decor is absolutely stunning, you still get that laid-back style of a really great Hawaiian inspired party.

Check out Dave’s website for TONS of gorgeous inspiration!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dave Miyamoto, Hawaii, Photography
Post categories: Wedding Details, Wedding Photography

Top Image…how decadent and yet completely appropriate are those bottles of limoncello. Perfect for a late Summer, outdoor cocktail hour.

Second Image…Elegant starfish make perfect favors and keepsakes for your guests.

Third Image…love, love, love these innovative place card holders. Tiny ceramic vases filled with branches serve as both a favor and a place card.

Last image…I just really like the packaging on the favors. It’s sweet and yet elegant…not to mention, something that your guests will hold on to.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Love Life Images, Photography, Place Cards, Wedding Favors & Gifts
Post categories: Wedding Details, Wedding Photography