Gratitude is a big part of our lives here at Junebug- within the way we approach weddings and the way we approach life- so today I wanted to write to simply say thank you.
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of travel and spending time with old friends and new, and each experience showed us over and over again just how lucky we are. Kim went to France with our dear friend Elizabeth Messina to help with the planning of her upcoming workshop (you’ve seen the resulting images of Kim and her husband Adam right? Incredible!) and Blair and I spent 10 days on the road in Southern California and Las Vegas catching up with Junebug members who have now become true friends, meeting new and amazingly talented wedding professionals, taking part in Mindy Weiss’s incredible wedding event, and attending the Engage09 Encore luxury wedding intensive with some of the greatest minds in the business. To say that we feel inspired and lucky after all of that would be a profound understatement.
For me one of the most fun and meaningful parts of all that travel was the chance to meet so many of the people who read this blog and use our site. Each time I heard someone exclaim, “Oh Junebug! I love Junebug!” or come up and introduce themselves to me as a fan of our work, I swear my heart swelled to twice it’s size. There really aren’t words for how passionate we are about what we are building here, and without you all, it simply wouldn’t be possible to create. So, today and every day, we thank you. For supporting, encouraging and sharing this wild ride we’ve been on for the past few years, and for being boundless cheerleaders for all the exciting growth to come. We are eternally grateful.
Last week in Los Angeles we had the pleasure of meeting Jay Lawrence Goldman, a multiple-award winning digital wedding photographer and the owner of JLG Photography, (who is also a talented musician, painter, teacher and gourmet chef!). As a keynote speaker for Mindy Weisss The Most Ridiculous Wedding Event Ever, Jay shared his “Ten Steps for Getting the Best Photographs on Your Wedding Day” and we think he hit the nail right on the head. Jay left the #10 spot empty for you to fill in, so readers and photographers please let us know what you think belongs there. With no further ado, we are thrilled to share our notes with you from Jays inspiring presentation.
1. Book a fun engagement session. Getting your engagement photos taken is the first step to having comfortable, natural wedding photography. A fun, relaxed photo session before your wedding allows you to build a good rapport with your photographer and allows him or her to discover your personality and the best angles and lighting for your face and body type. No doubt youll love having photos of the two of you before and after you tie the knot!
2. Make the most of your getting ready shots. Be sure to schedule your make-up artist and hair stylist for one full hour before you think youll need them. Youll appreciate the extra time if you need to make changes, and youll love the natural looking photos that come from not being rushed.
3. Keep your bridal suite as tidy as possible and be sure your flowers are delivered early. Lots of gorgeous shots can happen while youre preparing to be a bride and you wont want any of them to be cluttered with plastic water bottles, messy clothes, or dirty dishes. Designate a closet or corner where you can keep extra items tucked away and ask your bridesmaids to help you keep things picture perfect. Be sure your flowers are on hand for portraits and candid shots of you and your girls.
4. Think about who you want in your bridal suite with you. You may want to let friends and family members come and go, but depending on your personality, the size of your room, and the complexity of your schedule it may be best for you to limit the number of people getting ready with you. Make a list of who you want with you the most and have your photographer help you stick to it.
5. Hire a video/film artist who knows your photographer. If they haven’t met yet, be sure they both meet as soon as they arrive. Theyll have to work together closely and you want them both to get the best pictures possible without getting in each others way.
6. See each other before your ceremony. It really does help things go smoother. Ask your photographer to set up a romantic first look for you, (good wedding photographers have great ideas about how to make the the first time you see each other special) and youll get touching photos in a lovely location of your choosing with lighting that makes the most of your moment. If it really feels more romantic to you to wait until you come down the aisle, read on.
7. Keep your shot list manageable and your group shots to a minimum, (especially if you are waiting to see each other at the altar). Consider having the largest possible group shot first and break down from there. It can take 10 minutes or more per shot to create a family portrait youll want to frame, so keep that in mind when you create your list. You dont need to make a huge list of other shots for your photographer, theyre bound to get thousands of details and moments without you having to ask. However.
8. Let your photographer know about anything special to you that they might overlook. Of course, theyll get the cake, your dress, your flowers, and most of them will be savvy enough to write ahead and get your invitation, but you want to be sure they know that youre wearing your grandmothers locket with a picture of your parents inside or that youre going to do a huge dip at the end of your first dance. Photographers love to show whats particularly meaningful and special about your wedding.
9. Consider having two photographers. Many photographers bring second shooters or partners to help them capture more than one perspective. Why give up the photo of your dads expression while he is giving you away for the look on your grooms face as he sees you come down the aisle?
10. Whats important to you? When your celebration is over and life moves on what photos do you want to take with you and how can you help make them happen? Were excited to hear your thoughts on getting the most out of your wedding photographer!
Rancho Valencia’s historic orange groves inspired the citrus wedding color palette, and Shelby’s pink floral shoes inspired adding a splash of pink. I adore the wedding party’s fashion combination of yellow bridesmaids’ dresses and tan and white groomsmen’s suits- they couldn’t possibly look more summery and sweet!
The outdoor wedding ceremony was kept short and simple, and was conducted by a dear family friend. Shelby and Rich wanted their wedding to be a reflection of their personalities and they were thrilled with all the help and participation they received from family and loved ones.
Besides being all kinds of fun (as you can clearly see in the images below! Love it!), the wedding reception was also extremely touching as many special people made toasts to the couple, and read letters and e-mails aloud from Rich’s family back in South Africa who couldn’t make it to the event.
Thank you for sharing your wedding with us all Shelby and Rich! What a treat! To learn more about this Real Wedding and the wedding professionals who helped make it happen, please visit our Real Wedding library!
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