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Spotlight Bride Submission Guidelines

Spotlight Bride — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:07:12 +0000

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Spotlight Bride Real Wedding & Engagement Submission Guidelines

E-mail Submissions to: submissions@spotlightbride.com

Choosing the Right Photographer

Spotlight Bride — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:27:13 +0000

We Will Start with the “Three R’s” of Choosing the Right Wedding Photographer…

Research: Today’s bride typically begins her initial search for wedding vendors, especially photographers, online. In most cases there will be plenty of options to choose from in your local area…so how will you decide which photographer is best for you? You will start by doing research online of various photographer’s portfolios of your local area.

Review: Most likely you as the bride-to-be will get it narrowed down to a few choices, and while in many cases it’s important to choose the right photographer based on their work quality, thoroughly review each photographer’s portfolios for the following elements: Storytelling (from beginning to end), Emotion (Connection between you and the bridesmaids, your family, your guests and of course your spouse), Details (the dress, the accessories, the rings, the flowers, the decor and venue set up), Beauty (did the photographer make the bride look beautiful by capturing her in the best light and angles? Did they properly utilize shadows and highlights to create dimension?) and Spontaneous and Endearing Moments (did the photographer capture a moment among the bridal party or guests that the bride might otherwise have missed and be surprised to see her her wedding photography collection?)…and finally Design (Does the editing style and album layout make the bridal couple look natural and timeless?).

During the review process, there is an important question you should ask yourself: What is my personal style and taste? & How much do I want this style emphasized in the photographs? For example, if you are getting married in New York City, you may not opt to choose a photographer whose portfolio is comprised mostly in the niche area of vintage or country-style weddings. Either be sure your photographer can shoot in various niches and provide continuity, or identify a photographer whose niche focuses on your preferred style.

Request: Once you have thoroughly reviewed the portfolios for these elements and narrowed your options down further, it’s time to request rate information, additional samples of work and even an in-person meeting when feasible. Meeting the prospective photographer is important because you want to ensure that in addition to loving their work quality and style, that you also mesh personality-wise. In most cases, you will not find that a good quality photographer, with good work samples, will treat you poorly…but it is important that they see and understand that you are a unique couple, and they should treat you and approach your wedding that way so that your style and personalities emerge through the captured images.

Noticed we have not focused too much on budget at this point. This is not to say that we think it’s a good idea for a bride to blow off her wedding budget, but when it comes to photography, you should think seriously about how important your wedding collection will be to you. Keep in mind that these photos and any videography will be what you have left as the most important mementos of your special day. It may be that you want to forego the extra dessert table to have more for your photography budget if that’s what’s more important to you.

We further recommend that you do not bypass the engagement session. This is an important opportunity for you and the photographer to see how well you work together, and for you to get used to being in front of the camera. Learning to take cues during the engagement session ahead of time will help keep the process flowing smoothly on the wedding day. In many instances, photographers will offer a complimentary engagement session if you book their wedding package with them, so take the opportunity during the engagement session to work with the photographer and enjoy the experience of incorporating other locations as backdrops that you may not have time to include on the wedding day.

The final aspect we want to address is the “big box” photography studio vs. the independent artist. There is nothing wrong with contracting with a larger studio that sends multiple photographers out each weekend to various weddings. You must keep in mind however that when you visit the studio and see their large gallery wraps on the wall, and the stunning album options, that the images they are showcasing are the best images from a smaller selection of their best photographers. This does not necessarily mean that your photographer will be the one that captured any of the images on their studio wall, and you could very well end up with a newer photographer in training that has less experience without even knowing it. If you choose to go with a larger studio, make sure that you know in advance which photographer will be shooting your wedding, and request to see image samples from that photographer. The other thing to keep in mind with the larger studio is that the photographer will likely drop off your files to someone else at the studio who will do the graphic design work, and different designers and photo editors have different styles.

We would actually recommend researching the independent wedding photographers in your area when searching for your wedding photographer. Many independent photographers tend to be more invested in their work and the complete process of not only capturing all the important moments of your day, but also maintaining a consistent editing style for the particular images that will make up your wedding collection (album). Don’t shy away from the independent artists simply because they may not be associated with a larger studio. Often times these photographers will be able to offer all the same aspects of the larger studios (second shooter, photography assistant, albums and wall art). Your independent photographer will approach your wedding day with a more vested interest and sense of personal creativity, and they also tend to go above and beyond for clients to ensure that they have captured all the necessary images, and to ensure the bridal couple has an array of beautiful and creative portraits to choose from. However, be aware that because independent photographers to tend to manage the complete process from initial e-mails and phone contacts, to shooting the wedding, editing the images, and then providing you the final product, these photographers may charge more for their services and packages. But if you find a really good photographer whose work you love, it could very well be worth every penny!

In your search of independent photographers, be sure to compare styles between photographers to see which photographer may match you best, and be open minded to photographers whose portfolios vary and have creative aspects such as incorporating landscapes and architecture as well as timeless and sophisticated portrait compositions.

Glam-Boudoir Contest!

Spotlight Bride — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:18:01 +0000

Don’t Miss Out on Your Chance to Win…

A Glamour or Boudoir Photo Shoot!

Questioning Traditions: The Receiving Line

Spotlight Bride — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:35:19 +0000

We recently received a question from a couple of followers on our Facebook Business Fan Page regarding the tradition of the receiving line in the modern day wedding. Of particular concern to one of the brides-to-be is that she has elderly grandparents who are only attending the ceremony and not the reception, and wants to spend more time getting photos taken with these relatives. She felt concerned that it would be rude to her other guests not have this traditional aspect to her wedding. The other bride is having her ceremony and reception in the same room, and once the ceremony is complete, they will close the room during the conversion, leaving no time for the traditional receiving line, however she will have the entire cocktail hour to greet her guests in lieu of the receiving line.

Here were the thoughts that we shared with these brides that we believe might be helpful to answer this universal question for other brides-to-be…

The first and foremost thing to remember is that this is YOUR special day. Having said that, you need to make the best decision for you and your fiancé, and the one that honors your families the most, regardless of what others may think. The second most important thing to keep in mind is that your wedding photos will be what you have left to look back on and cherish after the celebration is over. We are of the opinion that it is far more important for you to capture all those special moments with those dearest to your heart. And heaven forbid that after your wedding you find that your time with those older relatives is limited, so you will want to ensure that those images of these special people were captured.

If you have parents that are helping you to pay for the wedding, it might be a good idea to sit down with them to discuss your concerns, especially if they feel that maintaining traditional aspects are important.

Getting back to the issue at hand, of course you also want to honor all your wedding guests and truly make then feel appreciated for sharing in your big day. So we also have the following suggestions for this kind of scenario to avoid any awkward situations that may arise from your guests expectations:

Consider having additional wording added to your wedding program to let your guests know that you will not be having the traditional receiving line. In place of that, you can also have a relative or bridal party member announce this at the conclusion of the ceremony. Either one of these options will let your guests know of your intentions in a respectful way.
If you have any extra time after the photos have concluded, try to spend the time during your cocktail hour to go around and greet your guests then and thank them for attending. This will allow for a more casual and genuine interaction with your guests vs. the awkward speediness of forced greetings and physical gestures that some are unsure about if they haven’t actually met each other before. The casual aspect of mingling with your guests will truly make them feel comfortable and appreciated.
Finally, you can make rounds during dinner to greet guests then. There are pros and cons to this… Pros: The bridal couple and wedding party are often served dinner first, so this should give you time to eat and then go around and greet guests at their tables. Cons: You may feel rushed to eat your meal, or abandon it half-way through if you see the meal service for your guests is progressing quickly. Be sure you actually get to enjoy your meal as well. If you leave the table before finishing your plate with the intention of returning to it later, it may get picked up by the wait staff. Additionally, if you can do the greetings while mingling during the cocktail hour, these will make for better photos vs. trying to get images with friends and family in the middle of their dinner time when there are half eaten plates of food in front of them (which generally does not make for good photos).

We hope you found these suggestions to be helpful!

Sincerely,

Spotlight Bride

Brighten Up! Bridal Beauty Tips

Spotlight Bride — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 03:07:30 +0000

Tips for the Bride on Hair and Makeup

Brighten up!
Pale or nude lipstick or glosses can wash you out in pictures, especially if your wearing white, because the white in your dress can cause even more glare and wash out when photos are being taken. At the same time, don’t go overboard. You want to look natural…you want to look like YOU! If you are fair skinned, consider warmer tones that might add a nice, pastel color palate to your skin. If you are olive toned or have dark hair, you can afford to experiment with bolder and deeper colors. Whatever you do, do not believe that your makeup color scheme as to match your wedding color scheme. If it’s more complimentary to your face to stick with brown and earthy tones, then go that route over colors that may be too bright and contrasting. You will want to look great yourself no matter what your wedding colors are.

Drama Drama Drama….
There is so much “flash”, you want to make sure you look like you have makeup on. Smokey eye is perfect for this! A great new trend is a gorgeous plum smokey eye or a beautiful pink smokey eye.

(Try Everything)
Trials with your stylist are so important… Remember the dress you picked should coordinate with your hair so if it’s a romantic flowing dress your hair should match. Look for pictures in magazines or online and bring them with you. If you have never had your hair done in an updo or a sidedo, try it! If you’re used to loose curls try some tighter curls. If you like your hair smooth try it loose. And don’t forget your veil!!!

Water proof your day~Seriously
Waterproof mascara lasts longer and it won’t run on you. Not everyone likes the feel of it, but you can use your regular mascara first and then follow up with a light coat of a waterproof mascara. This will be important during any emotional and tearful moments during the ceremony when you will want to look perfect for your pictures.

And last but not least…

Stay TRUE to Yourself!
You want to look back at your pictures 5…10…20 years from now and think “yes I looked classy and sophisticated.” If you never wear your hair up, a complete updo might not be your first choice. Remember that trends don’t last very long…and the ’80′s won’t let us forget that. So stay true to yourself!

Content provided by Leticia Posavec of Tish Hair Studio in La Grange, IL