Wedding Blog

I think photo sessions prior to the wedding day are so important. The session gives you the opportunity to get comfortable with your photographer, and he gets an idea of how you perform in front of the camera. One photographer told me that it is a great chance to see how much the bride blinks, so he knows how many of each group photo he is going to need to take!

I spoke with one of my favorite photographers, John Unrue, here in Orlando. Here are the tips he gave me (with some of my commentary as well in parenthesis).

• Wear solid-earth tones, Patterns will detract from your faces. Also, white doesn’t work well. Wear browns, blues, blacks and grays.
• When shooting outside make sure you photographer schedules you early in morning or late in the afternoon. John said that the rule of thumb is to shoot within two hours after sunrise or two hours before sunset. The natural light is best then.
• Choose a meaningful location. Before you hire your photographer, make sure he is amenable to shooting your portrait at a location that is meaningful to you. The sentimentality of the location will come through in your photographs.
• If you are really shy, make sure your photographer knows it. John said he likes to strike up a conversation with the couple to make them feel at ease. He will start by asking about how they met, got engaged and then ease into shooting. For those who are very shy, he stands further away and uses a zoom lens.
• For those of you who like interaction, make sure you choose a photographer with a good personality. (Remember I always say when shopping for a photographer, you are interviewing as much for attitude as you are for talent. Even if the photographer has an amazing portfolio, if he makes you uncomfortable, keep looking!)
• If you are very critical of your hair and makeup, bring friend along to help make sure you look your best. John says he would rather shoot things right in the camera the first time so he doesn’t have to go back and fix a lot of things in the computer. If that friend can help with a hair our of place, or a smudge of lipstick, she is a welcome addition to the shoot. (Not all photographers feel the same about this. Make sure to discuss it with him before the photo shoot.)

I also suggest getting your hair and makeup done professionally. Make sure the stylist knows whether you are having and outdoor or indoor photo shoot and let him know what color you will be wearing.

You can find more information about wedding photography by clicking here.

As always, if you have tips or questions about wedding photography email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com or post it here.

Your Partner in Perfect Planning,

Susan

One of John Unrue’s beautiful engagement portraits.

Brides come to me quite often and ask about whether or not they should hire a professional hair and makeup artist for their wedding. I personally believe that having your hair and makeup done professionally is one of the best investments you can make for beautiful wedding photos. A professional stylist can make you look your best by hiding flaws and brining out your best features. With that said, you want to make sure the stylist keeps you looking like you. You want to recognize yourself in your wedding photos and you certainly want your husband-to-be to recognize you as you walk down the aisle.

Eleven-week-wedding bride, Jill, was very concerned about finding a hair and makeup artist that would make her look stunning. She has a very interesting story with words of wisdom for every bride whether your are planning your wedding in eleven weeks or eleven months.

Once I had the dress in place the focus was on my hair and make-up. I thought picking the ‘perfect’ bride look would be easy, but actually ended up being very challenging.

Several weeks before the wedding I started my trials. I had MANY, MANY, MANY hair and make-up trials. I have to admit the only time I ever had a ‘bridal meltdown’ was when it came to my hair and make-up. Many friends gave me names of the ‘best (and most expensive)’ artists in the city. None of them ended up being a good fit for me. I wanted to look like myself, but enhanced. I did not want to be unrecognizable. After some of my trials I looked in the mirror and did not even look familiar!

I should have just looked closer to home…For hair I ended up choosing the stylist I have been going to for cuts for the last 7 years (I did not know she did styling for weddings because I just used her for hair cuts). She ended up charging me half of what many of the high end stylists would have cost. For make-up I picked the woman I have been seeing for 8 years for my eyebrow shaping (tweezing). These women knew me best and ended up making me look like me!

Susan’s Tips: I have a few tips of my own for finding the perfect hair and makeup artist.

1. You want to build a relationship with the stylist doing your hair and makeup for your wedding, so start looking for someone as early as you can.
2. Flip open your copy of Perfect Wedding Guide or go to PerfectWeddingGuide.com. There are many professional hair and makeup artists listed for you to interview and to do trial runs.
3. Look through magazines and on the Internet for photos of how you think you would like to look, but listen to the stylist for suggestions too. Not every look is good for every woman.
4. Talk to the stylist. If you think your makeup is too heavy or your hair is too stiff, say something.

Tomorrow, Jill and I have some final thoughts on planning a wedding in eleven weeks. I want to hear your thoughts too. Post a comment or send me an email at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

If you are a professional hair and makeup artist, send me your photos and comments. Tell me what you think makes a great client. What should a bride bring to her initial consultation? What other advice do you have for brides-to-be?

Hi All,

I am very, very excited. After working for a year, my new wedding planning DVD is finally here and available to you! Susan Southerland’s Wedding Planning Secrets has my most sought-after advice in one DVD.

I share my secrets for choosing colors, creating a reasonable budget, dealing with vendors and organizing the day. Check out the website for more information.

I will be at the Perfect Wedding Guide wedding show on Sunday at the Buena Vista Palace. If you are in Orlando, come see me. I am looking forward to discussing your wedding plans with you and on my table, is my Ten Inspirational Ideas for an Out of the Ordinary Wedding idea list, to assist you in planning a memorable wedding!

I hope to see you there!

I am so excited to share these photos from Matt and Ashley’s wedding. If you look at my earlier posts, this is the wedding at Casa Monica where we did the dinner in one room and the dancing and dessert up on the pool deck.

Thank you to Nuvisions in Photography, Curt Littlecott and Stephanie Rounds for the beautiful photos.

I am shocked to see I haven’t written in a while. Wedding season is definitely in full swing and time is passing fast.

Over the past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of working on two truly spectacular weddings. One I have previously mentioned — Ashley and Matt in St. Augustine. I am still waiting for those photos and I will share them as soon as I have them.

Jessica and Mike had a beautiful wedding here in Orlando at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes. The wedding day was absolutely spectacular… except for the threat of rain. We have been having so much rain threats here lately that my “Plan B’s” have been getting a big workout. In the end the weather wasn’t great, but we were able to have the ceremony outside.

Below are some photos from the event. I hope you enjoy them and get some inspration for creating your beautiful wedding.