A rustic outdoorsy engagement session from Matthew James Photographers

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Stephanie in Parties & Events | 1 Comment

Happy Friday! We don’t know about you, but we’ve had a pretty crazy week here at the Wedding Party offices. With a bunch of new features released this week (check out the app store…), we’re feeling pretty exhausted. Good thing we work in the wedding industry, and we have gorgeous photos like these to take our minds off of more stressful matters!

Today, we’re excited to feature an outdoorsy and romantic engagement session by Matthew James Photographers. This close couple (matching plaid, anyone?) decided to take their engagement photos in Mt. Diablo State Park — and we’re glad they did, because these pics are amazing! Enjoy, and stay tuned…we have a surprise coming up later this weekend!

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Wedding Photography Styles: How to choose a style you’ll love for your big day

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Stephanie in Planning | 1 Comment

You know the differences between restaurants in your area after living there for a couple of years. Someone might ask about a good mexican place for dinner, and your answer would reveal what matters to you. For me it’s a mixture of the type of food they serve, the quality of the food, and the dining experience. I know a few restaurants where the food is amazing but the customer service is non-existent or pretty poor, and that alone keeps me from going there. Some people have very specific food preferences and that alone drives their decision where to dine out. I don’t love places that feel snobby or too cool, so the experience matters a lot to me. This is so much like looking for a wedding photographer. All wedding photographers have a particular style, whether they know it or not, and it’s helpful to know what you’re looking for in order to make your decision. And, just like a restaurant, wedding photographer’s style refers not only to the final images but the entire experience the business provides.

There are three major components in understanding wedding photography styles: the specific shooting style, the editing style, and the photographer’s style in relating with the clients. The shooting style refers to the type of images that are made and how they are made. There are whole books written on this, but to give you a brief idea think about the angles a photograph can be taken, the use of light and shadows in a shot, how blurry or in focus the background is, whether the image was shot on film or with a digital camera. Are the images taken close up or farther away; do you feel a personal connection to the image or as if you’re looking on from a distance? Granted a photographer’s portfolio is full of so many of these different elements, but in general you will see a specific style stand out through their images. Some photographers are known for their beautiful panoramic shots of couples in a field with a gorgeous sunset, while others for their ability to capture real emotions in their images. Photographs can be dramatic in the way the light is captured, with interesting shadows across someone’s face or dark backgrounds, or some photographers specialize in more light and airy photos.

Editing is another major factor that makes up a photographer’s style. Editing includes how light or dark the photo is, how bright or faded the colors are, how much contrast is in the image, etc. If I were to go through 5 photography websites I would see … Keep Reading

Wedding Watch: Our favorite engaged celeb couples of 2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Stephanie in Weddings | Leave a comment

Sure, there are big-name celebs like Jessica Simpson and Jen Aniston who are currently engaged, but we can’t say that we’re super excited (read: optimistic) about their upcoming nuptials. Nor are we too impressed with their gigantic hollywood-style iceberg rings. However, there are some celebs we’re super excited for — celebs with quirky personalities and impeccable style that we’d be eager to see walk down the aisle this year! Which of these engaged celeb couples is your fave?

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis

He’s an SNL funnyman, and she’s a drop-dead gorgeous hollywood star with a long list of exes. They somehow met and fell madly in love! The best part? We recently read an article in which Olivia Wilde said she was intimidated by Jason Sudeikis at first, because she thought “he was too cool for her”.

Wedding Style Prediction: Super classy. Think black and white, with JT rocking his suit and singing at the reception.

NY Daily News

Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Justin Mikita

They’re so adorable! Jesse Tyler Ferguson has gushed about fiance Justin Mikita to hollywood reporters — and we couldn’t be happier for the stylish and sweet couple.

Wedding Style Prediction: Urban hip — think a loft or urban rooftop garden ceremony.

Us Weekly

Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard

What characters — she’s teeny, and he’s tall. He got her a sloth, and she cried because she was so happy. If that’s not love, we don’t know what is. Also, they just had a baby girl! D’awwww.

Wedding Style Prediction: Laid back and casual. We could see Kirsten in a breezy wedding dress, barefoot on the beach with a few close family and friends attending.

Us Weekly

Alexis Bledel and Vincent Kartheiser

From the set of Mad Men to madly in love, the two got engaged this past winter. How could we not be proud of little Rory Gilmore? As long as this guy treats her better than Dean, Jess, and Logan, we’re good with it.

Wedding Style Prediction: Classic elegance with a vintage vibe. I mean come on, they co-starred on Mad Men.

NY Daily News

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

She’s a girly-girl model with a chic sense of style and an enviable bod. He’s a sexy crooner who’s capture the hearts of like, every woman on earth with his soulful singing. Together, they make a pretty classy pair, don’t you think?

Wedding Style Prediction: Feminine and pretty, based on Chrissy’s own personal style. We could see her in a dress with a classically feminine silhouette, and their wedding decor featuring tons and tons of flowers.

NY Daily News

Did we miss an awesome and engaged celeb couple in our list? Remind us who we missed in the comments below!

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10 must-have photos to capture throughout your wedding journey

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Stephanie in Planning, Weddings | Leave a comment

Your wedding day photos are probably some of the most meaningful and gorgeous photos you’ll take in your lifetime. I’m definitely of the opinion that if you’re going to splurge on one thing for your wedding day, getting a great photographer who’ll take quality photos that you love is the best choice.

However, with all the focus on the wedding photos and the photographer, brides can sometimes forget that there are tons of other special moments you’ll want to remember — from the moment you get engaged to your honeymoon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you won’t want to forget! Even if you’re spending the big bucks on the big day for great photos, there are ton of other smaller occasions to document, like the engagement party, the first time you try on the dress, or the night before the wedding day. We’ve compiled a list of the best and most fun moments you’ll want to capture — from the engagement to the big day.

1. The proposal, of course!

Kennedy Events

2. A picture the bridesmaids with signs that describe their relationship to the bride

Katy Hall Photography

3. When you finally find the dress!

Say Yes To The Dress

4. A series of pictures of the bride with a sign that counts down the days to your wedding at special events (engagement dinner, bridal shower, bachelorette, etc)

Hostess with the Mostess

5. A photo of you and your sister or best friend together at the bachelorette party. Good or bad, you’ll treasure it forever!

Apartment 34

6. The couple and the signed marriage license

7. A photo of you and the groom the day before the wedding

8. A photo of your personal vows, and your significant other reading them the night before

Kaitie Bryant

9. You and the groom holding your parent’s wedding photos on your own day

Aphrodite’s Wedding Blog

10. You and your bridesmaids’ coffee orders on the day of the wedding

Megan Edelman Photography

Hopefully this gives you some great ideas of photos to capture before you walk down the aisle! Your friends and family can do a great job helping you capture the moments from this list, and many many more. So make sure that you track down and collect the photos that they take at every pre-wedding celebration — you won’t be sorry!

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