Posts Tagged ‘youngstown wedding photography’

It seems like this was the week for engagement sessions at our studio. Janell and Courtney came with children and parents to take care of their children while we were photographing them as a couple. Everyone had a great time, including our daughter as she came to help us out – our junior assistant. While we were photographing Janell and Courtney our junior assistant was there to play with Janell’s children.  So Courtney’s parents were there to surpervise the children – and they thought that it was great that we had a junior assistant to help with their grandchildren.

It was great to see a blended family come together and really get into this engagement session. The session was extremely relaxed, and everyone had a great time while being photographed. We went to the JFK Memorial Gardens near McKinley monument where we captured some nice images of the family and of the soon to wed couple.

September 11, 2010 will be coming soon, and I am certain that the wedding will be great for all attending, because we had so much fun during their engagement session and I am certain that it will be the same during their wedding day. Cannot wait to capture memories on your wedding day.

This was a unique area to have an engagement session – Janell likes butterflies, so this backdrop was perfect choice.

While walking around the JFK garden in Canton, we thought this would be a unique spot for a portrait.

We are getting very busy photographing lots and lots of engagement sessions.

Kayla and Justin will be getting married this September, and they came to our studio to have their engagement session done. At first Justin was a little shy, not really – he thought that he was there to make the pictures look GOOD. Well he certainly added to the photo session, exactly what I am still scratching my head at. And of course I am completely pulling Justin’s leg – he did a great job, and being half of the couple that is needed to do engagement photos, he is extremely important to the session. Plus he is needed for the wedding as well – Kayla needs someone to kiss after she says “I DO”.

And some people think that Hockey is the only sport that has a boxing match break out from it. They were fighting on who would get the comfortable chair in front of the TV to watch a Browns game.

Kayla and Justin – I had a blast with you guys, and the carpet cleaned up well (inside information). Nicole and I cannot wait for your wedding day – I know we will be thrown a long pass, and we will be there for the catch and to spike the ball after the touchdown.

One of the main reason we include an engagement session with our wedding packages is that we get to meet the groom for the first time, as often we only meet the bride during our initial wedding photography consultation. Not only do I get to meet the groom but I get to see how the couple acts around me and the camera. I like talking to the couple while photographing their engagement session to see how we can get the couple to relax and go for images that are natural and relaxed.

Ashley and James came to the studio Saturday and we started with some studio portraits. This is my initial meeting area because I would like to capture some formal images, but also use this area to break the ice. Most guys do not particularly like being in front of a camera (I am no exception – that is why I hold the camera and say “SMILE”). James had some apprehension when he first walked into the studio but this quickly went away when I started photographing them and made it very relaxed.

By the end of the engagement session, James told me that he had a lot of fun and Ashley was so happy that her fiance enjoyed himself. Me – I was THRILLED that they both had fun. Like any session that I photograph – if the people that I am photographing are having fun, or they are enjoying themselves, then I enjoy myself as well.

Ashley & James – thank you for coming to our studio for your engagement session. I had a blast and I am SO looking forward to your wedding day and the interesting ideas that you have planned for pre-wedding photos. James has it all planned out – Ashley has to come up with something to outdo the boys. I know your wedding day will be A LOT of fun, and we will get some kick butt portraits on your wedding day.

Here is one “teaser” image from their engagement session.

Destination
Wedding Images with a different look.

What are the benefits of hiring a wedding photography
local to your home town for a destination wedding? You can get to know the
photographer prior to your wedding and not vie email or phone calls. With an
engagement session, you can see how your local photographer will photograph so
that its not a mystery on what will happen during your wedding day. Plus after
you come back from your destination wedding, the photographer that is
responsible for your portraits is readily available with a short car ride and
not a plane ride back to your destination spot.

Traveling to a new destination gives us a challenge, and
we often find areas to photograph at that the “local” photographers have
overlooked because they have their “usual” spots to photograph at.

Destination weddings – we like to arrive one day early,
look over the area where the ceremony will take place as well as look for off
site areas that will make great areas to capture the essence of your wedding
destination spot. We usually stick around an additional day to capture some
day-after images that make a great addition to your bridal album.

Plus we like to travel.

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Wedding Images

that show Style and Fun.

Why do we photograph weddings? Because we love free cake. Just kidding – I would say that we probably have only tasted about 2 of the cakes from all of our past year’s weddings. Not that they were horrible – they all looked amazing, and probably were delicious, we just did not have time as we were concentrating on photographing our couple and their day.

We started photographing weddings because it was a passion to give others what we were missing. This and the fact that its such a great event to see 2 people in love joined in marriage and start a new journey. Capturing this moment and the moments that surround this day is something that takes great care and by someone that loves what they do.

Is it a job for us? Sure, but who can say that they have a job that they love and one that brings such joy to people when they look at their images later on in life.

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The past four years we have attended a photo seminar that attracts between 100-130 photographers from Canada and the US. The seminar is sponsored by a photography forum that we participate in, and have learned so much from. Attending this seminar is like visiting family, and its a great way to talk shop, face to face with photographers from different areas of Canada and the US.

We were nominated by another photographer and received an award for continued improvement in customer service, as well as good business practice. What does this mean? Our customers are very important to us and we show it with our customer contact, plus continuous improvement in our photography skills, and in customer service will always be a focus for our business.

Thank you to NoBSPhotosuccess and Kris Gay for this award. We are truly humbled from this and will proudly display our award in our studio.

We received this email yesterday from a very satisfied bride – and she has yet to see her wedding images. Read what she has to say about our services:

Chris and I had a wonderful time!  Can’t wait to see some great pictures! 

On to their wedding day – what an amazing day. It started off with Nicole and I meeting with Chris and Lynn capturing some moments before the ceremony. Then through the ceremony we captured the emotions and the laughter that was part of their ceremony – the priest helped with the laughter. The funny thing is that Lynn and Chris both were aware of where I was at most of the time, and I have a few images of them looking directly at me while I am photographing the wedding. This meant that both of them had no issues with nerves – or they just wanted to make sure that I was taking pictures.

We just received a Thank You note from a wedding couple that we will be photographing on October 17 – Lynn and Chris. They are already excited about their wedding day, and are thrilled that we will photograph their wedding. They sent us a thank you note, along with a payment for their wedding photography coverage and album. We are grateful that we can be photographers and be paid for what we love to do.  What makes it even more special is to touch someone so much that they take time out of their busy schedule to send us a note, which says  that they are looking forward to having us photograph them on their wedding day.

Lynn and Chris – can’t wait to photograph your wedding. I am certain that we will have so many amazing images to choose from, that you will have to buy a LARGE personal photo album to keep all of the images that you will be able to print from your image CDs. Plus it will be a challenge to select images for your wedding album. See you soon.

Rhonda and Adam were married on 7/25/09

At first it looked liked we would have some rain. We were ready for anything – rain, sunshine and winds. As it turned out we had a little bit of all during the formals that we captured before the ceremony.  Many couples do not want to see each other before the ceremony because of preference of because of some old tale about bad luck. This couple wanted to have lots of pictures to choose from but did not want their guests to wait too long for them between the ceremony and their reception because they wanted a lot of pictures.

The way we approach this is to have a “private” meeting between the groom and the bride so that they can see each other for the first time. This is a perfect time for us to have our cameras ready to capture the expressions that come from this meeting. Having 2 professional photographers gives you the ability to see the expressions of the bride and the groom as they happen, having 1 photographer limits you on what can be captured.

Great formals, great ceremony (first time we photographed a Mennonite ceremony),  and great reception (first time we saw a “dash for the cash” instead of a dollar dance).  Before we left we noticed the moon above the reception hall, and suggested a few last pictures to the couple – they loved it.

The title of this post is accurate (as far as I can tell). More times then not, we are at a wedding where something does not go quite as planned. As far as I could see being at Julie and Kevin’s wedding yesterday – things went pretty much as planned. I would attribute this to Julie and Kevin’s planning more then a year from their wedding day and retaining wedding professionals so far in advance that they selected ones that were dependable and would come through on their wedding day.

Here are a list of the Wedding Professionals that they used:

Limo – Thomas Limousine
The driver was VERY prepared for some small instances. Groom got his shoe muddy, driver was there with wet wipes and took care of the shoe. Drive was great, she warned us of potential rough spots in the road. Great JOB!!

DJ – The DJ Crew
We have worked at a few weddings with these guys, several different members of The DJ Crew, and they are always spot on with their music. Right level, and just the right song choice. Another great JOB!

Reception Hall & Catering – St. Joe’s Family Center
This is our second time at this reception hall, and we were impressed again. Food was great, service was spot on and everyone was friendly. Again, great JOB!

Photographers – well that was us of course.
And we did a wonderful job as well. Julie and Kevin (plus the bridal party) were game for pretty much anything. We had such a fun time with Julie, Kevin and their friends that we will be talking about this wedding for many years to come. Here are a few teaser pictures.

Thank you for selecting us to be a part of your wedding day.