Another one of my favorite wedding day images — the bride and groom during the recessional. From Erica and David’s wedding on the North Shore of Massachusetts. August, 2009.
Author Archives: lisa
Please make the first dance good at your wedding. We want a show. Thank you.
I like taking road trips to flea markets, thrift stores, and antique markets. I don’t usually buy much — I mostly just like looking. I keep hoping I’ll find old wedding photographs, but those are hard to come by. But yesterday at a flea market in central Massachusetts I came upon a wonderful collection of old wedding photographs, and I bought them all! They appear to span the early 1900’s through the 1950’s. Here are two from the earlier part of collection. I have no idea who these people are or where these photographs were taken. All I know is that they were taken by “Warchol’s Studio.” Any ideas?
Some of my wedding photography packages include flush-mount albums. What is a “flush-mount” album you ask? I asked that question too a couple of years ago when I was getting started in wedding photography. At that point, I had already made a few “coffee table” books from my personal photographs. But coffee table books are very different from flush-mount albums. Flush mount albums are generally only available to professional photographers. They use archival-quality photographic prints that are mounted to an inner core. The spreads lay completely flat, which is ideally the way that photographs in a book should be viewed. The pages don’t bend or tear, and you can actually wipe fingerprints from the surface.
I prefer flush mount albums to matted albums because with flush mount you can creatively lay out the photographs in a way that tells a story. My clients get to review and give their input into these layouts and how we tell their wedding day story.
Flush mount albums are substantial. They’re generally heavy and are more of a family heirloom or piece of furniture than a book. In fact, some people find flush mount albums too heavy. I chose an album company that offers the pages in two thicknesses, one of which is slightly thinner and lighter.
For my flush mount albums, I use the “One” line from Finao. I’ve tried other album companies with good results, but for 2010-2011 I’m on a Finao kick. First of all, Finao’s cover options are just nuts. I mean, creative overload. Which I love. The other reason I chose Finao is that they will print your albums through possibly the greatest photographic printer in the country: ProDPI.
Here are some photos of my sample flush mount albums. To see them online is one thing, but to hold them in your hands and see these prints in person is pretty awesome.
I work with a few Boston wedding professionals who I put in the “awesome” category. These are people who I would not only feel comfortable recommending to clients, but professionals whose work I get so excited about that I think “people have got to see what this person does!”
Erica Jones is one of those wedding pros. Her business, Events by Sharon’s Daughter, is a full-service “boutique” event planning firm that provides event design and planning. She is also lead designer for her company’s floral division: Orchids N’ Blooms.
This past wedding season Erica and I worked together at two weddings. She was the Event Designer and “Month Of” Planner for Katrina and Pierre’s wedding at the Boston Harbor Hotel (which you can see here and here), and was the Floral Designer for Diana and David’s wedding at the White Cliffs Country Club. I asked Erica if she’d share a bit about Events By Sharon’s Daughter and the wedding services that they provide.
How did you become involved with event design and planning weddings?
Several years ago my family and I lived in Los Angeles for an extended period of time. We attended several celebrity events and witnessed how prevalent the special event industry is in that region. I was astounded by the amount of time, detail and attention that planning companies and designers invested into their events. It wasn’t long after that that I started to make the transition from my first (and very different) career in cardiac nursing to Event Planning/Design for social and corporate clients. I was lucky that I already had 18 months of floral design training under my belt (thank heaven for college electives!), which ended up being a tremendous bonus for my career.
Where do you get your inspiration for styling weddings?
My inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, but especially from fashion and interior/home design magazines and articles. My team and I also gain inspiration from the textures and fabrics that grace the red carpet. These, in turn, help to fuel new and fresh ideas for a client’s custom table linens.
On a side note, I’ve always thought that stars should start carrying flowers on the red carpet, but Hollywood hasn’t quite reached that point yet!
What are some of the trends you’re seeing in wedding design?
Recently there’s been an emphasis on earthy, organic, and “eco chic” styling for weddings and wedding-related celebrations. Because the majority of weddings in this part of the country occur indoors, many of our clients are looking for ways to bring the outdoors in. For example, several upcoming brides have asked that we incorporate elements inspired by the sea, the New England coast, and even snow and ice into their event design.
Tell me about the Events By Sharon’s Daughter team.
I am blessed to have a team of two designers and an assistant planner, though they’ve all been trained to cross disciplines as needed. A little bit more about them…
Scott Knowler is a senior designer for our floral division, Orchids N’ Blooms. Having worked in retail floral scene, he brings a decade of training and experience to the company. Though it is not always possible, we try to work as a team on all client events from beginning to end. This helps our brides to have two perspectives (on how an event may be designed) and affords them the opportunity to consult with two professionals, rather than one.
Valerie Cummings is a seasoned and skillful designer who brings over 10 years of experience to our design table. She oversees the majority of our North Shore/Southern New Hampshire weddings, but is no stranger to Boston brides and venues. When clients ask how we came to work with her, I explain that she designed my own wedding flowers in 2003. The rest, as they say, is history!
Donnaree Wynter is our newest planning prodigy who attracted us by her professionalism and ability to troubleshoot an event with precision. Not only that, but her love for wedding coordination and her persistently positive attitude make her a valuable asset to our team. Our clients express tremendous gratitude for her excellent work and for being a life saver on the day of their event.
I look forward to many more years of successful event planning with all of them!
A few frames from an engagement session from this past summer with Juliane + Bart. They’re getting married this September. Even though it’s such a busy season, photos like these remind me that I really, really want to get back to Summer.
I always provide clients with a disc of their digital image files. When I started photographing weddings that’s all they got — data on a CD. Now that I’ve been living in the wedding photography world for almost two years I’ve warmed up a lot to the notion of prints, books, and albums. There’s something about holding a photograph in your hands that changes your whole experience and interaction with the image. With wedding photographs in particular, the warmth of the imagery doesn’t always translate as well to computer and digital viewing as it does in print.
Today, I have options for clients to have professional prints, storybook albums, and custom proof boxes. I just got a new sample proof box so I’m sharing it here.
Amy (of Amy & David, Willowdale Estate), recently asked if I would photograph her kitties, Mabel and Olive, as a surprise Valentine’s gift for David. You might remember the cake topper from their wedding photos — it included likenesses of these kitties!
For me, portraits and people are the most interesting aspect of photography. And while they’re not people, I feel like animals are sort of like, little people. They’re little souls who wear fur costumes. They deserve portraits too! Portraits that convey their beauty and personalities. I love animals so much. If I hadn’t been a writer (done) or a photographer (doing it now), my other dream job would be veterinarian.
When Amy told me that Olive (the black tortoise shell) was extremely shy, I immediately wanted to see if I could connect with her. Does that sound silly? “Connecting” with a cat? So I put on my coaxing, shy kitty voice and demeanor, which I have to use all the time with my own very shy rescue cat, Iris. A few minutes into our photo session and Olive was rolling around and really became quite the little show-off model. Mabel is umm… outgoing. Watch your hands and sleeves because she’s coming to getcha!
As a wedding photographer, I work with some very talented and creative professionals. Sometimes I get so excited about a stationery designer or a wedding coordinator that I just need to share these “finds” with my clients. One of my favorite creative professionals who I’ve worked with this past year is makeup artist Dani Wagener.
Brides often ask me about getting their makeup professionally done. They want to look their best for the wedding day and for the photographs, but they’re afraid that they won’t look like themselves. I always recommend Dani. Her approach to makeup is realistic and simple. She just knows how to make women look like hotter, more beautiful, gorgeous versions of themselves!
Besides making over some of my “star” brides, Dani has done makeup for women such as Niki Taylor, Kerry Washington, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Deschanel and Daisy Fuentes. In 2009, Allure Magazine chose her as a Makeover Master, and in 2007 and 2008 Boston Magazine named her as Best Makeup Artist. Dani is also an Atelier Artist for shu uemura on Newbury Street in Boston.
I asked Dani a few questions that I frequently get from brides, and a few questions that I just want answers to for “personal” reasons, i.e., so I can go shopping .
What does a makeup trial involve, and how far ahead do brides usually have the trial?
My approach for a trial is a little different. It’s just an opportunity for a client to feel comfortable with me and trust what I do, and in turn know that that they’ll love their wedding day makeup. As people get closer to their wedding, many times the mood changes and their idea of makeup changes as well. Most times I’m meeting people one year before their wedding day, so it’s rare that I do a carbon copy of the trial. The only time I do an exact replica is if someone has a very detailed, specific look they are trying to create. I try to encourage first time clients to use the trial as just an excuse to have their makeup done for another special event: a work party or a night out with the girls. A makeup trial is a chance for women to wear beautiful makeup, enjoy it, have their photo taken, and feel fabulous!
Are there other things that brides need to do to prepare for their wedding day makeup?
I highly recommend regular facials. However, you want to just maintain your skin. Don’t try harsh treatments or change all your skincare unless you have at least one year in advance. It can take three months or more to fix skin issues if you have a reaction to something you’re trying.
Brows frame the face, so it’s important to have brows tweezed about three days prior to the wedding. Waxing can be tough on the skin, especially if you’re sensitive.
Many brides wear false lashes on their wedding day. From a photography standpoint, I think it works well in pictures. What’s your take on wedding day lashes?
Anyone who knows me knows about my love of lashes! Lashes make a world of difference by increasing the volume in the lash without clumps of mascara. Even with a few individual lashes, the difference is amazing. Lashes allow you to skimp a bit on mascara, which cuts down on smudging. I also do lash extensions, which last about two weeks. They’re extremely natural and safe for the eyes if done properly.
How do you decide what “look” or approach you’re going to take with a bride’s makeup? Do they bring photos or ideas to you?
I decide on a look based on the bride’s input, my opinion, and her comfort with makeup on an everyday basis. I feel it’s important for a bride to feel like a better version of her every day self walking down the aisle.
If a woman doesn’t ever wear a stitch of makeup (which happens a lot) I wouldn’t glam her up and load the makeup on her. It probably wouldn’t suit her personality. I rely heavily on the comfort of the bride, because when any woman feels like her best self, she exudes confidence and feels truly beautiful, and that plays a huge part in the wedding experience.
I’ve been hearing a lot about airbrushing lately. Do you do airbrushing and do you think it makes a difference?
I do a lot of airbrushing. All of my photo shoots are airbrushed. I probably airbrush about 50 percent of my brides.
The few major benefits of airbrushing is long lasting coverage that doesn’t look heavy or cakey. You can make someone look extremely bare, or I can heavily contour and highlight them with a few different shades.
Do you have any favorite products?
For color , skincare, and lashes I love shu uemura products. I also love Dior gloss, bronzers from Tarte, NARS Lip Lacquers and Multiple Sticks are great, and I absolutely love Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer. I use Temptu exclusively for airbrushing. I also use a lot of Make Up For Ever, and Face Atelier PRO
Okay now I have my shopping list!
You can view more of Dani’s work and contact her through her website.