Nov 26, 2019 | Weddings
Who wouldn’t want to post this wonderful photo on social media?
Photo by Gold Grid Studios
Among my clients, the one thing everyone wants is a good photographer. (Fortunately, I know many wonderful photographers!) Because I’m not a big photography person, myself, this has gotten me thinking about how wedding photography has evolved over time–and why it has done so.
A few years ago, I saw my parents’ wedding photos for the first time. They got married in the 1950s. Think about it: I had never seen those pictures growing up and only saw them when I was an adult, and then it was almost by accident. There were a few dozen (because film was in rolls of 12) small black-and-white photos. By today’s standards, they really weren’t very good! The only wedding photo I had ever seen before of my parents’ was the one taken of my mother in her wedding dress in a photographer’s studio. As I recall, that was the picture that was used with the engagement announcement in her hometown paper. I had heard lots of stories about the wedding, but really had no visuals.
I have exactly one photograph from either of my grandparents’ weddings in the early 20th century. There’s a wonderful 8×10 black-and-white photo of my grandmother in her wedding gown and full-length veil flanked by her two bridesmaids (her sister and future sister-in-law). This was also pretty clearly a staged photo taken before the wedding.
Fast forward to my own wedding about 15 years ago. Maybe it’s because my parents’ photos (or lack thereof) had set up this expectation for me, we didn’t have a wedding photographer. (Remember, I hadn’t even seen my parents’ wedding photos then.) We had a couple of guests who were excellent amateur or semi-professional photographers who were happy to take a lot of photos for us, and we got some nice shots. They gave them to us as prints, negatives, and/or slides. We got maybe 150 photos total. I made a little album and I haven’t looked at it in a decade.
When I got married, digital cameras were pretty new, and most people still had film cameras. In the ensuing years, 95% of photography has gone digital. And what this has done is made it possible to have 1,000 or more photos from every wedding. Digital photos also mean that people are much more used to both being photographed and seeing themselves in the photo immediately. The result is that people in general are much more practiced at being photographed. And they seem to like it more, too. So, wedding photography has exploded, and getting good photos is one of the goals of a good wedding.
And then there’s social media. Having the ability to share your photos immediately with your friends or your world makes having them ever so much more valuable. And weddings–well, what could be more beautiful, exciting, or Instagramable than your wedding?
The other thing that has happened due to this change in photography is the increased demand for professional hair and make-up services. After all, if you’re going to be photographed all day for public consumption, a lot of people want to put their best face on. I’m pretty sure my mother and grandmother did their own make-up before their weddings. Today, that’s almost never even considered.
So, in my lifetime, wedding photography has gone from being a sort of a nice luxury that resulted in a small handful of photos to an absolute necessity so that the people getting married can have 1,000 gorgeous, artistic photos to splash all over the internet. I have to wonder what is next. Whatever it is, I know that wedding photographers are going to be right there in the middle of it.
Jul 23, 2019 | Weddings
I have photos from one more wedding last summer to share with you. This was quite the wedding! The ceremony was on the bride’s parents’ front lawn, and the reception was a mile down the road in a tent in a private park near the Fox River. The rain held off until the reception had started (lucky!), but some outdoor activities had to be cancelled due to the weather. They had wanted all the guests to send floating lanterns down the river at the end of the evening. Scroll down to the photos at the end to see what actually happened.
All of these lovely photos are courtesy of Kelly Jo Photo. Catering was by 3 Chefs Catering; tent from Blue Peak Tents; DJ from Waysound Recording; Zippy Photo Booth did their thing; flowers from Wildrose Floral Design; dessert from B’s Sweet Bites; video by Whole Hearted Wedding Films; and portable restrooms from Crown Restrooms.
Jul 1, 2019 | Weddings
If you have been following me on Instagram (and, if not, why not?), then you may have seen a few of these photos from a wedding last summer. This was one of the sweetest weddings I have worked on in a long time. It was also culturally very interesting. I didn’t know much about Korean wedding customs beforehand, so I got to learn a few new things. I had worked with clients of Chinese heritage in the past, so I was more familiar with things like the Chinese Tea Ceremony. But there is always more to know!
The other thing I loved about this wedding was that it was very much an Evanston wedding. The couple are both graduates of Northwestern, so they got married at Alice Millar Chapel. The reception was at the Evanston Golf Club— which is technically in Skokie, but it is close enough! Flowers were from FlowersFlowers in downtown Evanston. And all photos are by Evanston’s BlurFoto.
Molly’s Cupcakes provided the cake; DJ and photo booth came from Windy City Mix; and transportation came from both LCW Coach and VIP Livery.
Take a look at this completely adorable couple and their cute, cute wedding. First, a few photos of the ceremony venue.
The bride’s father walked her down the aisle–and then slipped into his clergyman’s robe to perform the ceremony!
And then the fun began!
At the end of the reception, it was time for the traditional Chinese tea ceremony. As the groom’s uncle, who was master of ceremonies for the tea ceremony, explained, the tradition came about as a way for the groom’s family to welcome the bride as part of their family.
Everyone had a fun day!
Jan 28, 2019 | Weddings
Sometimes I get really, really lucky and I am hired by clients who are doing something that is out of the ordinary and lots of fun. No offense to all the other wonderful weddings I am fortunate enough to work on, but the quirky, original ones are my very favorites. I have the photos from one of those from last summer, and I have to share them with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on them!
It was a small wedding in a very simple setting, at the Winnetka Community House, with catering by Catered by Design. Stitely Entertainment provided the DJ, and Vanilla Video took the video footage. Bridal party hair and make-up are by Beauty by Jaide. And the lovely photos are all courtesy of Geneva Boyett. Now, here’s the backstory:
The groom at this wedding is enormously fond of movies. He used to be a film editor and still has a great love for all things Movie. He also loves Legos. And is a talented DIY guy. The bride is into all those things, too, but in this case, it was the groom doing a lot of the decor. They both have tremendous senses of humor and never started to take themselves too seriously in planning the wedding.
The ceremony was in the outdoor courtyard garden at the WCH.
Here is a close-up of the lush floral and greenery arch provided by MilleFiori.
And now for the unique part. Remember how I said the groom loved Legos? Well, the couple decided that, instead of having a unity candle as part of their wedding ceremony, they were going to have unity Legos. I have to say, when I first heard from them about this, I had to wonder exactly how that would work. Here are some photos of the unity Legos in the process of being assembled, with the groom in the background looking on happily (description follows the photos):
The bride and groom put in the final piece together:
In case it’s not clear what is going on there, this is what it is: The groom started with a photo that had been taken of the two of them; he blew it up broke it down into its pixels; and then he made a Lego portrait out of that picture. The final piece is about 30 inches square. Once he had created the entire piece, he broke it down into 11 segments that could be fitted together again to create the whole picture. Then, as part of the wedding ceremony, 10 special people plus the bride and groom came up to each fit a piece into the picture. And here is the final result:
Ever seen anything like that? I hadn’t! And now they have this piece of artwork that was part of their wedding to keep forever.
And then there was the movie theme of the reception. It started with the place cards. Each one is a movie ticket, with the guest’s name and the name of a movie on it (along with the time and date and “Admit One,” just like a real movie ticket).
Each guest then found the table themed to match their “ticket.” As I said, the groom is a DIY guy, so he also made the centerpieces. Each one represented the movie that was the name for the table. The place cards in the photo above name some of the movies: Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Star Wars. Here are the centerpieces. See how many of the movies you can name!
Unfortunately, the photos don’t capture the best thing about these centerpieces: They light up! My photos are not nearly as good, but here are a few showing how these looked once the lights were on.
Isn’t that fun?
And, of course, the bride and groom wanted to take the centerpieces home with them, so they had to request that the guests….
In the end, as always, it was a day about two wonderful people. And these two had a sense of humor. Here is the silly part of their first look–first the groom’s humorous reaction to the bride and then the bride’s funny take in response:
But here is how they really felt about each other:
And here is how much fun everyone had that day:
Mar 19, 2018 | Weddings
Candles look nice, but are they the best idea?
So, you’re planning your dream eco-friendly wedding, and you have the organic flowers, local food, and composting service all lined up. What could make it even greener? Giving some thought to making your wedding less toxic.
Now, I’m not talking about industrial waste or anything like that. But some people are more sensitive to toxins in the environment than others. Even small amounts of substances that are found everywhere can be too much for those people. And there are things you can do to reduce them. It’s not just good for your sensitive guests, it’s good for everyone. And if you’re one of those highly sensitive people getting married, you probably already know about this, but I hope you’ll find the reminders helpful as you plan.
So, what could be toxic at your wedding? Let’s start with the candles on the tables at your reception. Chances are, they are wax candles made from petroleum. When you burn them, they give off–you guessed it!–petroleum smoke. And that is one of the things that’s toxic in a small way. Consider soy candles, beeswax candles, or flameless LED candles, instead. They all have pros and cons, but they are all better than paraffin wax candles on the toxicity scale.
Here’s another one: Perfume. Synthetic scents are among the worst offenders for people who have a low tolerance. Even essential oils can cause problems. That applies to scented candles or decorations, as well as personal care products. Sure, they smell nice, but what’s in them? A professor at the University of Washington has started analyzing some of them and found some disturbing results. Suffice it to say, you’re better off without a lot of synthetic fragrances.
Here’s another one you might not think of: Has your venue been renovated recently? Is there fresh paint or new carpeting? Often, those are things that give off volatile organic compounds, sometimes for months after they are used or installed. If you want a non-toxic wedding or event, you might have to ask venues some probing questions before you sign a contract.
If having a non-toxic wedding is important to you, I can help. If you need a guide, this is something I know a lot about. It’s not always easy to navigate this area, whether you are planning a wedding or doing anything else. The good news is that it is worthwhile to think about it in advance to make your celebration accessible to all your guests–or to keep yourself healthy.
Mar 12, 2018 | Weddings
This was one of the most popular posts I ever wrote. I have updated it with new information.
What do you do with leftover mini-cakes? Photo by HappyBuddy Photo Art.
One thing that often gets overlooked in party and event planning is what happens after the party is over. If you are planning a wedding, party, or other large event, now would be a good time to think about what happens when the fun is done. Beyond the basic logistical question of who is going to transport stuff from one place to another, there are the considerations of what to do with left over items. Here are my thoughts on several of categories of those items.
Food: If you didn’t run out of food at your party (heaven forfend!), then there will be leftovers. It would be a shame to throw them out. In some places, a local food bank can pick up your extra food and distribute it to food pantries and shelters. (See the Feeding America food bank locator to find a local food bank.) Some states and municipalities do not allow this practice, though, and not all food banks are set up to handle it, so check with your food bank ahead of time. And unless you’re a food safety expert, don’t try it on your own. Even if you can’t distribute your leftovers to hungry strangers, you can probably find some friends and relatives who would be happy to take some of it. Prepare for this possibility by having appropriate containers available, and instruct your caterer how to distribute extra food. Whatever you do, talk to your caterer ahead of time!
Flowers and other decorations: The nicest way to take care of flowers and other centerpieces is to donate them to a local hospital or nursing home. As with donating food, this is both eco-friendly and socially responsible. Not only do flowers get a second use, but they may also brighten the day of someone who could use a little cheer. Perhaps you already have a relationship with an institution where you can send your flowers. At one wedding that I coordinated, they announced at the reception that all the flowers would go to the hospital where a family member had received treatment in his last illness. It seemed like a most fitting thing to do. If you don’t have the resources to do this yourself, in Chicago and a few other cities, there is an organization called Random Acts of Flowers who will do it for you.
Favors: Extra party favors can be a real problem. This is one area where you will really need to plan ahead. For one thing, you will almost definitely have extra favors. If you plan for one per guest, there will be some guests who don’t take one, or who take one for a household, instead of one per person. But you don’t want to have too few, either. When deciding what kind of favor to give your guests, consider how easy the extras will be to get rid of. If you have a common item that is usable by anyone (like decorated pencils, for instance), then you can give away extras on Freecycle or to an organization that can use them (like your local school). Food favors are even more difficult to get rid of than catered food. Novelty items will probably be sitting in the back of your closet for years. You might need to turn to an organization like Special E in order to find a second use for some of these things. One couple I worked with gave away beeswax candles (tied with ribbons in their wedding colors, of course). There were plenty remaining at the end of the evening, but I imagine they were perfectly happy to have a supply of such a useful item.
Decor and Clothing: If you have decor items (candles, table runners, pennants, table numbers, etc.), clothing or jewelry, you can donate them to The Great Wedding Recyclery in Chicago. They are sold to people who want sustainable and inexpensive wedding items and the proceeds benefit the Green Wedding Alliance. You can also rent a table at the Recyclery and sell your items yourself. Details are on the website. It’s coming up soon: Sunday, April 22.
Be sure to talk to your planner or coordinator about what happens to everything when the party is over. You can save yourself some headaches, bring joy to friends and strangers, and keep things out of the landfill with just a little extra effort.
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