This weekend we got the chance to get our whole summer team together before wedding season starts for some team bonding, orientation and fun. I thought a fun way for Mary and I to get to know the new interns better and have some fun would be to do a little photo shoot for some sassy new head shots. So we enlisted the help of local Mary Kay gal Katie, who pampered and primped us before sending us off (looking glam) for our photos with Southwest Michigan photographer Ben Pancoast. Here are just a few…we had so much fun and I’m so glad we decided to do this with the whole Stella Team!
After a week of beautiful weather, it was windy and cold on Saturday, but we thought warm thoughts, and laughed a lot to keep warm. It’s hard to believe all 4 of the great locations we shot at were within 5 minutes of downtown St. Joseph. It just shows you don’t have to go far to get great shots and fun locations when you take your wedding pictures. Think outside of the box! This beautiful meadow shot was actually along the side a new real estate development, but you’d never know! After finishing up at Tiscornia Beach with our lighthouse shots, we decided that we’d brave the 50 degree weather and trek down by the water for some final shots at the waters edge (this one was for fun!). We didn’t have a single team member fall in the lake, so I’d call that a successful day! A huge thanks to Ben Pancoast for trekking around with us and taking some fabulous photos!
(amazing confections by Amy Atlas)
The other day at the hair salon, I overheard a bride-to-be and her friend chatting, and it got me thinking. The bride-to-be wanted to have a candy bar at her reception, and she was super excited about it. REALLY excited about it. Her friend proceeded to warn her that she had read Candy Bars were no longer ‘in,’ or a popular thing to do, and I could immediately see the bride was losing her excitement now that she had received her friends disapproval.
Brides… if you like it, DO IT! Don’t let a friend, national magazine or blog written by one person tell you not to do something you like, that will make your wedding personal or special to you. Trends are different everywhere, and just because it may be “so last week” to one person, it doesn’t have to be to you. The fact is, while I’ve heard over and over that candy bars are “over” on the west coast, the trend started here in the midwest much later, and I still run into tons of brides locally who have never even HEARD of a candy bar—let alone all the guests who have never seen one! So the moral of the story (no it’s not to get yourself a candy buffet)… Go with your instincts, don’t seek approval for every decision you make, and remember that when it comes to what you want for your wedding, YOU are the expert!
On Saturday we have our first wedding of the season with Megan+Greg at Mill Creek Barns. Megan is so fun & sweet and has been such a joy to work with & get to know over the last 8 months! She has put so much time and thought into all of her details, including bringing in a photographer all the way from Abilene, Texas. I’m always curious to work with someone new for the first time, so of course I headed over to their website to snoop, and I was not disappointed by what I found! Fun, funky and modern, this husband & wife photography team is a perfect fit for Megan+Greg! A quick internet-introduction later, and I have some absolutely gorgeous pictures to share from Two Pair Photography. Visit their Website and Blog to learn more about this fun & talented pair of photographers!
Thanks Tressie & Chad for sharing your beautiful work with the Stella blog readers! We’re looking forward to sharing Megan+Greg’s fabulous wedding day with you this weekend!
P.S. How fantastic are those bridesmaids dresses?! I absolutely love the blue with the sheer black overlay—so incredibly lovely!
tid⋅bit [tid-bit]
-noun
1. a choice or pleasing bite of anything, such as news or gossip
2. Tidbit Friday::a small, but useful tidbit of information or inspiration
(L-R: Kelly Powers Photography, Jen Kroll Photography (courtesy of Aletha), Kelly Powers Photography)
Tips for a hassle-free bustle
1. Make sure whoever will be bustling your dress will be at your final fitting. As the bride, you will be trapped in your dress and unable to offer assistance when your dress is being bustled the day-of. Plus, you don’t need that stress—leave it to your bridesmaid!
2. Have your seamstress color code the ribbons or loops she sews into your dress. This way you only have to match up the colors and there’s no question if the right spots are being tied together. Trust me, this will save you a lot of hassle, because even though your bridesmaid may say she has bustled a dress before, every seamstress tends to do them differently, and there are many styles of bustles!
We’re coordinating Katy+Ken’s August wedding and I was so excited to come across their engagement pics! Katy+Ken live and work in Washington, D.C and had their engagement pics taken at sunrise at the National Mall. I just had to share a few of my favorites, but you can view all of the lovely photos by Ben Pancoast here.
(all photos by Ben Pancoast Photography)
Getting your engagement pics taken at a location that holds personal meaning to you is a great way to make them unique and special! A family summer home, the beach you spent your childhood at, or perhaps at the college campus where you met can all be great choices! Are you getting your e-pics taken somewhere special?
Last Saturday was our long awaited curtain call shoot and it was sooo much fun! We had such a great group of people working together and our couple, Lisa+Dan were incredible to let us spend an entire afternoon with them, just a week after their wedding! They had a blast and so did we, and if we hadn’t all been starving, we probably could have gone all day! I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes shots from the day, and of course we’ll share all of the fabulous photos when they’re ready! Check me out holding the “stand” (highly technical photography term) out on the dunes! We couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous day in Southwest Michigan!
Thanks to the lovely Leda of LVL Photography for having the wonderful idea of doing a Curtain Call shoot, and inviting me to be involved. Many would call this Trash the Dress, but the mission of this shoot is not so much to trash the dress as it is to allow a bride the opportunity to wear her dress one last time and capture shots that just wouldn’t be possible on her wedding day!
Thanks to Ben Pancoast and Justin Leveque for joining in on this shoot and providing for even more fabulous shots throughout the day! I can’t even count how many times Lisa+Dan commented on how much they enjoyed working with these 3 photographers, and I can’t agree more—an absolutely fabulous & talented group and any one of them would be an asset to your wedding team (not to mention they are a fun bunch!) Also thanks to Erica at Salon 1341 in Stevensville who styled the brides hair, David at the Veranda at The Whitcomb who provided us a lovely room to use as our “home base” for the day, and Kim of All-Star Productions who filmed our Shennanigans throughout the day!
If you’re interested in a Curtain Call photo shoot, we’ll be offering a Marathon Curtain Call Session on Sunday, August 30th. The cost is $175 per person or couple ($75 deposit) and includes hair, 2 photographers in at least 2 locations and all of your digital negatives. Did I mention how incredibly fun this was?! Sign up today by contacting Jessica@stellaeventdesign.com!
Check out Leda’s photos & recap here
See more from Ben Pancoast here
(Mt. Baldy, courtesy of Ben Pancoast Photography)
Consider any policies, ordinances or restrictions
For example, some public beaches will not allow chairs brought in and will request all guests stand. This is fine for a group of 50 or less guests, but can be difficult for a larger wedding of 150. Also, if you’re renting a public park or beach area, you’ll want to check on any restrictions with serving alcohol if you’re hosting an outdoor reception. In Southwest Michigan, most public beaches are governed by the city or county and do not permit alcohol.
Is there ample parking available?
This is one area where unexpected costs can arise. When budgeting, take into consideration the cost for shuttle service to get guests to rhe location, or for many public beaches, the cost of admission/parking. This can add up to as much as $9 per car in our area, but can often be paid for ahead of time if the proper arrangements are made. If your ceremony location has an admission fee, that is a cost you’ll want to cover for your guests.
Is it easily accessible to handicap or older guests?
Secluded beaches or outdoor areas can be beautiful, but make sure to consider accessibility. Do you have older guests who will not be able to walk the distance? Is it handicap accessible?
Is there an option for inclimate weather?
If you want to tie the knot near the water, look for areas that may also provide for shelter in the case of inclimate weather. Certain beaches will offer a covered pavilion, or areas where you could set up a tent. While I always like to stay positive, it’s best to be prepared—-always have a back up!
Read tips from Part 1
(Kelly & Russ|September 2008, Photos by Kelly Powers)
Beach weddings on Lake Michigan can be absolutely wonderful. The natural light, beautiful backdrop for pictures and open air can make a lot of couples want to host a beach wedding. However, you don’t want to pick your ceremony location without some serious consideration. Give yourself some piece of mind by considering some important factors before deciding if a beach wedding is the right choice for you!
Choosing the right beach
I plan a lot of beach weddings, and in West Michigan you can throw a stone and hit 12 beautiful beaches. While your first instinct may be to go with a beach you spent your childhood at, or a main beach with a great view of the lighthouse or boardwalk, unfortunately, these beaches are often the busiest. When you’re looking at locations, consider how busy it will be at the time of year you’ll be tying the knot. Will you be able to secure a private area? If you’re on a public beach, ask a designated friend or family member to watch your area during the ceremony to avoid bikini-clad onlookers from wandering into ceremony pictures. While you may think people have enough common sense to stay away, trust me…many don’t. If you’ve hired a coordinator, they can also assist with this. People can be surprisingly cooperative when they’re asked not to disturb a wedding!
The time of day
A 1:00 ceremony in a church may be quite pleasant, but on a beach in August, it very well may be a sauna for you and your guests. For a beach ceremony, consider a later start after 4:00 to avoid the heat, large mid-day crowds and that blazing sun which will wreak havoc with your photographs!
Part 2 is coming up tomorrow!
