Wedding Wednesday: Fitting Photography into the Picture | Virginia Wedding Photographer

Two weeks ago, I introduced my Wedding Wednesday series and talked about one of the first and most important things you should do when you're planning your wedding, setting your budget. (If you missed that post, you can check it out here!) This week, I'm writing about something a little closer to my heart: some tips for selecting your photographer!

As you can imagine, selecting your photographer (or any of your main vendors, for that matter) takes time and research.  With that in mind, here are some tips for fitting your photographer into the picture!

Yep, that's me in action at my sister's wedding, where I did double duty as the photographer and a bridesmaid. (Taken by the Seven Springs resort photographer.)

Brush up on your style.

What's your photographic style? It's OK if you have no idea -- most people don't. During the first leg of your research, ask friends or family for photographer recommendations, or do an online search for wedding photographers in your area. As you look through the portfolios, ask yourself a few questions. Do you like a more vintage feel in your photos, or are crisp, classic black-and-whites more your style? Do you like the quirky, colorful images? Can you feel the emotions coming through in the images? These are all important factors in determining the style you want for your photos, and you'll want to go with a photographer who produces well-lit, high quality photos that go with your style.

Personality is important.

The relationship that you develop with your photographer is one of the most crucial relationships you'll develop during the wedding planning process, and because it's such a personal, intimate occasion, you want the best person for YOU on that day. While there are plenty of extremely talented wedding photographers out there, only a handful of them will be the right fit for your wedding. As you chat with your potential photographers, it's important for that mutual chemistry to be there. Think of these conversations as a first date! Do you click right away? If not, move on! 

Don't be afraid to ask questions!

Communication with your photographer is key in getting the coverage that you want. Your questions will most often come when you're discussing the packages each photographer offers. Often times photographers can put together custom packages, so if you really like a photographer and her style, but aren't seeing something you want in her packages, go ahead and ask for it! Don't be afraid to ask other questions as well: How many images will we get? How many hours will you be there for this fee, or does the fee cover an assistant or second shooter? How long will it take to deliver our proofs? These things are all important in assuring that you don't get any big surprises on the day of -- or a few months after -- your wedding. 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and fantastic wedding pictures are worth the price tag. 

Yep, that's right: spending money on a good photographer is well worth the splurge. Your photographer's job is to capture the essence of your day and produce a product that you'll cherish for the rest of your life, not just snap some pics and call it a day. We take pride in what we do, and the average wedding photographer spends anywhere from 20 to 40+ hours on your images after the wedding putting together the best images to convey the story line that you worked so hard to plan. There is nothing like being able to look back on your photos 10 years from now and instantly relive that special day, and that often comes with the price tag of a talented photographer. 

And finally, vision under pressure. 

A good photographer will pick up on subtle cues throughout the day, and won't need much direction at all. A great photographer will also be there with an "emergency kit" to make sure the little things that pop up (like stray hairs or torn stockings) don't derail you. An amazing photographer will be able to make suggestions on the fly if something just isn't working, or even suggest ideas for images that you had not previously thought of!  It's our job to capture you at your best, and we will work with your coordinator to make sure that everything goes smoothly and that you look your best, happiest self on one of the happiest days of your life. 

And the Winner Is...

Last week, I announced my holiday engagement feature contest, and I was blown away by all of your responses and stories. I just LOVED reading about how excited and surprised everyone was (well, at least the half of you that did not know your better half was going to propose!). It's just another reason that I love the holidays!

So, on to what you all are dying to hear: the winners! It was tough to pick just one, but I had to. The lucky couple is...

Erica and Bryan! Their Christmas Eve story was so sweet, and I was a sucker for the picture they included to go along with it.  Congratulations to Erica and Bryan, and stay on the lookout for their special feature in the next few months!

Wedding Wednesdays Are Beginning! | Virginia Wedding Photographer

Good morning, and welcome to Wedding Wednesday's first post!

"Well this is all very lovely," you say. "But what," you ask, "is Wedding Wednesday?"

Wedding Wednesday was born out of one of my 2013 New Year's resolutions. We all have those, right? Just because I was an English major and miss writing all the time, this year, I resolved to spice it up and blog more about things wholly unrelated to your sessions with me. 

I know, it's awesome! I'll just give you guys a moment to let that glorious news sink in. ;)

In all seriousness though, weddings are complicated events to plan. And let's face it: unless you plan weddings for other people for a living, it's not something you know a whole lot about until you're thrown in, all at once. So I thought I'd lend a helping hand to all you brides out there who are, like I was, clueless about how to plan the most awesome party EVER for your 200 closest friends and family.

Thus, the idea for Wedding Wednesday was born. This post right here is the first entry in a series of blog entries I plan to keep up throughout the year. Every other Wednesday, I will be  publishing a post dedicated to all things wedding. This inaugural post for Wedding Wednesday is about the very first thing you should do once you've said "yes" -- besides telling everyone, of course!

First things first: set your budget.

Before you even THINK about anything else wedding, set a budget. And no, you can not "ballpark" the budget. Sit down with your future partner for life, your parents, his parents, and anyone else who could possibly be contributing funding to your epic party, and hash out the numbers until you get something you're all comfortable with. Then write down the agreed-upon amount and put it somewhere central, where everyone can see it. Google Drive is a great place for a central spreadsheet / planner with controlled access, and you can also use apps like DropBox to share your budget spreadsheet with those who need it.

Yes, I know that budgeting is not the most fun part of planning a wedding. But trust me, the rest of your planning will be much more fun (and much less painful) if you set this first! Here are some tips and pointers to consider while setting your budget:

• Categorize Expenses
• How much do you want to spend on the photographer and videographer? What about your venue, or your dress and his tux? It's helpful to break down your total amount into budget categories such as food and drink, venue, entertainment, and photography.
• Determine where your priorities are
• Once you have your expenses categorized, you can decide what percentage of the total budget each category will get based on how important each category is to you. If your guests' entertainment is more important to you than the flower arrangements, reallocate that extra money from your decorating budget: hire great DJ and have an open bar instead!
• Don't forget to include taxes and service fees in your budget
• Vendors, like your caterer, typically include service charges, taxes, and other fees in their total cost, but they are not always listed obviously in price quotes. Be sure to include a little cushion in your budget allocations for fees like this.
• DIY is cool
• Taking on the design and creation for some aspects of your wedding, like homemade invitations, is not only a great way to ensure that you stick to your budget -- it's also a great way to inject your own creativity and personality into your wedding.  And some good news if you're not one of those "creative" types: Pinterest has a plethora of great DIY ideas and tutorials that are super easy to follow! 



• The most striking part of these decorations above, the beautiful white "birch" trees, were DIY. They were made from branches that fell during Hurricane Sandy, trimmed, and spray painted white. In fact, nearly all of the decorating in this gorgeous room was DIY. Neat, huh?
• Expect the unexpected
• It's also wise to set aside some of your budget for unexpected expenses -- there are ALWAYS unexpected expenses, and they add up quickly!

Do you have any other tips you'd like to share with me, or would you like to write a guest Wedding Wednesday post? Feel free to share them with me at info@rachaeldeanphotography.com!

Dagen Turns One! | Virginia Portrait and Event Photographer

What's a better way to start 2013 than with a birthday party? And that's exactly what I got to do this weekend with one of my very favorite little guys. I can't believe that the handsome fella below, Dagen, is already one -- it seems like just yesterday that I was swooning over his newborn gooey-ness! He was such a smiley little guy a year ago, and that did not change this weekend. He was all smiles and laughs as he got to celebrate turning 1 with his parents and friends. He had lots of yummy food, chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting (decorated with circus animals!), and of course, lots of friends to play with in his circus tent. We even got to sneak in some time outside for a quickie family session to commemorate the day!