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Category Archives: Wedding Tips

Wedding Day Emergency Kit

EMERGENCY KIT

We like to bring a little bag of goodies with us to our weddings along with our mandatory photography gear. Sometimes we’re not present when the maid of honor is asking around for an emergency scissor, but other times we’re right there with the scissor-of-your-prayers. Just in case we’re not around, here are some suggestions for your own Wedding Day Emergency Kit:

Spray deodorant

Stain remover

Nail polish remover

Pain reliever

Dental floss

Clear nail polish

Lip balm

Breath freshener or mints

Hair spray

Antacid

Tampons

Adhesive bandages

Mending kit

Safety pins

Double-sided tape

Clear elastics

Earring backs

Emery board

Bobby pins

Blotting tissue

Facial tissue

Extra lipstick for after Yichud

Side bonus: If you put one of these together, make sure to bring it along to your friends’ weddings to help them too!

Wedding Day Schedule | Wedding Tip Tuesday

Wondering what your wedding schedule could look like? Stress-free, that’s for sure. We always setup a timeline with our couples before the wedding to ensure that people arrive dressed and ready to go when they’re needed, that there is enough time to photograph the people and details of the day before the event begins, and most of all, to make sure that it happens in a way that it all gets done without you having to check your watch and be busy with vendors. 

Recently, we had a wedding where one of the mothers was in charge of scheduling with us, not really the couple. (It’s whatever works on your end!) She was very precise, and wanted to move times around 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, etc. I spent the time to explain to her before the wedding that though we make a schedule, we are not machines, and wedding parties involve a lot of people with a lot of different watches and travel patterns. Our schedule is a little more of a general guideline to keep things on track, but not a commandeer list that means if something changes that it won’t happen. So what happened? We arrived at the wedding venue, ready to get started, but there was no bride to be found. Only the sisters and one mother were there getting ready. The bride had contracted food poisoning the night before, and was in the hospital ER recuperating and rehydrating. She finally arrived around the time she was supposed to start portraits, but that was to just start getting ready with hair, makeup, and her dress. Though she was not feeling well even when she did arrive, thankfully, she perked up when she saw her husband-to-be and was able to start drinking little bits at a time. The moral of the story is that things don’t always go as planned, and we expect that. We always make it work. 

Ps. The photography schedule was executed differently than planned, but we finished everything (looking beautiful of course!), not only in time, but with 15 minutes of breathing time for everyone before the wedding started! 

I know you are all so curious about what a wedding schedule might look like. So keeping in mind that every wedding is different, I’ll share with you a sample schedule so you can get to know us a little better. When you’re ready to plan your wedding schedule with us, we will tailor it specifically to suit your needs and your wedding. Can’t wait!

Schedule with 10 hours & a reveal:

·         12:00PM: Photography crew arrives, unloading and setup.

·         12:15PM: Meet family members to assure them of your arrival and later start times

·         12:20PM: Greet the bride with a breakfast gift and gather details

·         12:30PM: Details of Dress and Ring, and other memorable wedding day items (Watch out for an email from us about what to prepare!)

·         1:00PM: Individual Portraits of the Groom

·         1:30PM:  First look, couples portraits

·         2:15PM: Individual Portraits of the Bride

·         2:45PM: Family Portraits, His/Her Family

·         3:15PM: Groomsmen or Bridesmaids

·         3:30PM: Family Portraits, His/Her Family

·         4:15PM: Groomsmen or Bridesmaids

·         4:30PM: Buffer time, where we suggest the couple takes a break and takes a breath before the wedding begins

·         5:00PM-5:45pm: Reception & Cocktail hour (Kabbalas Punim)

·         5:45-6:00PM: Veiling (Bedeken)

·         6:00-7:00PM: Ceremony (Chuppah)

·         7:00-7:20PM: Private time for the couple (Yichud)

·         7:20-8:00PM: Couple Portraits

·         8:00-10:30PM: Dinner & Dancing, etc.

·         10:30PM: End Photography Coverage & End Wedding

 

Notes:

·         This schedule includes 10 hours coverage (12:30-10:30pm)

·         This schedule includes a reveal/first look, which means that we will do all the family portraits before the wedding with both the bride and groom present for each family’s portraits. After the ceremony, we sometimes bring the immediate family back for more family portraits, and sometimes will only photograph the couple at this time.

·         Families (his and hers) are scheduled for who goes first according to the preference of our couple and their families. I always suggest that they take into account how many women they have in their family who are getting hair & makeup done, how far family is traveling to arrive, their tendency to be on time or late, and any considerations about the family’s children’s schedule. 

Seeking Advice in Marriage | Wedding Tip Tuesday

I was recently with a couple while photographing them on their wedding day. As we were starting their couple portraits, I directed them for posing using “your wife”, and “your husband”. She was so giddy, and said to me, “My husband. I don’t feel married yet! When will we feel married?” It stuck with me because she’s right. Standing there taking photographs together during an event called a wedding (which they both agreed was flying by), they must have just felt like two people who have chosen to spend time together. Earlier in the day, she asked me how long we have been married, and if I have any marriage advice. While I didn’t want to start rattling off random subjects of a marriage there in her hotel room, I did start to think, and I told her “of course”. 

What I think she did right more than anything, was ask. I may or may not have good advice, but a wise person will gather all the information they can get, without making judgements about who might know better than you. Wisdom can come from anyone, and chazal say that the wisest of people are those who seek knowledge from everywhere. 

NEW! Photography Education with Laibel & Chana Schwartz

On June 26th, 2017 we will be teaching our first class at B&H Photo and Video. What better way to spend your Monday? We are super excited to start our journey in education. We want your feedback, so please come join us, and let us know how we do!

Class details: 1-3pm Monday June 26th

Speakers: Laibel & Chana Schwartz

Event Type: Photography

Skill Level: Intermediate

Location: B&H Event Space

Address: Second Floor of B&H NYC SuperStore at 420 9th Avenue, New York NY 10001

Streaming Location: B&H Event Space

The class is titled, The Hall Is Ugly…Now What?

Learn how to shoot great event images in less than desirable environments, coming away with a noteworthy portfolio (and happy customers), despite having to work with tacky backgrounds. When Laibel and Chana started shooting weddings in 2011, they encountered the same struggle that all new photographers face: How do you build a luxury portfolio when your venues and vendors leave you with a lot to be desired? In this presentation, Laibel and Chana will teach you 7 techniques that they use to create beautiful portraiture in any setting.