HOT! HOT! HOT! New fabric and textured leathers for our wedding albums!

I'm back from Las Vegas! Here is a quick photo from the portrait session I shot of my sweet cousin while in Las Vegas.

Hey everyone I'll be out of town for the next week and a half. I'm going to Las Vegas for the WPPI (the wedding photographer association) convention. I'll be back on March 15th. I'll be checking and responding to email while I'm gone but all print or album orders will be processed once I get back.

This project started out when I contacted Melissa Blackburn about photographing one of her lovely custom made wedding dresses. She hooked me up with Sarah who has an amazing champagne and lace wedding gown. Hair and makeup was done by Enizio and flowers by Studio Stems. Thank you everyone that helped me with this project.

Dress: Melissa Blackburn - Fine Dress Making and Design
Flowers: Studio Stems
Hair and Makeup: Enizio

<3 Opie

I shot Katie and Brian's engagement pictures last week at the Salt Lake City Library and the 9th and 9th area. These two are getting hitched in August.

Check out Colby and Eric's modern and sexy wedding album. They went with a 10x10 70 page leather flush mount album with a beautiful copper leather and a metal photo cover.

Come visit us at the Wedding Festival this weekend. We've got a large wedding and boudoir booth set up so if your interested in either type of photography come check out the albums. We are doing an in booth drawing as well as an awesome booking special if you decide to book at the show.

Here's the details:

The Dress – Make sure your dress will be ready in time for your scheduled bridal pictures. Have a seamstress check to make sure your dress fits in all areas and make any final adjustments. Have your dress steamed to remove any wrinkles because they will show up in the photographs.

Hair and Veil – Schedule an appointment to have your hair done professionally. Make sure you try on your veil to figure out the proper placement. I would recommend not wearing your veil for the entire photo shoot but instead bring another hair piece such as a flower or feather hair clip so you have a variety of different looks for your photos.

Makeup – Schedule to have your makeup done professionally by the same person you plan on having do your makeup for the wedding. Have the makeup artist put on false eye lashes and request extra lip gloss or lipstick for touch ups during your photo shoot.

Flowers – Order a bridal bouquet from your florist for your bridal pictures. This will be a smaller and less expensive version of your main wedding bouquet. This is a very important prop for your bridal pictures do don't forget to order flowers. If you realize you forgot your order a bouquet for your bridals then make sure you pick up some flowers from a local florist or grocery store.

Shoes – Make sure you bring more then one pair of shoes for your bridal pictures. Bring your regular bridal shoes but also bring comfortable shoes for walking from one location to another. I would recommend bringing at lest one pair of colorful shoes if your bridal shoes are white. Most photographers like to photograph your shoes so make sure you get your nails done if you have cute peep toe shoes.

Jewelry – Figure out what bridal jewelry you will wear with your wedding dress. Make sure you wear your engagement ring for your bridal pictures and get a manicure before your photo shoot.

Props – Figure out if you want to bring any props with you for your photo shoot. A few great props are: an umbrella, gloves, a shawl, a chair, a hat, and balloons.

Location – Talk to your photographer about your bridal style and figure out a great location that will fit the look and feel of your overall bridal style. Email your photographer a photo of your wedding dress and brainstorm some indoor and outdoor locations for your photo shoot.

Seasons – No matter what season your doing your bridal pictures make sure you bring some bottle water and a small snack. Have a friend or family member come along to help carry small items and pick up the train of your dress. Make sure you bring a white sheet or shower curtain to put under your dress so it won't get dirty. Bring a warm coat and gloves if your doing your bridal pictures in the winter.

Bring the Groom! - Many brides are deciding to bring the groom along for the bridal session and making it a “groomal” session instead. If you bring the groom along for the photo shoot this give you peace of mind that you already have some great bride and groom pictures before the wedding day. So if you have bad weather or your running 30 minutes behind the day of the wedding you know you already have some great bride and groom photos. Also, you can display your groomal pictures at the reception.

I was so flattered when Stephanie contacted me and said she lives in Idaho but was willing to drive 2 hours down to Salt Lake City, Utah to have me shoot her engagement pictures. Stephanie and Mark are getting hitched back east in Maryland this spring. They decided to do their engagement pictures in Park City, Utah and Mark was drooling at the ski lifts because he loves to ski. My standard engagement sessions are 2 hours long with 2 locations and 2 outfits. I find you get a better variety of pictures and locations this way. Check out their cute shoot.

<3 Opie

I'm on a budget!

How much do you actually need for the wedding?

You should figure out how much you need to spend to get what you want. The average wedding budget is $20,000 and 30-50% of couples are paying for the wedding themselves. The majority of couples spend $15,000 to $25,000 and the original wedding budget is typically 50% less than the amount spent. That's right, if your original wedding budget is $15,000 then you could end up paying $30,000 when everything is said and done. These numbers do not include the cost for a honeymoon or engagement ring. Understanding these statistics will help you with your wedding budget when it comes time to book vendors.

Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay:

Reception: 48%

Ceremony: 3%

Attire: 10%

Flowers: 8%

Entertainment/Music: 8%

Photography: 12%

Stationery: 3%

Wedding Rings: 3%

Parking/Transportation: 2%

Gifts: 3%

Miscellaneous: 3%

Now let's take a look at the percent you should be spending on photography in relation to the overall budget.

$10,000 wedding budget - $1,200 photography budget

$15,000 wedding budget - $1,800 photography budget

$20,000 wedding budget - $2,400 photography budget

$25,000 wedding budget - $3,000 photography budget

$30,000 wedding budget - $3,600 photography budget

How much should you spend on wedding photography?

When determining your wedding photography budget, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. You should expect to spend at least $1,000 on having a professional wedding photographer document your wedding (not including prints, albums, and other extras). The rates and packages will vary depending on the skill level and experience of the photographer. In comparing photography costs, remember that different photographers offer different packages. Some rates only include the photographer's time meaning prints and albums are extra. Most bride's in Utah spend $2,000-$2,500 on wedding photography so if your current photography budget is less then $1,000 you need to adjust some numbers. Keep in mind that you get to keep only three things after the wedding: your dress, your ring, and your wedding pictures. Everyone is on a budget but think of how much you are spending in the other areas on your wedding: Food, Flowers, Decor, Rentals, Stationery, Favors, Band
How many of those things do you get to keep after the wedding? Your children, grand children, and great grand children are going to ask to see your wedding pictures and they will cherish them for decades.

When should we book the photo shoot?

The engagement photo shoot should be booked 2 to 3 months before the wedding. Of course, you can always do it sooner or later if your schedule requires.

Do I have to hire a professional photographer? A friend or family member has offered to shoot our engagement pictures for free.

Stop right there! A wedding is a once in a life time event and that means your engagement pictures symbolize this part of your relationship together. Establishing a relationship with your wedding photographer long before your wedding will make a difference in the outcome of your wedding images. As a couple you've probably never been photographed professionally before so your engagement session is a good time for the photographer to see your individual personalities and how you interact with each other. This will help the photographer to capture images on the wedding day that are unique to that couple.

When should we send out wedding invitations with our engagement photo?

When you invite people from out of town you should send their invitation at least 8 weeks in advance. For local guests 4 weeks before the wedding is ideal.

Where should we do the photo shoot?

Have your engagement pictures taken at a location that is important or that has some meaning to the two of you. This could be the place you got engaged, first date, the college where you met, a favorite restaurant, or your home town. Your photographer will also have a list of great locations for your photo shoot if you want something different. An open meadow, an abandoned house, a local carnival, or a bowling alley are all examples of non-traditional locations you could also try.

What time of day is best for pictures?

The early morning or the late evening is best for photos right when the sun is rising or setting. If you are planning on having your hair and makeup done for your engagement session you will have an easier time scheduling your photo shoot in the late afternoon. Always schedule your shoot at least two hours before sunset so you will have plenty of time for pictures.

What should we wear?

If you schedule a two hour engagement session you probably have time to do a formal and casual outfit for each hour. Keep your clothing classic and colorful. Solid colors are a must and try to avoid plaids, florals, patterns, and head to toe in the same color. Make sure your clothing is not coordinated to the point where it looks too matchy. Keep your jewelry simple to avoid flashy distractions in your pictures. Of course wear your engagement ring.

How should I do my makeup/hair?

If you don't normally wear makeup I highly suggest you wear some for your photo shoot. I highly recommend having your hair and makeup done professionally so you can start to experiment with different looks for your wedding day. False eye lashes are a must have for any photo shoot. Don't bother with a fancy up-do since these photos are casual and relaxed. It's best to keep your hair down in loose curls or completely strait. Make sure you bring some lip gloss with you to the photo shoot so you can reapply after kisses.

What should we do with the engagement photos?

The most popular use for engagement photos is to include a loose print with your wedding invitations. Another great idea is to have custom wedding invitations made with your favorite engagement pictures. This means you save money on not having to do a print on photo paper and you can include more then one photo on the invites. Another great idea is to have your photographer create a guest sign in book using your engagement photos and white space for your guests to write their well wishes. This ends up being a great keepsake after the wedding.

What should we bring with us to our engagement session?

If your doing your engagement pictures in the summer bring some bottled water and sunblock. If your doing your engagement session in the winter make sure you bring gloves, hand warmers, and a change of shoes. Get creative with props. You can bring: bikes, balloons, a picnic, a vintage car, a piece of furniture, an umbrella, a suit case, a skateboard, hats, and books.

Do I get the digital negatives?

In most cases the photographer will break up the session fee and the cost of the digital negatives. The session fee is for the photographer's time and talent to shoot and process the pictures. The digital negatives are supplied on disc with a print release giving you permission to print the images for personal use.