About 2 weeks ago I had to venture to DC for work, and it just happened to coincide with the Cherry Blossom Festival. I really enjoy DC, and Jeremy and I actually considered moving there when he was looking for a job. It has so much wonderful history, shopping and neat neighborhoods. At my day job, I’m charged with the task of putting together our bimonthly magazine… and in turn, I basically photograph everything for it, including the cover. Since the Cherry Blossoms were so perfect, I thought they should grace the cover this time. Interested in reading more about my day job? Click here for the latest magazine!  If you’re in Charlotte, we would love for you to join our chapter, Queen City Grange! We were lucky enough to photograph Jonathan & Melissa back in 2012 (engagement- digital, film & wedding- digital, film) just outside of DC…. we would love to travel back for your day!

The height of booking season has hit us (thankfully! it’s been a long winter) I love getting to meet with brides about possibly photographing their wedding day. These last few weeks I’ve met with a slew of ladies and gotten all kinds of interesting questions. A few months ago I was asked to contribute to an article being written for Creative Loafing about questions couples should ask when looking for a photographer. You can find it here! Actually, my full response was this…. “Are you well equipped to work in low light conditions? This is something I almost never get asked, but it is SO important. Nearly anyone could take a passable photograph when the sun is up….. but what about when the glow of the candles is all you’ve got? You better know your photographer has the right stuff to make your party photograph well, even if lighting conditions suck. Make sure you ask to see reception/evening/dark church shots if your party will go on into the night or you’ll be in a dark space. ….. on a side note, please don’t ask what kind of equipment I use. Chances are you have no clue what constitutes “pro” equipment, so when I rattle off 50 1.4, D700, SB900…. you won’t have a clue what any of that means. Just because a wedding guide tells you to ask what kind of equipment I use, doesn’t mean a thing if you aren’t well versed in photography.”   It’s so incredibly important that a wedding photographer be able to capture images when it’s dark. The images above were from Maggie & Rory’s reception, they had 2 tents (which easily bounce a photographer’s flash) but their dance floor area was not tented…. meaning we had nothing to bounce light off of…. but we use off camera lights to combat this issue! As you can see above, all the images are properly lit, even though it was next to pitch black out at that remote house and yard. Don’t be afraid to ask a photographer to see dark reception photos if your party will go well into the night. Just because I love daytime/outdoor/bright photos, doesn’t mean I can’t capture a late night soiree!

As a rule, I tend to loathe traditional bridesmaid attire. It can be cheaply made and cost an arm & leg. Let’s be honest, a lot of it is unflattering (although it has gotten a lot better!)….. I also tend to gravitate to pattern… I guess I think about it like decorating a room…. you wouldn’t paint the walls blue, have blue carpet and a blue sofa…. there’s no visual interest there, just flat, boring color. There’s NO reason why you can’t do the same with your wardrobe…. add pattern, add interest. I remember when I was a bride, many of the weddings I saw in magazines that I loved included bridesmaids in a pattern. I have always loved these two weddings; Red Gray *I actually think both these dresses were from Anthropologie Below are a few dresses that could be easily accessible to your gals if they are spread far and wide. Consider the visual interest you’ll add to your ceremony (and your photos!) if your girls are in pattern! (note, I included the J Crew & Ann Taylor, just because I love the sleeves!)