Envisioning Your Wedding Day

As a wedding photographer I might have had a leg up on your average bride when it came time to start planning my own wedding. I've been to more weddings in a year than the average person in a lifetime so I've had more of an opportunity to identify what I did and did not want to do at my wedding. But I'm also a huge Pinterest addict, which means that I have 5 different boards about weddings alone and over 700 pins to consult before I make a decision. 

So I decided early on that I needed to reign myself in and hold myself to the decisions I made about my wedding day so that the next time I saw a pretty idea online I wouldn't change my course. As a solution I made what I call my "planning book" - it's a place to keep all of my inspiration photos and detailed notes about decorations in one place. 

I take a picture that I found either on Pinterest, Facebook, or Instagram and I put it in the book with notes about how I would tweak it or a detailed list of what I need to buy to make it happen down to the inch. I also use it to keep myself in check and make sure that I'm not getting too wild - does everything flow together, is everything on theme?

You can check out a few example pages from mine below...

On the day of the wedding my planning book will definitely come in handy. My venue has a wedding the night before, which means that all decorating needs to be done the morning of my wedding while myself and my bridesmaids will be getting ready. I'm going to recruit some helpful family members to decorate for me since I chose not to hire a wedding planner or coordinator. That's where my planning book will come in. It has an overview picture of each detail of my wedding (centerpieces, aisle decorations, etc.) so that my helpers can see what the finished product should look like along with measurements and any instructions they might need.

If you're not going to be able to help with the decorations of your own wedding and are, let's be honest, a slight control freak, I would definitely recommend coming up with a one-stop-shop for people to reference for an overall vision of your day. It doesn't have to be fancy - mine isn't going to win any graphic design awards - it just needs to have everything in one place to take one more thing off of your plate so you can focus on being a bride.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Planning Our Wedding: Registering for Gifts

As I grow up I quickly learn that more and more things are not what they seem like in the movies. Do you know how many movies I've seen brides-to-be joyously walking through an immaculate home goods store carefully picking out their fine china, good crystal, and spotless silverware to be added to their wedding registry? I don't have an exact number, but I do have a ballpark - too many. And let me tell you something - that is not how it really is.

All of the wedding websites suggest you register at stores that will gives guests a variety of choices in both products and budgets, so when it came time to register for our wedding, Blake and I chose to register at 3 stores: Sur La Table, Target, and Crate and Barrel. And similar to a romantic comedy, I learned a lesson at each one until it was just right.

Lesson Number 1: Make an Appointment

We registered at Sur La Table on a whim one night. We were already at our local mall and had about an hour to kill and I decided that the best use of that hour was registering for wedding gifts. So with no preparation or forethought I walked in to the store and announced that we would be making a wedding registry. We quickly learned two things - Blake and I do not have the same style when it comes to anything related to kitchen ware and neither of us had enough cooking or baking knowledge to even be in that store in the first place. That's where an appointment would have come in handy. Sur La Table offers appointments for gift registries so that they can have a staff member ready to answer all of your questions - even the silly ones. The store and its products are amazing, so please take advantage of their offer to set up an appointment so you can get the full experience and be confident in your decisions instead of wondering out loud the difference between a cookie sheet and a jelly roll pan.

Lesson Number 2: Be Ready to get Weird Looks

Taking a cue from lesson number one, we registered at Target on a week night when we knew that store wasn't going to be too busy. At Target they have you do your registry entirely on your phone - you download their registry app and use your phone's camera to take a picture of the product's barcode and you're done! Simple as that. But unfortunately without an official looking scanner, you just look like a crazy lady wandering the aisles of Target taking pictures of everything. It was only when I turned around to find a little girl staring at me with a look I can only describe as equal parts terror and concern in the bedding aisle, that I realized Blake had wandered off and I was having a conversation with myself about the merits of down alternative pillows.

Lesson Number 3: Go to the Pros

There's a reason that everybody and their mother has registered at Crate and Barrel for their weddings. Not only are their products stylish and extremely durable, they know what they're doing. My local Crate and Barrel hosted a wedding registry event on a Sunday morning where they allowed engaged couples to come in before the store opened and register. They had a plethora of sales staff ready and willing to answer questions, give demonstrations, and help in any other way they could think of. When we entered we were handed a list of commonly registered items sorted by type and use and I could have kissed them. You know how I feel about beautifully arranged lists. The pros at Crate and Barrel let Blake cut things with insanely sharp knives, let me arrange a pretend dinner party with the cups, plates, and silverware of my choosing, and even gave us a gift on the way out the door! Crate and Barrel by far was the closest to the Hollywood registering experience I had imagined.

Keep smiling!

Kaylina

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My Secret Wedding Planning Tool: Trello

If you read this blog often you've probably seen a trend - I'm obnoxiously organized. And while a lot of my tendencies are natural habits I've picked up over the years, I recently acquired a secret weapon: Trello. Trello is an online project management tool that allows even the most unorganized person to take control of all the crazy projects (big or little) they have going on in their life. 

Trello to me is a way to make checklists, give yourself reminders, and stay organized all in one place. Trello creates "boards" for each project you have going on. And on each board you can add "cards" which can have anything on them. So let's walk through this really quickly...

Let's take a look at my wedding board - I do not think I would have gotten through the wedding planning process with all of my hair still intact without Trello. When things started to get overwhelming at the very beginning of planning, I made a board. I first split things up in two ways: 1) things I need to do and 2) things Blake needs to do. I made a card for each item that I thought of and put it either in Blake's list or my list. Then I assigned each task a due date so I could prioritize them. 

Since Trello is free and super easy to sign up for, I added Blake to the cards that were his responsibility. Now, when a due date approaches, Trello will email Blake a friendly reminder for any card that his picture is on and I will receive an email reminder for all of the cards that I've given to myself. I went an extra mile by assigning color labels to some of the cards (purple for anything related to my dress, orange for anything having to do with our vendors, and blue for decorations) and you can also attach images, files, and link to cards to keep all your resources in one place!

I use Trello for everything and Trello is such a flexible tool that it allows me to shape every board in a unique way that works for me.  In my photography business each client has their own board so I can keep track of emails I need to send, due dates based on their wedding timeline, and of course when their big day is. I also have a personal board that I set up with both small reminders, like when the bills are due, and long lists, like things I need to get done around the house.

As I mentioned before, Trello will send you an email when a due date is approaching, and again when something is due to keep you on top of things. I still hop on Trello about once a week to update my boards - when something is done I drag it from "To Do" to "Done" - and keep an eye on things that I want to get done over the next few weeks.

If anyone out there is looking for a free, easy tool to help them organize their lives - check out Trello. And I especially recommend it to anyone out there trying to plan a wedding - it will save you from quite a few meltdowns!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Planning Our Wedding: Shopping for Engagement Outfits

I think the most common question I get from brides after we've scheduled their engagement session is: What do I wear? That is a pretty difficult question for me on a day to day basis, let alone when I'm considering what to wear in photos that I'll cherish forever. Talk about pressure. So when it was my turn to have my engagement pictures taken, I used all the advice I normally give my clients and went shopping!

Before I really get going, the pictures you see in this post were not taken by me because I'm in them (I'm not that good). Instead, they were taken by the amazingly talented Angela Fortin.

1. Have a general idea of what you're looking for before you go shopping (and know what you already own)

Before you open the doors to your local mall I would have a game plan of what you're looking for. I generally tell my clients to have 2-3 outfits ready for their session. That way they'll have some variety between pictures but also have enough time in each outfit to get some good pictures. I also suggest that the outfits should be a mix of dressy and casual.

Blake and I knew that we only wanted to do two outfits - one dressy, one casual. We weren't going to buy a new suit for Blake so we already knew that he'd be wearing navy, which meant I just needed to find a dress that would go with his suit. The casual outfit was a little more up in the air but we knew that we'd probably only need new shirts for this outfit since we could wear pants and shoes we already owned. So at this stage we were looking for a new dress shirt and tie for Blake's dressy outfit, a dress and necklace for my dressy outfit, a shirt for both of us for our casual outfits.

2. Start timeless

I always tell my clients to stay away from giant logos, crazy patterns, or anything that's super trendy at the moment. You're going to have these pictures for a long time and you don't want to look back at your pictures like an episode of "Friends" and go "what were they wearing!?!" - try to stick to solid colors, classic patterns (stripes, polka dots, plaid), and timeless silhouettes. 

When Blake and I were looking for our casual outfit, I found a solid burgundy t-shirt and Blake found a nice blue and white striped t-shirt. The building blocks to your outfits should be timeless.

3. But don't be afraid to go big

This is going to sound like it's in direct contradiction of the last tip, but it's not. Find a good balance of classic staples with trendy accessories. I don't want my couples showing up to sessions in plain, frumpy, nondescript clothes that don't show off their personality at all. So if you find something that makes your heart stop - buy it!

After I bought the solid burgundy tee, a ridiculously large floppy hat also caught my eye. So I bought it. I am fully aware that the hat might look silly in 10 years (if it doesn't already) but I wanted it in a few pictures and took it off for the rest. Blake's dress shirt that he ended up finding was chambray. Chambray is very in right now, but it might not be in the future. That's okay, because the solid navy suit he was wearing should stand the test of time. Like I said, find a balance.

4. Never be afraid of accessories

Accessories are exactly what Emeril was always looking for to take something up a notch. Throw in some amazing accessories and BAM!! Your engagement session just made your photographer swoon. I always tell my brides to bring heels to their sessions if they are heel wearers at all. They don't have to wear them for every outfit, but having heels in just a few pictures will be magical. At the risk of sounding like the man from Men's Warehouse - You're going to like the way you look; I guarantee it. 

That being said, I want to acknowledge that I did not follow my own rule for this - I am vertically blessed as a girl and Blake is my height (or an inch taller if you believe him) so I don't wear heels around him. But if you and your partner are a good mix of heights and heels work for you, please bring them to your session! Since I couldn't accessorize with woman's real best friend, I bought a super cute necklace from J. Crew for my dressy outfit and the hat I mentioned before for the casual outfit. They were the perfect small things to make the outfits pop.

5. Be comfortable in what you're wearing

This tip needs to happen on two levels. You need to feel physically comfortable in what you're wearing. Make sure it fits correctly and makes you feel good about yourself and your body. But you should also feel comfortable with what you're wearing in a personal sense. Is that an outfit that feels like you? Is it something that you might normally wear or your ideal you would wear? It's okay to dress a little nicer for an engagement session than you normally do, but the outfits should still reflect your style.

When shopping Blake and I went to our local outlet mall to get some great deals on some bigger brands we normally only dream about wearing. And we found some great bargains and were able to curate outfits that felt like us or at least the us we wished we could afford to be. Except for one thing - I found a pair of shorts that fit me fine and that I felt I looked good in, but after taking them home and trying them on with the rest of the outfit it just didn't feel like "me". So I returned them and wore a pair of shorts I already owned.

If anyone has any other great tips for what to look for when shopping for engagement sessions please leave them in the comments below! If you're looking for outfit inspiration check out my Pinterest board or check out the engagements gallery on my website! I love the effortless yet fashionable styles my clients always bring to their sessions.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Planning Our Wedding: Hiring Vendors

I'm an extremely organized and punctual person. If Google Maps tells me I can get somewhere in 24 minutes, I'll give myself time for 36 minutes, and somehow end up 45 minutes early. I have a notebook in my purse that I keep to jot down notes so I won't forget them, and in case I forget I wrote them in the notebook, I also put them in the "reminders" and "notes" app on my phone. My inbox is so immaculate that the Queen herself could eat out of it (if it was a tangible box, of course). I always respond to emails within 24 hours of receiving them and then file them away neatly in their respective places. These are all traits that make me a great wedding photographer, but might turn me in to a slightly controlling bride.

Those traits, combined with my 5 years in the wedding industry, have made me a little high maintenance when it comes to finding and hiring vendors for my own wedding. When looking for a DJ, florist, photographer, videographer, caterer, etc. I've been looking for a few key things.

1. They share my style

This was the hardest for me when it came to choosing a photographer and videographer. I found myself drawn to a few different styles because I could appreciate the technical aspect and talent in their final product, but I had to remind myself what I ultimately wanted. For me, I wanted pictures and video that were altered and edited as little as possible. I want candid, documentary like coverage of my day but with an artistic view. Blake and I are envisioning a simple, classic wedding. So hiring a photographer or videographer whose final product is a low contrast, matte version of the day didn't really make sense. Even though there are incredibly talented people out there with that style, it's just not for me. You can apply the same logic to caterers, bakers, florists, etc - while I might be attracted to some ornate, over the top things I've seen out there on Pinterest, I had to remind myself that our wedding day is going to be simple. So I had to find vendors that can do simple well.

2. They're personal and prompt

This comes back to the insane personality traits I confessed to earlier. In addition to being a wedding photographer, I still work full time. So email has been my primary means of communication with all of my vendors. It's important to me that I can get a good "feel" for this person over email. I want them to show an interest in me and my wedding. This might be their 500th wedding, but it's my only one. So them taking the extra time to read my email and actually remember the details I provided them with is very important to me.

Part of the requirements of me getting a good "feel" is that they answer my emails and questions in a timely manner. I'm going to be honest with everyone - this is where I've been the most disappointed. I'm going to give an extra helping of honest by saying that it has and has not been a deal breaker in certain instances. I have crossed certain vendors off my list if I didn't receive a response within a week (no, I don't hold everyone to the 24 hour rule) but I've also sent out follow up emails to some vendors that I REALLY LIKE hoping to give them a gentle reminder that I exist. I understand that people are busy and that some artist types (obviously not me) aren't self described punctual, email slaves, but it does make me a little nervous hiring them. If they're bad at answering emails now, are they going to magically get better at it the closer my wedding day gets? Which leads me to my last decision factor...

3. They're trust-worthy

As I said before, I have a somewhat unique view of wedding vendors because I'm a wedding photographer myself. So while I encourage everyone to put a lot of thought and effort into finding the right vendors for them, I also encourage people to trust the vendors they decide to hire. Once you've found that person for you, whether it's a DJ, baker, florist, or photographer - trust them. Communicate your vision for the day with them but let them do their job. Weddings can be stressful but you'll have the best experience on the big day if you've surrounded yourself with great, talented people you can trust. When you do turn the reins over to your vendors you're likely to be pleasantly surprised. There's a reason they're the professionals. They've got this.

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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Planning Our Wedding: Finding a Venue

There are few things I enjoy less than looking for places on the internet. Apartment hunting, scouting for shoot locations, and wedding venues. I don't like to trust what I see on the internet- I want to go see it and experience it for myself.

It took me several weeks to narrow down a list of over 100 venues to the 6 or 7 I felt were worth visiting. I narrowed our choices down by location (we wanted to get married in Columbus), by function (we wanted to get married and hold our reception in the same place), by price (we're not made of money), and, of course, aesthetics.

Although I listed it last, the way a venue looked- in person and in pictures- was definitely the most important aspect to me. I knew, from weddings I've attended and had the pleasure of shooting, that the location could make or break the feeling and emotions of the day. A great location means less work. Fewer decorations means less money. And that's always a plus.

So after weeks of searching and visiting venues around the city, Blake and I ended up booking Via Vecchia Winery for our wedding. It's gorgeous- large brick arches, exposed wooden ceilings, and filled with natural light. It's unconventional- Blake and I will be married in a brick alley beside the winery. We couldn't be more pleased with our choice. We found a place that met all of our requirements and reflects our personalities.

So here are some tips to keep in mind for any one out there looking for a venue for their big day:

1. The venue effects more than you'd think.
Booking Via Vecchia was actually the first thing Blake and I did when planning a wedding and all of our decisions since then have been centered around it. A venue really dictates the feeling of a wedding day and making other decisions with the venue in mind helps tie the whole day together. Our venue is a little unconventional and so is my dress. The urban setting of the ceremony and the age of the building helped us pick (and rule out) what decorations we'd want to use. Make sure that your venue gives off a vibe that you love and reflects you - you don't want to spend time (or money) trying to morph a venue into something it's naturally not.

2. Write down your deal breakers.
As I mentioned, Blake and I really wanted to have the ceremony and reception in one location to avoid guests having to navigate through Downtown Columbus. I really wanted an outdoor ceremony so we needed a venue that allowed outdoor ceremonies but had acceptable indoor options in case of inclement weather. This might sound silly, but a venue not having flushable toilets was also a deal breaker. If I was looking at a venue that didn't meet those three requirements, I crossed it off the list.

3. Go see it in person!
Like I said, I hate scouting out things online. Pictures can easily exclude aspects of a venue that might not be ideal and, in the same way, unflattering iPhone pictures can make a venue look worse than it really is. Narrow down your choices based on your deal breakers (and what's in your budget) and go visit the rest! 

As the wedding season comes to an end I'll be writing a lot more about my experiences as a bride planning my own wedding. If you have any questions or suggestions for other topics please leave them in the comments below!

Keep smiling,

Kaylina

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Planning Our Wedding: Finding the Dress

I'm a dress girl. I love ballgowns, red carpet gowns, wedding dresses, and prom dresses. I have a pinterest board devoted to just wedding dresses with 100 pins on it. I'm the kind of girl who can tell you who wore who the night after an award show she didn't actually watch. And with all my obsessions about dresses, I had never heard of BHLDN until my boss at work asked me if I liked their stuff. When I told her I hadn't even heard of the brand, she grabbed my hand, dragged me to the nearest computer, and showed me their website. I was enthralled. I immediately texted my mom and maid of honor letting them know that we would need to make a road trip to Chicago, the nearest location of BHLDN.

I was full of nervous energy on the way to Chicago- we had an appointment scheduled at BHLDN at 3pm and three scheduled the next day in case BHLDN didn't work out. I'm a practical girl, but I had been spending the weeks leading up to the trip visiting BHLDN's website daily, writing and rewriting the list of gowns I loved and had to try on. We got in to Chicago with enough time to eat lunch nearby but my nervousness led me to not finish my meal and get very confused why there was spearmint on my Margherita Pizza. Apparently I've just never had fresh basil before- don't judge me.

BHLDN was gorgeous- the downstairs showroom was bright and airy, devoted to bridesmaid, mother of the bride, and reception dresses. We were escorted upstairs to the bridal showroom where I totally geeked out and took a picture with my phone...

The actual process of trying on dresses was a little tedious for me. As much as I'm a dress girl, I'm also the girl that will buy something without trying it on and return it later if it doesn't fit just because I hate trying things on. So after the fifth or sixth dress, I was growing tired and frustrated. I'd watched enough (or too many) Say Yes to the Dress episodes to know that I wasn't feeling the way I should have about any of the dresses. By the eighth and ninth dresses I was ready to walk out the door. The dresses themselves were gorgeous and all styles that I had picked out myself, but they just weren't right. Then I tried on the one.

Champagne was served in tiny cans with straws, like a grown-up's Capri Sun, we all hugged, and squealed, and then spent the rest of the weekend exploring Chicago and shopping. Like my own little happily ever after.

And please excuse the poor quality iphone photos!

Keep smiling!
Kaylina

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The Real Questions to Ask your Wedding Photographer

If you've read my blog before, you might have noticed something: I'm a big fan of Pinterest. If you check my Pinterest page you'll see that it might border on "addiction". I have not one, but four boards, dedicated to weddings. Everything from wedding photography that inspires me, to decor ideas, to info graphics on how to properly plan a wedding.

The other day I found a pin linking to a Buzzfeed article titled "These Diagrams are Everything You Need to Plan Your Wedding". While I found most of the info graphics interesting and helpful, I had to laugh when I got about halfway down the list and found two related to choosing your wedding photographer. You can see them below.

 

I think it is important to get an answer to the questions mentioned above and to have an idea of what sort of photos the photographer will be capturing throughout the day. But what scares me about these graphics is that I get an overwhelming feeling that the relationship between the bride and the photographer is nothing more than a business transaction.

My "meetings" with clients are not business meetings, they're get togethers that allow me a chance to get to know the couple, their style, and how I can best serve them. I want to establish a friendship with my clients so that my services are less about an exchange of goods and more about capturing the love and emotion of their special day in a way they can cherish forever. 

I have no problems talking about how many weddings I've done, the kind of camera and lighting I use, or how many pictures the bride will receive after the wedding, but what I really want to establish in our first meeting is that the couple and myself are a good fit. That we'll get along. Because a wedding can be a little awkward when you have a complete stranger with a camera following you all day instead of someone you trust and shares common interests with you. 

So I would encourage any bride out there looking for a wedding photographer to not only get the answers to these questions, but to dig a little deeper. Are you a huge Netflix person? Then find out what the photographer likes to watch on TV. Love animals? Does your photographer have any pets? Yes, these answers might have nothing to do with their skills as a wedding photographer, but it will make the day more enjoyable as this person spends hours with you and your closets friends and family.

And please, if you don't trust your photographer enough to capture "the couple's first kiss" without having writing it on a list, find another photographer.

Keep smiling!

Kaylina

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Planning Our Wedding: Introduction

A few months ago Blake proposed and we made a decision to have a long engagement. We tell people we want to save money and give Blake time to finish college and find a job, but my main reason is so that I can have plenty of time to plan the perfect wedding. I view weddings as celebrations- a chance for everyone important in the bride and groom's life to come together and celebrate that two people have found each other and are making a promise to always support each other, through the good and the bad. Like any celebration, the key to making it magical and perfect is tailoring the party for the guests of honor.

I've had the opportunity to capture beautiful weddings over the last three years and every single one of them was positively perfect. Because the couple planned their day and every detail said something about who they were and how they loved each other. I am looking forward to flipping through magazines, scrolling through blogs, and pinning on pinterest for the next year and half while Blake and I plan our perfect wedding. My plan is to keep everyone filled in on our progress, decisions, and delights as we approach our wedding day.

Any and all ideas, suggestions, and stress relieving tips are welcome!

Keep smiling,
Kaylina

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