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We here at Darkershadesofbrown Photography have been talking about this for a few weeks on twitter and facebook and have created a bit of a stir so today I wanted to let everyone know that that we are officially launching our iPad Wedding albums. Ever since I had my eyes on this amazing device I have been thinking of ways to get them into my customers’ hands. So much is changing in how we display our images to our friends and family over the last few years and I can’t tell you how many requests I have received about how to best have images available for things like facebook and personal wedding blogs that people have created for their wedding.

After much thought I think we finally came up with an answer…

The Apple iPad will give you the freedom to personally show your friends all those wedding images you find in your wedding gallery….

Have you ever wanted to:

Create your own slide-shows and load your own music from your itunes account?

Get your images on Facebook?

Show your friends your images without having to bring them over to your house and open up your album?

Something tells me you have and now you can and with the purchase of this album option we will give you a one hour tour with your new device and show you the best way to do all of those things

Does this mean we are getting rid of our albums? Not at all, but we want to give you that additional option and provide a solution to that question you have asked us about displaying images digitally.

For more information about how you can get this option added to your wedding package as well as a demo of how it all works you can give us a call or email us at Dlanton@Darkershadesofbrown.com

~Daniel~

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Sometimes I wish I had more time to spend putting up some of the more amazing wedding vendors I have worked with this past year. Some of the stuff going on in the industry right now is just pretty much a plate full of awesome. A few weeks ago I emailed
Caroline Colóm Vásquez of Paloma’s Nest and asked if I could throw some blog love her way. From a photographers perspective or at least this photographers perspective weddings are all about the little details. The more eye candy I have to get my camera lost in the better. Last year Kristy Rice from Momental Designs introduced me to her work when we all collaborated on a tablescape session and I have fallen in love with Carolin’s work ever since.

Be sure to check out her shop here and her amazing blog here.

Brides…. Get on over and check out her work. I would love to see some of these deigns in some photographs this year.

~Daniel~

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Choosing your Wedding Party

When it comes down to it, the wedding day should be a joint reflection of you and your groom.It is a celebration of two lives joining together. This celebration looks different across the globe varying from culture to culture and that is okay. Some weddings are more traditional, others more casual, and still others very artistic.

When it comes down to choosing who and how many to include in your wedding party, it may be helpful to review some of the advice listed below.

Those who stand by your side on your wedding day as attendants are representing your close relationship with them and their support of your marital decision. It is not uncommon for a minister to address the wedding party charging them to help the bride and groom succeed in their marriage. This may have you thinking twice about some of the attendants you were originally thinking of asking. Some questions to ask yourself,

v  Ten years down the road, will they still play a significant role in my life?

v  Do they support my marital decision?

v  Do they support me?

v  Will they be a help or a hindrance in my wedding planning?

Weddings can bring about some powerful strong opinions and emotions in people- especially family members. Be very careful when choosing an attendant that you do not choose them out of guilt or familial pressure. Remember it is more important that you look at the shinning happy smiles of your wedding party knowing that they believe in you and feeling satisfied with your decision than years later looking at old pictures with regret.

The maid of honor or best man can at times make or break the wedding feel of the day. If they are truly your “bestest” friend, they will be more than supportive and do their best to not disappoint while giving you helpful, truthful advice.

Number of attendants

The number of bridesmaids and groomsmen at your wedding is largely a personal decision and depends on whom you want to stand by your side on one of the biggest days of your life.

Some things to keep in mind for larger wedding parties (more than 12 attendants):

more expensive and less personal. Some sanguine people enjoy having all their close buddies and cousins around them to celebrate their big day but they might not stop to think about the impact having ten bridesmaids/groomsmen might have on their wedding day.

Here are some tips:

v  Match your number to your wedding style

• If you are going traditional you want everything to say traditional- try to not veer from your chosen style
• If you are going for something unique try some tips below for mixing up the bridal crowd

v  Keep in mind location

• How large is the place you are getting married? About.com suggests that larger wedding parties will do well for a large cathedral but not for anything smaller

v  Keep in mind cost

• There will be gifts, food, possible lodging and travel expenses that may need to be covered.

v  Keep in mind more time

• Specifically for the girls, getting a handful of women to get ready for a wedding may take anywhere between three to five hours. Getting more than that to get ready will take anywhere between five to eight hours!

v  Keep in mind the day of the wedding

• There is definitely a party feel to having so many people surrounding you on your big day but there are other ways to maintain this atmosphere without having them all be attendants. The day of your wedding will be busy regardless of how smoothly it is planned and you may want to cut down on less mishaps (a groom forgot to bring his tux and the maid of honor just left to buy new panty hose while the photographer showed up to photograph the bridal party!) by choosing a smaller party. Remember that the smaller the size, the more intimate it will be and it will cut down on some of the stress.

Ideas for improvising:

v  Consider inviting all the friends you would have wanted in your party to the bachelorette party

v  Plan something special with the people you had to exclude- such as a special breakfast the morning before the ceremony or the day before if time does not permit.

v  Ask some of these friends to do something other than be an attendant such as,

• Guest book attendant
  • Be creative- I had two guest book attendants. I asked one of my friends who I knew enjoyed taking pictures to take photos of guests as they signed the guest book. I enjoy writing (can you tell?) so I have been asked to journal a bride’s wedding day. There is no limit to creative suggestions to make a friend feel important and very much a part of your day.
  • Make it a point- and make it clear to your Photographer -that you plan on having a group shot of you and your friends. This can be taken either before the ceremony or during the reception. This picture could be a nice gift framed and will speak volumes as to how important they are in your life.

Some tips for mixing up the bridal party:

The traditional wedding party goes something like this,

The groomsmen walk out with groom in lead to stand at the front of the church. The bridesmaids, one by one, carefully walk the length of the aisle to stand off to the side directly besides the bride.

*If you are not going for traditional, try some of these ideas!

Some brides regret having their girls behind them because they cannot see their friend’s faces during the ceremony. If you are one of these, consider switching sides! Have the bridesmaids stand behind the groomsmen and the groomsmen stand behind you. You will have to work out who will adjust your train (if necessary) and sometimes the photographer is more than willing to do this!

Some couples have groomsmen escorting the bridesmaid down the aisle and pairing off to their predestined sides.

Others escourt down the aisle (or come in from the sides of the sanctuary) and stand in their coupled pairs on either side of bride and groom.

Some are staggered on the stage and in more casual weddings even have large stools to sit on. *This will especially help with uneven numbers in the wedding party.

*Be as creative as you feel like- remember, its your day and the more unique it is, the more it will stand out in your guest’s minds.

~Janet Lanton~

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Lately, I have been getting slammed with questions and emails about what a Trash The Dress Session is so I thought I would post a little bit about my take on what this looks like to my clients interested in shooting one over the next couple of months.

First of all this is not something that I made up myself. TTD sessions have been going on for a couple of years now and I love shooting them so much that now I am including them as an ala carte option to my wedding packages.

My TTD sessions tend to be more fassion oriented then my wedding pictures. What I love about them is the freedom to take a few hours outside of what can be a stressful wedding day and go to locations that we never had time for.

TTD sessions are not just for the newly married athough day or honeymoon after shoots are becoming so popular with my clients because of the freedom of not being tied to a schedule. Many people have been contacting me about them because they could not get me on their wedding day due to my schedule being booked nearly a year in advance.

Sorry about that guys but you need to get to me early or someone will “beat you to the punch”. There are only so many Saturdays in a year and I haven’t figured out how to cylon clone myself just yet. Pardon me for the Batlestar Galactica quote. I just can’t help myself. Season 4.5 is being realeased for sale in like 24 hours.

TTD sessions can be as creative as you want them to be. It’s all about the location and the couple…. This year I will be shooting them in places like old abandoned amusement parks, NYC subways, factories and yes quiet little mountain cabins for those who like the outdoors.

You want to see some awesome sauce?

You can view all the pictures from Dan & Danielle’s 10 year anniversary session by clicking here. They opted for a parking garage for half of their session. I like me some parking garage wedding photos.

For more information on how to book your session with us you can email us at Dlanton@Darkershadesofbrown.com

~Daniel~

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For those who follow my blog on a somewhat consistent basis you know that every now and then I recommend a vendor that I believe has some special sauce they can offer you on your wedding day. I am always so careful when people ask me to recommend vendors to them. I honestly don’t know what to say to someone when they ask me about a vendor that I am not familiar with. Wedding planning like photography is not something to take lightly. There are so many people out there claiming to be wedding planners that it’s hard to know who to trust and that is why I gotta give a shout out to Jan who just does some incredible work for you on your wedding day.

Jan Sokolowski is the owner of Attention 2 Pefection in Forty Fort Pa about a half hour outside of Scranton and has many years of event planning behind her belt. If someone were to ask me who the best wedding planner is in and around the Scranton/Wilkes Barre area Jan would be at the very top of my short list.

To find out more about how Jan can help you plan the most amazing day ever you can check her out via her website by following these links

Jan Sokolowski

www.attention2perfection.com

570-817-8227

Checkity it out, 

~Daniel~

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Communicating your wedding needs to THAT family member

For the bride…to share with the groom

Every wedding carries with it its’ own measure of stress but sometimes for the Bride this stress comes in the face of close relatives and even friends. On occasion it could also show itself in the face of the Coordinator or Officiary. This column offers some helpful advice on how to deal with these stressful faces in a healthy way.

The most important voice on your wedding day next to your soon-to-be-spouse is yours. Notice I did not say only important voice. This is where bad advice can lead to a sure wedding disaster for some Brides and their families.

Emotions run high in weddings. Your big day is supposed to be a celebratory time where you feel supported and valued but from one human to another, no-one has a perfect family. Not even Cinderella. So the best you can do is learn to love and respect each person involved and respectfully make the decision you and your Groom feel is best.

Below I have outlined some “difficult people profiles” you may come across in your wedding haze (you may recognize some of these characters):

The Scarecrow- the honest, helpful soldier who is at your beck and call but is so terribly unreliable for he/she is ever searching where they left their brain.

The Tinman-the intellect; the one with the gameplan; Mr.  Realist, the one who brings feet to your wedding plans but who can never ever understand why you must have THAT song as the processional and why you can’t possibly have Aunt Suszie pick out the bouquet. 

The Lion- the loud, intimidating general. Secretly trying to cover up their true fearful feelings of letting you go, they do a whole lot of unnecessary roaring.

The Witch- the energy-sucking sore tooth. The one who causes

you ulcers and groans before the subject is even broached. She has carefully planned your demise. Grit your teeth, dear girl, you will have your one shot to be a princess, yet!

Toto- the one who is nipping at your toes all the time, causing you to trip. Running around you in circles, busy-busy-busy, without ever getting anything done and when you need her most she is no where to be found.

A way to deal with any one of these faces is to learn to set up healthy boundaries. Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend have written extensively on this subject.  In their book Boundaries, these authors offer some principles for dealing specifically with difficult people. Below are some principles I have pieced together from reading their book and others like it, from my own experience with difficult people at my wedding and in life, and by watching other Brides deal with difficult people at their weddings.

Make Thoughtful, Deliberate Plans Out Of Desire, Out of Wisdom…Not Guilt

Go ahead and make your plans with your Groom because you want to and because it makes sense (it fits into your budget, it works for you both, etc…) but do you both a favor and refuse to get caught making decisions because you were guilted into it. Tinman will truly be okay if his/her plans aren’t heeded 100%. Besides, how badly can you hurt a rust can with no heart??  

Respond Don’t React

It is much easier to shark attack (if you are so wired that way) when the Witch is up to her old antics or to shrink back into your turtle shell than to react in a way that is positive for both. But my advice to you is this: learn to respond appropriately by sticking up for what is best while not adding more fuel to the fire. When it comes to your wedding plans, remember that you and your Groom’s decisions are what is best so think through what you are going to say and say it carefully but don’t give The Witch the satisfaction of your anger and frustration.

Say No…Kindly

Do not be afraid to say no. Always respect the individual (yes, even one as devious as The Witch) by listening to their opinions, letting them know that you heard their request, and than in the kindness way possible say NO.

Compromise…Don’t Cave

In dealing with Lions, specifically the one flipping the bill, there is a helpful skill a Bride can  use in her backpocket. Its called artful compromise. As long as Mr. Lion (or Mrs.) is seeing that his/her way is being respected at least to some small degree and that he/she is being heard, and you have made sure to offer some affirmation as tip, you ought to still his/her roar at least for a little so you can busy yourself with more important matters. Don’t ever, ever cave to the Lion’s demands. This will only cause your entire wedding to self-destruct.

As for The Scarecrow, the best thing you can do for him/her is to simply not rely on him/her without their knowing it. Always give them tasks that involve helping the more reliable friends. Offer their name to Coordinators simply as helpers to decorate, set up, etc…but don’t ask them to do something you would be terribly disappointed if it didn’t happen.

And Toto?? Well, keep these types busy with small projects. There is always plenty to do between centerpieces and picking up the flowers. Send them solo or throw in The Scarecrow. Either way you will need at least one to two reliable people at your side to knock out this big day. The Scarecrow is not one of them.

When it comes to what color the table runners should be, or whether or not you ought to invite Great Aunt Margaret or hire Darkershadesofbrown as your photographer (which I highly recommend), stick to your guns, practice the above principles with opposers, and have fun.  Whatever wedding chaos you might find yourself in, all you have to do is to click those shiny heels together and repeat after Dorothy “There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home.”

Afterall, that is what is waiting for you at the end of the aisle… a new home.

Mrs. Darkershadesofbrown

AKA JJ

A few weeks ago I received an email from Kristy Rice over at Momental Designs located in Forty Fort Pa about 15 miles from my house. Kristy mentioned that she stumbled on my website by accident and became an instant fan. At the time neither one of us knew that the other existed and after reading her email I headed over to her website to take a look at her work.

The moment my mouse clicked over my mind blew up from all the awesome I was looking at. Many of her wedding invitation designs have been featured in the Knot and she has positioned herself as an expert in the area of custom wedding invitation design so I highly recommend giving her a call to see her work and chat with her team as to how they can turn your invitations into pieces of artwork.

I spent a few hours with them yesterday collecting images for their new website launch that will be coming out shortly and was so excited when kristy specifically told me that she was looking for something different with a message that communicated what they are. A crazy fun artistic group of girls who do amazing work.

It wasn’t to difficult for them to just be who they are

The Kristy

 The Jessica

 The Joy Aka the quiet one

The Kelley

The Stephanie AKA White shirt

The Linda… AKA MOM

You can check out their work by following this link and be sure to see the new website when it gets launched

http://www.custominvitationlady.com/

You know me… When I see something that I love I have to tell people about it so here is the coolest place on the Internet to find vintage headpieces for a wedding.  I just ordered one myself for an upcoming shoot this month so please spare me some change and order one for your wedding.

You can view their cool ine of accesories by following this link

Have fun exploring.

~Daniel~

When to order

Invitations or supplies should be ordered at least 3 months before the wedding date. It is wise to order at least 10 extra invitations for unexpected additions to your guest list and keepsakes.

Sources for wedding invitations 

Prices and quality will vary widely; generally, the lower priced options will be made from a less substantial, thinner paper and use a generic factory-made design. Samples should be ordered well in advance to check paper thickness and color, avoid cheap flimsy papers.

Under $1 to $2 each
The internet is a great way to research options for invitations. Specific keywords such as “wedding invitations with calla lilies” or “chocolate brown wedding invitations” will produce better results. For an affordable invitation with a posh look, invitations can be created with a home printer using premium paper and embellishments. Visit http://www.formal-invitations.com/ for high quality invitations supplies with instructions and templates.

$3-7 each
Search online for “custom printed wedding invitations” and “unique wedding invitations”. Local print shops also offer invitations, printed using lithography (flat ink) or thermography which offers economical raised lettering, although it is not as crisp as genuine engraving.

$8 each and up
A local graphic designer or engraver can provide high end custom invitations. Engraving is a method of imprinting artwork onto heavyweight paper using a copper plate to produce a fine line and raised matte lettering; the impression is also visible from the back.

Enclosure options

Reception Card
If the reception is held at a different location from the ceremony, a separate card is ordinarily enclosed giving the location and time of the reception.

Reply Card
Reply cards simply ask your guest to check whether or not they can attend and include a stamped and self-addressed envelope or postcard for them to return. Response cards might also include a selection of entrees for the reception, allowing guests to indicate their preferences.

Two envelopes/tissue:
A second envelope is not necessary and today more brides are opting to forego using one. Tissues are unnecessary, but may be useful in protecting the envelope if you are using a hard embellishment such as charm or decorative brad.

Wedding Invitation Wording

Hosted by bride and groom:
Emma Margaret Johnson and Jack Warren Smith
request the pleasure of your company in celebrating their union of marriage…

Hosted by bride’s family:
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Johnson invite you to join them in a celebration of love
as their daughter, Emma Margaret
is united in marriage to Mr. Jack Warren Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith…

Hosted by bride, groom and both families:
Emma Margaret Johnson and Jack Warren Smith
together with their parents (names of parents can be included here)
invite you to join them in celebrating their marriage…
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith request the honour of your presence
to witness the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony uniting their children, Emma Margaret and Jack Warren…

Hosted by bride’s and groom’s families:

Hosted by groom’s family:
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of Emma Margaret Johnson to their son, Jack Warren Smith…
Mrs. Audrey Jones and Mr. Kevin Johnson
invite you to join them in a celebration of love as their daughter, Emma Margaret
is united in marriage to Mr. Jack Warren Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith…
Emma Margaret Johnson, daughter of Audrey Johnson and the late Kevin Johnson
and Jack Warren Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith
invite you to join them in celebrating their marriage…

Wedding hosted by divorced parents:

When one parent is deceased:

…on Saturday, the fourth of June
two thousand and ten 
at five o’clock in the evening
St. Michael’s Church Orland Park, Illinois

Wedding Announcements
Wedding announcements usually echo the style and format of the invitation, with the substitution of words such as “are pleased to announce” the wedding . They are mailed on the day of the ceremony.

Assembling and Addressing Wedding Invitations

If two envelopes are being used, the smaller inner envelope is addressed with only the guest(s) name, such as “Mr. and Mrs. Grant Thompson” “Miss Johnson and Guest”. The outer envelope is addressed with the guest’s full name and address. Avoid using abbreviations for streets and cities. Before stamping, bring a sample of the completed invitations to the post office to determine the correct postage.

When assembling your invitations, the reply card with stamped envelope or reply postcard should be on top, then the reception card, then the invitation. If two envelopes are used, all of the enclosures are placed in the inner envelope face up. The inner envelope is placed (unsealed) in the outer envelope, with the flap facing back so that your guest sees his or her name upon opening.

If you’re looking for ways to blow the minds of your attendants check out this video about my favorite invitation designer below.  They really bring in the awesome…In this video clip, Silvana Misantone takes us through her stylish haute couture approach to creating specialized wedding invitations

We here at Darkershadesofbrown Photography are design freaks so I had to share in on the awesome creations by these guys. At the very least I hope this video clip and information has given you an idea of where you can go with your wedding invitations as they are the first expression of your wedding theme. Whether traditional or non-traditional, classic or contemporary, today you can find a range of stunning designs which can be personalised to match your wedding colours, everything from save the date cards to place names and thank you cards. Hopefully, this video clip will help you select the perfect invitation for your very special day

You can also get a link to their wonderfully designed website by clicking here

For more information on how Darkershadesofbrown Photography can help you in the process of planning your wedding you can get more info by clicking here.

~Daniel~

We here at Darkershadesofbrown Photography offer a wide variety of services to help you in your wedding planning process and today I thought I would give you an example of what our custom designed save the date cards look like and show you how you can add aome goodness to how you use them.

Each image is handfully textured with a vintage background to give it a timeless feel while still keeping elements of contemporary design.

These are the kind of cards that make your guests say something like

“oh snap! My eyeballs just went on vacation!!!”

These cards combined with a wedding website are a relatively new tradition in which engaged couples employ the use of a website to aid in planning and communication for their weddiing. The websites are used for a variety of purposes including communication with guests, sharing wedding photos and videos with those who were unable to attend, and providing maps, hotel and destination information, bridal party and couple biographies, and profiling vendors. Increasingly the sites are being used as tools for wedding planning. Many do-it-yourself sites offer features like online RSVP and budget management tools to aid couples through the complex process.

You can take a peak into what this client did for her wedding website by following this link

To learn more about how Darkershadesofbrown Photography can help you as you are planning your wedding follow this link or fill out the contact section in this blog.

~Daniel~