Part II with Katie Moos:

6. When creating a list of group photos for your photographer include individual people’s names.  So for example you want a photo of the Johnson family list off the individual’s names…Alice, Rob, Bobby, Sue, and George.  The reason for this…if the photographer calls out “Johnson family photo” they might get questions like “Did you want the spouses and kids?” “Did you want my fiancé in the photo too?” “Is Grandma in this one?”  “Did you want aunts, uncles, and cousins?” Some of those questions might be embarrassing to answer on the spot.  What if you do not want your brother’s fiancé in the photo—it’s hard to say that when she is standing right there looking at you or asking the question.  So talk about it before and put names on the list…that way the photographer will simply say “Can I please have Alice, Rob, Bobby, and Sue in this photo?”  It also is more personal and is easier for the photographer to gather people because she/he knows how many people to expect.

7. Bring a nice hanger for your wedding dress.  We like to take a shot of your dress before you put it on and often times the dress is on a cheap plastic hanger…not so cute.  Also, the best hangers do not have the cross bar where pants hang.

8. Bring an invitation to the wedding…we’d love to take a detail shot of it.

9. Have your reception area set up well in advance so the photographer can get some photos of it before it gets…well, messed up.

10. Last but not least—feed your photographers…they are starving by dinner (often times we are there from 8-10 hours and have missed lunch and dinner…we work hard for you all day—think about your job– 2 -10 minute breaks and a 30 minute lunch break…not us-we work all day straight-unless of course you feed us at which time we will eat what we can in a few minutes and then we go back out for more photos)!!  ☺

Thank you so much!!  I hope these tips are helpful.  If you have any questions please feel free to email me at info@katiemoos.com.  You may also check out my blog at www.katiemoos.com/blog.  Also, as a special treat for Kelly Oshiro blog readers—I am giving $50 off an engagement or family session when you mention this blog posting!!

Hi Kelly and Kelly Oshiro fans!

Thank you for the opportunity to guest blog!  My name is Katie Moos and am going to chat with you about what you can do to make the most of your wedding day from a photographer’s perspective.

Here’s a list of tips along with some images for you to enjoy…

1.  I suggest you allow an extra hour for hair and make up then needed.  Example the stylists need 3 hours, allow 4.  REASON:  Buffer in case the hair and make up take a little longer which it often times can as you want to be sure it looks absolutely fantastic!! Worst case scenario your hair and make up run over and you allowed time for it so you are totally relaxed or your hair and makeup is done when expected and now you have extra time to relax before putting your dress on…maybe even eat a little something! You want to start the day off calm…not rushed.

2. Consider what time of day your wedding will be at.  To do that start with sunset and work back (if at all possible).  Example:  Sunset is at 7:30pm, so that’s when it’s going to be pretty dark…so cocktails outside enjoying the sunset from 6:00-7:00.  This is also when you get nice warm sunset light for the photos of you with your husband (or wife).  So the ceremony (if it takes between 20-30 minutes) would start at 5:30.  By doing this you are allowing the best light for your ceremony, photos and cocktail hour.

3. Consider where you are getting married.  Let’s say you decide to get married on the sandy beaches of Santa Barbara…at 5:30.  You may have sun directly in your eyes or your quests eyes…what to do?  A canopy with sheer white fabric will diffuse the light on your faces (making you look great) and reduce the squinting.  As for the guests consider a paper parasol for them…creates great light (for cheap) not to mention a great little favor or prop to use in photos. If you are getting married out at a vineyard often there is a wonderful tree for shade…shade is your friend…. it will keep people cool and provides soft even light for photos.

4. If you want to hang with you friends at the cocktail hour and are worried about spending all of the time taking family photos consider either cutting back your list or simply extending your cocktail hour to an hour and twenty minutes.  You will have all the photos on your list and spend some time at the cocktail hour!

5. Determining how much time to allow for photos…here’s what I suggest…allow 2 minutes per group photo + 10 minutes for the wedding party + 20 minutes for the bride and groom shots.  For example, your list has 10 groups on it…10×2= 20 minutes + 10 for the wedding party= 30 minutes + 20 minutes for the bride and groom= 50 minutes all together.  This is realistic.

This week I will be featuring a series of wedding photographers giving us their thoughts on different aspects of wedding photography. Amongst them, they have had their work featured in magazines such as Martha Stewart, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Your Wedding Day, Inside Weddings, In Style, and Town and Country,  just to name a few. I hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look with these talented wedding photographers!

[photo by Elizabeth Messina]

Silver, sling-back, and Jimmy Choo? Yes, please. Photo from Mary Jane Photography.

I’m a big fan of little detail shots from weddings (can you tell?) and I particularly love creative ring shots.

This shot from Cameron Ingalls is so indie and cool.

From Jose Villa, I love the ring’s reflection on the blue surface.

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Hope everyone is having a good holiday weekend! I just got an email from the lovely Katie Moos that the photos from a wedding I did a few weeks ago are going to be released today. Here’s a sneak peek image of the cake and seashell letters I made by hand (I bought Styrofoam letters from Moskatels and hot glued sea shells onto them).

Stay tuned for more of this lovely wedding…

On Monday I had the pleasure of meeting Janey of Mary Jane Photography. Another graduate of Brooks, she’s very light-hearted and easy going. One of her favorite things to shoot are engagement sessions. It’s a chance for her to get to know her couple and vice versa, without the stress of the big day.

And on the big day, she’s really good at getting those subtle little moments. I love this shot of the bride giving her dad a high five after the ceremony.

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I’m loving today’s photo from Halberg Photographers of these fire-engine red shoes. I love when brides make a bold shoe statement under their wedding dress that shows off their personality.

Today’s photo comes from the very talented Jose Villa. These shoes remind me of Dorothy’s Ruby Red Shoes, but in a more chic color.

The lovely Katie Moos sent me these shoes photos from a recent wedding. They’re Prada baby! I love the silk rose, its so feminine and so modern.

They even look, dare I say it— comfortable?

Today it’s my pleasure to bring you a feature on another of Santa Barbara’s outstanding wedding photographers. Tim & Cheryl Halberg are a husband and wife team that specialize in wedding photography and portraits. Both graduated from the Brooks Institute of Photography, and both have a passion for providing outstanding customer service and producing images that truly capture a moment in time. Tim’s forte is weddings; he’s excellent at getting those key detail shots that really capture the essence of the day. I particularly love these images:

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Another great local photographer is Melissa Musgrove. A transplant from the East Coast, Melissa has years of experience and a warm, easy-going personality.

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Here in Santa Barbara we are fortunate to have many great photographers and Katie Moos is one of these. She has a lovely, bubbly, personality that immediately puts you at ease when you meet with her.

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