A bit ago, Andree & I were driving to a wedding we were shooting together, discussing some of the traditions we tend to see at our weddings. The white gown, the cake, the first dance, where did they originate, why do they continue to exist & stand the test of time?
One of the traditions we spoke about were the flowers, more specifically, the bouquet.

Why the bundles of colorful flowers for the bride & her gals, what’s the reasoning behind it?
Well, I did a little reading to find out the why.

The history of the bouquet began many moons ago, like set your way back machine to way way way back.

In ancient Greece & Rome, the couple would wear a garland about their necks as a symbol of new life, fertility and hope. Celtic tradition (rah rah!) found use of thistle, ivy & heather in their arrangements. The garlands were a combination of strong smelling herbs & spices, meant to ward off evil spirits & thought to contain mystical powers.

Eventually the tradition of using only herbs & spices transitioned into incorporating other flowers, especially those of the edible variety. Dill, known as the herb of lust, was to be eaten by the couple and their wedding guests at the reception, the herb was meant to increase sexual desire. Me-yow.

Around the Victorian time, flowers were being used based on their significant meanings, creating bouquets of secret messages. Back in the day, it wasn’t proper to blurt out how you felt about Candy, the lovely lass that volunteered at your local library. Sure, you might want to say ‘Candy, you look so sweet you’re giving me a toothache!‘, yet in those days, that would be frowned upon.

In come the flowers, let them do the flirting .. I mean, talking!

Roses are quite well known to be a great symbol for love, it was said that Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, presented a rose to Eros, the god of love. Roses aren’t the only flowers infused with that lovin’ feelin’. Sunflowers (one of my favorites) their faces always to the sun, symbolize longevity and pure love. Where as the Daisy is seen by Roman Catholics as a symbol for the Virgin Mary and a love that conquers all. Sprigs of ivy can be translated as a lifetime of wedded love ahead. The four leaf clover, the elusive little flower, represents faith, hope, love and luck. Passing it onto a beloved tells them that good luck abounds and if accepted, means you belong together. (Silly side note about me: I have found handfuls of four leaf clovers since childhood. I have a knack for finding them.)

Current trends now lean more towards flower combinations that fit within a couple’s theme, using flowers to bring that pop of bright color into the wedding. Some couples may have given their own personal meaning to a particular flower, maybe it was the one presented on the first date, maybe it was in the garden where they first kissed. I adore knowing the meanings behind traditions, yet I also love infusing traditions with your own unique personal spin.

Whatever your choice, it’s fun knowing where & how some of these traditions came about. Do you have anything to add? Feel free to comment away!

Flower on

“Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you” ~ Richard Brinsely Sheridan

No words, just a collection of photographs that convey the style of a city wedding to me.

What is this Twitter thing all about? Some people are still asking that question, and with good reason.
On the surface, it just looks like another computerized internet time suck. And it can be, if you aren’t careful.

Much like any of the other networking-type sites out there, from Facebook to profession specific forums, you’ve got to be sure that you are using the site as a tool to help streamline or bring in business, not just flush productive time down the intra-webs commode.

I am not claiming to be a Twitter expert, not by a long shot. Therefore, I will not write about how one can gain more followers, how you can create business from Twitter. Sure, I have had my fair share of great connections and jobs that have come from Twitter and therefore do not see it as a waste or a novelty. But others have written far superior pieces on the techniques you can take to gain biz & influence those in your Twitter Stream.

Examples of these would be Twitter tips for bloggers by @ProBlogger and Twitterquette via TwitterTips.org

I will say, it’s an honest to goodness great way to connect with others in your professional circle and in turn connect with their circle. Quickly and easily, literally with the click of the ‘follow’ button.

But following a whole bunch of folks does not a true and lucrative connection make. Twitter is more than just a ticker of info, sports updates and embarrassing quotes from the wee hours of your party night. Twitter is meant to be interactive, if you truly want to expand your network.

You have the opportunity to showcase your talents, your thoughts, your offerings to the Twitterverse. However, to be the one that constantly says ‘Look what I can do’ will annoy your fellow Twits.

How to combat that? Aim to share.

In the Twitter world, that means RT (ReTweet). If someone you follow tweets about an exciting new workshop or informative blog post, RT it! Retweeting goes a long way in forging solid connections within Twitter.

Find interesting articles based on your profession of choice, inspirational posts, fun quotes, and link to them.
While some accounts are based strictly on talking business, the way I use my account is to post a bit of everything. I love to share great blog posts by other photographers & artists, as well as links to YouTube videos & other creative sites that may add a spark of inspiration to some one’s day.

If you come from a place of sharing, others in turn will share for you. It’s the whole ‘if you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ approach.

And in this world of high tech connections & Twitter terminology, it’s nice to be a part of that sharing circle.

You could make it all about your celebrity obsessions or you could follow those that you admire in your field or those that inspire you and create your own custom community. It’s a very quick way to compile a network of folks from far or near, whose advice & expertise you may admire, possibly aspiring to one day emulate.

Those you may not have fathomed would ever speak to you through average communication avenues may now tweet you back and say ‘hi.’ A personal example, one of my most favorite artists, @BrianAndreas of @StoryPeople ’spoke’ to me one day after I RT one of his posts. It sent my heart a twitter (ahem) and most certainly made me an even bigger fan just because he took a few seconds to ‘tweet me’ back.

You have no idea who is following you, you have no idea who is reading what you tweet. This may sound like a precursor to a scary stalker film. Alas no, nothing so sinister. I like to view Twitter as a place of possibility, of potential, and of sharing. In 140 characters or less.

RT @ShootStyle: If you follow me on Twitter, b sure 2 say ‘HI’. Would luv 2 know u r out there! @staceydoyle

To ensure your wedding day is just as you dreamt, here are some suggestions from Nicole Whelden, Owner of Unique Nantucket Events.

Planning destination weddings are often stressful, so to make sure it all turns out the way you hoped, remember to establish a budget and what you would like to see at your wedding first. Once that is done it will be easier to choose locations, caterers, photographers and florists. If you do not have a wedding coordinator you should visit the destination and scout out venues for your wedding, the biggest mistake couples make is booking a location sight unseen. If you cannot make it to the location, having someone you trust to look at sites is the best way to get what you want for your destination wedding. Also meeting with your vendors is important, you want their personalities and visions to match yours for the big day, be sure to put your own style into the event. Nicole recommends a visit to the destination at least 4 to 7 days in advance so that you can get comfortable with your surroundings and enjoy your time locally. It is important to remember that all destination weddings should be planned 6 months to a year in advance to ensure your guests get the best accommodations and travel to the location is established. The biggest advice Nicole can give is “Don’t stress if you’re not having fun seek the help of a friend, family member or wedding planner to ensure that the entire event runs smoothly; Remember it is your day!”

~ Zofia

My albums open with a page of details in a grid near the start of the album. These nifty visual souvenirs tell a story of the day without using people. It is a great way to get many of those detail shots into the album on one page where they can be lingered over by the couple, triggering memories of the day.

My album designer, Tim Gormley of Gormley Design, lays these pages down into a grid of squares, so they are graphically set apart from the rest of the album. The page stands out visually and indicates that this page is different from the rest of the album and won’t be following a chronological progression.

These grids can tell you so much about the feel of the day and the personality of the couple, often without the presence of any people.

My Sunday River bride, Sue, sums it up succinctly:

“The detail grid gives a personal touch to each couple . . . it captures the mood of the day.”

Many of the details at a wedding are intricate hand crafted items, which have been painstakingly agonized over. These grids give you a chance to honor the time and expense of these details.

Kim and Mike, a couple who got married at the Glen House in Newry, Maine last fall, said, “We spent a lot of time selecting a venue and creating handmade accents to set the atmosphere of our wedding. In the celebratory blur of our wedding day, we didn’t get a chance to notice how all the individual details combined.  (The) detail grid provides a concise, artfully presented, memory-inducing, quiet record of an often-overlooked portion of the wedding.”

I try and shoot an entire scene when I shoot details. I position the meaningful object in the front of the scene and then pick up other information about the day in the background to give more texture to the photo.

Jill says about her Bethel Inn wedding album: “(The detail grid) shows the impressions of the wedding that I’ll want to remember, plus, Colby’s nose is pictured right in the middle and that’s something I always love!”

I asked Tim Gormley what he looks for in the detail shots for the albums he designs:

“The perfect detail shot is something that shows part of the location, a personal possession and the weather. It sounds like a lot, but it can be seamless if you see the right thing. In Heather and Tyler’s album, there was a shot that looked through the wrought iron gate, and showed the empty chairs all set up for the ceremony. You see the beautiful day.”

This particular detail is used as the entire page preceding the detail grid. My second photographer at this wedding, and fellow ShootStyler Earl Christie, shot this image and many of the detail photos in the facing grid.

To see the entire album design of each wedding, click on each bride’s name in the above article.

Every season I believe I am going to stumble upon the best pair of shoes for shooting weddings.

Able to cushion my feet for up to 10+ hours of: shooting, crouching, running, squatting, jumping, climbing, you name it.

As well as, dare I ask, I want them to look cute!

And every season I seem to stamp a big FAIL onto my sore tootsies (and

back).

I’ve tried the Dansko route, which I know many many praise. I used the Dansko clogs for one season. Unfortunately, they caused my feet to go numb, as well as make the fashion diva that dwells inside puke a bit.

(okay okay, the colorful mary janes I will admit are cute. I’m just a bit shy what with the whole toes going numb situation)

I’ve tried cheap yet super cute flats from Old Navy. Stick a gel insert in there and I almost found a great solution that made the frugalista in me jump for joy.

Alas, the quality of the shoes tends towards creating blisters and other such aching nonsense. So while a great solution while shooting engagement sessions, portraits and shorter weddings; for the long haul = not so great.

Every year this question seems to pop up on some forum or other. So I decided to send the question out into the intrawebs and see what suggestions others had.

[Warning: this post will lean more towards the female side. However, fells, feel free to chime in under the comment section]

Michelle Carpenter of Main Event Weddings says she swears by her MBT’s. I will admit they do have a very funktastic vibe to them, and she says since starting to wear them, she’s lost 10 pounds!!

Fashion friendly shooting shoes + weight loss = heck yea!!

Kristin Cioffi of Picture Everything has only lovely things to say about her Merrells They are quite well known to be a fabulous shoe, especially for the outdoorsy flavored humans. And tho I saw a couple of styles wink at me, most just won’t cut it when it comes to the cute factor I’m trying to find.

I’ve heard others talk of the Cole Haan with Nike technology, Mootsie Tootsies, and Rockport.

Checking the current collection of Cole Haan Air, I can see why many would sway that way. They are quite stylish, and if the comfort factor is in effect, seems like a great choice for many.

However, while I am a big fan of heels, and have in fact shot successfully in them, there will be times when that sort of shoe just won’t cute it (like racing backwards across a lawn right after the couple walks happily wed down the aisle).

So I again pose the question: have you found the perfect shoe? Who are they buy? What do they look like? Share a link, share your story.

And tell me, why can’t I shoot barefoot??

Stacey D

I love to take my clients to the beach for that posed shot and then ask them to just relax and play with their kids. I love to meet them in their home where the kids are comfortable around their favorite toys. It’s the unplanned giggles, the day to day play that the families engage in, that I believe is what should really be remembered and recorded.

Here is a small collection of my favorite lifestyle portraits over the past season.

~Zofia

The Barn is located on an expansive property that borders fields with actual cows in them. It is on this well landscaped property that couples who choose to hold their ceremony at Gibbet Hill pledge their love. Located just below the barn on the lawn, the wedding party make their way down a granite staircase and across the grass to a picturesque spot facing the hills. To the right is a small pond shaded by a large oak tree. And the animals are on hand to celebrate as well. At a recent wedding I photographed, the cows were watching the ceremony from the hill. As the couple enjoyed their first kiss as husband and wife, the cows mooed their approval to the delight of all gathered.

After the ceremony, the guests are ushered up to a large, covered deck off the barn where appetizers and cocktails are elegantly presented. When the weather is nice, the deck is open on three sides and offers beautiful views of the hills. When the weather changes, the deck can be enclosed to keep the revelers warm and dry.

When it’s time for the reception to start, everyone is invited into the barn itself. Inside the barn is the picture of rustic elegance. Chandeliers are hung between the old wood beams of the original barn. Steps lead up to a pair of balconies on either side of the room. A large dance floor ensures that all the guests can shake their money makers, and the expansive main floor provides room for the guest tables. Since everything is all in one room, it feels very cozy without being crowded. And the food is delicious!

One of the most interesting features of the property, however, requires a short hike. Up behind the cow fields is the ruins of an ancient castle. People with a large budget for their event can actually rent out the castle ruins for their reception, but anyone can use them for photos. And what a cool and romantic photo spot it is – with its large stone towers, walls overgrown with ivy, and roofless great hall, with the remains of huge stone fireplaces on either side. If you have ever wanted to be Cinderella on your wedding day, the ruins are the place to make that dream come true!

As a whole, The Barn at Gibbet Hill offers a uniquely New England location for an elegant, rural wedding celebration.

~Jamie Wexler

It’s not for everyone, but if you are a woman who wants to be surrounded by your friends and family on your wedding day, doing your own hair and/or make-up can be a bonding experience.

When you have an actual relationship with your make-up artist and hairstylist, the atmosphere in the room is noticeably different. There’s an intimate comfort level, with plenty of joking and goofiness. The make-up ritual becomes another opportunity to interact with your buds rather than an interruption of the wedding day. It is plain old more fun.

While I am happy to offer my opinion on your timeline before the big day, I have a strict policy of not running the show on your wedding day. It’s your wedding day; you are in control. As casual as I am, I’m still surprised at how little time some women think they need to get their make-up done and to get into their dresses.

I love walking into the “getting ready” room and seeing make-up bags strewn everywhere. It’s 45 minutes before the ceremony and the gals are still lounging in their robes. Reluctantly a bridesmaid will get the ball rolling. Make-up preparations begin and everyone suddenly realizes how little time they have left and how little they actually know about make-up or how they should wear their hair that day.

It is a little mini-drama at the beginning of your day.  Things run smoothly for the most part, but there can be a little nuttiness too. Best friends are rapidly delegated to and then fired from the task of applying make-up. Bridesmaids rummage in their own make-up bags to find a better shade of lipstick or brown mascara instead of black. Your sister finds herself temporarily banished because she brings one element of crazy too many to the table. Ultimately, your maid of honor, your sister, steps in to keep things calm and under control.

The bride wipes her makeup off and starts from scratch minutes before the ceremony. How people handle stress provides insight into their personalities. This insight helps me shoot the rest of the day. Are you nervous, loopy, or completely unphased? This information helps me convey an accurate picture of who you are and what your wedding day is really all about.

Brides going the do-it-yourself route for hair and make-up are usually fairly low-key and roll with whatever the day throws at them. Worry is quickly released in favor of a good time

I am often asked for my opinion on makeup, how much should be worn for photos, etc., etc. I always answer, “Wear your hair and make up so that you feel like you”. If you love to wear gobs and gobs of mascara, then go for it. Don’t let some make-up artist or photographer tell you something else is more “natural”. Don’t feel naked on your wedding day.

On the other hand, if you never wear much of anything but feel like you need a little something-something, then by all means put a little something on.  But when you look in the mirror, if you don’t recognize the person staring back, then wipe it off and start over.

Whether or not you hire make-up and hair professionals, if you look like yourself, you will act like yourself. Above all, that’s what I need from you to make gorgeous photos on your wedding day.

~Andree