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S even years ago, my life changed. Got flipped upside down, like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Surrounded by 23 of our closest friends and family, I walked down the aisle to marry my best friend on a sandy beach in Hawaii. One of the few things I remember in that moment was realizing the time was right. After dating for eight and a half years, we were ready to become each other's counterbalance.
As a kid, I worried what might happen one day when I was married to someone for seven years, the dreaded Seven Year Itch (and the desire to try something new) I heard so much about. But my nature was to worry. I worried about my parents' finances, I worried my dad's car wouldn't start, and I worried I'd be abandoned at the grocery store (like I had seen on an episode of Punky Brewster). And, yes, I worried about how I'd feel being married to someone for what felt like forrrrrrrever.
Years later, reflecting on the love that has volcanoed for my husband, I can say the skeptics are correct. Seven years into my marriage, I'm itching. Itching to get closer to JD, to rest squarely in the center of his heart and a rooted fixture in his life. If I had the chance to walk down the aisle again along that sandy beach in Hawaii, I wouldn't. No, I'd run.
If I knew then what I know now, I sprint into his arms and shout I DO because the last seven years have been made of the stuff dreams are made of. Sort of like a glitter covered burrito, only better.
JD, I love you. Thank you for being the better part of me. Happy Anniversary! |
    
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FAQ : Managing Client Expectation
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Dear Jasmine,
I shot a wedding a couple of weeks ago and told the couple beforehand that it may take 4-5 weeks to edit the images and maybe even a little longer if I have a busy wedding season. It has been 5 weeks now and I got a very rude email from the bride this morning. She said they don't want to wait any longer since they have paid good money and I should stop putting off their wedding. I replied nicely that this was not the case and reminded them that it has been a busy season and that I'm sorry it has taken so long. And I assured them that I will do my best to finish them as soon as possible. Now she's not replying. Still, I'm very sad that she got so rude. And of course I worry that I will get no or a bad recommendation. Maybe I should mention that I did send them a couple of images for their thank you notes 2 weeks ago, so it's not like they haven't seen anything.
Can you give me some advice?
Kind regards,
As Soon As Possible
Dear ASAP,
I got waves of nausea reading this email. But that's how I roll. Nauseous. Whenever I become nervous or overwhelmed, my first inclination is to throw up, which I think is way tacky, and terrible if wearing cute shoes. Anyway, I'm sorry you're sad...enduring a person's rudeness isn't any fun. I'm sure you're feeling bad enough and her lack of response is unsettling. However (and you knew the however was coming!), I can't say I disagree with the bride.
The key in most business interactions is to manage expectations. It sounds so simple, but it's often overlooked. If you told the bride it was going to take five weeks for her to see her images (even if you added a caveat about needing more time during busy season), the only thing she heard was five weeks. Seriously. We're talking about a bride who's insanely excited to see her wedding images and if you didn't meet the stated deadline, it's easy to understand her frustration.
What you're saying is you're busy, but what she's feeling is overlooked. You even stated she asked you to "stop putting off the wedding" which leads me to think she has reasons to think she was placed on the back-burner (even if that's not the case).
If in the future you suspect you'll need more than 4-5 weeks to process wedding images, always buffer the timeline so you can under promise and over deliver. For instance, next time tell a bride you'll need 6-8 weeks to process the images, then deliver them earlier than she expected for optimal results. In business, there's no such thing as trying...you either did or you didn't. Sure, you might've been trying really hard to get the photos completed in five weeks, but at the end of the day, the bride is still a dissatisfied customer who won't likely recommend your services. And that's the last thing anyone wants.
Wow. Am I Debbie Downer today or what?! Let's chat about how you can remedy this situation (even if you don't feel at fault...remember, the customer is always right):
1. Do everything you can to finish the wedding edit and get the photos to the bride...we're talking about a code red rush now...haul booty and get it done! The longer she waits, the more upset she'll become.
2. Offer her a small album or a canvas print as a way to make amends. You'd be surprised just how far a gift can go to smooth things over.
3. Send a hand-written note expressing how much you appreciate the bride as a client.
4. If you're in busy season, this isn't likely the only wedding you're stretching the 5-week processing time. In light of this, I'd strongly caution you to take active strides to ensure this doesn't happen again with other recent clients. If this becomes a pattern, your business may suffer serious repercussions. If you're behind in editing, buried in work, or simply need to take a break, I strongly suggest you outsource your wedding processing to a professional company that'll take great care of you. I'm particularly fond of Photographer's Edit as their customer care and 7-day turnaround is stellar. If you'd like to try them out, feel free to use the jstar2012 code at check out for a 20% discount.
I wish you only the best as you work at keeping your clients happy and managing their expectations. When this happens, recommendations will pour in because people feel like you kept them a top priority.
Stay Fabulous,
j* |
| Pee Ess: I added this happy photo because I didn't want this post to be a fast train to Bummerville. It's from a recent shoot and I'm excited to share the result soon! What makes most these shoots special is that I get to work with everyday, non-model couples for a day of happy photos. If you'd like to model for a future shoot, feel free to send me an email with a photo of you and your significant other...perhaps our paths will cross in the near future! |
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Newport Beach Wedding : Becky + Blake
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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T he final entry in her journal stated she went on her last first date...and met the man she was going to marry. That was a few years ago and the journal pages have remained blank, but her prediction has not. Remained blank, that is. Shortly after meeting Blake, Becky traveled out of state with his family to watch him play football and there she fell head over heels with everything he was. Kind, thoughtful, funny were just the start of a long list of things she liked about him and she couldn't rave any more about the man who stole her heart.
Last Saturday in Newport Beach, Blake took Becky's hands and said he loved her for who she was and the beauty of her heart. He promised to love, cherish, and honor her for the rest of his life, and Becky--beaming with a radiant smile--returned his vows and they sealed their promises with a kiss. Regardless of what the future holds for them, Becky's journal will be filled with happy memories of a couple who were destined for each other from the start.
Becky and Blake...ever since meeting you in person while roaming the streets of Laguna Beach a couple months ago, I've loved every minute of seeing how you care for each other. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for the opportunity to capture your love and the moment you said I Do. Much Love and Appreciation... j* |
| The day started with a beautiful bouquet (with many thanks to The Vine's Leaf), a stunning wedding dress, and a high five. |
| Blake waited nervously for the wedding to begin, but he was all smiles as he eagerly anticipated his beautiful bride... |
| It was a HOT day in Newport Beach, but just minutes before the ceremony, a coastal haze rolled in and cooled the heat making it a truly delightful outdoor wedding... |
| One of my favorite things about Blake and Becky is that you can't not be happy to be around them. I know this sentence isn't grammatically correct, but who cares? It's how I think! ;) |
| The First Dance...part of what made this moment possible and overwhelmingly sweet was all of the hard work Sara Holland of At Your Door Events provided at the wedding. I'm incredibly thankful to have worked with her and her amazing team! |
| ...the wedding reception was a blast and it started off with some hilarious toasts... |
| This was the last wedding photo I captured for the night...and it pretty much sums up their love... |
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FAQ : How to Photograph a Wedding Dress
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W hen I first started my business, I read on a photography forum how important it was for a photographer to shoot a each wedding as if seeing the day with fresh eyes. Regardless if a photographer had photographed a multitude of weddings at the same venue, it's imperative to not shoot the wedding in the same way. Just because I can shoot a bride in the same location, doesn't mean I should. It's easy to fall into a pattern or routine, but it could also impede creativity.
In order to articulate my point further, I'll illustrate it with a recent example. Last week I photographed Chris and Elise's wedding at Pelican Hill, but I had also photographed another wedding there the week before. Pelican Hill is one of my favorite venues, but after shooting in the bridal suite over ten times it's easy to feel stifled by the same location to photograph wedding details, like the wedding dress. Elise was an easy-going bride who truly valued photographs, so I asked permission to take her dress and photograph it elsewhere on property, away from the bridal suite. Elise readily agreed.
When possible, my goal is to photograph the wedding dress in two locations for diversity's sake. Because Elise was having a garden-inspired wedding, I took the dress to the most garden-y area on the Pelican Hill property and captured a couple photos in an environment that would lend itself to the album design at a later point in time and enhance the story telling of the day. |
| I was also lucky enough to have the coordinator bring a dress form to the wedding. In light of this, I also documented the wedding dress indoors against a basic background should Elise decide later she prefers this set up. I, of course, captured more photos than the ones I'm showing here, but this is to provide context for what I'm referring to. |
| The goal for every wedding is to approach the day's details in a way that reflects the theme/story/color scheme, maximize natural light, and reflect the bride's personality. If you'd like to see a behind-the-scenes video tutorial on how I photograph a wedding dress on a wedding day, feel free to check it out here |
| I'm incredibly thankful to have brides, like Elise, who'll extend their trust to allow me to be creative and produce images in new ways given the same location. |
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Featured : Wedding Magazine
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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A s a kid I loved collecting mail from our post box. I hardly received anything (except the occasional pen pal letter from Susan in Australia), but there was something I delighted in when sifting through bills, junk mail, and personal letters to my parents. Years later, I still enjoy collecting my mail, so one might imagine my delight when the latest issue of Great Britain's Wedding Magazine arrived in my post box. I was incredibly honored to see my twin sister's wedding featured in its glossy pages!
Bianca and Matt's Sunstone Winery wedding in Santa Ynez, and all the details they added to create a special day, filled four pages and I was honored to see their wedding photos in print. Like I stated in the past, I was lucky enough to be both in the wedding and photograph the wedding as well. It was one of the craziest--and most rewarding--weddings in my career. |
| It's always a treat to see my weddings featured in print, but this experience is a little surreal because I'm actually in a photo as well...my sister maintains I owe her dessert for this opportunity. That, or the chance to raid my closet and borrow an endless supply of shoes. |
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