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NYC Mandarin Oriental Wedding : Elyse+Andrew
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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I f he's known for one thing, it's his impeccable taste. Andrew takes pleasure in life's smallest details and he's widely known for his acute attention to minutia that often makes a meal, event, or an experience truly amazing. He's the type of guy who'll smell, swish, and twirl wine in a glass, knowing what--precisely--makes it delicious. In light of these attributes, Elyse leaves life's finer decisions to him.
The beauty in this situation is Elyse is Andrew's version of perfection, down to the smallest detail. They share a sense of humor, they're patient with each other, and Andrew always finds a snack when Elyse is hungry, even if it means running down a crowded street in New York City for a pretzel. Andrew is known for his impeccable taste and everyone knows no girl in the world fits his detail-oriented life better than Elyse.
Elyse and Andrew, what I want to write is a billion words to express my gratitude, but for the sake of time, I hope a simple thank you will suffice. You are truly two of the kindest people I've had the honor of working with and your wedding was absolutely wonderful. Thank you for inviting us into your lives for such a special day and I hope you're enjoy life on a sunny Hawaiian beach right now! Much Love and Appreciation... j* |
| It was a beautiful fall day in New York City and the weather was perfect for a wedding at the Mandarin Oriental...things were made extra special when I saw a pair of Jimmy Choo's...with a bedazzled bow. Oh com'on... |
| Elyse chose a perfect Vera Wang wedding dress and it was truly stunning... |
Elyse, you're gorgeous. And in case you don't believe me, RAWR.
Hair and makeup by Antonio Prieto Salon... |
| Elyse and Andrew had friends and family gather from around the United States in New York City for the wedding, so they had a few gifts to make them feel welcome... |
| JD hung out with the guys as they prepared and Andrew read a note from his future bride... |
| I've said it before, but I'll say it again...I lovelovelove when a bride and groom opt to see each other before the wedding ceremony. The First Look is a moment just for the couple and Andrew's reaction to seeing Elyse for the first time as his wife says it all... |
| It was supposed to rain in New York on Saturday, but--thankfully--the weather held out, so we ventured out of the Mandarin Oriental and down the street to Central Park for wedding photos... |
| Walking through Columbus Circle in Jimmy Choo's and a wedding gown to capture wedding photos? She's my kinda bride. |
| Central Park served as a perfect backdrop for wedding photos as the leaves were still on the trees and romance in the air... |
| Shortly after wedding photos in Central Park, we ventured back to the Mandarin Oriental for the wedding ceremony...at this moment, the rabbi asked every guest to reach out and touch the person on front of him/her and the power of the moment eventually led to the bride and groom. It was awesome. |
| Many, many, and many more thanks to the Claudia and the talented team of Gourmet Advisory Services who made the wedding beyond amazing. They worked tirelessly to ensure there wasn't a single flaw and it showed. I'm incredibly thankful to have met such a fantastic group of people. |
| The First Dance was so beautiful because guests were invited to surround the couple as they danced...such a lovely touch by Starlight Orchestra... |
| I'll end this post with a special thanks to James with Mandarin Oriental for taking me to the rooftop for this photo of New York at night...a reminder of a perfect evening in the city. |
    
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FAQ : What Makes Good Wedding Editorial Photos
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A few weeks ago, my lovely friend Rebecca Crumley emailed and asked if I might have photos she might be able to use for a First Look article she was editing. Rebecca has great taste in food, listens to awesome music, and is the photo editor for The Knot Magazine. When she's looking for specific photos, she reaches out to a plethora of photographers and also makes requests via Twitter. If you're itching to get published, follow her...she's good peeps.
Ewww. Peeps...reminds me of Easter candy. I need to change the subject because marshmallow chickens creep me out.
I sent her a few First Look options and she kindly declined, but not without us having a conversation about what she's looking for in relation to editorial photography. When Rebecca looks for an image to accompany a magazine story, there are a litany of considerations, most of which photographers are unaware (myself included). Below is a transcript of our conversation in case you'd like to learn more about editorial wedding photography. Just kidding. It's not a really a transcript (more like a Cliff Notes version) because recording our conversation would've been creepy. Like Peeps. |
J*: What's the biggest challenges you face as a photo editor?
RC: Photographers take photos that are beautiful, but an editor also needs a photo that can be used as a full bleed photo on a page, reproduce well on a full page if needed, and doesn't have distracting elements in the background (like guests making awkward faces - this happens ALL the time). This sometimes limits my options because while I might find a photo I love, it must also possess extra things a photographer might not be thinking of at the moment - "such as where will there be room for a headline in this photo?". Another thing to take into consideration is that while The Knot Magazine has regional issues where we really pry our hearts on keeping the content to feeling local, some of our editorial features may use images that aren't truly from that region. So geographically generic images work well to sell our editorial stories - features such as picking your bridesmaids, and photography ...and by this I mean I can't always use a beach photo (as pretty as it might be) because it's too specific to a coastal region. Generic locations also work very well for illustrating points in our wedding books. But don't get me wrong, sometimes it is specifically the beach photo I'm seeking to feel truly local to the scene - it's just to point out that there's a market for having "anywhere" type images. |
J*: What's something you wished photographers considered in regard to magazine design?
RC: What I'd love to see are more horizontal photos I'd be able to use for a horizontal full bleed (full bleed means when the photo comprises corner to corner of the page). This usually never happens because wide photos usually have the main subject(s) in the center of the photo, which causes it to fall in the gutter of the magazine. The photo will also have to be, roughly, 13x20 at 300 DPI in size and this combination of factors is usually hard to come by...but when it does happen, it's like a magic moment. |
J*: What's something you wish more wedding photographers did?
RC: Every year there seems to be a trendy shot in the photo world, a photograph photographers seem to reproduce in mass quantity. For example, a few years ago, photographers photographed the bride and groom's shoes as they stood next to each other. While the photo itself can be lovely, if a photographer is going to set up that shot, do it right. Think about what you're doing. Don't be afraid to style the photo in way that shows professionalism. For example, adjust straps, clear the background from mess, unwrinkle the groom's pants, make sure the shoes aren't muddy...things like that.
This really boils down to taking pride in what you do. Taking the extra time to style a photo (like, reassembling escort cards to make the photo appear full) or cleaning up the shot will really enhance the viability of a photo. |
J*: In regard to Real Wedding submissions, what advice do you have?
RC: I think it'd be best to break it down into three tips...
1. Include the "Hero Shot" - This term was coined by Editor in Chief, Carley Roney, as the photo that will capture a reader's attention and makes her want to be at that wedding. It'll likely be showcased in a large format and acts as the theme setter from the start. The hero shot may be of the couple or a simple detail shot that'll anchor the feature - it's the first photo that catches your eye when looking at the layout. In design school we called it "hierarchy," but I think "hero" is much for fun of a word!
2. Tell a Consistent Story - Be sure to capture photos that reflect the day as a whole, not in distinct sections. For instance, photographers should try to tell a story of the church ceremony, couple portraits, and the reception in a way that blends with each other. Including environmental photos work well in tying the loose ends together, but be conscious of this from the start. The photos should convey a sense of space and push the vibe of the overall wedding. Pay attention to the light quality feeling consistent. I know it can be hard to match indoor - to outdoor color balance, but it's such a massive shift in tone sometimes that flipping from one page to the next, images can potentially feel very disconnected to each other. We always want the images to drive cohesive qualities, and the more the images naturally go together, the better success we have visually telling the real wedding story.
3. Capture an Overall Environmental Photo - This is the type of photo that showcases, say, the ceremony venue or the reception ballroom uninterrupted and without distractions. This photo is important because it reflects the style of the wedding, so be sure to stand in the right light and use a wide lens to capture the story in a single photo. These photos are often the hero shot!
Many thanks to Rebecca for allowing me to share our conversation...I hope it helps one other person the way that it helped me. If you'd like to read more about Real Wedding submissions, feel free to check out this previous article with Rebecca. |
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FAQ : Wedding Photographer Makeup
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M y mother was a stay-at-home mom, homeschooled five children, and planned field trips according to bus routes that ran from our home to Downtown Los Angeles and back in time for dinner. She was like Super Woman with a clipboard, but instead of a cape, she donned pink sweatpants (a fashion indiscretion we'd like to forget). In the little downtime she had, my mother took part-time jobs to help my dad pay the bills. One of these jobs was selling makeup and skin care at parties.
When my mother received her instructor kit's filled with 85,823 eye shadows, she practiced applying on my 10-year-old face. Go ahead, judge. All I knew was the time my mom spent applying rouge to my cheeks and gloss to my lips were some of my favorite childhood memories.
Perhaps she instilled a love for makeup at a young age and it's gotten worse better through the years. When I get gussied up for work, I wear makeup. In 85,823 shades. However, being a photographer isn't all that glamorous. There's usually heat, sweat, and stress involved with photographing a wedding and for a while it looked like I washed my face in Crisco at the end of a long night. It was bad.
Six and a half years into shooting weddings and I finally found a mix of products that keep my make up on and not smudged on the back of my camera. Amen.
A few months ago, I was melting in Miami Beach and I couldn't keep makeup on my face if I had gone to Home Depot and had it professionally painted on. I walked into Sephora and this Cuban in white pants and an unbuttoned shirt told me this was like Botox in a bottle...and I trusted him?! Makeup Forever's All Mat basically acts as a primer before I put on any makeup and mattes my skin (I use this instead of lotion). |
| After I use my dual-fix compact from MAC, I use the MAC Prep + Prime Eye before I put on my eyeshadow. This seals my lid and locks in the eye shadow until the end of the evening...love it. |
| Once I finish applying all my makeup, I use two sprays of MAC's Fix+ Brume Fixante, which seals everything in place. |
So, yup. Those are my three favorite makeup tricks to keep my makeup in place after lonnnng days photographing a wedding. I feel a little foolish blogging about this girlie stuff, but I simply thought I'd share because it'd make Rue Paul proud.
Happy Tuesday! |
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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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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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