Weddings :: C + R Get Hitched!! :)

Well. This is an awefully overdue post... particularly since the photos have ALL been posted publically for... three weeks now? I've kinda been neglecting computer stuff in preparation of school (baking/cooking lots), enjoying the sun, and having a social life... Haha.

But alas, in June, one of my besties got married. It was a very exciting day for all involved.
I was lucky enough to hang out during the BBQ instead of shower...

And, being a biologist, you can't fault her for reading wrapping paper instead of unwrapping... We also learned that I can make a pretty good florist...

We moved on to the rehursal the next day... Where we made due with what we could... ie: fake table, narrow aisle... and a fake pipeist.

There is something wrong with an official telling you to "Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle" now...  Thanks LMFAO.

Day of the ceremony was crummy... Threatened rain - we were almost prepared to move inside... Thankfully, we didn't have to... Barely.

But, we got everything done outside - which was a good call in my honest opinion...

Instead of a 'cocktail hour' we did a tea party! Which was 100% what the bride and groom were all about... So much fun... and the cookies were SOOO good... I'm still dreaming about how yummy they were. Haha.

After the tea, and during the rain, we hid out and played games... and watched the bear on the hill (apparently there was 3 at one point, but I only ever saw one). If there was three, it was probably a good omen that it rained all day so we made a point of camping out in the lodge...

The rain lightned just as dinner started - although not stopping completely...

But it did finally stop... and we ventured out into the sunshine to get some fun photos of the bridal party... without wet shoulders and umbrellas.

Not gonna lie - I had the most fun with these...
We finished off the official part of the night with the speeches and cake!, seeing as we didn't have a working stereo system for anything else - but we made the best of it.

Following the gathering and mingling - when everyone left (bride and groom included), those spending the night in and around the lodge settled in for some games and music (yes, we got the stereo working)...

And we rounded out the festivities with breakfast (a large chunk of which was made by the groom.. that doesn't seem right), and bouquet toss before we ended with more mingling and packed everything up.

Congrats to C and R!! I <3 you, and hope the day was everything you wanted! :)

Wedding :: Julia and Kristian

A couple months ago, one of my best friends got engaged (Yay! FYI. You still owe me $50) and asked me if I'd be interested in doing some wedding photography for her. I'm just an amateur photographer, and had no idea what to do... so I resorted to my resources!

One of my friend does professional photography as a side-job, so I contacted her and picked her brain for a couple emails. I managed to get a whole list of things to make note of while photographing... Lists of photos to make sure I get, things to make note of, etc... And an invitation to photograph a wedding with her on the long weekend in August.

It was a really great learning experience for me, as I've always been interested in using photography as a side-job/extra income... unfortunately for me, the city I'm in is SOOO hard for amateurs in anything from new careers, to hobbies, get a start in... so naturally, I jumped at the chance of working with my friend, and learning from her.

Unfortunately for us, the wedding she was photographing was her friend... Both of them were totally excited to have a second shooter, but the normal contracts/info sessions/etc. did not happen... So although I didn't learn what normally happens... I did learn a lot.

For instance... a polarizing filter and lens hood would be quite beneficial... especially in the bright sun common during summer weddings in our area... So, I did manage to stumble upon a polarizing filter, and lens hood at Future Shop, at a very decent price... Let's hope they work like they're supposed to be.

I managed to hang out and join Chelsey in shooting right from the brides parent's house as they were getting ready...

To the brides place to get dressed and meet the limo... And off to the park for the wedding...

We managed to get the candid photos right after the ceremony...

And even some shots in the water park and playground with the bridal party.

Thanks to having my own hands on experience, and first hand knowledge from Chelsey, I managed to take a close look at my photos and live and learn from them. Thus, definitely got a polarizing filter, a lens hood, and some new photos sessions to try them all out with.

Maybe, hopefully, this is just the beginning of a long run with a passion of mine... Here goes nothing! :)