I cannot even describe the torrential downpour Monika and I drove through on the way to Krystal and Cal’s wedding. Highway 98 was flooded in some areas and cars were stalled out in the roadway and the sky looked even more menacing ahead of us. I was looking to make sure an ark didn’t float past us! It did not look like it was going to be such a good day for a beach wedding!
I wasn’t really sure how Krystal would take this climatic event and in truth was a bit worried for her as I looked at the radar and saw even more rain headed our way. We met her in the driveway of the house, she was looking excited about her big day and didn’t seem to mind the rain at all. She did ask me what the radar looked like and as any good wedding photographer should do…I lied. I told her it looked great and with any luck we would even have a rainbow. And then I prayed that I was right. I’ll let you know more about the weather situation later, but first let’s meet our couple for the wedding.
Krystal and Cal. Two very spunky and adorable do it yourselfers who worked together to find just the right pieces of driftwood to create their own wedding arch that they brought with them to Florida. Krystal had decorated every inch of the beach house with festive signs, fun wedding balloons, custom crafted candle holders and much more. It was really awesome! Cal made sure the guys were in the right place at the right time and even had a fun arm wrestling match before the wedding. Monika shot a great image of that!
After the girls toasting and an uncle cooking and lots of hustle and bustle, it was time for the wedding. Although it was still gray and not so pretty inland a few blocks, we came up to the beach to find the water the most wonderful emerald green color and no rain over the area!! As you can probably imagine, the wedding went off without a hitch. The beautiful bride and her handsome groom looked at each other with adoration and the nuptials were sealed with a passionate kiss.
Back at the beach house, the food was being cooked for the reception. A country low boil and northern real Italian sausage completed with home made cheesecake…yah..it was a great wedding! Enjoy their images!
The ice cream man was a little added treat for pictures!
I loved the sky with Krystal's lights...beautiful!
Keith and Katie’s decision to have a morning wedding at the Sandestin Hilton was a wise one. The sky was a brilliant cobalt blue and the clouds were the kind you could pick out of the sky like cotton candy. They chose to become husband and wife on the outside deck of the Hilton and then have a nice brunch reception. Under the tall palms they said their vows in front of friends and family who had traveled from all over the United States to come to the wedding. Mark and I shot the wedding and reception, while Monika worked magic with the very popular photo booth! Nouveau Flowers created a total fairy tale effect for both the wedding and reception and made a wonderful setting for a very attractive couple. I think their arch was one of most exquisite I have seen. Blair and the staff of the Hilton worked in the temperatures soaring in the 90′s to make sure everyone had what they needed and the wedding would be perfect. Jordan from Savior Faire Weddings rocked the coordination as she checked time schedules and made sure everything was just perfect!
You may remember Kelly and Brian’s wedding dress trashing session. Yes, that was amazing!! What is even more amazing and beautiful was the ceremony a few days earlier (yes, I like to edit my dessert before the main course) that made them husband and wife! There ceremony was awesome. The heavy line of thunderstorms that were rushing towards the beach just stopped and dissipated right before the wedding. It was simply wonderful! The reception was equally as fun at 790 on the Gulf with the music of Chuck Lawson in the background. And let me tell you, he is one talented musician! The guy can play guitar, sing do instrumentals and even has the steel drums to make you feel as though you are on a Caribbean beach!! Love it! Enjoy Kelly and Brian’s images. They are a beautiful couple and we wish them many decades of bliss together!
Music: Chuck Lawson
Reception: 790 on the Gulf
Wedding Coordination: Destin Wedding Company
I love this image!! So much fun!
Brian's son will steal some hearts on day for sure!
Alison and Eric had a fun wedding packed with family and friends in a little neighborhood off of the famous 30A in Santa Rosa Beach. It is the type of quiet beach neighborhood that has attracted celebrities like Sheryl Crow to own homes there. Eric’s mom did all of the table decorating. She was simply amazing!! Like really, she could do this as a profession! All of the decorations were based on things Alison loved in wedding magazines and Eric’s sister did the best scrapbook style ornament tree ever! It must have taken her weeks! It was beautiful! The cupcake tiers were also made by family friends. It was truly a team wedding! Even the dog participated for a moment as the co-flower girl! All in all everything was beautiful and worked out so well. Alison wrote me a few days after the wedding telling me that into the night after we had left, the whole wedding party ended up in the pool!!
The dish was set in a bed of live lemon grass. Very cool!
Jen and Andrew are destined to be married. That’s simply all there is to it, no if’s ands or buts! Everyone has their little trials and tribulations while planning a wedding, but Jen and Andrew found theirs a bit more daunting than usual and dealt with them with a smile. Their first stumbling block was a photographer. A good friend of mine and great photographer was going to shoot their wedding since he was a family friend. The bride and groom were so excited as he had already done their engagement session. Then, the photographer gets some life altering news. He needs a heart transplant and his doctor will not let him do strenuous activities. Thankfully however when he recommended me I was open for the date and it all worked out. I am hoping it all works out for Rich and his wife as well. He is a fantastic photographer and even better person. I hope and pray that the doctors can find a less evasive solution besides the transplant.
Jen and Andrew’s next stumbling block came all the way from Iceland. You see this dormant and docile volcano whose name nobody can seem to pronounce decided to act up and spew a wrath of ash all over Europe. This would have been fine, except they live in England and had to fly to the states for their wedding. Once again fate changed and they were able to get to the states in time. One of their friends recounted having a conversation with Jen when it seemed that they would not be able to come to their own wedding. Jen had told her, even if we can’t be there, just come and enjoy yourselves anyway, we want you to have fun. That says a whole lot about her personality. In light of what they were facing it takes a very kind and good people to have that wonderful selfless giving attitude.
Their last possible thorn in the plan of a perfect wedding was mother nature. The skies were a dark gray and the rain seemed like it could come at any second the morning of the wedding. Everyone stayed calm and the moment Jen walked down the aisle the sun broke from the clouds allowing them to have a beautiful wedding.
I am thrilled to have been part of such a beautiful and fun event. I hope you enjoy looking at the images as much as I had a blast shooting them.
Are they a gorgeous couple or what?!
Jen's mom looks up as the sun comes out during the wedding
Jen's Dad found the Beatles bobbleheads online and the cake toppers were Jen and Andrew!
This was so cute. They made it up to "Eight Days a Week" by the Beatles
Crazy fun dancing!
So romantic! Andrew played "Beautiful Tonight" by Eric Clapton for Jen
Michelle and Matt are quite a match. Michelle has been a client of mine for a couple of years and has always been as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. So when she asked me to be her wedding photographer I was thrilled!
She and her equally wonderful fiance’ now husband Matt are so compatible together. She watches him with bright and happy eyes and gushes with glee as she talks about him, and he would walk barefoot across hot lava for her I am pretty sure. The both love and respect one another and it shows.
Michelle chose the beach behind the Inn at Crystal Beach as her wedding location. 790 on the Gulf inside the inn was the reception site. The weather was perfect and the sunset amazing for the wedding. You could have not asked for a more beautiful setting or day. Enjoy their images, they are a cute couple!! Monika and I had a blast capturing their awesome wedding moments!
Aren't they just precious together!!
The dolphins were "surfing" prior to the ceremony
Since her father had passed, Michelle had her parent's wedding rings on her bouquet.
Marlene and Mike had a wonderful wedding last month on Navarre Beach. It was a mix of Ecuadorian and American cultures and all broadcast via Skype to the members of Marlene’s family who could not attend the wedding and were still in Ecuador. One of the main differences that I noticed in the cultures of the weddings was that Marlene’s family told me that the cake is not cut and shared in their country. Isn’t it cool to go places and learn new things? It makes the world a much smaller and more interesting place I think!! In order for nobody to be left out, the ceremony and vows were both in English and Spanish and to me that was just plain romantic! Mike even toasted his new family in Spanish and Marlene in English. It was very cool indeed!
Hey what do you know, we are entering the peak of wedding season once again. I swear the year just seems to fly sometimes. Maybe because I love what I do for a living! I have noticed many people asking some of the same questions and have decided to do an FAQ for wedding photography!!! So here you go!
What are the advantages of hiring a professional?
A professional photographer will be timely – arriving at your wedding promptly, and make sure you have quality products. A professional has just the right equipment and film for photographing your wedding. Having attended many weddings, an experienced wedding photographer will be at ease at your wedding. A professional uses a color laboratory that is in the business of meeting high professional standards of print quality. And, a professional is used to working with individuals, couples, and groups to make the formal photography go smoothly. When you think about the cost of photography, remember that the photographer’s fee is only part of your investment: You, your parents, your extended family and your friends will be investing time with the photographer during your wedding. Don’t waste time on your wedding day with a photographer who won’t produce results you love!
What is the first question I should ask a photographer?
First establish that the photographer is available for your date and location. Then you will want to ask, “If we select your studio, will you be the photographer covering our wedding?” Some studios have several photographers and you may be speaking to a salesperson. The sample albums may have been done by photographers who do not even work for the studio anymore. If this is the case, you should make arrangements to meet with and see the work of the particular photographer who will be doing your wedding. You should also ask for a commitment from the studio to that effect, in writing.
Shouldn’t I be asking “What do I get and how much does it cost?”
Even shopping for shoes or furniture you wouldn’t ask that question until you find the style and quality you like. After you have looked through a photographer’s portfolio – seeing candids, formals and illustrative pictures, you will know if this photographer has the technique, style and spirit to be the eyes through which you and your children will see your wedding day. Of course, you should determine if the photographer is within your budget, give or take a little, but what you really want from photography is memories and feeling. Look for an established and reliable photographer whose work moves you, whose technical quality is tops. If you find a photographer who makes you happy, you never will regret your investment, whatever the dollar cost. When we have invested in items that will be with us for the rest of our lives, our satisfaction has been highest when we have paid that extra bit for the best quality.
So, how much does wedding photography cost?
Prices range from $950 to $10,000, and even more! Photographs (and maybe video) will be your only permanent record of the day. You want good photographs, so be prepared to spend a minimum of $1,500. Reprints will begin at $15 to $45 each. Expect better photographers to charge the higher rates. In other words, it is reasonable for an unexperienced photographer to charge you as little as $10 for a print. And, it is reasonable for an excellent photographer to charge you $40 for a print of the same size. That is because you are getting better service and a better product from the experienced professional. If you are looking for a bargain and shop via phone for pricing, you are following a recipe for poor to mediocre photography. My research indicates that photography runs between nine and fifteen percent of the total wedding budget. When couples value photography highly and are on a limited budget, they will spend up to 30% of their wedding budget on photography.
We want to spend no more than $1,500, but all the good photographers start at $2,000 and up. Why is it so expensive?
Because photography is not a commodity, it is a well honed art. Because some people can see the difference between poor photography and good photography, and they are willing to pay for it. Because to make a living at photography, the artist must gross an average of $3,000 to $6,000 per wedding. Because if the not-good-enough-yet photographers charged more than $1,500 he/she would never get a chance to practice at a real wedding. Because a professional photographer knows that his/her expenses and overhead, even with digital photography, even with the smallest package, are $1,500 to $2,000 per wedding.
We’re having a small wedding, with thirty people, and only wanted to spend $1,500 on pictures. What can we do?
The first thing to do if you want a professional photographer under these circumstances is to be flexible. A true wedding professional only can only work so many weekends a year, and reasonably expects one or two large weddings per weekend from May through October, or year round in tropical climates. If he/she reserves a prime Saturday or Sunday in October for you, then larger weddings will have to be turned away. If your budget is small, you will be choosing from the second and third tiers of wedding photographers. If you plan your wedding in the evening or especially early in the day, you might find a photographer who can fit you in after or before another event, and thus be able to work with your budget. Unfortunately, when you are limiting yourself to a smaller photo budget you can expect lower quality photographs.
What does Mari’s Paradise Images charge for a Saturday or Sunday Wedding?
Costs, which include an album and proofs, perhaps even the high-resolution files, start at $2,500.
What technical details in sample photographs should I watch out for?
Lighting quality is an important ingredient in superior photographs. The light in photographs should be natural and flattering, so that the pictures look three-dimensional. Overuse of on-camera flash can ruin wedding pictures. Watch out for flattened faces, harsh reflections off of cheeks and foreheads, and dark shadows directly behind or next to the subjects. With finesse, a fine photographer can work with almost any outdoor lighting situation without using flash.Look for a variety in subject size – a mix of distant, medium and close-up pictures. Even with groups, lighting and posing should be interesting. The well posed bridal portrait should minimize the subjects’ flaws (weight problem, blemishes, etc.) and express who the subject is and how he/she/they feel. The dramatic and scenic wedding image, like the red convertable on the show-room floor, attracts everyone’s attention, but most brides and their families, like most car buyers, want what suits them personally. You want pictures that tell the story simply, with immediate impact, and as if the photographer was not even there.
Some photographers ask that no one else take pictures during the formal photography. Is that reasonable?
Yes. If the photographer is trying to work quickly through a series of formal pictures, a snap-shooter might slow the process. A problem arises when there are several cameras aimed at a formal group – the subjects will be looking at different lenses. The diverted attention will ruin the professional’s picture. Or, if the professional is using a light-sensing trigger device (“slave”) on a second flash, other flashes will trigger this flash, ruining the pictures [that you are paying for] and wasting battery power. There are many other reasons why a professional might ask others to refrain from picture taking during formals. On the other hand, many guests find snapping a few pictures a pleasant part of attending weddings, so it should not be a big deal for your professional to be relaxed and let people snap away when formals are over. Ideally, guests should show respect for the bridal party and photographer and put down their cameras during the formal photos.
I want to make copies of my photos. Does my photographer really own the copyright of his/her pictures? Do I still have to pay the photographer if I make the copies myself at a copy shop?
Yes and yes. According to federal law, images produced by a professional photographer are copyrighted the moment they are created. Federal law prohibits copying or reproducing copyrighted material without permission from the owner of the copyright, i.e., the photographer. If you copy or scan your photos, the photographer should be paid just as if you were buying reprints. If you or your videographer transfer the proofs to videotape, the photographer should be paid just as if you were buying reprints. If you don’t feel comfortable paying for these copies, find a photographer whose work is so good that you are glad to pay. When I really appreciate something I purchase, like a purse, my child’s education, a good pair of shoes, or even medical care, I do not mind paying a premium for getting the highest quality. Look for the photographer who will provide you the satisfaction of paying for job well done.
Well, I hope this has answered a few questions for some folks. And please contact me at mari@destinweddingphotographer.com if you have any more questions you want answered!
Now on the the big news! We have added new a best of new wedding video! It is a compilation of some of our most fun weddings. Come and check them out!
Wow, can it already be here? The Red Dog Studio has been open for a whole year! What began as a dream about five years ago came to fruition last winter as I built one of the areas only full-service photographic studios from the ground up. I wanted a studio that was large enough to utilized both as traditional light studio as well as a natural light studio. Voila, a plan was formed! It was a ton of hard work. The structure was built to the specifications I needed including six foot windows, a sky light and loft storage area. We put in the insulation and painted it ourselves. By the way, that’s how it became named the Red Dog Studio. Jack Rascal Terrorists love chasing anything that sprays. By the time I was done painting the outside, I had one large red dog! Poor Mr. Noodles! We added hardwood flooring and some outside scenes and the Red Dog was set to go! Our sessions combine the use of our awesome studio and outside scenes along with areas at a beachside park across the street. We do offer the best of all worlds! Since the Red Dog has opened it has been the place to go for high school senior photos, pregnancy portraits and children and newborns! We just love our clients! Enjoy some images of the studio! And if you need any portraits, please feel free to call us at 850-699-3403. We are open by appointment only!
Here it is….the moment all of you have been waiting for. We may even add some more images that I may have forgotten!! It’s the Mari’s Paradise Images best of ’09 Wedding Photography!! Oh okay….so you have me. I do love all of my couples and it took SOOOO long to cull through images for the best of. I wanted to put them all online, but well…I don’t think anyone has time to look at ALL of those images! So without further ado…here they are!!!!
I just loved Amanda's southern elegance at Eden State Gardens!
Ashley had some great details!!
Asha, Abby and Kelly three great girls!
Studman Elvis Jr. danced at Kara and Jason's wedding as Regina was sexy in Seaside!
Anne's Apalachicola bouquet and Tara's moonlight poses!!
Megan and Sean....awww so cute! Loren...one of the most beautiful bridals of the year!
I love guys who are man enough to show emotion!!
Sabrina and Mavi, Asha and Mike's great departure and Bethany's "breast stroke"
The Emerald Grande is a great wedding destination!
The bouquet toss is also a sporting event. Love the beautiful Ashley and flower girl!
This is how he proposed to her on the side of the road
Love the tin can phone
Linda and Chad's wedding aisle kiss...so romantic. Regina looks awesome in the Seaside Pavillion.
Vivid colors are a must!
A kiss is just a kiss....unless it's on your wedding day then it's the best in the world.
This is from a great wedding I second shot with Candice K!
I love this image.... I call it "Jump Start"
Megan and Sean wanted to do this after the first kiss at the alter. It was cute.
I love the graphics in all of these. New Orleans makes some pretty images.
I would love to see you here in the '10 Best of Weddings!~
I cannot even describe the torrential downpour Monika and I drove through on the way to Krystal and Cal’s wedding. Highway 98 was flooded in some areas and cars were stalled out in the roadway and the sky looked even more menacing ahead of us. I was looking to make sure an ark didn’t float past us! It did not look like it was going to be such a good day for a beach wedding!
