Josh and Krista are getting married this October and I am so excited for their wedding. First because they are such a fun couple, and second because their wedding & reception are at a place I have never shot before and I absolutely love shooting in new places! This non winter we’ve had allowed us to shoot by the water without it being too cold or looking too gloomy! They even got their feet wet that’s how warm it’s been. Congrats Krista & Josh, I cant wait until October.
Last year I took a break from photographing newborns and at the beginning of the year I reintroduced the All New Baby Plan with a special price and special discounts for members only. I can’t get over the response I’ve had and am overjoyed with the pleasure of getting to spend time with such precious sweet little bundles of joy.
There are many things that I absolutely love about photographing newborns…from the posing and style to comforting each little bundle so they know their time with me will be a safe and calm adventure. Every session can vary depending on the newborn so don’t expect a rushed session.
Being a wedding photographer I have the opportunity to witness the uniqueness and craftiness of many of my brides. They never seem to amaze me with some of the ideas they come up with but one thing I do see a lot of is the use of jars.
Jars are awesome because they can be used in the most obvious ways and you can really change the look of the jar depending on what you use to decorate or fill it with. They are great for vintage weddings, filling with flowers, using as candle holders, sand even acorns for fall weddings. They can be used as center pieces, isle runners, beverage glasses and the list goes on.
all pictures by Jennifer Bullock Photography and AJM Photography
used by permission. (all images and text on this entire blog are copyright protected)
Congratulations, you said yes but now what do you do?
First, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. Spend some quiet time with just you and your fiance. And then take another deep breath and process everything again.
Think about what type of wedding you want. Do you guys want a formal, casual, destination or something simple and classic? When will your special day be? If you don’t have a date yet thats ok, but think about a season and that will help you with planning everything else. When you think about the location, ask yourself if you want to get married in your hometown, where you currently live, or in a romantic destination location? Is a white sandy beach or other outdoor location something you’ve always envisioned? Let your wedding be an expression of you, your lifestyles and absolute love for each other.
When you start to plan, remember this one thing–Don’t plan so fast. I have heard so many sad stories from brides that got caught up in a whirlwind of excitement, didn’t do their homework and had already put down a non-refundable retainer/deposit for a vendor that they now have to settle for that they wish they had never booked. So please, please, please slow down and think before paying that deposit.
However, Do not hesitate if you know that you just have to have a certain vendor or two. Be sure to book those vendors that you just cannot imagine having your wedding without. If there is a certain photographer, videographer, DJ or musician, be sure to retain them early because those vendors are the ones who’s calendars fill up fast, sometimes six months to a year in advance.
If you are planning a destination wedding it can sometimes be scary because your main communication will be over the internet via email and you may never meet your vendor until the day of your wedding. I’m here to give you some tips on how to ask the right questions and how to know you are getting top quality. Beings I am a photographer, my main focus is, of course, going to be on photography but the questions and steps can also be applied to other vendors as well.
The most important thing I can’t stress enough is to do your research and choose wisely. Ask questions before choosing and don’t choose based on who gives you the most hours for the cheapest price, there is always a reason for that price. Ask questions like:
Don’t be shy… tell the photographer what you want.
Make sure the photographer you choose meets the following criteria that you want:
As I had promised in my previous post I would start introducing more personal posts into my blog and what better way to do so than with a little bit of info about who we are.
My husband, Allan, and I specialize as engagement, wedding and family beach photographers here in the Gulf Shores area of Alabama, but also travel all over the coast from Destin Florida to Mississippi and all points in between.
We have four beautiful girls that are everything to us. They range in age from 3 1/2 to 14. I started taking pictures shortly after the birth of my last little girl in 2008 and quickly realized that beach and wedding photography were my passion. Allan started in 2010 when I became too busy to handle all the weddings on my own. I went from small weddings to elaborate 8 plus hour weddings that required more than one photographer, and who better to bring aboard than my wonderful husband. I am that fun, energetic, easy going person that loves a challenge when it comes to capturing memories. You will find me on the floor in that awkward position capturing the perfect angle for the moment. I don’t force my clients to be stiff and smile on command, I let them be themselves which, in return, brings out their true personalities and is reflected in all the images you see in my blogs and on my website.
One thing that we love to do as a couple is, honestly, shoot a wedding together. Every wedding is unique and while I’m capturing all the important details of the wedding party, my husband is silently capturing shots of Uncle Fred on the dance floor over there. We work extremely hard to stay current with the latest technology and techniques of photography. After all, we want your portraits to be masterpieces when you display them on your wall.
When we aren’t photographing weddings we stay super busy with our 4 girls. The two middle girls play soccer, so during soccer season your will find us on the soccer field almost ever day of the week. Our oldest is in Color Guard and we juggle our schedule to make sure she makes it to practice and tournaments on time. And our sweet baby is the boss of the house. She really does keep us busy. She loves to swing, so a lot of my mornings are spent outside with her. As a family we enjoy going to movies together or simply renting a movie through iTunes and relaxing at home all cuddled up on the sofa for a nice family night in. And, we are that traditional family who always has dinner at the same time every night and we are all present. If you’d like to know more simply email me at andrea@ajmphotography.net and I will be more than happy to share the answers on this blog.
just a quick picture of the boss of our home:
This year flew by with many new things and new clients, quickly becoming one of the most eventful times in my photography business! I knew from the beginning that 2011 was going to be an eventful year.
As I reflect over 2011 I think about the goals I hope to accomplish in 2012!
My Resolution: Blog more personal entries, write more from my heart, and share my life to you through my blog. I love when my clients can relate to me on a more personal level, I normally do this via email however I feel I would love to reach out and express this via my blog. This will be the one of the biggest changes for my business this New Year and I hope everyone out there will enjoy it! I hope to express who I really am and who Andrea McDaniel photography is. Who it really is behind the camera and what really moves me.
Below you will find a small review of 2011. Enjoy!
To all my clients: Thank you for giving me the honor of capturing memories of your big day this year! It’s because of you that 2011 was totally unforgettable.
Jamie and Jamal have what I call a special kind of love. They both come from two different religious backgrounds therefore they had two seperate ceremonies. One in historic downtown Pensacola and the other in Pensacola Beach.
I felt so blessed to see this couple unite in marriage and meet so many wonderful people from all over the nation. People flew in from all over the US and places like Papua New Guinea to take part in their special day. It was what I call absolutely remarkable. Below is just a small preview of their day…more to come in another post.
I’m always blown away at the turnout of some of my destination weddings. Being from the Gulf Coast 75% of my weddings happen to be clients that are from out of town. The love and support for Emily and Chad just blew me away. Friends and family traveled from California and many other states to celebrate with them.
I had the pleasure of photographing Sarah and Michael’s wedding that took place in historic Ft Morgan, Al on Aug 12, 2011. Sarah and Michael were such a pleasure to work with and the bridal party sure kept things lively as we went throughout the day. The entire day was meticulously coordinated by All the Details who transformed a bright sunny day into a one of a kind dream setting by having the ceremony and reception under a gorgeous tent. Congratulations Sarah and Michael! It was a pleasure working with you guys and I hope you have many happy years together.
Location: Tamaron Beach House
Coordinator: Charli Linn All the Details
Musicians: Art & Mary Brockmeier Island Steel Drum band
Florist: Ava Hopkins
Hairstylist: Suzanne (479) 313-2341
Rentals: Kent’s Special Events
Caterer: Stapleton Catering
Cake: Olga Pettis J.A.M Cakery
Time to play catch up on the blog for some of the fun summer family sessions I’ve had.
Filed under beach family photographer
