Tagged with: Delaware Engagement
Did you or a friend get engaged over this winter season? If so, I would love to chat with you about your wedding day photography plans. I am still booking select 2019 dates, email for availability and pricing, emily@emilytroutmanphoto.com
Emily Troutman Photography, 2017
On a family trip to San Francisco and California wine country, Alex popped the question! Cassandra said yes and they’re excitedly planning a November 2019 wedding! Cass also just happens to be my younger cousin, so I couldn’t have been more honored when they asked me to capture their engagement photos. The drizzle started to fall and the clouds had rolled in before we started our session but thankfully the rain passed through and we made the most of the gorgeous Brandywine Valley views.
You can see the drizzle falling here but it didn’t dampen their love!
As we roll into a new year and we are in the middle of the biggest engagement season of the year, I thought I would share some ways to capture the grooms details that are important. Obviously brides get much deserved attention on the wedding day, but the groom has some things he will want to remember as well! As you prepare for your or a friends' wedding day, think through if the groom has special cufflinks, gifts for his groomsmen, a gift or letter from the bride, etc. These are the things we don't want to forget because chances are, they were thought about and planned for just as much as the rest of the wedding day!
Tips for fellow photographers: Try to keep with the color story of the wedding for cohesiveness in the imagery (helps with prints and albums later) and also look around for masculine feeling textures or surfaces. These will help bring the details to life but be a contrast to the usually feminine and light bride's details.
These really unique, personalized "beer growlers" were the grooms gift to his groomsmen. The snazzy bowties were a nice touch for everyone!
Sleeks groom's shoes on a whiskey barrel
The groom getting ready is just as important as the bride! Although admittedly way less stressful usually ;)
Groom tying his dad's bowtie with a smile. A sweet and memorable moment for both of them I am sure!
All the groomsmen together looking dapper!
For the record today I am on my third cup of coffee, my kids have only been in school 2 of the last 21 days and it feels like a negative temperature outside. It's Friday and I feel the need to have some sign of productivity and sharing in my life. I feel a little warmer just thinking about wedding season! Images in this post shot by Emily while second shooting for @TracyFleckPhotography in 2017. If you are recently engaged or might be getting a ring soon, check with me about available wedding dates for 2018.
Dinaker slowly realized that there was another roommate in the friends house he kept visiting. Once he realized who this other roommate was, he started paying attention. Eventually though it was Rachel who suggested "hanging out sometime" and it all began there! I love stories like this, where the couple met through friends unexpectedly and slowly simmered into their own love story. Dinaker and Rachel are looking forward to a gorgeous January wedding so we took some time to get in those peak fall colors while we still had them for this session!
Are you engaged or going to be a part of a wedding this summer? I've been photographing weddings for over a decade and in those years, I've learned a few things about what works. A special time of day is the bride getting ready. It's a sweet combination of joy, nerves, excitement and preparations! Generally the bride is surrounded by close friends and family, getting ready to walk down the aisle. In my experience as the photographer, I wanted to share some ways that you can make the space great for both the bride and the photographs.
1. Have at least one window available for natural light: Natural light is usually the most flattering and is a great option for helping to light the portraits of the bride getting ready. As you choose the space for the bride to get dressed in, make sure it has at least one window!
2. Clear the clutter: I know getting ready time is hectic. Usually there are bridesmaids and moms and everyone else all prepping in the same space but when it's time to get the bride dressed, you don't want large amounts of stuff strewn across the room. It's hard for a photographer that has to both clean up the room and style/photograph the bride.
3. Make sure details are close by: Everything from flowers to rings to invitations need to be ready to go in the prep room. The reason for this is that the details are a huge part of the story of the wedding day and every photographer wants to make sure they're a part of the photographs. If all of these things are close by and ready to go, it makes the photography go smoothly, as well as the mood for the bride. There's nothing like realizing 5 minutes before bridal portraits that the shoes are missing or on one grabbed the bride's bouquet yet. These are important things to be ready with! (True story: 20 minutes before a wedding a bride realized her specific underwear for the dress was not in the dress bag like she thought it was. Talk about frantic and embarrassing to try to get someone to go retrieve that for you!)
4. Temperature: This is pretty self explanatory but especially on hot wedding days with lots of people in the room, everyone is going to feel better if it's not smoking hot in the room. If you can get there early and crank down the AC a few points, even better!
5. Great attitudes: Every wedding day has its drama whether it be personal or situational. The best way to keep the environment drama-free and a good vibe to leave that stuff at the door the best you can. It can be tricky with so many emotions at play, but it's important to surround the bride with positivity as she prepares for one of the biggest days of her life!
A beautiful naturally lit room, free of clutter was the perfect spot to slip the bride into her dress with her bridesmaids help!
Remember this beautiful wedding couple from 2013? They're old friends of mine and I adore the opportunity to photograph their growing family any chance I get! They're expecting a baby boy in the next month and we had a family session to celebrate. Their sweet Della is preparing to be a big sister and will turn two this summer. How cute is she?!
Hey friends! I missed yesterday's Monday confessions because it was President's Day and I was crazy with four children at home. We also had a birthday luncheon and then a birthday party so it was a full day! I wish I had magically figured out by now how to be both Mom and business owner in perfect balance, but alas, I have not yet managed that. The lists of things I want to accomplish grow longer instead of shorter, but in the small moments I try to remember what matters.
In that spirit, love matters! I got to shoot a sweet little engagement session over the weekend with Hannah and Caleb. Their story all began when Caleb's sister, who was a friend of Hannah's, asked Hannah if she could give her number to her brother. The rest was history, as they say! These two sweeties are looking forward to a late May wedding in a beautiful country setting. I can't wait!
Just a quick sneak peek from the beautiful fall wedding I photographed over the weekend here in Delaware. It was held the the lovely Montchanin Inn & Spa. We were battling winds and rain, but the time we had for photos went just perfectly! Congrats to Amanda & Andy who are flying off to their honeymoon today! (If you need a good restaurant suggestion in the area, Krazy Kats did all the food and it was amazing! When I tell you I never loved a brussell sprout in my life...they changed my opinion on them! Delish!)
In lieu of monday confessions today, I want to share with you an engagement session close to my heart. This is Ashley, she is Matt's little sister and in turn, is like my little sister. You see, long before Matt and I were ever together, I got to know Ashley as a middle schooler in my Sunday School group at the time. She was shy but always laughed at my jokes, so I knew she was listening :) I even have a sweet ornament she gave me one year that I still hang on my tree as a reminder to me of all that God had planned before I ever even knew what he was up to! I am so thankful I got a sister in her!
As I write this, I have a lump in my throat of happiness for all that lies ahead for Ashley and Kenny as they lead into their wedding next summer. I was honored when they asked me to do some engagement photos for them because knowing I am a part of their wedding party, I won't be able to do the wedding day photos! It is my prayer for them that this time of engagement and preparation for marriage is a sweet time. I pray that they build a foundation of a strong marriage and don't just plan a wedding. I pray that Jesus would draw them close and protect their hearts as they prepare to become man and wife. Ashley and Kenny, I couldn't be happier for you and enjoy these images as a reminder of a special time in your lives! Love you! (And of course the photographer in me couldn't get enough of the golden light and beautiful autumn scenery :)
This was the last shot I took and I think it's a perfect ending…
