Wedding Planning Tip #1: Get a Wedding Planner

A few years ago I wrote a blog entitled, “Whatcha, whatcha, whatcha Want?” detailing why investing in a wedding planner is a great idea for optimizing your wedding experience.  It was one of my most popular posts – and for good reason.  Having said that, I think it is time for an update…

Brides: When planning your wedding, get a wedding planner. PLEASE!  Here’s a recap.  Wedding planners should be one of the FIRST things you secure when beginning your wedding journey.  I cannot stress this enough! A good wedding planner is worth their weight in GOLD and even from me, the photographer, I cannot emphasize enough how helpful they are to making your ENTIRE wedding experience more enjoyable; wedding photography included (shameless plug).

Wedding planners can help you with everything from venue selection, to wedding day agenda, to wedding dresses, to food selection for the reception, to wedding photography/videography (yes, another shameless plug), to coordinating everything, to DJ and entertainment, to invitations, to everything wedding related. But also important, wedding planners can help you SAVE money based upon their contacts and experience guiding Brides through the process.

If you are getting married in the Tampa Bay area, check out my website for some of my “Preferred Partners” – there you will find a few Wedding Planners that I’d recommend from my personal experience.

I said it once and I will say it again…

Wedding Planner = Happier Wedding Day

On another note, CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SUPERBOWL 52 CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA EAGLES!!!

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotography.com to see wedding images and samples from other photography genres, as well!

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2018 Trend: Embracing Smaller Wedding Parties

Tags

wedding photographer, wedding photography, wedding planning, weddings

Large wedding parties are seen by many as a “status symbol” of sorts.  Many of us want to have the most grandiose wedding possible, right?  I get it – allow as many of our friends and family to participate in our wedding day.  Admittedly, in some cases, having large wedding parties is unavoidable.  10+ Bridesmaids, 10+ Groomsmen, etc. are just required due to the size of families and their circles.

Looking back at 2017, larger wedding parties (10+) were oft the norm but many expect wedding parties in 2018 to be smaller.  Where we can cut those numbers in half (4, 5, or 6 at the high end – including maid-of-honor), I think this expected 2018 trend just makes more sense.  Here’s why…

Personally, I think smaller wedding parties are actually better for a number of reasons.  First, it is more intimate and easier for the couple to manage. It’s much easier dealing with 4 bridesmaids/groomsmen as a Bride/Groom opposed to 13 bridesmaids/ groomsmen, right? Additionally, the more you have, the less important they are individually and the more money it costs for the Bride/Groom and/or the bridesmaids/ groomsmen.  From a photography standpoint, pictures with you and 5 or 6 bridesmaids takes a lot less time than if you have 10+ bridesmaids. As such, photographers can actually focus more time on you with each of them, as well – quality over quantity.

When planning your wedding, save time, money, and proverbial “wedding party drama” by narrowing down the wedding party list to your most important/ indispensable subset of friends and family. For most, I think this is sage advice. Let me know your thoughts and experiences!

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotography.com to see stylized wedding images and samples from other photography genres, including events, portraits, and modeling, as well!

Make your Wedding Day about YOU!

In discussions with Brides and Grooms, they often tell me that their wedding day is more about their friends and family moreso than themselves (the Bride and Groom). As such, they may say they do not want to be in the spotlight, want to limit pictures they take alone, alleviate a first look opportunity, limit first dance time, etc. While I understand the selfless sentiments behind this, folks, I believe this is a mistake.

Your wedding day should be YOUR WEDDING DAY and the focus should be on you – the Bride and Groom. Everything and everyone else is ancillary.  Yes, we want children, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, friends, and family in the pictures – of course, all of that. But in my mind, there is a priority order…

1. Bride and Groom are first. Period.
2. Wedding Party (Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Flower Girls, Ring Bearers, etc.),
3. Immediate family members,
4. Extended family and close friends,
5. Everyone and everything else.

Pamper yourselves on your wedding day! Be the focus of attention and let your Big Day be about YOU! You have the rest of your lives for everyone else. Just my thoughts on it…

B&G’s First Dance

The Bride during her first dance

The First Dance

Bride and Groom

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotography.com to see stylized wedding images and samples from other photography genres, including events, portraits, and modeling, as well!

The Joy of Children in Wedding Photography

 

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– Written by Chuck Jackson

There are many reasons weddings bring us such joy. I contend, one of the best reasons for this joy is due to the roles children play on wedding day!

Children personalize some of the fundamental truths of the human experience: proliferation of the family and its culture. In that essence, we are reminded of the innocence we all once had before adulthood further corrupted our nature. Children embody so many things: our hopes, our dreams, our love, the circle of life.

Whether acting in an official capacity of the flower girls, ring bearers, junior bridesmaids or groomsmen, etc., or attending the wedding as family and friends, photographs of children make for some of the most inspiring and memorable moments of any wedding. Additionally, they are so much fun for photographers to capture in time!

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL.  Check out http://www.photoactivephotography.com to see wedding images and samples from other photography genres, as well!

Awesome wedding lenses!

Tags

wedding lenses, wedding photographer, wedding photography

Laura & Brian at sunset

Written by Chuck Jackson

As a wedding photographer, some of the most important, if not THE most important, tools of the trade are our lenses. Given the fact that we often shoot in low light situations, fast lenses (defined as f/2.8 or faster) are a definite must have for any wedding photographer’s toolbox. Furthermore, the depth of field control provided with these fast lenses makes for even lovelier shots!

For me, I have 3 favorite lenses (in no particular order): I love my Nikkor 85mm/1.8, my Sigma 50-150mm/2.8 OC EX HSM, and my Nikkor 35mm/1.8. Since I shoot weddings with two camera bodies at all times, I almost always have my 50-150mm/2.8 on one body (because of the extreme versatility of this lens’s focal length) and something else on the other body (usually the 35mm/1.8 or the 85mm/1.8, depending upon the situation.

Note: My 4th favorite lens would be the 18-55mm/VR lens for wider angle use, however, my style favors tighter composition in many cases so this is normally not one of my initial choices.

Chuck Jackson is a wedding photographer for PhotoActive Photography in Tampa, FL. Check out http://www.photoactivephotographytampa.com to see wedding images and samples from other photography genres, as well!

Lastings & Depree’s first dance