As I approach our wedding date, all I can think about is how much is going on on the day of the wedding, how many people Jason & I will need to chat with (quick fact – did you know that if you have a 300 person wedding, you only have 1 minute to talk to each person assuming you are not doing anything else like eating, dancing, etc…..HOW CRAZY IS THAT?) and everything is going to fly by. At the end of the night, we’ll be left with a cold grilled cheese, almost-empty bottles of vodka, a depreciated bank account, and a massive headache. And of course, a natural high that is so intense, it could last weeks……and most importantly, a husband or wife.
But what happens two or three weeks after the wedding when the rush is all over and your wedding is ‘passé’??? You rely on one thing: the memories.
It’s interesting because a photographer plays a very different role than any other vendor in a wedding. Besides the wedding planner, the photographer is the one person who will spend the most time with a couple on their wedding day. A photographer truly leads the day and is right by the bride & groom’s side through all of the feelings and emotions that appear at different moments…..pure happiness, anxiety, sadness, frustration, excitement, etc.
The first thing I tell couples about selecting vendors whether it is a photographer or a lighting company is that you must get along with the person. You want to feel your vision resonates with that person, and you want to feel that the vendor is genuinely interested in working on your wedding. The truth is, the more I like a client or get along with them, the more I want to go above and beyond for them. This is particularly important when it comes to the relationship with a photographer….you don’t necessarily want an annoying, overbearing, loud person around you on your wedding day. I once got a comment from a past bride who said: ‘I love my photos but all I can think about when I look at them is how annoying the photographer was all day’. That’s really unfortunate.
You also need to LOVE the product that a vendor provides. There are so many photographers in this city….and each of them has a different style which leads to a very different final result. Are you looking for someone with a fashion photography edge and captures more of a glam look? Are you looking for someone who will take a more creative and artistic approach? Do you want someone who stays in the background and shoots in a photojournalistic way?
Chelsea Gray, owner of Blushing Bride Studio, and her team of super professional shooters are some of my favorite wedding photographers in Montreal. What’s nice about her company’s approach is that she offers you a choice of 4 different photographers who each have their own style but who have all been trained by her. So you can literally choose Elizabeth who has a romantic side and is amazing with capturing emotion and little details and then Dan who just manages to find the best and most unusual moments or reactions. It creates for a really well-rounded and balanced set of photos. Chelsea, herself, is wonderful….committed, easy going, energetic and manages to sneak in to every possible little nook to get the best shot possible. What’s so great about her photos is that she finds shots that truly reflects the bride and groom’s personalities so one wedding looks very different from the next.
Here are some of my favorite photos shot by Blushing Bride of some of my favorite couples/weddings over the years:
So excited to work with Blushing Bride on our wedding day! We may even squeeze in a little time early in the day to do a boudoir shoot! A gift for my future hubby….and why not? It’s one of the few days in your life where you look and feel on top of the world. I may just need a shot of tequila first.
Lastly, I want to say that as much as I love Blushing Bride, it was a very difficult decision for me to choose a photographer because there are sooooooo many super talented ones in this city and I have great relationship with so many of them. Some (and I repeat some) of my go-to photographers:
LA V PHOTO – www.lavimage.com
TIM CHIN PHOTOGRAPHY – www.timchin.com
DOMINIC FUIZZUTTO – www.domphoto.com
GREY SPARROW – www.greysparrow.ca
On that note, while I am quite over photobooths at this point, there are still ways to make it fun and a little unique (print all black & white, set up a scene, theme the props, etc)….especially if you use GREY SPARROW’s amazing booth which prints out photos on the spot in seconds.
TANIA
BLUSHING BRIDE STUDIO – www.blushingbridestudio.com 514.502-3494