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Wedding Vendor Love – Annemarie Juhlian | {Firstlight Photography Crush}

There are many choices to be made as you plan your wedding.  How do you go about choosing  the right people for THE big day?  The type of ceremony you imagine will set the tone and help you begin your planning.   With many weddings under our belt we have noticed that the officiant is essentially  your quarterback.

So, who do couples turn to?  For those that are getting married in their church, it is a no brainer.  For some it is finding a friend that is outgoing and ready to take on the challenge and responsibility of pulling off a ceremony.  And, for others, couples are searching for an officiant to help pull off the day.

As wedding photographers we get invited to the best parties throughout the year.  Each is different and unique.  Sure you have all of your decorations and centerpieces, but there are several things that will stand out.  Your ceremony is one.  And, well, as photographers of course we’re going to say another is the photos!

A few wedding seasons back we shot three weddings with the same officiant.  Considering how many weddings are held in the Puget Sound region each year we realized this was not a fluke.  After the third wedding, Annemarie Juhlian noted that it was clear that our clients were looking for the same characteristics in vendors.  So, just pinch us because we consider it a treat to get to work with her.  Truth be told, she typically gets Mitzi’s eyes to well up at some point in the ceremony.  She is telling a love story.  She is honoring those that are no longer with us.  She is showing just how much this couple truly loves one another.  And, somewhere along the way, when the ceremony gets a little deep or sentiments run high, she is able to artfully bring in laughter and helps showcase the joy of it all.  Here ceremonies clearly show that she invests in her clients and designs a custom ceremony that is authentic and a solid representation of the couple.  Three years in we have witnessed (and yes, Mitzi has literally been a witness for an elopement couple) how each couple’s ceremony is a one of a kind and unique event.

In the wedding officiant world, she has the major “it” factor.  She can’t hide just how much she loves what she does.  As wedding professionals we connect with our couples on a friendship and trust level.  We’re a big part of the day.   Realize that you will spend  lots and lots of time  with your vendors so make sure they are personable and, even more important, you like them!

Get to know your potential wedding vendors.  They should be ready to hear you and make time for you.  They should reach out to your other vendors.  They too should inspire you and act as a sounding board.  It is important to connect on a variety of levels.  Having confidence is key.  Having fun and developing trust really is paramount.  Your wedding vendor should be part of your team.  Build a team of professionals that help you define your vision and are invested.  Do your homework and ask oodles and oodles of questions.  And, don’t worry.  We won’t think you are a bridezilla.  We’ll think you are a savvy couple that is building a team that will be an asset for all.

Pinterest = 2012 Wedding Trend | Tacoma Wedding Photographer Dishes!

2012 WEDDING TECH TREND
There is one 2012 wedding trend we must point out.  I guess it would be more like a top 2012 wedding tool.  Out of the brides we have met at wedding shows this January, around 65-70% are on Pinterest and are using this tool to design their weddings.

Saying I am Pintersessed {Pinterest+Obsessed} is an understatement.   As a wedding photographer, Pinterest (and another secret tool I will reveal in an upcoming blog post) has changed the way I organize my ideas and inspiration.  It has helped me to better understand our brides’ visions.  And, in turn, brides can get some insight into Firstlight Photography by just looking at our pins and boards.

SO WHAT IS PINTEREST?
MAGIC I say.  If I am a bride I am surfing the web for sport.  I am on the hunt for all sorts of wedding inspiration.  I am searching engagement shoot concepts, wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, flowers (real, paper, fabric), centerpiece ideas, cakes, cupcakes, DIY, ETSY finds, wedding day photography poses and fun ideas, invitations, save the date ideas, trash the dress concepts, creative photo display/treatments etc etc to the infinity power.  But, as a bride, I get so overwhelmed and forget where I saw those amazing ideas.  And, since I am a bride, I am on super overload and I can’t be bothered to remember all these details.  I could go drop a paycheck on copious amounts of wedding mags and do a wedding poster board but who has the  time or desire?   Not our 2012 brides.  They are tech savvy.  They are busy.  This is why Pinterest is the perfect must have tool for every bride.  And let me be clear.  This is for us chicks.  My husband scratches his head about this whole Pinterest obsession.

A PLACE FOR EVERYONE ON PINTEREST
Are you planning a steampunk wedding? Great.  Pinterest has you covered.  Is rustic chic more your style?  Let me tell you, Pinterest has totally got you covered there too.  From offbeat to traditional weddings there is plenty to see.

IT SOUNDS GREAT.  BUT REALLY, I DON’T GET IT?
So, imagine a world where you can create a virtual board.  For example, I have created a board called Wedding Hair.  I find photos on various blogs, websites and other Pinterest boards.  With one easy click, I can Repin this idea to my Wedding Hair board.  That great idea I just saw won’t be lost.  How cool is that?

A RECAP ON PINTEREST TERMINOLOGY
Pins – images that you “pin” to your boards.  The act of pinning someone else’s image is called “repinning.”  You can leave comments on these pins.  A bride could say, “bridesmaids – tell me what you think about this hairstyle” or she could just profess her love for this style – because she can – and that is what Pinterest is all about.  In addition, with an easy click you can post your pin to facebook and Twitter.
Pinner – that is anyone that pins.
Follow – you can follow Pinners (all of their boards) or just select which boards you want to follow.
Boards – the virtual cork boards you create.

OK, I HAVE SIPPED THE KOOL AID – HOW DO I GET STARTED?
You can’t just sign up and get an account instantly.  You need to register (and this can take a while) or you can ask a friend to invite you (I am always available to get someone “using”).  Once you are in, you can start developing boards and pin away.  To provide the ultimate access, you can install Pinterest on your toolbar for easier full access pinning.

You can search boards, pins, keywords and by pinners you follow, popular pins…so basically you can slice it and dice it in a multitude of ways.

AND DON’T FORGET
You can use Pinterest to save recipes, gather organization ideas, design your dream space and find DIY project inspiration for that project you didn’t know you wanted to do.   It is addictive good fun.  It is actually a beneficial planning tool and it is totally free.

Happy pinning!

Vintage Wedding Gowns | Firstlight Photography Meets Benita’s

Just look at the feathers!  Look at the brooches.  Look at the birdcage!  Looking for vintage inspired, glam or just plain elegant?  We are definitely going to visit the shop once we are done with our January shows!  And, we promise, we’ll bring our big boy and big girl cameras!

Rock ‘n Roll Wedding in Seattle | Firstlight Photography

We love Offbeat Bride and the clients it brings our way.  When we did our pre-shoot phone consult, Alyson had a major game plan.  There was no lack of ideas so we were pretty excited to get the show on the road.

We sensed the couple was going to be fantastic to photograph. We met Andy and Alyson at their Seattle/Georgetown engagement shoot.  Since they are getting hitched at the Central Cinema in Seattle, we started there and then whisked off to the Georgetown Ballroom.  Both are amazing venues.

We feel so lucky to get to work with the couple’s that choose us.  We have really focused on our niche and we aren’t turning back.  And, yes, that is a hint for an upcoming blog about defining your clients.  Just another reason we LOVE what we do.

Tacoma Boudoir & Pin Up Photography | Valentine’s Day Gift {Boudoir Photography}

We have been doing our Little Black Book boudoir studio for less than a year but have built a great client base – mostly by word of mouth.  When the phone started ringing off the hook in December we were stumped but then a client told us  the Weekly Volcano’s Naughty and Nice Holiday Gift Guide featured us.  We hopped online, read the review and squealed with delight!

While many of our client’s were able to give the gift of boudoir for the winter holiday season, many are working on some pretty steamy Valentine’s Day gifts as well!  Do you still need a sexy gift for your special someone?  We have some open dates available but we have to do your shoot before February 2nd to ensure photos are ready!

In case you didn’t see the Volcano write up, here it is!  In our world, flattery will get you everywhere!  Thanks Volcano staff!

Way more flattering than your cell phone and a mirror
Want to give the gift of self in a more permanent fashion? “Little Black Book” boudoir studio by Firstlight Photography can capture the hottest side of you.  The husband and wife photography team create lasting images of beauty and grace for all shapes and sizes.  Elegant lighting, flattering poses and excellent customer relations make the experience of having your naughty bits caught on celluloid an exhilarating experience. Only as much of you will be revealed as you desire. Be it tasteful and subtle, or full-blown sexy and provocative, the results will be worthy of any bombshell or movie star. -  Ginger Knoxx

Do You Have a Wedding Timeline? | A Must Have! {Firstlight Photography}

Photo Courtesy of www.etsy.com/shop/pixelstopaper

If there is one thing we are going to tell you to do for your wedding it is to make a schedule!  As wedding photographers we know that, without a plan, bedlam will likely ensue.

We didn’t put together a detailed wedding schedule for the couple when we first started, but now it is just part of our package.  Some couples hire a planner and that make our work easy.  We still communicate with the planner regarding our photography schedule.

If couples don’t go the way of a planner, we begin crafting a schedule early in the process.  Our couples have told us that it is a great exercise – one that makes them get their ducks in a row.  And for us, we have a schedule that we can use as our road map for the day.

Wedding Timeline Tips

1.  Be realistic about your schedule.  Make sure you leave enough time for each segment.  If you have too much on your list, you may need to pare it down.

2.  Share your schedule with family and attendants at least a week before your big day.  Seeing things in black and white might help those slow pokes – you know, the friends that are always 15 + minutes late.  It is a great tool to make everyone accountable.  Don’t forget to share with other wedding vendors.  Having everyone on the same page is your secret weapon.

2.5  Make a a fun graphic timeline to help keep guests in the loop as well.  We especially love the inspired Wedding Timeline Card by Pixels to Paper as seen above.

3.  Appoint a time keeper.  This important job shouldn’t go to a close family member or any attendants as they have enough on their to do list.  Ask someone that knows both families to lend a hand.  A schedule is only good if someone is actually keeping track of time.

4.  Give your photographer permission to steer the off course ship.  Did you know that your photographer is your right hand man/woman the day of?  We are your shadow and, therefore, are usually the first to recognize a time slip.  Have a discussion before the big day and let your photographer know it is A-OK to let you know when you have fallen behind.  The last thing we want to do is to stress you.  These agreements can really make your day go smoothly and will keep your vendor from feeling like a nag.

5.  Realize you can’t plan or prepare for everything.  You can surround yourself with loved ones and vendors that are in place to keep you calm and to act like McGyver when things might begin to go wonky.  Honestly, some of these things make for the best stories.

Most important – don’t forget why you are doing this in the first place!

Rustic Chic Vintage Wedding Details | Pickering Barn {Firstlight Photography}

Now that our summer weddings are giving us a chance to come up for air, we wanted to feature Dan and Megin’s rustic chic Pickering Barn wedding in proper detail!

Dress
Megin wanted to surprise Dan with the dress so we hadn’t seen it either.  She rocked her gorgeous vintage inspired gown by Brides by Demetrios in Bellevue.  Oh, and yes, she did leave him speechless!

Dude Duds
This will be no shocker…the groom and his groomsmen were looking dapper thanks to the Men’s Wearhouse.

Officiant
What can we say?  Ray Van Winkle truly is passionate about his work.  Megin and Dan had said they had to pick him because he has been known incorporate Dr. Seuss into vows.  We loved his work but when we saw his website we knew he was “good people” when he said he dressed up as Elvis for a Halloween wedding.

Caterer
When Dan and Megin sat down with us to conceptualize their wedding Dan was beaming about his ONE request – a cheese fountain.  Yes, it was pulled right off the screen from Talladega Nights.  So, the kitsch factor was there but we never expected it to taste so amazing.  Jen’s Catering classed up the cheese fountain.  Their food was amazing as well.

Venue
Pickering Barn is located in Issaquah and serves as a great backdrop for photos.  Its landscaping is lush and there are many trees on the property.  It sports rustic chic details with all the modern amenities.  Construction of the original hay barn dates back to 1896 and the dairy barn was built in 1906.  Dan and Megin’s ceremony was held in the hay barn and the ceremony was in the adjacent dairy barn.  The venue used to host cattle, but now it can accommodate upwards of 400!

Flowers
Rented Elegance did a great job on the flowers and the GINORMOUS hanging  candelabra.  Lets talk twinkle power galore!  The flowers and decorated candles that lined the aisle in the hay barn were gorgeous.  Very vintage and super romantic.  They also helped the family set up all of the table scapes.

DJ
Sound Sational Music provided music and owner Ken served as the MC for the evening.  He announced the first dances, photo booth opening, bouquet and garter toss etc and he kept the party rockin’.  Ken did a great job keeping the wedding festivities on schedule.  As a photographer this is so helpful.

Cakes
There were lots and lots of cakes at this wedding.  The bride and groom’s main cake was done by Mike’s Amazing Cakes in Redmond.  Not only was it beautiful but we snuck a taste as well.  Two thumbs up.  Each table had its own specialty cake.  We’re talking red velvet, raspberry, lemon, chocolate and the list continues.  These individual cakes were baked by 3.14 Bakery in White Center. The bride and groom helped decorate the individual cake stands.

Photobooth
This was our most rockin’ photobooth ever.  Mitzi was busy for 2 hours snapping shots.  Our photobooth experience has grown to include many props.  The most popular seemed to be the pirate hook, silly hats and dollar sign shades.  This was definitely a fun crew.

Wedding Favors
Each table included a decorated white paper bag  to be filled by CANDY!  The candy bar was hopping and had many great treats.  The mini chocolate bars had been painstakingly wrapped with wedding color paper and adornments.  Let us just say that the kids (and adults) were hopped up on sugar and loving that candy bar.

The wedding was fabulous and the vintage details were so fitting for the venue.  Dan and Megin had been collecting mason jars almost since they got engaged.  The candles that were placed in the jars as well as the fresh lavendar sprigs that decorated the tables really helped to tie everything together.

Congratulations Dan and Megin.  May you live long and prosper!

Puyallup Wedding Photographer – How a love of history and aviation let to a career in photography {Firstlight Photography}

A few weeks ago I was standing with a flock of warbird enthusiasts up at the Flying Heritage Collection at Pain Field in Everett, WA with my camera in hand waiting for a bf-109 & FW-190 (WW II German fighters) when I started thinking back to where the obsession with War Birds and photography met…

Set the “Way Back Machine” to 1976 when I got my first airplane book at a little book store in Encinitas, CA right after my dad took me to see Monty Python’s Holy Grail at the La Paloma Theater.  I think it was the drawing of a one of the Flying Tiger’s P-40′s that fascinated me, the shark mouth just looked so cool.  I started trying to copy the drawing, over and over again.  I loved that book and while it’s a little worse for the wear I still have it.  This was the spark that would change the rest of my life, but at 6 years old I just thought the P-40 looked really cool.

A few years later, I think it was in 6th grade I was in the school library having to find a book to read when I stumbled on a book about the Red Barron and when I went home to start reading it I was hooked.  I finished the book that night and went back the next day to get more history books.  I ended up reading every book the school library having anything to do with WW I & II.  One of my dad’s friends, who was an warbird buff, suggested that I read a couple of other books that weren’t at my school library, so I went down to the Carlsbad City Library to pick up “Incredible Victory: The Battle of Midway” & “30 Seconds Over Tokyo”, read them and kept going back for more. Most of my interest focused on the airplanes and this interest never passed.

A couple of summers later (between Jr. High & High School) my dad’s friend, who lived in Fresno at the time, invited me to come up so I could go to a with him to the Madera Air Show.  For the first time in my life I was finally going to be able to see the planes I’d been reading about for the past couple of years.  It was an amazing experience and I hardly minded that it was 110 degres out on the runway!  I was there seeing these planes fly for the first time in my life, experiencing the sound and power of some of the most famous aircraft in the world and there I was with my little Kodak 110 camera borrowed from my grandmother taking the photos that would start it all.

The new obsession was air shows and thankfully I lived in Southern California and was surrounded by military bases, Mirimar NAS, El Toro MCAS, March AFB, Norton AFG, Point Mugu NAS and Edwards AFB all just close enough that I could make my dad drive me and my best friend to all of them with an upgraded camera borrowed from my uncle Dan this time.   I got to see some things I’d never forget.  One year at Mirimar NAS (then home of Top Gun) I watched on as a low flying F-14 pushed just a little too far and broke the sound barrier and managed to shatter the windows of the radio booth that was covering the show.  At Point Mugu in 1983 or ’84 I got to watch famous stunt pilot Art Scholl (who later perished while filming the movie Top Gun) fly an amazing routine in a Rockwell Shrike Commander (he finished up his routine flying w/o power, did a couple of loops, landed and taxied the plane to the centerline of the air show and made it curtsy as it came to a stop – all without the engines on)!  In 1988 I was at the El Toro Air Show with my uncle when I watched an F/A-18 crash during a demonstration.  The pilot was fine, by the way.

My Junior year of High School is when I finally got a camera (Pentax special that was the Price Club special as a Christmas Present) of my own and the summer between my Junior and Senior year I got to take my first photography class at a local college (the class at my High School was impossible to get into).  I had an amazing teacher who was more interested in helping us develop our style of photography than doing everything exactly by the numbers and I’m SO glad she was my first photography teacher.  If my second teacher may had been my first things might have ended differently for me.  She was clearly checked out and didn’t  know anything other than how to run us through the chapters in a book – boring exercise after boring exercise with no passion or interest in what the students were doing.

My senior year was a rough time, with some crazy family problems that I won’t bother to go into here, but I started working on the school newspaper and yearbook and really poured my energy into the photography in an effort to block out what was going on at home.  I took pictures of my friends at school, my cousins on the weekends and from time to time drove down to Palomar Airport to take pictures of the random planes down there.  My trusty Pentax was stolen out of my car, so I traded my mountain bike for my friends Minolta X700 that I’m now teaching my kids photography with and I bough a Yashica 124g with money earned working for my father.  With my work on the yearbook and newspaper I was really starting to take more and more photos of people and was really enjoying that.  I even did some head shots for a girl at my school who was on one episode of The Wonder Yearsand I have shots of my classmate Denise Richards (pre-Charlie Sheen drama of course).

So, how did I get from there to here?  I was actually very strongly encouraged by my family to go into photography, but I at the time I felt that if I took something that I loved so much and made it a job I’d end up getting sick of doing it and I really didn’t want to loose the passion for photography.  As a result I had a long series of jobs at camera stores and various other things.  While the jobs changed every couple of years my love for photography was still there.  In about 1999 I was hired by my father-in-law’s company to spend a week traveling around the country taking pictures of their devices that were installed in hospitals.  Suddenly the switch was flipped and when I got back from that trip I started hounding all of the local newspapers to hire me as a photographer.  While I had a job, now as a travel agent, I kept calling all of the editors until one finally had an assignment for me.  I started shooting school sports for a local paper after work and was thrilled to be finally making some money doing photography.  It wasn’t much, but I saved every penny of that money to buy better equipment.  Shortly after 09/11/01 I quit my job as a travel agent and set off on my own, doing contract photography for a sports photography company, working for the paper and picking up portrait shoots.

I was working as a photographer but things changed when my new wife (and my biggest fan) asked what I though about shooting weddings.  Honestly, I’d avoided them with a few exceptions for friends and family and had never really considered being a “wedding photographer”.  It just so happened that at that time one of my best friends was getting married and the friend of a model I’d done some work with was getting married within two weeks of each other.  Mitzi just suggested that I go into shooting with the mindset of seeing if it would be something I’d want to do.  Well, I loved shooting the weddings!  We then changed the business name, started marketing weddings and soon had booked up 15 weddings for the next summer!

Now we’re into our 5th year of shooting weddings and we’re going strong.  This year at Mitzi’s suggestion we opened “Little Black Book” as our boudoir studio and that side of the business has been much more successful than I had expected.  Mitzi told me it would be, don’t know why I doubted her.  She’s a genius!

Puyallup Wedding Photographer | Fort Worden Beach Wedding {Firstlight Photography}

Alex and Nichole made this wedding effortless. We have the best couples.

Puyallup Senior Portraits – How Do You Want to be Remembered? {Firstlight Photography}

My parents paid loads for my senior portrait – I say portrait because I only recall seeing one image.  Every moment of my studio session was like torture.  The backdrop scene was a forest with a fake fence prop.  I really didn’t know what was happening.  The photographer was, well, sort of uninterested in his job and I just wanted to escape the cheese factor asap.  Sorry Dad and Mom.

At Firstlight Photography we want our seniors to have FUN.  You have a say – lots of it – in your shoot.  It is simple.  If you feel in control and are having fun it will show in your photos.  Senior portraits are meant to capture a very special moment in time.  We will talk to you about your interests, where you like to hang out, how you spend your time when not in school, if you play sports or are in a band etc.  We like to get to know you so we can create a lifestyle session that helps show who you are – not who your photographer wants you to be (ie that sad farm girl with the fake fence).

We will help prepare you for outfits to bring and will refer you to hair and make-up artists we recommend if you so desire.  We have a whole repertoire of locations we shoot.  We find many new ones based on our seniors’ input.  If you are going for a downtown, urban grunge, graffiti wall, waterfront, rustic barn, decomposing structures, nature vibe or even your high school – we can work it into your shoot.

We also offer a year in the life packages for the senior.  We basically stalk you on three to five shoots and capture you in your natural habitat.  These sessions are lots of fun.  By the end, our seniors are ready to assist any photographer – they really learn the ropes and get an amazing collection of photos.

Your shoot will be fun and you will get to provide input into the session.  We don’t want you to have those sad farm girl pictures too.

Our prices are very affordable and we will create custom packages for you.