I’ve just written my first ever post on our brand new blog. Which, inevitably means that this will be my last post ever on this one.
To keep up to date with us and for new posts, please head on over to our new home at http://jennstarkphotographers.com. Can’t wait to see you there.
This was my first blog ever, so it’s kind of sad to leave. But it’s time. Why do I feel like I’m breaking up with somebody right now???
See you over at our new blog!
- Jenn xx
I was out to lunch with a friend the other week, bubbling over with excitement over being featured on this wedding blog, and after clapping and smiling at my news, she had to ask: that’s super Jenn, but…what exactly is a wedding blog?
So, I thought it might be a grand idea to share with you all today some of my favourite wedding blogs I’ve come across over the past little while since I’ve been doing wedding photography. If you’re a bride (or groom…or bridesmaid…or mum…or just interested!) looking for some inspiration as you plan your wedding day, from flowers to invitations to photo ideas to favours to dresses to diy projects to etc. etc. then head on over to one (or all!) of my top ten sites, get reading and get inspired!
1. Style Me Pretty - http://www.stylemepretty.com – featuring the most chic and style-centric weddings out there, this blog is truly a daily dose of the prettiest things.
2. Once Wed - http://www.oncewed.com – find a second hand wedding dress, tons of diy projects, colour coordinated inspiration boards and so much more.
3. Snippet & Ink - http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/ – an awesome blog that focuses on real weddings with tons of diy/budget friendly ideas.
4. Brooklyn Bride - http://bklynbrideonline.com – ideas on how to plan a “modern wedding in a world of pink flowers and poofy dresses” – love.
5. Wedding Obsession – http://www.weddingobsession.com/ – got to give this lovely blog a shout out (the lovely Melissa featured one of my weddings on here last week!). And it’s Canadian!!
6. Rock my Wedding – http://www.rockmywedding.co.uk – from the UK, this blog is for those who are searching for an alternative to pink ruffles and the traditional ideas of what a wedding “should” be.
7. Grey Likes Weddings – http://greylikesweddings.wordpress.com/ – and I like Grey. I think you will too.
8. Etsy Wedding – http://etsywedding.blogspot.com/ – if you love Etsy, you’ve got to check out this blog.
9. Polka Dot Bride – http://www.polkadotbride.com/ – get some inspiration from the other side of the globe: this blog’s out of Australia.
10. Ruffled – http://ruffledblog.com/ – if you love vintage inspired and slightly eclectic weddings, you need to check out this blog.
11. The Budget-Savvy Bride – http://thebudgetsavvybride.com/ – I know, I know, I said top ten but I’m feeling extra generous so here’s a freebie for you…and I just couldn’t not share this great blog with great ideas to create a gorgeous wedding on a budget.
Enjoy!
I walked into through the doors, my mum close behind me, and had to literally stop dead in my tracks. Hideous pink floral carpeting stretched out before me, complete with soft lights, vases upon vases of flowers, salespeople in high heels dashing around frantically around rows upon rows of plastic encased big pouffy wedding gowns. I think a Celine Dion song might have even been playing somewhere in the background. I think I might have broken out into hives.
This was four years ago at one of the first bridal stores we went into on my search for my own wedding dress. Even though I am a female wedding photographer, my tolerance level for yards upon yards of tulle, sequins, and glittery tiaras, I must admit, is not too high. I know, some brides love it, and props to you if you are one of them, but it just wasn’t for me. I could never pull it off and I knew it. Pony-tail-wearing, no-make-up-ever, sports-loving, five-foot-two Jenn was not about to pull off a huge white dress for her wedding day. So we ditched the huge brand name bridal gown stores in lieu of little independently run boutique stores. It was in one of these boutiques that I found and fell in love with my dress. Mom had tears in her eyes. Yes, it was one of those moments, just like in the movies. We ordered it with the promise that we’d be able to pick it up about one month before the wedding.
Fast forward to three weeks before the wedding. Waiting for a call to pick up my dress. Dave sees a special investigative report on the news about a small wedding gown store that is failing to deliver orders. It’s not the one you bought your dress from, is it?
Yes. Yes, in fact it was. The blood drained from my face. The very next day we joined a long line of around thirty other brides (some getting married that weekend!) who hadn’t received their dresses. The poor employee (one girl) was almost in tears. None of the dresses were there. They were sitting in warehouses across the country waiting to be paid for by said boutique wedding gown store.
I wanted to share this story and my own personal experience because hopefully it’ll help someone else out there! There is little else worse than the feeling of not having a dress with the wedding right around the corner. It’s not something I’d wish on anyone!
Believe it or not, there is a happy ending to this story! I tracked down the warehouse where my dress was waiting – managed to buy the dress directly from the warehouse – and even managed to get back my deposit! Moral of the story is: be careful who you buy your dress from! I’m also happy to report that the boutique store in question has since closed their doors and gone out of business. And Ballett’s, the store from whose warehouse I was able to purchase my dress, is continuing to dominate the market.
I’ve seen many dresses over this past year of shooting weddings, and I must say that each dress has suited its bride so well! I do have a favourite though from 2009: La Sposa’s “Fanal”, in ivory, worn by Stacey at her July wedding (the dress is also featured in my blog’s header):
Isn’t there just something special about a girl in her dress on her wedding day? I just love it!
Everyone will tell you how fast your wedding will go by – listen to them! A few months ago on one of the many wedding photography blogs I keep up with (ie. stalk), this challenge was raised: “give me your best piece of wedding advice” (the photog in question was planning her own wedding at the time). The winner’s advice (the gist of it, anyway)? Assign someone to stop you at five random moments throughout the day and tell you to stop, breathe, take it in. I love that.
Jen & Andrew, whose wedding I shot this past September, are “live in the moment” kind of people. When you’re with them, you get this feeling that they’re fully there – not worrying about what’s gone on yesterday or what needs to be done for tomorrow – just fully there with you in that moment. I love that about them. I don’t think they needed anyone to remind them to pause and let it sink in – they did that all on their own! I was with Jen as she was getting ready with her bridesmaids before the ceremony, and it all of sudden struck me – she was the one asking everyone else how they were feeling, what was new in their lives, how Dave and I enjoyed the concert we’d gone to earlier that week . . . on her wedding day!
I loved shooting their wedding and getting to know these two, their families and friends and can’t wait to share more of the photos with you. Look out for a complete post on Andrew & Jen’s wedding later this week, but until then, here are two of my favourite photos of the day of Jen taking a moment to stop, breathe, and take it all in. I just love the emotion in these two images, which is what I’m ultimately trying to capture in my photos….Dave’s pic is on the left, mine’s on the right.
