Allee 2015 Senior Rep: Massillon Ohio Senior Photographer

 This is Allee, one of our beautiful senior reps. She goes to Fairless and plays LOTS of sports. Really, lots of them. Don't you love the headbands she is wearing? They add so much character to her images. Girls, don't be afraid to accessorize. Bring everything to your session that you would like to include and we will have fun playing dress up!

We started Allee's session downtown and then moved to a lovely park full of fields and flowers. 

Here come the sports images. I wasn't kidding. She is one busy girl!

We are still looking for senior reps for schools in both Stark and Portage County. We are hoping to find some awesome, friendly, 2015 seniors from Perry, Jackson, North Canton, Kent, Stow, and Streetsboro so let us know if you know someone who may be interested. 

There is more information about the rep program at the top of the page. Reps get AWESOME rates, discounts, and perks when they send more seniors our way. 

Not to mention, we have a blast during your session! It is a lot of fun!

Isn't she simply beautiful. Thank you Allee for being so stunning. I can't wait to see your images printed out. I am sure we will be purchasing gift cards for you very soon! (that is right, senior reps get gift cards! =)) 

Engagement session with adorable little girls: Kent, Ohio Wedding Photographer

This family could not be any cuter and I am so excited that they were our winners for 4 FREE hours of wedding coverage from the bridal show we attended in January. 

Here are their adorable little girls. 

Aren't they precious? Did I mention that I LOVE this color scheme, their adorable braids, curls, and sweet little glasses. 

The girls weren't too sure about pictures at first but after a few silly faces, some getting to know you questions like what my favorite color was, and some fun on the swings we were ready to smile for the camera. 

There is something about the image above that just captivates me. I think it is the way she is staring at me. So many thoughts in such a small mind. Stunning. 

I LOVE the color coral. Whenever our clients wear it the images seem to feel so fresh and vibrant. After having 3 sessions with outfits that included this color I am convinced that it really helps give a soft and lovely feel to the images.

These two were naturals and simply as cute as can be. I can't wait for their wedding in November. What cute little flower girls and a beautiful bride this groom will get to admire as they walk down the aisle.

Wonderful Wedding Vendors in Canton, Ohio

Earlier this year we had the pleasure and honor to work with multiple excellent businesses in the Canton area for a stylized wedding shoot. We started our day at Edge Hair Design Spa where our wonderful model had her nails and make up done. Edge is a beautiful salon with a bridal room designed especially with a bride and her girls in mind. They have 6 top quality pedicure chairs and offer wonderful services. Be sure to look around their boutique as well. It is beautiful and full of adorable outfits.

After that we headed over to Kristy's Natural Touch and J. Haren's Barber Shop in Louisville. Kristy did an absolutely beautiful job on Heather's hair and Jennifer gave Jeff his very first barber cut.  If you are looking for someone to give you a stunning up do Kristy is amazing. She takes her time and creates perfection. She is available to come to your location for your wedding and is more than happy to work with you to create your dream wedding hair. 

After make-up, nails, and hair were complete we headed off to a stunning wedding venue in East Canton, Ohio. We went to Varian Orchards. This is a beautiful family owned Orchard with a stunning pond, barn, and of course the Orchard itself. It was perfect for our photo shoot and would be an amazing location for both a wedding ceremony and reception. 

Can you imagine this pond with all of the trees covered with beautiful green leaves, or even better, I am sure it is a beautiful site in the Fall too. 

Could the clouds have been anymore perfect? I don't think so. There were so many perfect spots for portraits and Cliff Varian was a true pleasure to work with. Incredibly kind and ready to serve. 

The beautiful gown came from Elyse's Boutique. She has an adorable boutique were you can find a variety of wedding gowns, bridesmaids, mother of the bride, flower girl, and prom gowns. She carefully selects her designers and gives service that makes you feel like family. She knows her craft and is very helpful. We send all of our brides her way if they haven't found their dress yet. To top it off they are currently having a huge summer sale. Go check it out! 

Beautiful dress. 

If you aren't already memorized by the brooch bouquets take a look at these. They were hand crafted by Susan of Susie Kays Keepsake Brooch Bouquets. You can find her beautiful work on Etsy or on Facebook. She is so sweet, creative, and fun to work with. If you have a vision share it with her and I am sure she would be happy to be a part of making it come true. 

She made these beautiful corsages as well. Wouldn't mom and grandma love to wear one of these on your special day. 

Our last amazing vendor that we worked with once again was Sitting Pretty Linens who we featured here yesterday. She was so easy to work with. I went into Sitting Pretty Linens and they helped me select the perfect combination of lace, navy table cloths, chargers, napkins, and chair sashes. We brain stormed and tested out a variety of options then came up with what fit the feel of the day. They have a huge variety for you to find the perfect linens for your wedding day. 

 If you are searching for wedding vendors in Canton or surrounding areas I highly recommend all of these fantastic businesses. They were a pleasure to work with and helped create a beautiful day. If you are looking for a photographer we would love to talk to you more about your wedding day. 2015 is booking up quickly so send us an email or a call and we will set up a time to meet with you.

Happy Wedding Planning! 

Beautiful Linens can make such a huge difference. Kent, Ohio Wedding Photographers

This stunning wedding was located in Canton, Ohio at Glenmoor Country Club. The linens, chair covers, drapery, and rose petals were all provided by Sitting Pretty Linens.  One of the owners of Sitting Pretty Linens specially made the gorgeous drapery that is hanging on the sides on this beautiful venue. They made them in ivory and white for future brides to use at Glenmoor. 

From the moment you walk in you feel as if you are inside a castle. The beautiful glass doors open into the ceremony and reception area. For this wedding the tables are set up in on the side of the room and ready to be pulled out after the ceremony. 

I love the texture of this table runner. It is so soft and elegant. 

The rose petals were perfectly placed for the bride to walk down the aisle. Yet another detail that simply adds true simplistic beauty to such a lovely venue. 

The chairs were covered and completed with gold bows ready for all of the guests to arrive. 

 From the ceiling to the floors this venue is truly unique and perfect for any bride hoping to feel like a princess on her wedding day. If you already have your venue but are looking for some beautiful linens to brighten up your space and add a beautiful soft touch contact Amanda at Sitting Pretty Linens. They are truly a pleasure to work with, have a fantastic variety, and strive to give their clients wonderful service. 

Location Location Location. What kind of location is best for a photo session? Kent, Ohio Engagement and Wedding Photographers

Choosing a location for your photo shoot can be a challenge but as photographers we are here to help. A few things to think about when choosing a location are:

1. What type of surroundings do you want to have? Nature, fields, urban, rustic, clean and modern?

2. Does it offer variety?

3. Are we allowed to have a session there? Does it cost anything?

4. Do you have a spot that holds special meaning?

This is Mallory and Drew. I was so excited when they agreed to have their engagement session done at the Cleveland Museum of Art. I have wanted to go there for a session for a while and was waiting for just the right couple. The location was beautiful and the couple is so sweet! They were a little worried about being behind the camera but within minutes were telling us that it was easy and that they were pleasantly surprised how fun it was. OK, back to their awesome engagement session location. 

1.What type of surroundings do you want to have? Nature, fields, urban, rustic, clean and modern?

The first thing you want to think about when selecting a location or when having us help suggest locations to you is what kind of style you would like your portraits to be. Would you like most of them to be in a nature, urban, rustic, or modern setting? We have a variety of locations that we work with but the first thing that helps us narrow it down is your style. 

2. Does it offer variety? 

In order to have a nice well rounded session we like to shoot in locations that offer some variety. If you like fields we can pick a spot that has a field, maybe a lake, and some trees as well. That way you get a gallery that has a nice mix of your surroundings. 

3. Are you allowed to have a session there? Does it cost anything?

There are many beautiful locations that allow you to have your session in them but do require a fee. The fee is the responsibility of the client, unless of course we request the location to you. Some locations do not require a fee but do ask for permission and require us to send them our proof of insurance. This is no problem at all! We can get that taken care of but the process can take a month or so, so be sure to give us enough notice in advance. (some of the national park systems request this information) 

4. Do you have a location that holds special meaning to you?

Maybe you met on your college campus, go walking in one special park all the time, spend all of your time in the coffee shop, or enjoy going fishing. Whatever or where ever it might be if you have a special spot that helps define your relationship we would love to take you there and capture those special memories for you in the location that holds a special place in your heart. Let us know this up front and we will do our best to make it work! It normally makes for some really awesome locations! 

Putting together your wedding timeline: How long should I hire my professional wedding photographer? Kent, OH Wedding Photographer

We have all been to a few weddings here and there throughout our lives. Many 2 or maybe 20 but that doesn't always mean we know everything that happens through out the day. We all know that the couple smiles as they walk down the aisle, takes a few pictures afterwards, and then comes to the reception but what happens during the rest of the day? 

A wedding day is full of wonderful memories from start to finish that are all worth being captured to remember forever. From getting ready, putting on the dress, a possible first look, portraits, very necessary down time, the ceremony, family portraits, and each special event at the reception there are a lot of moments that you will always want to be sure to have your professional photographer capture. 

So how long does all of this take and how long should I hire my professional photographer? 

At first it might seem as if that small 5 hour package is more than enough time; one hour for the ceremony, one hour for portraits, and the rest of the evening at the reception, right? Well, not exactly.  Most of the time those smaller packages are designed for smaller events like just the ceremony or just the reception. When you are planning for your wedding there are a lot of things to keep in mind like traveling from one location to another and having at least 30 minutes before your ceremony to sit down, breathe, and relax before you walk down the aisle. 

You: "OK, so I need more than 5 hours but what is really going to happen in 8 hours that I should hire a professional wedding photographer to capture?"

Let me show you:  

I had the honor to second shoot this wedding with Loren Sharpe of Sharpe Images Photography.

Photographer shows up: (12:00-12:30)

-captures your venue details

-borrows your jewelry, bouquet, shoes, dress, and any other special details

-bride and groom getting ready

Getting Dressed  (12:30-12:45)

and

Portraits (12:45-1:15) 

As soon as that is done the bride is ready to get dressed and have portraits with her bridesmaids while the groom is doing the same with his groomsmen. He might even take the time to read a sweet note you wrote him right before the first look.

At this time you can either have a First Look or add your bridal party portrait time to after the ceremony. (Don't forget a few minutes to walk to your first look location.)

First Look and Bride and Groom Portraits (1:20-1:45)

Bridal Party Portraits and Family Formals (1:45-2:45) 

Breathe and Relax (2:45-3:30) 

Music Begins and Guests begin to arrive at 3:00

Walk down the aisle at 3:30 and get married! (3:30-4:30)

Some couples choose to dismiss their guests, some leave right away, and others choose to have a receiving line but don't forget to count the time for any of these options. 

Driving to the reception is time too. (10-20 minutes) 

Bride and Groom Portraits or cocktail hour with guests (4:45-5:30)

(in-case you didn't notice we have already passed that 5 hour mark and the reception hasn't even begun.)

Arrive at Reception and Toasts (5:30-6:00) 

Dinner (6:00-6:45) 

Cake Cutting (6:45-7:00)

Traditional Dances (7:00-7:30) 

Dance the night away, Garter, Bouquet Toss, maybe a few quick sunset portraits if time allows (7:30-8:00) 

That is a rough guide line of what 8 hours of wedding coverage might look like if you include a first look. If you would like more fun shots of your special guests dancing the night away and making fun memories with you on the dance floor you might want to add a few hours on to your package. 8 hours typically covers the majority of the day and is by far our most popular amount of coverage. 

I hopes this helps you see how many hours you will need to hire your professional wedding photographer. We would be more than happy to meet with you and help you go through the details unique to your wedding day and would love even more to capture it for you. 

Thank you again to Loren Sharpe for allowing me to second shoot with you during this beautiful wedding.