10 August
Happy Friday!
Today, I’m back with another set of gorgeous invitations that I completed sometime ago. Our boarding pass invitations continue to be one of our most ordered set. I’m always thrilled when I have the opportunity to do one a little bit differently from the typical tropical style invitation. This set is for a lovely couple that is getting married in Charleston, South Carolina. They wanted a nautical feel to the invitation using the colors navy and peach. — beautiful color combination! Instead of using a jacket sleeve, they opted for a long and narrow navy pocket-fold. We wrapped them with natural colored raffia and added an anchor charm!
Anchors Away…..
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8 August
Today, I’m back with some of our latest wedding invitations. I have been busy busy busy but I’m finally taking out some time to photograph some of our work. The gorgeous invitations are a shimmer slate grey square pocket-fold with soft pink and white accents. They are embellished with Swarovski crystals and black satin ribbon. Our bride wanted to keep the design clean and classic with an ornate font. Check Check and Check!
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18 July
Thank you so much to Ebony for asking me to be part of her amazing blog. I’m Marirosa Anderson….I believe real life is worth documenting and celebrating. Time moves faster than ever, few things ever slow us down allowing us to relive a moment like the power of a photograph.
I am a wedding photographer, located in Northern Virginia. Weddings are my love and my passion and I adore to capture them for couples. I’ll be dropping in on Ebony’s blog to chat with you on all topics associated with wedding photography……….
You are now engaged and the planning begins. Most couples agree that photography is one of the most important parts of their wedding day. Once all the dust has settled, the presents are opened, thank you notes written, your photos are what you have to look back on and relive your wedding day, the joy, love and all emotions captured to be enjoyed for years to come. As a professional photographer we have artistic and unique skill and the knowledge of the latest technology to provide beautiful wedding images. A wedding photographer is more than just the ‘day of’ coverage, but also the full experience from beginning to end, providing you a total package of what you want. Feeling a connection with your photographer is important, they will spend the majority of the day with you and you want to be happy with the choice you’ve made to document your day.
As you search for a photographer there are some questions that should be asked during your consultation, these will provide you with a lot of information regarding the photographer and how they work. You should feel comfortable to ask anything you feel would help you get the best photographer for your wedding.
Q&A:
1. Do you have samples of a full wedding from beginning to end that I could see? Any photographer should be willing and happy to show you an entire wedding they have done recently to show their full coverage. I provide clients access to a full gallery that they can view.
2. What steps do you take to protect wedding photographs and how long do you archive them? Most photographers have a workflow for after the wedding to protect your images. Knowing the process of the photographer is important, from previous experience many photographers archive images for one year or more.
3. What kind of equipment do you use and how do you protect your equipment in case of an emergency? This is very important, with so many cameras available in the marketplace it’s crucial that your photographer has professional equipment, lenses etc., and also has back up equipment in case of an emergency.
4. Will you be the person who photographs my wedding? Do you have additional people on your team? You want to be sure that the person you are discussing your wants and hopes is the person that will be the lead photographer at your wedding. Also, knowing who would likely be on the team that day is also helpful. Do they have a second photographer, an assistant etc? When I cover weddings, I bring a second professional photographer and at times an assistant.
5. What is the maximum amount of time I will wait to see proofs? You should go in with your eyes open on knowing how long it will be before you see your images. Some photographers provide them quicker than others, I advise that the amount of time you should be happy with and make sure it’s listed in the agreement.
6. What is your artistic style? Do you shoot traditional poses, or have a more photojournalistic approach, or is it mixed? You want to be sure that your photographer provides the style you feel comfortable with and that you can ‘see yourself’ with for your photos. That’s why seeing a ‘full wedding’ is helpful – this allows you to see the style throughout the event and in different lighting situations.
7. How long have you been photographing weddings? How long have you been in business? Can you provide references? Do you carry liability insurance? Any photographer should be more than willing to provide you with these details without any questions. References are a must, if a photographer refuses to provide any, this should be a raised flag of concern. As business owner, insurance is very important; you want to be sure that you and the photographer be covered.
8. Will I own my images and how are they delivered to me? Every photographer has their own answer to this, but the main one to remember is that if you want your final images so that you can print and use as you wish, this is something that you want to be sure of prior to signing an agreement. Are there limitations etc. For example, I provide all presented images to my clients on USB drive and online in a cloud storage/sharing system. They are full resolution and can be used for printing and anything personal. However, I do ask that images not be re-edited or changed in any way (except for cropping). Also, no profit gain from images I’ve taken by a client without a written release. Make sure you know if they are included or not so that there are no other financial surprises later.
9. Can guests and other people take photos during my wedding? Again, this is going to vary for each photographer. Some do not allow it at all, others don’t mind. With my clients, they are welcome to photograph as long as it doesn’t get in the way of me fulfilling my commitment to the couple or have an impact where my job cannot be preformed. Other than that – families are there because they love the couple, they just want to share in the day.
10. What are your refunds/cancellation terms? Each one will vary but you want to be sure that in an unforeseen situation both you and the photographer be covered. Photographers only have a certain amount of dates they can book – when a wedding is secured that date is ‘no longer available’ and very likely would be re-booked if something occurs. Most photographers do not refund a retainer fee and their terms may vary the closer you get to the wedding day.
I hope this provides you with some guidance from a photographer’s point of view on those important questions I want and expect my clients to ask me! I wish you all the best in your search for a photographer and Happy Wedding Planning!
Feel free to drop me a line if I can help or answer any individual wedding questions.
Photography by Marirosa
www.photographybymarirosa.com
Marirosa@photographybymarirosa.com
www.facebook.com/photobymarirosa
703.307.7074
16 July
Happy Monday!
This week I am starting a new series that will run for the next couple of months discussing what you should know when selecting wedding vendors. Over the past few months as we move through wedding season, I have noted a few things that I wanted to share with you all. I also did an impromptu survey with other wedding planners that I respect and admire to get some additional insights and opinions.
This new series will be called “I Wish I Knew” and will offer tips on how to select your wedding vendors. I will be pulling from my own experiences to help illustrate the importance of these tips. I have also enlisted some professionals from various wedding areas to help with this series. These will be real life experiences and advice from professionals in their field.
While I hate it when this happens, unfortunately there are times that a couple will regret one of their vendor choices. From a wedding planner perspective, we always hate to get that call because it is our job to ensure that their day goes perfectly. However, if the couple has contracted with that particular vendor on their own without our input/advice, there is not much we can really do other than offer recommendations on next steps to repair the relationship with the vendor. That is why I wanted to write this series – there is more to selecting a wedding vendor other than the 10 steps that most magazines give you.
This week, we are tackling Photography! I would argue that this is the most essential vendor to select after you have solidified your venue (closely tied with a wedding planner – but I’ll get into that later). After your day has come and gone, your photos will be the only memories that you truly have left – yep a phenomenal photographer is important. On Wednesday, Marirosa from Photography by Marirosa will be sharing her tips!
{Freed Photography}
13 July
On Wednesday, I shared some summertime wedding inspiration as we are right smack in the middle of the summer and wedding season. It has been a hot hot summer so far and we are only nearly half way through it! Coming off the heels of a major heat wave here in the Washington, D.C. metro area, I thought about offering a few tips for couples choosing to have a summer wedding. Not only will you be happy but your guest will thank you as well.
1. Reserve Your Date - The summer falls right in the middle of wedding season and it is also prime time vacation time for families. It is important that to send out Save the Dates to your guest as early as possible. Many families plan their vacations at least a year in advance, so you will want to make sure that the guest that you truly want to attend know about your wedding in advance.
{www.weddingpaperdivas.com}
2. Consider the elements – Guard your guest from the sun! Consider having fans and parasols available for your guest to keep themselves cool.
3. Petite Faire – During the summer guest don’t want to eat heavy meals. Try incorporating some petite and light savory selections into your dinner menu. Take advantage of fruits and vegetables that are in season and try to buy local! Ask your caterers to use fruits and vegetables from local gardens or farmer’s markets.
4. Start your wedding in the evening – Starting your wedding during the height of the heat on a long summer day can be dreadful for your guest and yourself. Do yourself a favor and start it later in the day. Take advantage of a beautiful summer sunset.
{http://kansascityweddingpictures.com/?p=1946}
5. Guard Against Bugs – Consider placing insect repellent in baskets and place the baskets throughout the venue. This will help your guest from being bitten by unwelcomed friends. 
{http://www.evrimgallery.com/Portland-Wedding-Blog/edgefield-amphitheater-mcmenamins-wedding/}
6. Keep the cold beverages flowing – Make sure that there is plenty of cold bottled water available for your guest. You can use the galvanized metal buckets to store water in various locations throughout your venue. Have your bartender prepare refreshing cold drinks like mojito’s, sangria or daiquiris.
{http://www.pnpflowersinc.com/2010/06/lemonade-sunshine-party-party-day.html}
{Martha Stewart Weddings}
I hope these tips have given you some considerations for your upcoming summer wedding!
11 July
We are back! The summer is in full gear and we have been enjoying it up! I have missed interacting with you all. We have expanded over the past few months and our now offering our brides florals and rentals! We are very excited about this and will share for more information on this very soon. This wedding season has been the busiest ever for us and we are enjoying the ride! We have a little bit of a break this month but a very full end of Summer and Fall. I’m currently working on new and fresh blog content including adding contributors that will help you with different areas of planning your wedding. I’m so excited about what is to come!
In the meantime, I’m sharing some fun summertime wedding inspiration! Yellow is a lovely natural summertime wedding color and it makes me smile!
{photos: The Knot, Wedding Channel, 100LayerCake, Beach-Theme-Wedding-Blog}
For more Summertime Wedding Inspiration, follow our Pinterest board, Summer Summer Summertime Wedding board.
22 June
Last month I had the pleasure and honor of planning and coordinating Karla and Jorge’s botanical beautiful wedding on Memorial Day! When Karla reached out to us we had a mere 3 weeks to familiarize ourselves with her wedding vision, vendors and the venue. It was fast and furious but in the end turned out beautiful. It was a HOT HOT day on May 28th but it was an absolutely beautiful day for a botanical garden wedding. The Meadowlark Botanical Gardens was the perfect backdrop to this lovely wedding. Here are a few photos from the videographer duArte Image!
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18 June
Today I’m excited to share some of our amateur photos from our Aubergine and Apple Green wedding this weekend. When Tiffany and I met, we instantly clicked. She had completed a good portion of her wedding planning but turned to SED to pull it all together and get her to the finish line. When she told me that her colors were Aubergine, Apple Green and everything sparkly… I knew we were a match made in heaven. With just 8 weeks until the wedding, we designed and completed her florals (Farah, our floral designer is amazing) as well as provided overall assistance with pulling the overall design together. It came out beautiful! I can’t wait to share professional photos when they arrive.
Here I am having a little fun with the photobooth provided by mojo 
Photobooth!
