Wedding inspiration, wedding photography and more

You have the perfect dress, gorgeous shoes and your wedding photographer lined up and ready to go.  Your wedding day hair appointment is set and your best friend will handle your make-up afterwards…

Wait a second. Unless your best friend is a professional make-up artist, I’d recommend that you give your make-up the same consideration you’re giving your dress, hair and accessories and call in a professional.

Why should you hire a professional make-up artist for your wedding day?

1.  You want to look your best. In the same way you trust your hair dresser to give you a hair cut which reflects you, your personality and personal style, a professional make-up artist helps you look like your best self.  They’re trained to evaluate your face and enhance your features while minimizing blemishes and spots (hey, they happen). And, once you have the knowledge, you can use it in your married life for special occasions, like your first anniversary.

2.  They can find the balance between not enough and too much. Brides are often surprised at how washed out their features look when they try on their wedding dress. A make-up artist can help bump up your features to match the drama of the dress without giving you an overly made-up look.

3.  They minimize flash problems. Have you ever taken a close-up photo of a friend and the auto-flash plays off of their forehead so you end up with photo of them with a sunburst on their head? This happens when oily skin reflects light and, unfortunately, can ruin otherwise usable photos. Make-up artists can help prevent this by working with your skin type to minimize oiliness (while making sure you don’t break out).

4.  They’ll work with your wedding light. The make-up that works at a night wedding featuring a lot of flash photography may look unnatural and overdone at an outdoor wedding featuring natural light. A good make-up artist is trained in lighting and will be able to ensure your make-up is appropriate for the location and setting.

5.  You’ll save money in the long run. Frankly, poorly applied make-up shows in photos. And while there’s a lot I can do to touch it up in Photoshop, I’d rather you spend a bit of money on the outset rather than a lot of money in post-production. I want you to love the way you look in your photos rather than focusing on how we might want to touch them up.

The bottom line: You’re investing a lot in your wedding photos and you want to get the most out of your investment. The more images you look great in, the more images you have to choose from. By hiring a professional make-up artist, you ensure we won’t have to throw out a great image simply because your make-up is less than perfect…

You may remember Mike and Lisa from their Red Rock’s engagement photo session… A relaxed, fun-loving couple currently living in Texas, they came out to Colorado to get married in Lisa’s hometown of Evergreen.

And, because they love a good beer, they got the festivities started right with a night out at the Great American Beer Festival. One of the constants throughout their wedding events was Mike and Lisa’s genuine excitement about having all of their family and friends in one place; the Beer Festival was a great example of everyone getting together and having a great night out.

In their Pre-Wedding Consultation, Mike and Lisa were very specific that they wanted their photos to capture the essence of their style - simple, easygoing and fun (speaking of fun - make sure you check out their baseball cake, set off by a handmade quilt created by a close friend of Mike’s mother). And Lisa also had a special request. She wanted photos of Mike enjoying himself, specifically hitting the dance floor.  Fortunately, some requests are easier than others to fill…

Erin and Tyler are family friends from Milwaukee who invited me out to their winery-filled weekend in Sonoma, California. Because I was there as a guest, and not as their hired photographer, I was able to take a back seat approach and focus on capturing images outside the norm - the table details, friends waiting while the photographer was taking group shots, the view of vines extending down the valley.

And as I was in the audience at the ceremony, I had a unique opportunity to photograph it from the guests’ perspective. Because we were facing west, the guests ended up looking directly into the sun and I wanted Erin and Tyler to get the feel for what we were seeing. At the time I thought they might be too washed out but they ended up being some of my favorite (and, okay, most romantic) shots of the day.

California natives Erin and Marc are one of those couples wedding photographers dream about - they’re easy-going, laid-back, lots of fun and easy to shoot.

For their engagement session, we headed towards Downtown Denver so we could get some photos with their newly adopted city in the background (they moved here a year ago from California) and we had a great time.  Marc and Erin were game for trying out different locations and poses; you can see from their smiles, getting them to convey their love and happiness wasn’t hard at all…

And, it was great practice for their wedding at the Green Briar Inn in July, where Marc and Erin plan on making the day as much about their guests as themselves. No doubt their wedding will be filled with lots of memorable, genuine moments; I’ll be bringing my A game to make sure I capture them all!

Dana & Whitney came out to Colorado from their home in Greenville, South Carolina for what was truly an idyllic mountain wedding.  It was a simple, elegant affair (coral and pale yellows) for about 125 guests with a ceremony in Aspen followed by a wedding reception in Snowmass Village at the Silver Tree Hotel.  They ended up finding me on theknot.com and hired me for 10 hours of wedding photography so we were really able to cover the wedding in-depth!

Both Dana and Whitney enjoy fine dining, quality wines and travel so it’s no surprise dinner was a fantastic 5-course meal. Their close friend, Chef Steven Devereaux, flew in from his restaurant Deveraux’s in South Carolina to specially prepare the meal. The menu included: Sashimi of Hamachi, Heirloom Tomato Salad, Lobster Risotto, Carolina Quail and Coffee Rubbed Filet of Beef. And yes, it was as good as it sounds.

They were a gorgeous couple in what ended up being a true Colorado wedding…

Mike and Lisa made the trip to Denver so we could take their engagement photos up at Red Rocks, namely because they love outdoor photos.  And while they are currently living in Texas (where Lisa works for NASA at Mission Control!), they’ll be getting married at the Hiwan Golf Club in Lisa’s hometown, Evergreen.

They’re planning a laid back, Colorado wedding with a bold, simple presentation (think red tulips, blue hydrangeas and sunflowers…) that is going to be all about their guests. They’re really emphasizing making sure everyone at the wedding is recognized, which is just so cool. They want to make sure I capture “who their guests are and what they are all about” while acting unobtrusively; I plan on going heavy on the candid moments while working my “stealth approach.

And a couple of wedding details - they’re having a bagpiper play at the ceremony and Lisa’s mom has designed and sewn a family quilt for the big day.  What a fun couple…

So you’ve put together your shot list and double-checked it to make sure everyone’s covered (grandmas, aunts and uncles, out of town guests… check). Now the question is - how much time should all of this take? Well, it depends. I tell couples to plan on six to nine hours of wedding photography coverage, depending on several factors…

1. When do you want the coverage to start? Most couples like me to start taking photos while they’re getting ready.  This way your hair and make-up getting done is documented, as are your interactions with your helpers, intimate moments you may have before the ceremony with your friends and family, as well as the more casual photos that often happen when everyone’s just hanging out.  I recommend 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for the getting ready shots.

2. How many formal shots will you have? This is where your shot list comes in handy. Of course, it all depends on the size of your family and the depth of your shot list but I usually recommend:  45 minutes - 1 hour for family shots, 20 - 30 minutes for groom and groomsmen photos, 20 - 30 minutes for bride and bridesmaid photos and 15 minutes for photos of the entire bridal party together.

3. How far will we have to travel? Typically, couples want their “bride and groom formal shots” (the wedding photos of just you two together) at a separate location from the rest of their wedding photos, which often involves some travel.  I typically add on an extra 25% (of the time designated for couple formal shots) for travel time, just to ensure we have plenty of time to get there and back with the least amount of stress.  I recommend 45 minutes to an hour for your couple formal shots.

4. Do you want to see each other before the ceremony? If you don’t mind seeing your fiance beforehand, we can usually get the majority of your formal shots taken care of before the ceremony, leaving you free to party once you’ve said, “I do.”  If you prefer a more traditional approach and want your first look to be during the ceremony, I recommend adding an additional 15 - 30 minutes to reorganize your wedding guests and finish up your formal shots.

5. Are there any special shots you want to get? I can usually fit requested shots into the timeframe we set out but it’s always good to know beforehand of any special requests you may have (photos of your wedding dress, wedding shoes, special dances, toasts, etc).  Depending on the sequence of events at your wedding, I’ll want to make sure we have ample time (allowing some room for movement), in case things are running late or slightly off-schedule.

Creating a wedding photography timeline can define your wedding day’s sense of flow; it guides me in knowing how much time to spend where and maximizes my shooting time.  Not to mention, a timeline helps you know what to expect throughout the day, so there aren’t any surprises - just your candid moments caught on film.

Imagine this.  It’s your wedding day and you have your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brother, college buddies, work colleagues and childhood friends all together in the same room.  And they all want a photo with you.  And that’s just your side of the wedding.

Now, I’m not bringing this up to stress you out; actually, it’s just the opposite.  The last thing I want is for you, on your wedding day, to find yourself neck-deep in people who want a photo with you without a plan.  Instead, we want you to be organized.  To have a list of every formal shot you want taken, a timeline of when those shots will happen and any other additional photos you may have in mind.

I can hear you now - that seems like a lot of work!  And, yes, it takes a bit of planning.  But having a road map for your wedding photography means a couple of things…

1.  You won’t miss anyone important. The last thing you want is to get your photos back and realize you missed a shot with your great-aunt because no one grabbed her in time.  By creating a shot list beforehand, you can work out groupings and guarantee that everyone shows up in your wedding photos.

2.  You reduce stress levels. Not only do you know you will have the wedding photos you want, everyone else knows where to show up and when.  Include a timeline in guests’ welcome bags or hand one out at the rehearsal dinner and cross it off your list.

3.  Get higher quality photos. An organized wedding shoot means I spend less time corralling guests into position and more time thinking outside-the-box and taking photos, which means you have more creative options to choose from.

4.  You have your holiday shopping taken care of...  A well-thought out timeline and shoot list means lots of photos of you with your guests.  Gifts, anyone?

So, what do you put on your shot list and timeline?

1.  Groupings of guests for the formal shots. You’ll want to write down each specific photo you’d like your wedding photographer to take for the formal shots.  For example, your list might look like:

Photo 1 - Bride, Mother of the Bride (Cynthia), Father of the Bride (Lloyd)
Photo 2 - Groom, Bride, Mother of the Bride (Cynthia), Father of the Bride (Lloyd)

To come up with this list, I recommend couples ask, “How do we want our family and friends recognized?”  and go from there.  For example, do you want a big group shot of everyone on both sides of your family?  Do you want individual shots with all of your bridesmaids?  Do you want photos with each individual side of the family?

2.  Name, relationship and a brief description.  The next step is getting me basic information about your guests.  As a photographer, I like to know people’s names ahead of time to help keep the day running smoothly, as well as know who is important and why so I can ensure everyone gets the proper amount of attention.

3.  Little details, like humorous stories or background info. This is an added bonus that sometimes leads to great shots.  Knowing an inside family joke means I can get everybody laughing and capture natural-looking photographs;  learning you have a passion for football can lead to creative beach shots…  The more information I have, the more opportunities open up for great wedding photos.

4.  Family or relationship details that may affect the day. Are your parents married?  Divorced? Do you have special friends that are actually more like family? Step-family?  You get the idea.  Knowing a few family and friend dynamics can keep the day stress-free and help avoid uncomfortable situations.

Still have questions as to what you should put on your shoot list?  Click here to contact me with specific questions.

You put a lot of faith in your wedding photographer.  You trust that he or she will show up on time, respect the sanctity of the day and leave you with a stack of fantastic photographs.  But what’s often left unsaid are all of things that you hope your wedding photographer won’t do - be rude to your grandma, leave a mess, take over the day…. you get the idea.

So, to give you peace of mind, I’ve put together a list of everything you absolutely, will not get when you hire Sean O’Leary Wedding Photography (for a list of what you will get, click here).

When you hire Sean O’Leary Photography, you will not get:

1.  An attitude. Or rude behavior.  Or unprofessional work methods.  Or anything that might make my mom think twice about how she raised me.

You’re going to have enough personal dynamics happening on your wedding day, you certainly don’t want to worry about how your wedding photographer is handling himself.  I fully comprehend the importance of your wedding to you and your family and consider it my professional duty to ensure you feel listened to, well-cared for and comfortable throughout the entire process.

2.  A know-it-all photographer. Yes, my job is to know it all; it’s just not my job to tell you about it.  You hire me to record your wedding day in as unobtrusive a manner as possible, not to make it the Sean O’Leary Photography Show.

I also don’t believe that because I’m the photographer, I’ve cornered the market on good ideas.  I’m always open to suggestions from my clients and find the more we give-and-take, the better and more personal your photos will be.

3.  Shyness. I may not be in-your-face but I also am not a wall flower.  I have a healthy dose of self-confidence which comes from years of photography experience.  I’m not afraid to speak up when necessary to either keep the day moving or direct people as to where they need to be.

Having said that, you also won’t get a boorish, bossy photographer, who barks orders and leaves your wedding party feeling hustled and drained.

4.  Boring images. You know, the same old, same old.  Yawn… Those same, interchangeable photos that every other bride seems to have in her wedding album… There will be none of that.  I believe in capturing the moments of your wedding day, which are very different from, say, Peter and Janet’s or Jeff and Cathy’s.

5.  Laziness. And you certainly won’t get less than 100% service, value and effort (I’m thinking it will be more like 200%…).  You pay me to work hard and get the best photos possible, I show up and do just that.

6.  Inflexibility. Or an inability to problem solve.  I hate to say this but there is a very good chance things may not go exactly as planned on your wedding day.  It’s the nature of the beast.  So, when that happens what kind of a wedding photographer do want by your side?  I’m thinking one who moves with the flow of the day, figures out solutions with the least amount of drama and still gets you great photographs…

7.  Insensitivity. Your wedding day is an emotionally charged event (as it should be) and I understand that sensitivity and compassion not only help me capture meaningful images but ensure a happy occasion for everyone involved.

8.  Someone who doesn’t understand his environmental responsibility. As a Coloradan, I get to live in a place where there are daily reminders about the awesomeness of nature.  I’m working hard to become a truly eco-friendly operator, who makes decisions based on their environmental impact.

Want some hard-proof from couples who have been where you are now?  Click here to read client testimonials.