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Engagement and Wedding Tips

Hollywood smile

Doing a deep teeth cleaning before the photo shoot is one of my number one tip !
You can do it at your dentist or at home with for example whitening Crest stripes. I used them before and they work great ! 
For a more soft and natural option use daily for 10 days Sodium Bicarbonate.

Props

Add some spices to your weddings with some fun props ! Here some great ones :
- Full costume first look surprise (like an inflatable T-Rex). No better way to start a crazy fun wedding day !
- Party Sparkles (perfect for evening photos or send-off). Try to get the bigger size ones
- Confetti Cannons
- Fun wedding booth type props (funky masks...)
- Balloons
- Bubble gun
- Dry ice (perfect for your entrance or first dance)
- Colored smoke bomb (perfect for fun group photos). Light pastel colors are amazing.
​- Release sky lanterns (make sure to check with the city if you are allowed to release them)
- Champagne shower (to finish the night)

Glamorous nails

Ladies, I do a lot of close up and details shots. Such as you holding you face lover or close ups of your hands to get all the details of your ring. So gorgeous nails are essential for your engagement and wedding shoot.

MUA

Always tell the Mua you want to be done with your make-up 30 min before the actual time. Trust me, make-up always take longer and you do not want later later and shorten the photo time. So give yourself a 30 min margin. This day is all about fun and not rush.

Shy ? Let's toast 

If you partner is nervous about the engagement session do not worries, I'll help and guide you ! But for an extra help don't hesitate to have a shot of tequila and enjoy ! Some couple love to bring props such as some champagne to drink on the beach. This always gives amazing candid photos.

The Must Have wedding photo

During your wedding day I highly recommend for you to allow at least a 20-30 minutes sessions right before sunset. This moment is called the golden hour. This is the time we can get together beautiful colors, skin tones, and sky. Usually golden hour happens one hour before the sunset if there are not too much clouds. Trust me you will love those photos !
Also once it gets dark lets get a 20 min session together to do some silhouette in the night but also some sparkles shots with your troop.

Slimmer arm ?

During the posed side photos with your lover, if you want your arm to look slimmer simply detach it 1 inch away from your body so it won't be compressed.

How to be great at posing on your wedding day

Some couples love candide photos. Some couple love posed ones. The best way to practise posed photos are to do an engagement shoot so you can see how to improve the poses next time. The other great way to learn/practise is to look some youtube tutorial on how to pose as a couple. Of course on the day of your wedding I will help and guide you. Some couples just like it to be perfect.

Until what time you should hire your photographer ?

When it comes to guest and general fun the best photos are always after the cake cutting once the party starts. Usually before that all the guest are rather quiet (or shy) as they are respecting your intimate ceremony. However once the party starts and guests are starting to have few drinks and dance then it's the perfect time to get crazy photos ! Most couples choose to have us for the 2-3 first hours of the party. 

Fun ideas for engagement shoots

- Alpaca/Lama farm
- Horse farm
- Hot balloon ride
- Luxurious helicopter ride
- Adventurous seaplane ride 
- Old school american muscle car rental (roofless car are the best)
- Romantic sailing boat adventure
- Glamorous power boat excursion
- Jet ski fun 
- Studio rental
- Roller coaster park fun day
- Evening ferris wheel date
- Lavender/Sunflower field romance
- Swimming in waterfalls for adventurous couples

How To Prepare For An Engagement Shoot

You are engaged now and awaiting your big day with full of excitement and enthusiasm. Now is the time for an engagement shoot where you will spend some great, nostalgic moments with the love of your life; it is the time to capture and bring alive your feelings and sensations. So how do you think you need to go about for the session? Here are some valuable tips:
  • Outfit
Make sure to look your best with the right kind of outfit; the dress you choose for your engagement photography must fit perfect and sync with your personality. Selection of the outfit also depends upon the season, temperature and your style. You can seek suggestions from your engagement photographer who knows best. Look cool with balanced colors; wear minimal jewelry. Remember you must look good as a couple!
  • Kiss
Just ignore those around you and get set for one of a kind kiss. Talk about your first meet and emotionally connect to your partner. There are different ways to kiss to express your love and concern; it is just that you need to feel and connect with the moment. While kissing the forehead shows that you care, kissing the cheek is endearing. You can also express your passion by kissing the neck or hand.
  • Style of photo
Do you want to keep it low-key or have a blasting engagement shoot?
You can buy some props that suit your style and choose a lovely backdrop for an extraordinary photography or just get some photos walking together hand-in-hand past your city's huge structures. Whatever be your style, ensure to rest well the day before the shoot to look fresh and energetic!
 
Contact me by email now to book me as your engagement, wedding photographer to make your engagement and wedding photography timeless!

Bridal Wedding Dress trends for 2021

Attention, brides to be! If you are going to exchange your “ I do” anytime in the upcoming year with your partner but the arduous task of choosing the perfect wedding dress has not yet come about to be for you, fret not; here is a crisp guide of 2021’s prominent bridal dress trends that you can nosedive into for a little inspiration.  But first, let us cover a few bases. Choosing the right dress requires an introspection of not only your personal aesthetic preferences, but also your unique personality traits. Your body type and silhouette curves add in as a factor too. 
​
  • The Minimalistic Chic
​Somebody rightly said-“Simplicity is a manifestation of inner elegance”- and that of the highest order. Gone are the days when off shoulder, clavicle displaying wedding gowns were the rule of law. The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle established herself as the trendsetter of bridal gown high-fashion with her simple and minimalistic Givenchy gown.
  • The Dramatic Train
​If you are the kind to make your statements loud and clear, then long dramatic trains could be perfect for you.  Combine those with sheer veils partially screening your shoulders and arms for added effect and you can be sure of being the most talked about bride in town ( for her wedding dress, of course).
  • Crop – top cuts
​Shall we get a bit experimental here? Here’s the rise of downtown fashion in mainstream bridal wear. Pair a crop top with sleek pants to look fashion forward at your wedding; or if you are too conservative for that, simply wear it at the after – party to allow yourself the ease to dance your heart out.
  • Billowy sleeves
​Let your sleeves demand the most attention with their sheer gossamer fabric, embellished and embroidered with billowed ends while your dress shall remain a clung-to-the-frame simple gown as discussed previously.  

Groom style trends for 2021/2022

Hopefully, you must already know that there can be nothing more lovely about a wedding than a handsome groom suited up perfectly for the occasion. No matter what your personal style on most days otherwise, you can always fuse traditionalism with a dash of your personality. Or on the other hand, turn traditional wedding suit styles completely on their head to create a trend you can call completely your own. Whatever the case be, you must remember to suit up to be your most crisp, sharp and handsome version for your wedding. Here are a few styling tips that we predict will be the order of the day in 2021 and beyond:
  • Brogues
​It is high time that the use of trainers for weddings be done and dusted away with. While trainers may be the flag-bearers of at leisure fashion, nothing speaks masculinity louder than a pair of good quality tanned Brogues.   They are cut to perfection and look their part of shoes meant for a serious occasion.  If you are a groom who is keen on maintaining a certain wedding decorum, go and buy a pair of high-end Brogues right away!
  • The Three Piece Suit
​There is a reason why this suiting style has existed for grooms since millennia. The three piece suit offers comfort and sharp tastes, while for a more relaxed atmosphere; you can always take off your jacket and roll up the sleeves of your shirt to give off vibes of calmness and easy camaraderie.
  • The checkered suit
​For grooms keen to funk up their suit style while not veering too far away from tradition, the check suit fabric emerges as an excellent option. Moreover, you can choose tweed or maybe a lighter material to tailor your jacket from, in accordance with the average temperatures of your wedding venue.
  • Bold hues
​​For the men of today who do not shy away from displaying the boldness of their personality, bold coloured fabrics can work wonders for their suit choice. While Royal Blue and Deep Purples may be de rigeur for this trend, you may choose brighter blue shades to add in a dash of pop and vibrancy.

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International Wedding Photographer & Videographer | Elegant Light & Airy Weddings |  Toronto | Mississauga | Hamilton | Niagara | 
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  • Home
  • Weddings
  • Engagement
  • Films
  • Packages
  • About me
  • Contact
  • Bridal
  • Wedding tips
  • Testimonials
  • Dundurn Castle Hamilton