Photos for the holidays!

Aaaaaaand the holiday season is yet again upon us!  The stores are full of the overpowering scent of artificial cinnamon, we get to hear umpteen cheesy versions of Frosty the Snowman every day, and thoughtful parents mace and stab each other in order to save twenty bucks on an xbox (their children must be so proud!)  The holidays are crazy...

...and so is the studio!  Many of our couples have asked for updates on their images to see if they'll have photos to share with their families during the holidays, so I thought it would be a good idea to let you know what we're up to here on the blog instead of sending out a bunch of emails.  The majority of our weddings this year were in the latter half of the season and we just wrapped up last weekend.  So it's been go-go-go since August!  Earlier this year, we overhauled our workflow and so far, we've been able to deliver several weeks earlier than the typical turn around times.  So even though we've been very busy bees, things are actually going well! 

That said, we are working around the clock to not only make sure the weddings that are due before the holidays are done and delivered to you on time, but also to make sure our other holiday deadlines are met as well, which is quite a challenge, given that everyone in this industry is in the same kind of time crunch! 

Believe me, the editing of your images is not a process you want rushed and out of respect for all my couples, I must work on them in order.  However I will do my best to make it possible for you all have something to show or send to your families in time for the holidays.  Once the weddings that are due beforehand are complete, my plan is to select a handful of sneak-peek images as well as family portraits to edit and have online for all of you who's images aren't due until later.  Just a little something to hold you over!

:)
~Kitty

Yirae + Josh Get Married! {by Kitty}

Here's a look at Yirae & Josh's fun and gorgeous wedding at Darby House!

See that amazing dress?  Yirae's mom worked a miracle resizing it to fit her...that's some serious skill!  Caroline and I walked into the room and went "oooOOOOooooh!" in unison.

Awesome stuff: perfect light and a couple who can't stop smiling at each other.

See those lovely ladies in the middle above?  Those are Yirae's grandmothers who came all the way from Korea for the wedding.  They're super cute.

Thanks to all that's holy for auto-focus moment: Yirae's and Josh's self-written vows.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.

Korean wedding traditions: there's a lot of bowing to honour family members...which requires assistance while wearing such outfits!  In the center image, you'll see Yirae & Josh holding chestnuts and dates on the white cloth - these have been slung these into the air by their moms and however many they catch on the cloth predicts how many children they will have.  A good laugh was had...if memory serves, they'll be the parents of nine.  At the end of the ceremony, Josh carries his bride away on his back as a sign of his strength.

Happy Kitty moment: Josh emailed me a few days before the wedding mentioning how they've noticed there's a distinct style difference between my lifestyle wedding work and my editorial fashion work.  He asked if I would do some of their portraits with a combination of both.  Yeay!  I LOVE shooting in black and white as opposed to turning it that way later in post.

 

Favorite Details: Yirae's hand-stamped favor boxes and seating cards,  snack sized boxes of Pad Thai, bountiful and beautiful desert table, and the combination of fall textures with soft end of summer colours.

At the end of each wedding, we always ask the couple if there's anything else they'd like us to get.  Glad they said yes and requested a few shots on the darkened terrace. 

Congratulations, Yirea & Josh!  We had a great time! :)

{venue ~ Darby House }

Jennifer + Dwayne Get Married! {by Kitty and Caroline}

Everyone knows I can't make a long story short.  Neither can Caroline.  Well, neither can Jennifer or Dwayne and our very first very long meeting was chock full of hilarious stories about how they met, dating dramas, the proposal, and how while Jennifer loves surprises, she simply must sabotage every surprise Dwayne plans for her.  Our faces hurt by the time we got to the business aspect of things and in the end, they didn't want to decide between Caroline and me, so they hired us both.  Which was funny because both Caroline and I were sitting there secretly hoping "I hope they pick me! I hope they pick me!" and we both got our wish.

Favorite getting ready things: Jennifer's delicate hair fascinator, her laugh which is unique and hearty and made us smile every time we heard it (which is quite often), her mom crying and laughing at the same time watching Jennifer put on her dress, and the bridesmaids teasing Jennifer for being so conscious of her grooming - she puts perfume on her feet.  Personally, I think that's fabulous. :)

 Favorite thing about their portraits: feeling like a lazy bug. Caroline shot J+D's engagement photos and when I looked at them, I had to ask if it was as easy as it looked.  To which she answered "they are just CRAZY about each other!"  So we just stuck them together and started shooting.  I kept thinking "should I tell them to do something?!?...nahhh...this is what it's all about."

 Biggest challenge of the day: group portraits.  Dwayne has 13 siblings.  All the boys are D's all the girls are K's...and he can name them all...it's quite a party trick.  Many of them have families of their own, so some of the extended family shots had upwards of about 35 people in them.  We would like to extend our thanks to everyone for their patience. :)

 Favorite ceremony detail: bagpiper on the hill in the distance.  Very cool.

 Awesome reception stuff: chocolate fountain, rustic fall decor, sparkly lights behind the dance floor.

 Kitty Hangs Her Head in Shame Moment: I love the Chicken Dance.  (There...I've said it...publicly.) I think it's hilarious.  Many small children at this wedding and lots of adults not afraid to act childlike on the dance floor.  This particular Chicken Dance was awesome...if not nearly dangerous. haha

Funny stuff: when one of Dwayne's toddler nephews attempted to assist with the garter removal.  That little guy is going to be trouble. :)

Amazing thing: I have not received one single email from Jen asking when her photos would be ready.  For someone who is very conscious of her tendency toward being impatient (we had a good laugh about this) I am very very impressed.  Not wishing to make her wait one more moment, I'm going to stop here and hit "publish."

Jennifer's dress: Enzoani @ Toulas Bridal - Canfield, Ohio / Jennifer's hair: In Style Salon - Attica, Ohio / venue: Mohawk Golf & Country Club - Tiffin, Ohio / flowers: Schuster's Flower Shop - Upper Sandusky, Ohio / cake: Willis Cakes by Diane - Marion, Ohio