"Will you love me in December as you do in May, 
Will you love me in the good old fashioned way?
When my hair has all turned gray,
Will you kiss me than and say,
That you love me in December as you do in May?"

James J. Walker, 1905

If you want an average wedding

If you are looking to have an “average wedding” – one that’s stressful and not well organized, one where you hardly get to spend any time with your family, friends and guests, one where you are so exhausted that you can hardly smile, one where it seems that you are constantly putting out fires and solving problems….

Then this web-page really isn’t for you. Please read no further.

So, are you still reading? I thought you might be. Most couples, and especially most brides, want their wedding to be perfect. It should be a romantic, beautiful and emotional day – perhaps the best day of your life. You want to remember, with tears in your eyes, all the love, emotion and joys of the day…

I love weddings!

I just love weddings! I love the emotion and romance of your wedding. I want you to remember your wedding, and I want your children and grandchildren to remember your wedding day….in very special photographs that will capture all of the love, romance, beauty and emotions of the day.

Avoid our mistake....

Unfortunately, my wife, Lynn, and I didn’t have access to the seven secrets that we want to share with you. Our first, and biggest, mistake was not hiring a professional photographer. A photographer that would have captured all that our wedding day meant to us. Sure, we have the memories, but it is never quite the same when you don’t have photographs to reinforce your memories. We were afraid of spending too much, we went cheap…and have paid for it ever since. That is our mistake, but it shouldn’t be yours. Our lesson is that it is better to spend a little more than you expected to, rather than spending less than you should. There is only one wedding day, and we wish we had captured all that was so beautiful about that day…

So, that is our sad tale. Now, here are the Seven Secrets we have learned so that your wedding will live up to your dreams:

Secret One

Have a professional photographer! Believe it or not, the photographer you select can make or break your wedding day. Yes, the photographer can make your wedding day go well, or be a constant thorn in your side. I’m not just talking about poor quality pictures, I’m talking about the ambiance of the whole day!

The photographer you select is going to be there with you throughout the day. With you, with your family and friends, in person – interacting with everyone.. So here’s the real secret: Meet the photographer – in person – before you hire anyone to photograph your wedding! Most brides don’t realize that many sudios hire part time photographers to photograph many of their weddings – high school and college kids, friends, relatives, etc. You go to a studio, talk with a sales person, look at their samples, and make a decision – often without really knowing who will be photographing your wedding.

It has to be the right person interacting with you and your family and guests on your perfect wedding day. That’s why Lynn and I work as a team to personally photograph every wedding for our studio.

So, when you are shopping for just the right wedding photographer, ask some questions:

“Who did these photographs that you are showing me?”

“Who, by name, will be photographing our wedding if we hire your studio?”

“How will this person dress at my wedding?”

“How long will you be at my wedding?”

The list could go on and on….

Then you need to ask yourself: “Do I like this person?” He or she is going to be spending a lot of time with you and your family on your important day!

Just so you know, here are my answers to the above questions:

Lynn and I are the ONLY photographers in our studio. We create all of the work that we show to potential clients. Because we are the only photographers at the studio, we will personally photograph your wedding. We are responsible for preserving the memories of your special day in photographs.

I will dress however you would like for me to dress. This is something that I will discuss with you at some length. I usually wear a coat and nice trousers, but will wear a nice suit or even a tux if you wish for me to. I want to fit in with the style of your wedding day. I want to represent you professionally in the best possible way.

We will be at your wedding until you, your husband (how exciting – your husband!), your parents and your husband’s parents all say they have nothing else for me to do. I never will leave your wedding without checking with all of the above people!

Another thing: We will normally only commit to two weddings per month! We don’t want to be in the business of rushing from one wedding to the next to make a few extra dollars. You are our entire focus on your special day. We charge fairly for our time and expertise, and then devote ourselves to you.

Secret Two

Work with your photographer! I really want to meet with you, your future husband and all of your parents, if at all possible, prior to the wedding. The best weddings are the ones where everyone agrees which photographs should be taken, when they should be taken, and who will be responsible for gathering all of the people together at the right time and place.

The biggest thing that goes wrong at least 70% of the time is for the bridal party to take way too long to get to the reception. The ceremony is over, and the fun and memorable party is waiting for everyone to arrive!

We want to make your day go smoothly and perfectly. We will suggest that a great time to do bridal party and family portraits is before the ceremony! There may be reasons that this can’t work for your wedding, but, when the bridal party and family portraits are done prior to the ceremony…say an hour or two before the ceremony…the bride, the family and everyone else can then relax. It really makes the day go oh so smoothly. Everyone can leave the church following the ceremony and go right to the reception….and enjoy themselves.

Taking some of the pictures before doesn’t always work out. Some brides don’t want for their husband’s to see them before the ceremony, for instance. That doesn’t mean that a lot of pictures still couldn’t be taken beforehand. Besides, in our experience, when brides have the chance to spend a few special minutes with her soon to be husband before the ceremony it relaxes them both, and helps them to get over the wedding day jitters. They get to really look at each other and share some special words and moments together. A lot of couples never get these moments alone on their wedding day. It is a beautiful time to share with each other, and no one else.

We want to work with you to plan. Planning leads to a smooth flow, and great wedding photography. The more we work together, the better your photographic memories will be.

Secret Three

Look for a photographer who is an emotional story teller. You want an artist whose images combine to tell the emotional story of your day: You, your husband, your family and friends are all a part of the story. This is really important if you are looking for photographs that will become priceless in years to come. Photographs that not only you will cherish, but that your children and your children’s children will cherish as well.

If you find an artist that is an emotional story teller, there is a really good chance that he will be compassionate and sensitive about not ruining the romance, beauty and emotions of your day. You see, it takes a true romantic to understand how you feel about this day, and how important it is to you.

A true romantic story teller isn’t going to disrupt the romantic flow of your day. They aren’t going to pop out of the flowers during your ceremony. They aren’t going to set off flashes during the most poignant part of your ceremony. They aren’t going to get in the way of the romantic mood of your day. The romantic story teller will respect you and your wishes, and conduct himself in a professional and friendly way, because he understands the importance of the “Story of your Wedding Day.”

Secret Four

Find a photographer who will devote himself to you on your special wedding day. It is a dirty little secret that too many photographers book several weddings on the same weekend, or even on the same day! How can they possibly be a romantic story teller of your wedding story?

Lynn and I will normally only photograph two wedding per month, and never more than one per week! It is our responsibility to be there only for you. To be fresh, rested, and in good spirits.

If a photographer doesn’t give his or her time completely to you, how can they capture the emotions, romance, love and relationships between you and your husband? How can they capture those same relationships between you and your family and friends? There just can’t be the sensitivity and feelings that a romantic story teller needs to have.

You may save a few dollars with a photographer who shoots more than one wedding per week, or more than two in a month, but I think you understand what you will lose as well. Some things are difficult to put a price on….isn’t the special story of your wedding day difficult to put a value on as well? Ask that your photographer value your wedding day as highly as you do.

Secret Five

A single photographer can’t do as good a job as a romantic story teller as a team approach can. Well, Duh!

One person can’t attend to the details in the same way that two can. One person can’t see all that is happening. One person can’t be everywhere at once. By the same token, you don’t want half a dozen photographers running around spoiling the mood and romance of your perfect day.

That’s why Lynn and I work together as a team. It is just right. We are able to capture the romantic story of your wedding day without being frantic, as would be the case with a single photographer, and without being in the way of the romance of the day.

Lynn, really, is the true secret to our success in wedding photography. She has huge responsibilities during your day. While she may take some photographs of you and your bridesmaids dressing….where I would not be welcome….she will be helping to make sure that you look perfect throughout the day. Your dress, flowers, fixing your veil before a photograph….all the little things that make a photograph look perfect.

Lynn will bring you a drink I you are thirsty in the receiving line. Find your best friend if you ask for her. Helping you in any way she can to assure that you have the wonderful romantic day that you deserve, as well as wonderful photographs to remember the day by.

We are a team. Together we guarantee that you not only have a great time on your wedding day, but also assure that you have the emotional story of your wedding day preserved.

Secret Six

Most photographers, bless their hearts, just want to record the event and then go home. The secret here is that weddings are really about E.F.P. Emotional Family Photography that is created on your wedding day.

Aren’t the people and the emotions of your life what matter to you most? Aren’t the special relationships more important than money or things?

Yes, you will see the beautiful dresses, the lovely flowers and the well dressed people. But, you should also see, and feel, the emotions that you and your husband feel toward each other and toward your best friends and family members on this magical day. That’s what I will do for you: I’ll be the emotional story teller who captures E.F.P. on your wedding day.

I understand that you want photography that speaks to you, and your family, with love, emotion, respect and all of the glorious feelings you will be feeling on your wedding day. As a romantic, I feel these things along with you. Yes, you want to tell the story of your wedding, but you want to tell the story of your relationships with family and friends as well.

We want to hear your ideas, and we want to share ideas with you. Some of the great emotional moments at weddings do happen by accident, and we want to be there to capture them with the tenderness they deserve. Yet, many great moments can be planned…. For instance……

There is something full of emotional magic that you can give your dad when he gives you away! At that very powerful moment in his, and your, life you hand him a surprise that he carries with him back to the pew. As he reads your personal message to him and he looks at the emotional photograph of you in your wedding gown, few fathers can help but shed a few tears of joy and love.

How about the incredible moment when your fiancé first sees you in your wedding gown – perfect in every way – with your lovely flowers, beautiful veil and headpiece – everything you selected specifically for him….and he tells you how very much he loves and adores you and how spectacular you look. This moment just can’t take place without a little planning…a few moments together, alone…not in the midst of the ceremony, that is almost certain.

If you are lucky enough to have a living grandmother, how about the lovely moment when she reaches up and puts her arms around you, and with tears in her eyes, tells you how beautiful you look and how much she loves you?

All of these moments may never happen. Your entire day will be made up of brief, priceless moments like these. Let’s make sure that your day is so beautifully organized and planned that these moments can happen. You want to be so stress free, but excited, that you can enjoy and remember these wonderful magical moment for the rest of your life.

I bet you think I’m going to say that we do all of this through photography. Well, only partially…we are there to capture, to preserve, these magical moments. We try to help these moments happen, and help you to remember them. We want to help you have a wonderful, romantic and emotional day. A day where everything goes perfectly. As long as we do that, the rest will be fine.

By the way, if you run into a photographer that says that all you will have are the photographs after the wedding….that the flowers will fade, the cake be eaten, etc. Run away. If a photographer says that, then he must have a grossly inflated impression of his own importance. Simply, the photographs are NOT the most important thing – the romance, emotions, and relationships of that day are the most important thing!

Secret Seven

This is the biggie! Be the most beautiful bride your friends and relatives have ever seen. The key is to remove as much stress as possible from your special day. There will be excitement, a nervous edge, but there is no need for most of the stress that at least 80% of brides build into their wedding day…and they build the stress in on purpose! And, stress is what keeps brides from looking their most beautiful on their most special and romantic wedding day. In fact, stress is the great robber of wedding day romance….

Let’s face it, most wedding photographers only add to the stress on your wedding day. That’s a fact….but it doesn’t need to be. Read on….

Much of the stress of the average wedding revolves around schedules. That’s right, time pressures to be in the right place at the right time and do the right thing. So, don’t make your wedding an average wedding! Let Lynn and I help you to relieve as much of the stress as possible. We have seen our suggestions work, and you can take advantage of our expertise too. Here are just two or three things we know for certain can relieve the stress for you, and allow you to look and feel your most beautiful on your wedding day.

Schedule a bridal portrait a week or ten days before the wedding! Seems simple, but it relieves stress in a number of ways: First, your dress will be ready well ahead of the wedding day, because you will have picked it up for the bridal portrait. Second, you will have a dress rehearsal (no pun intended) putting on your dress, your jewelry, fixing your hair and makeup, etc. Most brides underestimate how long all of this will take. The hair appointment that runs long is a huge wedding day stressor!

It’s a fact: one of the biggest stressors on the wedding day is getting ready for the ceremony….getting your hair done, getting your makeup just right and getting dressed. About 85% of brides are rushing like mad, and a good many actually have to delay the ceremony by up to 20 minutes, to finish dressing! Talk about stress! This should all be enjoyable, not stressful! By having a bridal portrait, you will then know how long it takes for you to get ready,you can plan your big day accordingly.

An absolutely huge stress reducer on the wedding day is to schedule the family and bridal party photos so that they take place BEFORE the ceremony. We can’t tell you what a load of stress this takes off of the bride, groom and family! Let’s say your wedding is set for Four P.M. Why not schedule the photos for 1:00 P.M? We guarantee that they will be finished by 2:30 if everyone is there and ready. Then before the guests start arriving you have an hour to relax, adjust your dress, your hair, and more than a few brides have been known to drink a glass of champagne with their mom and dad just to take the edge off of the excitement of the moment. You are ready….and the wedding isn’t waiting for you.

Brides who take the pressure off…who remove the stress…actually remember the ceremony and enjoy the romance of the day! Too many brides find themselves looking back at a blur of ctivity and remembering very little…..too much stress.

O.K. here is one more little suggestion: What if you could spend a few moments….you, your husband (there’s that wonderful word again!) and both sets of parents….all alone for a minute or two right after the ceremony? It’s the perfect time to hug, kiss, welcome and thank the most important people in your life. Sadly, most brides will never get those precious moments! We can tell you how to do that when you call to talk with us…it really is simple, but hardly anyone ever thinks of it.

One Last Secret

Here’s another deep dark secret….most photographers believe that they work for the bride and groom. Well, we believe that too, but we also work for your parents, your family and your friends. In fact, when we all sit down to plan your wedding photos we want everyone there…the bride, the groom, and both sets of parents! Why, because when everyone knows the plan, everything goes much more smoothly. The mechanics of taking photos doesn’t get in the way of the romance of the day! That is what Lynn and I are all about….taking as much stress off of you as we can so that you can have the beautiful, romantic and memorable day that you deserve. So that you can engage in the important relationships of life, can enjoy yourselves, and have fond memories rather than several hectic hours.

Let's Just Talk....

We don’t want you to book your wedding with us until we have had the chance to chat. That is crucial. But, we would like you to call so that we can get together and talk about your plans. Then, if you do decide to hire us, we will devote ourselves to you and your very special romantic and wonderful wedding day. We are in Greeley, call us at 970-330-9101 so that we can get together.

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