Think of your guests a little like sheep.  Wedding guests will do whatever the bride and groom do.  You lead, they follow.  If you spend your reception rockin’ out on the dance floor, they’ll follow.  If you spend your reception smoking outside, sitting at a table chatting, or hiding out in the bathroom, your guests will do the same.

Most people want their guests to have a great time at the reception, and focus on getting everything perfect to make that happen.  But the key is not how awesome the band is, how many people are there, or how much booze you serve.  I’ve seen all kinds of receptions – parties without alcohol and those with open bars, receptions where an iPod is the only music source and some with amazing 8 piece bands, weddings with fewer than 50 people and those with more than 500 people.  None of those factors impact how much fun everyone is having.

The key to an awesome reception is a bride and groom setting the example of having a great time.  That will make or break your party.  So plan the party so you will have fun.  Then allow yourself to enjoy it, rather than worrying about how much fun your guests are having.  I guarantee your guests will follow.

The Lady Gaga Pandora station seemed like a good idea.  I turned to Lady Gaga to spice up my editing soundtrack after exhausting my iTunes library and growing tired of the same old Pandora stations I usually listen to.  It was such a drastic change at first that I loved it.  But I could only take it for so long before I started wanting to tear my hair out – a stage I reached last week whilst editing.  No more.  Turns out I could not be romanced, Lady Gaga, thankyouverymuch.

I know I’m not alone on this – I often meet photographers who practically beg for suggestions of what to watch or listen to whilst editing.  So here’s a playlist I’ve been running with some success.  A little old, a little new, a little Bob Marley.  Because Bob Marley makes editing through the family photos just that much easier :)  Maybe one of the songs will inspire you to create a new Pandora station of your own.  I’m hoping someone will share their favorite playlist in return – I still need some new music myself, and I’d like to keep all of my hair intact :)

I’ve had flowers on the brain.  In trying to come up with ideas for my own wedding, I’ve been spending more time than usual looking through images of bouquets and flowers.  While I’d actually prefer to find something non-floral to use for a bouquet, I have seen some amazing floral work and can greatly appreciate the talent and skill that goes into these pieces.  So since I’ve been stalking through everyone else’s floral archives, it’s time to share some of my own.  Here are just a few from the last year or two – maybe they’ll give someone a great idea :)  Happy Tuesday!

The tears, oh my, the tears.  Thinly slicing five large onions brought on the waterworks in my kitchen.  And once I finished with the onions, the garlic needed mincing.  Would it never stop?  The combination made my eyes and nose run in a very unflattering way.  But as they began to caramelize on the stove, they filled the house with an aroma rivaled only by this previous soup.  That’s when my mouth started watering.

I’ve been wanting to taste French Onion Soup for years, but lurking beneath it’s bubbling cheese top is nearly always beef broth – a surefire way to make this vegetarian sick.  Fortunately, the good people at Vegetarian Times whipped up this veg-friendly alternative.  This recipe has such nice flavor that even John thought it was a winner without the beef broth.  It’s such a distinctly different type of soup than anything I’ve made yet this year, and I highly recommend it.  It’s sweet and savory, and completely worth all the tears shed for the sake of it’s production.

Vegetarian French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 5 large onions (about 3 lb.), halved and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 6 cups roasted or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
• 6 1/2-inch slices sourdoughbread, toasted
• 2/3 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Gruyère cheese (I used Munster – yum!)

» Continue reading “Year of the Soup: Week 30″

Maybe you can’t keep your eyes open for photos.  Or you always have red eye and look washed out.  Perhaps you have a cheesy “camera smile” that comes out of nowhere when you see a camera.  For whatever reason, you’ve decided you are not photogenic.  Terribly, horribly, irreparably un-photogenic.  You should just never have your photo taken again because you’ll always look horrible.  Wrong!

If you think you aren’t photogenic, you simply haven’t worked with the right photographer.  Or maybe you haven’t worked with a photographer at all.  People judge themselves as not photogenic because photos their friends take of them at parties never turn out well.  Of course not!  Direct flash, red eye, poor timing, too many cocktails…it’s a perfect storm of ickiness.

The best photos of people arise from natural moments when they aren’t posing for the camera, aren’t making their characteristic photo face – aren’t over-thinking it.  That’s why documentary photography is the best way to get great photos of everyone.  I’ve had many clients who think they don’t look good in photos, or don’t like having pictures taken.  Once they’ve taken photos with me, they’re usually singing a different tune.

So what’s the secret?  There’s a few.  Professional equipment is one, alongside professional training (it helps to know how that fancy camera works, after all :) )  » Continue reading “Being photogenic is a myth. Really.”