Hi! We're Elizabeth and Jennifer, and we've been best friends since we were 12. Elizabeth got married in June 2009, and Jennifer got married a year later. For Elizabeth's wedding, we used the web extensively to help with shopping and planning. However, shopping for bridesmaid dresses was particularly frustrating. So we started Shiny Orb, a discovery shopping engine for bridesmaid dresses and wedding apparel. We publish this blog to share inspiration for bridesmaid dresses and general wedding tips.
We used this to find inspiration for Jennifer's wedding and hope it can help you, too. Enjoy!
Visit Shiny Orb to shop with friends for bridesmaid dresses!
By Elizabeth
Photo credits: Douglas Levy, Scott McNamara, Kristen Weaver, Studio-EMP
Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this vendor.
By Jennifer
Gosh, it's been two weeks already! When Tim and I decided to get married we knew we wanted a low-key kind of wedding. Being the couple we are, planning was a relatively stress-free affair because we kept things simple.
To that end, we decided to have a small ceremony with just parents and grandparents in attendance. We picked the same day as graduation, so we got our doctorates in the morning and ran off to get married at a beautiful roof garden across the street from campus. (My parents also got married on their graduation day!) Not wanting to leave out our best friends, we still opted for bridesmaids and groomspeople. Everyone looked fabulous all dressed up. So with my good friend and photographer Sam Lipoff, we went about the city of Boston taking some fun pictures. We even took the water taxi across the harbor so we could capture the gorgeous Boston skyline in our photos. We held an evening reception, where we met up with the rest of our friends. Tim and I chose a hotel bar with a swanky, private red lounge, and we partied until closing time. I love how after all the guests have gone home, Elizabeth was still ready to order just one more drink, barefoot. It was a great few days. :)Comments [2]
Interview with Kenny, by Elizabeth
We had the chance to talk with Kenny Kim, a professional photographer and winner of the 2010 The Knot Best of Weddings award. Although brides are often antsy about the weather on her big day, Kenny discusses how he can take seemingly glum, wet wedding conditions to take phenomenal photos.
Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this wedding vendor.
How do you capture beauty in a photo with seemingly dreary conditions such as rain?
There is an old saying: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." At every wedding, there is going to be a surprise waiting us around the corner. Regardless of what that surprise might be, we as wedding photographers try to make the best of all the situations. Inevitably, we are going to have days where mother nature will try to hinder the day. Instead of being discouraged by the situation, I think of it as an opportunity to get creative with photos. A wedding day is not about the weather but it is a celebration of a couple's commitment to spend the rest of their lives together. Capturing their emotion is more important than having nice weather. When humans lose one of their senses, the other senses heighten. As a photographer, when we are faced with limited options, our creativity gets heightened and often times we tend to see things that we did not notice before. Some of my favorite photos from weddings have come from days when it rained.
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Interview with Randy, by Elizabeth
We had the chance to talk with Randy Tunnell, a professional photographer. From his 20+ years of professional experience, he discusses his philosophy on engagement photo sessions and shares his favorites places to take engagement photos.
Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a search site for bridesmaids dresses, receives no form of compensation from this wedding vendor.
Where are the best places you've shot at for engagement photos? What's your favorite place?
Randy Tunnell is a professional photographer and the owner of Randy Tunnell Photography in Monterey, CA. You can find more photos of high profile events and publications he's covered on his website.
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by Shang
Shang Chen, an independent professional wedding photographer, shares 5 tips for choosing a wedding photographer for your special day.
Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb receives no form of compensation from this vendor.
1. Start early! The most sought-after photographers are usually booked at least one to 1.5 years out for popular dates, and on average, photographers get booked around 6-9 months prior to a wedding date. Start by looking at both the WPJA (Wedding Photojournalist Association) and the PPA (Portrait Photographers of America) websites for professional, accredited photographers. Other great places to search include Yelp, WeddingWire, The Knot, typing the Google search term "[your city] wedding photographer", and getting recommendations from your wedding planner or wedding venue.
2. Have an idea for your budget. If you're not sure where to start, you can type in your zipcode at http://www.costofwedding.com/ for some average expense statistics. The cost of photography might seem high, but this is also because many photographers spend a week or more working on your images and albums and are limited to only shooting a couple dozen weddings a year.
3. Understand what goes into your package, especially the amount of work that goes into the photographs, and don't be afraid to ask more questions! Ask your photographer whether the images you'll receive will come straight out of the camera, will be lightly-edited, or will be heavily retouched. Find out around how many images you might be able to expect. Other things you'll want to consider include the cost of the photographer handing over the digital files to you, the albums and prints, and other considerations such as additional photographers, travel fees, and taxes.
4. Pick a photographer for the style of their photographs and for his/her personality. Once you've found photographers within a similar budget, narrow your selection to a photographer whose photos you really respond to. Look at entire weddings done by the photographer. Check to see if he/she has a blog or slideshows. If photo quality and packages are comparable between photographers, you'll want to ask yourself if you click with the photographer. Consider how he/she communicates with you, how he/she sounds on his/her blog, and simply, how comfortable you are with this person. You'll have to trust him/her because the photographer will be spending a significant chunk of your day with you, often including when you're putting on your wedding gown!
5. Ask for everything in writing. Paperwork is important because it has the power to protect your interests and money. The best way to secure a photographer is to send in your retainer and contract as soon as you're willing to commit. There may be other people inquiring for your same date, and many photographers do not hold dates.
Shang Chen (Shang Chen Photography) is a wedding photographer based in Boston. Her favorite part about weddings is witnessing the families and friends who take part in the extraordinary union of two people.
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By Cynthia
Editor's disclosure: Shiny Orb, a shopping site for bridesmaid dresses, receives no form of compensation Smilebooks.
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