Very simple post today: If you have yet to hire your wedding photographer, you are luck! Here's a great one to check out: The Collection, a fabulous wedding company comprised of Krystal, Erin and Jessica. Visit their website and blog, then give them a call. If you book by 8/30 and mention ABG - you get a free iPad to display your wonderful wedding photos wherever you go!!
The Collection photographers are incredible but the iPad limited offer makes them even more delicious!
Call them asap and be sure to check with them regarding specific offer details.
We open the week by shining our spotlight on a new addition to our fine photography community here at ABG. Please welcome The Collection, a group of three very talented photographers whose passion is wedding photography. The brainchild of Peter and Whitney Carlson of Dove Photography, The Collection will add more talent to our ever-growing pool of wonderful photographers from which you can choose for your wedding and special day. We're really excited about this and we hope you are too.
Fabulous Giveaway: ABG Brides, if you mention this blog post and book your photography session with Erin or Krystal by Monday August 30th, you will receive a free iPad courtesy of The Collection!
Meet The Collection: Nashville's Newest Photography Studio
Ashley: this picture makes my heart sing!
Number of Years in the Business:
The Collection is a brand new studio run by professionals who have been working in Nashville's wedding photography industry for over 6 years.
How did you get started in weddings?
Krystal Mann started her photography career at the age of 14. She spent much of her time photographing musicians until one of her musician friends invited her to photograph his wedding. She instantly fell in love with weddings and opened her own wedding photography business. Krystal ran her wedding photography studio for over 6 years until she was invited to join The Collection. Similarly, Erin Lee started her photography career photographing musicians. When approached by the owners of The Collection, Erin quickly discovered her love for wedding photography. Although Jessica has only been photographing weddings for a year, she has had a considerable amount of training over the years from her older sister Whitney Carlson of Dove Wedding Photography. Before being hired by The Collection, Jessica photographed weddings for a year with an Atlanta-area photographer.
What do you like most about weddings?
We love the joy and excitement that is involved with wedding days. Every bride's wedding is completely different because every bride is a unique individual. It is so much fun to see all the different ideas that our brides come up with for their wedding celebrations.
What does the name “The Collection” mean?
The name comes from two ideas that make up our business. One comparison is that a display of art pieces is known as a “collection”. We photograph each wedding as a work of art. We are providing a service, but we do not see ourselves as service providers as much as we see ourselves as artists. The name also comes from the fact that we are a collection of photographers and not a studio owned and run by just one photographer.
What is your service philosophy?
The collection exists to bring superior images, along with trusted service, to a variety of brides. When working with a photographer from The Collection, you can trust you will receive excellence in service and the highest quality for your investment.
The Collection is not a co-operative of photographers, but one trusted photography studio supplying a variety of creative and artistic photographers.
What are your strengths compared to others in your category? / Why should a bride hire you?
We have a full-time, in-house, staff. Our studio manager is dedicated to giving every bride prompt and thorough service. Our staff of photographic editors maintain the highest quality possible while ensuring the on-time delivery of your images. Working with such a dedicated team allows our photographers the freedom and energy to focus on what's most important: photographing your wedding.
Who are your 5 favorite Nashville wedding vendors – helpfulness, professionalism, style?
This is such a hard question because there are so many great vendors to work with in Nashville. If we narrowed our list down to the five vendors that we have worked with the most, it would be: Historic Cedarwood, Maples Wedding Cakes, Nashville Event LIghting, Fresh by CarryAnn, and recently our photographers have been photographing a number of weddings at Country Music Hall of Fame. Each of these vendors are considered some of the best in Nashville and will not disappoint.
Who do you recommend when you’re not available/not a fit?
Because we have three photographers on our team, it will be hard for you to find a date that The Collection is not available for your wedding.
What do you read/watch regularly to stay on top of wedding/event trends?
We subscribe to style magazines like Vogue, Lula. Some of our favorite blogs are Style Me Pretty, Hundred Layer Cake, Southern Weddings Blog, Poetic Home for style inspiration, and of course Ashley's Bride Guide keeps us up on the scene in Nashville. We love looking around Etsy.com for inspiration. We also attend multiple conferences per year which focus on wedding photography. Of course visiting with brides and other wedding vendors is one of the best ways to keep up with current trends.
Let’s discuss current wedding trends - Which wedding trend do you love?
We love centerpieces that incorporate organic and natural pieces like ferns, moss, wildflowers, branches, and other wood pieces.
What wedding trend do you dislike the most?
When brides feel confined to tradition when planning her wedding day. Each bride is a unique individual and should remember this wedding is hers. It should be as unique as she is, even if it does not fit the "normal rules" of a wedding.
What is your favorite wedding find?
Custom hand-made signs by Chocolate Butterbean (chocolatebutterbean.com).
Yummy wedding blog to add to my bookmarks! Ok, What's your favorite TV show and why?
Every single one of our staff (except Krystal) loves LOST. We do not know what we are going to talk about on Wednesday mornings this year, now that the series is over.
What advice would you give to brides on the wedding planning process in general?
Hire an experienced event planner. The biggest wedding regret we hear from brides and friends is they did not hire a planner. It will save you so much time and keep you away from stress. If you are a DIY bride, at the very least, hire a day-of coordinator. There is no reason you should be conducting on your own wedding day. Expecting your family or bridesmaids to fill this role rarely works out.
When it comes to finding a photographer. Don't base hiring your photographer on how much "stuff" comes in your package. The two most important things to base your decision on should be the quality and style of the photography as well as the personality of the photographer. If you do not get along with your photographer you will remember that every time you look at your photos. If you end up not liking your photographs, It won't matter how big your album is our how many prints you are getting. All these items will be worthless to you if you can not enjoy the art that is printed on them.
I'm thrilled and really looking forward to featuing more of The Collection! View their photography blog for more of their weddings.
StudioWed Nashville now has a wedding blog that allows us to keep a pulse on what's happening at their Nashville's wedding planning studio - from events to weddings. One post that caught my eye was the wedding of Kimberly and Rashad. I enjoyed their wedding so much that I wanted to share it with you, especially the wonderful same-day edit video (by McNeal Wedding Films) included below that you must absolutely watch!
By the way, if you haven't visited StudioWed this month, you should! They are a great offline wedding planning resource. Plus, all brides who visit the studio this month will be entered to win a gift from Tiffany and Co. Visit their blog to learn more about the StudioWed giveaway.
We’re so happy to share with you a wedding from a few months ago where several of our StudioWed Nashville Exclusive Vendors worked together to make one gorgeous wedding for bride and groom, Kimberly & Rashad.
Here are the members who were involved in making the day so beautiful:
Dove Wedding Photography – Photography – Dove did such a beautiful job of capturing the love that Kimberly & Rashad radiate. Stunning!
McNeal Wedding Films – Videography – We can’t say enough good things about McNeal and the incredible job they did on the same day edit of the ceremony that was showed at the reception – WOW! It amazes me how they were able to edit all of those video clips during the reception (see the video below)!
Rhonda Patton Designs (RhondaPattonWeddings.com) – Florals – Rhonda made some of the most beautiful floral arrangements for their reception and we just love the bouquets!! She really knows how to make an event so classy.
A Delightful Day Event Planning – Planner – Mary Alice kept the day running smoothly once again! She certainly knows how to keep a bride and groom happy and at ease throughout the wedding planning process and wedding day!
Nashville Audio Visual (NashvilleAudioVisual.com) – Lighting – Chris Jackson made The Hutton look so welcoming and inviting.
Sweet Life Designs Stationery Studio (SweetLifeDesigns.com) – Paper Goods – Amber Housley designed every paper good for Kimberly & Rashad’s wedding & ceremony and everything looked so gorgeous. Her designs certainly know how to capture guest’s attention.
Amy Lynn Larwig – Bridesmaid’s make up – We just love Amy Lynn, she really knows how to make people feel confident and beautiful.
Hindsight is 20/20. Even with all of the planning, it's hard to avoid the "wouldas" and "shoulda's". One way to minimize the regrets is to start with sound advice.
Today, we share a recent conversation held with Donald Yeager of Donald Yeager Photography. Our goal was to find out how you can keep from looking back with regret and really capture the details and memories you want to keep from your wedding day. Bookmark this post and refer to it as you interview wedding photographers and make your wedding photography decisions.
Finding Your Wedding Photographer 101: Expert Q&A with Donald Yeager Photography (www.donaldyeager.com/)
ABG: There are some brides who are a little more in-tune with what they like and know it when they see it. But for those who aren't sure, what's the best way to find and pick their photographer?
Donald Yeager Photography (DYP): In my opinion one of the most important aspects of wedding planning is the choice of a photographer, because once it’s all said and done the photography is what will remain forever to document the emotions and details of the day. That being said, no bride should rush into making this monumentous decision. I’d recommend that to begin, with brides should feel free to immerse themselves in wedding images. Blogs (like ABG, of course), magazines, websites, and et cetera are all excellent places to begin research.
While seeking out images, take actual notes of the images that you have an emotional reaction to (print them, bookmark them, cut them out and keep them in a binder) as this will help you to identify your own personal style. When you have a nice stack, look through them all and find the common denominator. Usually, one type of photography will stand out from the rest, and while most brides will have a bit of a mix, you will see some kind of majority forming in your favorites pile. For example, you may find that the majority of the images you like the best are documentary or photojournalistic in style, such as the first look between the bride and groom or the flower girl and ring bearer flirting. Or, you may be more drawn to images with post-processing artistry, such as added textures or color enhancement.
After you have established what you are drawn to, start seeking out photographers who present images that are harmonious with the style you love and schedule interviews.
So how many photographers should a bride interview? 3? 5?
I don’t believe there is a magic number to how many photographers you should decide you want to meet with. However, if the number is hovering around 10, I’d strongly suggest the bride re-examine her style and how that it is compatible with her selections. It can be really tempting for a bride to meet with ten photographers whose styles differ in hopes of identifying the style of photography she wants, but I find that generally counterproductive. In the least ideal situation, you may could end up hiring a photographer solely based on their personality, but later discover that their style doesn’t quite mesh with what you envisioned. This is an important decision, don’t rush it. It’s good to take time to evaluate, re-evaluate, and even if everything feels right at the meeting, to walk away and think on it before signing a contract.
Hiring: During the decision process, what are questions the bride & groom need to ask? How, from a photographer's perspective, would you like to be "selected" to be their photographer (chemistry? similar hobbies or interests?)
Bridals magazines, websites, and planners will give you an extensive list of specific questions to ask photographers like what coverage entails, packages, second shooter availability, ect. Since this information is widely available, I am going to recommend some different advice. Just spend some time with your photographer and get to know one another on a personal level. This will help you better judge if your personalities are compatible. Remember, you are hiring this person to follow you around on the most important day of your life. Wouldn’t it be better to hang out with someone you get along with and know personally than someone you don’t know at all?
DYP: The bride's family's roots are in Cuba, and she is very proud of that heritage. She used a book that was full of images from her family's native land as a guest book.
From a photographer’s perspective, the same rules hold true. The better I can get to know my clients personally, the more they are willing to show emotion and allow me to authentically capture their wedding. I love when I show up on a wedding day and I really know who my bride and groom truly are. It enables me to better capture each little nuance from the day; from a bride’s tattoo that her father has never seen...
... to the finally crafted homebrew beer that the groom spent months perfecting.
DYP: The bride took hours upon hours to hand-make each program. She wanted everyone's program to be a little different so she meticulously coordinated so that one program would not look identical to another.
ABG: We just love this ABG bag spotted behind the scenes at a Donald Yeager Photography wedding!
Once the contract ink has dried, how can the couple best work with a photographer to get everything in place for the big day and to make sure the wedding day itself is best captured?
I think that communication and honesty are key—if open communication exists from the get go, I feel that the bride and groom will be all the more comfortable with sharing their expectations and desires. If they are working with a wedding coordinator—a wonderful investment for any bride and groom to make—that professional can help facilitate the exchange of expectations. I always ask my couples if there are certain must have shots or locations that they’d like to see, and I’m always honest with them about the realities of timing and will not hesitate to let them know if something is not feasible.
DYP: This is an image of the bride and her son, Justin. We were getting a couple of shots of the bride and groom when all the sudden he wandered over and just wanted a hug from his happily married mother.
I try to be game for anything and everything, because being spontaneous and having fun usually produces the best shots. I also advise my couples to remember to be flexible with their day—know that things may go awry, things may not go to schedule, things might not be perfect—but with flexibility we’ll make sure that the very best moments are captured. Either way, it all comes down to trust and good communication on both ends, and that’s why starting, and keeping—a dialogue from the day we meet until after they marry is absolutely necessary.
The next picture is from after an epic engagement session - Ben and Amanda insisted that we head over to their house so they could make Ben's family world famous lasagna rolls!
Thanks for all of the honest and helpful advice! These are great pictures that examplify how finding the right photographer and establishing a good comaraderie with your photographer can really pay off.
For more gorgeous pics, visit Donald Yeager Photography and view his gallery. You'll also find more of his favorite pictures on his blog.
I'm sure there's some sort of psychological study somewhere that proves that our good childhood memories remain familar and continue to attract us. It might be grandma's cooking, or a certain smell or the great times we had playing with our friends. For Marti and Justin, an engaged Nashville couple, things came full circle when these childhood friends finally (at the hands of their mutual friends) got together. Today's real engagement is evidence that sometimes, you just need to look at what's around you to find joy.
Marti and Justin just exchanged vows this Saturday and we want to wish them both all the best in their new life together! P.S: We can't wait to see the wedding pics!
An ABG Couple's Engagement Story!
HerMarti Bryson
Lebanon, TN
Him Justin Latimer
Mt. Juliet, TN
How did you meet?
We have known each other since we were 5 or 6. We went to the same school until high school. After college I moved away for about 5 years when I came back Justin was attending the church I had grown up at. It was then that mutual friends began trying to set us up. We finally gave in!
The Proposal
Where? The Grand Canyon
When? February 16, 2010
How? We had gone to Las Vegas for the week, Justin rented a truck and we drove up to the Easter Rim of the Grand Canyon. We were walking around and Justin sat down on a huge rock that was sitting close to the edge with an amazing view. I sat down beside him, we were talking and the next thing I know he was asking...and he had the ring!
Did you enjoy your engagement photo session?
Yes! To be honest I was not looking forward to it, I do not really like to take pictures. But we both had a blast, it was so hot, and I think I swallowed 3 mosquitoes but we still had so much fun. Mike made it very laid back and casual...it was like we were just all hanging out. I loved all of the pictures, we were very pleased!
What matters most as you plan your wedding?
That at the end of the day on July 24th me and Justin are married and will be spending the rest of our lives together!
Has any decision triggered a meltdown in your wed planning process?
Small wedding or big wedding? I had a hard time deciding. But me and Justin are blessed with so many great friends and family that we love and we wanted everyone to be there!
What has been your major couple disagreement and what have you done to compromise?
DJ or Band? Justin wants a dj and I want a band. Haha we still haven't decided!
What's the one must-have for your wedding day? His? Hers?
I want it out at my parents house where I grew up...and I want no RAIN! Not much to ask for huh?
Your wedding details...
- style-I like things that are different but very simple. I love simple!
- colors-Shamrock green, Navy and White
- venue-My parents house, they live on the lake.
- vendors we've hired to date-Well...you would need to talk to my mom!
What do you most look forward to after marriage?
Duh...the honeymoon! And after that...coming home every night and knowing Justin is going to be there!
Any words of wisdom for newly-engaged couples?
Just have fun with it. Involve your family and when people want to help let them help!
What a great engagement session! Their story is a testament to how great pictures are possible when the photographer puts you at ease. Thanks so much to Myrick Studios for sharing these photos with us. So fun!
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