Engagement sessions can be mission critical

These days couples are looking to save money wherever they can. Sometimes it is tempting to shave off engagement photos from the photo package. However, there are good reasons to reconsider this. Most of the brides I work with love photography and are hiring me because they like my work. But sometimes grooms are less than enthusiastic about pictures on wedding day. In these cases I especially like to encourage doing an engagement session to provide an opportunity for the groom to experience the fun we can have in creating a dynamic photoshoot.

In this short video Sarah describes how important her engagement shoot was to her and Jeremy.

Bruursema Family Photos

To view the Bruursema's family photos click here. My wife and I first met Kevin and Gillian back in college. Kevin and I quickly became best of friends and have stayed that way ever since. At least once a year I get a chance to capture a family photo for the Bruursema family (pronounced Brrr-SMA). However, I have never had the chance to spend 90 minutes with all the right lighting and scenery and so my photos always felt more like snapshots than portraits. So this is my first professional family portrait of the Bruursema clan.

We met up in Chicago and started by capturing a skyline shot from the roof top of a 35 story building. Then we made our way to a park, stopping by an alley and a cool doorway. All in all this became one for the books. Thanks Bruursemas for giving me the honor of capturing your family portrait! This is a good example of a family fusion package.

Here are some of my favorite images from that shoot:

How to sabotage your wedding photographer.

Here are some surefire ways to throw your wedding photographer for a loop. Follow these easy 8 steps and you will completely fluster the creative genius of even the best wedding photographers on the planet.

1. Try to get all your wedding photos done in 28 minutes or less. 2. About four minutes into the family photo session (in front of all 100 if your extended family) say something like, “Can we pick up the pace?” Make sure you have a little attitude thrown in there too. 3. At some point during the wedding party photos when the photographer is about to set up for one of her favorite poses wag one finger at her and say “no no no no, we are doing that!” 4. After months of emphasizing how important photography is to you say something like, “I am really getting sick of pictures, can we just be done.” 5. If you really want to sabotage your treasured wedding album try this….let the groomsman start drinking around 11am and make sure they are getting pretty drunk by the time you need to shoot wedding party photos. This ensures that the photos will take three times as long. 6. Ask to look at the preview on the photographer’s camera every five or six shots and say something like, “don’t you think I look fat in that one.” Or “can’t you do something with the lighting in here!” 7. This is a good one. Ask the photographer to arrive 2 hours early and then show up 30 minutes late with no phone call. That will really get him nervous before the shoot. 8. When your friend from college with a cheap point and shoot keeps jumping out during formals to get a shot be sure to encourage her and keep looking away just as the photographer snaps the photo.

Obviously I am poking fun at real life situations. I love this stuff and I thrive on the chaos….to a point. My goal is to help you have the very best day you can on your wedding day. But whether you hire me or not think about the photographer and help them by cooperating and working with them. You want them to be successful so be kind and thoughtful to them and everything will go much more smoothly as a result.

Destination Engagements

Recently I took a couple, Amber & Rick, to Downtown Chicago for an engagement session. Because of the diversity the city has to offer we were able to shoot in lots of wonderful locations: Buckingham Fountain, Millennium Park, the Chicago Theater, the subway, the Art Institute of Chicago to name a few. I distinctly remember the groom saying, “I don’t normally like having my picture taken. But I have to say this was a lot more fun than I thought!” Bride’s let me ask you this question: What is it worth to you to get the groom enthusiastic about the photography for your wedding day? Priceless isn’t it? Many grooms can be indifferent or even adverse to the idea of posing for photography. The engagement session provides the opportunity for the photographer to develop a great bond with both of you. This relationship will inevitably spill over into your wedding day and make that final storybook product even more desirable. How much more valuable would it be to travel to a destination.

Here are some photos taken with Amber & Rick in Chicago. Notice how much more exciting the photos become when you take in the architecture and scenery with the photos. We are also trying to incorporate how a couple met into the engagement session somehow. In this case the couple met at an event called “Blueprint”. So we incorporated an actual blueprint into the texture of several of the photos. Get creative with your photographer and let them know as much as possible about you and your relationship. You will both enjoy the photo session all the more as a result.

Here are some suggestions for locations to shoot your destination engagement session:

• In Milwaukee: Milwuakee Art Museum, River locations, Marquette University, Harley-Davidson Museum, and hotels like The Pfister and The InterContinental.
• In Madison: The capital building, the University of Wisconsin (Bascom Hall & The Red Gym Castle), Union Terrace, and The Monona Terrace
• In Chicago: In addition to the locations mentioned above, The Magnificent Mile, The Observatory for the skyline, riverfront views are breathtaking, bridges, Hotels such as The Drake, Four Seasons, and The Peninsula Chicago, Watertower Place, DePaul University, Loyola University.
• Outside of our region consider: Las Vegas because it is relatively inexpensive to fly and stay in Sin City. New York, Denver, Honolulu, Seattle, and Anchorage!

photography slideshow

Pray for Rain

A great deal of stress comes to brides when the forecast says rain. This is especially true for outdoor weddings. It is understandable but I have been amazed at the number of times the forecast calls for rain and even when it pours in the morning then turns beautiful later in the day. I have found that rain in the morning leads to the most beautiful skies later in the day. Just take a look at these real weddings where it poured earlier in the in the day.

However, if it actually does rain on your day consider these alternatives for getting cool photos with your wedding party. Find a cool hotel. I especially like to find hotels with atriums with skylights. That way you can get natural light even during the rain. Here is a fun example. The minister was a close friend and he is pretending to pray for rain.

Other solutions for a rainy day include gazebos, museums, matching umbrellas (these are fun even if it doesn’t rain!), buy a Wedding Knot … comes in all sizes!, embrace the rain and do an impromptu trash the dress session with all your bridal party…even consider mud wrestling. But seriously look around and get into a problem solving mode and you will find that rain isn’t the end of the world.

Contact

[gravityform id="1" name="Contact Form" title="false" description="false"]

Lake Geneva Wedding Photographers

Lake Geneva is a wedding mecca for couples looking for a beautiful location to be married.  Matt Mason Photography serves Lake Geneva and the surrounding region with wedding photography as well as commercial, family and senior portraits.   Our approach is to develop a genuine connection with you.   As a result images are fresh, fun and full of genuine emotion.   Please view our Testimonials to get a sense of why people consistently invest in Matt Mason Photography for their wedding photos.  Matt Mason and his team are proud to be Lake Geneva Wedding Photographers.  Telling your story is our passion! If you are looking for a recent wedding gallery just click on the Recent Work tab above.  To learn about our wedding  photography packages, you will want to click on the Services tab.  Or visit our Portfolio tab to view wedding photography around Lake Geneva.   We also keep our Blog up to date with recent photoshoots.  It would be an honor to visit with you and see if we would be the right fit for your wedding photography needs.

Lake Geneva: a Destination Wedding Location If you are looking for a destination for your wedding reception, Lake Geneva is home to some amazing wedding reception venues: Grand Geneva Resort, Geneva National Golf Club, The Abbey Resort, Hawks View Golf Club, The Baker House, Horticultural Hall, Lake Geneva Cruise Line, Lake Lawn Lodge, and of course, The Historic Riviera.  With all of these beautiful venues to choose from Walworth County has become a destination location for many brides from all around Chicagoland.  Lake Geneva also offers twenty-two golf courses, countless spas, a rich and fascinating history, and the beautiful Geneva Lake which is boasts 5500 acres of clean clear water, nine miles long and three miles wide.  If you are still on the fence about Lake Geneva wedding destination, give us a call and we would be glad to discuss it further with you.

home slideshow #2

home slideshow #1