It is no secret that the popularity of wedding inspiration blogs has grown astronomically! Brides-to-be are inundated with gorgeous flowers, details, and venues all aimed at helping them plan the wedding of their dreams. It’s a beautiful little world of love and prettiness.

Recent wedding bloggers and stylists have encouraged photographers to shoot in such a way that the wedding can be submitted to their blogs and published. I call this “shooting for the blog” and I believe it is a complete diversion from what weddings are really all about. Wedding bloggers have made it clear that inspiration blogs are the future of advertising in the wedding industry and it is where the brides are.

In order to get on the blogs, what do curators want? Details, details, DETAILS! Venues, dress, shoes, and cutesy things. They have made it VERY clear that they are not interested in photos of guests or family. Here is an example of a photography checklist suggested for photographers wishing to be published on blogs. Click here. Notice there is no instance of family or guests.

*Disclaimer: This post is not a bash on wedding blogs in and of themselves. Wedding inspiration blogs have a great place in the planning process. It is just a reminder to photographers that they shouldn’t be spending the majority of their time at a wedding being concerned about getting published.*

Unfortunately this has caused a HUGE shift in what some photographers are concerned about shooting when they enter the wedding day. Instead of being concerned about family members, friends and guests, some photographers now seem to be more concerned with a flower tied to a key on a piece of burlap?!? What the heck is wrong with this picture?

We work for brides; not wedding bloggers! Are not photos of family more important than the half a day nod we MIGHT get on a wedding blog? What about that portrait of the bride’s elderly grandfather? Do you have it? Oh! But you have 50 photos of the cake, huh? Whoop-de-do!

Details should never be photographed to the detriment of photos of family and guests. Details are nice, but they don’t move. So, photographers, get in there, shoot them fast, and then move on to capturing moments of family and people! This is the way that Smetona Photo works and will continue to.

I will conclude with this:
The photo below was taken by Smetona Photo at a recent wedding in Laguna Beach. It’s a great photo of the bride with her brother, Chris. It is a family photo, so it will never be published on a wedding inspiration blog…However,
Less than two weeks after the wedding, Chris passed away. Now how much is that photo worth? What about this one?
Or this one?
What about this one?

These photos are now utterly priceless to the family! They are some of the last that were ever taken of Chris before he passed. After receiving the photos, the bride said, “Thank you! That is exactly what we needed…We would be lost without those memories.”

Now what if we hadn’t taken the time to think to shoot these photos? We would have lost the opportunity to give a great gift to the family  and help them as they heal.

Fellow Photographers: Do you remember who your real client is or have you become so obsessed with details that you have forgotten what a wedding is really all about?

Brides-to-Be: Does your wedding photographer understand this?

It’s time for a random blog post about us and our life as newlyweds in love!

As some of you might know, I (Kristin) like cooking for guests. I just get get a thrill out of entertaining! Consequently, tonight we are doing something we have never done before…we are having potential clients over for dinner. *gasp* I must admit I’m a little nervous. See I’m a bit of a perfectionist about the house and food when even friends are over, but a potential new bride and groom? You can see why I’m a bit anxious. I want everything to be perfect!!!

So, what are we having?

Appetizer: Rosemary and Oil Olive crackers with garlic herb cheese spread and bruschetta.
Salad: Spinach, Pecan and Cranberry Salad. (It’s a never fail!)
Entree: Marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon
Vegetable: Seasoned Asparagus
Side: Garlic and Herb Rice Pilaf
Dessert: Compliments of the Bride-to-Be!

And now for my favorite part… the beverage!

I LOVE beverages! Smoothies, shakes, lemonades, teas, slushies, you name it!
Tonight I am making one of Dustin and I’s very favorite drinks!
Our variation of the Falkner Winery White Sangria!
Here is how you make it:

This past weekend was John Piper’s ‘Desiring God’ Conference in Orange County. Sovereign Grace song writer, Pat Sczebel, was the worship leader for the weekend. As a Sovereign Grace church, our pastor asked Pat and his band to join our church in a time of reflection and music after the conference ended. He was happy to. We were blessed to be there to capture some of the special moments and people that attended the evening.

If you are looking for a church home, check out SovGraceOC.org!

May this photo from yesterday’s boudoir session bring a little sparkle to your day!

Reality hit us this morning when we woke up to see the devastation in Japan. Cars, home, boats, trains and people were destroyed and washed away in the events of the earthquake and tsunami. Millions have lost everything and we want to help!

Starting today and for the next 2 weeks, donate any amount below and you will get a free 30-minute mini session.
If you can donate over $50, we will give you a free 1 hour session.
If you donate over $100, you will get a free 1 1/2 hour session and a disk of all the photos!

50% of each donation will be given to the World Vision Disaster Response Fund for Japan.

Let’s bless these people graciously, because we have been blessed with more than we deserve.

Pray for the people of Japan!

Please, let us know if you have any questions or problems.
info@smetonaphoto.com
949-648-3781