Photography & Videography: Tips from the Trenches

So much effort goes into planning your wedding. And you know what? When the day comes, it definitely will be the blur everyone tells you it will be. Hours pass like minutes, and before you know it, you’re off for the honeymoon. Therefore, it’s so important to have every detail of your day expertly captured, so you can enjoy those fleeting moments again and again.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of amateur photographers and videographers out there posing as pros. To help make your hiring decision easier, our friend Dave Bigler at Bigler Productions has some tips for you: Brilliance or Blah; 3 Key Things to Look For in Your Wedding Photographer or Videographer.

Here’s one of our favorite points from Dave: “One of the key elements to shooting a wedding is being able to anticipate every moment. There are no retakes or do-overs in a wedding. An experienced shooter will be in the right place at the right time to nail the right shot.”

Well said, Dave! No matter how beautiful a first kiss, the photograph of it will probably not look that great if the photographer is crouched at the bride’s knee. (Yes, we’ve seen this happen!) An experienced pro will know just where to position him or herself when it’s time for the I do’s.

(Credits: Like the photo above? So do we! It’s from “Rustic Romance,” a feature in Volume 2 of Adirondack Weddings, photographed by Greer Cicarelli Photography.)

Thanks to Adirondack Weddings Magazine for their beautiful photographs, posts, and wedding and event inspiration. Adirondack Weddings is the official bridal magazine of upstate New York’s Adirondack region, covering Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Lake George, Old Forge, Saratoga Springs, and beyond. The magazine features stunning photography, insightful articles, and the region's top wedding professionals. Visit the Adirondack Weddings Magazine website.

Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Valentine's Day Wedding Proposal

We’ve chatted about Caroline Tran’s Propel Workshops. They’re such an amazing experience for photographers and some of the best photo sessions come from it - like this sweet one inspired by Merrill + Tim’s actual proposal story. He planned a valentine’s themed proposal with a ring in a box and an accordion style card that asked her to be his valentine forever. Happy Valentine's Day!

Photographers: Meg Runion Studios, Aileen Garcia Studio, Melanie Gabrielle, Hunter Photographic,Hanbee Photography, He & Tiffany

Designer/Stylist: Lovely Jubilee  / Hair & Makeup: Theresa Huang Makeup & Hair Design / Florist:Krista Jon / Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals / Merrill’s outfit: Ruche / Heart Garland & Confetti: the Path Less Traveled

Thanks to 100 Layer Cake for their beautiful photographs, posts, and wedding and event inspiration. 100 Layer Cake is a unique, comprehensive wedding and event planning resource for and by thoughtful, crafty modern women. Their vendors, projects, weddings, resources, sponsors, and marketplace are hand-picked and thoroughly researched with the hope that every single one is a truly unique addition to both your wedding and your planning process. Visit the 100 Layer Cake website today.

 Sheffield School began as an Interior Design school in 1985, and then expanded our course offerings to train people in other design-related fields, including Feng Shui, Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design. With thousands of active students and more than 50,000 graduates, Sheffield has trained more design professionals than any school in the world.

Request a free Sheffield School catalog describing our distance education courses.

Subscribe to the Sheffield Designer newsletter.

Wedding Inspiration: Storybook Nuptials in the Netherlands

If you're thinking of great wedding and event planning inspiration for this summer or early fall, look no further than 100 Layer Cake - one of our favorite wedding and event blogs. They cover a variety of weddings and feature top wedding vendors, from the best photographers to the best florists. The folks at "the Cake" are serious about showing us the latest wedding news, and they just tipped us off about a new bridal registry. Say "I Do" to Macy’s Wedding Registry!

It feels like it’d be a simple idea to have a small, 23 guest wedding like Rianne + Sander did in the Netherlands, but the truth is that not all of us can. They’re so fun to look at though, aren’t they? Your closest friends & family sitting around one family style table in the middle of an aged farmhouse, the chef within view plating your dinner, and everyone’s able to toast one another in cheer. Sounds lovely. With touches of coral, peach, and mint on the historical grounds of a working vineyard, photographer Melissa Milis captured their day beautifully and with such a deep romantic mood.

The most simplest bridal bouquet made of gypsophila we may have ever seen, and we love how it matches with her flower crown.

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6 Favorite Wedding Cakes

If you're thinking of great wedding inspiration for the coming spring/summer season, look no further than 100 Layer Cake - one of our favorite wedding blogs. They cover a variety of weddings and feature top wedding vendors, from the best photographers to the best florists. At Sheffield, we have some pretty picky wedding planning folks on the team, and we wanted to share with you some of our favorite cakes from recent weddings. Click on a photo to check out the rest of the amazing wedding details.

Classic wedding white, in tiers of cupcakes.

This ruggedly beautiful cake mimics its California ranch venue.

This creamy wedding cake strips off the fondant in favor of fresh flowers.

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5 Great Love Feasts - Our Favorite Wedding Spreads

If you're into "eye candy" and out-of-this-world tastes, a wonderful wedding food presentation is difficult to beat. We love the way 100 Layer Cake - one of our favorite wedding blogs - covers a variety of top weddings. They certain give us great ideas for the events we're either going to plan for other happy couples or planning for our own walk-down-the-aisle events. 

Here are 5 of our favorite recent weddings from 100 Layer Cake. Click on the photographs to read about each wedding, and see how this gorgeous food fits in with the rest of the wedding decor and overall festivities.

#1 - Above and below, a winter wedding scene in rustic Prince Edward Island, Canada, brings on visions of heart-shaped marshmallows floating in hot chocolate, divine treats, and elegant, tailored cakes.

 

#2 - *Magical* is the only way to describe the next wedding, in an elaborate treehouse setting in a California forest - even with a musical babbly brook flowing nearby. An oversized mosquito netting protects the woodland treats, and a formal forest reception with to-die-for desserts couldn't be more amazing.

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