Archive for the 'Fashion' Category

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Julia & Eli’s Marvelous Backyard Wedding

Some weddings are so marvelously right. Julia & Eli’s was one of them. The equation might have read: happy couple + beautiful yard + perfect day + perfect night + joyous guests + “fireflies” = magical. We’ve featured bits of their wedding all summer, partly because I think this blogging real weddings thing rushes me much too much—as I prefer to turn over my photographic fascinations slowly—but mostly because we loved their wedding. Even the intangible things, like Eli saying his {vows}. Above, one of several Polaroid 55s I took.

{click any image to enlarge}

We loved the whimsical florals and decor by Krislyn. The groom’s boutonniere was fashioned from a single (tiny) perfect echeveria ‘afterglow’. I grow them in my garden, and in just the right light, the pinkish rims really do glow. Below: celebrity stylists Nina and Clare Hallworth help Julia into her gown. Sweetest up-do ever by Chris McMillan. Chris did Julia’s hair three or four times that morning before he came up with the final look, which made me realize how essential it is to allow all the vendors at a wedding time to give a top-notch performance. (More on that later.) I never would have guessed tulips would have been “just the thing,” but they were, and Chris’s hairdo inspired lots and lots of my photographs of Julia.

I spoke with Nina and Clare for a few moments before the reception, and asked if they had any advice for my blog readers. They said it was so important to take time (by which they meant quiet time) to get dressed. The way they spoke of dressing, it seemed like dressing oneself and composing oneself were the same act.

Some details from the ceremony. The huppah was one of a kind, with peonies, branches, and a quilt the groom’s mother made by hand. Yifat Oren & her gifted crew, led by Amy Cain, masterminded the design and production of the whole affair. Great job, Amy!

♥

Nina and Clare reused Julia’s veil as a wrap during cocktails and dinner. It was not only a very inventive instantly “upcycled” accessory, but offered Julia a second glorious look for the evening. Bride’s gown, Carolina Herrera. Groom’s three-piece suit (♥!), Tom Ford.

Above: a few images from Julia and Eli’s hora. I love getting guests out on the dance floor (and before sundown if possible). It’s one of the few chances we ever have in a wedding day for truly energetic and totally camera unaware photographs of everyone who came out to celebrate your tying-the-knot.

Because it was so sunny and because so much was going on in both the front yard and back yard all day, we couldn’t do any outdoor portraits. So Julia and Eli agreed to sneak away for a quick walk after their first dances. So worth it!

Julia felt differently about the sunshiny day. She was thrilled to wake at six that morning and see the sun was out. Those of you who live in Southern California will know “June Gloom,” and Julia & Eli’s wedding day was the first day after our (particularly long) June Gloom ended this year. I laughed when she told me this: when I awoke on my own wedding day, I, too, jumped out of bed to see what the light was like, but was practically gleeful to discover a bright overcast morning!

Julia’s advice? She says to take a couple days to do relaxing things before the wedding. On the day of the wedding, she had no stress for the first time in the planning process!

♥

The End.

p.s. I left lots of stuff out. I want to have photographs to illustrate my “real” posts!

photographs: Gia Canali

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Published on November 12, 2009 in Decor, Fashion, Florals, Inspiration, Photography and Real Weddings. 0 Comments

Things I Surprise Myself By Liking: Plastic Hangers. Seriously!

I have all these rules and tips and tidbits in my head (hence the blog, I guess), but it’s quite a thrill when breaking those rules (like, no plastic hangers!) results in something I love …

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Published on October 30, 2009 in Fashion, Inspiration and Real Weddings. 3 Comments

Getting Great Wedding Photos, Tip #7: Have Somebody Else {Really} Learn How To Bustle Your Gown

I always think the bustling of the gown is a great and funny occasion at weddings. Actually, and although I never mind, I find myself bustling the gown more often than really makes sense. (I am not a “pro”). Many bustles are complicated to figure out, and I have a good feeling that it always seems much easier when your seamstress is showing you with her deft fingers how to do it. So I suggest you bring to your fittings someone who the seamstress can really teach to bustle the gown. And then maybe you two can practice again, when you are alone, and it is not your wedding day. Because it always seems like it’s awfully hard, on the wedding day, for the bride to stand still and be bustled … Much less to do it several times if the bustling comes undone.

photo: Gia Canali

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Published on July 21, 2009 in Fashion and Planning. 2 Comments

The Flattering Wedding Dress

{click any image to enlarge}

Nevermind the all-day real-life focus on the bride, let’s say (only) that the bride is in a decent portion of her own wedding photographs. Perhaps 75% of them, even. So if we consider the dress as a design element, it needs to be off-the-charts incredible. But it also needs to be right for the bride—for her body and personality. It should suit her.

Here are some general considerations to keep in mind when and however the shopping happens:

Keep in mind that the dress will be an important part of setting the tone for the overall wedding design. Choose a dress that will be appropriate to the venue and type of wedding your planning. Or, if the dress comes first, then vice versa.
Consider structure and shape. The dress should be extremely flattering to your specific body. It should accent your loveliest features and downplay anything you don’t like. If your collarbone is fabulous, for instance, choose a dress with a neckline that highlights it, rather than a high-necked halter dress. If your ankles are great, perhaps consider a shorter dress … If you hate your back fat, don’t go for a corset-style bodice. If you’re wonderfully curvy, the mermaid shape can be a total knockout on you. The list goes on and on. If you are having your dress designed and made for you, it’s easy to make these considerations. But if you’re looking in a shop for a vintage or new ready-made gown, bring someone else. Someone whose honesty you can depend on. I think this advice is often-repeated, but judging by the number of bride’s body – to – bodice mismatches, I’d say it’s possibly ignored more often than it should be.
Be sure you can move in it. Shimmy and shake, walk, dance, twirl, and definitely lean over. Even if you feel a little silly at the dress shop, it’s totally worth it. You want to be 100% sure your chest is both flattered and concealed during any movement you might make in front of people on your wedding day.
Be sure the dress is properly and expertly altered.
Wear the best undergarments you can afford, and the right ones for your dress. I saw a fabulous feature in a gossip magazine recently (truly, and unfortunately I can’t remember which) on what the stars wore under their gowns for the Academy Awards. I loved that the article seemed like it could have been written Bridget Jones under the headline “Knickers of the Stars” and that it also debunked the myth of effortless Hollywood glamor. It reinforced something I think about a lot: good undies cover a multitude of wrongs. In all my years of photographing weddings only one bride has gotten away with wearing absolutely nothing under her gown. For the rest of us, an honest assessment of what might use a little cinching or perking up is priceless. Spanx are a well-known option, but lots of other undergarments exist with lots of other self-improvement powers. More on this in a future post …
Consider craftsmanship. Most people buy clothing for emotional reasons. Or rather, it’s an emotional purchase. I think wedding gowns are at the top of the list here. But the wedding gown is a big investment for a big day. So I suggest you take some time to look really, really closely at the gown. Evaluate it. Even if you’re not a clothing expert, you’ll be able to see how well made it is. Look at the hem (if it’s finished), at the seams, the waist; look at the fabric content and at the fabric itself; evaluate the fit on your body. Fit is an important aspect of craftsmanship (and your future happiness with dress!). I should mention even if in a whisper … that as much as I love designer clothes and wedding gowns myself, I have seen a couture gown fall apart before the bride even put it on. So don’t be less tough on a high-end well-known designer.

Happy shopping! There are zillions of ways and places to get a gown these days … And no matter how many tips I offer, I still think the gown you choose will be the one you fall in love with. But try to keep your wits about you … in love and in shopping!

{*My sister Reva studies fashion, so she helped me compile the craftsmanship-evaluation tips.}

UPDATE: As Jessie pointed out in the comments, lots of brides end up buying the first dress they try on—even if they try lots of other dresses on after it. So maybe one last tidbit of advice is to choose that first dress to try on very carefully!

polaroids by: Gia Canali … I took these dress shopping with my friend Katie on a hot June day in Chicago.

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Published on July 8, 2009 in Fashion, Full Articles and Planning. 2 Comments

The Unposing Guide, Part I: Be Carefree in Your Dress

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

I thought that here, in the thick of wedding season, is as good a time as any to begin a conversation on how to look naturally beautiful—or natural and beautiful—in front of the camera. I’d call it a posing guide, but I mean for it to be an unposing guide, as I hope to help you improve your camera presence, even when you’re camera unaware. And the best place to start is with how you move. This might seem strange because I make still photographs, and not moving ones … but how you look when you move will also be how you look on camera when you move. In fact, let’s back up. Your willingness to move around freely will greatly affect the mood and types of portraits and documentation your photographer will be able to get throughout the wedding. Otherwise all you’ll end up with are static shots. Most people, these days, anyway, want variety, and at least some pictures that reflect that sort of carefree exhilaration they share with their beloved. In order to get that, it helps if you can walk together, dance together, move together. You don’t even have to be adventurous (translation: no running, jumping, or rock climbing involved). Snuggling is totally acceptable.

The biggest enemy of carefree movement? Anxiety over the dress.

I realize I’m probably preaching to the choir, but let’s get some perspective. In the fashion industry there’s a thing (I think) called cost-per-wear. You spend so much on a garment of clothing, you wear it so many times, you divide it out per wear. Jeans are probably virtually free at the end of their life. A wedding gown is off the charts. It costs a lot. Wear it once. So, in order to get your money’s worth from the dress (and the day!), let’s say you need to a) enjoy yourself thoroughly, and b) end up with some lovely photographs to prove how beautiful and fun it all was. So wear the dress. Don’t be afraid to wear the dress. Walk in it, dance in it, move in it. Even if you get a bit of dirt on the train, or someone steps on it, or both of the aforementioned happen before the ceremony, it’s not going to show in the photographs. Really. No one (else) will even notice.

photos: {Gia Canali}

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Published on July 2, 2009 in Fashion, Full Articles, Photography and Planning. 1 Comment

R & A’s Los Angeles Wedding

R & A did a wonderful job conceiving their wedding. It involved lots of peculiarly-LA logistical challenges—a ceremony at the church the groom’s family attends in Downey, a reception on a chilly early-spring evening at a private home in Agoura Hills, getting guests to drive the hour-and-ten-minutes between locations—to name a few. But it came together beautifully under the direction of Heidi Mayne from Red25 (whose new site will launch very soon, so be sure to check back).

This wedding initiated me to {Krislyn} whose delicious designs have me swooning … Krislyn made the bride’s balsa wood and Swarovski bouquet (below and previously featured), the wishing tree, and the A + R vase (also below) that sat beside the tree at the reception. Lucky for me, Krislyn did florals at another wedding I photographed recently so I get to indulge (and share!) my newfound obsession.

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

I have to confess, though, my aesthetic obsessions at Rosalinda and Aris’s wedding were varied. Many are indicative of current and coming trends:

Krislyn (cannot be overemphasized). The design is extraordinary. And I am pro-keepsake. Aren’t we all? It’s not only “green” to double duty pieces from your wedding as home decor, it’s wonderful to have more to hang onto.
The groom’s modern slim fit three piece suit from YSL. May all my grooms be so well-dressed. I love that a vest gives the groom not only a perfectly tailored look, but an “alternate” look. He won’t wear the jacket all night anyway.
The bride’s all-over lace gown by Elizabeth Fillmore. It perfectly accented the bride’s lovely figure. The asymmetrical train was pretty fabulous, too.
Bare wooden dining tables, dressed with manzanita or beechwood branches and orchids.
Greek revival fashion, e.g., the bridesmaid dress.
How the bridesmaid’s bouquet accented the color of her dress. This rarely happens so nicely, and was, apparently, an accident. Katie’s Flowers in Downey had set out to make a “neutral” bouquet because they didn’t know what color the bridesmaid would be wearing.
All the nooks and crannies—and the Moroccan flavor—of their friend’s house, where the reception was held. I am always happy for architectural/environmental portrait opportunities. This house offered myriad.
Little wooden wedding sign.
Stone seating “cards” and table numbers.

A sweet little ceremony getaway in the groom’s brother-in-law’s Rolls Royce.

Some of the sweet reception details … I loved the variety (as I always love variety) in the centerpieces. Manzanita or beechwood branches strewn with orchids, or wooden boxes full of them decorated each table. Presenting old family photographs as they did, in a frame, with strings and clothespins, was quite charming.

The light changed quickly as day turned to night, so we snuck portraits here and there, as we could, amongst dancing and toasting.

♥

A little nighttime love … As I mentioned earlier, R & A spent most of the night close together. If you want wonderful photographs of you and your beloved late into the night, do this!

This couple did an amazing job of designing a gorgeous wedding without it feeling like they were over-producing it. (I think that’s a weird diagnosis of some weddings, but probably true, now that I think about it.) They prioritized having a great party … and it paid off. They danced with each other and their guests into the wee hours of the night. For my own part, I was very happy that they made time, even as the sun set, for me to get out the clunky old 4×5 camera (see top image). I’m looking forward to seeing how these images become themselves, later on …

photo credit: Gia Canali floral centerpieces: Malibu Market & Design lighting: Images By Lighting

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Published on June 23, 2009 in Decor, Fashion, Finds, Florals, Photography and Real Weddings. 0 Comments

Some Lovely Finds From Etsy

I spend untold hours scouring the internet for things I can ♥. I say ♥ because I like to like them, even when I don’t need them myself. Here are some delicious vintage items from 13 Bees’ shop via etsy.

and

Well … I might need that black dress … In any case, there are zillions more finds on etsy, and lots more on 13 Bees. Happy shopping …

photos via: 13bees

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Published on June 18, 2009 in Fashion and Finds. 3 Comments

On Being Photographed & What To Do If You Are Camera Shy

I can’t tell you how often I hear couples say to me before their weddings—or even at their weddings—that they are uncomfortable in front of the camera, or even that they are (supposedly) un-photogenic. It’s difficult for me (as the photographer) because I have mixed feelings on this topic. I simultaneously understand completely, as I generally do not welcome being photographed myself,¹ but also feel that the portrait process is collaborative one, and therefore not only the responsibility of the subject. It’s important to note that I felt differently about being photographed at my wedding, though—I wanted great photographs of myself and my husband, and I was willing to stomach being in front of the camera in order to get them.

Fortunately, there are several really doable strategies for improving your wedding-day camera presence:

I. The best place to start is with a good mindset.

You already want amazing photographs of yourself at your wedding. (Or perhaps your spouse wants them, but you are at least willing to go along. A groom once told me he thought getting photographed was a lot like going to the dentist, and was only doing it to please his bride). Wedding photographs become family heirlooms. And for most people, portraits are particularly important—those are the images that must be worked for. Richard Avedon said, “A photographic portrait is a picture of someone who knows he’s being photographed, and what he does with that knowledge is as much a part of the photograph as what he’s wearing or how he looks. He’s implicated in what’s happening, and he has a certain real power over the result.” And your photographer is there to collaborate with you, to coach you through the process. Sometimes, I think it’s a bit strange how we photographers are there coaxing out of people convincing performances of their own real lives. But that’s the job. Or the art of it. My point is that you have a lot of power over how you present yourself … and that you don’t have to go it alone. Hire a photographer you trust. And then trust her. Work with her.

♥

“A portrait must get beyond the almost universal self-consciousness that people have before the camera. If some moment of reality in the personality of the sitter did not happen, you had to provoke it in order to produce a portrait that had an identity with the person. The essential thing was to awaken a genius response.” Edward Steichen, A Life In Photography

♥

II. Relieve stress—relax.

This cannot be overstated. People who are dwelling happily in the moment photograph marvelously. If you are stressed about the wedding or the wedding photographs, it will quite likely show on camera. Many of my clients have a glass of wine or champagne before we start. I swear by herbal therapies, including Rescue Remedy, which I think is probably something most soon-to-be-wed couples could benefit from, whether or not they are shy in front of the camera. Other folks do yoga, or get acupuncture, or go on a long walk the morning of the wedding. Figure out something that works for you, and actively pursue relaxation.

III. Be distracted.

God help me, if I could have an invisibility cloak and a pair of wings when I photograph weddings, all my photographs would be blissfully unaware. But that’s really just not how it works. If you don’t naturally ignore the camera, do so on purpose.² Most of the time on your wedding day, there will be so much happening you’d be hard-pressed to pay too much attention to your photographer. Really, you just need to focus on ignoring your photographer during portraits. One easy way to do that is to look at your beloved—laugh, nuzzle, dance, gaze into each other’s eyes, go for a walk—and don’t look into the lens unless your photographer asks you to do so.

____

¹ Translation: If I can’t do a thumbs-up sign in the photo, I think the photo will probably be terrible.

² I think I just told you that “what you do with that knowledge” of being photographed is an essential part of the photograph. Now, I am indeed telling you to ignore the camera.

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Published on June 11, 2009 in Fashion, Finds, Full Articles, Photography, Planning and Real Weddings. 0 Comments

Archive for the 'Fashion' Category

Page 3 of 5

Julia & Eli’s Marvelous Backyard Wedding

{click any image to enlarge}

♥

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p.s. I left lots of stuff out. I want to have photographs to illustrate my “real” posts!

Things I Surprise Myself By Liking: Plastic Hangers. Seriously!

Getting Great Wedding Photos, Tip #7: Have Somebody Else {Really} Learn How To Bustle Your Gown

The Flattering Wedding Dress

{click any image to enlarge}

The Unposing Guide, Part I: Be Carefree in Your Dress

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

R & A’s Los Angeles Wedding

{as always, click any image to enlarge}

♥

♥

Some Lovely Finds From Etsy

On Being Photographed & What To Do If You Are Camera Shy

I. The best place to start is with a good mindset.

♥

♥

II. Relieve stress—relax.

III. Be distracted.

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