Sara Gray Photography Portland, Oregon

Ahhh, Hannah and Matt. They’re our friends that we met in a bar, and some of our fave people to hang out with. They braved the cold a few weeks ago for some fun pictures in their neighborhood, in the SE Hawthorne district.

I love all the colorful things you can find in a walking-distance radius in just one neighborhood. Portland’s great for that.

Hannah and Matt are sweet and silly — I think that’s why I like them so much.

The above photo (on the right) was taken in the mirror of a vintage dresser just outside a vintage furniture store.

Thanks, Hannah and Matt, for the frozen yogurt and the fun! You guys are the best.

Since January 4 (which was the day most of you went back to work after your holiday breaks), the inquiries have been flooding in. Since so many people get engaged over the holidays each year (yay!), there is always lots of interest right after the first of the year.

Some wedding vendors call it “engagement season.” I think it’s exciting. One thing we take for granted as wedding vendors, however, is that we do this every year. The people inquiring about packages and availability are doing this for their first (and only) time. Ever, for most of them.

So I thought it might be helpful to share some tips with all of you freshly-engaged guys and gals about how this all works (or should work) and how to get the most out of this time of fierce planning and anticipation.

When do I hire a wedding photographer?

A wedding photographer is a big piece of the planning process that is your wedding — I’m not just saying that because it’s what I am (honest!) — it’s really true. As such, it should be part of the first wave of arrangements you make for your big day.

You have to start with the venue, logically, because until you have it reserved, you can’t be 100% sure of your date. Then once you’ve got that nailed down, start your search. When you find a wedding photographer you love, book them before they can fill your date with someone else’s wedding.

Note: This is especially important for brides getting married in July and August. There are only nine weekends this year in that range, and tons and tons of people who want to get married then because of the usually-stellar Oregon and Washington weather.

How do I choose a wedding photographer?

It can be daunting to start out fresh searching for a photographer for your wedding. Instead of taking it to the gods of the Google search right away, try talking to your friends. Think about people you know who got married in the last several years and ask them what their experience was like. If they had a great one, they may recommend their photographer. If not, you’ll know who to steer clear of. Your wedding coordinator will probably also have some suggestions for you.

All that said, you want to find a photographer whose style you love, since that style will undoubtedly find its way into your photos. Once you’ve found one or two that you want to check out, let them know you’re interested and ask for pricing information, to make sure their vision is in line with your budget.

I wrote another advice post about a year ago about how to choose the right wedding photographer for you, so if you haven’t read that, check it out by clicking here.

What’s the process of hiring a wedding photographer?

This one differs just slightly from photographer to photographer, but let me give you the basic rundown, which I am taking from my own business, my fellow photographers’ businesses and my experience trying to hire one of my own back when I was a bride.

This process usually starts with you reaching out to the photographer and letting them know you’re interested, and asking for information about their packages.

Remember that when you contact a photographer to ask about availability, they’re going to give you the most up-to-date information, but it has a short shelf-life. In a month where there are thousands of people planning their weddings and asking vendors about their availability, there is a high chance that there will be others asking about your date (although many photographers, like myself, will call and give you the first right to the date in the event that someone else does want it).

Some people choose to book right away, but most people prefer to meet face-to-face with their photographer (when possible) to get a feel for what they do and how easy they are to get along with, as well as seeing some of their offerings and products in person. Then you’ll usually have a chance to sign a contract and put down a deposit to secure your date, which I’d recommend doing just as soon as you know you want to hire this person.

What if they’re already booked?

If you have your heart set on a photographer and someone beat you to the punch on your date, it can be a terrible feeling. But photographers (at least here in the Pacific Northwest) are part of a supportive community and most photographers you love will be able to point you toward someone who has a similar style and pricing options. Ask the booked photographer if they can recommend someone they’d trust and you’ll most likely get a great recommendation.

Enjoy your time out there planning and have fun! I remember how fun it was to be planning my own wedding a couple of years ago and I can’t wait to see what all you engaged couples come up with this year.

My new friend Elizabeth rocks. We met recently at an alumni event for our high school, and it’s crazy that we didn’t know each other before, because she and I totally click. Elizabeth has her own wedding coordination business, Elizabeth Ann Events. I talked with her recently for her two cents on wedding coordination and what she loves about her job.

“I loved planning my own wedding and I think weddings are such beautiful, mysterious events,” she told me. That’s what led her to wedding coordination, and she loves that they’re happy events with time-tested traditions and lots of excitement.

We met up at one of my new favorite Portland haunts, Lovejoy Bakers — I couldn’t help myself in there with all that yummy light. We had lots of fun.

Elizabeth’s advice on whether to hire a wedding coordinator is this: they can save you money and a whole lot of stress. “I can help brides find good vendors in a certain price range, as well as saving guests, the wedding party and parents a lot of heartache.”

Elizabeth wore these red shoes when we met — and on her own wedding day a couple of years ago! I knew we must have been kindred spirits, since I wore red shoes (reminiscent of Dorothy’s from The Wizard of Oz) on my own wedding day.

Elizabeth offers day-of wedding planning (the most popular choice), consultation plans and full-service wedding coordination. If you’re interested in working with someone I trust, feel free to get ahold of her through her Web site (click here). Thanks, Elizabeth, for being so classy and fun to photograph!

Alright, she’s lived here for awhile now, but it seemed fitting. My friend Andrea was my boss back in college — that’s how we met. She is a news producer now and recently moved to Portland. It’s been so fun getting to hang out again.

This week when we hung out, Andrea let me take her picture. She fed me this line like, “Oh well, I’m not very photogenic, but we’ll see!” which turned out to be nonsense, obviously.

This was a new place for me to shoot and I think I’ll use it in the future for some portrait sessions — but I’m not sharing! New places are hard to come by, and every photographer needs her secret spots.

I like that one because it’s Andrea with the Portland Streetcar behind her — Andrea meets the city of Portland!

This pink coat was a rescue, saved from a pile of donated clothes. I have to agree with Andrea — why would anyone want to get rid of it?

Thanks Andrea, for being such a fun friend! I had a blast on that windy, windy day with you. Not photogenic? Psssh.

I have been so inspired by the Portland business community’s efforts to raise money for the Haiti relief efforts that I’m jumping in too — through Jan. 31, anyone who books a wedding package will see 5% of their purchase go straight to MercyCorps and their work in Haiti — that’s from $120-$210 per couple.

It’s moments like these we’re reminded that we’re all people and that banding together makes me feel so hopeful about what people are capable of.

When you work at weddings, you meet other people who work at weddings. That’s been a really fun part of this job. Way back in July, I met Annie after Stefanie and Marc’s wedding. We got together a couple of weeks ago to get some new photos for her, and they’re so fun!

Annie Chen is a floral designer and she owns her own company, called Floral Sunshine. She prides herself on being a versatile floral designer with really clean, modern designs. They’re unique, but they’re not too out there, she said, she loves working with challenging flowers like calla lilies as well as classic choices, like roses.

One of Annie’s favorite things is when brides let her decide about which flowers to use. “It’s less restrictive, and it gives me the opportunity to use fresher flowers.” However, she said she’s very good at tracking down specific flowers if a bride knows what she wants.

One of the benefits she sees to using an independent floral designer versus a retail floral shop is that brides know exactly who is making their bouquets and centerpieces. “When you use a floral designer, you pay for the benefit of a designer’s touch,” she said. “But with me, the difference is that they’re not paying as much.”

Annie is looking forward to another wedding season on the horizon, and said she can’t wait to hear from couples getting married in 2010. To contact Annie, visit her Web site or call her at 503.706.6286.

It’s the time of year when wedding planning is on the brain, which means it’s also the season for bridal shows. I go to a few each year to stay up on the trends and to meet my fellow wedding vendors and The Art of Weddings in Portland is a fun one because it’s so small. I went late last week armed with my camera so I could share what I found — some really beautiful stuff, plus the itch to plan my own all over again. Check it out.

The girls running Punch are not only effortlessly cool, the vintage details at their booth drew me right in from the front door of the show. If their weddings look anything like their booth, these are the people to talk to. Below, part of their table featured Miss Zumstein Cakes & Desserts (so cute!)

To say that I have a girl crush on Sarah Seven would be a bit of an understatement. She’s cute, she’s peppy and her designs are absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous. If I was a little savvier back when I got married, she would have been my go-to gal. Sarah specializes in one-of-a-kind, limited run and custom order gowns and dresses, plus special occasion wear.

The Armory building (home to Portland Center Stage) was such a perfect spot for this show — I love the lobby there and how open everything is.

Sometimes, wedding cakes are really beautiful and taste like cardboard. Sometimes, they’re delicious and they look like crap. None of the cakes at this show had either of those scenarios happening. I think if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say the super-perfect creations at Allison Kelleher’s Cake Design were stunning — below is vanilla raspberry and it was absolutely mouth-watering.

Below left was a close runner-up for me, plus the definite hands-down winner for cutest business name: Le Cookie Monkey. Amber Darrington from Le Cookie Monkey was so sweet and seemed like she’d be a complete delight to work with. The photo below on the right is some flower arrangements by Studio del Fiore, which did really cute stuff at the wedding show and seemed really versatile.

I also wanted to mention Duchess Clothier, whose hipster suit combos would be perfect for just about every Portland groom I know (check out their cool vintage frame display below right) and Westcoast Event Productions, who had several tables around the show set up in awe-inspiring colors and linens and dishes that all made me swoon.

Thanks for coming along to the wedding show with me! I know some of you are planning weddings and I thought it’d be helpful to see what sort of cool vendors there are. My biggest recommendation to you brides is to find vendors you get along with and want to spend time with — that’s what I’ve found is key for a real chemistry (and some new friends!) while you’re planning that wonderful wedding.

I wanted to take one more day to share with you some brilliant ideas I saw this year between all the weddings I attended, plus some ideas on how to improve on those ideas for 2010 weddings and beyond. Let’s just jump right back in!

2009 Trend: A Splash of Color

I’ve got to admit, there’s not a whole lot more fun as a wedding photographer (especially in Portland, where we have more than our share of dreary days) to show up to a wedding and see bright pops of color. I saw quite a few fun, colorful touches at weddings this year, like Anna and Alex’s purple decorations (above left) and Anna’s brilliant, bright bouquet (above right). Below left is Jody and Jeremy’s Tiffany-blue cake (complete with bling) and below right is one of Shannon and TJ’s bright bouquets — there were a whole array of them in peaches, pinks and purples and all were handmade by Shannon’s amazing mom.

Make it 2010: Go for the cool combination

I’m all in favor of keeping the color in 2010 weddings — I say the more, the better. It shows such a vibrant side and definitely looks great in photographs. This year, why not think outside the box with the actual combinations of color? Take your color cues from unusual sources or play around with an application like kuler from Adobe to come up with something unexpected. My vote? A rich turquoise with mustard yellow and purple accents. Think jewel tones. And after you’ve picked those colors, please call me. I want to photograph all that color.

2009 Trend: Unique locations for portraits

I had several couples this year set aside time for an extended portrait session on their big day away from the action. In Jody and Jeremy’s case, we took a walk in cute downtown Centralia and they danced in the middle of an abandoned street. Below, TJ and his groomsmen taking a jump on a cool bridge in Bothell Landing, a few miles from the wedding site. I loved these opportunities to incorporate a new location into the wedding-day photos, and they also gave the bride and groom a few minutes to play and have fun without the wedding coordinator, minister or mom rushing or stressing them.

Make it 2010: Bring in some contrast

There are so many options of places to go on your wedding day (if you set aside the time — that’s key). But where to go? I’d love some big-time contrast between the sites. Say for example that your 2010 wedding will be held at a country club with very formal, traditional touches throughout. Why not escape beforehand and take some photos in an industrial setting, or sharing a milkshake at a local diner down the road? If the wedding is country, go urban. If the wedding is on the beach under the wide open sky, why not opt to go inside somewhere for a more cozy setting? The variety is endless here — use your imagination.

2009 Trend: No matching!

It’s been cool for a little while now not to make your bridesmaids matchy-matchy. Alisia did it subtly (above left) by putting her bridesmaids in the same color, but drastically different styles. Andrea told her bridesmaids (below, shoes above right) to wear gold, yellow and brown. That was the only guideline. Didn’t they come out cool? When you don’t force your bridesmaids to match, you’re likely to have happier friends plus they end up in things that set them apart as individuals instead of lumping them together.

Make it 2010: Keep one element consistent

By keeping one element the same, you identify these wonderful women as your attendants, but you still don’t stifle their individuality. For instance, what if they’re all wearing the same dress but you tell them to wear their own shoes, and to think unique! You could end up with a variety of jewel-toned and bright shoes while still maintaining an air of uniformity. Uniting with color is a good way to do this, just make sure you’ve picked a color that’s standard (like the blue dresses above) or that will be OK even if all the shades aren’t the same (like with Andrea’s yellows, golds and browns). Or how’s this for a new one — have custom headpieces with flowers, feathers etc. made for each girl that will unify the group, but then let them wear whatever dress they want in a certain color family.

2009 Trend: Early send-off

Two of the couples I worked with this year did one of those traditional send-offs in a way that doesn’t happen much anymore — they did it in the middle of the celebration. For Andrea and Paul (above left), they were announced into the reception hall and welcomed with bubbles, and Annie and Dan (right) were showered with bubbles on their way from the church to the reception (in her dad’s 56 Cadillac convertible, no less). These worked great because everyone who was there for the celebration was still present, so it made these send-offs much more impressive (not to mention photo-worthy). I loved these moments!

Make it 2010: Think outside the box

I totally advocate for newly married couples to do a send-off (or a welcome, or whatever you want to call it) in the middle of the celebration — ideal timing is between the ceremony and reception. But why not incorporate something new? Try having your guests sprinkle flower petals or paper confetti in your wedding colors, or go old school with birdseed (check with your venue, some won’t allow it). Why not have your sendoff through a tunnel of people with big palm leaves, forming a roof on the tunnel? With a little imagination, this age-old moment could be really new and modern.

I hope this week has given you newly-engaged  couples lots of food for thought! It’s been really fun reliving some of the fun celebrations I got to attend last year, and it makes me so excited for what’s to come this year! Next week on the blog I’ll be sharing some fun portrait sessions, including one with my favorite floral designer!

The last year was so much fun — many of my weekends I filled with wonderful celebrations of love, and I was so inspired by not only the romance, but the ingenious ideas that people implemented into their celebrations. Since it’s that time of year when there is a whole new crop of couples planning their nuptials, I thought I’d share my favorite ideas and details this year, along with some ideas for how to bring them up to speed for the new year.

2009 Trend: At-Home weddings

This year, I attended a few weddings held at private homes, and I loved the personal feeling at both of them. Kristi and Jason (above) got married and held a lovely reception at Kristi’s aunt’s home overlooking the ocean in Garibaldi, Oregon. Getting married at home means you don’t have to follow anyone’s rules for decorations or timelines, plus it’s a place that has history and sentimental value. Shannon and TJ’s backyard wedding (below) featured great details like Hawaiian juices and a whimsical tree strung with colorful ribbons.

Make it 2010: When dealing with an at-home wedding, you run the risk of a high stress level, but bringing in an outside wedding coordinator that can take the details off your plate and make sure the party runs as smoothly as possible, while allowing the homeowners to enjoy the party too, is a great move.

2009 Trend: Keep it classic

I saw some really beautiful classic details at the weddings I attended in 2009. Above left, Stefanie’s bouquet was a gorgeous white and green that lent a sophisticated vibe. On the right is Missy and Fred, with Missy’s classic white rose bouquet alongside her elegant gown. Going with classic, luxurious colors is a great way to create a timeless celebration. Below, Paul and Andrea’s classic golden chairs and crisp white table linens made for a sophisticated palette and Jody’s bridesmaid bouquets, below right, were such a soothing cream ensemble.

Make it 2010: Going classic is always in style. Make it very next year by incorporating clean, modern lines along with classic items like elegant, neutral-colored flowers and sleek chairs and tables. Or incorporate a sense of humor by putting a clever spin on your color scheme — mostly whites and cremes, for instance, with a few punches of color.

2009 Trend: Cupcakes

I saw tons of cupcakes this past year — delicious cupcakes, like Kristi and Jason’s chocolate and vanilla spread (above left) and Shannon and TJ’s collection of different flavors from Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle (above right).

Make it 2010: Cupcakes are delicious and definitely a fun way to incorporate some fun into your celebration. But why stop there? A dessert spread with cupcakes, mini pies, eclairs and more goodies could make for a really bright, exciting display that will give everyone something they love for dessert.

2009 Trend: Handmade Details

Andrea and Paul’s wedding (above) had some great handmade touches, from their Star Wars pins to their Etsy-made cake topper featuring birds modeled after Paul & Andrea themselves. 2009 was most definitely the year of the Etsy wedding, and it’s a trend I totally support — the ingenuity on that site is amazing.

Make it 2010: Team up with different creative people to make your celebration amazing, but don’t just look on Etsy. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are so many amazing small, locally-owned boutiques and artisans, look right into your own backyard as well. Finding a great piece can be design inspiration for your entire event.

Tune in on Thursday for more real-world inspiration for 2010!

So I came back a little earlier than I’d planned to the blog to wish everyone a happy new year! I’m so excited for what the new year is going to bring for Sara Gray Photography, and I wanted to share some of those plans here so you can all look forward to it with me. (Here’s Eric and I in our Christmas photo this year).

More quality, less quantity: I’ve been blogging five days a week here on the blog since April 2009, and after having a few conversations with readers, I’ve decided that I’m going to cut back my posting in favor of more in-depth, high-quality posts. In 2010, I’ll be posting twice a week, which will give more of you the chance to see my work for longer before it’s buried under other posts. Those two weekly posts will be longer, featuring more photos and more details about the great people in them. If you’ve got things you’d like to see on the blog, don’t hesitate to let me know!

Weddings, weddings, weddings: I’ve set as a goal for Sara Gray Photography to photograph 25 weddings in 2010. I’ve already got a few on my calendar, but not all of them! How can you help me reach that goal? Tell your friends who are getting engaged (70% of engaged couples make it official over the holidays, so you probably have a few engaged friends now!) and if they book, you get a fun referral gift from me.

So you want to be a model?: I’m revamping my senior rep program this year, and I’ll be announcing that in late March on the blog. If you’ve got friends who are high school juniors (or you’re a high school junior), let them know about the blog and the program so that they can save money on senior photos, plus be able to earn cool free stuff by recommending their friends and classmates.

2009 was a great year, and I’ll be sharing next week on the blog about the wedding ideas that inspired me over the last year. But I’m also looking forward to what 2010 will bring!