Blog
Getting Your Marriage License
The first thing to know about getting a marriage license is that you need to apply for it in the county of your ceremony, not where you live or where the reception is located. This is the most common mistake of brides and grooms. Continue reading
Pictures and Wedding Cakes – What to avoid?
Wedding Tip for Chicago Brides
If possible, avoid black icing (or at least be very careful) on your wedding cake. The black icing stains everything! Teeth, lips, hands, and your wedding dress will have a slight green tint in photos when next to the cake. Continue reading
Essence Photography Review: Elizabeth & Jeremy – October 1, 2011
Our photographers was phenomenal! When we first saw her portfolio, we know that her style would be completely in touch with what we were looking for. If we were to do it again, we would still make the same choice of photographer. She was a perfect fit for all of our photography needs. Her personality and easy-going nature made the shooting a breeze! She was open to all creative requests, and even poked fun at torturing the groom. When she needed to be a fly on the wall, you never saw her, but the flash was always going. We look forward to seeing our special day captured by an amazing and talented person. Going forward, we intend to recommend Essence to every couple that we know that will be getting married. Our rating would be a 20, unfortunately, we are only given a range of 1-5!
Winter weddings – A few tips to get great photos when it’s chilly outside
Winter weddings present a challenge to get artistic pictures. I shot a wedding downtown a few years ago and it was one of the coldest days of the year. The bride and I both really wanted to shoot photos at Adler Planetarium, but my bride was a little iffy because it was so darn cold! I remembered that I had my gym bag in the car with my workout clothes
(Yes they were clean!) Luckily my bride was a little adventurous. She put on my sweatpants, socks, and gym shoes. Other than us, nobody will ever know from the pictures that she was wearing all that on underneath her dress. We trooped out into the snow! The bridal party had a few funny looks at us as we were plodding through the snow. The photos were AMAZING! Because my bride wasn’t cold, she had a great time and it reflected in the expression on her face. After we finished, my bride gave a little razzing to the bridal party for not coming with us. Continue reading
Wedding Video – Rodney & DaWanda’s Wedding Story – July 11, 2010
This wedding video showcases highlights of the wedding day of Rodney & DaWanda were married at Fountain Blue Banquets in Des Plaines and held their reception there as well.
Photojournalism at Weddings – What Exactly is Photojournalism?
The Different Views of Wedding Photojournalism
[pullquote]Many brides think candid or documentary pictures are photo-journalistic”[/pullquote]Photojournalism at weddings is currently the most popular style of shooting by wedding photographers. We hear from brides everyday that they want their photographer to shoot “photojournalistically”. However, what photojournalism means to one bride can be quite different to the next bride. Examples of photographs taken by Essence photojournalists can be found in our gallery.
Photojournalism at weddings became popular about 10-12 years ago and has now become the predominant photography style requested by brides. However, when we sit down and look at wedding pictures, brides pick out very different pictures when asked what photojournalism means to them. The definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is, “journalism in which written copy is subordinate to pictorial usually photographic presentation of news stories or in which a high proportion of pictorial presentation is used.” So when applying this term to weddings, it basically says to tell the story of a wedding day with pictures.
Many brides think candid or documentary pictures, where the subject is unaware they are being photographed, are photojournalistic. In these pictures, the wedding photographer is shooting to capture the action or emotion. For example, a bride being walked down the aisle by her father, a groom sharing a laugh with his groomsmen, or the expression on the faces of the bride and groom as they embrace in their first dance. Is this wedding photojournalism?
[pullquote]Even the world’s greatest photographer isn’t a mind reader”[/pullquote]
To other brides, photo-journalistic pictures are the more artistic pictures. A bride and groom walking away from the wedding photographer down a scenic pathway, gazing into each others eyes as they stand under a tree in a park at sunset, or stopping for a kiss on a bridge. Maybe you are just that darn cute, but most brides and grooms do not have these things happen by chance on their wedding day. In these pictures, the subject is aware the picture is being taken. The goal is to give the illusion that these actions happened spontaneously. The bride and groom in these pictures are like actors in a movie and the wedding photographer is directing them in a scene. It is common for these more artistic pictures to be printed out as an 8×10 for the end table or as a two page panorama in their wedding album. Is this wedding photojournalism?
So, which style is photojournalism? Candid and documentary or being directed by the photographer? They answer is yes to both. If photojournalism is telling a story with pictures, then all the pictures from your wedding day are photo-journalistic. Even the traditional, posed photos at the alter with the bride, groom, bridal party, and family are shot with everyone smiling straight at the camera. After all, isn’t the act of taking formal, posed pictures at the alter after the ceremony just as much a tradition as your first dance or cake cutting?
The more important question brides should ask is “What types of photos do I want at my wedding?” Review pictures with your potential photographer and communicate with them which ones you like and why. Even the world’s greatest photographer isn’t a mind reader. Let them know what you want, don’t assume any specific picture will be taken, and don’t expect the guidance of wanting photo-journalistic photos will result in getting all the pictures you want. Sharing your likes and dislikes is far more valuable to your photographer and will help him/her to capture the essence of your wedding. Continue reading
Essence Photography Review: Bibiana & Ryan – October 1, 2011
Our photographer was very professional and extremely hard working. She went the extra mile in obtaining all the pictures we wanted. She was flexible and open to any ideas and specific requests that we made. She really dedicated herself to our wedding. We can’t wait to see the photos she generated. She is a great entity to Essence and should be valued for her expertise and dedication in making a wedding picture perfection. I would highly recommend Essence to our family and friends.
Chicago Style Weddings Magazine Feature for Essence Bride and Groom
Essence Wedding Featured in Chicago Style Weddings Magazine Recently, Chicago Style Weddings Magazine, featured Essence bride and groom David and Jillian Perlick in their Real Weddings section. David and Jillian’s photos feature their beautiful wedding day at The Stonegate. See … Continue reading
Don’t Forget the Details Pictures at Your Wedding
Your wedding day photographs are something that you are going to treasure for the rest of your life. They are also something that you only have one chance to capture in the best possible way, so you need to make sure that you get all of the shots that you want. One way some couples assure that this happens is to make a list of the important people and shots that they want.
While most of the photographs will be shots of the ceremony, reception and important guests, it is detail shots that will add visual interest to your wedding album and allow you to look back and remember even the smallest details of your big day. Digital wedding albums are the most popular style of albums and these detail shots make for beautiful backgrounds in these albums.Below are some ideas for detail shots that you could ask your wedding photographer to capture.
Shoes
As you are getting dressed for that walk down the aisle, make sure that your photographer snaps a few detail shots of your shoes. You probably put a lot of thought into the shoes, so they are something you’ll surely want to include in your wedding album. Gown DetailYour wedding gown will, of course, be featured in many of the wedding photographs, but the full length shots will not show details, such as bead work and lace. Ask your photographer to get some details shots of various parts of your gown.
Centerpieces
The centerpieces at your reception are a great feature to include in your album. They will likely have some relation to your wedding theme or color scheme and will be visually interesting. If the place settings are particularly lovely, include those as well.
Rings, Flowers, and Invitations
These are all the things that make your wedding unique. Having photos of all your choices reflects the style and beauty of your wedding.
If the idea of such detail shots appeals to you, then you must keep this in mind when choosing a photographer. Only a skilled photographer is going to be able to effectively take this type of photograph. Novice photographers may not have the equipment or the skill needed to take the quality shots that will make beautiful additions to your wedding album.
This is one more reason to make sure that you look through the portfolios of any wedding photographers that you are considering. Many of the other wedding day details may be forgotten, but your wedding album will be treasured for many years. Continue reading
Nix the Wedding Table Shots
Why to Avoid Having Your Photographer Take Table Shots at the Wedding Reception
If you have looked through your parents or grandparents wedding albums, you may see a few shots of guests with plates full of food in front of them smiling at the camera. These are called “table shots”, and were once taken at nearly every wedding reception. Today, most brides and grooms do not want table shots taken at their wedding, and there are many reasons that this is the case.
Inconvenient
In order to take table shots, the photographer has to inconvenience the guests who are trying to visit and eat, it is not uncommon for a guest to become very agitated and upset with the photographer even when the photographer is being polite. Also, the photographer might be asked to wait a few minutes for a guest to return to the table, which slows the whole process down and missing people is unavoidable in the time allotted for these shots. The wait staff is inconvenienced as well and it will cause guests to have to wait longer for their dinner and can cause timelines of later events to be pushed back.
Unappealing Photos
Do you really want your wedding album to be full of half empty drinks, crumpled napkins and picked over entrees? Because the photographer is likely going to be interrupting the meal
to get the shot, this is exactly what you can expect to see in table shots.
Who is Featured?
Another good reason to nix the table shots is that you don’t really need pictures of your mother’s boss, former roommate’s latest boyfriend, or your great niece’s date. While many of the guests at your wedding will be important to you, there are some that will be less so. For this reason, most brides opt not to have table shots of every single guest at their wedding.
Of course, you do want some pictures of your guests, but instead of the table shots, ask your photographer to take shots of people dancing or chatting. These photos will be more natural, and the photographer will not have to disrupt the meal to take the pictures.
While this idea is a bit outdated, some couples leave a disposable camera on each table. This allows the guests at the table to snap shots of each other without tying up the wedding photographer who is needed to take the shots that you really want.
Just because things were done a certain way when your mother or grandmother got married doesn’t mean that you have to do it the exact same way. Capturing table shots, once an important part of the wedding photographer’s job, is now something that can be replaced with more natural shots of guests enjoying themselves while at your wedding. You will still have some shots of your guests to include in your wedding album if you so desire.
Talk to your wedding photographer about nixing the table shots. He or she will be more than happy to accommodate your wishes. Continue reading
Tips for Reducing Wedding Day Stress
Weddings are stressful times for the bride and groom, but you should take steps to make sure that you can enjoy your special day rather than giving into stress while trying to make everything perfect. There are plenty of tips for reducing wedding day stress, but here are a few that I think can really make a difference on your big day.
Delegate
This is one of the best tips for making your wedding day run more smoothly, but it starts with choosing bridesmaids and ushers that you can trust. You need to be able to assign some tasks to them without worrying that those tasks will not get done properly. Hiring a talented wedding coordinator can greatly reduce your stress as he or she will be keeping an eye on all the details during the ceremony and reception so that you can enjoy your day. Many venues, The Arboretum Club included, have helpful staff that will help you coordinate all aspects of your reception.
Keep Lists
Keeping lists – and then keeping them up to date – is another great way to reduce stress. Did the minister get paid? Glance at the list. Did someone remember to bring the flowers to present to Grandma? Check the list. Of course, this tip goes hand in hand with the above tip. You, as the bride or groom, should not be the one carrying around a list on your wedding day. Instead, this should be handled by a trusted attendant or your wedding coordinator.
Choose a Picturesque Venue
A great source of wedding day stress for many couples is trying to rush from the ceremony venue to the site of the photographs and then to the reception venue. The couple knows their guests are waiting and that they are losing time to be spent at their reception. You can trim an entire step out of this process by choosing a picturesque wedding venue. You will be able to go right from the ceremony to the reception venue where you can take the photos and then enjoy your reception. A venue on a golf course not only offers amazing backdrops for your photos, but provides gorgeous views that you and your guests can enjoy during dinner as well. The Arboretum Club offers the fabulous views that make it easy to skip a separate location for your photos. This will allow you to reduce your wedding day stress and get to the reception more quickly so that you can enjoy your time with your guests. Don’t allow stress to rule the day. You have been planning this day for at least a year – and likely dreaming about it for your entire life – so enjoy it!
Guest Writer:
Tracy Futterman-Alvarez
Event Sales Manager
The Arboretum Club
To Backdrop or Not to Backdrop at Your Wedding?
What Brides Consider When Making the Decision About Having A Backdrop at Their Wedding
There was a time when having a backdrop setup at a wedding was the norm. The couple, wedding party and guests would gather in front of the backdrop for portraits throughout the evening. If you look through wedding albums from 25 or so years ago, you will likely see some of these portraits that were shot in front of a backdrop.
Looks Outdated
Today, backdrops are outdated, and most couples opt to skip this part of the wedding photography. It just feels very 1970’s, and with today’s more artistic approach to wedding photography, backdrops are no longer needed. The look today is more natural. Backdrops look artificial, so they are not a good fit in today’s wedding albums.
Miss Other Shots
Another problem with having a backdrop is that your photographer will need to spend much of his or her time snapping pictures there. This means that the photographer will not be in the reception as much and is very likely to miss some of the best moments of the night.
Candid Shots
Instead of needing to be tied to the backdrop, free your photographer to be present in the reception, snapping shots of people laughing and dancing. These candid shots are much more appropriate for today’s wedding albums and will allow you not only to remember who was at your wedding, but to actually see your guests enjoying the party.
Natural Backdrops
For portrait style photographs, choose natural backdrops instead of artificial ones. A beautiful fountain, a crystal blue lake or a fireplace in your reception venue is a much more appealing choice than a backdrop that can be rolled up and stored in the back of your photographer’s van.
Even for engagement photos, natural backdrops are a much better choice. Today’s brides tend to lean to wedding details that are less artificial and stiff than in time past. It only stands to reason that the backdrop, which is somewhat of an archaic choice, would be omitted in favor of allowing the wedding photographer to get some more candid, fluid shots.
Of course, if you are set on having a backdrop at your wedding, your photographer will be more than happy to accommodate your wishes. If you do, consider paying extra to have two photographers present. This will allow one photographer to handle the photos by the backdrop while the other one will still be free to capture all of the candid reception shots.
This will give you more options once the proofs come back and you are selecting photos for your wedding album. Continue reading
Wedding Photography Tips From A Banquet Manager
Mirage Banquets at the Four Points Sheraton Managers Share Their Thoughts On Wedding Photography
Perhaps the title of this article was a bit confusing to you. Why would you ask banquet managers for tips about wedding photography? The reason is simple: They work with couples and wedding photographers day in and day out. They have seen what works and what does not. Our guest blog post this week was written by Beata Cuber and Violeta Bednarek, catering managers from Mirage Banquets at the Four Points Sheraton in Schiller Park.
We really love weddings and working with brides and grooms. It is so special to be present during what is the most important day in their lives. Nothing breaks our hearts more than when a couple pops in after the wedding and mentions that they were not happy with their wedding pictures. Sometimes, it is because they did not take the time to choose a quality photographer. In other cases, some simple changes could have made for a better turnout concerning the wedding photographs. Below are a few tips from our point of view.
The Venue
Here is a terribly obvious statement: the venue that you choose is going to be in your wedding photographs. The venue should be selected based on many criteria, including cost, convenient location and whether the style of the venue fits with your vision for your wedding.
A huge mistake some brides make is trying to force a certain color scheme into a venue while ignoring the color scheme that already exists in the venue. Some things can be changed or covered, others, such as the color of the rug or walls, usually cannot.
Wedding Coordinator
One thing that never ceases to amaze us is when the wedding coordinator does not come to the wedding or stay for the entire event. This is the person that you have paid to organize the various aspects of your wedding. He or she should be there, making sure everything runs smoothly, including the process of taking the wedding photos. When you contract with your wedding coordinator, make sure to get it in writing that he or she will be at the wedding and the reception
Cut Cake Early
Typically, the cake cutting will take place later in the reception. Often, the bride’s makeup will start to look a little worn and her hair may be a bit mussed up. Instead, we think it’s a great idea to cut the cake right before dinner. The pictures will look great, and the staff will be able to cut the cake during dinner and serve it more quickly when the time comes.
Special Lighting
This is our favorite tip! When decorating the venue, consider adding some special lighting. If you cannot afford to add lighting to the entire venue, just add it to the places where some of the most important reception photos will be taken, such as the head table and cake table.
Choosing a quality wedding photographer is the most important step in getting great photos, but there are also steps that you can take to ensure beautiful images.
Beata Cooper and Violeta Bednarek
Mirage Baquets at the Four Points Sheraton
www.miragefourpoints.com – 847-671-4230
6 Tips for Winter Weddings Pictures
Six tips to help you get great wedding pictures in the winter
Hello ladies! My winter brides face a little more of a challenge when planning their wedding photos. So, I thought I’d share a few tips:
- Pad your travel times – Even if your wedding is on a Saturday or Sunday in the winter, we all know what snow can do to the roads. Adding extra time to allot for bad weather
can save you much stress on your wedding day. - Consider seeing each other before the ceremony – This is probably the most controversial of my tips, but it is becoming much more popular in the past few years. Many brides that are planning their weddings in the summer forget the sun goes down hours earlier in the winter, so taking photos after the ceremony outside isn’t possible. If you see each other before the ceremony, we can spend as much time as we want getting fun photos and have the light we need. See my previous post titled To See or Not To See, on how to make seeing each other before the ceremony a special event.
- Find park with Christmas lights – These make great wedding photos and all you have to do is find a local park ahead of time that will be decorating with Christmas lights.
- Embrace winter – Get matching scarves and hats for all the bridesmaids, those photos can be so much fun! Also, if you get a shawl or cape, get one that isn’t white as it will blend right in with the dress. Instead, choose an accent color. If you get lucky and it snows, the photos will be fantastic – but, make sure to bring an umbrella so you hair doesn’t get wet.
- Dress warm – Nobody can see what is under your dress, so bring extra clothes you can slip on underneath the dress for when you are outside. See a full checklist of what to bring here.
- Find an indoor photo location:
- Suburban brides – This is the trickiest part of winter weddings for suburban brides. There just aren’t many great indoor photo locations. Friendship Conservatory in Mt Prospect is available by permit for $150. Also, many of the hotels, like the Renaissances, Hyatts, Embassy Suites, etc… have beautiful lobbies that can be the backdrop for great photos. Make sure you call in advance to check the hotel’s policy and if they require a permit of some kind. Some hotels allow wedding parties to take photos in their lobby, and others do not. You also don’t want to go to the hotel if they are having a large convention that day and the lobby is cram packed with people.
- If you are downtown there are many indoor conservatories and gardens to choose from. A few to consider are Garfield Park Conservatory, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Harold Washington Library Winter Garden, and the Chicago Cultural Center.
With a little extra planning, winter wedding photos can be fun and beautiful.
Happy planning!
Karen Continue reading
What Do Baseball, Football, and Basketball Have to do With My Wedding?
What date to pick for your wedding? It is one of the very first questions you have to answer after you say “I do”. Of course, you check your calendar to ensure you do not pick a date that interferes with another important event in your life and your family/friends lives. However, you should also consider what the impact would be on your wedding if one of the major sports teams were to do well and be in the playoffs or championship game. What do you think would happen if the Chicago White Sox or Chicago Cubs were to be playing game seven of the World Series on the Saturday you pick for your wedding? Or worse, they are playing each other in the World Series? How many of the male attendees at your wedding would be leaving the room to check the score? How many would not come back? How many would have a radio in their ear during your vows? What would your now husband do?? OK, you could deal with it by having the DJ give periodic updates of the score during the reception. What do you think would happen to mood of your wedding if they lose? Continue reading
Wedding Videography Survey Reveals 98% of Newlyweds Recommend Having Video at Your Wedding
Nationwide Survey Reveals Strong Advice From Brides
Study by Wedding and Event Videographers Association reveals brides regret not having video at their wedding
[pullquote]Interestingly, brides don’t fully appreciate the value of video until after the wedding.”[/pullquote]
If there’s one thing brides today can agree on, it’s that future brides should have their weddings videotaped. This is according to a new nationwide survey of brides who were married in 2005. The ground-breaking survey, commissioned by the Wedding & Event Videographers Association International (WEVA), was conducted last month between December 12th and December 22nd by Breakthrough Marketing, Inc.
[caption id="attachment_1630" align="alignleft" width="250" caption="Survey conducted by WEVA - Wedding and Event Videographers Association"]
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The survey was conducted by telephone of a cross section of brides from around the country. Results showed ninety-eight percent of surveyed newlyweds recommended that brides have their weddings videotaped. Interestingly, brides don’t fully appreciate the value of video until after the wedding. Before the wedding, only a little more than half of surveyed brides considered video a “Top 10” service in comparison to other wedding related services. However, after the wedding, that number climbs to 75%.
Of surveyed brides, 38% did not have their weddings videotaped by anyone – amateur or professional, and apparently have some regrets. Sixty-three percent of them now either somewhat or strongly recommend that future brides hire a professional videographer.
Ninety-eight percent of brides surveyed used the services of a professional photographer compared to only 29% for professional video services. However, surveyed brides who used professional services for both were expressive about what they like best for each of these professional services. Brides say video does a better job of capturing the emotions of the day, records the history of the day better, and they strongly feel that future children will enjoy their wedding video more than their wedding photographs. Brides need professional services for both.
[pullquote]Results showed ninety-eight percent of surveyed newlyweds recommended that brides have their weddings videotaped.”[/pullquote]
WEVA, the first organization to survey actual newlyweds (as opposed to brides-to-be), regarding the value of wedding videography, commissioned a similar survey, the industry’s first-ever, three years ago. Not surprisingly, newlyweds today say it is more important than ever for brides to have their wedding videos delivered on DVD. Three years ago, only 27% of surveyed brides said it was very important to get their videos produced on DVD. That number climbed to 55% for this latest survey. For brides who spent over $30,000 on their weddings, 75% said it is very important for them to get their video on DVD.
The new 2005 survey probed brides’ interest in new and emerging video technology. One stood out. Fifty-five percent of surveyed brides said they were interested in highdefinition DVD. In addition, 43% were interested in still prints from video; 32% were interested in widescreen format; 29% were interested in live Internet webcasting Continue reading
Essence Photo and Video Reviews: Abby and Kevin – 10.2.10
The groom reviewed his experience with Essence and wrote:
“We were very happy with Essence from start to finish. Our photographer was awesome! We will definitely recommend that our friends look at Essence when looking for photography services for their wedding. Thanks for everything!”
Abby and Kevin – 10.2.10
Essence Photography Review by Jessica and Kevin
Jessica, the bride, wrote this review of her Essence photographer:
“He was AWESOME!! He was very creative and was willing to do anything we wanted! He made everyone smile and put them in a happy mood by being very complimentary. He also did an awesome job of instructing everyone to be where they needed to be, we had a large group and we got every picture we wanted! We will recommend him and the rest of your crew to everyone we know!
Thank you so much we couldn’t of been happier!!!!”
Jessica & Kevin – 3.26.11
Painted Petals: A Wedding Horror Story
One Simple Question That Can Save Your Wedding Pictures
Hello brides! I hope your planning is going well. Flowers are such an important detail in most weddings, so I wanted to tell you a little story to help you avoid an unfortunate event that happened at a wedding I recently attended.
The bride looked so beautiful, and she had chosen gorgeous exotic flowers for her bouquet. After the ceremony, we went to a lake to take some photographs. About halfway through the shoot, I noticed some purple marks on her dress. It only took a few minutes to figure out where the stains had come from, and the bride was horrified.
It turns out that her beautiful exotic flowers had been painted. The paint had started to peel off in the heat of the outdoors and had stained the front of her wedding dress. She had to go to her reception with purple stains on the front of her dress. Happily, I was able to edit the stains out her pictures, but the whole situation could have been avoided if only the bride had known to ask if the flowers were painted.
She, like most brides, had no idea that such a practice exists, but it is actually quite common. It is usually done in order to be able to provide exotic flowers in a variety of colors at a low cost. Many brides use these painted blooms with no issues, but others have unfortunate experiences such as the bride in my story.
Here are some tips to help you get the flowers that you want, but also know what you are really getting.
- Ask – This is the simplest advice on the matter. ASK YOUR FLORIST if the blooms are actually in the color that you want, or if they will be painted. It is not a bad idea to get it in writing.
- Second Choice – If it turns out that the only way to get the flowers that you want at a price you can afford is to have painted flowers then you might have to be willing to choose another type of flower. Other options include choosing a silk version of the flower or finding them at a floral wholesaler.
- Use Them – You can use painted flowers if you would like, but you should not use them for bouquets, corsages or boutonnieres because of the risk of stained clothes and flaked off paint getting all over. Instead, put them in floral arrangements and centerpieces. (Be sure to tell anyone who might handle them that they could stain or flake.)
Painting flowers is a common practice, but it is important that you know what you are getting. Be sure to add this to your list of questions for your florist, especially if you are choosing exotic, colorful blooms.
Until next time,
Karen Continue reading
Essence Photo and Video Review: Natalie and Ben – 3.25.11
The bride reviewed her wedding photographer:
“Our photographer was wonderful! We really couldn’t be happier! He was a pleasure to work with! He was professional, and my entire family absolutely loved him! We just can’t say enough wonderful things about him!” - Bride’s Rating: 5 out of 5
Review of Ben and Natalie’s videographer:
“He was amazing, he was around for every detail! The best part was that he wasn’t in the way of anything!” – Bride’s Rating: 5 out of 5
Natalie & Ben – 3.25.11
