Jonathan and I are so happy to feature our very first 2011 Monarch HS Senior!  We had a blast photographing Karah’s portrait session at her home and at Farnsley-Moremen Landing here in Louisville!

We have known Karah ever since we photographed the wedding of her sister, Kelly!  Since then, we have loved keeping in touch with their family. We were so honored to be the studio to photograph Karah’s HS senior portraits!  She is so beautiful and full of laughter and personality!  So, I am THRILLED that Karah was our first official 2011 HS Senior!  Go, Karah!

Check out Karah’s music video right here:

And I could post tons of tons, but I have to show some control!  Here are some of my favorites from her session!

Just lovely!

We had lots of giggles!

Just so beautiful!

So nice in high contrast black & white...

Holding the locket her late grandfather gave her...

A kiss for her grandfather...

Class ring!

And more giggles--Karah just warms everyone's hearts!

Karah is also an accomplished athlete--check out the sports shots!

And she sings! Justin Bieber is a fave, I hear...

Showing her tough chick side--love it!

Fun!

Sassy girl!

The gardens were gorgeous at Farnsley...

See? Just full of smiles! I love Karah!

Go PRP!

Fun with the text!

Bluesy and pretty!

That's our former bride and Karah's sis, Kelly, sharing a laugh!

And she's off! Thanks to Karah and her family for an awesome time!

Oh, things have been so incredibly busy here at the Monarch Home Studio–from summer photography seminars to engagement sessions to lots of album designs, I have hardly had any time to share some of the fabulous images we got at Shannon and Jared’s lovely garden wedding!

On Saturday, June 12, everyone braved the heat and humidity to celebrate the love of Shannon and Jared, who had their wedding day at the glorious Yew Dell Gardens in Crestwood.  This is the second time this year we have photographed a wedding at Yew Dell, and I love getting lots of different images with each couple!

This is just a sneak peek, but I couldn’t resist posting so many images!  Enjoy!  Shannon and Jared, I hope that Hawaii was incredible!

The most gorgeous gown from Couture Closet.

And fab flowers from Country Squire!

Shannon's beautiful mom...

I am so in love with this portrait!

Shannon is so beautiful...

Oh, and this one, too!

The most adorable flower girl!

And her lovely bridesmaids!

Our handsome groom, Jared...

And the best groomsmen!

Hello, cutie Albert! He's flower girl, Zoe's brother!

Headed to the ceremony...

And down the aisle with dad!

I love the shadows of the leaves in this image...

The beauty was worth every moment of heat!

Married and so in love...

The loveliest of parents...

Love the bridal party...

Ready for the party!

Aren't they just a gorgeous couple?

The wedding had gorgeous details...

First dance...

Dancing with dad...

Jared with his mom...

That's Jared's dad on the dance floor!

Everyone had a blast!

At sunset, we stepped out for some romantic portraits...

And we got to use the garden sculptures, too--

LOVE it!

At the castle...

A perfect place for romance...

Look in the right bottom corner--that kitty was our escort--so cute!

Holly alley--the most divine place!

Perfection--congrats to our newlyweds!

I wanted to start a new weekly post on the Monarch blog–answering specific questions about how we work as trained, professional photographers.  So, here goes!

It’s a given that we specialize in a combination of candids, details, and emotional, timeless portraiture for weddings, but let’s face it–the formal portraits can be a big time-user, but not with us!  We strive to make it a cinch for you and yours!

We get asked all the time the two following questions:

“How long will formals take on our wedding day?” and “Who should be in the formal wedding day portraits?”

I’d like to give you some ideas on how we work with the formal portraits on your wedding day–we want it to be fun, easy, and efficient for you and all who are involved!

How long will formals take?

You will need to factor in several things here:

• Are you doing family formals?
• Are you doing bridal party formals?
• How many people are in the family photos and bridal party photos?
• How many locations are you expecting to use for formal photos?
• Do you want just immediate family or do you want extended family members, too?

(NOTE:  Immediately family includes parents, siblings, and grandparents–then we add in siblings’ spouses and their children.  Extended family includes all of the above plus aunts/uncles, their spouses, cousins, etc.)

Typically our couples do both family and bridal party formals. We tend to shoot approximately 10-15 family groups and  10 bridal party “poses.”

If our couple does NOT see one another before the wedding, here is how we handle the day:

We spend around 60 minutes photographing the separate bridal party and immediate family members of our bride and groom before the wedding and then try to keep it to 30 minutes for family (immediate) and bridal party portraits immediately after the ceremony.  We also do some portraits of the bride and groom at this time after the ceremony, but then we really go for the editorial, romantic portraits once our couple has eaten and gotten some rest!

That’s average – but what suits you?  If you have a large family and want to include aunts, uncles, nephews,  nieces, great grandparents, cousins, in-laws your photos will take a bit longer.  Anticipate adding an extra 5-10 minutes to the formal portrait time if you want to include extended family members.

If our couple DOES DECIDE TO see one another before the wedding (which is perfect for couples who want to buck tradition and get most or all of their formals done before the ceremony), here is how we handle the day:

We go ahead and work with our bride and her side of the bridal party first, then we arrange a “first look” moment for our couple so we can get those wonderful romantic moments together.  We then let our couple have some time alone, and then head right on in and take care of ALL formals (both with and without the groom or bride on both sides of their families), bridal party portraits, and even some of our couple together!  Anything we do not get before the ceremony can be done immediately after the wedding is finished.

REMEMBER that we go over your day a few weeks before to schedule everything and then we even send a wonderful timeline for our couples to share with family and bridal party members–this way, the people you want in your portraits will be there on time and ready to go!

Make sure you let us  know your expectations and we can accommodate those needs for you!

Who will be in the formals?

This is, of course, your decision in the end.  We think about it this way – some shots are “must have” shots.  Others are great if you get them but not necessary and others are unwanted.  Break down your list for your photographer that way.

We provide ALL of our wedding couples with an extensive list of posed portrait suggestions so that they can sit down with families and really chat about what is important.  Now, we are seeing small groups rather than individual shots of everyone.  This also ensures that we can get the images you want, provided that everyone is on time and there when we need them.  NOTE:  This is so important, so please make sure that family members and bridal party people are aware of when they need to be there.  We work as a team!

Here are some examples:

RECOMMENDED “Must Have” Portraits:
Parents and/or Step-Parents (both sides)
Siblings (both sides), their spouses, and their children (nieces and nephews)
Grandparents (both sides)
Full wedding party
All bridesmaids, flower girl and bride
All groomsman, ring bearer, ushers, and groom

IF REQUESTED:
Aunts & Uncles
Cousins
Bride with each bridesmaid
Groom with each groomsman
Bride or groom with each parent individually (is recommended if parents are no longer together or are remarried) Fiance’s of siblings

TYPICALLY NOT RECOMMENDED:
Divorced parents’ dates/boyfriend/girlfriend–anyone who is not engaged/married to parent)
Siblings’ new boyfriends or girlfriends

These are just examples – you can also add to our list.  Just sit down and ask yourselves these questions:  Who is important to you?

More info for you:

1) What people are only in one or two photos? If you finish their photos first they are free to leave.  If you’re doing one shot with 25 of you in it – we get that huge formal first.  Then aunts, uncles and cousins can leave!  Simple, right?

2) After large groups, we work our way through one side then the other. We start with the whole family who is most responsible for the reception – they are going to want to get to the site to host.  We start with the biggest group – grandparents, parents, siblings, their families, etc.  When finished with that photo we move onto any other photos grandparents are in.  (It’s physically taxing for some older family members to move around, so once we get them standing, we get them finished so they can leave.)  We work our way down – parents and siblings, siblings alone, then parents alone.  And then we go from both sets of parents to just the second set of parents then to the big family group on the other side – and repeat!

Just like that family formals are done.  Time for bridal party formals.  Assuming you move to a park or other location here’s my suggested order and why:

Whole bridal party formal – We get it while people are focused- this can be creative, it can be a line of people, it can be anything you want – but don’t get crazy here yet.

Fun wedding party shots – Now we bring everyone back together, get those creative, fun, funny or just plain odd shots you want.  Not everyone wants a running or jumping photo, but those who do are sad if it’s missed so just know what you want!  We also have plenty of ideas based on where your photos are taken!

Once wedding party fun time is over we do your romantic formals.  Bride and groom time should take 15 minutes or so.  This is the photographer’s favorite time at almost every wedding. We love the romance!  Bring on the kissing, dip shots, handholding, laying in each other’s lap, walking in the park.  We also like to come back out at twilight for some quiet, lovely images with our couple, so be ready!

Final thoughts

These thoughts are merely a rough guide as you work through organizing your wedding formal photos. We photographers want your wedding to be your own – a fantastic and fun trip through your family, past, future and your new life together.  If you want 2 hours for romantic formal photos, schedule it (and hire us!)  If you want to include everyone who attended the wedding in a photo at the church just remind us to bring a ladder (or how to get to the balcony in the church).

We are here for you!

Sorry–I have been neglecting my blogging duties lately! I have been in the lovely state of Nebraska for the past few days and we just returned last night!

I wanted to share Kimberly and Ed’s gorgeous, autumn-themed Amore’ album and I love it!  Check out their actual images of their album.  So pretty!

They chose the awesome metallic cover!

Lyrics were special to them, so we included them!

Sassy girls!

Details.

Great bridal party!

I love our Amore' albums--heirloom quality!

On my never-ending quest to blog about every single one of our weddings over the past few months, here I am on a lovely Sunday morning bringing you some fun images of Cortney and Tyler’s wedding!

You may remember Cortney and Tyler’s ultra-fab wedding album from a previous blog post, but to see it again, check it out HERE!

So, get ready for a TON of images because I love love LOVE their wedding photographs!  Cortney is a real firecracker and we had a blast!

Wedding Day Details:

Date:  8.8.09

Color Theme: Fuchsia pink, black, and hints of silver

Ceremony Location:  Louisville Church of Christ

Reception:  The Grand New Albany, Indiana

Wedding Coordinator:  Stephanie Isbell of Planned Perfection Events

Florist:  Flower Shoppe of New Albany

Caterer:  The Grand

Bridal Gown and Bridesmaids’ Dresses:  Rebecca’s Bridal Boutique

Cake:  Mert’s Cakes by Virginia

And check out their image music video–the song is so sweet and romantic!

Now, on with the images!

The details were so incredible--love!

The most gorgeous of gowns!

Hot pink heels and bling! YAY!

Sassy!

The coolest chicks ever!

And the church was amazing!

And the handsome boys!

Tyler made Cortney giggle, but they didn't see each other!

So sweet!

Time to tie the knot!

Feeling nervous? Just have a little shot!

But don't forget the lime!

A little Whitney Houston music was awesome!

And the flower girls were adorable!

Planned Perfection Events did the awesome decor!

Cortney's mom was so emotional!

Down the aisle!

Tyler seeing his bride...

The ceremony was great!

The big kiss! Here it is!

Married!

And out the door!

A little quiet time...

Fun bridal party!

Really fun!

Bubbles!

Love this bluesy image!

The most awesome candy buffet!

And the loveliest of cakes!

Our signature guest book!

The moms were having fun!

And this bridesmaid was kickin' it old school!

First dance...

So pretty!

We took them out to the alley for some night images...

Cortney is stunning!

Love this in BW!

Romance.

And then the party began!

Holla!

Fun!

Sometimes it's best not to ask questions!

Congrats to Cortney and Tyler! We love ya!

We have had an awesome bunch of 2010 HS seniors come in for their portrait sessions over the past few weeks!  It has been a blast and we love photographing such incredible students.

We are still accepting appointments for both 2010 and 2011 HS Seniors, so call Rosemary today at 502.641.0744 to schedule yours!

Ian is a gifted student and musician and was so awesome to photograph!  I could post a ton of his images, but instead let’s just take a look at a handful of them–I love the range of styles we were able to capture for Ian!

Check out his music video link below:

And here are a few of my favorites from his session–

A touch of texture...

I love this one so much!

Simple and classic.

I love "walk away" images--they say something.

Ian is amazing at the viola!

This was done with cross-processing to give it grain.

Love this one--the light was perfect!

How awesome does Ian look?

Love the text on this one...

Perspective.

BW is always good.

A different take on BW...

And I love a sepia-tone, too!

Our HS seniors love our outdoor locations!

Thanks, Ian--the session was awesome!

Today’s feature is all about our Italian hand-crafted wedding albums!  Love them so much and we are the only studio in our area to offer this particular album!

Clients choose their own images to go into their keepsake album and they can choose from dozens and dozens of cover styles!  The albums also have seamless pages, so there is no cut in the middle of the album pages like other studios offer!

This album is Tiffany and Mark’s and I love it!   Tiffany took her time to choose her images because she wanted to make just the right decisions and I designed for her over the holiday season–she and Mark chose the best images, ranging from artistic to fine family portraits!

From the black satin cover to the gorgeous colors that pop off of the non-bendable pages, it is a beautiful album!  And we guarantee the quality of all of our albums, too!  There was a small issue about the cover when we first got the album in from Italy, but our company replaced it at no charge and we were thrilled with it!

It’s all about high-quality photography, great products, and incredible customer service–that is the Monarch Difference!

Here are some images of their album:

Great sturdy cover with a sleek black satin finish!

And the lovely BW pano image on the front--

The opening page spread--check out the colors!

Full image on the page spread...

Clean lines in the design...

Love this page!

Final page spread--so romantic! Love these albums!

Well, it is rainy and dreary here in Louisville, so I thought I would post a super-fun and summery wedding from last season to make today cheery and colorful!

We had an absolute BLAST with Courtney and Jamie, from their engagement images (we did everything from play on the playground to run around the orchard at Huber’s) to their perfect wedding day!

Jamie is a musician and Courtney teaches elementary school–they are the most hilarious, loving, good-natured people I have ever met and we adore them!

We also photographed an after-wedding session with them and I will feature that later!

In the meantime, check out their wedding images–get ready because I couldn’t whittle it down!

Wedding Day Details:

Date:  7.17.09

Color Theme:  Hot pink, lime green, and deep purple

Ceremony:  Middletown Christian Church

Reception:  Mellwood Arts Center

DJ:  Midnight Magic with Carlos Morales

Florist:  Freda’s Fancy Flowers

Cake:  Dana’s Delights

Catering:  Masterson’s

Videographer:  Close to Home

Bridal Gown and Bridesmaids Dresses:  Bridal Suite of Louisville

Make-Up Artist:  Ana Crane Simpson

Check out their image music video by clicking on the screen below:

And you can also see their gallery HERE!

Details.

A little bling!

Fabulous gown!

Something blue--and sassy purple heels!

Courtney is so joyous and so fun to be around--this is right after she got into her gown!

Airy and light...

Courtney's crew--the girls' dresses had pockets! Love it!

They took a moment to be near one another before the wedding...

And then it turned into this!

Jamie and the boys--loved their summer suits!

A smooch from mom before the ceremony--she is the best!

Literally moments before Courtney met her dad to walk down the aisle--feeling no fear!

Fellow band members and groomsmen performing a special song during the ceremony...

Ready to roll!

I love the look on his face as he sees Courtney and her dad come down the aisle!

The church was lovely!

Married!

As you can see, even the formal portraits had a little silliness involved!

Off for more fun!

We hopped on the trolley and headed over to Papa John's HQ for some fun bridal party portraits!

We threw some rocks...

Then the boys did some weird things with Courtney's bridal gown...

And then the girls got tough with Jamie...

I don't even know what's going on here!

The best bridal party EVER!

A few lovely formal portraits...

I love the split tones bluesy technique...

Love the evening light!

Then things got silly again! So fun!

One of my favorite walking shots ever!

We had to stop the trolley for refills on libations!

Courtney's mom was at the reception to greet us and hand out the confetti popper guns--uh oh!

So, some people got shot with confetti right in the kisser...it happened so fast!

Things got progressively wackier!

I think we are trying to be gangsta here...

As gangsta as you can be in formal wear! LOL!

A quick kiss--

One of my all-time favorite entrance images--I love the confetti gun in the air!

Of course the groom's cake had to be a replica of Jamie's bass!

One of my favorite guest book designs I did last season...

And a most fabulous wedding cake!

And even the decorations screamed, "PARTY TIME!"

First dance fun!

Adorable!

I love this image!

And Courtney's dad is the bomb!

And there was some major dance move action!

The toast--filled with jokes and laughter!

So cute!

Geez! You'd think they liked each other, huh?

The after-effects of the bouquet and garter toss...

And the most fabulous photo booth pics!

Fun!

Once the party really started, we took a moment to step outside for some editorial portraits...love it!

Love this one, too.

Congrats, you two! We loved every minute of your big day!

Today, I wanted to focus on the awesome way we present our wedding images to our Monarch couples!

ALL of our wedding couples receive their wedding images BOTH in a wonderful paper proof presentation, as well as a full gallery of online proofing!  We do both because we want our couples to have a full set of proofs to share with family and friends in person–isn’t that better than just sitting around a computer and clicking on images?  But we DO also present our couples with their own online viewing and ordering gallery to share with others, as well as to make the ordering process easier!

And we also use our projection system in our home studio to help couples and family members with the decision-making process when it comes to ordering large prints such as gallery wraps, metal prints, etc.!  That’s the Monarch Difference–we are here for you!

I wanted to share our proof presentation boxes–all new for our 2010 couples!  We have taken great care to choose really fun and unique ways to show how much we care about our couples–and it shows!

Take a look at our custom proof boxes, folios, and DVD image packaging–just for our Monarch Wedding Couples!

This is our custom-designed proof box--with each couple's wedding images on the wrap-a-round box!

With each couple's name on the side...

And your loose proof prints inside the glossy box with a magnetic closure!

Our large proof folio--it is so modern with a great glossy hard cover and magentic closure!

With each couple's name on the folio...

The pages actually have a black paper background, but they are not here from the company yet, so I threw a white one in there to show...sorry about the glare!

Another example of the proof folio--

Great hardcover folio with sturdy craftsmanship!

And our customized wedding DVD image presentation! So fab!

Even the DVD is personalized! That's the extra touch--the Monarch Difference!

It’s true!  I still have tons of weddings and sessions to post from the past few months, so let’s get right to it!

Shelby and Kevin had the most elegant, gorgeous, lovely wedding on 8.1.09 here in Louisville.  There were a few crazy moments here and there, but the whole day was filled with love and laughter!

Wedding Day Details:

Color Theme:  Pink

Ceremony:  Saint Boniface

Reception:  Marriott Downtown

Entertainment:  Mike Veal Band

Florist:  Dixie Florist

Cake:  Desserts by Helen

Caterer:  Marriott Downtown

Videographer:  Bryan Manis Productions

Bridal Gown and Bridesmaids’ Dresses:  Rebecca’s Bridal and Wedding Wonderland

Take a trip down memory lane and check out many of their images below:

And I could blog all day long about Shelby and Kevin’s big day, but I must show some control!  Here are some of my very favorites from their lovely and elegant day!

Lovely details.

The dress.

Shelby was simply stunning!

Ready for the ceremony...

Ready to get married!

Saint Boniface is so beautiful!

At the altar, leaving flowers for Mary

Hitched!

Your nice formal bridal party portrait.

And then the fun ones!

They are so sweet together!

Shelby and Kevin got a gorgeous gallery wrap canvas of this one!

Classic BW

Ready to party!

One of our sassy guest books!

A romantic first dance...

Shelby's mom, Debbie, had a fabulous time!

Kevin really loved his groom's cake!

Without going into too many details, let's just say that I saw A LOT of that guest in the kilt!

Fun was had by all!

Lots of fun!

And then the mardi gras beads came out for Shelby!

The Mike Veal Band ROCKED!

And a quick trip outside...

Ah, city romance--congrats, you two!