The Jones Family Photos ~ Waikiki Beach

Below is a sneak peek from my time with Jones fam. This shoot was so much fun for me, for several reasons. First of all, I had 3 girls (two teenage) who weren't into having photos taken and felt totally awkward in front of the camera. *Queue Ricky Bobby "I'm not sure what to do with my hands" Then there was awesome Mr Jones, one of his girls wants to go to school for Photography and, well, become a photographer. That scared the crap out of him, he had spent lots of time googling facts on how much money the average photographer made and wasn't thrilled with the results.

Let me start by saying, I love it when my subjects feel awkward, and I actually try and make this happen at least once. Why on earth would I want that to happen? Well, there's honesty in awkardness, a funny thing happens, the moment we feel awkward and we're in the spotlight a little curtain is pulled back where the essence of oneself tends to shine through and then it is often followed by beautiful genuine smiles and laughter. 9 times of 10 it's the winning shot, the one the family absolutely  loves and wants to hang on the wall, because it can't be replicated. It was a rare genuine moment where that little thing, that sparkle, that makes this person who they are, and what you love about them but have a hard time putting in to words, and it has shone through and was captured for you to keep forever. It also is a great ice breaker, one the girls started to feel silly they opened up with me more and began to feel more comfortable with me. 

My conversation with Mr Jones, regarding his daughters passion and the realities of making a living in this industry is a whole other blog in itself, so stayed tuned for that because we had a really great talk.

Advice on How to plan a wedding without going crazy!

It's finally here, the day you've been dreaming about since you were a little girl. Twirling around in the mirror with your mama's high heels on, perhaps a Ken doll clutched to your chest. You've met your Prince Charming and he's popped the big questions but now what? Where do you go from here? With an overwhelming to-do list, I just want you to remember one thing, what you choose to focus on in the months to follow will make this either an amazing experience, or a stressful one. Like the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote "Life is a journey, not a destination" so to, is this your journey, with your man, for the biggest party of your lives! So have fun, laugh a little, love a little, find beauty in the imperfections, keep an open mind, and follow these tips to help keep your sanity.

• Planning Makes Perfect - Get a wedding binder to help keep you organized throughout the entire wedding process. There are also loads of great resources online to help brides out. Including awesome "To-Do" Lists: Including this one we love by Real Simple, as well as major wedding sites like the Knot who allow you to create your own wedding page, and has links to loads of other resources and goodies. 

• Don't be a Regretful Bride! There are 2 major regrets, I often hear from brides after their wedding day, The first, “I should have hired a better photographer” and  the second is “I should have hired a wedding coordinator” Because we're wedding photographers, let's touch on number one first. Let me start by saying, YES, you should have! Most brides are on some sort of budget, so who isn't trying to cut corners during planning to help them save a buck here or there. Your wedding photography, should be one of your biggest investments. After the cake has been eaten, and all of your guests have left, what do you have left to remember your big day (other than a fabulous new husband), your memories and your photographs. Ten years from now, heck even tomorrow, you and your girlfriends will be Ooohing and Aaahhing over your gorgeous images. These images will last your entire life, and will be the amazing memento you have to enjoy for always, to remember all of the hardwork- blood, sweat, and tears that went into your planning, to remember how crazy Uncle Morton got drunk and learned to twerk from your Maid of Honor Sheila, to remember the moment your groom first saw you and tears began to run down his face and yours, to remember that amazing wedding dress you HAD TO HAVE and paid a small fortune for, to remember and relive and share all of the amazing moments that made your day YOURS. So remember when your mom calls you up and says "My coworker Ann just bought a new camera and she takes really nice photos" or that crazy Uncle Morton calls you up, who's hobby I forgot to mention is photographing cats, that you get what you pay for  and on your big day, you deserve only the best. Most photographers have payment plans, you owe it to yourself to make a wise investment. “I should have hired a wedding coordinator” YES, we agree. There are so many details and coordination that’s involved in this amazing day, that YES, you owe it to yourself to hire a coordinator. After all of your hard work and planning, you should be able to relax on your wedding day, and just enjoy and be present in the day. The last thing you want to worry about is your dad being unable to find his “special wedding socks” (Yes, this happens.) or where the men's boutonnières are. A fabulous coordination team makes your day one for the books, and leaves you happy and stress free on your big day.  Looking for a fabulous coordination team in Hawaii? We highly recommend our friends over at Aloha Bridal Connections. Lauren Ellis and her team of ladies are absolutely fantastic and will make your day flow perfectly. www.alohabridalconnections.com

• Be an informed Bride. See what's Hot in the wedding industry by attending a Bridal Expo. You will learn so much about the who's who in the wedding industry, and the hottest wedding trends. Plus there are loads of prizes, samples, and giveaways. We love trade shows! This is a great way for us to have one on one face time with our brides and get to learn what and who are new in the industry. Looking for a bridal show in Hawaii? Brad Buckles and The Bride’s Club host Hawaii’s top bridal trade show twice a year in Honolulu at the Neal Blaisdell  Center. One in January and one in July. Get your tickets at www.bridesclub.com the January tradeshow is almost here!! Jan 16-18

• Make a list with deadlines. Keeping your planning organized with deadlines will make your life a lot easier. You’ll get important wedding tasks accomplished timely and won’t have a bunch of things hitting you at the last second. 

• Get to know your vendors! When it comes to your photographer, you want someone you feel comfortable with, who has a gorgeous portfolio. Your photographers energy will directly impact how you are in front of their lens, and thus your final images. Once you find wedding vendors you jive with, ask the for their industry recommendations. After all, who knows the wedding industry better than the professionals who work in that industry?

•  Ask for help. Help from friends and help from your family! Chances are they would love to help make your day special, they just don't know how to help you. So don't be afraid to ask.

• Don’t settle, dream big and keep an open mind. This is your day, don’t settle for anything less than what makes your heart dance. I was recently dress shopping with a dear friend and client, who had previously told me she was dreaming about a long strapless gown for her wedding. Due to the relatively short timeframe we had to find her a dress there weren’t a lot of options when we got to the dress store. She tried the first dress on and really liked it, “This could be it” she said spinning around in the mirror. “Well, that was easy I thought!” Although, I could tell she wasn’t in love with the dress. She tried on her other choice, “Ooo I think this is it” she said stepping into a pair of heels and doing a 360 in the mirror. “It’s not strapless… “ I kept thinking, she REALLY wanted strapless… I asked Irene, our friend over at The Princess Bride dress shop, if they had anything strapless and white in stock that would fit Cady (who is a cute little petite thang) Irene shook her head, “I don’t believe we do, nothing that I could have ready that soon” We walked around the store, Cady having settled on the dress she had on. At the end of a rack we saw a gown hanging it was a pearl/gold color, so we had previously bypassed it but it kept catching my eye. Cady had been envisioning pure white, “you  should try this dress on,” I encouraged.. a little reluctant due to the color she took the dress and disappeared into the dressing room. Irene walked her out and on to the step, as Cady’s eyes drifted upward toward her reflection, she immediately started crying wiping tears from her eyes Cady cried “This is DEFINITELY it” The tears were enough, we knew it was true.. and boy, was it stunning!