We were hired for this event by Colleen, for her sister, Cait’s, baby shower and we are very glad that she reached out to us. Everyone was very pleasant to work with and very responsive with posing. They listened to what we said very nicely and respected the timeframe we were there for. At the shower there was a skit done by a few didn’t people. It consisted of showing an outfit, themed for every month for 1 year starting when Cait’s baby is born, they did this while reciting a poem for each outfit. Which was adorable to say the least and we had never seen that done so it was interesting to watch it unfold.
The Boathouse at Saugatuck
The baby shower was held at the Boathouse at Saugatuck, and the venue was absolutely beautiful. The decor matched accordingly to the event and was very elegant. The resturant located in Westport CT, is right on the water which makes for a great view while dining. The service was great with the staff on hand, acting fast and generally paying close attention to the needs of the guest at the event. As a vendor who was working the event they even offered us some of the extra food they had prepared which was appreciated greatly. Here is a link to their website https://www.boathouseatsaugatuck.com/
This is just a disclaimer that information may not pertain to some events like wedding, this is more meant for events like baby showers, birthdays, family reuinions and similar events.
Planning events can sometimes be daunting due to just how much there is to think about. These tips are meant to help ease the process or give you some things to keep in mind while planning.
1)Plan on what you would want to do: This is most likely a given but plan the event with things the person of honor would like to do. If it’s a family reunion or something similar, then gear your activities more to the general audience of people attending.
2) Keeping things simple: Keep in mind that every game and decoration you add an event, you would need to supervize which can be overwhelming when you could be enjoying your event. Keeping things on the simplier side can both elevate your event and reduce the amount of stress on the person planning the event. The same thing goes for decorations. If the venue is cluttered with a lot of decorations, it can get in the way and look messy in photos. Sometimes simple is better.
3) Choosing vendors and venues: When choosing a place to host events or picking vendors to provide a service, there is a few things to think about. The first thing that comes to mind is if they have experience doing events, checking online reviews can help give an insight. The second thing is how well you and your vendor’s personalities mesh because if you don’t go well together the planning process and the event won’t go as smoothly. A way for this to happen is to meet all your venders before hand via in person or on Zoom so you get to know their personalities more. It’s especially important to meet your key venders (ex. event planner, photography, DJ, etc.) before hand so they can be involved in the planning process and you know everything will flow smoothly.
For picking venues it would be best while to find some time to personally visit the location before the event takes place, this way you can have a visual understanding of the space you have to work with. Apart from that, when speaking to either vendors or the person who runs the venues, watch how they speak to you, their tones and choice of words could be a big hint in how they will treat you day of and throughout the whole process.
4) Time: When you plan to have multiple activities you may want to space them out from each other to give some downtime in between. This can help make the event flow smoother and can even help the vendors with how they work. Making a timeline is a fantastic idea to help keep track of things and can be shared with vendors.
Extra Tips
1) Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and Quinceaneras:
For the child of honor it’s important to take individaul images & family images before the party. This leaves more time to capture other images and it will be less stressful on everyone.
It’s important to know that some temples don’t allow photography during the ceremony, but you can take family & individual images after. Before the party, take a few more image of the child of honor, so they can enjoy their party the rest of the night.
For quinceraneras, going to a local park before the event gives time for immediate family images as well as images of the child of honor. It’s easier to do this away from the party and crowd so everyone feels more relaxed, as it’s hard to pose in front of a crowd.
2) Reunions and Vow Renewals:
With reunions there is often a lot of people, so having a timeline will help you stay organized so there isn’t a lot of stress on you and your guests. Work with your venders to complete this so on the day of, you can have time catching up with everyone attending. Vow renewals are similar to weddings. If you want a more elegant event, make a dress guide for your guests to follow. Rememember the day of is all about the couple, so plan it to their liking!
3) Surprise Parties and Anniversaries:
Arriving early for surprise parties is important to make sure your ready to go whenever the person of honor arrives. This can also apply to anniversaries if your looking to do it as a surprise. Arriving at least 30 minutes early gives you the opportunity for the element of suprise because suprise parties almost never start on time due to the person you’re suprising coming early or late.
4) Showers/parties (Bridal, baby, engagement):
It’s important to know what the person you’re showering would want for their dream shower. This includes the types of decorations, gifts, games and activities. Finding out what kind of games they would like, or if they want any, is very important since they’re a big part of the party and keep everyone engaged. Before inviting the guests, collaborate with the person you’re throwing the shower for and write a gift restristry so they only get gifts that you will use in the future. This way you won’t get anything they won’t use or need. Keeping this in mind makes for a joyful and eventful party. Here is a link to a blog post about a baby shower that we had recently done https://everchangingphotography.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=5728&action=edit
As we are moving into the holiday season, I wanted to share a recent fall session I capture for this beautiful family of two little ones visiting Vermont.Â
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Kristen’s family was super fun, easy going, and full of energy. Her two young kids were all about exploring the spot they picked for their session. Their littlest one was off and running as soon as his feet hit the ground. His sister was all about climbing the rocks and playing with the leaves. Â
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Since photographing children so young, we can get a few posed images but their attention span is very limited. Usually after 5 or if you are lucky 10 mins you find another way to capture images. For my sessions we can play games, explore the area by moving around, or use props to get the little ones attention. If they have fun and we make it enjoyable to them, we can throw in a few posed images along the way. Â
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Kristen’s family had all sorts of things to explore and look around. The site was a church in Vermont that had beautiful trees, old stone walls, dirt road, and a small field. Since they are from the south, capturing each place within the spot was important, authentic emotions  It was a gorgeous fall day which made highlighting this spot throughout their session easier. Perfect location for a family session! Â
My baby girl’s birthday is on Friday. We have a large family, she is the 5th child. Having two brothers and two sisters, isn’t the easiest at times. They do a lot of things before her, I wanted to create a special time for her. I asked her what the biggest challenge of being the youngest of a large family is. She said being heard, which is why she usually is louder than all the rest. Because of this, she is spunky, funny, and full of spirit. There is never a dull moment with her, making us all smile & crack up from her random jokes. She’s a mamma’s girl but Izzy is a close 2nd. She doesn’t go to sleep without cuddling with her dog.
12 is such an important age. The last year of being a preteen. To celebrate this moment, I knew the right location would make all the difference in her images.
We decided upon a local location so it would be more comfortable. And it’s easier to fit in a mini session. My secret location is one that people normally wouldn’t think twice about. A few years ago, while biking with my girls, we came across a tunnel that had colorful graffiti. I thought it would make for a fun backdrop and used it once, when I first started my business. I’ve always loved the spot and thought how great it would be for Arianna. Plus, I haven’t used it in three years. The location is local yet off the beaten path. It’s full of color & fun designs. And not overly used. Perfect!
There isn’t a lot of people using this part of the bike trail so when we went an hour before sunset, I knew there was no one to worry about. No photobombing or competing for the space. We had the whole place to ourselves. She brought along her sister and bestfriend for the mini session, helping Ari to smile. I don’t always recommend bringing a friend when they are so young, as they tend to not pose and get super silly. But it worked out well and I got some beautiful images of Arianna. And I got some great sister portraits, which is hard to come by these days.
Like my clients, I wanted lasting images that represent my daughter, highlight her beautiful spirit, and have a little fun doing it. The images I captured is something I will cherish forever. And that is exactly what I offer each of my clients.
