engagement

Things to think about for Planning a Spectacular Event

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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

Beautiful Proposal on the Mountain

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When picking a location for a proposal it can be difficult to choose where it should be, while keeping in mind what is important to you and your partner. You can view the post prior to help you plan your session. https://everchangingphotography.com/proven-tips-for-stunning-proposals/ On the 19th we had the pleasure of doing a session on Killington Mountain in Killington VT for Joshua and Suzy. Killington Mountain is unique since it’s central to 7 other mountains, which creates a breathtaking moutain range. Since the trees were covered in snow, it truly felt like a winter wonderland on the mountain top. After we had decended from the mountain, the next location was just outside the Killington Lodge where we took a few images with the snow-capped mountains as the background. Josh and Suzy were a treat to work with. They were very enthusiastic and open-minded about different posings and locations when capturing their images. This allowed us to be very creative and adventurous during the session. Overall, they made the session flow smooth and it was very enjoyable for all of us. This session made for a fantastic end to the week and was the type of session we love to book. We can’t wait for the oppritunity to capture their wedding.

Proven Tips for Stunning Proposals

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Congratulations on your upcoming proposal!

We all know planning a romantic and meaningful proposal can be a daunting task, however with a little creativity and planning, it can be a truly special moment. Here are some of our best tips to get you started:

  1. Think about your partner’s interests: What are your partner’s passions, hobbies, and favorite things? Incorporating them into your proposal will make it extra meaningful.
  2. Be mindful of the time of day: If you choose mid day the lighting is harsh and not flattering compared to an hr after sunrise or an hr before sunset. Mid day sun causes harsh shadows espcailly around the eyes.
  3. Get creative with the location: Choose a spot that has special meaning to your relationship, the place you two first met or your favorite spot in town are great choices.
  4. Posing: side shots are best as you want to see the ring and both of you. You’ll be able to get a reaction shot as well as long as you follow #6.
  5. Don’t forget the ring: Make sure to have the ring on hand before planning the proposal. You don’t want to ruin the surprise by forgetting it!
  6. Plan 1-2 mins for the actual proposal so we have time to capture a wide shot, up close, and their reaction….No two second proposals please.
  7. Personalize it: Keep your partner in mind when you’re planning. Consider adding a personal touch to your proposal, like incorporating a favorite song or poem.
  8. Limit the props: simple is better and way less stressful for you. No need to add extra stress worrying about props, you have enough on your plate.
  9. Flower petals are pretty but they BLOW AWAY. If you want to use them, use them in shots after the proposal.
  10. Dont mention getting nails done: this is the BIGGEST giveaway that something is coming and their reaction may not be as emotional as it could be. If you know they would want their nails done in the images, purchase some presh-on nails (with nail glue or nail stickers) for your soon to be fiance to put on after being proposed to. Don’t know what to buy, remember your family and friends are here to help!
  11. Giving us a photo of you and your partner is HIGHLY recommended: We need to know who to be on the lookout for especially if it’s in public.
  12. When in public, there may be people in your shot: A few ways around this is picking a less traveled spot, weekday verses weekend, or cold weather verses warm.
  13. Do NOT have your proposal in bad weather: Freezing rain is the WORST! It’s hard to focus, it could affect our cameras or our hands, and it’s hard to get sharp images. If the weather doesn’t look good and you can’t be indoors, please pick another day, a backup day for your proposal. It’s such an important moment to waste on bad weather and subpar images when you could get stunning images on a better day.

I hope these tips help you create a truly special proposal for your partner! Need more help or would like us to capture your proposal, feel free to reach out to us. We love capturing this wonderful time for couples and would love to capture yours.

Here’s a few links to some of previous engagement sessions:https://everchangingphotography.com/boston-common-sneak-peek/ https://everchangingphotography.com/boston-fan-pier-sneak-peek/

Tyler & Sarah’s Engagement Session Sneak Peek

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If you are ever in upstate New York you need to check our Saratoga Spa State Park. It’s a ginormous park full of trails, a river, playgrounds, buildings, even a hotel.

I met up with Tyler & Sarah on one of the coldest days. Winter isn’t the busiest times for portraits, so we had more than enough space to roam around. Even though it was so cold, we had a fun time exploring the grounds and capturing some fun images. I can’t wait to photograph their wedding this fall! Here is a sneak peek our of session from last weekend.

La Belle Lights Proposal

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“I love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you.”

~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Proposals are one of my favorite types of sessions to capture. It’s such a happy occasion that is filled with so much love, one can’t help but love these sessions.

Proposals isn’t something you can plan quickly. To ensure the session goes smoothly we need to plan it together. Once I am booked, we set up a time to go over the day in details, answer any questions, and make sure we have a game plan. I go over the location, weather, timing, lighting (especially if you are doing a nighttime proposal), props, and more. You’re nervous enough already, so I try to relieve the stress as much as possible, making sure the only thing you have to worry about it is popping the question. Having photographed over 50 proposals, I’ve mastered the art of proposals.

Two days before Christmas, I photographed a proposal at a new light show in NH. La Belle Winery light show offers a unique in the season option for a proposals. This event goes well into the new year ending in late February. There’s still plenty of time to check it out. https://labellewinery.com/lights/

Timing and communication is key with proposals. So I waited for Jonathan to finish dinner and head to the light show. Since it closed at 9pm, he made his way around 8:30pm. Without realizing it, we had the entire place pretty much to ourselves. Once he proposed we were able to have fun exploring the light show and celebrating this special time for them. Below are some of my favorite images from Jonathan’s proposal.

Fan Pier Engagement Sneak Peek

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Yesterday was a great day for an engagement session. Not only was it warm in Boston, but it was an overcast day, which I truly love. I met up with Zack & Brandy for a fun session exploring one of my favorite spots in Boston, the Fan Pier. If you haven’t been there before, it’s a great spot that offers so much within a small area. There are numerous restaurants, a few markets, historical sites, and so much more. You can see below why this is quickly becoming my favorite session location.