New beginnings and old shoes

This will be the last post on what used to be my very first blog. Kind of like saying good-bye to an old old friend when moving away. While I'm totally excited to finally have a blog that matches me and the Kingdom Wedding Photography by Kat brand, it feels sad to be leaving this little wedding photography blog behind. Silly, I know.

But I also had a hard time saying "Tschüss" (bye) to my favorite pair of sneakers (also the one and only comfortable pair of shoes I own) after God knows how many years.

I went to visit my parents in Germany last fall and after giving my shoes one long look, my mother decided that it was finally time to dump them. She then proceeded to drag me to a shoe store. In all honesty, it didn't require too much dragging ... I love shoes, new shoes, buying shoes, shopping for shoes but part of this deal was that I would give up on the OLD SHOES. Ditch them. Yikes!



This wasn't just a pair of any old boots. See, me and those trusty shoes trudged through Napa Valley, explored San Francisco on foot, walked through the Valley of Fire (we were the only ones hiking there), climbed down the Grand Canyon, got me lost in New Orleans and biked me through Los Angeles for a year. They were my bi-continental, multi-state shoes.

Then I made her promise to re-purpose my old shoes. They are now a lawn ornament next to my dad's 40+ year old bike that he retired last year as well. I guess at least I know where I got this from.

My point? Not sure, maybe there isn't one - other than saying that I feel rather sentimental about letting go. Like letting go of this blog and moving on to the new, custom designed, website hosted blog.

So goodbye old blog and HELLO new VT wedding photography blog:

http://kingdomweddingphotography.com/blog

Check it out!

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

As seen in Vermont Bride Magazine!

Check out our featured wedding in the latest spring edition of Vermont Bride Magazine.





Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Free Senior Session!

Now offering senior photos in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont!



Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

An awesome Rock the Dress session in Vermont!

If Marilyn Monroe ever did a session with a snowmobile, I'm pretty sure it would have looked something like this. I had a fantastic time photographing Jeanna's Rock the Dress session in the snow. And let me tell you, this woman is a trooper. Who else would hop onto her snowmobile in high heels and even take it for a spin while braving the cold in nothing more than her wedding dress?











Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

World, meet Lyrik!

I had an absolute fantastic time photographing Ann and her gorgeous family yesterday!!!!!



















Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Fun with the groom

Wedding season is almost here!!!! Time to think about portraits. One of my favorites is the "floating groom". Yes, it's commonly done; yes, it can be corny BUT: it's FUN. One of my brides commented "I didn't even want them to do it because I usually think these ones are cheesy but I LOVE it." However, she got talked into it by the bridal party.





The other thing I love about it is the bride's reaction to seeing her husband in the hands of her bridesmaids:



So whatever you decide on doing, I'm game. Whether it be your girls lifting the groom, me jumping into a creek to get an awesome picture of the two of you sitting on the bridge above, climbing a tree to get just the right angle, jogging along next to your bridal limo along a parade route - count me in.

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Wedding Flower Tips

I love flowers. So much that last year saw me digging holes for the 2200 (TWOTHOUSANDTandWOHUNDRED – yes, this isn’t a typo) bulks I had ordered. Now I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring to admire this lily/tulip/iris/crocus wonderland.

I also love color and contrast and always have a great time taking your bouquet out for a photo session. Below are just some of my favorite bouquets from last year –



As far as color trends go, pink is still a bride favorite but colorful summer bouquets in red, orange, yellow and more organic designs with unique details such as peacock feathers are becoming more and more popular.



When it comes to your florist, you don’t want a “yes ma’am” kind of person. A good florist should be able to tell you whether your choices are realistic and then suggest alternatives if certain flowers you have in mind will be unavailable or insanely expensive.



One more thing to keep in mind: If you are planning an outdoor summer wedding, you definitely want to select flowers that can stand the heat.

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
- Your Vermont Wedding Photographer -

Meet your wedding photographer ... sort of

So I had this grand big idea for a "get to know your wedding photographer" post. This lead me to a wild goose chase to hunt down a presentable picture of myself ... which made me realize two things:

1) My personal filing system leaves to be desired. My clients' files are labeled by name of the couple, date and event with nifty sub-folders such as "getting ready", "ceremony", "reception" etc. Makes everything super easy to find. Our own files and photos, however, are labeled "misc. 2004 photos" or bear the ever helpful "random stuff" label. ;-(

2) I don't have a single decent picture of myself. What I see is a stranger either puckering, frowning or giving very animated instructions on how to frame and expose the photo properly.



Damian (who will probably not cook for me for at least a week after reading this post) prefers to take pictures of me when I'm either in the garden in my raggediest clothes or asleep on the couch with the dogs. Or eating.

My mother likes to prop us up on random statues or alternatively turns us into mini-dots in a gigantanormous landscape (I'm the dot on the right).



As you can tell, I'm having much more fun on the other side of the camera but I had a fantastic weekend digging through all my boxes full of photos and CDs going "oh", "ah" and "remember how tiny she was as a puppy?".

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Wedding Tip of the Week

You’d be surprised at how many brides show nerves when it's time to walk down the aisle … not about getting married but about walking down the aisle without tripping, forgetting their vows or dropping their wedding ring into a river (one of my biggest worries during our ceremony).

I like to say breathe, smile, and remember: the people watching are here to celebrate with you, Simon Cowell didn’t get an invite … they are NOT here to critique you. So relax and remember that you’re about to get married to the love of your life. Now beam like you mean it!

And while we’re on the topic of walking – do NOT look down! Take your time, look at all your friends and family members, look at your future spouse at the end of that aisle … and smile.



Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Leaving your mark - cool sign-in ideas!

Not in love with traditional guestbooks? Fear not, here are a couple of my favorite ideas for guest sign-ins.

Instead of a guest book, why not opt for a guest note tree? Your guests sign the notes and tie them to the branches of the little tree. Perfect for nature inspired, outdoor or barn weddings.



Another fun idea is to have a Photobooth and have guests tape their photo strips into a guestbook along with their well wishes:



Or you can make it completely your own by picking something that represents a hobby (snowboard, skis etc.) and have guests sign with markers in different colors.



There's really no right or wrong - think about what you want to take away from your wedding and go with it.

Enjoy!

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Win a FREE engagement session!!!

Here's how you can win (even if you already had an engagement session):

1) Upload your favorite photo of the two of you to our Facebook page

2) Pass this on to your family and friends - have them like the page and then like your
photo. The photo with the most likes wins

3) Like away until Feb. 28th, 9.59pm

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

The photo that changed my life

The year was 2002. The place was Los Angeles. A friend of mine was casting a movie that I was going to do the still photography for. She had actors' headshots scattered across the floor, trying to find the perfect male lead. I spotted one photo in particular and said "That's the man I'm going to marry". She gave me a look that indicated that I had clearly lost my mind. Maybe I had. In any case, from that point on, I was excluded from any and all casting decisions (probably a good move on her part). But the handsome stranger whose photo I had fallen in love with aced the audition and was cast as the male lead.



Fast forward to 2011. We're now married for close to 8 years with two dogs and two cats. I still have the photo - not sure who the photographer was but s/he made me fall in love with my husband Damian just based on one single photo. If you're reading this, I owe you. A lot.

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

It's all in the details

I'm a sucker for details. And by details I don't just mean your wedding flowers, wedding rings, wedding decorations, wedding dress, wedding venue ... but also the completely unexpected little details that tell the story of your wedding day.



Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
Your award-winning Vermont Wedding Photographer

Clean them nails

I never thought I'd blog about dirty fingernails. But here we go - this one is for you guys: clean those fingernails. No, we don't request that you get a manicure prior to your wedding day (although you might actually enjoy it) but we do request that you clean your nails. Not that I'm in any position to comment on the beauty of hands but if your wife (or you) would like to get some close-ups of your hands with wedding bands, you'll have to face the music: doll them up like this groom:



Here's an example of what we don't want to see:



And here is the photoshopped version: So yes, while mostly everything can be fixed in PS, I don't much enjoy cleaning your nails digitally.



Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography
- Your Vermont Wedding Photographer -

Brrrr ...

10 degrees and windy. Words cannot express how much all of us Mooneys are looking forward to spring so I'll let Daisy & Jake's faces speak for the rest of us:





Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Why we don’t like other cameras around when we’re taking formal family portraits

Even with a photojournalistic approach, the posed family photos are still an important part of the day for most couples. Different parts of the family live in different states or countries so this is one of the few times where everybody is at the same place at the same time … perfect for taking that big family photo.

While you as an amateur photographer/guest may want to capture those picture-perfect moments as badly as the professional photographer, she’s the one the B&G have hired and … (and I’m saying this in the nicest way possible because I know you love the family, you love the couple, you love photography and you really just want to capture those memories) … you’re making our job incredibly difficult. You don’t mean to, I know that. But you are.

“But why”, you might ask, “It will only take a second for me to snap that shot, no?”

When photographing large groups, the attention of the group gets lost with a large number of cameras (actually, anything that exceeds one camera/photographer) is pointed at them. I need to make sure that the photos I take (the ones the couple is paying for) are perfect.

People don’t know which camera to look at (trust me, there are always a couple of folks who will insist on looking in your direction no matter what) and the photo simply doesn’t look good with everybody looking in different directions. It won’t look good on anybody’s camera. Not on yours, not on mine. It’s like watching TV with everybody having their very own remote control.



So we have to take the photo again. And again. Usually, it will be hot (or cold), people will be thirsty (or freezing), kids will lose interest/find a dirt patch to play in/start crying, the parents of that child will eventually lose their cool, people will start to get hungry, bored, cranky … the mood drops with tension levels rising simultaneously (groom checking his watch “we need to be introduced in 10 minutes”). It’s a miserable experience for everybody and it will show in the couple’s photos.

So as a guest, this is the time to step back and allow the professional the room he or she needs so we can then take the shot and move on to the next group. Before you know it, we’ll have taken all the formal pictures in a fun and relaxed way and the couple will be able to enjoy cocktail hour with you and the other guests where you can take plenty of photos. Sounds like a plan? Awesome!!!!

The ladies below were absolutely fantastic, photogenic and so much fun to be around - making taking the "formals" super fun. With no distractions, it was a breeze.



Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Play it up!

I love games. Except for Monopoly which is entirely my husband Damian's fault - he'd put any loan shark to shame playing this game. I do, however, love, love, love outdoor games that are less competitive. So if you're planning your outdoor reception in Vermont, why not play it up a bit?

One of my favorite bridal portraits ever! And I swear, this is totally not posed - just the bride enjoying herself.



A game of bocce at this Vermont outdoor wedding.



Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Make that award-winning Vermont wedding photographer!

We won the Bride's Choice Awards 2011 from WeddingWire! This means we are in the top 5 percent of Wedding Pros nationwide!!! Woot Woot!!!!

Thank you to all my wonderful couples!!!!

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Wedding Tip of the Week - Shoes, Slipping, Style and Slamming Portraits

It seems like a no-brainer but take the time to make sure you get the right size wedding shoe and make sure you can actually walk in them - accident free! Trust me - I have a pair of high heels sitting in my closet - the first pair of shoes I bought after moving to Los Angeles; to me, they were so "Hollywood" at the time. Sadly, I only "wore" this pair once. On my way from the bedroom into the next wall.



Once you've found the perfect pair of shoes, practice taking a walk in them. This is for both men and women. There are too many guys I have found who have only worn a real dress shoe at their high school graduation 10 years ago.

If the soles are still slippery on your wedding, here’s an easy fix: scuff the bottoms of your shoes before walking down the aisle. Fine sandpaper works great for this. Forgot to sand them as you’re about to head to the ceremony? Worry not, just spray the soles with hairspray.



And lastly, always have two pairs of shoes (yes, tell your fiancé that your photographer told you so!). Your fancy ones for the wedding and pictures and some comfortable ones to change into for the party. It doesn’t always have to be white, either. Feel free to bring a pair of shoes that “pop” for the wedding portraits – a pair of cowboy boots, your favorite pair of funky shoes, Wellingtons – whatever your style may be. They make for great photos.

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography

Unique and totally "YOU" Save the Dates!

Here's a confession: I love paper. Beautiful paper, different textures, matching envelopes ... there's something really neat about it. Unfortunately, my handwriting is atrocious (more than one person thought my name was actually "Quatrin" after receiving a personal note from me) but that hasn't stopped me from stockpiling boxes of paper.

In any case, I stumbled across Save the Date Originals on one of my wedding boards (yes, vendors have wedding boards as well ;-) and was completely smitten with her designs.

Being old enough to still remember vinyl long players and singles, I love this design in particular.

Vinyl Save the Dates:



Arrrrrr .... Pirate Save the Dates:



Poker Chip Save the Dates:



Boarding Pass Save the Dates:



So, there's no excuse to NOT make your wedding your own, from your save-the-dates to your decor.

Kat
Kingdom Wedding Photography