Malari and Trevor, a perfect match!

Malari is a veterinarian and Trevor is a manager for Tomlinson Pet Supplies and also a dog trainer. Could there be a better fit for each other? I asked Malari how they met and she told me “at dog agility training”. So what could be more fitting than adding in their pups to their super fun engagement session? We couldn’t have asked for better save the date models. We had such a fun time and we were happy to be able to squeeze this session in between bouts of bad weather. This late afternoon worked out absolutely perfect. They are so “doggone” cute.

Photo Guest Book 101

There is no better use of “all” of your engagement pictures than a Photo Guest Book. You can make one using any number of on-line sources or ask us and we are happy to make one for you. You will treasure your guest book long after the wedding and remember all the guests who shared in your special day. Here are our pointers for a successful photo guest book!  

 

 #1: Hidden Book

Guests can’t sign it if they can’t find it! Make sure your guest book is placed on its own table clearly labeled “Please leave us a message and sign”. (PS – if you don’t have a house party attendant telling people to leave a message, have an example or you will have names on a few pages and the rest will be blank.) It is helpful to place the guest book near your reception entrance to ensure guests find it right away. Draw attention to your table with décor in your wedding’s color palette.

#2: Not-Enough-Pens or Wrong Pens!

Make sure there are several pens available and test your pen on a back page. Make sure the pen writes and does not bleed or smudge.

#3: Your Pictures

Fill at least half of each page with your favorite pictures. Leave enough white for messages but too much. Have your guest book attendant turn to clean pages after a few messages to make sure each page is filled.

#4 Leave-Without-Signing

Don’t let guests leave without signing! Have your bridal party take the book around to the tables during your reception and have the DJ announce that you would like everyone to leave a message in your guest book.

#5: Never-Reading-Again

Make sure your guest book is enjoyed for years to come and not stashed away in a box in the attic. If guests are signing a traditional guest book, place it on a bookshelf in your home that is easily seen so you can flip through it at any time.

#6:  Doesn't have to be a book

There are so many options for your guests to sign. Our photo books are great options but you could do a photo frame and sign the matte. The photo frame could have a metal matte and the guests can etch their names. We have seen couple have guests sign benches, guitars and quilts. The sky is the limit. 

 

Images now provided on Flash Drives!

J. Mark Photography is excited to announce that wedding images will now be provided to you on a flash drive. Standard DVD's have a shelf life mainly determined by the coating applied to the disc and how they are handled. The materials used in them can decay over time and render them unreadable, as can minor scratches. Flash drives transfer files quickly and will provide you with easy downloads. The flash drive will come with instructions. After download, you can put your flash drive on your key ring and always have your wedding images to show family and friends in minutes.

That is the good news, now here is the bad. We just read a shocking article that 75% of all brides don't print pictures or make an album. Almost all brides said they loaded the images on to facebook, digital frames and loaded on to their computers. Lets back up... 75% said they don't make prints. Well, that is scary. The article said they surveyed brides and to asked them why. Responses ranged from brides intended to make their own albums but never get around to it, that every waking minute was no longer focused on wedding planning and life goes back to the busy...work, home, friends, and often new little ones.

About 40% of our brides select a package with an album. These are modern yet classic keepsakes that will last a lifetime. Take our advice. Don't let your digital media sit idle. Make prints, make a scrapbook, or DIY album, format a book using one of the numerous online services. Then, safely store your digital media. Give copies to your mother, brother, best friend, and one for your safety deposit box. We are delivering memories on a thumb drive. Turn them into something you can admire on your walls and on your coffee table.

The Wedding Album Of Your Dreams!

It is the digital age, but you need a timeless album. Technology will change and you will never regret having a wedding album that will last a lifetime. Our albums elegant, sleek and flush mounted. You had a spectacular wedding and you love your wedding photos. Now, it’s time to create a wedding album that will tell the story of your day for generations to enjoy. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you begin the process of picking your pictures.

After the wedding relax. Just not for too long!
You have worked hard on your wedding plans for months. And after the wedding, you will be tired after being consumed with wedding planning for so long. Give yourself time to decompress. Then give yourself plenty of time to go through all of your pictures. We look to complete albums within 6 months of your wedding.

Let us know your album preferences. There are two types of couples when it comes to album development – those that ask us to design the albums using our favorite images from the day and those who want to select their top favorites and we build the album around them. We love it when we are trusted to deliver a great album design and present it to the client who is surprised and delighted. However, some of our clients like more involvement. Letting us know your level of desired involvement will help the album process go much more smoothly.

Communicate up front with what you want your album to look like. It is very important for us to know your album preferences. Do you like pictures in the background or a solid color background? If you have forgotten what the different styles look like, come by J. Mark Photography and look at our samples again. Do you want us to incorporate your wedding colors, how do you want your album to read on the cover, do you want silver or gold lettering? Client participation is absolutely critical for success and can speed the design process along considerably and greatly reduce the number of revisions.

If you want to select your top images, divide your selections into "Chapters". Your album is a storybook of your day. We design our albums using a chaptering concept, meaning that each album we deliver will have an opening, getting read, first glance, ceremony, bridal party, bride and groom portraits, family photos, reception or party – and then an ending... your departure. It is recommended that you select your tops picks in categories each photo will fall into chapters. Your album has 24 sides (12 pages).

• Bride and venue -1 page
• Getting Ready - 1 bride and 1 groom
• First glance (if you decide to see each other before the wedding) -1 page
• Wedding party - 2 pages
• The Ceremony - 3 pages
• The Couple: 2-4 pages
• Family Photos: 2-4 pages
• The Reception/Party: 2-4 pages
• Cake Cutting/Garter and Bouquet - 2 - 3 pages
• Exit and close: 1 pages

Less is More. We have all heard that phrase a thousand times, and with wedding album layouts, that old saying couldn’t be more true. Choosing the right amount of photographs for your album, rather than cramming tons of photos into the space, will create a much easier story to follow and with a more premium presentation. Some of the most elegant and up-scale product designs are simple and timeless, and a clean classic design will stand the test of time when you show the book to your grandchildren 30 years from now. Though there is no one best number, we recommend selecting 25-30 of your favorite pictures and we will fill in with any needed pictures to tell the story of your day.

Having trouble fitting all your selected photos in? Then add more pages! Several weeks after the wedding, you will receive hundreds of images about 600- 800 your DVD or thumb drive. But with that many great images, it can be very hard to narrow down the special images that will best tell the story of your day to get them into the standard number of pages. Easy solution, add more pages to your book. We can always price out additional pages. Wedding albums are expensive to make and produce, no doubt, but it is worth the extra money for an album you will cherish the rest of your life.

Be Flexible.
Luckily we usually can find a solution, but sometimes it is not possible to get the exact layout you are envisioning due to the picture ratio, crop or other factors with the page and pictures.

Tell us all your revisions at one time. Once we finish the album design draft, you will have the ability to view it online and communicate any changes back to us. The online service we use allows you to view the album and turn the pages to see how the album flows. Feel free to share the link with your family but collect all of your comments and revisions and submit them all at one time. After the revisions are made, we will post the final copy and password protect the album. You will then approve the album and it will be produced and shipped directly to your home address in about two weeks.