5 Commandments for Mastering Family Formals

Family formals (aka, mom’s favorite pictures from the wedding day [for good reason]) are a necessary component of any wedding day, and are sometimes one part of the day, unfortunately, that stresses brides out the most. From family members making a dash from the ceremony to cocktail hour to your niece (the flower girl) needing to use the restroom, you might be wondering: is there any way to successfully (and quickly) work through the family formals section of a wedding day?

What if I told you, bride-to-be, that family formals don’t have to be so crazy? That all family formals could be done within a short, concise timeframe? By following these five commandments of family formals, you will be sure to make it through your entire list without letting your list take the entirety of cocktail hour:

1. Have a specific list with specific names.

This is the number one most important key to mastering the family formals portion of your wedding day: have a specific list with specific names. Spending five minutes a month before your ceremony writing out exactly who you’d like to have a part of family formals can save lots of time on your wedding day. Don’t forget to touch base with your groom, your mom, and your mother-in-law to make sure their requests are on the list, too!

Our strategy for wedding days is to have a specific list to work from so nothing has to be decided on the fly the day of the wedding (i.e., one less item for the bride to have to coordinate). If we know exactly who needs to be in your formals beforehand, we can start gathering people directly after the ceremony, calling names, and putting people “on deck” for the next photo.

2. Don’t stray from the list.

Commandment number two might be just as important as number one – once you have your list finalized, don’t stray from it! I’ve seen many a list get elongated throughout the family formals timeframe from well-meaning family members who want a specific combination that the bride (and the bride’s family) aren’t interested in having. Allowing friends and family members to elongate the list during this specific timeframe can cut into bridal party portraits, as well as portraits of the bride and groom. Know what shots are important and stick to them!

3. Keep your list simple.

Simplicity is best when it comes to family formals. If you have a limited timeframe to complete formals, keep it short and sweet – keeping the list to immediate family members and grandparents is a great way to save time (less people to gather), and other larger portraits (i.e., your mom’s whole extended side of 30+ people) can be saved for the reception, where the DJ can announce: “we need all of the bride’s mother’s extended family on the dance floor for a photo!” or the like.

4. Let everyone on the list know exactly where they need to be, and when.

What takes up the most time when it comes to family formals? Gathering family members. Alerting family members ahead of time that they will be needed for a photo, whether it’s directly after the ceremony or at an alternative specific time, will save ample amounts of time. Tracking down someone in a 200-300 person crowd can be tough (especially during cocktail hour when there’s food and drink involved!).

5. Bust through your list right after the ceremony.

At your ceremony, everyone will be sitting in the same room – which means everyone is already gathered and ready for formals! After the couple has exited the ceremony, many couples have their pastor make an announcement to have family members remain in their seats so that they’re ready for photos. If no one leaves the ceremony, it’s easier to jump straight into photos!

By following these five commandments of family formals, you’re sure to breeze through your list with ease and efficiency and spend your day celebrating with family members, rather than just taking photos with them – and that’s what is truly important!

Have any tips to add? Drop them in the comments below!

Jack P: North Park Senior Photographer

Jack is a high school senior soccer player who's graduating this spring (in less than a month!) and is heading off to William & Mary in Virginia to study Math and Economics! Major props to Jack for having his senior photos taken earlier this week in 90 degree weather without barely breaking a sweat!

Congratulations on your last year of school, Jack!

What is a First Look, and Should I do One?

Have you ever heard of a wedding day “first look?” In the past, many brides would do a first look with their parents, bridesmaids, or grandparents, where they would get a sneak peek of the bride before the ceremony. But there’s a different type of first look that’s become extremely popular: a first look with the groom.

I know what you might be thinking, because I was thinking it too. What! Why would I want to ruin that moment with my husband seeing me for the first time while walking down the aisle?! Because, let’s be real, that’s a HUGE part of a wedding day. Many little girls imagine walking down the aisle to their Prince Charming, seeing his face light up when his eyes meet your bridal image. So let me say first and foremost – I totally, completely, 100% get where you’re coming from. In fact, on my wedding day, my husband and I chose to forego a first look. But looking back on that day, it’s easy to see all of the benefits a first look would have brought. Without further ado, here are a couple of the top reasons of why you might want to consider a first look:

1. You’ll have more time for portraits.

If photos are important to you, having a first look is a great way to make sure you’ll get tons of photos of you and your soon to be husband! Wedding photography is an investment, and having a first look means getting the most out of your money! Typically, first looks are done before the ceremony, when there’s less of a time crunch (opposed to between the ceremony and reception timeframe).

2. You’ll have more time together.

This is a HUGE one, and one I wish I would’ve considered going into my own wedding day! On your wedding day, you’ll come down the aisle, get married, jump straight into portraits, then jump straight into the reception – there’s barely any time to have a relaxed moment together. But with a first look, you’ll get the majority of your photos done before the ceremony, and will therefore have much more time to enjoy just being together (plus, you’ll get to attend cocktail hour!).

3. You’ll get to enjoy the surprise!

When you’re walking down the aisle and your husband to be sees you for the first time, he’s going to be shocked. Flabbergasted. Over the moon excited! But… he can’t say anything to you. He can’t tell you how much he loves you, how beautiful you look, how excited he is to marry you – he has to wait until after the ceremony, and by that time, the initial reaction has worn away. With a first look, you can share that moment – together.

4. You’ll be less rushed. 

Have you ever been to a wedding where there was a 3-5 hour time gap between the ceremony and reception? Me too. I remember being antsy, hungry, and ready for the party to start by the time bridal party made it to the reception. Doing a first look means being able to do the majority of your photos before the ceremony, which cuts down time between the ceremony and reception for your guests.

5. You’ll be less nervous.

I’m naturally more of an introvert, so being in front of a crowd of people gives me a little bit of anxiety. If you’re like me, consider doing a first look. You’ll get to experience that moment together – just the two of you (plus your photographer, hopefully from afar J ) – without anyone else around. There’s no pressure to react a certain way, no onlookers, just a private moment between the two of you.

Now, let me put a little disclaimer on this blog post – I in no way, shape, or form would ever want to force a first look on anyone! It’s something that should be decided by each couple together (sometimes I even feel bad sharing this option because of how touchy a subject it can be!). But I’ve seen the benefits of doing a first look over and over and always want to share and help my couples (or any couple) find the best option for them and make the most informed decision. So please – by no means feel obligated or forced into a first look (again, I didn’t even have one!) – but do consider the benefits, and make the best decision for you!

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Jenna Hidinger Photography is a Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer located in Zelienople, Pennsylvania who has a heart for encouraging, loving, and serving her couples on their wedding day and in their marriage.

Becky + Joe: Indiana Country Club Wedding Photographer

It's hard to believe, but Becky and Joe's engagement session was over two years ago (see it here!) at Mellon Park - and mid-May of this year, they tied the knot! I loved having the opportunity to photograph Becky & Joe's engagement session because it showed me how easily they interacted together and how much love they have for each other - which is just one reason why I was so excited to photograph their wedding day!

Becky & Joe's fuchsia, purple, and teal wedding day was planned with so many thoughtful details. Becky even created the invitation suite herself (major props!) and tied lockets with photos of loved ones who had passed to her bouquet (what a sweet sentiment!). 

Their ceremony took place right in the middle of Indiana Country Club's golf course in a little area secluded by trees. Their heartfelt vows, Full House references, and retelling of their first date made for lots of laughs and happy tears.

At their reception, Becky and Joe had a stinking COOKIE CAKE as their wedding cake in lieu of a traditional cake (which I was pumped about - Nick and I had a cookie cake at our wedding, and they were the first other couple we have known to do the same!). Towards the beginning of the reception, in honor of loved ones who had passed before the wedding, the couple had a "Ten Bell Salute," which is used before wrestling matches to honor a deceased wrestler (Joe is a wrestler himself, which made a Ten Bell Salute the perfect way to honor deceased family members). The day finished with lots of dancing and a mashed potato bar for guests!

I am so thankful that we were able to be part of such a beautiful day for Becky and Joe. Congratulations on your marriage, you two! Here's to many more adventures!

Vendors:

Bride’s Dress: Exquisite Bride

Bride’s Shoes: “No Doubt” brand off of Amazon

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Hair: Lori Noal

Makeup: Lexi Jones

Tuxes: Men’s Warehouse

Band/DJ: The Pittsburgh DJ Company

Flowers: The Blossom Shop

Caterer: The Indiana Country Club

Cake/Desserts: Gail’s Custom Cakes and Cookies

Videographer: John Ankeny Jr. (Bride’s brother)

Honeymoon: Italy!

5 Online Tools to Organize Your Business

I like to consider myself an organized person (but don’t look at my office right now – it’s a disaster zone!). Much more than staying physically organized, I love being organized with my processes and information.

When I first started photographing senior sessions, family sessions, and weddings, I would maybe photograph three weddings for the entire year and a portrait session per month. It was easy for me to stay "organized" because, well, I didn’t have too much work. But then, slowly over time, I started getting busier. And busier. And soon enough, I was in wayyyyyyy over my head without any rhyme, reason, or rhythm to my madness and it was driving me INSANE. I was the girl in high school who toted around a planner, calendar, and separate binder for each class (organized by assignment and month), but I wasn’t translating that organization into my business.

Fast forward a few years to today, and I’m photographing 20+ weddings and 50-60 sessions per year (such a blessing!), and I’ve had to force myself to get organized and find systems and processes for marking, booking, creating, culling, editing and sharing the work my clients hire me to do. Today, I wanted to share five of my favorite online tools for staying organized and streamlining my work process in hopes that someone else out there can benefit from these tools that took me way too long to find! So without further ado – here are my five favorite online tools for staying organized within my business:

1.  Wunderlist

I absolutely love to do lists and Wunderlist allows me to organize, categorize, and set dates/deadlines for all of my tasks. This no-fuss app has quickly become one of my favorites for its power and simplicity. Wunderlist lets you easily create folders with subcategories (for example: “2018 Weddings”), create sub-lists within a folder (for example: “John Smith + Amy Flowers Wedding”) and create tasks within that list category, as well as sub tasks within those tasks (for example: "edit wedding photos)! If you’re an organizational nerd like me, I know you’re going to love it. And bonus: you can even collaborate on lists and invite people to contribute (for example: my husband and I have a “Groceries” list to help us keep track of what we’re running low on - we haven't run out of ketchup since - score!).

While users have the ability to upgrade on Wunderlist, I find the free version to be full of features and highly convenient (considering it syncs between my desktop and phone app so I can add to-dos while I’m out and about). Check out my breakdown below:

2.  Mile IQ

Mile IQ was a newer find for me – actually, I discovered it while filing for my 2016 taxes when my accountant highly suggested that I keep track of my mileage (believe it or not, on location wedding/portrait photographers do a lot of driving between scouting locations, meeting with clients, and photographing sessions!). I absolutely love Mile IQ because it automatically keeps track of my drives. AUTOMATICALLY. Did I mention it was automatic? Like, that I don’t even have to think about it?! Talk about genius! I just leave my location on my phone on, and it tracks my driving and then lets me categorize those drives as “personal” or as “business” (with sub categories – and you know how I feel about sub-lists!!), along with literally showing a map of where you drove to/from. If you track mileage for business, this app is a must have!

I should also mention that the first forty drives while using the app are free – but if you drive more than 40 trips a month, Mile IQ has the option to upgrade for just a small monthly maintenance fee.

3.  Grum

One of my favorite (and most engaging) social media platforms I use to interact with current and potential clients is Instagram. In the past, scheduling posts to automatically publish at a specific time wasn’t a possibility for Instagram… until Grum came along. Grum.co allows users to not only organize content, but also to schedule content to automatically post at a specific time (i.e., when most of your clients are actively online). By now, you might be starting to recognize how much I love automation. I love it because it allows me to create a bunch of content in one sitting, schedule it out, and then not have to think about it again until after it’s posted. Though Grum isn’t free, it’s only roughly $10 per month, or $120 annually – which (to me) is worth every penny!

4.  Hootsuite

Hootsuite is very similar to Grum, except a user can manage and automate all of their social media profiles instead of just Instagram (except Instagram can’t be automated via Hootsuite – it can only remind you to post at a specific time). Hootsuite allows the user to organize and automate both Facebook and Twitter posts – plus track analytics, create campaigns, and organize contacts all from their simply laid out dashboard! There is much more to Hootsuite that I haven’t had a chance (or need) to explore, but if you’re interested in reading about additional features, I highly encourage you to check out their website! Hootsuite is free for to use for the first three social media platforms (with the ability to upgrade).

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5.  Acuity Scheduling

Acuity is a newer online tool (for me) that I recently began using for the 2017 photo season. I tend to spend a lot of time communicating back and forth with my clients trying to figure out the best date and time to schedule a session. With Acuity, I’m able to send my clients a link where they can view my calendar of available session time slots and book a specific type of session without any back and forth. I’m all about making things simple for my clients, so deciding to invest in Acuity Scheduling was a no brainer for me! Acuity also allows the business manager to set specific appointment types for specific times, as well as send follow up questionnaires to learn more about the booking client. Acuity has a variety of different paid plans – the free version has a very limited number of features, but it still very intuitive!

What are you favorite online tools, apps, and tricks for staying organized? Are there any online tools you would add to this list? Drop your favorite organization tool in the comments below, I always love to find new tools to use! But in the mean time, enjoy checking out the online tools listed above!

One of the Best Decisions I Ever Made for My Business

Upon reading the title of this article, you might’ve thought that one of the best decisions I ever made for my business was something to do with photography. Maybe it was a specific lens, a specific camera, or a specific way of shooting – and while all of those things are important (and were peppered with both good and bad decisions along the way), one of the best decisions I ever made was this: hiring someone to do my taxes.

Sounds simple, right? Maybe too simple to actually make a good blog post?! ;) But there’s so much more to it than just outsourcing your tax return. I realized a couple of years into my business that there are certain things I’m just not as good at doing as others (like filing taxes!), and that I needed to let go of my controlling tendencies. I realized that trying to do everything myself was taking me away from what I loved most: telling people’s stories through my lens!

“It only takes one small root of bitterness in any area of your life to suffocate the blessings and goodness in that area...”

One of my main goals as a photography business owner is to love on and encourage others through what I do. But who was I encouraging and loving on while doing my taxes (which really only made me angry, frustrated, and upset)? Actually, I was doing anything BUT loving and encouraging others, which could’ve started to bleed into my communication with clients, into my creative ability, and could’ve turned a business I love with a passion into a business I resented. It only takes one small root of bitterness in any area of your life to suffocate the blessings and goodness in that area, and then to slowly start to bleed into other areas. (See Hebrews 12:15 for reference).

So my question is this: what bitter roots do I have growing in my business (or in my life) that have the potential to suffocate my passion, or what I’m being called to do? Are you going to allow that bitter root to keep on growing? Or are you willing to do what it takes to cut it out so you can better do what you were created to do?

As a side note, this blog post in no way, shape, or form is meant to downplay where anyone is in his or her journey. Sometimes, you just have to do difficult things in a particular season in order to grow and learn. But if you have the opportunity – let other people help you. Whether it’s outsourcing your photo editing, hiring someone to do your taxes, or bringing an assistant along to your sessions, don’t be afraid to seek out the help you need in weak areas – your weak areas could be someone else’s strengths, and could give someone else the opportunity to use their passion and strengths.

Lulu + Ricky: University of Pittsburgh (Oakland) Engagement Session

Lulu and Ricky (or "Lucky" if you were to refer to them by their couple name!) are two of the most successful, yet humble people I have ever had the privilege to photograph! These two met in August of 2011, both as new Economics PhD students at the University of Pittsburgh. Considering Lulu is from a small town in China, and Ricky from Cleveland, their meeting was meant to be (or shall I say - very Lucky! ;) )! After getting to know each other through studying together, in the spring of 2012, Lulu and Ricky officially started dating. Now, they both teach classes at the Pitt and have offices that reside directly beside each other!

There are a few things that stand out to me about this sweet couple, the first of which is their favorite date. To get an idea of who a couple is to photograph them in the most accurate way possible, I sometimes like to email a few questions before our session together. One of my favorite questions to ask is: "What was the BEST date you ever had together?" To which Lulu responded: "There is no one BEST one, but rather a bunch of them. If climbing the Great Wall can be considered as a date, it's definitely one of the great ones." I mean, how cool is that?!

One more thing that stood out about Lulu and Ricky is their love for each other. Another question I love to ask is: "If you could sum up your relationship in three words, what would they be?" To which Lulu replied "Happy, diverse, intellectual. Ricky's answer is 'I love Lulu.'" I mean, seriously?! How sweet is that?

When it comes to photographing these two, they were absolutely amazing and caught on to the whole process so fast! We started off at the Frick Fountain in front of the Henry Clay Frick Fine Arts Building and then worked our way around to the Cathedral of Learning and finished our session at the Mellon Institute with these two in their PhD caps and gowns. Lulu's mom was even in from China and makes a little guest appearance in one of the last frames of this blog post - she was the sweetest! 

I'm so thankful to have meet you two, Lulu and Ricky! Congratulations again on your engagement - we pray all the best for you two!

Breaking the "Rules" of Creativity

Did you know that there is no [natural] blue pigment in plants and flowers? When I was in second grade, I was doing what most second graders do (prior to iPads and cell phones, maybe?): coloring! I used to love drawing, painting, and coloring, and on this particular occasion, I was coloring in a black and white line drawing of a bouquet of flowers, when all of a sudden, one of my classmates came up from behind me, looked over my shoulder and said: "Hey! There are no such things as blue flowers! Those flowers aren't real, they're fake!" To which I immediately took offense, considering the majority of the colored in flowers in my picture were blue (my favorite color at the time).

Me, being a shy, sensitive second grader, didn't know how to respond. I immediately put down my blue crayon, folded up my drawing, and stuffed it in my backpack - embarrassed that I, Jenna, had created something that didn't fit within the laws and rules of nature (I should mention, I've always been a big rule follower).

Somehow, that seemingly small event put a lock on my creativity. I began believing the lie that creativity has to follow a certain set of rules and guidelines, and even worse, that criticism of my work rendered it useless and unimportant - that critique equates to quitting. Somewhere between that event and today, I allowed those unrealistic rules to penetrate my own creativity, and have found myself creating from a place of fear and rigid rules instead of a place of joy and curiosity. So my goal for this year is simple: to start deconstructing the rules I've made up in my own mind and to create for the joy of creating, to become more curious - and to draw more blue flowers.🌻 What lies have you believed that have kept you from doing what you were called to do?

Gorgeous flowers by: @darlingtonflowerco

Chelsea + TJ: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photographer

Like many Saturdays in Western PA during the spring and summer months, the rain threatened Chelsea and TJ's engagement session until the very last moment - but luckily for us, we escaped the rain and were left with the beautiful scenery of McConnell's Mill!

One of my favorite moments during Chelsea and TJ's engagement session came towards the end. These two were doing a phenomenal job (and were getting to be pros in front of the camera!), so I asked if they would feel comfortable with doing a piggy back ride through a field. They both laughed and mentioned that when they visit TJ's grandma's house, he always gives Chelsea a piggy back ride to escape the groundhogs that live in her yard. If that's not true love, I'm not sure what is!

We can't wait to celebrate your marriage, Chelsea and TJ!

Tips for Making Your Bridal Details Look Amazing in Photos!

You may not realize it, but every wedding photographer has certain parts of the wedding day they favor photographing – and for me, one of my favorite parts of the day is photographing the bridal details! Having time to photograph the bridal details lets me creatively “warm up” for the day, and for me, is just plain fun!

I’m all about meticulously arranging beautiful compositions so brides can remember each and every important detail they incorporated. While it can be easy to lose some of those accessories and trinkets used on the wedding day throughout the years, a photograph (or a few) of your items in your wedding album is sure to remain!

Because I have a passion for creating beautiful imagery from bridal details, I’d love to share three pieces of advice for making your bridal details look amazing:

1. Pre-think and gather what you would like to have photographed.

The bride has a lot of accessories on the wedding day – the dress, veil, shoes, garter, jewelry, wedding rings, perfume, bouquet – just to name a few! I always love to recommend having brides pre-think and gather what they would like to have photographed so nothing is forgotten or unintentionally left out. Pre-thinking what you would like to have photographed means less scrambling on the wedding day looking for misplaced items, and leaves less of a chance that something could be forgotten in the photographs!

Here is a list of what I will typically ask for from brides:

• Dress
• Dress belt (if there is one)
• Veil (if there is one)
• Shoes
• Invitation suite (this adds so much to photographs, plus invitation suites typically cost a decent chunk of change, so getting them photographed is a great way to remember them!)
• Save the date
• Garter(s)
• Wedding rings
• Engagement ring
• Perfume
• Purse
• Headpiece
• Any jewelry (necklace, bracelet, earrings)
• Something old, new, borrowed, and blue

2. Add in personal elements and heartfelt touches.

I love when brides take this piece of advice and run with it! Last summer, I was doing a venue walk through with a bride who was having her wedding on her parent’s property. While we were walking through her parent’s house, I noticed an antique silver tray, which I later learned belonged to her grandmother. I made a point to incorporate the tray into some of the bride’s bridal detail photos, and not only did it make the perfect backdrop for her invitation suite, but was an extra personal element that she will always have photos of to remember! (See below for how the photo turned out!)

Other personal items might include: a photograph of the bride’s mother or grandmother in her wedding dress, a old photo of the bride as a flower girl, an heirloom vase, an antique picture frame or chair, a handwritten love letter from the groom, a handkerchief – but really, the possibilities are endless!

3. Ask your florist to provide some flower petals or a few extra flowers to help set the tone of the photos.

At a recent wedding, one of my brides requested extra flowers from her florist for detail photographs, and I thought it was a GENIUS idea (and can’t believe I hadn’t thought of asking the florists I work with sooner!). Sometimes florists have extra rose petals, flowers, and/or leaves leftover after creating the wedding centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnières – asking them to bring along a few extra items for photos typically is a-okay! Especially if you offer them the opportunity to use your photographs as portfolio pieces in return :)

So there you have it! Whether you're a bride or a photographer, I hope these few little suggestions help get your wheels turning to create some beautiful (and meaningful) photos that will help commemorate bridal details for years to come!