Not All Weddings are on a Saturday

Here it is.  A Friday.  A great day for a wedding, right?  Sure!  Definitely!  ANY day is a great day for a wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio - or anywhere else.

I had my own wedding on a Friday night at the Krippendorf Lodge in Cincinnati, Ohio.  We picked a Friday in October to get married.  Actually, we got married on my birthday - so, my lucky husband only has ONE day to remember.

There are some big pluses to a wedding that isn't on a Saturday - first off, many wedding vendors offer discounts for Friday night weddings.  Or Monday weddings.  Or Thursday weddings.  Saturday is clearly the most popular day to have your wedding, so you can usually expect some sort of discount for any other day.

Another plus - many vendors unavailable on a Saturday are available the night before.  Or the day after.  This is great news if you have your heart set on a venue, photographer, DJ or other vendor who can only book one event per night/day.  (Not so much an issue with florists, bakers, etc.)

With my own wedding, we had many friends and family members coming from out of town.  So, we had the wedding on Friday night and then a small party at our house the next day for everyone who had traveled to be there.  Sadly, you don't usually get much time to talk to guests at your wedding.  This way, we had the entire day and night to spend with everyone.

In 2011, Gardner Photography has a first - a Monday wedding!  The date is incredibly significant to the couple, and it just happens to be on a Monday this year.  I love their story and what they have planned!  We'll be doing photos at Spring Grove Cemetery with the ceremony and reception at 20th Century Theater.  We love this venue and this couple - so, we're super excited about their April wedding! 

I think non-Saturday weddings often have a story behind them, too - which is the case for this couple and was the case for my own wedding.  As I mentioned, I got married on my birthday.  It was also the same date our house plans were drafted.  In the case of my April Bride and Groom - the wedding is the same date as their first date and engagement.  Clearly, this is a good day for them!  (And ironically, it's one of my best friend's birthdays, so one more reason to love this day.)

Did you recently get engaged and are planning a 2011 or 2012 wedding in the Cincinnati area?  We'd love to talk to you!  And we DO offer special discounts for weddings being held on days other than Saturday.  If you're planning your Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana wedding on a day other than Saturday, then be sure to ask about our special discounts!

Many 2011 dates are already booked, so please contact Gardner Photography today - we'd love to customize a package for you and hear more about your special day (whether it's Saturday, Friday, Sunday, Monday....any day)! 

We love weddings - any day of the week! 

Another eSession at Ault Park - We Had Fun!

This eSession was done during August 2010.  So, it was HOT!  But that didn't stop me, Mairi and Joshua from having a lot of fun during their engagement session.  Can't wait for their July 2011 wedding at the Savannah Center!

As you can see, an eSession at Ault Park is perfect almost any time of the year.  Next week, I'll talk about photos at Glenwood Gardens.  An almost free option.  Look for my Cincinnati Music Hall review and photos coming soon!

In the meantime, enjoy a little slice of summer.....

Before & After - When Photoshop Saves the Day

I wish every photo that came off my memory card was perfect, every time....but that doesn't always happen.  Heck, that never happens!  There are many factors that go into creating a photo, so anything can go wrong.  That's when Adobe Photoshop can sometimes save the day.

I had a wedding about a year ago and was asked to work some Photoshop magic.  A very specific image of the Bride and Groom didn't exist, so the Bride asked me if I could "create" this image.

It was a tough challenge, but I was up for it!  It would mean finding an image that was close and then removing people and recreating a background.  With something like trees or sky, it can be relatively easy to clone the background.

Not with this photo.

It had a lot of details that were in focus - the slats in the porch, the windows next to the front door, the vase of flowers....luckily, I did find two choices, and the couple looked great in both!

You can see the amazing "before" and "after" here....

This was a very rare and extreme case - but it shows that Gardner Photography & Design has the ability to work their "magic" behind the lens AND on the computer.

eSession at Ault Park

Yesterday, I mentioned that one of my favorite places to do engagement sessions is Ault Park.  And for good reason!  I did an eSession at Ault Park last Spring - everything was in bloom, and the park was simply gorgeous.

Check out Mindy and Danny's 2010 eSession at Ault park...



I'm also trying out some of my new montage effects.  I just added a new collection and have started doing more custom effects.  I love how this montage turned out.

=====

Did you recently get engaged and are planning a 2011 or 2012 wedding in the Cincinnati area?  We'd love to talk to you!  Ask about our engagement sessions - and get your own video montage!  Many 2011 dates are already booked, so please contact Gardner Photography today - we'd love to customize a package for you and hear more about your special day!

eSession Ideas { Kick-off and Ault Park }

Where should you do your engagement session in Cincinnati? As a Cincinnati wedding photographer, I get asked this question by many of my brides and grooms. Luckily, there are numerous awesome options available to you! I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite places and any costs associated with them and will post them over the next coming weeks - so keep checking back!

Let's start with FREE options.  Free is always good, right? And some of the best locations to do engagement photos in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are free – but also outdoors. That’s great in June or October but may be an issue if you want an engagement session in January. Of course, a little snow can make for a fun eSession!  And some outdoor locations are always gorgeous.

I'm kicking off this series of posts with one of my absolute favorite free places to do an eSession (or any type of photos for that matter!).....

AULT PARK

Cincinnati is known as a city of parks, and Ault is its fourth largest at nearly 224 acres. Top attractions include the pavilion, lookout point and formal gardens. There's an outstanding collection of roses and a grove of trees chosen specifically for their ability to grow in the Cincinnati area.

 

I have shot weddings, eSessions, portraits, stock photography, families, senior sessions - you name it.  And every time, we get fabulous photos!

What's so great about Ault Park?  Besides being free, it's just beautiful almost all year long.  You have the paths, the foliage, the pavilion, lookout point, the fountain and more.  Sunsets on top of the pavilion at Ault Park can be spectacular.  Photos in front of the waterfall fountain when the lights are on are also beautiful.

 

Okay, I know - those are wedding photos.  It's because Ault Park is such a great place to have your wedding or do photos before/after the ceremony.  There's good reason why you'll see multiple limos in the park on any given Saturday during wedding season.

 

The best time of year to do photos at Ault Park is....all year.  Okay, seriously - it's probably in the Spring.  There's a few weeks when the park explodes with flowers, and the new blossoms are on every tree.  It doesn't last long, but it's beyond beautiful - everywhere you go.

Summer and Fall are also great times to do photos - the park offers so much each season.

So, if you're looking for a great, free place to do engagement photos in Cincinnati, then consider Ault Park!  Or if you're looking for a beautiful place for your wedding or wedding photos.  It's a popular spot for photos for good reason!

Next post - more free parks.  And a paid indoor option at Cincinnati Music Hall.  I'll be doing an eSession there on January 21, 2011, so look for photos and my review to follow!

=====

Looking for the best Cincinnati wedding photographer?  Contact Gardner Photography & Design today to get a custom package quote.  Ask about our "Try Before You Buy" engagement sessions.

Album { Kim & Matt } September 2010, Part Deux

In addition to several mini accordion albums, Kim and Matt got our Flush Mount Panoramic album as part of their package.  This is a GORGEOUS album with thick photographic pages.  It's a true flush mount, so the photos extend across the entire page without any seam to break them up.  Although we offer several album and book options, this is our most premium album.

I haven't made a slide show of the album before, but I thought I'd give it a try.  I didn't do all the fancy transitions - just some nice fades and a little music.  Enjoy!

Video Montage { Beth & Dan } July 2009

Fourth of July wedding in Cincinnati, OH! Everything was held at their church, Northminster Presbyterian on Compton Road. We loved doing photographs with Dan's motorcycle in front of the church - he had to quickly get it home before it rained, though!

We finished up the day with sparklers in front of the church - then headed off to our own Fourth of July celebration. It was a great day - with a super fun couple!