Tag Archives: Inland empire wedding photography

A few tips on hiring a Wedding Photographer

Laguna Beach Engagements | Miguel Pola Photographers

Ok, so now that your engaged, Now what?  Where do I start…  After the dust settles from the excitement of your engagement. Most couples try to figure out where to start with their planning endeavors. The majority of the time the first thing that is thought about is “Where should we get married?” Once that is taken care of, usually the next step is to start shopping for your photographer.  Lately, with the increase of quality that digital cameras have to offer, you are finding more and more people calling themselves “Professional Photographers”.  We would like to give you a few tips on what to look for when you are soliciting Wedding Photographers.

  1. The Photographer’s Visual Perspective: It is sometimes referred to as the photographer’s eye.  Here is where you need to take notice to what the photographer sees during the day of events. How do these images make you feel? Are they unique or do they look like every other photographer’s work you’ve looked at. Do they look extremely staged? Does the bride and groom look uncomfortable? Does they look like they are having fun?  Are they romantic enough for you?  Are they too riske for you? Do they tell a story?  Finally, which photographer’s work puts a smile on your face and do you feel connected to.
  2. The Photographer’s Experience: In my opinion, experience is a big factor.  It’s important that the photographer that you are gravitating to has experience dealing with the day’s hectic people and schedule. Don’t base your choices on costs.  Wedding days consist of lots of emotions, personalities, and sometimes egos.  The question you should ask yourself is “Does this photographer have what it takes to deal with my families diverse dynamics?”  It’s important for a wedding photographer to be “Chameleon Like” to fit in with the mother of the groom that can’t stand the new wife…   Or the overly eager wedding coordinator that has her job to do. Even your crazy uncle Leo who decides that the line at the appetizer bar is more important than the family photos that he’s supposed to be in. With experience comes patients and an understanding of what a client’s needs are. We are contacted 6-8 times a year to create an album for clients who’s photographer has either gone out of business or just handed them a disc of images. This is a dis-service. It is important that your photographer has the ability to create these memories for you to enjoy with your family.
  3. The ole’ Switch-e-roo.  Now that you’ve decided on what studio will be photographing your wedding. Be sure to get in writing that the photographer you chose (hired) will be the photographer that will show up to your wedding.  Some companies offer multiple shooters to choose from. Others offer services and often double, and even triple book weddings on any given day. Sending any photographer to cover your event. Make sure that the photographer that you interviewed and who’s work you fell in love with, will be the same photographer that will photograph your wedding.

Finally, A photographer with an easy going personality with experience that is flexible enough to fulfill your needs would be your best choice. Ultimately, you should love their photography and there products that they have to offer. Great photography + great personality+ great products  + awesome experience = Happy Clients (Bride & Groom)

These are just a few tips to help you choose the right wedding photographer f0r you. We hope that this article was helpful for you while you are planning your beautiful wedding.  I wrote this article to share an insider’s point of view.  It’s through experience and having had the privilege of photographing hundreds of weddings  that I consider myself both an expert on wedding photography and an expert wedding photographer.  I really hope that you’ve found this article useful in your search to get the best wedding images from your wedding photographer.

If you have any questions about our wedding photography, Please contact us at the links below. Feel free to share this post on your facebook page by clicking the share button below.

Written By Miguel Pola

Subscribe to Miguel Pola’s No SPAM Newsletter

View full post »

Wedding Guest Etiquette – Correct Etiquette for the Wedding Guest

Ran across an interesting article that I thought I’d share with you.  Enjoy! Go get you etiquette on! hahahaha

If you have been invited to a wedding, then brushing up on your wedding guest etiquette skills would not be a bad thing.  Many of us think we know how to conduct ourselves in public, but in practice can often let the sense of occasion (and the free flowing champagne) cloud our judgment.  And whilst a drunken reveler at a wedding reception may seem like good entertainment on the wedding video, it is a potential headache for the other wedding guests and the bride and groom!

To begin with a dress code may have been specified by the bride and groom.  Often referred to as black tie, evening dress or perhaps a specific theme, each guest will be expected to arrive suitably suited and booted as it were and to not do so would be considered rude in the eyes of wedding etiquette.  If you are at all concerned about what you are expected to wear then a polite phone call to the bride’s mother or to the maid of honor should help you.

For the wedding ceremony each guest is expected to arrive around twenty minutes before the bride.  If you are late do not enter the ceremony venue but instead go directly to the reception venue, you can give your excuses to the couple later.  To enter the ceremony part way through what will be an emotional time for the bride and groom is very unsettling and can spoil what would be a romantic atmosphere.

When shown to your seats at the ceremony, make sure you have turned off any mobile phones and pagers and that you are comfortable – some ceremonies can take a long time so try to visit the bathroom before you sit down!  Try not to make any blasphemous comments if the ceremony is a religious one and be careful of your language!

The wedding reception is the part everyone looks forward to the most, but this too is often filled with many traditions and customs that require a degree of etiquette to be applied from the invited guests.  Don’t take advantage of your host’s hospitality too early on!  A welcome drink is usually on supplied one to each guest, so make it last unless a pay bar is available.  Depending on the style of the wedding and the hospitality laid on you maybe offered a refill, but try not to get roaring drunk before the first speeches have been given!

Make yourself available for the wedding photographs and don’t disappear off to the bar at the first opportunity!  Many couples like to have a photograph of themselves and all the wedding guests so whether you are close to them or not, make sure you can be found when called upon.  Peaking too soon on the free Champagne and wine is one of the biggest problems faced by wedding guests and the bride and groom.  No-one wants a drunken reveler loosing all their inhibitions and shouting out comments about the bride or what the groom got up to on the bachelor party!  Keep the drinking in check at least until the evening party is in full swing, then you can let loose!

Written by Georgina Clatworthy

Subscribe to Miguel Pola’s No SPAM Newsletter

Email:

View full post »

Featured Interview ~ Coffee Chat with the Spiraled Stem

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2010 and a whole new lineup of blog series we will be featuring at The Spiraled Stem. Our first series is called Coffee Chat with The Spiraled Stem, where I sit down with one of my colleagues in the wedding biz for a fun Q&A about them and their biz. Subscribe to our RSS feed to catch all of our Coffee Chat guests!

Episode 1 is with Miguel Pola from Miguel Pola Photographers located in La Habra, CA. We sat down at the floral design studio to chat about his approach to wedding photography, what his clients should expect in their consultation and relationship with him through the course of the wedding, how to create timeless photos that will look just as fresh when your grandkids look at them as they did on the day they were taken, and the highlight moment in a wedding that he loves to capture for his clients. You can visit his website at www.MiguelPola.com for more information and to view his portfolio!  Not sure why but the audio is a little off from our moving mouths.  Hope you enjoy.

Coffee Chat with The Spiraled Stem – Guest Miguel Pola from Christine Saunders on Vimeo.  Not sure why but the audio is a little off from our moving mouths.

Subscribe to Miguel Pola’s No SPAM Newsletter Email:

Miguel Pola Photographers | Miguel Pola Photographers Blog | Orange County Wedding Photography | Los Angeles Wedding Photography | Wedding Photographers | Orange County Family Photographer | Los Angeles Family Photographer

View full post »

Mission Inn Wedding Photography | Riverside Ca.

You’ve gotta love couples who care only about two things on their wedding day. 1. Marrying their favorite person in the whole world. 2. Having the most fun they can possibly have on their wedding day. Wedding Photography is fun when two people like Justin and Christa are so into each other.  What more can you ask for as a photographer. Justin & Christa were super fun to work with. Here are some of my favorites from their shoot.

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Mission inn Wedding Photography

Miguel Pola Photographers | Miguel Pola Photographers Blog | Orange County Wedding Photography | Los Angeles Wedding Photography | Wedding Photographers

Related Posts with Thumbnails

View full post »

S o c i a b l e
B o o k   U s
A l b u m s
M o r e   i n f o