I invite you to visit and subscribe to our new blog located here: http://romantic2ridiculous.com/
We found an new home for our posts and will no longer be posting on this site :).
Go ahead check out our new blog
Thanks,
Chris
Category Archives: About our Photography
CHANGE IS GOOD - We have a new blog!
A cold beach…but the dogs don’t mind
We had a great time photographing Jenn & Chris and their dogs! This cold, crisp November day had a beautiful sky (who new NJ could look like this??!!) Our favorite aspect is when a bride and groom see each other before the ceremony and take the time to get the perfect photographs! Here is the result! Thanks to Sal and Tara and everyone at The Water’s Edge for letting us in early to play a little football!
Perfect 5-star Rating on Project Wedding
We just received an email from Project Wedding. Project Wedding has given us a 5 star rating. I would like to thank all our couples for posting a review of our talent and professionalism, we are so grateful.
- Chris
Published :)
We are proud to announce that a client of ours had their wedding featured in New Jersey Bride. Check out page 177 in the Spring 2009 issue of New Jersey Bride magazine. The wedding story of Kim and Jared Burgin features our images! Congratulations Kim and Jared - now you’re famous! (Big THANKS to Jenny Orsini @ Pampered Bride Weddings for submitting this wedding!)
Check out the full article and more of our images here
Enjoy,
Chris & Suzanne
Reception photos captured at Eagle Oaks Golf & Country Club in Farmingdale NJ.
So many happy couples and a great 2007-2008 season!
We would like to Thank You for allowing us to be a part of your special day. We enjoyed the journey of our meetings, getting to know each other, the planning and of course, the Big Day. Thank you for the love and support that made 2007/2008 a success!
Wish you the best in the New Year,
Chris and Suzanne
Going Green
Suzanne and I received some good news today. We have been selected as members of the Greener Photography Organization.
Here is a brief explanation of Greener Photography from the organization’s website;
“Greener Photography is a non-profit, member-supported organization. Greener Photography means making a conscious effort to make our industry greener! We are not looking for “pure” green photographers; we would be surprised if they exist! We are looking for photographers interested in making a difference, and making an effort to introduce greener methods into your business. We ask that you apply some of our Simple Steps to “green” your business, while putting your name behind the greener photography movement, encouraging photographic suppliers to offer more ecological options. With your help, we can foster real change. Let your voice be heard by joining Greener Photography today!”
Suzanne and I are very passionate about sustainable living and practices. We are happy to be a part of this effort. In fact we just started offering a new Green Photography Package for couples planning ”eco-chic” weddings.
Thank you,
Chris
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Pursuit to your best wedding photographs
Suzanne & I have been discussing new ways to improve our photography, enhance our creativity and make the most of our clients wedding day. Our ideas did not include buying the latest photography gear and additional photography training.
The most influential tool that allows us the ability to create the best images for our clients is Time. The use of time during a wedding day is one of the most important factors in wedding planning. Everyone has heard the phrase ‘it’s the most important day of your life’. Well, it’s also the most expensive. Ensuring you receive the most from your planning discussions and investments should be a constant effort. Planning a realistic time line for your wedding is not easy and you will find many different ideas and advice on how to do things.
Here are some important conversations we feel you should have with your professionals:
- Explain how you envision your day
- Explain the personalities and traits of those involved with your wedding
- Plan for contingencies
- Discuss what is most important to you regarding their service and what you can live without.
- Make clear why the time frame you have agreed to is important
- Explain to your vendors how their time frame effects the time line of the day
Suzanne & I have strong feelings towards a stress free and FUN wedding day. Nothing puts tension in the air 
quicker on wedding day as set backs, running late and confusion, especially during dressing. When a couple asks us how to plan their day for great pictures, we recommend planning for FUN and allow a little extra time each step of the way.
I like to joke, planning your wedding is not like planning a busy day at the office . No offence but, 1:00 limo arrives, 1:05 leave for ceremony, 1:25 arrive at ceremony, 1:30 ceremony starts, is not realistic planning. The goal is to enjoy your wedding, not run through it like an Olympic event.
Suzanne & I sat down with the famed Wedding Planner Jenny Orsini of Pampered Bride Weddings in Springfield, NJ. You may have seen her on episodes of Whose Wedding is it Anyway? on The style Network. We asked Jenny some questions that we could pass on to help our clients regarding their planning ideas.
CLB - What advice can you offer to a bride for preparing her dressing location? Brides quite often underestimate the amount of space they will need for prep/dressing. I always encourage my clients to choose a location that has ample space. A lot of brides choose their parents’ house as the “get ready” location because of sentimental reasons…and they do this knowing its tight quarters. Too often I see brides and bridemaids trying to maneuver through a tight kitchen, make their way to one of several small bedrooms in order to get dressed, and then pull their hair out looking for small misplaced items such as jewelry, shoes, etc. Small cramped spaces also make it very difficult for your photographer to do his/her job to your satisfaction. So my advice is to think twice about your prep location and definitely try to choose a location that will afford you the space you will definitely need on your wedding day.
CLB - What common planning mistake have you seen over and over again this year? Brides and grooms underestimate the amount of time they will need for travel on wedding day.
CLB - What can a couple do to prevent such an occurrence? Be realistic and overestimate everything! It’s better to arrive at your destination early with time to kill then run late and have no plan b!
CLB - Can you describe the levels of assistance wedding planner’s offer these days? Wedding planners today can do as much or as little as their clients wish. For ex. We have some clients who hire us just for day of coordination. This is a very popular service today because it gives brides and grooms piece of mind! In essence, they plan their wedding and then hire a planner to ensure the day goes smoothly (planner oversees vendors, preps bridal party for ceremony, ensures décor is perfect, pays vendors, etc. )
On the other end of the spectrum there is full service planning and coordination. This is when brides and grooms hire a planner to assist them with virtually every aspect of their wedding planning details.
Then there are brides and grooms who need a little bit of help here and there…and in those cases, planners can often customize packages so that the couple receives just the right amount of planning help.
CLB - Please explain how the day of coordination works? See above…but here’s another way to explain it! This is our day of coordination package as it appears on our website.
- Preparation of a personalized wedding day itinerary
- Checking with vendors to confirm arrangements for the wedding day
- Rehearsal coordination and instruction
- Collection of items (if needed) at rehearsal to be brought and set up on wedding day such as: candles, guest book, favors, toasting glasses, place cards, etc.
- Complete wedding day coordination (up to ten hours) with two Day of Coordinators: Overseeing, and directing the ceremony and reception. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Making sure that you, your groom and family are comfortable and have all the attention and service you need while getting ready for the big day.
- Receiving deliveries and greeting vendors
- Distributing copies of your wedding day itinerary to all vendors
- Distribution of final payments and gratuities to all vendors
- Overseeing proper set-up of ceremony and reception locations
- Access to PBW’s essential wedding day emergency kit
- Assisting with distribution and pinning of all corsages, boutonnieres, wedding flowers and flower baskets.
- Ensuring proper placement of seating cards, wedding favors, programs, menu cards, etc.
- Greeting your guests and directing them to ceremony area
- Finding and ensuring your flower girl and ring bearer are ready to walk down the aisle. Having candy on hand when he or she begins to cry!
- Lining up and cueing wedding party for processional
- Making sure you’re ready to walk down the aisle, ensuring you and your dress look absolutely perfect for your entrance
- Ensuring musicians are cued for correct pace and timing
- Ensuring you and your bridal party are prepared for post-ceremony formal pictures
- Greeting you and your groom with your favorite drink as you arrive at your reception site.
- Ensuring you, your groom and bridal party enjoy the cocktail hour hors d’ oeuvres
- Ensuring your music entertainment is prepared for your entrance and has correct pronunciation of the members of your bridal party
- Making sure your makeup looks perfect throughout entire reception and assisting you in the “ladies room” (because we know that dress is big, beautiful and at times, cumbersome!)
- Ensuring you and your groom have a fabulous time at your reception!
Jenny, you rock.
If you have personal questions or additional information please contact Jenny or our ourselves.
- Chris and Suzanne
What do we mean by Romantic 2 Ridiculous ?
It’s about;
- just going for it!
- being creative under pressure!
- taking risks, capturing the unplanned and unexpected!
- not duplicating the same type of images wedding after wedding!
- not allowing a passion to become a job!
- capturing the real you!
There are numerous ways to photograph a wedding and we have developed our own. Suzanne and I absolutely love what we do; we are in business to have fun!
So go on, rip up ‘The Shot List’ page of your wedding planner and start thinking about really having some fun with your photographers. Feed us your ideas; let us know what you’re about and what your interests are. Suzanne and I will take it from there.
~ Chris
