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Luminaire Images Blog • by Molly Ann bio picture

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

Luminaire Images are photography couple Molly and Matt, who have been creatively documenting love and life as fine art photojournalists since 2005.  Since its inception, Luminaire Images has been commissioned for its award-winning artistry throughout California, as well as Colorado, Greece, and the Dominican Republic.

Summer's here and so is wedding weather! We're still accepting wedding commissions for limited dates in late 2010 and all of 2011. For a free consultation or information regarding your wedding, portrait session, and more, drop us a line at info@luminaireimages.com, or call (714) 809-1626; and don't forget to visit our official website!

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Back to School Portraits!

back to school

Announcing our Back-To-School Special!

Maybe school isn’t always as fun as summertime at the beach, but when I was a kid, I really enjoyed getting crisp new notebooks and stylish new clothes in the weeks before my first fall classes.  Celebrate your child’s scholarly pursuits, and receive a complimentary 8×10 PLUS a free set of wallets when you commission a portrait session for your school-aged kid(s) between July 31st and August 31st!  BONUS: This year we are also permitting siblings to sit for free*, so there is only one session commission fee even if you have multiple students in your household this fall!

kids-portraits

reader

Contact Luminaire Images to schedule your session…quick, before the bell rings!

*Up to four participants

Outta Here!

airplane in the sky

How I loooove destination weddings…tomorrow Matt and I are headed to Greece!  We won’t be back till August 2nd, however until then you may still reach us online via e-mail, or Facebook.

Til then!

Opinion: Stalling on Suppliers

fire ring

Perhaps wedding planners and designers can weigh in on this, too: The tendency for some engaged couples to contact a vendor, possibly even going so far as to meet with them, and then stall on the actual hiring and agreement signing.

Why You Wait
I’m sure there are quite a few reasons, the most influential of which is likely cost.  When a supplier slaps down a multi-thousand dollar estimate I’m sure quite a few couples balk until they can carve out a more definitive budget so they’ll better understand what they can and cannot afford.  Secondarily, finding time to sit and talk seriously with your fiancée about wedding decisions is far more difficult than most people think, and often months may pass before the couple is in agreement about whom to hire and how much to spend.  I know some brides also take a few weeks to contact several similar vendors and compare them based on information that’s given.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait…Too Long
It’s important to understand the amount of time in advance you should be commissioning suppliers; most photographers in my area are usually booked 6 months to 1 year in advance. Waiting too long to book a supplier for your wedding date could result in the vendor you had your eye on from the beginning being snatched from under your nose by a quicker couple, especially if your wedding is during the “high” season (March through November here in Southern California).  If you procrastinate on hiring vendors until your wedding is almost upon you then you also run the risk of finding all the “choice” suppliers in your area have been taken ahead of you, and all who are left are less talented or less experienced than what you had in mind!

The Best Solution
…Is a “Priority List.”  As soon as you are engaged, sit down and create a list of all the expenses you expect from your wedding, and then arrange it so that the most important expenses are at the top.  Then over the following months as you continue your planning, just work your way down!  For example, if you deign the wedding dress, the venue, and the photography to be the three most important aspects of your wedding, then acquire them in that order.  That way, if your budget should unexpectedly dwindle as you near the end of your list, it doesn’t matter so much because what is at the bottom was not the most important to begin with!  Booking your most important suppliers early on also ensures that YOU get them, because you were faster and had your priorities straight!

July 16, 2010 - 11:26 pm Liz Coopersmith - Venue.Caterer.Photographer.In that order. I even have a service that focuses on finding those vendors for brides, because they're the most important/expensive/quickest to book up. Also, I'm with Wenda - get done with picking your vendors as soon as you can, so you can relax and enjoy the wedding process some, you know?

July 16, 2010 - 7:10 pm Wenda Evans - I like to have my couples book all of their vendors right after they hire me that way the "hard" part of the planning is done and they have more time to do the "fun" things like creating DIY favors and escort cards! This is one of the reasons my brides are not stressed on their wedding day.

July 16, 2010 - 3:31 pm Julie Pryor - I tell all of the couples I work with to hire their photographer right after they hire me and select a date and a location. Photographers can only book one wedding a day and photography is too important to leave to chance. I prepare a timeline and set up appointments for my clients with the vendors that suit their style. This really helps avoid the procrastination that can occur. I do find that many people are planning their wedding in just four to six months and it's even more important for those brides to not put anything off!

July 16, 2010 - 2:00 pm Tonya Duclos - I couldn't agree with you more Molly!! Book now or "forever hold your peace" ;) You don't want to end up settling for less! This is YOUR day and you want everything you ever dreamed of to come true!! Trust us as wedding professionals!! We know what's best for you! =)

July 16, 2010 - 1:59 pm Sophia - I think many brides feel they are creative and able to put together their wedding on their own. Some manage beautifully others realize as the date approaches there are far too many details to manage and realize the importance of handing the stress and details over to a planner.

Orange County Pet Photography

Are you ready for your summer dose of boopable noses and heart-melting Bambi eyes?

staffordshire

Bowie and his lovely brown and blue eyes!

Cambell enjoying his treat!

Cambell enjoying his treat!

Curious Figaro!

Curious Figaro!

This little guy "knows he's sexy," according to the ladies on the OCHS staff!

This little guy "knows he's sexy," according to the ladies on the OCHS staff!

Murry (L) and an unnamed min-pin (R)

Murry (L) and an unnamed min-pin (R)

Sally may be blind, but she has spirit.

Sally may be blind, but she has spirit.

Pepsi has such a squeezable mug!

Pepsi has such a squeezable mug!

Kurt

Kurt

Tank, eagerly awaiting orders.

Tank, eagerly awaiting orders.

Poor little "Princess" isn't feeling so well. Doesn't that expression break your heart??

Poor little "Princess" isn't feeling so well. Doesn't that expression break your heart??

Ripley

Ripley

July 9, 2010 - 3:11 pm Mary Lallande - You're killing me Molls!

Scoring

So the other night I was thinking about my successes (for once, instead of my shortcomings) as a professional. I was thinking back on one truly triumphant moment and how I had felt like a World Cup player who’s just scored a goal: There is a bubble of excitement, a burst of energy, a moment when you leap for joy, realize you’ve just scored, you’ve just won. If you’ve been watching any of the games, you know what I’m talking about, even if you’ve never played—it’s the moment when the scoring player tears at his shirt in relief, there’s a swollen roar from the crowd, and the people in his corner to cheer with him, and dogpile on top of him in triumph.

I’m sure there are volumes of literature out there discussing how soccer is a metaphor for life…you have to set goals in order to score, in order to score you have to take a lot of shots on the goal, and you will miss far more than you make.  I’ve missed a lot of goals, but the ones that I made are so soooo sweet.  And the BIG ones that I made…well, all I can say is that they make the missed shots completely worth it!

Huntington Beach Wedding Photographer

Christine and Jess are musicians with the Air Force band, so any official government function you ever see on television with a band or orchestra/quartet performing, look for them!  They live in D.C. but decided to get married on the sunny California coast during an deliciously warm Memorial Day weekend.

bride coutureChristine’s hair was styled by Sayde Jammal from Toni & Guy, and her makeup was by one of my favorite artists, Jessica Edwards!

Bride and Groom

ring bearerImage by Matt

bridesmaidsChristine and Jess opted to see each other before the ceremony at their ‘home base’ for the day: The Shorebreak Hotel.

groomsmen

asian brideLOVE all the color and light at this hotel!

bridal party

laughter

bridal fashionChristine’s dress is a silk piece from JCrew and her shoes are Aldo “Bradeen”s in gray.

bride at shorebreak hotelCutest flower girl ever.

church ceremonyThe couple were wed at Christine’s church from her childhood, Korean First Presbyterian Church in Westminster, CA

kids

mixed couple wedding

mischiefI don’t know what’s going on, but this kid’s face has mischief written all over it.

brass bandChristine and Jess had a brass band for ceremony accompaniment.  Image by Matt.

jess

ring

bowThere was lots of bowing in accordance with Korean tradition

christine

ceremonyDirectly following the ceremony there was a traditional Korean ceremony. (R) Image by Matt

korean ceremonyI think Christine’s mother might be a teensy, tiny bit excited about this wedding?

dates

stitching

grandmaLOVE this image by Matt!

bridal party crazy

bridesmaids

orange county ringsImage by Matt

barFollowing the wedding there was an after-party at one of my favorite restaurants, Twenty-Five Degrees.

cheers

pelican

food

hurrahParty all night, ya’ll!

June 16, 2010 - 2:25 pm Mari Washington - Christine, you look so beautiful in these photos and more importantly, you look incredibly happy!

June 14, 2010 - 7:29 am Brandon Chaney - Beautiful pics ... very artistic and full of variety. Also, I can tell everyone had a great time!

June 11, 2010 - 10:25 am Jackie - love your blog and images! especially the ones of the humane society.

June 10, 2010 - 11:29 pm Margaret - Awesome sneak peek of the wedding photos! Can't wait to see the rest. Christine & Jess, you both look so happy and relaxed :-) Hope you enjoyed your time in SB. Love...Margaret & Erle

June 10, 2010 - 7:05 am grace - the photos are great - good work molly, matt, and all of the players! the wedding was wonderful ^_^ i can't wait to see the rest of the photos. yay!!

June 9, 2010 - 7:57 pm Shannon - These are fantastic. I love the pic of you two on the beach.

June 9, 2010 - 7:33 pm Charlene - Congratulations friends! Wish I could've been there. Miss you and hope to visit soon!

June 9, 2010 - 6:52 pm Dave Henry - Some amazing shots! I think the photos tell a great story of the wedding.

June 9, 2010 - 3:01 pm Patrick Scott - What gorgeous pictures! You all look amazing. I miss you.

June 9, 2010 - 2:05 pm jess - Agreed. The day was so much fun, and I think Molly and Matt really captured the fact that we were having a ball!

June 9, 2010 - 1:35 pm Willie - Beautiful Wedding! I can't remember much of the evening....awesome!

June 9, 2010 - 1:05 pm christine - Molly and Matt! These are so great! I can't wait to see the rest...you guys are awesome!