The Wedding Artists Collective Tells Us the Secrets to Great Wedding Photos

So many elements go into planning the perfect wedding: the dress, the venue, the music, the food, the floral arrangements… the list goes on. But the one wedding planning piece you definitely don’t want to overlook? The wedding photos and films you’ll cherish for years to come. To help you capture the amazing moments (the first look, the first dance, hilarious toasts and all!) and get your best angle on your special day, we asked the talented team of wedding photographers and videographers at The Wedding Artists Collective to give us their top tips for picture-perfect wedding day photos. Scroll on for their tips below!
Tell us about The Wedding Artists Collective. How did the team come about?
Lisa Raffo Ashley is the owner and curator of The Wedding Artists Collective, a one-of-a-kind group of talented wedding photographers and videographers from around the world. With 10+ years of experience working with high-profile commercial photographers, Lisa started The Wedding Artists Collective to help talented wedding creatives focus on their work without the administrative headaches and logistical worries of new projects. Lisa’s support navigating the finer points of client relations allows The Artists to refine their own style and grow as industry leaders as they create noteworthy photos and films. Lisa is also the founder of Collective Gatherings, an annual industry retreat, to celebrate the craft of talented wedding professionals and to encourage strong relationships for future collaboration. The Artists in The Collective are some of the world’s best, noted for their signature style and eye for capturing truly authentic wedding day moments. They have become known as some of the finest in wedding photography, recognized in Martha Stewart Weddings, C Magazine, NY Weddings, Harpers Bazaar, Vogue and more.
Who’s who in the group?
Photographers include Samm Blake, Shannen Natasha, Les Loups, Sasithon Photography, City Love Photography, Eager Hearts, Gary Ashley and Echoes & Wild Hearts. Filmmakers include: Lovebrain Films, Eric Hires and Echoes & Wild Hearts.
How should couples find and choose their wedding photographer?
Couples should have chemistry with their photographer! We should make you feel happy, comfortable and like you can be vulnerable in front of us. This ability to be authentic produces the absolute best photos. So when choosing a photographer, take into consideration that certain something that draws you to them personally as well as professionally. This does ultimately make a huge difference in your photos.
Working from a shot list is a surefire way to kill a photographer’s creativity. Hire a photographer who shares a similar way of seeing the world and the way you want the day to be photographed, rather than trying to mold them into a photographer they are not.
What are the types of photos couples won’t want to miss getting taken? What photos make for the best wedding album collections?
Photographs that convey the delicate and true moments of emotion are the ones that couples find most treasured after their wedding day has come and gone. The first kiss, the first dance, the first sighting — all great moments to cherish. But there also are those images of anticipation as the bride dresses that morning, of the couple laughing during the best man’s speech or the quieter moments when it’s just the two of them together.
We always tell our couples when the photo jitters strike to focus on connecting with each other. Every couple has a way of interacting that is unique to them, and ideally that is what you will want to see in your photos. Wedding portraits are one of the only times of your wedding day when you actually get to be (relatively!) alone together. So connect with each other, breathe, relax and really savor being in the presence of the person you love, and the photos will reflect that energy.
How do engagement photos differ from wedding photos? Is there anything a couple should know before taking these photos?
People are often a little uncomfortable in front of the camera for their engagement session, because they’re still getting to know their photographer. So having an engagement session can be a great way to “break the ice.” The wedding day photos will be that much better.
Which do you prefer — a wedding with a “no camera” rule, or guests being able to take their own photos and post them on social media?
No cameras (at least for the ceremony!). Make your wedding a no-cell phone wedding as much as possible. Nothing is worse than having a perfect moment that can’t be re-created ruined by a sea of floating iPhones. Let the professional photographer you’ve hired do what they do best and give their photos a chance to shine. I promise their photos will be a thousand times better than anything your friends or Uncle Bob takes. Not to mention, exchanging vows is more of a powerful experience when your guests are “present” and not fiddling with their phones.
What advice would you give to the bride and groom about getting their best photos on their special day?
Work with the photographer to build a timeline for the day that really allows the photographer to do what they do best. If you want a lot of candid moments captured, it takes time for the photographer to wander and photograph what is naturally happening around them. Always run your timeline past your photographer months in advance to make sure they feel comfortable about getting everything photographed the way you want.
Try not to think of [taking photos with your partner] as formal posed photos, but rather a chance to spend one-on-one time together on your big day. It goes by fast, and having those moments together can be calming and special, particularly given the chaos and excitement that comes with a wedding day.
Any expert tips to help get those picture-perfect wedding photos?
If lovely getting-ready photos are important to the bride, she should consider getting ready in a nice room with lots of natural light. Try to keep the space as clutter-free as possible. Also, soft light is always best for portraits, so evening light tends to work best. However, that doesn’t always work best for the overall schedule of the day. So your photographer will do their best to find a location with lots of open shade when shooting the “first look” and portraits before the ceremony, and then they might steal you away again for 30 minutes during the reception. It’s really best to talk about your plans for the day with your photographer and have them make recommendations based on that.
Have you found your dream wedding photographer? Tweet us @BritandCo and don’t forget to follow Brit + Co on Pinterest for wedding style ideas.
(Photos via The Wedding Artists Collective)
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures