Engagement Session with Patti Duke and Chad Martonen in Stanley, Sun Valley and Bellevue

 

Patti and Chad at Redfish Lake

Patti Duke and Chad Martonen met on the shores of Redfish Lake, located in the Stanley Basin, over 15 years ago. When they found out we were planning to take our weekend guests there, they asked us if they could meet us and have some of their engagement photos taken there. We were happy to comply. Working with a handsome couple and having breathtaking views for backdrops makes it pretty easy to get some great shots. The fact that the two of them were positively enamored with one another also helped. They certainly didn’t need any coaching to show affection towards one another.

     

There was a lot of kissing going on throughout the shoot.

 A lot of kissing!   

We photographed them in a number of different scenarios at various locations at the resort.  

 

One of the pictures Patti and Chad requested was a photo of the special matching tattoos they had done while on a recent trip to Tahiti. The symbols mean “true love” in Tahitian.

As we were about to photograph them popping the cork on a bottle of champagne, a Custer County Sheriff was approaching us in his vehicle. Not knowing if it was legal to have an open container in the area, we signaled Chad and Patti to try to hide the bottle. Just as the sheriff was passing, the cork blew off the bottle and champagne spouted all over Patti. Attempted cover….blown. Fortunately the sheriff was well spirited and had no issues with the champagne, except to make sure the cork (which had fallen into the river below) wasn’t made of plastic (it was French Champagne and had a real cork). He congratulated Patti & Chad and drove on.

Later in the afternoon we met Patti and Chad at the new Sun Valley White Clouds Golf Course where we had made arrangements to photograph them. We took them up to the Earl Holding Tee at the highest point on the course which provides a beautiful view of Bald Mountain as a backdrop.  We were quite surprised to find Mr. Holding, himself there with a small entourage of people who were showing him the tee, named after him, for the very first time.  Mr. Holding is the current owner of the Sun Valley Resort.

More kissing!

Patti and Chad love to bowl, so our final photography location was at the Mountain Sun Lanes Bowling Alley located in Bellevue, Idaho.    

Get a room!

Steve and I had a terrific day with a terrific couple.  We’re confident they’re going to be VERY HAPPY together.

 

Wedding Portraits – Scripting & Organizing Group Family Photos

Posed family group shots are timeless moments included in most wedding albums. While memorable, shooting these scenes can be time consuming and stressful to both the photographer and the families if not well planned out in advance. We at Steve Smith Weddings have compiled our tricks of the trade and would like to pass them along to you. Whether you’re a wedding planner, meticulous bride/groom, or a photographer, we feel that these tips will help make executing your family wedding photos much smoother, faster, and more enjoyable for all.

Basic Scripting

1. Obtain a list of all the family member’s names and their relationship to the bride or groom well before the wedding.
2. With the bride and groom’s help, prepare a list of all the family combinations they would like to have captured, i.e., bride with mother and father, bride and groom with mother and father, etc.
3. Prepare a script noting who will be coming into and exiting each group shot.
4. Keep in mind that children and elderly people tend to have limited patience. We recommend that you script photos with these particular family members early in the session so that they can be excused as quickly as possible.
5. Order your shots so that moving the subject’s in/out can be accomplished smoothly and efficiently. The fewer people to move between shots, the easier the shoot will flow.

Sample Script:

Family Members

• Bride: Julia
• Groom: Cliff
• Bride’s Mother: Carolyn
• Bride’s Father: Charles
• Bride’s Sister: Joanne
• Brides Brother: John

In/Out Staging

• Bride with her Mother: Julia and Carolyn In
• Bride with her Mother & Father: Charles In
• Bride & Groom with Bride’s Mother & Father: Cliff In
• Bride & Groom with Bride’s Mother, Father & Siblings: Joanne and John In
• Bride & Groom with Bride’s Siblings: Carolyn and Charles Out
• Bride with her Siblings: Cliff Out

Additional Tips

• Use an assistant–either one you bring, or a volunteer wedding attendee who knows the family. Have the assistant use the script to gather and stage the people needed to come in and out of the shots. The assistant should also track which shots have been done. This enables the photographer to focus on the technical and creative side of things while pleasantly and efficiently moving the subjects in and out. The majority of them would much rather be at the reception festivities than taking pictures.
• Do your best to stick to your script. There is a strong tendency to skip over people that may be absent for one reason or another. Not waiting can throw off the subsequent scripting and leave you and your assistant to adjust on the fly. In the end, the judgment call is yours. If you think that your wedding party can be patient enough for uncle Charlie to come back from the restroom then by all means wait for him.
• Kind gestures tend to go a long way. Say please and thank you. Smile. Offer your arm to anyone who may need and/or appreciate assistance in getting to/from where the photo is being taken. Thank everyone for their patience and cooperation. You’re more likely to get friendly smiles from your subjects if project positive energy towards them.

Summary

Family group scenes are almost always a necessary part of “telling the story of the wedding day” and an important facet of the collection of photos. Your organization and timely execution will be much appreciated. Not to mention, a bit of weight will be lifted from your shoulders.

Jason & Abby Daley Wedding

This past Saturday couldn’t have been a more flawless day for a wedding. I, Ray J. Gadd of Steve Smith Weddings spent the better part of my day at Chris and Amy Crockett’s (the brides father and stepmother’s) household near Grimes Creek, roughly thirty five miles north east of Boise, ID. This was the all-inclusive location that catered to Jason and Abby on their special day. Sixty degree temperatures, sunny skies, fantastic catering, well thought out event planning and great company made this wedding one to be remembered. Congratulations to Abby & Jason and thank you to everyone who made their special day so memorable.

Abby & Jason Daley

Decorating – Shannon Hannold of Flawless Event

Musician – Billy Braun

Not Pictured – Food by Lisa Peterson Catering