Hello my favorite supporters!

It has been a long time since I’ve blogged and really been active online. This is a post where I’m going to wear my heart on my sleeve for a moment and put it all out there. The past couple of years have been really hard for me. It felt like I was drowning and couldn’t get up to breathe. It was a lot of learning, growing and evolving as everything in life is. Between juggling the business Sarah Kossuch Photography, family life, friends – I was falling apart. 2019 is the year I fell down. That happened because I was being tested, needed to grow, and I’m back on fire!

I have been a wedding photographer for almost 10 years. The moment I started to get my feet wet I was also then a business owner. Someone who had to do everything business wise and learn as I went. Expenses, customer service, product orders, shoot, edit, juggle “employees” meet clients. I was working non stop and at times 7 days a week for months on end. That hindered my family life and me as a person.

Through all the chaos 2019 brought, wedding photography itself is what I love the most.

With that comes my change. I have done a pretty darn good job finding incredible clients, I can’t even begin to express how amazing you are! Though, there are also times I came across clients who maybe needed more information on expectations, which is something that is a big part of this change coming soon.

When a couple selects a wedding photographer you’re selecting someone who is a professional that does this every weekend of the year, and sometimes 2-3 times in one weekend. Believe in the wedding photographer you hire. Trust them. Their background, experience and portfolio is where they earn their trust and I’m going to touch on this a bit more soon…

In 2020 I no longer offer associates. I want to connect with couples who are warm, inviting and can keep a great open communication with me. I don’t just want you to be the right couple I also want to be the right wedding photographer for you! I’m only taking on a very limited amount of weddings. I need to be able to give my couples the attention they need. I want YOU to feel that way and special, because you are. I value the work I do and who I work with.

So with all of this, I am working on updating a LOT and will post more soon in the coming weeks so stay tuned. Thanks for letting me share a little about me in 2019. <3

 

 

Often times we come across frequent questions for weddings and engagements and we thought it would be a good idea to compile those together and create a blog. This is a great resource for current or even future clients. In the future we definitely plan to add to this as we feel there’s never a “dumb” question asked. So check back and you may see more added to this as it gets closer to your day!

Before you book:

How far in advance do I need to book you? Weddings book up fast, especially during popular seasons for weddings (Spring, Summer & Fall). Securing your date as soon as possible is the best advice I can give because I never know when a date will book. Couples typically book their wedding photographers a year to 18 months in advance. If your wedding is only a few months away, don’t be afraid to reach out to check and see if your date is still available!

Do you have a portfolio of recent weddings you’ve shot that I can see? Definitely! When you come in to the office for a consultation we can go over what a whole wedding day will look like! You will be able to see my style in person and what type of photographs that I take in addition to what you see online. The wedding that I show you during the consultation will be similar to the type of wedding you are planning so you can have a similar view of what your day will look like!

Do you have liability insurance? Absolutely, we are covered! Should your venue request a copy, feel free to direct them right to me and we’ll get it taken care of.

When will I receive a written contract? When you are ready to book, you can review the written contract. Once you book you have one week to sign the contract. The contract needs to be signed to reserve your wedding date!

How much is the deposit?  When is it due? The non-refundable deposit is 25% of the wedding collection cost you choose. This is due within a week of booking with your signed contract in order to reserve your date. The remaining balance is due thirty days before your wedding date.

Are you the photographer who will shoot my wedding? If not, who will? If you are, will you have any assistants with you? Yes I am! Unless you book with my executive, Amanda, Nicole or Lindsey. You will know when you book who you are booking with! Both Each of us will likely have an assistant with us on your wedding day to help us carry equipment and setup lighting.

Do you include engagement photos in your packages? Yes! For more information about engagement photographs, head down to the section about engagement photography.

If my wedding location is outside your normal area, do you charge a travel fee? If your wedding location exceeds our typical radius, you will receive a custom travel invoice that covers our costs of travel, including driving, airfare, and hotel reservations.

 

You’ve Booked, Now What? There are still questions to be answered! 

Engagement Photographs ::

How long do engagements shoots typically last? Depending on the collection you choose time wise engagements vary. I will say a typical engagement shoot lasts about hour.

How many locations do you allow for an engagement shoot? We suggest that you choose one or two locations (close together) for your engagement shoot. We move around and photograph in different areas of each location.

How many outfits should we bring to an engagement shoot? One or two is perfectly fine! Most couples that choose to bring multiple outfits will choose a more casual outfit and one that is a little dressier.

How long will it take until I receive my engagement photographs? We will post your high-resolution engagement photographs in an online gallery within three to six weeks of your engagement session.

 

Things you may want to know…

How many years have you been photographing weddings or how many weddings have you photographed? Including this season Sarah, Amanda, Nicole + Lindsey are at a combined 500+ weddings and engagements with 20 years of experience! We are SUPER proud of that!

What is your photography style? Sarah Kossuch Photography takes a photojournalistic/editorial approach. And we truly mean photojournalistic where nothing is staged and we document your day as it happens. We are not about stuffy, posed, formal, contrived photographs. Our informal style follows the day of your wedding exactly how it happened. Rather than posing every photograph, we capture the day how it unfolds so that we can tell the best story possible. We capture the quiet, subtle, beautiful moments just as well as we do the loud, outrageous, crazy, gorgeous events that happen during your day.

What is your style when you are photographing a wedding? During your wedding day, it is our style to capture events how they naturally happen. We do not plan every moment for you or constantly pose you. We want you to be natural and relaxed. We want to be part of your wedding day, but not stand out as that obnoxious wedding photographer that is always in the way.

What type of equipment do you use? Do you have any backup equipment? We use professional grade Nikon equipment and have multiples. If you want to know the specifics, feel free to ask! We have a variety of lenses, cameras and flashes that we use on your wedding day to ensure we capture every moment perfectly. And yes, we definitely have backup equipment!

Do you use natural light or flash? Both! But we definitely seek out during the day the best possible natural light situations. We believe it produces the best, most beautiful lighting. However we are super obsessed with using off camera lighting in situations that call for it. We will use flash during the processional (if the lighting is not fit enough for natural shots), and formals, then during your reception as there is often no natural light during that time.

 

All Things Wedding

What do all wedding collections include? Our wedding collections include wedding day coverage, hand picked edited wedding day images, lifestyle engagement session with hand picked edited images, and high-resolution images with printing rights.

Do all wedding collections include an album? Not all our collections include albums. But if your collection includes a wedding album, we will create a custom, beautiful design that tells the story of your day. You will be able to review and approve the design before it is created. The hand built, leather bound album will be delivered to your doorstep.

What information do you need from me before the wedding day? Client communication is vital to a successful wedding day. If you live in the area, we will have a face to face meeting or if you are out of town we will phone or video chat to sort out the details of your big day! We will also send you a questionnaire that we need filled out at least two weeks before your wedding date. This includes information such as the timeline for the day, locations, and written list of requested images, and family formal group for photographs.

Can you come visit my venue prior to the wedding? We have a lot of experience photographing at a variety of wedding venues in the area. We’ve likely photographed at your venue or one very similar to it! We will do some research online to look at your venue and we arrive early on the day of the wedding to scope out the area! Rest assured, we’ve got you covered!

Will there be a second shooter or any assistants? Is there an additional fee for each? How do you choose your second shooters? Depending on the collection you choose. But most of our collections include second photographers. We carefully select each second shooter. These are not individuals who are training to be a wedding photographer or trying to get more experience, they are professional seasoned wedding photographers. They all shoot their own weddings and are completely capable of photographing the full wedding day. If my partner, Amanda, is available she is my second shooter. If not, I have a list of photographers I’ve worked with before and highly trust to document your day with me.

What happens if the wedding photographer gets sick or there is an emergency? Do you have a backup plan? That is a great question! Unfortunately some things are out of our control, but by having a second photographer you will be covered for any unforeseen thing! Like I mentioned previously, the second shooters are wedding photographers and can completely photograph a wedding from start to finish in a similar style so I would feel 100% confident in them shooting your wedding. In the case that I was unable to photograph your wedding, the second would become the main shooter and we would bring in another (trusted) second photographer in an emergent situation within our network. All seconds that photograph with me know my style, photograph in a similar style, and all the images will be edited by me.

Can I give you a list of specific shots we would like? Of course you can. We recommend that if you have specific shots you want, let us know beforehand. It is helpful to know what inspires you and what you are looking for. However, understand that while an image you see on pinterest may really make your heart skip a beat it is unlikely that that image will be duplicated exactly the same. There are a variety of restrictions from the lighting, to the environment, the people, the mood etc… One thing we don’t do is carry a shot list around with us all day. It’s super distracting and does pull from the true raw emotions that flow freely through your day. We are documentary photographers, we document. If we are constantly looking at images of how we should photograph, we will miss all the beautiful moments. We will keep those images in our minds for reference, but we can’t take hours trying to duplicate a shot. This also includes images that are requested (for example :: bride and groom with a specific person). We will do everything we can to make sure these images are captured but we just can’t guarantee that can happen.

On the wedding day, do you pick out the locations to photograph at? How many can we choose? It’s all you! You plan your big day, from the guests and dress to the location venues and yes where you want to be photographed. But don’t worry we are here to help you with locations that we are experienced at, so ask us anything! Ultimately it is up to you to decide where you want to be photographed but we recommend that you don’t fill up your day with multiple locations (or ones far away from your venues). Keep it simple and choose one – two spots to capture bridal and/or bridal party photographs. One thing we try to stress is if there’s time between the ceremony and reception do things or go to locations that you want to have fun at. It’s your wedding day! We are all about documenting YOUR story of happiness especially at locations that have meaning to your wedding day.

What time will you arrive at the site and for how long will you shoot? We will always arrive at your starting location. We want to ensure that we are not late and have time to mentally prepare for your big day so we try to arrive 15-30 minutes early! This does not mean we will knock on your door a half hour or hour early, expect us to be on time. With any extra time we have when we arrive and before we start photographing you, we often scope out the site, go over the schedule for the day, and review your shot list one last time to make sure everything is fresh in our minds!

If my event lasts longer than expected, will you stay? Is there an additional charge? Prior to your wedding day we go over a specific timeline, by doing that we are a really good idea of the coverage for your day. Anything over ten hours, we hire a third photographer to finish the day with you. This is always scheduled a head of time and we know about it prior to your wedding day. If we are at your reception and you need an extra hour to capture the guests party, we will definitely do that! Our overtime rates are $350 per hour and that includes your main photographer, the assistant and the edited files.

How will you be dressed? We will be dressed professional to fit the style of your wedding. We want to blend in, so you will not see us wearing flashy, outrageous clothing. We also want to be comfortable, that means wearing clothes that allows us to move around and shoes that don’t hurt our feet, so you won’t see us in high heels. But we also want to be comfortable with our style! In order to perform the best way possible, we will dress comfortably dressy.

Should we do a first look? This is a question that a lot of couples ask and ultimately it is your choice, but there are some benefits to doing a first look. A first look is a predetermined time when couples see each other before the ceremony, often done privately without family or friends. It is a great way to settle any nerves before the ceremony and spend some precious moments together before the hectic day. It helps couples, and photographers, to avoid stress during the wedding day, as it makes the timeline more flexible. It allows you to get the couple portraits done beforehand too, so you can actually enjoy your cocktail hour! As the photographer, we do document the first look and these are often the most beautiful photographs that capture the pure emotion and love between the couple. Most of our couples choose to do a first look because of timing and relaxation. For the more traditional couple it is okay if you want to wait until you are walking down the aisle to see each other! Never feel pressured to do a first look. We will help you with your timeline to assure we fit everything in.

Is it okay if other people take photos while you’re photographing? Your family and friends are going to want to take out their phones and cameras to take pictures, and that’s okay! It’s a wedding day and they are excited! If it becomes a problem where guests are causing us to miss important moments we will ask that they refrain from taking photos.

How can I make sure I look good in my photos? The best way to ensure that you look amazing in your photographs is to relax and trust us that we are going to capture your day beautifully. If you are stressed, it will show in your photographs. But when you are relaxed and yourself, you look so much better! Also, make sure the schedule of your wedding day isn’t too hectic (which we will help with and know prior to your wedding day), this will cause you be rushed and ultimately stressed. Plan LOTS of time for photographs, family portraits, wedding party photographs, and couple portraits.

How many photographs will you take? How many photographs will you deliver? We take anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 photographs on your wedding day. Once your wedding goes through the editing stage we select the best of the best to tell your story. In the end we typically deliver anywhere from 600-700 photos.

How do you ensure our images are safe? We are a bit crazy about making sure your images are safe! When we photograph, we have two cards that contain the images so we always have a back up. Because we use long measures to make sure images are safe we invest in 3 locations for backing up files.

How do you edit? All of your images are viewed closely and the best images are kept. From there, we detail edit your images. This includes adjusting exposure, toning, sharpening and giving it the Sarah Kossuch final touch. We do not detail edit every images by detail edit we mean removing objects, facial clean ups etc.. We select roughly 50 of the best portrait for details edits. We aim for all our images to maintain a natural look. We do not create commercial images with highly photo shopped bodies or airbrushed skin. We will remove some distracting elements and if you have a specific request for editing, we will gladly do it (within realistic means.) Any extensive editing will require additional charges.

I noticed you have two different editing styles, modern and fine art; do I select the style that I want my wedding photographs to be edited in? I’d love to hear what type of style you gravitate towards to know what inspires you. Ultimately each wedding unfolds differently resulting in a different style of edit. An outside vineyard or barn wedding is likely to represent a great fine art gallery. A wedding that has a modern, black tie affair feel, more upscale would best represent the modern edit. It really depends on the style of your day, so let me know what style you are leaning towards and I’ll choose the edit that truly brings out the personality of your beautiful day!

What are the restrictions for sharing photos online or printing? Do you own the copyright to the photos?  Once your photographs are delivered to you, we provide web sized files for online sharing and you’ll also receive printing rights. You can print as many times as you’d like and as often as you’d like.

Will you be posting about our wedding on your social media sites or your photography website? Yes, we are really big on posting sneak peeks for you to share with friends and family!

How long after the wedding will I get my photographs? Can I download them online? Or do I get a USB? You will receive a full online gallery of your high-resolution images within eight to twelve weeks of your wedding. You can download them all from our website and you will be sent a USB with all your images, as a gift from me to you!

 

I hope this has helped answer your questions and alleviate any fear you have about your wedding day. If you have any other questions or concerns feel free to reach out to our office manager, Lindsey or I, we would be happy to answer them!

 

What happens as a wedding photographer and you wake up deathly ill with the stomach flu the day of your clients wedding? Well guess what, it happened to me this year and it SUCKS.

I wrap up my 5th year as a wedding photographer this year and everyone can tell you this IS my BIGGEST FEAR, I’m not kidding. I have anxiety over this because it is so important to me to be at EVERY single wedding. Every single client I have has a close place in my heart and I literally cannot wait to document their day.

June 20, 2015 is a day I will never forget for the rest of my life. Ever. As a wedding photographer we CAN’T BE SICK. WE just CAN’T. Most weddings require us to direct the entire day. There’s very rarely any sitting, ever. But life happens, it hit me and it hit me hard. I have never experienced the amount of upset I had on that morning. Never. The thoughts of “oh my god, what is the bride going to say? What can I do? PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME.” All of those things were going through my head.

I woke up that morning bit hard by the stomach flu and just a mess. Standing on my feet took every ounce of energy I had. I stood in my bathroom looking in the mirror thinking how in the hell am I going to rock a 10 hour wedding?

I had a second photographer lined up as well as an assistant (thankfully) but I NEEDED someone else. I contact my second photographer Nick Wisda with sheer panic. Nick immediately said I got this I can lead the day don’t worry. I knew with Nick I was confident. Nick comes from Southern California with a portfolio that is pretty damn stellar. Now I need a second photographer. I contact my close wedding photographer friends and they went in our social media private groups blasting out a post in need of a second shooter. Chris, who is incredibly rock steady with the camera raised his hand and immediately left to be to the wedding on time. An angel you guys. That moment mentally made me feel “better” but now I need to contact the bride.

Scared. Nervous. Anxiety. all of those overwhelming negative feelings went through me and it was exhausting.

The one thing I needed to have happen prior to calling was to have a plan.

I called Laura…..

No answer, so I left a voicemail nervous she wouldn’t have time to call me back. I tried my hardest to hold myself together to let her know what was going on and that she shouldn’t panic but to call me asap.

She calls me right away…

How on EARTH have I been blessed with the most humble clients?? HOW?!

(Oh man, I have goosebumps just typing this.) Laura immediately had this tone like a mother consoling her child and I lost it. You guys I lost it. I couldn’t help it. The amount of stress, anxiety, feeling of defeat and not to mention this darn bug just had me a mess. I don’t think I could apologize enough but was VERY confident in the team I had for her. She is an angel honest to god because I know a wedding day as a bride can be crazy stressful and she didn’t let this effect her. She was just happy to hear I had photographers coming and the ONLY thing she cared about was her and Steve. Literally she just wanted beautiful images of the two of them. And that my friends is exactly what she is going to receive.

My heart is thankful to all of my friends and family who stepped in to help me that day but most importantly to my clients who understood and made my wreck like mind eased.

So why am I posting this? Because I learned a valuable lesson in this and it’s that life HAPPENS. I know that every one of my wedding photographer friends do so much to make sure they are healthy for everyones day. Unfortunately some things are out of our control. I do bring this up at every consultation now because it IS important. What happens if I get sick? Well by having a second photographer REALLY helps with unforeseen things. I hire seconds that can run a wedding, in fact they ARE wedding photographers so I would feel 100% confident in YOUR wedding. And at the very least SOMEONE will be there. Like Laura + Steve’s wedding with only 2 hours I do seek out a second no matter how sick I am and luckily we found one. Which sometimes CAN be hard. But understand that we DO everything in our power to ensure a gorgeous documented day for you.

And with that I thought I’d share a few images from Laura + Steve’s day and a HUGE THANK YOU to Nick + Chris for documenting their wedding EXACTLY the way it should be which is perfectly.

xoxo,

Sarah

Pre-wedding Beauty Tips for Brides

You got that bling on your finger, and you have a smile from ear to ear! Your venue is done, ceremony place is set, so your wedding date is officially confirmed. Are you getting over emotional about how you will look like on the day? Don’t worry. In the past I’ve heard makeup artists, even, friends and family members give advice. Wanted or unwanted it is advice. A lot of it is actually pretty amazing! Here is a list of some health and beauty tips that you should take care of. Get through it, and don’t fret!

We all know this is T H E biggest day of your LIFE. I will stop from saying that (well maybe for right now ha!) This is also the day when you have got to look your ridiculously amazing BEST for your pictures, because, twenty, thirty or even fifty years down the road – you’re still going to wish for the oohs!!! ahhhhs!!! and waoo!!! to flow, when your children, and/or grandchildren see you in all your fabulous glory!

The Photos you receive from your wedding signify one of the happiest days of your entire life. I know you wouldn’t like it if you saw your images with a horrible ZIT on your cheek?! WHAT, oh no! OR seeing your images where your hair was a hot mess!? That will not do! So what health and beauty tips must you watch out for to look incredible on your wedding day?!

Health Care – UGH the dreaded word, well maybe for some of us.

What you put inside your body will reflect on your outer. Eat healthy (we hear this everywhere), you will have a flawless skin and an incredible complexion. Oh gosh this would be and is difficult for me but avoid all fast food or soft drinks. I know you guys are on Pinterest and there really are some incredible recipes out there, check those out and see which ones taste the best. As hard as it is keep a balanced diet leading up to your wedding day. Follow a really good diet plan that YOU like. The biggest thing you want to do not even for the sake of your wedding day but overall is clear out your system from the inside. Clean eating. I hear it everywhere! My pre-wedding health advice would be, get lots of sleep and have a balanced and healthy diet, so that you look stunning and the chances of you falling sick will be much less.

Hair Care

What type of wedding gown did you select? Use that as a major deciding factor for your hair style and/or hair cut. And really this is something you want to maintain least 2 – 3 months earlier to your wedding day. Get healthy hair treatments leading up to your wedding can i give you a little tip (Aveda), Aveda has been the most incredible products for my hair. I can honestly say that in the past almost 10 years of using Aveda products my hair has been in the best shape! Annnnnnd before your wedding, the worst thing that can happen is having fried hair!!

Skin and Nail Care

Your skin is a sign of your health and beauty, so it has to be at its best on your day! Remember to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize your skin every morning. And in the evening make sure you are cleaning everything off before going to bed. Clean your hands, face, or feet carefully. Apply an overnight cream. Hands, feet or nails are super important, especially if you are going to take close up pictures of your rings. If you are going to wear high heels, you do not want to show that your nails have been unkept! Try setting aside a specific day with it’s every other week, monthly etc… for getting your manicure, pedicure, and facial. Use this day as not only a spa day to prep for your wedding but it’s also super relaxing! take advantage of that for mind, body and spirit.

Facials

Before I get into this one, who doesn’t LOVE a facial!? I’m sure as most of you know facials are the most essential element of your facial health. Start facials on a regular basis about six months earlier to the big day of your life, and get one every four to six weeks if you can. Don’t exaggerate it.  Facials will help your skin look fresh, clean, even younger 😉 and it’ll also give your face a shine.

Makeup

Whatever makeup you decide to do on your wedding day, first make sure it suits your skin type and your skin tone. The one thing you DO NOT want to do on your wedding day is try new products. You’ll never know whether it will good your skin or not. Keep in mind, your dress, the shades in it make a big difference on the makeup you are wearing. Your makeup artist will see what you’re wearing the tones in it and will select the colors that will look the best for YOU. Make it delicate, highlight the best features of your face and leave the rest as natural beauty as possible. Try to use waterproof makeup, keep tissues near because tears are inevitable, and also depending on the time of the year (your anxiety level) you may sweat a lot. You are glad, and that in itself is going you make you look beautiful and attractive. The makeup is just to match with your natural beauty, not alter them.

With beauty tips comes referrals! I love the vendors I have worked with and couldn’t give them a better recommendation. Trust me when I say they will make you look RIDICULOUSLY amazing!

Check them out and please let them know you read this blog and I sent you!

Jill Sollars

Renata

Jennifer Sadovski

The Makeup Loft

Do you like my blog post? Stay tuned for more secrets and tips for your BIG day my friends!

xoxoxoxo,

Sarah

First and foremost YAY! Congratulations on your up coming wedding!

It’s not every day we get to plan a wedding, right? So wedding day timeline tips, hints, and helpful advice is incredible valuable when scheduling your timeline. Having photographed over 100 weddings, I have plenty of tips, hints, and tools to help you create a great timeline.

Guidelines to Keep in Mind

The key to any good timeline is to ensure you have plenty of time and don’t feel rushed. If you have plenty of extra time built in the worst thing that can happen is you are running ahead of schedule.  A padded timeline is a great timeline.

Make sure you have a detailed timeline with exact addresses of locations (getting ready, photo locations, ceremony and reception) for vendors, the wedding party and immediate family. (Don’t worry, you’ll have an opportunity to fill all of this out when you receive your wedding day questionnaire!)

If you can distribute timelines specifically for the wedding party, parents and vendors.  If the timeline is too detailed or overwhelming your wedding party may not pay much attention to it.  A master timeline for vendors is always a good idea.

Distribute the timeline early enough that you can make changes but not too early that is forgotten about before the big day – bring extra copies to the rehearsal, I’m sure there might be a groomsman forgot his 😉 .  A week in advance for a detailed timeline is usually a safe bet. Preferably sooner but a solid timeline a week prior is great!

Last, be flexible if something needs to shift based on things out of your control. It’s your wedding – you should enjoy it – leave the details to the pros you have hired!

Where to Begin + Vendor Considerations

Start with the Ceremony

A good rule of thumb is to start 30 minutes prior to the ceremony and work backwards from that time.

You’ll want to ensure photos are complete & everyone arrives at the ceremony location at least 30 minutes before the ceremony begins.

Vendor Considerations

Photography (YAY this is where we come in!)

 Are you planning to see each other ahead of time? If so, this impacts the amount of time (if any) you’ll need post ceremony.

How many hours did you book your photographer overall?

You’ll want to make sure you have your pro there for pre-ceremony photos + the major events at the reception as well

Contact the photographer to get a timeline for the photos prior to and after the ceremony.  Each photographer needs a different amount of time to shoot. Those time frames will vary based on the number in your wedding party, family photos and number of locations.

Hair & Makeup 

Most make-up artists ask for about 30 minutes per person (and sometimes more).

Hair stylists request 30-60 minutes depending on the length + style.

Find out if your selected vendor is going solo that day or if there will be an assistant, in which case you can double up your appointments.

Don’t forget to allow yourself a little down time to eat! Make sure you have something pre-prepared, catered or delivered.  This is a great task for mom, an aunt or even the soon to be mother-in-law.

Does your dress zip, button or is it a corset back?  A button closure or corset back takes considerably more time to get into than a zipper closure.  Practice with your maid of honor, mom or whoever will be assisting you on your wedding day.

Travel

Build in extra time for all travel.  This can’t be stressed enough!  You are moving around in a gown, with heels  and flowers. Not mention an entourage.

Add extra time for parking if you are not renting a vehicle for the entire wedding party.  If you will be parking where there are meters, grab a roll of quarters to feed the meters.

Add 10-15 minutes beyond the normal travel time to account for a limo or shuttle.  Loading and unloading the wedding party takes longer than you may think and manuvering the larger vehicle takes extra time.

Post Ceremony 

Are there any additional photos to be taken or do you plan to head straight to the reception?

Will there be a cocktail hour? Will you join your guests at cocktail hour or will you steal a few moments alone?

How long will it take to guests to get seated for dinner?  This is a great question for your venue or caterer.

Do you want to do your first dance right away or wait? Opting for the first dance right away is a nice transition from cocktail hour to dinner.  Guests will already be seated and attention focused on the new couple.

What time will dinner be served?  Ask your caterer how long it typically takes for service and clean-up based on your meal selection and guest count.

Other items to consider – cake cutting, toasts, parents dances, bouquet toss, garter toss.  You may want to incorporate some of these traditions but it’s not necessary to include them all if it’s not your style.

These are just a few tips to get you started.  When in doubt, consult the pros you hired for advice or expertise.

There’s so much to planning a wedding but this should be a good start for anyone and I truly hope this helps you along the way!

xoxoxo,
Sarah

From Detroit, Michigan to Tampa, Florida to Lake Tahoe, California I’m humbled to be apart of Style Me Pretty (SMP). SMP is such a beautiful blog/website specifically for wonderful weddings. This is my life, friends. While I am now traveling to Florida and California, my home base is still in the Motorcity, Metro Detroit Michigan!

For those of you who do not know a majority of my family lives in the Lake Tahoe, California area and being able to get myself closer to them makes my heart happy. I’m super thrilled to be there this July YAY! As for Florida, oh let me tell you …. my heart has been there since the moment I left as a child. I will always be a Michigander forever and always. We lived in Tallahassee, FL for a few years growing up before settling in Rochester, MI. I always felt a piece of me stayed in Florida. When I return I have an overwhelming feeling of being “at home”. While Tampa is not in the panhandle it has been an area my family and I feel at home in. For that I am truly thankful. <3

So what is Style Me Pretty and their Little Black Book?

“Style Me Pretty’s Little Black Book is a highly edited collection of wedding service providers from mom & pop boutiques to a-listers. Bottom line, these vendors are the best of the best.”

Feel free to peek in Style Me Pretty California, Style Me Pretty Florida and of course Style Me Pretty Michigan.

xoxoxo,
Sarah

Woohoo! We recently received a review from an amazing bride on The Knot and looking at the reviews we are at 5 stars! YAY! We take our work very seriously both Amanda and myself and seeing what people have to say really warms our hearts. Thank you to our brides, Kelly L, Kelly B, Angela I, and Anne Mason for your super kind words it truly wholehearted means the world to us! Your weddings at Meadowbrook Hall, Andiamo, Royal Park Hotel, Christ Church Grosse Pointe, The Grosse Pointe Club, Club Monte Carlo and a beautiful backyard affair were more then we can imagine with beauty. Every single one of you are amazing!

Heading to Charleston, South Carolina was hands down one of the most exciting experience I had in 2014. The experience, the opportunity, the friends, even my close friend. It was a well rounded memory that I’ll never forget.

One evening right after Christmas 2013 a super close wedding photographer friend Mishelle Lamarand asked me if I would want to go to a retreat focusing on film, the Bliss & Bokeh Retreat! No no no, not film as in movies. Film as in rolls of film! I was thrilled! I had been toying with the idea of shooting film for awhile but I just haven’t made that leap yet. I know it may sound a little crazy because we are “moving forward” with technology by having digital cameras but there’s something about film that is hanging on, strongly. And you know, you’d be surprised at how many people think video when we refer to film! Which I totally understand why they would think that way because we are in essence “moving forward” in technology. So discussing rolls of film is out of the ordinary anymore.

There’s a lot to be said about film, and I mean A LOT.

Last year Clickin’ Moms published my journey on their blog and I touched a little bit on my experience with film. It’s not REALLY how I started of course but as far as a manual camera goes, it was my very first one. But trust me I was no where near being a professional photographer!

Film IS different then digital in that you have to slow down. My favorite part. Did you hear that? You have to slow down. For digital you can shoot 12fps (frames per second) and get use to that. Then when you are use to it you shoot shoot shoot. When do we ever take a breather slow down and really articulate a meaningful pose? Film is very expensive. so shooting at 12fps can be ok for digital camera’s it’s not for film. I mean you could shoot a pose over and over and over but the rolls of film and developing? Oy Vey!

So while I really enjoy it, I mean I really L O V E D it I am strongly considering adding it into my collections.

I did take the time to use my digital camera and will most certainly be posting those in another blog but today, today is all about the film side of things. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! I really felt this retreat as well as using a Contax 645 that Contax Rental graciously let us use, spoke leaps and bounds too me and the thought of using film in my future events has so much excitement going through my mind.

xoxo

All images shot on a Contax 645 with Kodak + Fuji Porta 400 film

A BIG Thank You to KT Merry for taking a few headshots of us during our time there. =) *Disclaimer* I’m not looking my finest but who cares I was in Charleston!

Venue: The Cottages on Charleston Harbor

Bliss and Bokeh 

Florals: Gathering Events

Gown: Carol Hannah

Groom Attire: Louis Purple

Hair and Makeup: Wedding Hair By Charlotte

Scanned and Develop: Richard Photo Lab

Florals, Design, and Decor Gathering Events

Charleston Weddings

Location William Aiken House

Desserts and Cake FISH Restaurant

Rentals Snyder Events

Cake Stand Polished!

Chairs RS Signature

Gown Gown Boutique of Charleston

Hair and Makeup I Do Makeup

Tux and Tie Charleston Tuxedo

 

Hello and Happy 2015!

I mean lets be honest, saying 2015 sounds a little crazy doesn’t it?! I’ll be the first to say I’m actually really excited about this year. 2014 was so incredibly good to us. We had THE most amazing clients, and I mean THE MOST amazing clients. Luckily, we also managed to have insanely amazing 2015 clients as well! If you do not know by now I have added an Associate photographer to my team. And actually she’s not really very new to SKP, she happens to be Amanda! Amanda has been my editor for 2 years now and during her time with me she’s had an incredible amount of desire to photograph weddings. So, I trained her! Now, Amanda is booking and shooting her very own weddings.

What does this mean?

We are HIRING!!

Amanda will continue to seasonally edit as usual for now. However we are in need of assistants and second shooters.

So what are the requirements?

ASSISTANTS – $10/hour

Works directly with the main shooter.

Work days can be anywhere from 6-12 hours

Carries and stays with equipment at all times

Changes lenses when needed

Makes sure every and all pieces of equipment are placed in bags

Sets up light stands

Helps when needed with minor things throughout the wedding day.

110% must be reliable. This is not a job where you can call in.

Must have a valid driver’s license

All jobs are on Fridays, Saturdays and/or Sundays

SECOND SHOOTERS – $25 to $50/hr (based on equipment and HEAVILY on experience)

Must shoot on ALL professional grade equipment. PLEASE do not apply if you have a crop sensor and a kit lens. And I’m so sorry but I am not accepting new photographers looking to portfolio build at this time.

Must have a minimum of two professional full frame camera bodies (Can be Nikon or Canon)

Must shoot in RAW and in 100% Manual

Prefer camera bodies with 2 card slots

Must have at LEAST a 24-70 2.8, 70-200 2.8, macro and primes

MUST have your own lighting and be solid using it.

AT LEAST 2 years experience preferred

All images will be shot on cards we provide and will be handed over at the end of the night.

Must be comfortable with in the event myself or my associate cannot photograph a wedding our seconds become main shooters and will be provided with all information. (Pay will be increased should the unthinkable even arise.)

If you are interested in second shooting please contact me at sarah@sarahkossuch.com with a link to your current website/portfolio so I can view your work. I will select second shooters based on style and the best fit for my clients. Please understand that if we do not contact you we may just be full for the year or we may contact you in the near future.

Thank you SOOOO much guys!

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

Alright guys, I love you all so lets sit down and have a little loving talk. Grab yourself a coffee and really have an open mind when I chat briefly on this topic.

I had to set a little time aside to go over this as it seems to be a huge head scratcher for some people. I hear it all the time so why on earth does it cost so much for digital files?!?

I’m not going to go through what is cost to run a business – it’s just common sense, right? And the equipment costs (holy moly!)

So lets go into why there’s such a big cost for that. Remember this, a lot of photographers charge a “sitting fee”. This is to cover all costs it takes for them to get there, as well as their creative talent, running a business etc… In my case I need a babysitter. Trust me ain’t nobody watching my four kids for FREE!

So after your shoot the photographers work is just beginning. All of your images have to be viewed closely and the best of the best are kept. And I do NOT want to lose ANYONES images so I pay a lot of money to save your files in 3 locations (yeah, I know, I’m crazy). From there we detail edit your images. Meaning clean them up, adjust colors, toning, sharpening, retouching etc… And that takes time. Once that is complete we put the images from your session up in a gallery (which costs us dolla-bills yo!) –

So now to the “it costs WHAT?!”

Ok here we go … Now just because you were charged a sitting fee which in my case is $200.00, that doesn’t cover all business expenses and my kids do not like to starve. I’m not that mean of a mom 😉

Now, prints – these cost us green paper! As well as all products. Lets talk digital files. I get a lot of inquiries that are flabbergasted that my sitting fee does not include digital files. Am I Crazy? NO!

Everyone wants “their images” of course they do. So they can have them, print them whenever, wherever etc… I am the EXACT same way, friends! And no offense Walgreens BUT I put a lot of time, effort, MONEY and heart into my work for you to get a profit from it. You guys following me? And in order to have a career as most of you I need to make sure I am compensated so that my kids aren’t just eating white bread for dinner.

“Shoot, I’ll just go to JCPenny’s for my pics. They’re CHEAP.”

JCPennys! They charge (their current promo for a limited time! ($19.99 + tax for a 3 image CD *reg. $69.99*. That’s roughly $6.67/image *reg. $23.33/image*). Just for 3 images.

Alright, so lets say I delivered 100 images (that’s not uncommon and sometimes a lot more _ I’m an over-deliverer) to you. And my digital file rate is $800 for the entire collection. $800/100 = $8.00/image.

And I’m not really going to go into the difference between a custom photographer vs. a JCPenny employee taking the photos because if you can’t tell the difference then head on over to Pennys! Seriously.

So while there’s most certainly sticker shock, when you break it down it’s really not all that bad. And honestly digital files ARE the MOST expensive (unless you order a pretty amazing album in which I highly encourage). The next time you’re ready for a portrait session, do NOT panic at the pricing! Don’t let that sticker shock (for digital files) freak you out.

There’s so much more that is offered and to be honest, I’d rather see you have a tangible product to display (Canvases, albums, matted prints) for your friends and family then a USB sitting in your drawer for years. I hope this little pow wow was as good for you as it was for me. And seriously from the bottom of my heart really try to understand what it is that we do behind scenes and to run a business that justifies our pricing.

Much Love, Sarah