The last reason is probably the most practical if you have never worked with or seen a lot of work from your photographer – it affords you an opportunity to test drive the photographer and ensure you will be happy with how they work and how you interact with them.

I know, if you change photographers at that point you will lost part of your deposit, but sometimes its better to forgo the deposit than to have a complete disaster on your wedding day. If you have not yet booked your wedding photographer, you can use the engagement session as a way to test out your photographer of choice; talk to them and see if they will hold your date contingent on your engagement session, some will and yes some will not. If they won’t, then you will need to decide if you are willing to take the risk.

Keep in mind, that even if you love their work, is this somebody you can work with? That is the all important questions that must be asked before you book a wedding with them.







Here are some suggestions on how to make your engagement session a real success!

Make it Grand
There is never a better time to get those engagement photos than when you are just, well, engaged! Trust me, its the ONE TIME you will be wearing a naturally photogenic smile and the only two times you will possibly be happier will be on your wedding day or the day your child is born.

If you plan on submitting a photo with your engagement announcement, you will want to plan your engagement session sometime during your first month of engagement. Be sure to check with your local paper or your photographer on any restrictions on poses and image quality.

The same goes for wedding announcements although those images should be a bit more current, no more than 4 months from the date of your wedding.

Whose in Charge?
Most wedding photographers include an engagement session as a part of their packages, and since most will not discount your wedding investment, its best to make use of this time for not only yourself but for the photographer. Any photographer worth their salt will use the engagement session to not only capture some beautiful images of you and your fiance, but also to experiment with you, changing up the lighting, angles, poses, etc.

They will push the limits photographically to see what works and what doesn’t with you. The advantage is that come your wedding day, your photographer will already know what works and doesn’t work for you and will ensure that you get the best possible images!

This doesn’t mean that you have no say in the matter, so if there are some specific types of images that you are looking for, be sure and discuss these with your photographer.

Discuss the Details!
Make sure that before you start calling, visiting or interviewing photographers, that you have had a discussion with your partner about the types of engagement photos you like and what they like. Do you prefer posed or candid shots? Casual appearance or more traditionally formal? Remember that these images will be around for a long time so make sure that you both are on-board and in complete agreement as to how they will look.

Ideas for those Engagement Photos:

Outdoors:If you are an outdoors person or just love the color of the world around you, take it outdoors! There is no need to spend the entire day shooting in a studio if you prefer the more natural images. Your photographer should be able to suggest multiple locations based upon your preferences of urban vs. natural settings, floral vs. landmarks, etc.

If you have a favorite location or would like to try one that you like, be sure and discuss this with your photographer at the time you schedule your engagement session. If there are restrictions at the location of your choice, your photographer should be able to let you know what those are and how to meet them.

Home Sweet Home:
Our home is our comfort zone, its where we feel the most safe and secure in our world and we all look better on camera when we feel comfortable and in the zone. Your photographer can suggest many different shots and angles based upon your living room, family room, kitchen/dining area, etc. Although it is strongly recommended that you avoid the bedroom since that will immediately give off a strong sexual overtone that you will want to avoid for your engagement photos.

Storybook It:
Depending on the time requirements, you can revisit many of the sites and spots that are significant to both of you for your engagement photos, telling the story of how you met, and how the relationship developed. The place of your first date, first kiss, the ice cream parlor that you both enjoyed that sundae together, where he proposed, etc. To help create a romantic environment for those photos, try to relive the moments by talking about the time you spent at each one, how you laughed, what made you laugh, the tingly feeling you got when she walked through the door…

Here are a few tips on dressing for your engagement photos that will avoid some of the more common mistakes that are made:

• Keep colors to solids and stay away from plaids, floral, patterns, and the Johnny Cash (Man in Black) look, also all white does not work either.
• There is nothing wrong with having that matching look, but please do not go overboard, and keep the silhouettes streamlined.
• If you have any concern about color, it is suggested that you pick a neutral color and then add a few coordinating color tones that both of you like, or at least don’t dislike. Brown with blue and pink, or gray with violet and blue.
• Keep the jewelry simple, and that means very very very simple. Best is to not wear any at all. You will want to avoid any distractions in your pictures and jewelry will do just that. The only piece of jewelry on the ladies should be a simple necklace and the engagement ring, Earrings are ok if they are small and do not attract attention.

Investment for the session
If wedding photo package did not come with an engagement session, you can either go back to your wedding photographer and inquire about setting up an engagement session or you can hire an a la carte photographer to do it for you. For a portrait session in the studio with a select number of prints, you should expect to invest at a minimum $200.00, if you would like more than a couple of hours of time and want to shoot on location, you should be prepared to invest three to four times that amount, the actual investment will depend a lot on where you live and how popular your chosen photographer is.

Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

Flower Mistake 2: Not trusting your florist
Make sure that when talking to your florist you communicate clearly what your likes and dislikes are, what your expectations will be, but at the same time you need to make sure that you allow for some flixibility and substitution. Remember, your florist is determined as you are to make your wedding a success, and that means a breathtaking presentation when it comes to the floral arrangements. The only way that can happen is if you communicate clearly and concisely and you trust your florist. They are the pro, and you need to be willing to allow them to do their job.

Flower Mistake 3: Ceremony Arrangements as Centerpieces
Remember that you can use those ceremony arrangements, such as alter pieces, aisle flowers, etc. as your centerpieces, or arrangements for the head table. With the typical ceremony only lasting 40 minutes, there is no need to throw those flowers away, its wasteful and costly.

Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

Some brides however, are determined to be different than everyone else and they are wearing their wedding dress one last time albeit in a far less careful manner and in conditions that are not conducive to maintaining the dress in pristine condition. This is done for a photo shoot that is unique, different and dramatic. This is what is more commonly referred to as “Trash the Dress Day”.

This phenomenon, which really got its start in the late 90′s in Hollywood, wasn’t a phenomenon until around 2001 when John Michael Cooper created the first bridal image of a dress in flames, with the bride still in it! Since then it has spread like wildfire around the globe with the largest growth occuring in the UK and even though it has stabilized in the United States in the past couple of years, it is still quite popular among the younger, hipper brides.

The first question that is usually asked is “Is the wedding dress ruined?” and the answer is no, maybe, not necessarily, possibly, who knows! There is no single answer and it really depends on how far you want to take it, and how far your photographer is willing to go.

Keep in mind that the objective here is for you to relax, let your hair down and your creativity spring forth, and enjoy wearing your dress one final time in a new and unique manner.

Some brides are more subtle in their session with trips through the park, woods, or a dip in the ocean or lake while others will take it farther by going to dirty, greasy auto shops, stomping around in muddy pools, etc. The argument has been made that this trend gives the dress a new life instead of wasting away in some trunk in the attic, not to mention those fantastic images that jump off the pages in her wedding album.

Pricing for a Trash the Dress Day can vary greatly among photographers as well as experience in shooting them. If you are going for one of the edgier sessions that will ultimately ruin the dress, you will want to make sure you choose a photographer that is experienced, remember there are no do overs once its ruined! If this is something you are genuinely interested in, you should talk with your photographer and see if it is something they do and if so, if you can include it in your package. If your photographer does not offer a Trash the Dress Day option, ask for a referral, photographers are a tight knit group and generally the higher end professionals have no issues referring you to someone else for additional services.

Now, you want to know how you should trash your dress? Well there is no place any better than the internet, you will find all the inspiration and ideas you could possibly want.

Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

I love it when the senior shows up, on time and brings with them an attitude of just hang loose and enjoy the time in front of the camera, it makes their session so much more fun for them, the senior pictures are better and my job becomes pure fun.

Thanks Jerika for allowing me the opportunity to not only make your acquaintance but also to be a part of your senior experience! You are always welcome back at our studios, and we wish you the very best in all your endeavors!

Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

Enjoy!
Oh and don’t forget to come back here and tell me what you thought of the video!

Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

The Details on the Theft

The couple reviewed their photos and after talking with several guests they were able to determine that an attractive young lady who everyone assumed was a family member, was in fact the culprit.  Even with the photographic evidence, the South Carolina authorities have so far been unable to locate the thief.  What really surprised the couple, this was not an isolated event; wedding gift theft is an unfortunate all too common problem.

Steps You Can Take

1. You can create your registry online and request that the gifts be sent directly to you and at any address you want.  Just let everyone know what your preference is, that is having the gifts sent to your home or address of your choosing rather than brought to your wedding reception.
2. If you decide to have your gifts brought to the reception, make it more difficult for a thief by placing the gift table as far away from an exit as possible.
3. Inform your reception venue that you do not want a gift table at all.  You can take the opportunity to visit each table during the reception to not only meet your guests but provide them with the opportunity to give you their envelopes of cash or checks.  Remember, proper etiquette and never ask for cash.
4. If you happen to see or spot a wedding crasher, stop what your doing and immediately ask your coordinator or another individual to ask them to leave.  If they don’t immediately head for the door, they should immediately notify the proper authorities.
5. Politely ask a friend or family member whom you trust to handle the gifts for you.  In addition, ask your reception venue for a secure room in which to store the gifts, that only you and your gift attendant have access to.
6. If you have a large reception, its strongly suggested that you consider hiring security to assist.
8. Wedding Insurance – most policies will cover stolen gifts as long as they are properly reported.

What if It Happens to You?

You must report it to the proper authorities immediately. Don’t wait until the next day or two days later, its important for law enforcement if you report it as soon as you know it.

The next step is to inform your guests. This will be difficult since you don’t know who did and did not give gifts. One of the easiest and quickest ways, would be to draft an email providing them with an explanation on what happened and where things are at and then send it to everyone who you have email addresses for. It would also be helpful to ask them to let other guests know, that way everyone can help you spread the word; either way, do send a hand written note to those you have addresses for and thank them for attending.

The motto here is, be prepared and the unfortunate circumstances of John and Melissa will not be your story as well.

Who’s Paying the Bill?
Some families are still traditional about paying the entire tab for a bride wedding, but in today’s world, the groom’s family is participating on a grander scale when it comes to the money. The most difficult part of this decision is deciding how to bring up the conversation, there is no easy way to do it but its best to have the discussion with each family separately. Here are some suggestions on how to have those discussions to help determine what your budget will be.

• One of the more common methods is to approach each set of parents and ask them to commit to an actual dollar amount. The advantage is that this allows you to determine up front how much there is available for the entire wedding.
• Alternatively, it may be easier to ask each set of parents to finance a particular aspect of the wedding (such as the ceremony, honeymoon, or catering) instead of just committing to a dollar amount.
• You should also decide how much you and fiance are able to contribute towards your wedding. In today’s society, over 40% of couples bear some of the cost of their wedding.

How Much Do You Need Versus Want?
Paying for a wedding has been compared to buying clothes, a car, renting an apartment, etc. That’s a very simplistic view. You will buy more than one set of clothes in your lifetime, just as you will purchase more than one car. However, its generally accepted that a young lady will only have that “FIRST” wedding once in her lifetime and the comparison to the other expenditures is just not accurate. You do need to decide whatj type of wedding you truly want and then see if you have the resources to provide it. If not, then you have some decisions to make. Today, the average cost of a wedding is $25,000.00. This is for a normal 100-150 guest wedding. You need to be realistic as well; if you cannot afford a $50,000.00 wedding, there is no sense in planning one. On the other hand, if you want a $25,000.00 wedding and have far more available, there is no need to spend it all either.

Here is a basic breakdown of what you can expect to pay:

• Reception: 40%
• Ceremony: 2%
• Attire: 8%
• Flowers: 8%
• Entertainment/Music: 8%
• Photography/Videography: 15%
• Stationery: 2%
• Wedding Rings: 2%
• Parking/Transportation: 2%
• Gifts: 2%
• Miscellaneous: 6%
• Emergency Fund: 5%

If you are planning a honeymoon, make sure that you budget for that as well. It is becoming more standard that the bride and groom pay for their honeymoon versus having the families pay for it.

The most important decision that you really to make is to decide what part of the wedding is the most important and which is going to give you the most lasting memories of that day and plan your budget with that in mind. There is nothing worse than having a wedding with the most extravagant reception only to realize five or ten years later that you have no pictures or images from that great reception.


After all is said and done, its your memories that you will have.





Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

Adequate Space on the Dance Floor

There are two critical rules when it comes to the dance floor, small floors are too cramped and large dance floors leave your guests a little too self-conscious. Most wedding planners use a ratio of 3 to 2 for sizing the dance floor. 3 sq feet for every two guests. Example, if you have 100 guests you would need a dance floor of 13′ x 13′. To quickly calculate your needed space, take the total number of your guests (100) and divide it by 2 (remember 3 feet for every 2 guests), this gives us 50 for our example. Take 50 and multiple it by 3 (3 feet per) that gives us 150. The square root of 150 is 12.247 so we round it up to the next whole number. Its really that simple. You can find a square root calculator online at: http://www.math.com/students/calculators/source/square-root.htm. You will want to inquire with your reception coordinator about the possibility of adding extra space should the standard size be too small for you.

Align Your Seating Chart

If you know which guests love to dance or at the very least love to be close to the action, its best to try and seat them closest to the dance floor. This will make it more likely for them to get up and start dancing. You can also be sure that once they start, others will follow. It is also common practice to seat your elderly guests as far away from the speakers as possible.

iPod? Forget it!

Your iPod playlist might be the best playlist the world has ever seen, but there is a reason why DJ’s, bands, and musical groups are so common at receptions, they have the ability to read the guests mood and adjust the music to the crowd.

Don’t Play Just One Genre of Music

I know that all of us have a style or genre of music that we absolutely love, but the music is not just for you, its also for your quests, and nothing will turn off your guests more quickly than playing the same genre of music over and over and over and over again.

Make Music Fun!

Your guests have taken time out of their schedules to celebrate your wedding with you, so why not allow them some fun as well? Allowing the guests to request songs via the RSVP card, or if your reception is smaller in size, just allow them to make requests directly to the DJ. You can also setup a poll on yur ng forward to the voters’ choice song reveal.

DJ – Don’t Play These Lists.

There is nothing worse than being on the dance floor at your wedding and hearing a song that you totally despise. To avoid this happening, make up a short, and yes I mean short, list of the songs that you absolutely do not want played and provide them to your DJ. This list should be less than 10 songs total.

Keep that Dance Short

Your favorite song may be special to you, but if its 8 minutes and 30 seconds long, just imagine how long that is going to feel out there on the dance floor all alone, with close to 200 pair of eyes watching you; also, the guests will feel it as well! Its a good practice to keep all the first dances, yours the mother and father dances, etc. to a short and reasonable length of time.

Setting the Mood – The Earlier the Better

If you want a great time to get things started and make it unique, use the cocktail hour to get the party started. Using a specialty band during this time will energize your guests and put them in a fantastic mood to join you in celebrating your wedding. A few other ideas would be: barbershop quartet, Jazz Band, if your guests are of a different nationality, you might consider a specialty band playing native folk songs, etc. It is important to remember that your objective here is to keep the guests busy and music in the background, what you don’t want is them milling around in complete silence.



Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

It is important to realize early on that the bridesmaids are spending a lot of their own money just to participate in your weedding – IE: they are purchasing their dress, covering their travel expenses, hotel, meals, etc. Do you honestly expect them to pay for everything including their hair and makeup?

If you take your time and shop around for a top notch hair stylist and MUA (Makeup Artist) that has experience with weddings, you can generally find someone who is willing to work with you on the cost end if they know they are going to have several gals to work with. The cost for them to come to you or go to their shop is the same regardless if its just for the bride or the entire bridal party, so don’t be shy – ASK!

If you have someone in your family that is a professional hair stylist or MUA, don’t hesitate to ask them what they would charge to take care of this for you; however, do not expect nor should you ask them to do this for free! That is not only inappropriate, its downright rude. They do this for a living, its how they pay their bills, so don’t ask them to come out and give their services away for free.

Another suggestion is to check out the profiles on Model Mayhem and see what they have to offer. There are many MUA and stylists that have profiles listed and you just might be able to find one that is professional, good, and in your area. Again, don’t expect it for free. I highly recommend that you stay away from Craigslist, the horror stories from there is just not worth the risk of having someone either not show up, or that really doesn’t know what they are doing.

If you just absolutely cannot afford to do this, you will have to trust everyone to handle their own grooming. Either way, remember, its your wedding day and you need to not worry about the small details and just enjoy yourself and the day!





Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.

• 8 1/2″ x 11″ Dark or navy blue card stock
• 3″ x 3″ light blue liner paper paper
• 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ white card stock printed with your names, initials, or monogram
• 20″ to 30″ light blue ribbon (about 1/4″ thick)
• 7 1/2″ x 10″ paper printed in landscape mode with the info for your ceremony
• hole puncher, the small mini variety
• spray adhesive

How to Make Them:

• Fold the sheet of dark or navy blue card stock in half (width wise).
• Glue the light blue liner paper square in the middle of the folded card stock. Set it aside and allow it ample time to dry.
• Glue the white sheet with your initials, monogram or names on top of the liner paper. Set it aside and allow it ample time to dry.
• Fold the inner page(s) width-wise and insert into the inside of the program cover so the pages fit together as in a booklet.
• Close the booklet with the pages still inside, and punch two holes exactly on the fold line and 2″ to 3″ away from the program’s top and bottom.
• Insert the light blue ribbon through the holes while the booklet is open. Close it, and tie a bow on the outside to hold it all together.

If you don’t have access to 7 1/2 x 10 paper, just use sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 for the inside pages, all you have to do is set the print area for 7 1/2 x 10. Once you have printed the sheet, just trim it down and viola! You have your pages! Make sure that print pages 1 and 4 on one side and pages 2 and 3 on the other.





Doug Palme Photography is an award winning wedding and portrait photographer based in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo. We specialize in weddings, senior portraits, family and children portraiture and pet photography. We have a full service studio centrally located in Maplewood, MO with easy access from I-44, I-55 and Big Bend Road. We are available days and evenings and weekends; give us a call today for additional information or to schedule an appointment. You can contact us by calling (314) 677-5586 or by using our convenient Contact Page.