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Cavin Elizabeth is a wedding film photographer and bridal boutique owner based in San Diego, serving worldwide.
Buy my book for brides: A Bride's Guide to a Picture Perfect Wedding - bitly.com/CEPbook
Nothing is ever required :) I find that events hosted in restaurants usually have little to no decor added. Maybe a sign to show people where to go, but the restaurant might be able to print something. It all depends on your budget and whether you'd want those details in any photographs.
Can you please do a seating video and a couple video ? My boyfriend is shorter than me and I’ll like ideas on how to make that not too noticeable please
I actually got a wedding dress from Tonena but in red with all the flowers ❤ turned out absolutly gorgeous and I am really happy that you mentioned her :)
Simple. I advised my wife I'd be 3 photos and 3 photos only on our wedding day. I also apply this rule to any other functions when it's expected of me to be in photos. And when I'm on holiday I'm refuse to be in any photos. God bless my wife as she's not happy with this but she accepts it with good grace. I just realised I've never looked at our wedding photos...het hi that's jus how it is.
Depends on the goal/personality of the groom. For a man who wants to appear more masculine, I pose them with feet slightly apart - weight shifted a little to one foot. No hip popping. Hands in pockets (thumb in as well) or 1 hand in pocket (depends on the vibe and if both hands in pockets pulls the jacket in an unflattering way). *I personally don't like the hands clasped in front of hips (very military style). It feels very closed off, whereas 1-2 hand(s) in pockets looks more relaxed while still conveying a masculine energy.
What’s the best way to handle emails from a videographer that keeps emailing? I inquired and did a brief zoom meeting with a videographer when I first started reaching out to vendors, but have not signed on with them yet; while video would be nice to have of our day, videography is not an absolute must for us. We want to see quotes from the other vendors first before we make our decision on if we will hire a videographer or not. (We already hired a photographer whose work we absolutely love, but they don’t do video, hence the separate videography vendor) However, we are not meeting with our other vendors until much later this year and I don’t want to seem flaky to the videographer in case we do decide to hire them. 😅
I'd say: Hi X, Thanks for reaching out and checking in. We are undecided on video at this point in time and have a few other people to speak with before making our decision. It will likely be closer to the end of the year before we can make that decision. I will follow up with you if we have more questions or would like to move forward. Have a wonderful Fall! Best, X
Bella belle shoes are gorgeous! Only buy them if there is an actual smooth dance floor though. Dancing on concrete will shred the bottom of those shoes, as in the sole will completely separate from the rest of the shoe.
I'd avoid it, personally. Definitely would not have it on during the day when it would stand out more in the ceremony photos. Reception is probably ok.
Is olive green what she said you should wear? Or are you allowed to deviate in the tone of green a little? If you can deviate, I'd go to a department store and try on a few varieties of green and see which one suits your skin tone/hair/eyes best. One tip - style your hair a bit and have on some makeup as those actions will help you better envision the wedding day look :)
Hi Cavin! This was an amazing interview. I'm a wedding vendor (wedding invitation designer) who got married recently. I would like to submit my own wedding. Should I not use my business e-mail for contact information and not mention i'm an invitation designer? I'm worried they may deny it and view it as a "vendor subission" instad of a real couple submission.
I would use your personal email, but it's best to ask the photographer if it's ok for you to submit. They may already have submitted somewhere, and some blogs get very upset and will pull a submission if it's been taken elsewhere.
We are a compagny that make sure that don't happen. We have seen that it is becoming a real problem during wedding or any social event. Therefore we found a solution that many of our client love! We offer pouch to put your guests phone in that blocked the front and back camera but still allowing the guests to fully use their phones. This solution works really well for all of our client and no more wannabe photographer!
I think it’s true that one should trust a wedding photographer, but I also know( as in any profession) sometimes the demeanour of people just isn’t comparable.I’ve worked with some “ incredible “ photographers( who were terrible? And worked with novices with great talent.( MAKE SURE to see photos first.
Hi Cavin! Not sure if you still get notified of comments on older videos but thank you so much for sharing this insight on nybfw. I’m a wedding photographer and because I love the fashion side, I’d love to work with a bridal store to help them get high quality images of gowns they preview at nybfw. I’ve identified stores in my area, but I’m unsure how to best approach them. With all your experience, do you have any advice or recommendations on how to start that convo? What can I do as a photog to really wow the shop I attend with? I don’t want them to feel like I’m ambushing them. Hope to hear back! Love your channel :)
You'll be responsible for paying your own way. Basically you'd be asking to tag along to appointments with them, so you should really hype up the value you can provide such as high quality social media photos of behind the scenes of their staff at market as well as the dresses from designers they are seeing...and they will possibly be seeing designers they don't yet carry or they may see the dresses and decide not to pick up the line so make sure to have a discussion on which designers they want you to tag along with.
I just ordered my Martina Liãna dress 1442 and I was wondering if you had a recommendation for a cathedral veil that would match/go with the dress? I’m open to different options of edged or laced
I'd do a raw plain tulle veil that's 110" or 120" for more drama. My boutique sells them (thewhiteflower.com) or do something with a beaded edge or lace trim (no lace on the body, just the edge and perhaps sparse on the edge like this (minsterbridal.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/veil-avl0055-2.webp) but in lace that matches your dress better.
As a fellow wedding photog I agree wholeheartedly with all of these! Breaks my little photographer heart when I show up to a wedding day to find situations I can't do anything about that will photograph so poorly.
If I have a fairly simple dress (sheath tulle and lace with 1 liner layer) is it ok to steam myself after alterations? Is there a risk of ruining the dress?
It depends on the fabric. What is it made out of (polyester, for example) and what kind of fabric (silk, taffeta, lace)? If you do steam it, I recommend doing it a day or two before the wedding in case something goes wrong. Steam from underneath each layer and don't let it linger too long or drip.
I was just in a wedding where the bride expected us to pay for food/drinks the morning of when getting ready. Had to get there at 8AM and cocktail hour was a 7PM. Did not notify us until 3 days before, so ended up scrambling and having to pay a lot for door dash since we didn't know the area! Is this a typical expected bridesmaid task?
I could see the MOH being tasked with ensuring there is food onsite (like picking it up the night before or arranging for delivery), but I think it should be paid for by the bride. Could be as cheap as some Costco trays or more expensive like hotel room service.
Any well-constructed dress should be supportive enough with the cup, boning, straps, etc. I don't think any of our brides have worn bras with their dresses. We give them the perfect fit so they don't need a bra. Some dresses even have waist stays to give more support to the dress. High quality alterations are key, though. A perfect fit will be so much more supportive.
In regards to the concern about not having the same last name as the children, you can give your children any last name you want. It does not have to be the father's. It can be the father's, mother's, or my favorite: both!
Hi- i don’t like lace or beads; i love a blue dress and i love pleats too; my daughter is getting married in November in Scotland; my back up dress is a deep green shirt sleeve sequence dress with a deep back opening and a long tie on the back of the neck; it is an A line or straight dress- not tight but not matronly either My only issue is it is not blue thought it is a very pretty deep green It is long - the event is black tie I would love to find someone else without sequences - ideally blue but at least i feel good about having a dress if i cannot find anything else
I prefer HGD Stephanie of Luxembourg's dress over Claire's. Stephanie's gown was stunning, with a 14 foot train. Her gown was also by Elie Saab. I feel like Claire actually kind of copied Stephanie's dress, right down to choosing the same designer. Just my opinion.
Tips on bustling a plain ballgown with a horsehair hem? I’d really like to do a ballgown/hem bustle where it all loops under so you don’t see any of the extra fabric but am not sure how to start or if it’s possible.
I love weeping willow trees and there is a beautiful one on the venue property. I would love to get a shot in front of that tree if time allows and lighting is appropriate. I plan to mention to the photographer.
I've never seen a venue go out of the way to make sure a bride & groom get a plate of food which seems so essential. In every wedding I've been in, the bridesmaids were the ones making sure the bride & groom got food, or the mothers lol
Do most caterers offer reduced cost for vendors? Like if guests are $40 per person, do you get some complimentary vendor meals or reduced cost? I intend to ask about this.
Not complimentary, but often they are less expensive. So it could be $60 instead of $150. If the venue has a separate restaurant on site, at which they could get cheaper meals, you could opt to give your planner cash with a set amount allocated per person. A bride did that once and I actually preferred it because I could order a better tasting meal. Vendor meals, especially the vegetarian one, can be really disappointing.
Thanks so much! Im writing a speech for my bestie and I was so worried that its too short but after watching this, I feel much better now. Thanks so much❤
