The happy couple is (as of this writing) enjoying their honeymoon in Italy, and Lena is extremely jealous. Lena did three tours of Italy during the course of her life thus far, and loved every single trip, particularly the north of Italy. I haven't had the opportunity to travel to Europe, but from talking to Lena, Italy is near the top of the list when we eventually go. If you wish to read more about the wedding, scroll to the bottom of the update.
The wedding was held at The Swan House in The Atlanta History Center grounds near Buckhead. It was an absolutely stunning location, the only caveat being a complete lack of power to all the most photogenic areas of the grounds.
Note to Self: Purchase better battery-operated lighting system.
Not that it would have mattered. There was little time to fool with. The bride had eight bridesmaids and the groom had his own tuxedo-clad platoon in tow. Add to that a massive, camera-equipped family and we had quite a handful before the wedding. Luckily for us, Lena got some one-on-one time with the bride in the Swan House just before the ceremony and nailed some dynamite portraits.
The next week we went to a Pictage User Group meeting where two of California's best wedding photographers, Michael and Anna Costa, talked at length about how they became successful. Needless to say, my pen nearly went dry I wrote so many notes. A few points stuck out in my mind, particularly along the lines of client relations and marketing. This couple outsourced almost every aspect of their business. All they had to do was shoot the weddings and rub elbows with clients.
Mike and Anna made sure first of all that they only worked for clients who made a point of setting aside ALOT of time for pictures and stuck to that schedule. That way they had the room to scout, plan and execute some of the best portraits I have ever seen, period. Also, they pinpointed the people they wanted to work for by working closely with vendors and planners they respected. They had a pretty killer website, too, which Saldivia-Jones needs to invest in as well.
Lena and I came away from the meeting charged and inspired. We met lots of other photographers from the Atlanta area, many of whom are amazing shooters. We'll probably be going to a lot more of these meetings as out business develops.
