Albemarle Inn

Last week my husband and I were introduced to Albemarle Inn, located in Asheville, North Carolina. It was gorgeous and inviting all at the same time. It proved to be the perfect venue for an engagement shoot with a classic flair.

However, I do not want to lead you to believe that it is not suitable for a more serious event such as a wedding ceremony. It has the beauty and historical charm that would make any bride feel like a "southern belle".

This would be the perfect venue for a small intimate wedding with no more that forty guests. The garden is a terrific spot for an outdoor ceremony. Your guests will enjoy the cocktail hour on the veranda while waiting on the photographer to finish with the bride and groom. There is room for a band and dancing outside on the majestic porch, not to mention plenty of room and atmosphere inside for a formal dinner. Even better, when you book the Albemarle Inn, you book the entire inn, including the bedrooms. So if grandma just isn't up to a late night party, she can retire to her room and rest, while the party goes on.

Remember, when looking for southern charm, complete with a bedpost for cinching your waistline, Albemarle Inn is your venue!

http://www.albemarleinn.com/contact.html

The Chateau Selah

If your are into castles and princesses, the Chateau Selah is the venue for your wedding. It is truly a step back into history with all the comforts and beauty of today.

Reflective Moments Photography had the opportunity of photographing a wedding in March at the Chateau Selah. It was so romantic and beautiful inside that we didn't mind the less than perfect weather outside. At least there was a brief halt in the drizzle towards the evening and we were able to get a couple of outdoor shots in the mix.

So let me tell you a little about the place. It is placed on top of the mountain for a scenic veiw surrounded with eighty acres of green. Guest parking is provided at the entrance of the venue. This keeps the venue uncluttered and perfect for photography. Your guests will not be inconvenienced for they will be stylishly shuttled up to the Chateau Selah.

Once inside, you are surrounded with castle stone warmed with candles and a gorgeous fireplace. It is truly inviting. Of course just where the ceremony is held depends on preference and the size of the guest list. We were at an intimate family wedding that fit nicely on the main level. However, the Chateau Selah can accommodate much larger crowds, somewhere upwarded to one hundred fifty guests.

There are numerous eye pleasing areas for the photographer. There are balconies both inside and out, winding staircases and elegant decor throughout. Although the top floor was not completed in March, it promises to be a beautiful suite for the bride and her bridesmaids to dress and celebrate together in fairytale fashion. That isn't to say that the groom and his g roomsmen will be slighted in any way. They too have an impressive dressing area on the third floor.

Brides will be interested to know that the Chateau Selah allows you to choose the catering service of your choice. Their only requirement is that you choose vendors that are professional. If you would like, they are happy to supply you with a list of approved vendors in the area. This ensures that every aspect of your wedding day will be exactly right.

Because each wedding is unique, you will have to consult with the Chateau Selah for pricing. I can tell you that a bridal session is free to brides that book the venue for their wedding. For brides that are only having their bridal session photographed at the Chateau Selah, the fee is $250.00.

So go ahead and check this fabulous place out. It could be the perfect venue for your wedding!

Caroline Hood

Reflective Moments Photography

The Chateau Selah

423-323-3157

www.chateauselah.com

Venue Photography

Last night I talked to a young lady that is getting married in May 2011. She was looking for a photographer to take some engagement pictures and wanted to know what Reflective Moments offers in their engagement session.

This stuck me as curious, so I asked her "Why not use the photographer that is shooting your wedding?" Her reply was "I am getting married at _______ _______ ______. They provide the photography on my wedding day. It is part of the package. I decided that I want some engagement pictures so I am looking for a photographer to do that for me."

A couple of questions come to my mind. Why would a bride book their wedding with a venue that required them to use their hired photographer? What kind of photographer do they think would agree to be part of a package deal? This is the recipe for a wedding photographic disaster!

Understand the risk of venue package photography. You do not know who will be the venue photographer from one day to the next. They are employed by the venue, not you. You could have someone photographing your wedding with no more credentials that the ownership of a digital camera. Even worse, the venue may own the camera and simply hire a person to snap photos.

Remember brides, the flowers wilt, the wedding dress yellows and your handsome groom loses a few hairs. In the end all you have are your beautiful pictures from that day. Although the first part in planning a wedding is booking the venue, it is not the most important part. The most important part is your photography, because it is your memory of your wedding day.

Formal Wear

There is a great new formal wear shop that just opened last month in our area. The store is called "Special Occasions Formal Wear". The store is owned and operated by one of our Fall 2009 brides, Lindsey Compton and her mother Kay Keene. We visited the store a couple of weeks ago and were very impressed with the atmosphere and the variety of products they are offering. It truly looks like a one stop place to shop for anything and every thing you need for your complete wedding party. They are also carrying a great selection of Prom and pageant dresses. Finally there is a great place to find that special dress in the Richlands area without having to travel.

The store is located at:

1517 Front Street
Richlands, Virginia.

The phone number is:

(276)963-0082

Check them out!

Looking Forward To Spring

It is hard to believe that February is almost over. In the past January and February have always been slow for the photography business, but not this year. January is always a time to look forward to the Professional Photographers Association annual convention. We really enjoyed it this year. We learned a lot of things on the business side that we want to implement to be more efficient in our marketing and work flow. We have purchased some new software that we are hoping will save us time in our photo processing.

The first two months of the year has really been busy. We have already met with dozens of brides and are beginning to book into 2011. Brides are predictable. As soon as the proposal comes, they begin putting in long hours studying the bridal magazines and shopping for "THE DRESS". Once the dress is ordered, she now begins to make the less important decisions such as which venue to book for the wedding and the reception. It is hard to pin down the exact date until they find a venue that has their preferred date open. For some reason unknown to me, the right date has to be on a Saturday. With the PERFECT MAN, "THE PERFECT DRESS", and just the right venue in the bag it's now time to find the photographer.

For most brides it never occurs to them that about every other bride in the area is also getting married on a Saturday. Looking at bridal registrations at David's Bridal, we know that there are hundreds of weddings going on every Saturday in May, June, and July in the Tri-Cities. As a photographer it is sad to turn away numerous brides for the same Saturday in June. We think about how wealthy we could be if just a few of those brides would tie the knot on a week day.

We are excited for spring to arrive because we have lots of couples waiting for the beautiful foliage and flowers, so that we can get their engagement pictures taken. We have some more exotic locations in mind this year if some of our couples are willing. We will be posting an engagement shoot soon that we did last Saturday. We were pretty much forced by weather to stay inside, but we were still able to be creative.

Stay warm,

Terry

We had a rare and unique opportunity last Friday, to photograph the Miss Mountain Empire Pageant. It was truly a pleasure.

You might think that this was a little out of our specialty. It was, and given the opportunity again, perhaps we would do a few things differently. Then again, I say that about every shoot.

However, I want to tell you something about these so called "Beauty Pageants". It isn't anything like the stereotype we have all been sold. Sure thing girls are all physically beautiful, but not unusually so. I guess what I am trying to say is that their real beauty comes from their pose, self confidence, grace, and finished appearance. There is an air of southern belle gentility about them.

Yes, the participants model various attire including a swimsuit and evening gown, and they do it stunningly. However it takes more than beauty to win this pageant. Talent is a must in this business. Thirty-five percent of their total score. These ladies must stand in a room of judges all by themselves and answer a grueling interview. They are judged on their appearance, the content of their answers and personal presentation. It is enough to rattle your knees. These contestants take it all in stride.

Certainly Miss Mountain Empire has much to celebrate as she was crowned. You could see in her expressions that she was thrilled and honored to be chosen to represent our area, in the Miss Virginia pageant. More impressive was the sportsmanship of the other competitors. They had to be disappointed, but they didn't let it show. They were gracious and congratulated the winner as if they were truly happy for her.

Our congratulations to Misti Caviness, Miss Mountain Empire!

Jennifer & Robert's Wedding

Jennifer was our blizzard bride of the year. It was snowing like crazy when we left the house with several inches on the ground. However, we made it anyway with the help of our four wheel drive Isuzu. Luckily, the snowy weather didn't keep the guests away from the wedding ceremony either.

Jennifer was also the first bride we have ever photographed without meeting prior to the wedding day. That had us a little nervous not knowing what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. Not only was she beautiful, she was also very photogenic. In fact she and her family were all very gracious lovely people, a joy to work with. That always makes photography fun. What else can one ask for in this business?

One more pleasant surprise. When we returned home, our driveway was snow plowed and had already been cleared. We were able to park our car in the driveway instead of the street. Good neighbors are truly a blessing.

Rebecca & Stacy - October Wedding

Sometimes you get lucky and both the bride and the groom are photogenic. Stacy and Rebecca were that kind of couple. Perhaps it is a requirement to working in one of our local televisions stations. All I really know is that they were easy to work with and so was the camera man. Not everyone has a television camera man as a close friend, but Rebecca and Stacy do.

It was a rather quiet and simple wedding; not many people. They invited only family and a few close friends. It wasn't the kind of wedding you would expect to see local television personalities attending. However, when local celebrities are some of your close friends, they come. Okay, maybe we weren't photographers at a Hollywood wedding, but its as close as we will ever get to it.

Vickie - Bridal

Typically, I would say something about the bride when I post some one's bridal pictures. However, I would like to talk about the location of this bridal shoot. Specifically, The Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City.

What a beautiful hotel. It has the nostalgia of times past with all the elegance one could want. Every inch of this hotel is decorated to every detail to keep this high class theme throughout the building. I just love the natural light for brides by the front window. Then there is the classy zebra lounge in the study. Of course, the lobby itself is gorgeous with the stain glass window in the ceiling. Every inch of the hotel is packed with photographic potential.

Even more remarkable is the gracious and welcoming attitude of the management. They have allowed us to bring in several brides in the past for bridal shoots. Never once have they asked for a fee. All they have asked is that we call and set the appointment to be sure that there will not be any conflicting event. This is quite a rarity in today's time; but then, stepping into The Carnegie Hotel is like a stepping into the southern hospitality of times past.

Allison & Justin - December Wedding

This wedding was one of the more memorable weddings that we have photographed. Perhaps it was because the new minister did not want the photography to take away from the sacred ceremony. This meant no photography during the ceremony.

I suppose this would have been alright, except the bride and groom were not aware of the "no photography during the ceremony" rule. With the prospects of a very teary bride and not because she was so happy, we knew we had to at least try to come to some kind of compromise with the minister.

Not surprisingly, the minister was very kind and thoughtful after giving it some thought. He allowed us to stand at the very back of the sanctuary and take pictures as long as there was no flash. Admittedly, not the kind of photography we are used to or tend to show off. However, it was beautiful. Allison could not have been a more beautiful bride. She was completely happy and bubbly the entire day. It showed in her pictures. It is no wonder Justin chose her as his companion for life.