I caught a shot of this little man at Sean and Annie's wedding up in Genesee, Colorado on June 20th during the formals.  Good stuff.

"Papa, don't take my picture right now!" she exclaimed.  "I just want to blow dandelions.  Why do we always have to take pictures?"

"Alright, alright" I replied.

Click. Click.

I get a lot of questions about what couples can do to make their wedding day photos the best they can possibly be.  Most of it comes down to me.  I will make sure everything is taken care of to make you look your best.  However, if you're relaxed and enjoying yourself during your wedding day, the emotional quality of the photos will certainly come through.  So, to help you out with some things to give you peace of mind, I asked a few of the women in my life to offer their advice.  Here's what they had to say...

Wear Long-Lasting Makeup
Most brides cry at their wedding. Even if you're not the type to cry, don't take the chance at wearing anything other than waterproof mascara.  And, if you're wearing lipstick, use something that's long-lasting. But, from what I've heard, you'll need to practice several times as it can be tricky to apply the color evenly and perfectly. It's hard to remove, so you want to get it right the first time.

Create an Emergency Kit
Some of the most utilized things during a wedding day include a small makeup kit, some clear nail polish for runs, snacks, and a small sewing kit.

Get Pearly Whites
If you can afford it, spoil yourself with professional teeth whitening. You'll look and feel like a celebrity with pearly whites.

Make an Itinerary
Whether you're working with a planner, or doing everything yourself, make a rough timeline for the day.  Hand it out to a couple key people so everyone is on the same page.  Wedding days never run perfectly according to schedule, but at the least, this will keep everyone working together.

Bring Some Comfy Shoes
If you can, don't be afraid to bring comfy shoes for the reception after all the formalities are finished. Besides, you'll be able to bust out your best MJ moves if you're not in heels.
Delegate. Delegating tasks to the people around you will give you the space to enjoy your wedding.  Put someone else in charge of paying vendors, moving things from site to site, and all the other small tasks throughout the day.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast
The wedding day moves fast, and before you know it, you'll have gone half the day without anything to eat. Speaking for myself, I get pretty grumpy if I don't eat. Having a protein-rich, low-carb, healthy breakfast will give you energy for several hours without making you crash.

No Hangovers
I know it's fun to get a little saucy before your big day.  But, the last thing you want is to have waves of nausea during the ceremony.  I've heard horror stories of brides having to excuse themselves during the vows to go toss their cookies.

Relax
No doubt you'll get a little wound up during your wedding day.  When you feel yourself getting stressed, remember to look around and take it all in. This is your day, and you owe it to your self to enjoy it.

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending one of Jose Villa's workshops right here in Colorado.  If you haven't had the opportunity to take one of his workshops, I highly recommend it.  Jose is kind, humorous, incredibly informative, and willing to share all of his experiences, thoughts, and knowledge about his very successful career.

The workshop was hosted by Julie Afflerbaugh and James Christianson, two local, well established and talented photographers.  Fiori Flowers provided us with the bouquets, which were gorgeous.  And, I had the pleasure of meeting Jessica from The Face Lab.  If you're ever in need of hair and makeup, Jessica is the bomb!  And, a big thank you to all of our models: Autumn, Lewis and Josselyn.  All of you were patient, and up for anything.

Jose, thank you again for making the trip out here to share with us.

Here are a few of my faves from the shoot.

An oldie, but goodie.  I was tinkering with some Photoshop actions--trying to achieve a not-too-photoshopped vintage look, without going to far.  Ended up with something I really like, and wanted to share.  Enjoy.