Posted on January 19, 2011
I finished a huge time sensitive task ahead of time today. It feels GOOD! I am done and there is nothing hanging over my shoulder. I love that feeling! Now I can relax.
To celebrate I browsed through last year’s wedding images, in preparation for updating my web-site, and came across an absolute jewel–a photo of my October Bride Amy!
The image was taken right after the ceremony, and right before the last rays of sun disappeared into the evening sky. As day was giving way to night, Amy’s eyes looked breathtaking. I still cannot get over how blue and beautiful they are.
Posted on January 17, 2011
Each wedding I photograph has its magic moments. My favorite moments, however, at all times, are those when the bride and the groom can be themselves and be happy about their amazing day. Here’s an example:
I stole away Amy and AJ to take pictures of just the two of them. When the time came to focus on AJ he lived it up and became very comfortable in front of the camera–my favorite kind of client! 
I LOVE, LOVE the second image. It’s these “magic” moments that set the tone for the rest of the day.
Posted on December 2, 2010
As promised a while ago, I was finally able to ask Emilie Duncan of Emilie Duncan Event Planning, a few burning questions. Emilie is a local wedding and event planner. I was thrilled to have met her in person a few weeks back.
So, without further ado, here is Emilie .
Q: Emilie, why and how did you become a wedding planner?
A: Long story short, I planned my own wedding and realized that I had a lot of background in the field although I didn’t see it until I looked – kind of like seeing the forest from the trees! I was a cake designer/decorator in college and did some floral design as well. Photography has always been a (very side) hobby and I was working in the fashion industry. I started to do some research because I didn’t want to potentially ruin a bride and groom’s wedding day due to my inexperience and lack of knowledge. It took me over a year of just reading, researching, shadowing, learning and growing until I thought about taking my first client. 7 years later, I cannot imagine doing anything else!
Q: What do you like best about your job?
A: The relationships. I love that I get to be part of a family for a day (and often longer). I love that I am able to help couples write the first page of their shared history and that I often hear about the following pages – there are currently 19 “Emilie Duncan Event Planning” babies in the world plus 4 more on the way that I know about! I love the friends I have made along the way – my past clients are some of my greatest supporters which is amazing.
Q: What is your favorite wedding planner memory?
A: That is tough because there are SO MANY! I think one of the highlights in recent memory was when the Father of the Bride of a very special couple thanked me by name in his toast at the reception. That was pretty phenomenal – I was exceptionally close with this bride and her mom – in fact, we are still in touch and I count them among some of my closest friends. That was a really good, tear inducing moment!
Q: What is the most special location that hosted one of your weddings in Columbus OH Metropolitan area?
A: There isn’t one location in particular that was more special than any other – being in the moment of the wedding and seeing the couple celebrating with their friends and family…well, that makes every location the most special one.
Q: What are the major challenges of planning a wedding?
A: The biggest challenge that I see a lot of brides facing is inexperience. They have never planned a wedding and don’t know why vendor A is so much cheaper than vendor B, C or D. They don’t know what pitfalls to watch out for in venue contracts. They don’t know who has a good reputation and who doesn’t. It is like going to a foreign country where they don’t speak or read the language – they need a tour guide to help them in the right direction. Guess who the tour guide is in the wedding world?
Q: Do-It-Yourself brides have become huge in the wedding industry. Do you come across brides that start up as DIY but then change their mind and hire a wedding planner?
A: Sometimes – that is usually what my Wedding Month Coordination couples have done. A lot of planners have what is called “Day of Coordination” packages where the couples plans the wedding and then the planner comes in and works with them in the weeks leading up to the wedding. It is sort of the best of both worlds for DIY brides!
Q: What is your opinion on DIY on your wedding day?
A: As long as the bride and groom are realistic as to what can and can’t be DIY. They also need to have a realistic timeline to get everything done – you can’t do it all in a day! So long as they are realistic and can figure out when to say when (should they need to) and bring in a pro, then I don’t see anything wrong with DIY elements.
Q: Can you tell our readers why couples should consider hiring a wedding planner?
A: A professional wedding planner will serve as a friend, adviser, advocate, shoulder to cry on, tour guide, coordinator, financial planner, mediator and sometimes even referee!
Q: As a wedding planner what do you see as most brides’ biggest misconception about planning a wedding?
A: I think the biggest misconception is that they have to plan the wedding all alone or it isn’t theirs! They absolutely don’t and a planner is a great partner to have on the journey.
Q: What would make you ever turned down a client?
A: I have turned down clients who were unrealistic – one bride told me she expected me to get at least 1/2 off every vendor I recommended because that was my job. Still scratching my head over that one! Clients who were obviously looking for a punching bag and someone to order around. Clients who didn’t appreciate what I could and would do for them.
Q: What changes have you seen in weddings in the last few years?
A: With the explosion of blogs focusing on weddings of all kinds, I think ideas are spreading more quickly and brides aren’t settling for the cookie cutter wedding. They want to incorporate ideas that they might never have considered but are now willing to because they saw the ideas in action. They are also more willing to break some of the old, stodgy rules and have some fun with their weddings!
Q: What do you feel is the most important element that a bride should incorporate into her wedding day?
A. That is actually really simple – love. If a bride and groom incorporate the love they have for each and for their friends and
family, their wedding will be amazing!
Q: How would you rank the importance of professional photography for a wedding and engagement celebration?
A: I love my photographers so I would say right up near the top of the list – it is what remains after the other elements have died or been eaten or tossed out.
Q: What suggestion do you give your couples when it comes to choosing their photographer?
A. If you want to steal the photographer’s sample album of complete stranger’s photos and show it to everyone you know and then hold it for ransom until the photographer goes out to dinner with you because you liked them personally, you are probably in the right place! Find someone who you click with and who you can’t wait to have take your picture because you love their work.
Q: I have photographed many weddings, and all of them experience some kinds of crisis, be it small or big: anything from a broken nail to a veil that started to come apart. If you could come up with a wedding day survival kit, what would it include?
A. Pins, pins and more pins! I carry an absurdly large emergency kit with me on wedding day (proud to say I have only been stumped once in my 7 years) and I use pins more than anything else. Safety pins, hair pins, straight pins, corsage pins – you name it, I have used it! Shout wipes are great in a pinch as well.
Q: How can people contact you for further information?
A. People can email me at emilie {at} emilieduncan.com, visit our website at www.emilieduncan.com or give us a call (we love to chat!) at 614-678-6320.
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I said it before to many brides–it is important, if your budget would allow you, to transfer the stress of planning and especially any stress associated with the wedding day the day of the wedding, on someone who is qualified to handle it and who is in your corner. Who better than a wedding planner? That way the couple can relax and have a fantastic day, capturing every moment of it in their memories.
Emilie, thank you for insight.
IF you have a question for Emilie, leave a comment and I can see if I can twist her arms 
to answer it for you.
Posted on November 24, 2010
As I am sitting by my desk, finishing editing a recent wedding, I cannot stop admiring the beauty of this gorgeous couple: Naomi and Courtland. It is not that they are just beautiful, pretty, handsome (which they are), but when together they are simply breathtaking. The chemistry between the two is umistakable and it oozes itself through Naomi’s big brown and Courtland’s blue eyes. So much warmth, so much love, so much PURE joy and love! Ahhhh… love people who are truly in love!
Like I told you, I could stare at this picture indefinitely.
[On editing side I had to very little--in camera shot was nearly flawless, as well as both of the subjects' skin. I ran little noise reduction, contrast adjustment and sharpening. That's it!]
