Bear Cr� k PhotographyWedding Guide

2014

Let your love be like the misty rains, coming softly, but flooding the river.

Malagasy Proverb

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Meet the Photographer. . .

Born and raised in Northwest Washington, it has never been difficult for me to fall in love with the diverse and beautiful scenery that populates this place. By the age of ten I was given my first disposable camera on a family road trip to Wisconsin. For the first time in my life, I had a way to capture the splendor of the world around me with a sin-gle button press. On that road trip I’d do so, taking my first images of incredible vistas like Devil’s Tower and Yellowstone Park.

From that day forward, I was in love with the art of Photography.

Through the next ten years I’d take classes to learn the more intricate details of the process, allowing me to adapt my passion into a unique style that focuses on capturing the little moments that deserve to be preserved forever. From the joy of the first tiny smile of a baby, to the awe and wonderment that comes from a lone pine tree slum-bering deep in a dense forest, my goal is to seek these moments out and share it with everyone.

Graphic Design is a new found love of mine. Since my Associate in Arts in Visual Communications, I have found a deeper passion for creating, and. There’s just some-thing about finding the perfect font and the right color combination that just makes the project sing.

Along the entire way I’ve gathered many memories and experiences, giving me a breadth of knowledge of different styles of Photography; be it a more personal family photo or something professional for a local business, I have the ability to adapt to any situation as desired.

~ Kristin

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Will you love me in December as you do in May,Will you love me in the good old fashioned way?

When my hair has all turned gray,Will you kiss me then and say,

That you love me in December as you do in May?

James J. Walker

If you're tempted to not have an engagement session, give me a moment to convince you why you should.

Professional athletes spend hours of practicing. Musicians do too. Surgeons go to school for years to perfect their skills. It has been said that it takes about 10,000 hours (or about 10 years) to become an expert at something. Do you see where we are going with this?

If you want to assure yourselves that you will like the way you look in your wedding photos, you will first need to see what a professional image of yourself looks like. An engagement session is a great way to practice before your wedding. It's an opportunity for both of you to become comfortable in front of the camera... and it's also tons of fun!

But don't worry... we won't be practicing for 10,000 hours! A typical engagement session lasts 1-2 hours and it will be customized to fit your relationship.

I absolutely love getting to know my clients before their Big Day! I want to know about your relationship. How you walk, talk and cuddle together. What it looks like when you look into each other's eyes. This helps me know you look best, and it also gives you a chance to tell me how you like to be photographed as well.

Engagement photos are also great for Save-the-Date announcements and guest sign-in books

Engagement Photos Matter

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Your wedding day will go by in a whirlwind of emotions. The day you have spent so much time preparing for, dreaming of, and investing in will go by as one of the quickest days in your life. For this reason, it is so important that you choose the right photographer for your day. One that will tell the story of your wedding day, giving you the opportunity to relive it just as you remember it.

When we arrive on the day of your wedding, typically we will begin by shooting the bride's details: dress, shoes, jewelry, bouquet, etc. Having all your "details", including your flowers, ready to be photographed is a huge help and time saver.

From there we will be a fly on the wall, photographing every little moment during your getting ready process. We will be your friend, assisting you in anything you might need from lending you some chapstick, or teaching your bridesmaids

how to bustle your dress. This is your first wedding, but we've done this many times and know all the little secrets to making everything go smoothly.

Another important detail for your day is to eliminate clutter in the background of your preparation images. Having your bridesmaids tidy up your getting ready room before you put on your gown is always appreciated and helps to make your images more editorial and classic in style. But don't worry, if you forget, we will help you with it.

Once the getting ready process is finished, we will, proceed to the next part of the timeline. The timeline will be a document the three of us, or your planner and us agree upon before the wedding day. Please don't stress if things don't work out exactly like the time line predicts. We add extra time buffers to make sure you get to the ceremony on time. You are our priority, and whether we are given 2 hours or 2 minutes, we will make sure your pictures are beautiful.

We will coordinate with your planner, DJ and anyone else on your vendor team to ensure that all of the highlights of your day are captured and to create a pleasant flow to your day for you and your guests.

Your Wedding Dayq

Sample Wedding Day Timeline1:00PM PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE BEGINS Details: Bride's dress, shoes, jewelry, bouquet Final preparation of the Bride and bridesmaids

2:00 BRIDE GETS DRESSED Bride's portraits & group shots with bridesmaids

3:00 GROOM FINAL PREPARATIONS Groom's details, portraits & group shots with groomsmen

3:30 THE FIRST LOOK Bride and Groom portraits4:00 BRIDAL PARTY PHOTOS

4:30 HIDE BRIDE AWAY Photograph ceremony site and ceremony details Photograph reception details if ready

5:00 CEREMONY

5;30 FAMILY PHOTOS | COCKTAIL HOUR BEGINS

6:00 BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAITS

6:25 PHOTOGRAPH RECEPTION ROOM BEFORE GUESTS ENTER

6:30 RECEPTION BEGINS

6:40 GRAND ENTRANCE & FIRST DANCE

6:45 DINNER IS SERVED

7:45 TOASTS

8:00 SPECIAL DANCES Bride & her father, Groom and his mother

8:10 OPEN DANCING

8:30 CAKE CUTTING

8:45 BOUQUET AND GARTER TOSS

9:00 PHOTOGRAPHY COVERAGE CONCLUDES

The First Look

It may go against traditions, but we are excited that First Looks are becoming the NEW tradition. A First Look has a huge impact on your wedding photography timeline for the day and provides the opportunity for additional bridal portraits. It also make the moment you see one another in an intimate experience that's truly just about you.

So what exactly is a First Look? Before the ceremony, we photograph just the Bride and Groom seeing one another for the very first time. It's an opportunity to get his reaction when he sees you in your wedding gown for the very first time. Unlike your walk down the aisle when all eyes will be on you, during the First Look only his eyes (and our lenses) will be on you. Your wedding day will go by in the blink of an eye. A First Look yields sweet and emotional photos... and a private moment for the two of you to enjoy.

Why would we want to break with tradition? If your wedding photographs are a priority in the planning of your perfect day, then you're likely to appreciate the benefits of a First Look. Those benefits include having additional time for bridal portraits, getting to your reception sooner following the ceremony, creating a moment for just you and your soon-to-be-husband. Many Brides and Grooms also find it a wonderful way to calm their wedding day jitters before walking down the aisle.

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When you're attracted to someone it just means that your subconscious is attracted to their subconscious, subconsciously, so what we know as fate is two neuroses knowing that they're a perfect match.

Jeff Arch, Nora Ephron, and David S. Ward,Sleepless in Seattle

Unplugged Weddings

If you've ever attended a wedding and noticed that more than half the guests are holding a device like an iPad or smartphone in front of their face the entire ceremony... you're not alone. Maybe you've even been the one holding the phone taking videos or photos.

The term "un-plugged" wedding has become a hot topic in the wedding photography world recently and even found it's way to the front pages of Yahoo! and The Huffington Post. In a world where just about everyone has a cell phone equipped with camera and video we've all become "iPhone-ographers" and are constantly pulling out our phones to snap a quick photo or video. But on the day of your wedding do you want your guests focused on you or focused on photographing you?

As professional photographers we can see both sides of the coin. Guests are excited to be there and want to capture and share images from your wedding day while at the same time you've invited them there because they are special to you and you want them to be a part of your day.

It's entirely up to you whether you suggest to your guests to refrain from taking photos or video during your ceremony and reception. During group photos (bridal party and family) as well as during portrait time, however we do ask that guests do not take photos. Not because we don't want them to have them, but because it distracts and takes time away from making sure you get the images of your dreams. When other people are photographing, eyes tend to go in lots of directions and the connection between us is lost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

WHEN WILL MY IMAGES BE READY?

We will deliver your complete collection of images from your engagement session and your wedding within 30 days of your session or wedding. We will notify you via email that your images are ready for viewing and sharing.

HOW LONG DO YOU KEEP MY IMAGES?

We store your images on several hard drives and on an online off-site backup while we work on completing the edit for your session/wedding. Once we have uploaded your images to your online gallery and confirmed that you are able to access them, we then "archive" your wedding to an external hard drive. Following the upload to your online gallery, we pass the responsibility of storing your images on to you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask how to preserve your memories.

CAN I HAVE SOME IMAGES IN BLACK AND WHITE?

Some images just scream "black and white"... some don't. During the editing, we will select the images we love in black and white, but if you'd like to see an additional image that way, just ask and we would be happy to show you.

CAN I PRINT MY IMAGES ANYWHERE?

Sure, but the better question might be: "Should I print my images just anywhere?" No, we always recommend that if you want to print images from your collection that you print directly from your online gallery. Print orders from your gallery are fulfilled by White House Custom Color, one of the leading professional print labs in the U.S. Our monitors are specifically calibrated for the printers at WHCC, guaranteeing that your prints will be rich and vibrant.

WHAT FORMAT WILL MY IMAGES BE?

Your images will be high-resolution, fully-edited jpeg files.

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DO YOU OUTSOURCE YOUR EDITING?

No, we never outsource our editing. Every single image from your day will be culled, selected and edited by our team only. We review your images as our art, and therefore treat it as such, carefully making sure each and every detail of the images we give to you are perfectly edited like we would edit our own wedding.

DO YOU TRAVEL?

Absolutely! We love to travel and our passports are always current. Travel fees do apply and are billed seperately from your wedding collection. We have a lot of experience in international locations, so if you need help, there is a chance we just might have some inside clues for you.

WHAT TYPE OF GEAR DO YOU USE?

We currently use a Canon 7D and several of our favorite prime Canon lenses. The best in the business!

DO YOU TAKE PAYMENTS?

Of course! $300 is required as a non-refundable retainer to hold the wedding date. The rest of the payment can be broken up however you like and the remaining balance must be paid in full 4 weeks before the wedding.

HOW DO YOU SELECT YOUR SECOND SHOOTERS?

When hiring a second shooter for your wedding day, it is a priority for us to select a photographer that we would recommend and that we would feel comfortable shooting your wedding in the event that we couldn't, we've never not been able to photograph one of our client's weddings... but we like the feeling of knowing that if something beyond our control prevented us from shooting a wedding our scheduled second shooter would be able to step in and provide the same level of customer service and photographs that our clients expect and deserve.

Hiring Bear Creek Photography

If you are interested in having us shoot your upcoming engagement and wedding, please contact us to discuss the details of your wedding. We only accept a limited number of weddings each year. We do this in order to maintain a balance between our personal and professional lives by keeping focus on our family and business, in that order. This also allows us to provide high-end service to all of our couples.

We do not accept every wedding we are asked to photograph as we believe it is im-portant that we are a good match for each of our couples. Please feel free to email us at Bear.Creek.Photography@Hotmail.com or call us at (360) 202-1028 anytime with questions, comments or concerns. You can also visit our website by scanning the QR code below or at BearCreekPhotography.zenfolio.com

Cedar Package - $1900

Pre-ceremony coverage as the Bride is getting ready Photographic coverage for Ceremony & Reception Unlimited number of photos taken Personalized private online gallery 12x12 10 page/20side Cromwell Album 50 custom Luxe Thank You cards 30% off engagement session with booking

Oak Package - $1700

Pre-ceremony coverage as the Bride is getting ready Photographic coverage for Ceremony & Reception Unlimited number of photos taken Personalized private online gallery 10x10 10 page/20side Cromwell Album 25 custom Luxe Thank You cards 20% of engagement session with booking

Maple Package - $1500

Pre-ceremony coverage as the Bride is getting ready Photographic coverage for Ceremony & Reception Unlimited number of photos taken Personalized private online gallery 8x8 10 page/20side Cromwell Album 10% of engagement session with booking

Aspen Package - $1300 Pre-ceremony coverage as the Bride is getting ready Photographic coverage for Ceremony & Reception Unlimited number of photos taken Personalized private online gallery $200 print credit

*Custom Wedding packages are available*

Engagement sessions are available at $175 & include a custom 5x7 photo guest book.

*all prices are subject to change*

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