A Peek Into Our Wedding Day

Mr + Mrs Davoli

// Est 5.26.2012

Our wedding was a huge influence for how we approach each and every wedding day!

WE loved the way our photographer, Lauren Stonestreet, beautifully captured sweet candid moments throughout our day…and details that represented the feel of our wedding. From my taffeta dress with pockets, jewelry, and time with my girls - to the tree stumps, flowers, sky lanturns and hors d'oeuvre, we have the perfect images to tell the story of our wedding. This is a documentary approach that was hard to find at the time, but we knew it was what we wanted! We searched high and low for the right photographer. When we look back and our photos we can feel the same sweet memories we experienced on that day. We bring this documentery style into our weddings because we want our couples to feel all the feels, and we hope when they look back on their photos those memories will come flooding back.

A moment that we like to capture at each wedding is the ceremony exit.

one of my favorites…

// from our ceremony exit //

Hannah + Matt

I love the look of happiness on their faces and everyone around them as they exit their ceremony as husband and wife!

Click the link here to peek into our wedding day!!!

Winter Weddings!

Why hesitate to get married in the winter?

SNOW creates a magical, fairytale setting for your wedding day. Snow on the ground makes for a romantic look and the bright GLOW of reflected light. There’s just something about WINTER LIGHT that is completely different then any other time of the year. Because of the white on the ground, light bounces everywhere with nothing to stop it and covers your face in the most flattering light! Snow also matches your dress! If the snow is falling and the sky is overcast… this is the perfect opportunity for some intimate, cozy photos with your LOVE.

why a winter wedding can be a good idea…

1) MOST venues offer discounted rates in the winter!

2) Many of your guests are less busy and will be more likely to attend in the winter (January-March)

3) Because winter is not as busy, more vendors and venues are available…so you will be more likely to book the vendors (and photographers ;) you want!

4) Planning a warm or tropical honeymoon will be even more exciting when you can escape the cold here at home!

Tips for a making your winter wedding Wonderful!

1. Some COLOR COMBINATIONS that are perfect for the season >>

NAVY / CRANBERRY / EMERALD GREEN / DEEP PURPLE / GREY / BLACK / JEWEL TONES - ROSE GOLD, GOLD, SILVER

• When choosing your winter wedding colors, a POP OF COLOR is also essential! Flowers are the perfect accessory to get creative with and add that pop of delicious color… Navy with Pink or coral bouquets / Cranberry dresses with blush and pink or orange / Emerald Green with white or cranberry / Purple with mixed greens, oranges, or whites / Grey is so versatile and looks great with any color of flower / Black looks amazing with blush, or a mixed color bouquet.

2. Bring a fur coat or cozy wrap to wear over your wedding dress! For practical purposes to stay warm and also this can be a stunning vintage touch! Perhaps you have a special fur or cape from your grandmother that will not only look amazing, but will be a tribute to her <3

3. Wear snow boots for trekking outside for portraits…this will keep you warm and look super cute for photos! Umbrellas also work well for the snow!

// Some of our favorite winter sessions //

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Wedding Paintings! Learn the process

In this post I will walk you through the steps to accomplishing a Wedding Painting! I know many of you are curious about how this "Performance Painting" thing works at a wedding.

Performance Painting? What's that?!!

 ...My definition, the reason I call it a "performance" :

• Painting with enthusiasm - with intent to provide entertainment for your guests throughout the evening, as well as a beautiful portrait the couple can keep that night! Performance is a focal point where people get to actually see art happen...watch the process and the final piece come together!... START to FINISH! How cool!

MICHELLE & JACQUES, May 26 2018

STEP #1. CAPTURING MY SHOT! 

I communicate with the couple and their photographer to find out where and when they will be taking their portraits so that I can meet them there to capture my own reference photos for the painting. I always take my own photos to use for the painting so that the work is completely mine and I can portray the couple through my perspective. I take into consideration the direction of the light, design, focal point, emotion, body language, and the colors I want to include.  I want to be able to communicate their genuine emotion on their wedding day. Michelle was absolutely glowing on the day of her wedding and over the moon happy which is why I chose a photo that showed how happy she was and how much Jacques adores her :) So cute, aren't they? 

Here are a couple pics of their photographer hard at work! 

STEP #2 CHOOSING A REFERENCE PHOTO! 

After I have captured them in the pose I want with their body language, I will then load those photos onto my computer and choose which one to paint! What a hard job! Sometimes it is really hard to decide which one I love best because I love them all!...but ultimately I have to decide. Usually I go off of just one photo when I do a portrait painting...but in this case I combined 2 different photos for the design. I loved Michelle's body language and expression in one, and I liked the angle of Jacques face and body language in a different photo...so I decided to combine  them for this painting! See if YOU can spot the differences! 

Here are my reference photos I used for this painting... 

STEP #3 SETTING UP MY PAINTING SPACE

In this case I had plenty of time to set up at the reception after taking photos because they had their photos done before the ceremony. In some scenarios I will set up first because there is a time crunch taking photos right before the reception starts. Michelle has excellent taste and everything at the reception was beautifully decorated. She loves blues, greens and golds...so I knew ahead of time those were the colors I wanted to highlight in this painting! The great thing about painting as opposed to photography is the freedom to exaggerate and manipulate color, combine reference photos seamlessly and accentuate body language... from my BRAIN to the BRUSH and no editing program in-between!! ;) This is SO FREEING for me! 

Here is my space set up at the venue...

STEP #4 THE PAINTING FUN BEGINS! 

To be honest with you I DO get nervous before I paint because I don't know exactly how it will turn out or what challenges I will encounter along the way...

However, I have CONFIDENCE that everything will turn out great and I love sharing this gift GOD has given me.... this allows me to get past the jitters and focus on painting. I find that I work "Smarter" under pressure. Making quicker decisions about where to put the brush strokes allows me to have a really free painting quality - this makes the portrait come alive! If I'm painting in my studio it might not have the same fresh, exciting quality that a performance painting does. Here are some photos of the progress from this painting! 

STEP #5 THE FINISHED PIECE!

So...how do I know when the painting is done? I'll know when my gut tells me. My instinct as an artist will let me know when to stop without "overworking" the piece. I'll be done when the portraits LOOK LIKE the people I'm painting, When the values are accurate. When the colors are vibrant. When I've added some "icing on the cake" with details like the ring, flowers, and texture of her dress....and then I'll just get this feeling that tells me "Yep! It's time to stop now. Everything is just right." 

I LOVE that my couples get to KEEP their portrait the day of their wedding! No waiting for photos to be edited or printed. I use acrylic paint so it will dry quickly and they can take it home that night. They get to hang and enjoy this piece even before wedding photos are posted. So fun! 

To all my couples who have graciously asked me to paint at their weddings: THANK YOU for being vulnerable enough to trust my interpretation of your face, body, and beauty! It has been my pleasure to work with you and perform at weddings all over the country! Looking forward to many more in the near future! 

- Carita 

Anastasia + Nico // Fort Wayne, Indiana // Engagement Session

 "ENGAGING" COUPLES 

 Downtown Fort Wayne // Foellinger Botanical Conservatory

Why I LOVE engagement sessions... I get the opportunity to spend this time focused on getting to know my couple and their personality > apart from the stress of the wedding day... just the two of them. Finding out their story and engaging with their sense of humor. We play around with different locations and poses. Always with the goal of capturing their love for each other and the gorgeous RING! 

With this engagement session, we started out at the Botanical Gardens...since the spring weather is still not happening! I love playing with the colors and textures there. Then we finished up with the contrast of architecture outside and neutral colors that complimented the blue and pink ...which are their wedding colors. Anastasia and Nico were super fun to work with and braved the cold and wind outdoors to get these stunning shots...not to mention her beautiful brown eyes are captivating! Congratulations you two! Can't wait till your wedding in August // It will be warm then, I promise ;) 

"Posing"... This is how we do it

If you follow our work you'll see that we love the spontaneous shots and the documentary approach...but in THIS post I will help you understand our approach to POSING. 

~  When Nate and I were planning our wedding...I knew immediately that I wanted a photographer who took a documentary approach to our wedding day. Looking for candid and meaningful moments that we'd want to remember. We wanted our photos to be fun and happy - classic and timeless. At the time, "Documentary style" wedding photography was not yet the trend and we searched high and low for someone who's style we loved. I'm so thankful for the way our photographer, Lauren, captured our day ~ Check out OUR WEDDING! 

As we have grown our personal style, Nate and I have landed on a balance between capturing the CANDID moments behind the scenes that you'll want to remember...and beautifully POSED portraits that show your personality and deep connection with each other.

Some couples have a fun and comfortable personality that will shine through no matter what. They are comfortable being romantic/kissing in pubic - maybe this is YOU! While other couples, although they love each other deeply... they feel uncomfortable showing affection in public or get nervous when a camera is pointed right at them - is this YOU? 

It doesn't matter which couple you are. We'll know what to do on your wedding day. We'll gently guide you through the wedding party and portrait sessions and help you have as much fun as possible! We'll keep you looking Natural and Beautiful. Capture your moments of Spontaneous hugs, kisses, goofiness together...and also guide you into poses that flatter your body and take away any awkwardness you feel. When we do your engagement session, we'll get a good feel for your personality as a couple and what makes you comfortable. This gives us an advantage on your wedding day and allows you to feel confident knowing what to expect :)

Here is our guide to posing :

We use these poses to communicate your connection and individual personality :) I made up little names for these poses but we don't generally go off of a "shot list", these are all in my head when we do a session. Here are some of our favorite poses and why we like them ;) 

- the "Almost kiss"  communicates love, tenderness, and it's kinda fun to go in for a kiss and hold it...usually you both end up smiling and laughing a little which makes the moment Natural 

- The "Close up" [ up close to show intimacy and highlight your eyes or your ring ]

- The "Reach Through" Facing opposite directions, the bride reaches her arm through his to highlight her ring, face and show how they support each other 

- "FOREHEADS TOUCH"  no matter the pose, or if you're simply hugging or looking at each other, I may ask you to touch foreheads... the general rule of thumb - the more touching the better. this communicates your affection and connection 

- "DIP"  This forces you to rely on each other, highlights his strength ...and you can't deny the romance of a full dip!! - like you're in the movies ;)  

- The "Kiss on the cheek" Highlights your face and eyes, shows his tenderness and adoration for you 

- The "PICK ME UP"   This is flattering and fun! Shows off his strength and the support he gives you in your relationship. Always super cute 

- The "pinky promise"  Shows commitment to keeping the promise you made. Highlights the rings 

- "LEAN INTO ME BABY"  Lean into your man and let him support you into a "half dip" and kiss or protective hug 

Although "Unposed" may be all the rage right now...in reality most couples need guidance to feel comfortable in front of the camera. STRATEGIC posing can get you to SPONTANEOUS fun and we ALWAYS have a blast with our couples when we're shooting.

during our engagement session today my Bride said - " I was excited about our engagement photos but I had NO IDEA how much fun it would be!!! "  :) 

We laughed and joked basically the whole time. Love my job...

Smooth as Silk!

The key to your wedding running smoothly

DELEGATE, DeLeGAtE, Delegate....

Delegate everything. The last thing you want to be doing on one of the most important days if your life is be worrying about last minute details because you're the only one who knows about them! Either have a wedding coordinator in charge of these things, or delegate to the Maid of Honor, family or friends. Good communication between everyone is important, so pick someone you know will keep it together :) this way details like your veil, flowers, boutonnieres, flower girl basket, rings, isle runner, programs, or shoes aren't left behind!

How embarrassing to be walking down the isle without your shoes, jewelry, or flowers... BUT with that said, everything usually works out fine...the things that go wrong cause stress in the moment, but give us something to remember later. Don't let those details ruin your day, let them ENHANCE it by being organized and delegating.

MY MOST IMPORTANT TIP TO LOOK PERFECT ON YOUR WEDDING DAY!

THIS IS SO SIMPLE it's crazy!  >> My number one tip for brides: Try on your dress, jewelry, and undergarments the DAY BEFORE your wedding. This way you know that everything fits perfectly and you know exactly where everything is. This will make you feel confident and excited for the next day, knowing that you have your things together.  What panic could ensue if your put on your dress the day of your wedding and realize it's too BIG! -you lost too much weight from dieting, or too SMALL!- you've been stress eating. Yikes! There are brides who don't try on their dress for months and then are shocked on their wedding day that it doesn't fit. 

I once had a bride who moved from one city to another the week before the wedding and all of her undergarments for her wedding dress got misplaced...so on her wedding day when she is about to put her dress on she is missing half the things she needs. She ended up wearing her dress without a corset and everything turned out okay, but panic could have been avoided if she had tried on her dress the day before. I hope these tips help your wedding run smoothly ;)

Summer Weddings

Summer Weddings!

The grass is GREEN. Flowers blooming. The sun has a warm glow. Summer has it's advantages, but it can also have it's downfalls. Sometimes the sun's "GLOW" is a little too warm. If you aren't careful you could end up suffocating in a corsette, layers of tooling, makeup melting, and your guys are drenched in sweat under their dark suit jackets! Yikes! Sunshine can make for a beautiful blue sky, white fluffy coulds, and glowing skin...so if your heart is set on a summer wedding { June-September } ...

HERE ARE SOME TIPS to stay comfortable on your "sunshine and flower" day! 

• Find a location with trees for shade. Weather for your ceremony or simply for taking pictures, shade is ideal for photos because it softens the light of the sun and prevents you from squinting into the camera.
• If you have an outdoor ceremony then have an air conditioned reception or plenty of fans to keep people cool. Your guests won't stick around very long to party if they're dripping in sweat and uncomfortable.
• Dress COOL. Pick a wedding dress with breathable fabric, less layers, and maybe even go barefoot! Choose linen shirts or vests for the guys and don't make them wear suit jackets.
• Create wedding programs that can double as fans for your guests at the ceremony { see Pinterest for ideas } 
• Matching parasols for you and your girls could be cute and keep you cool! 

Outdoor Weddings!

OUTDOOR WEDDINGS!

Natural Light is IDEAL for documentary style photography. Outdoor weddings are warm and inviting...there is something invigorating about being surrounded by the simple beauty of nature and fresh air as you tie the knot. The outdoors allow us, as photgraphers, to move around freely and capture the ceremony from every beautiful angle rather then the confines of a church sanctuary. While outdoors can be whimsical and warm, you take a chance with the weather. If you have an outdoor ceremony planned, have a backup plan! This is crucial. You don't want to be drenched or have cranky wet guests, soggy ground, and ruined sound equipment. 

Here are some ideas to SAVE THE DAY!

• have an INDOOR reception location, and get married there with everyone seated at their tables
• rent a TENT just in case!
• have your guests and wedding party bring umbrellas!  - this could be fun and add humor to your "perfect day"

Rain or Shine... we've got you covered!!

Rain or Shine...we've got you covered!!!

first posted - 4.24.2017

Don't worry if RAIN is in the forecast! Remember that rain on your wedding day is "Good Luck" ;) Some of the most memorable and fun weddings are the those that don't always go as planned. Changing circumstances force us as photographers to get more creative in capturing, and they always turn out to be exciting and fun! Some of my favorite photos come from days where the rain was pouring down. Rain creates unique light, more intimate setting, and something to laugh about later. "Remember when it rained on the wedding day and we had to rush into the church and everyone was scrounging for umbrellas!" -The GOOD news about the midwest is that rain always breaks at some point during the day to reveal amazing cloud formations and beautiful sunsets! We'll snap some amazing outdoor shots when it clears-

FUN IDEAS FOR RAINY DAYS!

• matching rainboots for your wedding party
• cute umbrellas for your girls
• a location for pictures that is covered but still outside

Here a just a few of my favorite photos from some of our rainy weddings...

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

a skilled Photographer...

Is prepared by knowing the weather, understanding lighting and having the right equipment. Bringing some props or observing and using the environment to create a romantic and fun setting. They make the bride and groom feel at ease by directing them through the portrait portion of their day. A CREATIVE photographer also captures the fun and spontaneous moments that make your wedding day unique. We are there to capture even the moments you don't see, so that when you wake up and your day was "one big a blur"... you can look back on your wedding photos and remember the look on HIS FACE, the TEARS in your mom's eyes and every other little thing that made it so special. We're here to capture those MOMENTS so you can remember them forever.