Okanagan Wedding and Portrait Photography Articles

I get asked this question all the time and my answer is always the same – Yes!

Engagement sessions are a great way for you, the client to get to know your wedding photographer and more importantly – for them to get to know you.

When I do an engagement session – it helps me to get to know my client’s personality, what they like and don’t like, how they are in front of the camera and what angles work or don’t work for them. And, of course it’s always best to find this out before the wedding!

Another great reason to do an engagement session with your wedding photographer is to get know the Okanagan valley and to see what great locations the Okanagan valley has to offer. Getting to experience a couple of locations helps you to know what you like as a backdrop and to see what’s possible in a location that you may have never even considered.

My clients and I have always enjoyed doing these session and it provides them with a fabulous photo shoot of themselves that is less formal than their wedding photographs will be – giving them more of a variety of images in the end.

So – if you are considering doing an engagement session with your Okanagan wedding photographer – don’t hesitate. Get out there and have some fun with it!

You plan everything down to the smallest detail but the one thing that is out of your control is the weather. And if you've planned an Okanagan wedding – although we do get more than 2000 hours of sunshine a year - anything can happen!

I often get asked – what if it rains? My first response is don't worry – unless of course your ceremony is planned to be outside – in which case having a tent on back up is a very good idea.

When it comes to your wedding photography though – if you have hired the right wedding photographer, there should be little to worry about. There are a lot of options for photography locations throughout the Okanagan and although it may not be as easy or care free, your photography session will take on a totally different feel which can be fun and exciting.

Stay open minded when thinking of locations that will keep you dry. Often hotel lobbies are more than welcoming and offer great backdrops to for your wedding photography. Other great options are store front overhangs, a church's window light, a restaurant with great windows or grab some large golf umbrellas for cover.

What ever happens – don't be afraid of the rain and keep an open mind if it does. It's always good to have a plan for your wedding photography. Plan out your locations and the route you will take and – in case of unfavorable weather – be sure to have a back up plan. That way – if it does rain, you're not caught off guard.

If you are you thinking about planning a destination wedding but are concerned about long distances and a high price tag – Kelowna and the Okanagan might just be your answer.

Kelowna and the Okanagan are quickly becoming a favorite among brides and grooms who are looking for a wedding experience that will be unique for themselves and their guests. With it's lush valley, the forests, mountains, lakes and fabulous weather during the summer months - there is a lot to enjoy in Kelowna.

Brides and Grooms are coming from all over North America to celebrate their wedding in Kelowna and the beautiful Okanagan Valley and discovering all it has to offer. By planning your wedding in the Okanagan (Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon) you can combine a unique wedding with a fun, inexpensive resort vacation for you and your guests. Recreation opportunities include clean lakes with the best in water sports, excellent golf courses, award winning wineries, casinos, fruit orchards, and all that blissful sunshine… 2000 hours of sunshine annually to be exact! On top of all that, the Okanagan boasts an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius in the summer and hovering around freezing in the winter.

Getting to Kelowna is easy for both you and your wedding guests as Kelowna has the only international airport in the southern BC interior and has just undergone a major upgrade and expansion. Most flights into Kelowna offer direct service from many major cities.

Driving is not a bad option either – with Okanagan only 4 hours away, 6 hours from Calgary and only 5 hours from Seattle – your wedding guests will appreciate being able to meet in the middle.

There are also many locations in the Okanagan Valley and Kelowna area to hold your wedding ceremony and or reception. There are a number of wineries such as Gray Monk, Cedar Creek, Hainle, and Summerhill estate wineries that will host your reception. Some host only the ceremony and wine tasting receptions but not sit down dinners.

Another option for your wedding ceremony and reception are the many amazing golf courses the valley has to offer such as Kelowna's Predator's Ridge, Gallagher's Canyon, or the Bear at the Okanagan Golf Club.

There is also a large number of wedding industry professionals such as wedding planners, florists, cake artists and photographers to choose from in the Okanagan Valley. So it is true, the valley has everything you need to make your wedding an amazing experience for everyone.

When deciding on a wedding photographer for your Okanagan wedding – there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Thankfully, with the help of the internet, doing your due diligence has become much easier.

A quick Google search for "Okanagan Wedding Photographers" will bring you an endless list of photographers so all that is needed is time and patience to go through the websites and make a shortlist of the ones that speak to you. To help narrow your search try using words such as Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Lake Country, Osoyoos, Summerland and Winfield to find professionals in your area. It is important to note – however – that most photographers will travel almost anywhere you like if you want them to photograph your wedding and all the areas in the Okanagan are easily traveled for professionals like myself. I love traveling anywhere in the Okanagan valley (and the world) to photograph weddings.

Like art and food, there will be certain types of wedding photography that speak to you. Go through as many portfolios as you can and find the ones that you like and that have images that you can see yourself in. Once you have your short list it's time to make some phone calls.

When talking to Okanagan wedding photographers – have a list of questions written out that you want answered so that you save yourself time and energy. Some things to ask are:

• how long have you been doing photography?
• what is your philosophy?
• what are your packages like, what is included?
• do you shoot digital or film (for many this isn't important as both mediums are great – however it does determine how quickly you see your images as those who shoot digital can blog quickly and create slideshows for clients to see within days.)
• do you have an entire wedding for me to see? (this is important as anyone can show you a few great shots from a number of weddings.)
• how would you define your style?

The Okanagan's wedding industry has a lot to offer so don't be too quick to choose. Your wedding photographs are all you have at the end of the day so be sure of your choice and don't compromise!

People comment to me all the time about the fact that I must just love what I do. The truth is – absolutely I do. Wedding photography has changed drastically over the last 10 years and I am excited and grateful to be part of such an exciting industry.

Of course being successful in this industry takes a lot more than just knowing how to take great shots. The Okanagan (Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Lake Country) has become one of Canada's must competitive markets and staying on top takes constant effort and dedication.

The thing about wedding photography is that pretty much anyone can get a camera, put out an ad in the local wedding directory and get a few phone calls. That's the beauty of this industry. It's ready made. It's assumed by most that you need a photographer at a wedding. Budgets automatically include photography services so all that is needed is to ensure your visibility to an ever changing audience. Only once in my career have I had a repeat bride.

This is where the real effort comes in. Aside from producing great work – which actually comes naturally to most photographers I know – marketing is the most challenging work. It's important to define your ideal client and approach it with that in mind. Knowing your audience will determine pricing, which product to carry and which avenues are best suited to advertise your service and reach the brides you want to attract.

What are some ‘must haves'? A well designed and easy to use website is first. Everyone knows the internet is the best tool for both supplier and consumers. Use it. Once your site is designed and looks hot – hire the right people to get that site placed where people will see it when searching for Okanagan wedding photographers.

Offer a unique product that will separate yourself from the rest. Figure out what it is that you are offering that is different and exciting and market that. If you don't stand out you will simply blend into an ever growing mass of average wedding photographers.

Under promise and over deliver. We've all heard this a million times but giving great service is what makes people talk. I hear so many stories from my brides about vendors who seem to care very little about them. It's as though these vendors have taken their brides for granted. A wedding is one of the most important events in a woman's life and they want to feel special. Help them feel that way by giving them 110%. Your clients will be excited and grateful and will rave about you to their friends and family.

Okanagan, Kelowna, Vernon and Lake Country brides are very wise and informed shoppers. With the resources that the Okanagan wedding industry has provided – brides learn what to look for and where to find the best photographers this area has to offer. That's why it takes more than just a phone number, website and a couple of ads to ensure a long and successful career in the Okanagan's wedding industry.

Mountains, lakes, beaches, beautiful wineries, endless orchards and fields of lavender – what else does a wedding photographer need to make great shots? The Okanagan (Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, Lake Country) is a well known as one of Canada's most beautiful destinations and anyone working here as a wedding photographer knows it.

Working in the Okanagan does make my job easier – but even the most obvious locations – as beautiful as they are can become a bit boring and well over used. Although it's not a bad thing to include a mountain or lake here and there – diversity is what keeps it interesting.

It's our jobs as wedding photographers to always be creative and to offer our clients something new and unique. It's what will separate us from everyone else in the Okanagan and keep the work fresh and fun.

When deciding on a great location I look for vibrant colour, unique architecture (a great way to subtly suggest your location), interesting elements like reflective glass and unique light sources, graphic lines (curved walls, interesting shadows) and texture. An old rusty metal shed with paint pealing is ugly to most but can be a photographer's dream.

Wedding photography has changed drastically in the last few years and the Okanagan photographers have played a big part in that. There is a lot of great talent here and a lot of great photographers in which to take inspiration when creating amazing wedding images.

You can never go wrong when you look to do something different. It not only makes your daily job more interesting it makes brides take notice of your work.