Time to "BOOK" with STORIES Photography

THANK YOU TO Midwest Rentals Bridal Affair for a successful 2 days of talking with awesome Lafayette, Indiana and surrounding area wedding couples.  Check your e-mails this week-end! 

OFFERING "Off-Season" pricing for your summer wedding until Feb 4, 2014

You don't have to book by then just call, text, or e-mail us and we'll give you OFFSEASON coupon.

Photography Booths ~ For this discussion, we're talking about the kind at the bridal show, but STORIES Photography offers a guest photo lounge with our "Library" package. Guest pictures on gallery by midnight on wedding day!


1.  Look at our pictures.
Don't worry so much about making conversation with us, or listening to our pitch.  Make sure our style matches what you're looking for in wedding photography and the best way to do that is to look, really look, at the photographs.

2.  Ask questions.
Ask how long we've been in business.  Ask if we carry back-up equipment.  Ask if we're available on your date.  Ask if we have fun shooting weddings.  Ask if we copyright release our photos.  Ask us if we have discounts on Sunday - Friday weddings.  Ask us anything, but don't forget Tip #1 ... Look at our pictures.

3. Tell us your story.
How'd you meet? Outdoor or indoor wedding? Big or small?  Formal or intimate? Story behind your venue? Tell us what you would like your wedding to be all about, but don't forget Tip #1... Look at our pictures.
4.  Set up an appointment.
If you look at our pictures and like what you see, book us on the spot or at the least, set up an appointment to talk further with us.  STORIES Photography will hold consultations directly after bridal show to save you another day of appointments.

5.  Look at our pictures.
Seriously, folks, this is KEY.  You'd be surprised how many people come by and enter a drawing or fill up their bridal bingo card, and don't even--I've said it before--look at our pictures.

Bridal Booths In General

6.  Don't stop if you've got it covered. 
Unless, of course, you already have your caterer, but need sustenance to keep you going.

7.  Don't book on the spot.
I know I said the exact opposite in Tip #4, but photographers and venues are the first to go, so book away especially if you're worried about losing your date.

8.  A word about give-a-ways.
Vendor "drawings" are our sneaky way of getting your e-mail/phone number.  If you are very, very interested in our services put some stars * * * * * and exclamation points ! ! ! ! ! by your name and write "Call Me"  on you entry form.

9.  Concentrate on the biggies.  
PHOTOS, FILM, FOOD, FUN.  You want the memories forever on film, and your guests want good food and fun.  If your photographer doesn't like videographers ... think again.  At STORIES Photography we're too busy to break, so no need to put us on the caterer's count. Plus, we've been known to hit the dance floor. (With camera in hand, of course)

10.  Look at our pictures!
Pictures are worth a 1000 words.  If a vendor does not have pictures of their work ... run don't walk, past their booth.  If they do have pictures ... make sure to look at the pictures.

STORIES Photography would love to meet you ~

Photographer's View ~ After The Show

Top Ten Tips ~ After The Bridal Show

Remember: From the photographer's view

 1.   If you haven’t already, set a budget for each category--venue, photography, caterer,etc. Just do it.  Go through some of the material and base your budget on the average, and/or how important that wedding category is to your dream wedding. And then see Tip #8

 2.   We’re all about saving trees but do go ahead and throw or give away vendor material that you’ve got covered.  No use jamming more stuff into that bridal notebook.  List  the vendor categories in a  “day of” timeline and importance.  Get the biggies taken care of first.

 3.   Sit down, preferably as a couple, and make some decisions on who you gonna call.  {Insert ghostbuster theme music here}  Seriously, whose photographs evoked your emotions?  What cake melted in your mouth?  Do you want to make your own playlist or hire the comedian DJ?

 4.   Split up the responsibility.  If the groom really really liked a vendor give him that info and let him run with it.

 5.   Get the rest of the family(s) involved here.  Not so much Tips #1-4 but here, especially if they’re writing checks. Talk openly about $.  If you absolutely LOVED a  pricey DJ ask the groom’s family to kick in the extra.

 6.   Rob peter to pay paul.  If you can’t live without chair covers, discuss losing the stuffed mushrooms.

 7.   Narrow each category down to two.  Start by e-mailing each vendor the same questions so you can compare apples to apples.  Then move to phone conversations … you can get a lot done with these two forms of communication. Maybe even consider 'skyping' a vendor meeting, then at your pre-wedding consultation you can jump right into turning your 'dream wedding' into reality.

 8.  Take 'dream wedding' out of your vocabulary and replace it with Wedding Day Story…what do you want to show and tell your children about your wedding day?  Every wedding will tell a story.  Embrace it.

 9.   Do not stress out about anything.  It’s simply not worth it.

10.   #10 is actually from the Official Vendor Category Rule Book.  It's true.

         A. Have enough ... and decorate the port-a-potties.  This is key folks. 

         B. Hire the Videographer … your kids will thank you. 

         C. Thinking about letting the DJ take requests?  

              You will end up doing the chicken dance. 

         D. If you are gonna have a friend take the pictures... 

              ...make darn sure the friend is a photographer. 

Blizzard Bridal Show

Here at STORIES Photography and Grey Barn Farm Occasions (your headquarters for home wedding planning and farm photo shoot location)  we've been stringing together props, penny-pinching ideas, and pinteresting the latest wedding trend: Home Weddings, or as we've dubbed it, "Home Is Where Your Wedding Is"
We've planned, implemented, and photographed numerous home weddings.  So we're hunkering down in our little Northwest corner of the hoosier state, while the winds howl, the snow flies, and the Colts start their run to the Meadowlands, we give you your very own blizzard bridal show.

What we offer:
Grey Barn Farm Occasions:                                 STORIES Photography:
~ Rustic farm photo shoot                                        ~ Wedding & Engagement Photography
~ Themed Storyboards                                               ~ Timeline Consultations
~ Home Wedding Planning                                       ~ Copyright Release
~ Home Wedding Day-of Coordinator                  ~ Stop Motion Video
~ Rustic Wedding  Planning                                      ~ Photo Booth

Don't get us wrong, we'll photograph and/or help you plan your urban and traditional wedding too! Calls and e-mails are free until the weather breaks, or the month ends, which ever comes first. Actually, calls and e-mails are always free so ask us about our Blizzard Bridal Show Specials.  (Off season pricing. Mention this blog post)

g-mail ~ storiesphotographyLLC

cell ~ two three one two zero six two seven eight one

What's your story?


StoryLandFarm Brand New Pinterest Board:
At Home Weddings

Relax, we've got ya captured!

Now Booking 2014

We'll be at the Midwest Rentals Bridal Affair January 11 & 12, 2014
West Lafayette, IN

Relax, we've got you captured!

Trends, Tweets, & Traffic

Do you long for the industry giants to pay a bit more attention to small town and budget minded brides?

Simple DIY and cost effective ideas with creative suggestions, would sell on pinterest, don't ya think.  We'll see, I'm heading there as soon as I post this.

I confess, I will watch the January Bachelor Wedding and hope against hope Sean and Catherine throw a simple, doable affair which could be repeated by mere humans, but I'm not holding my breath.

How much is too much to spend on a wedding?

If I wasn't a wedding photographer, I'd jump into helping the DIYer bride and groom - plan, implement, and throw a reasonably priced shindig the likes of which you and ever other bride on pinterest has ever seen.

In the meantime, take a look at some 2014 trends ~ From The Photographer's Viewpoint, of course.




1.   Venues: Farm, Barn, Charm, Rustic, Outdoor,  and 1-2 hr mini-destination weddings

2.   Look and Feel: This is so subjective, we'll help you with "Themes" but the main thing here is keeping it simple and cohesive.

3.   Wedding Clothes: Suits, bowties, barefoot, flats, sleeves, straps, polka dots and prints


4.   In lieu of flowers:
Fruits, vegetables, herbs, sticks, tree branches

5.  Clergy   Instead of a friend taking your pictures: have one become ordained and perform your ceremony

6.  One Stop Shopping: All in one venues = happier guests, and better use of photography time!

7.   Variety: Grooms cakes.  food trucks, guest lounges, week-end festivities.

8.   Photo/Video: Stop Motion Photography, Video Save-The-Dates,   Two and even three team photography: a must-have for stopmotion - check out our version below.

9.   KISS Don't forget to keep it simple, snappy, and savvy.  No need for ceremony decorations with green trees and haybales.

10. Trending     If it's old-fashioned or over used, put your spin on it. If you love calla lillie's, mix 'em in with john deere green.  Go ahead and smash the cake all over the place, your kids will thank you, some day.
After all, it's YOUR day.







STORIES Photography wants to know:

Were you moved at the ceremony, did you have a tasty meal, and did you dance all evening?  If you answered yes to those 3 questions, then it doesn't matter what the guest book, card holder, or chair covers looked like. On the other hand, we want every photo to be the one you look at over and over again.
Cheers!
Julee @ STORIES Photography



Stop Motion Video


We do not believe the outdoor, farm, rustic, barn wedding is going anywhere, anytime soon. But we'd love to help you with your story, whether it be small town, or urban, intimate gathering or big shindig,  we'll make sure you get the look and feel you want. In fact, follow us on Twitter, "Like" us on facebook and keep this blog in your favorites, especially if you want help with the preplanning and timelines for your photography story (included in our "Library" package. We have 2014 summer Saturdays available and we're 1/2 way between Chicago and Indy. We do not charge travel fees for either city or Indiana wedding photography.

We'll be at the Midwest Rentals Bridal Affair  on Saturday and Sunday January 11 & 12, 2014. West Lafayette, IN. What story do you want to tell through your wedding day photographs? Because ... everybody has a story to tell.

Relax, we've got ya captured.