Recently a couple whose wedding we covered last year, Hadassa and Jeremy, welcomed their first child into the world, an adorable little girl named Odelya. We were privileged to be asked to take some photographs of this beautiful young family and here are the results!
We went to the family home which provided a comfortable setting and the photos really shows just how casual and comfortable everyone was. Odelya was a brilliant little model (although with parents like Hadassa and Jeremy, how could she not be), and managed the entire shoot without crying. Even Patience the cat got in on the action, although, I get the feeling she felt this whole process was a bit below her, and she soon retreated to other areas of the house.
Patience modelling Odelya’s bow – i am not sure she thinks it suits her…
Odelya, by this stage, had decided she disapproved of Dad’s shirt and…ammm…ensured its removal.
Hadassa looks so gorgeous with her little bub!.
I dare you to find a cuter family. Hadassa and Jeremy clearly only have eyes for little Odelya.
We love shooting families in a natural setting of their choosing since they look most in their element there, with older families you can take them to the park, beach etc but with newborns that’s not usually an option, so shooting in the home seems like the natural choice -we even brought our own lights to deal with the difficult lighting conditions, and not blind everyone in the process. We stayed for over an hour with this family and it was time well spent, resulting in natural, beautiful photographs that can be treasured for many years to come.
Thank you so much Hadassa, Jermey, Odelya and Patience for letting us capture this precious time.
P.S. If you would like to hire Filip Welna Photography for some family portraits of your own, just contact us for our packages.
Perth Bride is the premier advertising magazine for, well, Perth. Not only is it filled with suppliers that are essential for your perfect wedding day, there are also pages of inspiration to give your day that personal touch. Check our advert out in the Photography section, as well as our lovely brides Carrie and Torryn in the ‘Real Wedding’ section. Perth Bride is available in news agencies everywhere and, a digital version will be coming out shortly.
One of the many products that we offer at Filip Welna Photography is Thank you cards. These prove quite popular with couples. They allow you to show case the professional wedding photos of your day to all your guests as well as providing them with a little memento of your day. You spent ages making sure you had the perfect wedding day, so why not show off those great bridal photography shots! I design all the cards myself and I try to pick up details from your wedding stationary, such as colours and fonts, and bring it into your card so that it matches your wedding theme. Of course, you get to okay it before we send it off to our printers. Usually we just do a postcard that people can send off, but some people have other ideas and we try to accommodate any ideas you have.
Having Filip Welna Photography, take care of the Thank you cards allows couples to have a personalised thank you card without the hassle of having to do it all themselves!
Filip Welna Photography Thank you card selection
Here are a few cards that we have done, there are many more and I will feature them in later blog posts.
Bye for now!
Karina.
I have confession to make: I think the wedding in Twilight is possible the most beautiful wedding setting I have ever seen. Now, to clarify, I am not a huge twilight fan (the movies are okay, they are just not my preferred viewing) but the wedding scenery was stunning. I love the forest setting, all lush and green, the twisted branches benches, the hanging wisteria and the bower that the couple stood in for their vows is stunning. Its a glamorous and elegant setting and, despite not being a Twihard, I can see the obvious beauty of it.
Unfortunately, I can only guess how much it would cost to recreate the look (those hanging wisteria alone would cost a fortune) but bits and pieces of it have inspired brides in their own romantic vision. For one, the forest setting is actually doable, even in WA, particularly if a bride isn’t averse to holding their wedding down south…imagine being married in the Pemberton region with those gorgeous Karri’s and Tingles! Not to mention the studding on-location shoot opportunities. The petal covered aisle is also something that can be achieved and also, while hanging wisteria maybe difficult to get not to mention setup, its probably far easier to get a florist to make the aisle enders (or whatever they’re called!). I have also seen people mimic the canopy effect with chiffon, lace and lanterns. In fact, one of the lovely things about this look is the heavy use of greenery, which is usually cheaper than having heaps of flowers and is definitely more resilient.
Looking at how people have drawn inspiration from this film set is truly inspiring. Below are images of some of my favourites, from people who have bee able to duplicate it completely, to other who have taken one element i.e the bower and translated it to another setting entirely, to others still who have toned it back to a simple forest setting, its amazing how creative people can get.
From a wedding photographer’s viewpoint, the subdued lighting is also something to be celebrated. It may not be sunny and bright but the soft light makes skin look smooth and also avoids heavy shadows. If you like that look, have photos later in the day – an hour or two before sunset and even at, dare I say it, twilight. The photo used as the banner in is this post was taken very late in the day, using the last available light, and the inherent moodiness of that time of day is evident -its dark and romantic because it was taken so late in the day. The forest look can be achieved by using the huge fig trees in Hyde Park or the figs opposite the Swan Brewery, in the cooler months even Bush land can turn green enough for this look.
I am not alone in my admiration of this wedding look, so below are some links I have brought together that celebrate and take inspiration from the ‘Twilight’ wedding.
- Twilight wedding tumblr – focused almost exclusively on the film, but also gathering some real life inspiration for invites, photos and so on.
- Pinterest board of the Twilight Wedding Theme – mixed in with images from the film are some real life wedding settings inspired by the film and more.
- Another Pinterest board filled with stuff inspired by this wedding
- Bride’s Guide has a page that goes from the setting, to the dress to the hair and can help any budding fan recreate the look.
Till next time!
Sorry this is a bit late, but it took a little more prep then usual because i decided to add in an actual checklist you can use to make sure you take everything you need.
Now, I know that a wedding day should run perfectly but its always best to “be prepared”, and one essentially part of making sure the day runs as smoothly as possible is the Bridal Recovery Kit/ Emergency Kit. Usually every bride usually has some form of Recovery Kit, it can range from just a lippy, tissue and perfume to a container filled with bandaids, party feet, water and much more (i have seen dedicated maids of honour with backpacks ready for any and all circumstances). Here is rundown of what I would recommend putting in one of these kits, I carry around a little kit it of my own (as a wedding photographer I believe in being really prepared) as well just in case but its a parred down version. In an ideal world my bride’s kit would have the following:
- bobby pins (because hair is prone to doing its own thing)
- hairspray
- hair brush, comb and perhaps even a straightener/curling iron depending on your hair type
- tissues (obviously)
- safety pins ( these are probably one of the most useful elements, it seems dress are destined to misbehave on the day!)
- basic sewing kit (its nice to be able to fix a button on a boys shirt, jacket etc)
- hand sanitizer
- baby wipes (also do very well in getting rid of mild stains, better than just water)
- really awesome bandaids, my favorite are actually these big ones that are skin colored and padded, here is a link. Great if your shoes have decide to launch and unprovoked attack on your poor feet, they stay forever in place unlike normal bandaids!
- party feet (and related products to alleviate foot ills)
- clear nail polish (for runs in stockings)
- superglue (always handy if a shoe breaks! pluss many other uses)
- feminine hygiene products (God forbid, but if you have watched 16 candles -it happens!)
- makeup essentials
- nail file
- biotene mouth gum or spray (really good if your mouth drys out before speeches etc, you can get it at any chemist)
- cash (for parking)
- pain killers
- indegestion pills
- allergy meds
and, actually, much more! (the sky’s the limit really). Water is essential for instance, and make sure someone in the party has access to a mobile, just in case. You can really make a kit as big or small as you feel comfortable with. Having a kit can just keep everyone smiling that little bit longer (which is a good thing in my book).
While i was researching this post I actually found it pretty hard to find a ready made checklist, so I decided to help budding brides out and created my own. I have created a word document and pdf checklist. just click the links below (you can add new items to the Word doc easily, just copy and past a previous item including the check box and then change it accordingly).
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Till next time!
I though it was worth telling our readers why we do what we do -what our core belief is and how it drives what we do.
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In finite terms, a wedding day is just one 24 hour period that can be spliced down into hours, minutes and seconds. But no one actually remembers their wedding day in these terms, what we do remember is the events that made up that wedding day: the first married kiss, the rings, the first dance and so on and so forth. We also remember the joyous and optimistic feelings that come with a singular event that promises (and delivers for better or for worse) the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.
It is in our memories that our wedding day can and does last forever. Indeed our memories of that one day, that one day that changes our lives in many infinite, large and tiny indescribable ways, can and does effect our everyday lives. For many it can become a safe point, a safe harbour to sail into when the seas of life become rough. Because on that one day, the day we said ‘I do’, we said so much more.
We said we believe that people can dream together, that they can grow together, that they can love till death and beyond. We may, sometimes and probably often, look at the naiveté of that day and laugh or cry but we cannot deny that that was the truth of that day. We grow older and hopefully wiser, but there is a beauty in the innocence of a wedding day that is worth treasuring and keeping safe in our hearts and memories.
Keeping memories safe though can be hard and so we try to keep our memories strong by making keepsakes of all sorts. We keep flowers, we have our rings and finally, when the dress is packed away and the flowers have dried to a dark resemblance of their fresh selves, we have our photos.
And that’s the crux of it, photos are the main currency of our memories. They refresh and recharge our memories, when we share them with others, with loved ones, we create new memories for them to treasure also.
Thats why we all take photos: because we know the power of memory, and while the moment can only last for a finite period of time in terms of the passage of time, in our memories those moments stretch out before us for as long as our lives last. Photos are that little string around our finger that reminds us of those times gone past. We know that a good photo, a great photo, is like a candle to a memory ever burning bright and a bad one is like a fog over our eyes; shading and dulling our vision of whats past.
Thats why we strive to create beautiful photos. Because we believe that the memory of the day that those photos represent should be glorious and luminescent. We believe that if you have great photos of your day, then your day can sparkle just that little bit brighter when you look back on it.
I could say we take really good photos, and that if you take us on as your wedding photographers we will give you photos that are beautiful and true to your day. It would be the truth, but its not reason enough to hire us. Lots of people take great photos. You should hire us if you believe like we do – that our memories are our most precious assets, that something that precious deserves to be captured in photos that are made with care, quality and respect from the minute they are taken.
There are many things that you should have with you on your wedding day in your emergency kit, but some are less obvious than others. Everyone thinks of tissues and lip gloss but there are some other items worth including, for instance, a curling iron/straightener. Wind, rain and heat are all enemies of great hair but extremes of weather may well be unavoidable on your wedding day. While some people are blessed with hair that will keep its shape and style regardless of weather conditions, many others have hair that does the complete opposite. If you’re wearing your hair down on the day it is probably a good idea to bring whatever appliance was used to create it. Most brides who have their hair down curl it (well, it is classically romantic!). If you have straight hair that doesn’t keep curl all that well, you should plan for the fact that your curls may be gone, or at least not their initial bouncy selves, by the time of your reception. Do your research and use the wealth of curl helping mousses, shampoos etc to help keep those curls but also prepare for them to fall. Bringing your straightener or curling iron along will allow you to refresh your hairstyle before you enter your reception, so you can once again feel like your glamorous self as you enter!
The same advice goes for those brides who straighten their hair for their day, since if the weather is humid your hair may have started returning to its naturally curly/wavy state and a quick rundown with a straightener will also take care of any frizzies that may have appeared. Don’t take a travel version straightener, they usually are just not powerful enough to do the job well, and if you use it to curl you will end up with small Shirley Temple style curls (which is not good if you were going for gentle romantic curls).
As a Wedding photographer I can tell you that photos tend to be very forgiving of hair, in fact the texture of messy hair can often look great in a photo, so not all is lost if your hair does decide to do its own thing on your day. My hair which is dead straight naturally had pretty much lost all its curl by the end of the day but I wasn’t too concerned, in the end the wedding day was not about my hair! So do your best to fight the good fight for great wedding hair, but even if you lose, remember to keep smiling and enjoy the day, it will only happen once after all.
There isn’t much info on Anne Hathaway’s wedding (let alone images of her pro wedding photography) unfortunately but that wedding dress just has to be blogged about. Anne married her beau in a secret sunset ceremony in September of last year and while most photos I have managed to track down are obvious paparazzi shots (i.e. very grainy!) you can tell that the couple were clearly having the day of their lives.
Married at scenic Big Sur on the Californian coast it was a low key affair with a modest guest list of about 150 people (well, modest for a celebrity) who were serenaded to Jazz trio Americano Social Club. They married surrounded by pine trees in specially erected marquee bathed in sunset light (sunsets are a longer affair in the northern hemisphere, try that in Perth and there will be no light by the time you say ‘i do’!.. grumble, grumble). An Autumnal theme featured throughout the reception with branches and 60,00 dollars worth (gasp and faint!) of flowers.
Now to that dress! Designed by Valentino the dress is dreamily romantic. Layers of chiffon and tulle with the double whammy of long train and cathedral length veil. Covered in intricate lace work and featuring a hand painted train with embroidered satin flowers it features an off-the-shoulder style with a natural waist bodice. It has a slight pink tinge at the bottom but is so subtle you could almost believe its a trick of the light. While Anne kept her accessories to a minimum she did adorn her really short hair (thanks to her role in Les Mis) with a 1920’s style headband. Anne didn’t want to have short hair for her wedding day but I think she found a perfect way to look classically romantic even with pixie lengths. She finished it all off with a simple ivory rose bouquet and the best accessory of all, a huge radiant smile.
Enjoy the pics and hope it give you some inspiration in any wedding planning your doing!
(Pics from Vogue and OK! Magazine)
While I love a celebrity wedding as much as the next person I have to admit that many of them are pretty ho hum affairs. They follow a pretty set formula, for example:
Celebrity A and B got married in stunningly expensive location C surrounded by x hundreds of their closest friends and family, the dress was by designer D and the lovely couple honeymooned at E. They are beautiful affairs with big dresses, smart tuxes, expensive cakes and huge venues but their rarely anything unique. Basically they are exactly what we would expect the sickeningly wealthy to do. But every so often a wedding comes along that bucks the trend, and one reasonably recent wedding that did this was that of Kate Moss and Jamie Hince. Kate Moss may well be fashion royalty but her wedding was refreshingly free of fashion pretence and felt like it would have been a genuinely fun event to be a part of.
Kate’s gown was what every bride who ever wanted a vintage gown could dream of; ethereal and ornate but still edgy enough for the modern day (it was sheer after all), designed by none other than John Galliano. Her veil looked like it had been stolen from the 1920’s without looking dated or old. The bridal party were not forgotten with lovely children’s outfits in cream and white (military page boy coats!). Married in a beautiful stone church and a reception in a country field setting (but with marques) the word ‘perfect’ comes to mind with this wedding more than once.
While unconventional the use of white and cream for all the outfits for the girls with floral crowns to top them off, really amplified the summery vibe for this July 1st 2011 wedding. But there were other surprises as well, from Teepee’s for the kids to Kate’s stunning glitzy red coat/cape which just dripped glamour and rockstar sex appeal (note: the couple had a pre wedding shoot in which they wore different clothes but it still counts as far as I am concerned, if i could afford more than one set of wedding clothes I would have been up for it as well!).
Their wedding photos were also unique which is to be expected from Mario Testino, fashion photog extraordinary. Whoever came up with bringing in red into the pre wedding shoot pics was a genius, it really brought out the green of the scenery and is something more brides should be open to – white is beautiful but adding some bright spots of colour can only serve to enhance its brilliance.
I also adored the group photos of the bridal party (which do look like a Vogue setup when I think about it) and have been guilty of trying similar setups when time, location and props allowed. Their casual and fun and its clear that no one was too obsessed with making all the kids look 100% perfect (although they do come close!). I loved the mostly natural processing that also allowed for rich dramatic colours which again suits Kate fashion background. Truly an inspiration for our profession.
I am sure many brides have taken inspiration from this wedding!
Till next time!
All images by Mario Testino for Vogue
Perhaps one of the most iconic objects of a wedding, second only to the white dress, is the bridal veil. Once upon a time a veil was a must have item but these days many brides choose not to have a veil; for some it is too old fashioned or too uncomfortable to bother with but for many it is an integral part of their wedding outfit. As a photographer I can say that I love veils! Even when misbehaving (i.e. frolicking with the wind and whipping all in the vicinity in the face) veils look beautiful. Whether they are cathedral length or a sassy retro chin scraper, veils are the ultimate romantic emblem of the wedding day. its not unusual for the putting on the veil to be the moment when brides and mums etc. will get all teary eyed (much to the consternation to any makeup artist!).
When brides ask about whether they should have a veil or not I always say ‘yes!’. Lets face it, your wedding day is probably not the last day you will wear a beautiful big dress on but there are few occasions, save a fancy dress party, that you will have an opportunity to wear a veil. In photography veils tend to soften the light creating sort of soft hallow around bride and softening skin tones when doing close up portrait shoots, in full length shots they can extend the silohouette if long in length and (if the wind complies) be used for dramatic effect. Some of my favorite shots are of a veil playing with the wind, generally being a nuisance but producing the most stunning shots in the end.
If you have reservations, remember you don’t have to have a veil that covers your face, and even if you do you can have your dad (or whoever walks you down the aisle) to pull it back right at the beginning of the ceremony so you are not watching everything through a gauzy filter. Neither do you have to wear the veil the whole entire day, take it off at the reception if you found it annoying (just make sure a bridesmaid knows hot to take it out so your hairdo stays intact).
If a veil still seems a bit ‘ugh’, you can always go for a fascinator like head covering but I always caution people not to get anything that covers a great part of the face. I know some brides love a little bit of netting just over one eye (its very vintage), but having hundreds of photos where part of your face is always obfuscated may not be ideal, so really think about it from both a photographic and comfort perspective (I am not saying don’t have one, I am just saying make sure you can see clearly through it and !).
Long or short veils are wonderful romantic symbol of the day and I highly recommend having one.
Till next time!
What our Couples say….
Thank you very much for being our wedding photographer. You and your beautiful wife have done an amazing job. From the onset of our first meeting we were very confident in that choosing you as our photographer that we had made the right decision. We applaud your work, from the way you conduct your business, the countless hours and effort you put in, right down to the fine detailed spectacular finished product. Please know that as well as monetary gain, you also have our copious appreciation.
We will recommend you to everyone we know, and probably even people we don’t.
Mark & Sarah