Orange County Wedding Photographer

Top Wedding Sites in Orange County – Part 2

In part 1 of top wedding sites in Orange County I showed you three of some the best places to have a wedding. Each of the wedding venues I selected in my top five are all beautiful and all unique. are I have shot weddings at many locations in and around the county and they have all in their own right been really great. We saw that the Bowers Museum is very spacious and has beautiful outside garden. The Sherman Library & Gardens is gorgeous, elegant, and intimate. And also in Part 1 we saw that Occasions at Laguna Village has breath taking ocean views. Now to wrap I want to tell you about 2 more sites that are also amongst my top favorite as wedding photographer in Orange County. They are:

• Tivoli Too - intimate but spacious, beautiful at night with twinkle lights under the stars
• Hacienda - Take a step back in time - Spanish style!

Tivoli Too

Tivoli Too is a beautiful place to photograph weddings. Having you wedding photographs shot here will provide an artistic European backdrop to every photo. The European courtyard, the cascading waterfall surrounded by flowers and dramatic hillside. Envision verandas with ceiling fans that overlook a European style courtyard. Wedding photography is almost made easy by the picturesque surroundings of Tivoli.

The Hacienda

Take a step back in time - Spanish style! As you enter the front gates you will feel as if you stepped back to a an era of romance. The Hacienda is an awesome place to have your wedding photographed. They have ivy that engulfs balconies that make your photos almost unreal. The fountain courtyard and fireplaces add charm to the antique decorated Spanish compound. Whether you choose the outdoor garden or the indoor ballroom your wedding photographs will be awesome.

Now before I move off the topic of top wedding sites in Orange County I wanted to note that there are many more sites in Orange County to have your wedding. The 5 wedding sites I reviewed were just ones that stood out in this photographers’ mind. But there are many others including some gorgeous church sites, beaches, hotels, restaurants, and private homes that make wedding ceremonies and receptions simply awe inspiring. Regardless of your site selection choose a wedding photographer that is familiar and comfortable with your location. This way she will be able to know in advance some best spots in your chosen selection to help accent the beauty of your wedding photos.

Until next time, Michelle Noel www.michellenoelphoto.com

Wedding Articles

1. Documentary Wedding Photography
2. Traditional Wedding Photography
3. Top Wedding Sites in Orange County – Part 2
4. Top Wedding Sites in Orange County – Part 1
5. Five Questions All Brides Need to Ask A Wedding Photographer?

Top Wedding Sites in Orange County – Part 1

As an Orange County wedding photographer, I have shot weddings at many locations in and around the county and they have all in their own right been really great. However, thinking about the wedding locations I have photographed, I would say that my favorite five wedding venues are the following.

• Bowers Museum - very spacious and beautiful outside garden
• Sherman Library & Gardens - gorgeous, elegant, and intimate
• Occasions at Laguna Village - breath taking ocean views
• Tivoli Too - intimate but spacious, beautiful at night with twinkle lights under the stars
• Hacienda - Spanish style, very pretty, choice of ceremony inside of Spanish casa or outside in spanish garden

Bowers Museum

A wedding photographed at the Bowers Museum is amazing! The Bowers Museum makes either the outdoor or modern indoor wedding options really spectacular. The beauty of your wedding photographs are enhanced by the garden setting in either the Margaret and Cleo Key Courtyard, the contemporary John M. Lee Court with floor to ceiling windows which frame the stunning garden, and or the graceful sculptures and serene fountains of the Huang Courtyard. Wedding photos are bountiful and down right fun to take at the Bowers. One bonus for larger weddings is that there is ton of room if you have a big wedding party. As part of the site rental they also have an in-house caterer, plus chairs and tables to help make the planning of your wedding a little easier.

Sherman Library & Gardens

Shooting a wedding at the Sherman Library & Gardens is a wedding photographer’s dream. It is nirvana for botanists who just so happen to be getting married! Your wedding ceremony and reception will be surrounded by foliage, spiny cacti, exotic flowers, tiled patios, a greenhouse, arbor-shaded walks and fountains, and a fern-covered waterfall with orchid accents that will make a lasting impression. To capture on film this type of serene setting is simply incredible. It allows me so many opportunities to create an artistic story with the natures beauty.  For an outside wedding, the Sherman Library & Gardens has a really quaint and beautiful wisteria-covered arbor on the Tea Garden Patio and an adjacent Pepper Tree Patio that is shaded by a large leafed pepper tree. For indoor wedding and receptions the Central Patio Room has cathedral ceiling, gray wood beams, skylights and a large white-brick fireplace and terra-cotta tiled floors. Wedding photographs look great from here.

Occasions at Laguna Village

In the opinion of this Orange County wedding photographer, Occasions is unbelievable! A few descriptive words for a wedding here is: stunning, breathtaking, dreamlike, magical, wonderful, and perfect. Your wedding photography will never be better with the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. The beach front wedding photographs will simply come alive with the crashing of each wave and the romance of the setting sun. Simply beautiful! Your wedding photography will be worth its weight in gold at Occasions.

In my next article we will look at Tivoli Too which is an intimate but spacious venue that is beautiful at night with twinkle lights under the stars as well as the Hacienda – a Spanish style that has a beautiful Spanish garden and casa.

Until next time, Michelle Noel www.michellenoelphoto.com

The Wedding Photographer – A Service Provider: Five Questions All Brides Need to Ask A Wedding Photographer?

A wedding photographer is one of the most important service providers for your wedding. To capture the magic of the moment so that the memory of your wedding can endure decades to come can never ever be downplayed. But how do you go about selecting and hiring a wedding photographer that will capture the memory of a lifetime? How do you know that a wedding photographer “knows” how to capture the best possible picture to truly tell the story of your wedding? And finally what should a wedding photographer’s service include?

A wedding photographer is a service provider. From your very first interaction to the final follow-up meeting your wedding photographer has to be the most in tuned provider at your wedding engagement and with you! As your wedding day is set get on the hiring of a wedding photographer ASAP. And be sure to take your time interviewing a number of wedding photographers. And when you interview – understand that although pricing is a factor – it cannot be the sole deciding factor when choosing your wedding photographer. Cheap is not always the best. And “truth be told” you will get what you pay for. Wedding photography is art, wedding photography is business, and wedding photography is service. Do not skimp on money with your wedding photographer but at the same time be money-wise and know how to select a wedding photographer.

How do you select a wedding photographer? You start by asking five questions:

1. Is the wedding photographer that is presenting (meeting with you) going to be the one shooting the wedding?
2. Does the wedding photographer have wedding albums available from beginning to end to show you?
3. Does the wedding photographer have a vendor list, or a list of recommended vendors that the photographer knows and has worked with?
4. Does the wedding photographer upload photos from the event to an online wedding gallery and how long after the event are they available to view?
5. What style of wedding photography will be used and with what format does the wedding photographer shoot?

Is the wedding photographer that is presenting (meeting with you) going to be the one shooting the wedding?

From the very first meeting to the last you want to know that the wedding photographer you select will know you, understand your wedding needs, understand what is important to you and your family. You also want to know your wedding photographer. You want to be comfortable with them personably and confident in that person’s wedding photography experience, their promise to deliver, and their guarantee to your schedule. On your wedding their can be NO surprises with your wedding photography.

Does the wedding photographer have wedding albums available from beginning to end to show you?

Your meeting with the wedding photographer should include the review of wedding albums. You will want to see the progression of the wedding album so you can glean insights into the artistic view of the wedding photographer. Why - because you want to be able to identify with that photographer’s artistic eye. Does the wedding photographer’s art coincide with your vision of the wedding day? Does the wedding photographer capture the essence of the wedding? Can the wedding photographer capture the beauty, the love, and memory of the wedding day? To know that you need examples, you need to see actual wedding albums. What you are looking for is the wedding photographer’s vision of how your wedding should be told for all time.

Does the wedding photographer have a vendor list, or a list of recommended vendors that the photographer knows and has worked with?

A professional wedding photographer will have a wedding vendor list recommended other professionals, to help facilitate and make your wedding day a success.

Does the wedding photographer upload photos from the event to an online wedding gallery and how long after the event are they available to view?

This feature of a wedding photographer’s service satisfies all the family members and of course the bride and groom. Getting “early access” to the memories of your wedding day increases the anticipation for your personalized wedding album and prints.

What style of wedding photography will be used and with what format does the wedding photographer shoot?

Wedding photography comes in varieties or styles that include traditional wedding photography, wedding photography photojournalism, wedding photography documentary, wedding photography full color or black and white. With regard to a wedding photographer’s format be sure to ask if the wedding photography will be shot with digital camera, film, or both?  You want to know these things so that you can communicate with this person what you like and don't like.

These are the top five question to ask your wedding photographer. They are not exhaustive by any means but an excellent start in making your wedding day a huge success.

Michelle Noel - www.michellenoelphoto.com