Travel Diary |Mexico Sights and Taste | Los Cabos Destination Wedding Photographer

What do you do when the North East of America is stuck in a deep freeze with minus -20F weather? You day dream of your recent trip to Los Cabos of course!

About a month or so ago I had the absolute pleasure and joy to travel to Los Cabos with my friend and fellow wedding photographer Matei Horvath. I usually don't take too many pictures for myself when I travel but this time, I did. Maybe because I had time to take it all in and actually relax which doesn't really happen too often on work trips.

We stayed at  Hilton Los Cabos hotel which, as you will see in my pictures below, is a beautiful place! The people were simply amazing! Warm, welcoming, and most importantly with a palpable love of life. From checking in and getting served a ice cold Marguerita by our wonderful valet, to the wedding coordinators we had the joy of working with and everybody in between, I couldn't have asked for better people to be surrounded with on this trip.

On my time off, I choose to relax either on my private patio overlooking the ocean or on the shady patio of the Eforea Spa. The ceiling fans were on during the hot part of the day so it was a quiet, cool place to just be and do absolutely nothing. They also have soft, relaxing music playing and it smells incredible from the massage oils.

As a coffee lover, I was pleasantly surprised to find a Starbucks serving shop on site.  It's called "Dulce"  (fun fact: "Dulce" means "sweet" in both Spanish and Romanian ) and from the outside, it looks like a regular gift shop. Inside, you will find that they serve all of your Starbucks favorites, ice cream and even cotton candy. It is a really neat spot and I am so happy it was there- I enjoy living on the wild side but familiar coffee is a must for me. The prices are decent and they do accept US dollars. The caffeine struggle is real y'all!

I got so spoiled with the hotel shops accepting US dollars that I was expecting the same for the shops at Los Cabos airport. Needless to say, I found myself in a shop line with only US dollars and they were not accepting the currency. Fortunately, the nice lady there gave me my order short a couple of Mexican cents but still-- be warned, once you leave your comfy hotel, real life is REAL

I really enjoyed the design and decor of this hotel. As a photographer I am inspired by everything around me and this was such a calming peaceful place to be in. The decor definitely contributed to the overall feel with muted beach colors and earthy, grounding textures.

The food was delicious and I particularly enjoyed a salad I had at the Azul tapas bar- not sure what the name was but It was one of the only vegetarian dishes on the menu (maybe you can show them the picture and they'll recognize it :) aaaand the view was amazing - I highly recommend this place!

On our first day, Matei wanted to try Mio. We both had tacos and they were sooooo good. I can't speak for him but maybe because I now live in New England and I am taco deprived most of the time I really enjoyed my dish. I enjoyed it so much I didn't even have time to take pictures of it :)

Bottom line is, if you travel to Los Cabos, Hilton is a beautiful place where to relax and have some well deserved rest. You will love it there! I am looking forward to returning myself, hopefully in the near future.

Love always,

Idena

Times Square Engagement Session |New York Photographer

This past weekend Mike and I drove to New York for a quick engagement session with the sweetest couple ever! It was so great to finally meet them and connect with them while roaming the streets  in 90 degree heat :)

Rachel and Adrian are planning their white winter Vermont wedding and finally got around to meet for their engagement sessions. I didn't get a lot of time to edit yet but I am so very excited about this one picture of the two of them in Times Square! I always wanted to play with a slow shutter speed and I finally had the chance- These two were troopers and up for anything :)

Thank you for indulging me with this one you two!! 

Times Square Engagement Session | New York Wedding Photographer

Family formals | Keep it light. Keep it fun |Vermont Wedding Photographer

Family formals. Not the most creative part of the wedding day for us photographers but maybe one of the most important parts of the day for you, the couple. Every single person you love is there, looking beautiful. Dressed up. Huge smile on their face.

Perfect picture opportunity!

Lets take full advantage of it :)

Sure, the moments in between are just as important and oh so sweet to capture... But let's not forget the importance of the group pictures. Ultimately, these are the ones that will most likely go into the wedding album, up on the wall, or in photo boxes waiting to be discovered by generations to come. They are important. They are part of the family history and legacy and should be treated as such.

But, they should also be kept light. And fun. And as something to look forward to instead of dreading. I know, you want to get them done and enjoy your cocktail hour with guests before the reception... I feel your impatience and want to get them done as fast as possible for you.

So, without further a do, here are some tips on how to get the wedding group pictures done right, fast, and fun.

People think that a wedding day is not a place for children but I tend to strongly and respectfully disagree. They are rays of sunshine when they are around. They are important members of your family and should be treated as such.

This wedding group picture, taken at the beautiful Quechee Club Golf Course in Vermont, is probably not going to make it in the wedding album, but... by taking it before the "serious" one, I ensured that everyone was relaxed and happy and in a stellar good mood. 

What a fun bunch of beautiful people!

1. Since group pictures are usually done immediately after the ceremony, please inform your family well in advance to stay put and not rush to cocktail hour. The more information they have about what to expect, the better. So maybe, a week before the wedding, it would be great if your immediate family would get a short, kind, and sweet reminder about the family formals, especially the location of where they will be done and the timing. Mention their importance and that you look forward to having them all there. Treat this moment of your day as a great opportunity to catch up with your family members that you don't get a chance to see too often. Once you get to the reception, the music will be too loud and there will be dancing to be done...

2. Designate a family representative for each side (bride's side and groom's side) to help with organizing. I always try to remember everyone's name and role, but it is almost impossible to get everyone right. Also, I have a soft voice and struggle with being loud and acting like the "family formal commander." 

The family member you choose, ideally will be the organized, fun, and energetic family clown - that one person that has a knack for keeping everyone happy and in line all at the same time.

3. The LIST! Have a detailed list of each group you want to take pictures of and the order it should be done in. As a rule of thumb, it is way easier to subtract family members from a large group than doing it the other way around. (If you start with the small grouping, you will have a lot of sitting around for a bunch of guests. The other way around, you can dismiss people as they are done so that they can go enjoy the cocktail hour.)

4. If you have a group large than 15, make sure you have chairs handy, or a way to get them fast. Large groups need to be organized in layers with the shortest members in front and grandparents or seniors sitting. (not necessarily because of the age, but mostly as a sign of respect to them). I usually make sure I have at least 5 folding chairs in my trunk at all times for this reason... (sometimes, the ceremony chairs are used to set up the reception room so it's best to be prepared for anything and everything.)

5 Lighting. Everyone craves that creamy, natural light. No matter how skilled the photographer is, that is a very hard look to achieve in harsh sunlight. It is usually the reason we look for that patch of shade and try to keep the sun behind the group. Sure, flash and off camera lights are an option but they tend to look a little fake. It is also a matter of taste and if you do prefer that look, please make sure you let your photographer know ahead of time. If instead, you love that bright, creamy, natural light look, keep in mind that shade is needed. Sunlight is great for adding drama but not in family formals. I won't even mention the constant squinting... Oooops...I mentioned squinting...

6. If your ceremony is later in the day, make sure the sunset light is reserved for your couple portraits. So, if you work your way back from couple portraits during golden hour, you should easily figure out the ideal time for your ceremony and family formals. Allow about 1 hour for the group pictures (but this also depends on how large your family is and how many different groups you have)

I hope these tips were helpful. if you have any questions, do comment and ask or send me a sweet e-mail. :)  I will be happy to help you figure things out. 

Geesh --- I talk a lot, don't I ?!?! 

Peace. Love. Family.

Always...