clintonmackinnon photography

Tips for wedding decisions when working on a budget

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:18:00 +0000

With the times being what they are it is difficult for a couple to decide which aspects of their wedding to scale back or leave out all together and what should not be. The first thing that you should decide is what is most important to you. Is it important that everyone you know is able to come and celebrate with you, or is it most important that those closest to you attend. Just a year ago having 100 guests was considered to be a small wedding, but recently 100 guests in attendance is large. Consider, for your guests you need a chair for the ceremony, chair and table for the reception, appetizers, food, drink, and if your serving it, alcohol.

Flowers are important, the overall ambiance of your wedding can make or break the party, but think about how many flowers you have and what kind. Not all flowers are priced the same, going with fewer flowers but choosing a great florist can go a long way to creating a lovely event. A creative florist can create small interesting flower arrangements that look just as amazing as a large arrangement. Understatement can be a good thing, but the key is choosing the right florist. If it is at all possible, try not to do the flowers yourself, the amount of time it takes can be overwhelming, and it is one of those things that has to be done at the last minute so they look good for your important day.

Food is another area that trips up couples when planning their wedding. Three course meal, four course meal, or do you do a buffet. The more creative the meal the more expensive it can be, but think about the weddings you have attended, do you remember what you ate, did it make a big impression on you? Good food is good food weather it is brought to you by a server or you had to stand in line for a bit to get it. If you have a good DJ they can make the whole experience of going through a buffet fun and entertaining, so consider an excellent buffet over an expensive four course meal.

Photography is another area you can save on but be very careful about how you do it. When the day is done and everyone has gone home all you have left is a dress, a spouse, maybe a piece of your wedding cake, and the photographs of the day. Weddings go by so fast most couples can barely remember who was there and what happened, having a great photographer who knows how to photograph a wedding is very important. A great photographer puts themselves where the action is, they know how to compose an emotionally impacting photograph, and they don't have to take hundreds of photographs of one moment to get a great shot.

So how do you cut back your budget? Do you need to have the photographer there the whole time, does he need to stay all the way to the end? Think about what is important to you; moments with your parents, photographs of you and your spouse, the ceremony, your first dance, cutting the cake. Do you want 1,000's of ok photographs, or 100's of great photographs. Remember, when its all over, your photographs are all you really have from your day, choose wisely with a thought to the future.

Another important player for your wedding is the DJ. I know that might sound weird, but at your reception the DJ is the one who can make or break the event. A great DJ knows how to handle large groups of people, they motivate people to dance, they interact with your guests, and they keep the flow of the night moving forward. Once your reception starts going your dance floor should always be full, a great DJ makes that happen. How do you scale back a great DJ? Your first step is to contact a great DJ, tell them your budget for music and entertainment and let them help you to put together something that fits with your personality and budget. They will be willing to help if they are not willing, perhaps they are not for you.

Everyone rich or poor is working on a budget, its just that some budgets are bigger than others. Don't be afraid to tell your vendor what you have budgeted for their particular service, and ask them to help you keep to it. Some will not be able to provide a service that stays within your budget and that is ok, keep looking and don't settle just because it fits in your budget, choose what makes you feel the most secure and the most happy.

Feel free to comment

Changes to Website

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:51:00 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks we, Kate and I, have been going over our website and looking for ways that we could change it. One of the things we have done is try to make the website a little more fun and exciting, plus a little bit more visual in nature. We have changed the contact page to look like this. A stainless steel door with magnets and other accouterments to help sell the idea, and yes we know that most stainless steel refrigerators can't take magnets on the front, but we researched it and there are some that do. The second thing we did was work on the investment side of the website, what the couples and families are most interested in. You can see the wedding page here and the engagement page here. Let me know what you think of them, I was trying to go for a realistic look, as if someone were looking at the information on a desk. It is not totally realistic but I think its pretty close. Over the next week or so I will be working on pages for family outings and business portraits. I have begun the family page but I still have a few things left to do.

Kelli and Robbie's wedding at Castle Green

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:51:00 +0000

New slide show from a wedding I photographed recently. Kelli and Robbie were amazing to work with and it was such a great day.

See the full size slide show here.

Expo Bridal Show at the Universal City Hilton

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:24:00 +0000

Hello all, we had a booth set up at the Expo Bridal show at the Universal City Hilton this weekend. This is our second time attending and we are hoping it will be as successful as it was for us last year. Kate and I had a wonderful time, met many excited bride and grooms, and a few parents who were investigating possible vendors for their children weddings. Once set of parents was a mother for the bride and father for the groom, both are stationed in Iraq right now. The parents were an absolute delight to talk to.

Vicki D's Work in Newbury Park, CA

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:07:00 +0000

This the third house that I got to photograph for Vicki, she pretty much put everything where you see it. The whole house is amazing but I'm only going to put up 4 of them, we did 11 I think. To see the rest of this amazing house and some more of Vicki's work check out her website at definainteriordesigns.com , the photographs should be up soon. Enjoy, and if you have a house that needs to look like a million bucks, or rather to show inflation, a billion bucks, give her a call or send her an email and get the ball rolling on the house interior of you dreams.

Connie T: Platinum Home Staging, Inc.

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Met with Connie T. this week for a shoot in Calabasas. She does amazing Interior Design and Home Staging, and her company is Platinum Home Staging, Inc., check it out and see some really amazing stuff. A friend of mine on Twitter and in real life, recomended me to her for some photography. We had a great time, and didnt let the rain deter us a bit.

Vicki D's work in Malibu

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Some more examples of Vicki's work. I met Vicki at a home with one of the most magnificent views from a home I have ever seen. You could see the Channel Islands, Santa Barbara Island, Catalina Island, and wide open ocean. It was breathtaking. Vicki did a wonderful job on an already beautiful home, she incorporated colors and style in the bedroom and bathroom that made for a wonderful experience just being in the rooms. vicki@definainteriordesigns.com is the email you need to contact this wonderful designer. We had a blast styling and photographing, and it didn't hurt that the owners of the home were incredibly nice. I am really enjoying photographing interiors, it allows for a creative side of me that I haven't been able to explore before.

Vicki D's work in Thousand Oaks

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Yesterday Vicki of Defina Interior Designs and I went to Thousand Oaks and photographed some of the work she has done recently. We both had a lot of fun trying to get it to look just right. She does amazing work, colors on the walls and coordinating the rest of the objects in the room so it all comes together. She styles these rooms quite nicely. One of the cool things she does is go into homes that people are trying to sell and styles them up so that they are more appealing to potential buyers. Send her an email if you could use her services, vicki@definainteriordesigns.com. We will be doing more in the near future, I for one am looking forward to it.

Melinda and Tommy in Oxnard

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:59:00 +0000

What a beautiful day it was. Southern California has some of the best weather in the world and it came out in spades for us on Melinda and Tom's wedding day. The ceremony was held in a small park in the Oxnard/Channel Islands area, by the Marina. Tons of guests, family and well wishers came to see them join together under a nearly clear blue sky, they couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. After the ceremony we rushed down to the beach which was only about 5 blocks away, just as the sun was setting. They both love the ocean so it was a perfect setting to capture these moments between the two of them. It was easy to see that Tom is a surfer, we walked out onto the sand, and he just stood there for a few seconds watching the waves break, probably wishing he could run out and catch a few before the reception. Good Luck to both of you!

Trace and Ryan's Wedding at Spanish Hills

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:05:00 +0000

This was a beautiful wedding, the bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and everyone had a wonderful time. Spanish Hills is a wonderful place to photograph. They have a huge pool, lots of grass, huge trees, and a really cool looking building. Because its up on a hill, Spanish Hills, the sun sets a little later than it does in the surrounding area. This gave us a few minutes more to photograph in the setting sun. It is always fun to photograph a bride and groom and they were no exception. We all had such a wonderful time, to bad I only get to do it once.

Susan and John's Engagment session in Malibu and Ventura

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 07:29:00 +0000

Engagement or pre wedding photo sessions are so much fun, it gives me an opportunity to work with the bride and groom to build a relationship and find out what they really like about photography. This also gives them a sense of who I am and what they can expect from me on their wedding day. We had an awesome day, we started off in a beautiful area of Oxnard, then went to downtown Ventura to photograph on the streets, then down to El Matador beach in Malibu. Downtown was fun, everyone that passed us was excited and interested to see what was going on, and the future bride and groom loved the attention. We got to El Matador beach about an hour or so before the sun went down, the sky was beautiful, the sea was blue, and the rocks on the beach just glowed such wonderful colors under the setting sun. Its funny, I am from Florida so I am used to the ocean being to the east, the sun always rises out over the ocean, here in California so many of the beaches face south, so the sun sets over land, very disconcerting for me, but makes for amazing lighting. Susan and John had a wonderful time, I can't wait for the wedding.

Tina and Brians Wedding in Hot Springs, Arkansas

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:21:00 +0000

Tina and Brian Got Married,... in Arkansas. It was amazing, just a day and a half before this was taken there was a hurricane blasting its way through here, just a few days later another one hit. I think it was meant to be. Hot Springs is a tourist town. Downtown there are 8 or more spas that feature baths, pools, and treatments with hot spring water from right under the city. If you ever have an opportunity to go its worth the trip. Tina and Brian got married overlooking Lake Hamilton. It was a wonderful day and everyone who attended had a great time. After the wedding we went into town to a local restaurant and had amazing food, dancing, and fun.

Luana and Jeff's Wedding day

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Meet Luana and Jeff. We had a wonderful time doing their Pre wedding photography but it was more fun photographing their wedding. They were married at the beautiful and historic Ventura Mission on a beautifully warm day, surrounded by family and friends who were excited to share their day with them. She was beautiful and he was handsome, you couldn't ask for a nicer couple to photograph.

Pre wedding Photography with Karyn and John

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:10:00 +0000

Karyn and John like adventure and the outdoors, and for their shoot we had an adventure. One minute we were on the beach in Malibu and the next we were standing on the top of a hill in the mountains. We started our shoot at 7:00am and ended when the sun went down that evening, and we had a blast. The two of them are getting married in Hawaii but they wanted to have photographs done that reflected their interests and showed off the area of the country they now call home. If anyone is looking for beautiful vistas or amazing beaches, the Malibu area is the place to go, just don't try to do all of it in one day, it will wear you out. :) It was totally worth it.

Overlooking the corridor where 101 runs between Malibu and the Calabasas Woodland Hills area

Mark and Richards Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:54:00 +0000

I had the honor of photographing Richard and Mark's wedding on the 17th of June, a glorious day in the state of California. The ceremony was held at the house of some close friends who were just as excited as they were to see them get married. Though the ceremony was short it was moving and very emotional. Congratulations to Richard and Mark on their wedding day and many wishes for their future together.

Lily and Mykal's Fairy Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 22:39:00 +0000

Fairy wings on the bride, fairy wings on the groom, fairy wings on the guests, fairy wings on the children and fairy wings on the photographer and his assistant. What a good time was had by all. Lily and Mykal wanted to have a wedding that was different and fun and they got one. The ceremony was magical and fun and so were the people in attendance. We drank naturally made power drinks and ate sushi for dinner, Lily and Mykal pulled out all the stops for their ceremony and reception. Each pair of wings was individually made, named and displayed with loving care so that each guest would have something unique to take home with them from the wedding. Everyone had a blast and came away from the day with a wedding memory that will be tough to duplicate.

Paul's birthday present

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:12:00 +0000

Paul and Greg are two very nice people who I had the privilege of photographing at the beach. Greg wanted to give Paul something different for his birthday so he got him a portrait sitting. The three of us met at Oxnard beach and commenced to making beautiful photographs. The two of them were great to work with and seemed to enjoy themselves. I love it when the people I am photographing have a happy and enjoyable experience.

Tina and Brians Engagement in San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:48:00 +0000

Brian is a long time friend of ours, and Tina is quickly becoming one as well. Kate and I rode up to San Francisco to photograph them for their engagement session. It was really really fun. Tina and Brian had already picked out a few places around the city where they wanted to be photographed, the two below are from the ocean side of the Golden Gate Bridge. I will be photographing their wedding in Arkansas this September. We are all from the south so it will be nice to see some familiar places. San Fran is a wonderful place to photograph, there are so many places to choose from it was almost overwhelming. Good luck to both of them and we will see you in September.

Carol and her girls

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 10 May 2008 22:58:00 +0000

Carol, her girls, and I went over to Oxnard beach and had a wonderful time making beautiful photographs. It was a windy and some what chilly day at the beach but we made it seem like it was a perfect day, it didn't hurt that they were excited about the photo shoot. I had a wonderful time photographing them and would do it again at any time.

Luana and Jeff's Engagement photographs

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:47:00 +0000

Luana and Jeff's Engagement session was absolutely wonderful. We went to the Faulkner Ranch on a beautiful day and made some amazing photographs together. Jeff's mother Sheri has connections at the ranch so we pretty much had the run of the place. The interiors of the house were as great as the exteriors. Luana and Jeff are a lot of fun to work with so I am really looking forward to the wedding in June.

Engagement Session in Santa Paula

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:34:00 +0000

Today I get to spend the afternoon with two wonderful people, Luana and Jeff. They are getting married this year in June so this afternoon we are doing an engagement shoot. The place we are going to is the Faulkner Farm in Santa Paula, CA. On the property is a big red barn and a Queen Anne style home, built in 1894. I encourage anyone who has never been there to go and take a look. Luana and Jeff are a fun couple so this afternoon should be exciting. I will post the outcome of the photo session in a couple of days, heres hoping I can figure out how to keep the photographs looking good when they are posted.

Kensington Foundation Photographs

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:24:00 +0000

The event went off without a hitch, there were about 23 groups participating and next year they are thinking that even more will participate. The wonderful thing about events like this is everyone is always so happy and excited to be there. They are at the event to have a good time, but most importantly they are there to help a worth cause. Here are a few of the people who participated in the event, from some of the photographs you can see they had a wonderful time.

Kates Radio Interview

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Kate did a radio show today, she was marvelous and Fabulous to quote Billy Crystal. She was on the same radio program that I had been on a few weeks prior. We will have a link to the interview up as soon as its available. The host, Jack Warren, talked to her about what charities we work with, how we work with them, and how other photographers can do the same. I can't say enough about what a good job she did, and how proud of her I am. When its posted take a listen, you can learn more about how we operate and what one of the core missions for our photography business.

Kensington Foundation golf tournament

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:11:00 +0000

Tomorrow, April 5th, 2008 is the Kensington Foundation Golf Tournament. I will be photographing the tournament at the Elkins Ranch Golf Course starting at noon. To learn more about this charity go to http://kensingtonfoundation.org/index.php or select the link to the right of this post. Photographs will be coming shortly.

My Radio interview

noreply@blogger.com (clintonmackinnon photography) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:01:00 +0000

I did a radio interview on the 8th of March, it was a lot of fun. We talked about wedding photography, our company, and the hand crafted approach we take with our wedding photography. When you listen to it the first people you will hear speaking is the host Jack Warren and his guest Stephen Burns. I come on after Stephen. He is worth giving a listen to as well. He does wonderful art work in Photoshop, authors books, and puts on some amazing photographic competitions in southern California. Here is the link. Shutterbug Magazine Radio Interview Enjoy