Anniversary Shout Out- Samantha & Michael

Posted in Anniversary Shout Outs, Wedding by mmcclainphoto

We love, love, LOVE couples who wear their emotions and personalities on their sleeve. Samantha and Michael definitely brought their wedding A-games last year for their Inn at Leola Village wedding. Such a truly remarkable day for quite the amazing couple. Wishing lots of anniversary love to these two as I continue to reminisce of this chilly, but gorgeous wedding day!

Check out more images from their beautiful Inn wedding here!

21Oct2016

Do This- Night Shots

Posted in Do This- Planning Ideas, Tips and Tricks, Wedding by mmcclainphoto

Woohoo! Our “Do This” planning tips series is back after a bit of a summer hiatus in the McClain household. We had some wonderful news late spring plus add in a busy wedding season and a growing toddler- life has been hectic but amazing. We hope our readers love the quick wedding tips and as always we love feedback if you want to see something specific on the blog! Happy reading campers!

‘Do This’ is a biweekly blog series created to be a super quick read, highlighting awesome wedding ideas that you may want to incorporate into your own event! Got an idea for our Do This readers? Email me at mmcclainphoto@gmail.com with your thoughts!

Night shots (photographically not the liquid kind) are growing more and more popular these days and we love doing them! Three tips for the perfect night photography creation:

Build it into your timeline. If wanting to create a night time photo, chances are you’re going to need to slip out of your reception for at least 15-20 minutes. Be sure to work with your photographer on the best time that doesn’t interfere with dance floor festivities or plans your entertainer/DJ may have in their timeline.
Add an element for an additional image pop. Adding in a natural element like your bouquet, sparkler, an umbrella if raining, or a veil can take a night photo to the next level.
Pick the location. Shooting near a tree, water element, or structure at night is pretty magical for your image. Bonus points if your venue has some sort of lighting like globes, patio lights, or Christmas lights. Urban locations are great as well to gather traffic movement with tail lights.

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19Oct2016

Irish Pride Wedding in Gettysburg

Posted in Melissa & Jason McClain, Wedding by mmcclainphoto

Trends are changing constantly in weddings with more focus on couples representing their personal interests, passions, and heritage. I may have a soft spot for anything Celtic (last name of McClain might be a dead giveaway) so when Lauren and Alex contacted us about their wedding, we were smitten in the details, especially Lauren’s mint green gown. Learning their story individually and as a couple, we simply knew these were two amazing people who we were ecstatic to work with on their wedding day.

Alex and Lauren were both super hands on in planning their wedding day, which from a photographer standpoint, it’s awesome and appreciated to have both perspectives on photographic needs and opinions:) Weather wise, it was a simply perfect early fall day- perfect for posed creatives on the battlefield and around their venue, The Gettysburg Hotel.

I normally try to mention a favorite moment from wedding days but the whole day was fantastic, filled with so many great moments- like the smile on Lauren’s face during the first look; the bridal party fun in the Limo and on the battlefield; hand-fasting during the ceremony; the couple’s first dance (awesome song choice too guys); and the cake topper- ’nuff said;-) Wishing warmest congratulations and blessings to Lauren and Alex in their many years of wedded bliss!