Before I start with the news of the news, I do want to say something about our “runner up” couple. As far as the public went, the voting was 53/47, so even the public had trouble voting as did the judges … I had the judges give reasons why both couples deserved the wedding, and they had a difficult time having to make a choice when it came down to it!

Rachel and Daniel are a great couple with a wonderful story, and if I had to choose a winner myself, it would have been more than difficult (almost impossible for me!). She has been very gracious and even sent an email wishing Mary and Quinton the best. I did want to give a nod to Rachel and Daniel and thank them for entering the contest. I hope that they (and Penny!) have a wonderful and happy lifetime together.

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Thursday and Friday generated a LOT of excitement here in Hill City Bride”ville” for sure. So much so that WSET, channel 13, caught wind of our giveaway and featured it on the evening news.

Special thanks goes out to the following wedding vendors who pinch hit in a hurry to come and join me (look for their cameos!) for the news taping …

Heidi Baker – The Trivium – ceremony site

Sabrena Deal – The Virginia Photo Booth Company – having a fun photo booth during the reception

Jennifer England – La Bella Torta – making the wedding cake

Leecy Fink – Celebration – providing the gown, tuxedo and bridesmaids dress

Jeremiah Guelzo – Stone Blue Productions – photography

We have MANY other wonderful vendors participating, and click here to view the complete listing.

Without further due, here is a link to our spotlight on the evening news. Just click HERE to see it (PS. my last name is Prince!).

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I am SO excited about this couple. I called Mary at 7:10 this morning, and she was SO adorable and very excited. She even called Quinton (waking him up), and proceeded to call and text her family and friends. What an exciting day for Mary and Quinton.

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Mary and Quinton … getting MARRIED 2/14/12!!

Thank you so much to ALL of our contestants. It truly was a hard choice for all … even narrowing down was really difficult. We had so many deserving couples, but I am really glad that this couple will have the wedding of their dreams … especially so that Quinton’s family will be able to come to the wedding! Also, I personally think it is absolutely perfect that BOTH of their birthdays are on February 14th, which is our I Dream of a Wedding date.

Here is their video when I made the phone call … so exciting!!

I am excited to update you on everything going on with this couple and their wedding planning process. Again, thank you SO much to all of the Hill City Bride vendors that are participating to make this wedding happen. I greatly appreciate it. Congratulations to Mary and Quinton!!

Consider the Time

Great photography is a result of great light. Natural light is constantly changing throughout the day as the sun moves from the east to the west. There are certain times of the day when the sun is in the ideal location for that perfect, glowing portrait of a bride and groom in love. Those times are as close to sunrise as possible and about an hour before sunset. To get the most out of your wedding day photography, I highly recommend you consider the time throughout many elements of the big day.

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Consider the Time of Day

By checking out the light around the time of your event before the big day, you give yourself the chance to make minor changes that could make a major difference in your photographs. If you are having an outdoor wedding, make sure you visit your venue at the exact time you plan to start your ceremony. Observe how the light falls around where you will be standing. Bring your fiance, and observe the light on his face. If he is squinting because the sun is in his eyes, then he will most likely be squinting in the ceremony photos, too. Knowing this information ahead of time should give you ample opportunity to make any necessary changes so that you will end up with the best possible photos during your ceremony.

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Consider the Time of Year

If your dream wedding photos include rolling hills spotted with autumn colors, then you will probably want to have an autumn wedding. Or if you always dream of having your pictures taken in front of Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg, you could probably have your wedding any time of the year.  My point is, by knowing what kind of images you want you should also know the type of scenery you want. Consider the season in which you plan your wedding, and understand what your scenery options will be before the big day arrives. Plan according to what you want.

Also, considering the time change last weekend, you should definitely remember daylight savings time!

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Consider your Day-of Timeline

You can know the best time of the day to take your portraits, but if you don’t execute a good day-of timeline then you won’t have time to have your portraits taken! When you sit down to plan the timeline for your wedding day, plan for everything to take longer than you might imagine. A thirty minute ceremony with a receiving line quickly becomes one hour. When time gets tight, the first thing to be cut short is often your time with your photographer. Also remember to generously calculate the amount of travel time between locations. Plan accordingly to maximize your time with your photographer.

Weddings are whirlwind days. Emotions, activities, to-do’s… your day will be full of excitement! Use these suggestions to assure your memories will be captured in the best possible way by the photographer you hire.

Thank you again, Liz! To check out Liz’s photography work, click here … the link will take you straight to her own blog.