Vendor of the Week: Kat Braman Photography

Oct 21st

by: Lauren

I don’t know about you all, but I LOVE getting ready for the week with a dose of gorgeous photography! Well my friends, this week’s amazing work is that of Kat Braman Photography! Based in Jupiter, Kat shoots weddings all throughout Florida, the US and worldwide. Her images really do speak for themselves though, so let’s see some of her work and learn more about her!

Why do you see yourself as being Modern, Vintage, Classic, or Eclectic?

This is a tough one to answer. I primarily shoot in a documentary fashion so my work is inspired by, and a reflection of, my clients and their wedding day. If I had to pick one it would be eclectic.

What is your favorite wedding detail you’ve ever seen or created?

It would have to be the vintage VW bug sporting a giant mustache.

What is your favorite store or brand?

Apple, TOMS, Anthropologie

What is your favorite thing about weddings?

Those unplanned moments and the unexpected details that give every wedding it’s unique character and flavor.

What qualities do you possess that enable you to work well with brides and grooms?

I think the relationship between photographer and client is so incredibly important. I want my clients to be comfortable in front of the camera and to enjoy being photographed. I do whatever it takes to make that happen, including laughing at myself. This is especially important for the portraits. During the other parts of the day, I’m focused on capturing candid and authentic moments so I’m usually staying in the background being unobtrusive. But ultimately my biggest priority is to make sure that you have nothing but happy memories of your wedding day.

What steps do you take to ensure that your clients will have amazing wedding days when working with you?

I think setting expectations is the key to success. After all, for most people this is the first time they will be working with a professional photographer so I set very clear expectations with my clients and then do everything in my power to exceed them. I also get involved with the timeline to ensure their timeline allows me to take the kind of photos my clients see on my website.

Just absolutely gorgeous, right? You should definitely go see more of Kat’s work in her ELV gallery and on her website! Oh and if you’re having your wedding in Colorado, you might want to check out her About page, because there’s something special there specifically about Colorado! :)

Kat Braman Photography

email: kat@katbraman.com | phone: 561.222.3355 | website: http://www.katbraman.com
twitter: Follow @katbraman | facebook: “Like” Kat Braman Photography!

location: East Coast FL, Florida, South FL | type: Photographer | style: Eclectic, Modern, Vintage | price: $$$, $$, $

Detail To Love: Guest Mad Libs!

Category: DETAILS 1 Comments

Oct 20th

by: Lauren

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Happy weekend everyone! I hope you’re enjoying this lovely Fall season! I don’t know about you, but I’m ALL about making sure guests have fun things to do at weddings. So when I saw that one of the couples recently featured here on ELD had mad libs for their gusts- or “guest libs” as they called them- I knew I had to be sure to share the idea with you all!

Photo by Lesley Isacks Photography, via feature on ELD

This is a fabulous alternative to a guest book too! Plus, it kind of “guides” your guests along in what to write you… I for one can never thing of anything fun to write in cards and guestbooks! ;)

So what do you think of these “guest libs”? Would you include something like this at your own wedding??

Elegant Purple & White California Vineyard Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 4 Comments

Oct 19th

by: Lauren

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Happy Friday afternoon everyone! This California vineyard wedding from Ahava Studios is the perfect way for us to end this lovely week. It’s filled with shades of purple, lots of clean white flowers, and some of the most gorgeous photographs ever!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

Definitely the amazing vendors and wedding professionals that worked with me. I was lucky to have a Wedding Planner/Coordinator help me with a lot of the planning. She was so wonderful and helped me navigate and understand the crazy complex process of wedding planning. There are so many details and little things that I didn’t even know had to be done…I would have been lost without her.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

I would say references/samples of their work and also personality and style . I think when you meet vendors you get a feel for wether or not you will get along, be a good fit, or have similar vision. I think its important to listen to your instincts.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

The design I was going for was very simple, clean, and fresh (lots of white and a little bit of pastel).

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

First, it was getting to marry my husband. And second, that all our guests had a fantastic time. My husband and I wanted to make sure that was our priority in planning… to make sure all our friends and family enjoyed themselves, and in the end it was one heck of a party.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Wow! This is a hard one. I would say, to not stress so much that it makes it not enjoyable. If you remember what its ultimately about (marrying your significant other) then hopefully you are able to keep perspective. And to surround yourself with positive and knowledgable people, so that you are in a position to make good choices and decisions.

Absolutely perfect advice! Are these images by Ahava Studios not totally and completely gorgeous?! And have amazing is the vineyard? I definitely wish I could be there right this second!

Will any of you be having your weddings at a vineyard? Or maybe drawing inspiration from a vineyard?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Ahava Studios / Reception Venue: Club Los Meganos / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Sugar Rush Events / Catering: Willowstone Catering / Flowers & Decor: The Flower House / Second Shooter: Britany Simon

Classic North Carolina Garden Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 4 Comments

Oct 19th

by: Carlee

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This classic and traditional Charlotte wedding from Jere & Ashley Dotten has a sweet, small-town charm that makes this Southern girl’s heart beat a little faster. Ruffled bridal gown? Check! Dramatic wedding cake? Check! Big ol’ Southern mansion? Check! Check! Check! I am in a major swoon, y’all! The neutral color palate lets the natural beauty of the venue shine through and the gorgeous all-white florals provide the perfect pop against the ceremony’s garden setting.

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

What helped me the most was staying organized. It seemed like the most important decision we made was where we were going to have the wedding. Once we determined the venue, we were limited to the dates that it was available. Once we picked a date, we were able to nail down the big things as soon as possible, such as the photographer, ceremony musicians, reception music, and florist. We had a great relationship with our venue’s on site wedding coordinator as well as all of our vendors, which made us feel comfortable sharing our idea of how we wanted our perfect day to be. We also weren’t afraid to ask questions. If there is something that you want to be a part of your wedding it doesn’t hurt to ask. Most of the time your vendors will go out of their way to accommodate your needs.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

My husband and I both grew up in small towns with great family and friends. We love good food and having fun, so when we were deciding on whom to work with for our wedding, we wanted to make sure that they understood this and wanted to be a part of it all. We didn’t want our wedding to be too busy, but simple and chic. Upon meeting our photographer, florist and the on site coordinator at our venue we just clicked. I felt like everyone really took the time to listen to how we wanted things to be on our wedding day without trying to make our wedding something it was not. They made it easy for us to say “no” when we didn’t like something, but also offered great suggestions based on the feedback that they had received from really getting to know us. The Duke Mansion is unique in that it only offers one wedding per weekend for only a few months a year. This allows the wedding coordinator to take the time to get to know each and every couple that gets married there in away that some places cannot.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

I could not have asked for a better venue and vendors. I was prepared for the worst, due to the fact that our ceremony and cocktail hour were being held outside and I generally don’t have very good luck. When everything went off without a hitch, I was completely shocked and grateful. Everyone that I worked with did everything they could to make sure we felt special on that day. The pictures were amazing, the food was great, I always had a drink in my hand, and at some point in the night I think almost everyone made it out on the dance floor.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

Our venue was totally our inspiration for our details and design. The sheer beauty and history of the Duke Mansion doesn’t need much design to make it beautiful. We didn’t want to take away from the natural beauty of the venue, so we used more neutral colors. The setup of the venue also provided us with the perfect transition from ceremony (outside) to cocktail hour (outside) to the reception (inside). We had an amazing sit down dinner in which we sat people at tables arranged by places that my husband and I have visited. We love to travel, so we felt this was just a little detail that we could add to the reception to allow people to share some of our special trips with us. As favors, we also set out “treats” from many of the places that the tables were named after.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

My best piece of advice is to remember that this is your one and only (hopefully) wedding, so plan your wedding how you want to and don’t get caught up in how you think your wedding is supposed to be. Also remember that the people that care about you the most will be there no matter what. When picking a day or a venue, don’t worry that it might not be the best day for some people. The people that matter the most will make the trip or find the time. The best weddings are not the most expensive, but the most memorable.

One of my favorite details from this wedding? Jennifer and Jeff coordinated their wedding favors with special places they’ve visited in the past. Such a perfect way to offer their guests a treat and include a personal detail unique to their story.