Thinking of having children at your wedding?

A Darling Affair 28/10/2013 children, happy children, wedding, wedding photos 2 Comments

It may not be for some people but personally I love the idea of having children at weddings. They take great wedding photos, make adorable fashion statements and are awesome dance partners on the dance floor.

It really pays to make the day as special for them as it is for all other guests. I mean there’s something about happy children that makes the day all the more merrier.

I recently got married and took the big risk to have a petting zoo at my wedding. Was that a good idea? It was the best. thing. ever. Not only did the 15+ kids have a great time but it immediately set the scene for a fun filled reception.

Photo credit: Julian Beattie Photography http://julianbeattie.com/

Other great ideas coming on the scene are good old pinatas, having a crafts table, kite flying or decorating cupcakes that can double as dessert.

Check out these very pretty silver pinatas created by the talented Party Pony Pinatas http://partypony.net.au/

See, doesn’t these pictures make you want to join in the fun? Weddings really are so much more enjoyable with happy children around.

Love from your darling
Tran Xx

Know your light

A Darling Affair 17/04/2013 Dear & Tine, Lighting, lovely light, photography, tips, wedding, wedding Wednesday 0 Comments

Chaddy, of Dear & Tine Photography, shares her knowledge and artful management of light in today’s edition of this month’s “Lovely Light” series.

We are fortunate to have Chaddy as our official photographer for our upcoming Gold & Sunshine Coast Wedding fairs.

Here is what Chaddy had to offer on knowing your light…

Know your light

Lighting is a powerful element which sets moods; it can be dramatic or it can be subtle. A professional wedding photographer should know how to master light whether it be artifical or natural. An experienced photographer will be able to work with whatever lighting situation they’ve been given on your wedding day. However, in order to optimise conditions for your wedding photos, it’s a great idea to think about how light works to create different moods and effects.

Scheduling for portraits

As a general rule, it’s also best to avoid the harsh mid-day sun as this often creates challenges with shadows and overexposed features. When the sun is directly overhead, it causes harsh and unwanted highlights on the skin. You’ll also find that it is extremely difficult and uncomfortable to keep your eyes open for photographs during this time. However, with that said, a creative photographer is able to utilise shadows to to their advantage to create different dimensions.

The Golden Hour

Most photographers prefer to shoot sixty minutes prior to sunset. This is called the Golden Hour. As the sun starts to set, the natural light is filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere and becomes softer with a golden warmth to it, which helps to set a more romantic mood to your photographs.

As there is limited natural lighting for outdoor photography, before booking in your ceremony time slot, it’s a great idea to discuss with your photographer how much time they would need for your wedding day portraits. From there, you can work backwards to find out what time sunset is and schedule in your ceremony to allow for enough time for your photographer to work. From my experience, this can vary from wedding to wedding; depending on the size of the bridal party and the location of the ceremony, locations and reception. As a guide, I would usually allow 30 minutes for family portraits after the ceremony, and 1 hour plus travel for bridal party portraits.

Lighting up pitch black

However, some of my favourite photographs have been taken where no natural light has been available. There are many ways to think outside the square by using artifical light to create a dramatic mood.

You can see more of Chaddy’s work across our website and Facebook Page in our Gold Coast Fair promotional images. You can meet her in person at our Gold Coast Fair on June 22nd. Tickets are now on sale (buy one and bring your bestie for free!).

Things We Love – Minty Freshness

A Darling Affair 01/04/2013 color, colour, mint, pallet, seafoam, styling, wedding 0 Comments

“Things We Love” is all about what makes us excited at A Darling Affair.

We will be sharing loads of gorgeous images on colour palettes, themeing, styling, blooms, objects used in different ways, cool ideas that are out of the ordinary and basically inspiring you to understand your own individual style.

Minty Freshness!

I love mints! I love to eat them. Mint chocolate, mint lip gloss, peppermint scents, it goes on and on. I’m pretty addicted to it.

So it’s not surprising that I LOVE the colour Mint!

Mint is a soft pale green with a touch of blue. It can come across as fresh and pretty, or icy and cool.

With our two Wedding Fair locations sharing a common theme being on the coast – Sunshine Coast & The Gold Coast – it’s safe to say that mint blends in with the freshness of the sea, as mint is sometimes referred to as ‘seafoam’.

So here is all the prettiness of the different shades of mint and how to style it!

Gorgeous mint props like vehicles – boats and cars – make for awesome back drops to you in the foreground.

Photography: Wholehearted Studio

Kombi: Woody’s Surf Car Hire …… Photography: Feather & Stone

Mint is stunning teamed up with white, making it fresh and crisp. A bridesmaid in mint will not drown you out as a bride but will help the centre of attention – YOU – to stand out.