WELCOME
WELCOME
My dear couple! I am so happy you have chosen me to document your special day! Me and my brave 2nd shooter (and husband) Jaanus have been creating beautiful photography and memorable wedding films for the past years and I am confident that you have made the right choice in trusting us to cover your wedding day! This little book is my way to say ‘Welcome’ to you. Inside you will find everything you need to know, from beauty tips to the secret to a happy marriage! I hope it helps you prepare for that big moment where you exchange your vows, toss your bouquet and end up the day as a Married couple! I am delighted to work with you and look forward to documenting your love for each other! Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have or for advice as you read through the next pages.
Wishing you a lifetime of happiness! Maira Martins
WHY HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT SESSION?
Romance is in the air! Now your wedding is not only a childhood dream, but it is all planned and scheduled. You are getting married soon and the anticipation of a lifetime together makes you wonder: Is an engagement shoot really necessary? After all, don’t the wedding pictures represent the beginning of our lives together? Having an engagement session is important for several reasons. First, it allows you, as a couple, to get comfortable in front of the camera with your photographer. Next, you can showcase your personalities in a more casual setting, while creating some fun, memorable images for wall portraits, your wedding sign-in book, guest signature board and Thank You cards (shot early enough, we can also provide the images for your Save the Date cards and wedding invitations). And the best thing perhaps is the fact this is a session about YOU and all the little things that made you fall in love with each other. Book your engagement session today by sending an email to hello@mairamartins.com.
SHOULD YOU HAVE A “FIRST LOOK” SESSION? It’s a new age, so it’s no longer considered bad luck for the couple to see each other before the wedding. A “First Looks” is a short session, usually between 15 and 30 minutes, where our lovely couple gets to see each other for the first time, before the wedding ceremony and away from the family and the guests. These private moments are often the most special for both partners. You are able to say a prayer together, or exchange meaningful gifts, relax and think about the moments to come. Also, by getting some beautiful portraits of you two together so early in the day is a way to make sure you can spend more time celebrating with your guests.
just for grooms Between all of the bouquets, cakes, tulle and taffeta, wedding photographers can sometimes focus too much on the feminine aspects of the day and forget about the guys. Well, we are here to make the event as manly as it gets, and here’s how: During the ‘getting ready’, Maira will follow the girls and Jaanus will follow the guys. Like this the men can relax and make their jokes, drink their beers and just have a very manly moment between father, son, brothers and best friends. The engagement and first look sessions are really fun and relaxed and your Beloved session can get a bit more emotional, but ultimately what we want is to make it about YOU, and to capture in images who YOU are. There will never be cheesy smiles and forced poses, and nothing embarrassing. It is all about you and the love of your life! Then, after the session is over, is time to relax and enjoy the most exciting day ever, with all your guests!
BELOVED PORTRAIT SESSION
Since I discovered photography, I have wondered how to capture real emotions. If you ask someone to just “be yourself” and “give me your best smile”, what you will see instead is a very nervous person and a really fake and forced smile. So how can a photographer make people feel comfortable and still capture those gorgeous images of happy people? The answer is Beloved. Beloved is a fun, feel good, photographic adventure. Beloved is a heart-centric, imagination-rich, multisensorial experience. It celebrates love, feeling love, being loved. Beloved is not about forced poses and cheesy smiles. It is about truth. Beloved is like a great first date. It is a moment to remember why you fell in love. It is a chance to tell the ones we love how much they matter to us. Beloved is about removing the distance between people. It is about love, freedom, happiness, JOY. Beloved is about falling in love again. and again. and again. I use Beloved techniques with all my clients. Think of it as a present from me to you.
a formal affair Weddings are really a fantastic occasion. They mix people from different sizes, shapes, colours and beliefs, all of them with only one thing in common: YOU. They remind us that friendship and love are the only things that really matter. They give you a chance to see your grandma chatting to your best friend! We are all about photojournalism and candid images, but we just can’t miss the opportunity of creating some classic formal portraits of your guests. You will certainly thank us for that fifty years from now! ON TIME: We prefer to do these group shots when everyone is feeling the happiest, right after the ceremony! To make sure you keep your wedding on schedule, please plan for at least 3 to 5 minutes for each desired grouping! THE OIGNON EFFECT: We prefer to keep the number of groups to ten or less for more intimate group shots. We always start with the largest group and proceed to the smaller groups, to optimize our time and your guests’s time. Think of it as peeling an oignon! Each layer of the oignon is a group shot! If you have ideas for any portrait groupings you would like to see photographed during this time, make sure to write them down and let us know in advance (you will receive a questionnaire few weeks before your wedding to help you plan this part of the day).
THE SECRET TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE
Tell your partner ‘I Love You’ ten times a week. meaningful conversations a month. Go out for di up with three surprises or romantic gestures ev their own friends, once a month. Have two vaca year. Share three hobbies and intere
Cuddle seven times a week. Have ten deep and inner or a date night three times a month. Come very month. Take two nights out, each one with ations each year. And two mini-vacations each ests. Kiss at least ten times a week.
GUIDE TO WEDDING DAY BEAUTY I have prepared some great advice to ensure gorgeous photos and films on your wedding day. TRIAL RUN. Be sure to have a hair and makeup trial at least a month before your wedding for peace of mind. Snap a few images after your session to make sure all elements, from makeup, to hair, to dress, to jewelry, are a perfect match. TAKE YOUR TIME. Allow 50% more time for hair and makeup than you originally anticipated on the big day. This will ensure you have plenty of time to get to your ceremony and can still take all the portraits you want. IT’S NATURAL. To prepare for every lighting scenario, apply makeup in natural light, since you can detect subtle tones in skin and foundation color, and know for certain how much blush or bronzer to put on. SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND. Go easy on the shimmers and translucent powders. A little bit goes a long way. KEEP IT CLEAN. Make sure to take good care of your skin in the weeks before your special day. Use a quality cleanser, moisturizer, and exfoliant. STAND UP TALL. Good posture is the icing on the wedding cake. Remember to keep your back straight!
READY FOR YOUR CLOSEUP?
FALSIES. Even if it seems a bit too much, false eyelashes will make an enormous difference on the way you look in your pictures. Not only do they make your eyes pop, you will hardly even notice that they’re there. Make sure to research and consult with your makeup artist to know which ones to buy.
WATERWORKS. There will be tears, so waterproof mascara is a must. Even if you are not terribly emotional, all the strees you feel the days before and all the joy you feel during that day can be enough to leave anyone is tears. DRINK WATER. Be sure to drink lots of water the days before your wedding. Seriously! Water will give you shiny hair, soft skin and great lips. It also helps avoid headaches and reduce your stress levels. MORE IS BETTER. Because you’re likely to look washed out without it, wear more makeup than you would if you were going out for the evening. BE YOURSELF. Your wedding day might be the perfect occasion for you to put on some heavier make-up and dress up like a princess, but ultimately, your wedding is about YOU. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing red lipstick for example, go with a more natural look. You will look gorgeous anyway!
9 TO 12 MONTHS
»» Announce Engagement »» Choose Wedding Date »» Determine type of wedding: location, theme, # of guests »» Determine budget and how expenses will be shared »» Create an approximate num guest list »» Decide if you will be inviting children or not »» Choose & book ceremony loc »» Book Maira Martins Photo+ for photography & wedding film »» Book reception location »» Choose and order your wed attire »» Determine color scheme 6 TO 9 MONTHS
»» Book caterer, if needed »» Book Officiant (Minister, Prie
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WEDDING PLANNER Rabbi, other) »» Choose wedding party (Maid-ofHonour, Bridesmaids, Best Man, Toast Master etc.) »» Give wedding party a list of their responsibilities »» Book ceremony musicians »» Book live band or DJ for reception »» Schedule a date for your Engagement Session »» Choose florist »» Register for your wedding gifts 4 TO 6 MONTHS »» Reserve rental items »» Book decorator »» Finalize a list of guests »» Select & order invitations & other wedding stationery »» Set date, time & location for rehearsal dinner »» Arrange accommodations for outof-town guests
»» Start planning your honeymoon »» Select & book honeymoon suite »» Shop for your wedding gifts to each other »» Buy shoes, lingerie & accessories for the couple »» Buy wedding attire for wedding party (if necessary) 2 TO 4 MONTHS »» Have engagement session with Maira Martins Photo+Film »» Order wedding cake »» Order party favors & decorations »» Book wedding day transportation »» Go on trials & book wedding day hair & makeup »» Send out your invitations »» Select ceremony readers »» Get photography permit, if needed
6 TO 8 WEEKS »» Purchase ceremony & reception accessories: guest book, toasting glasses, ring pillow, etc. »» Send invitations to rehearsal dinner »» Have möhippa and svensexa! 2 TO 6 WEEKS »» Go through all ceremony details with Officiant »» Finalize all floral arrangements »» Make a wedding day timeline & give a copy to your wedding party &
vendors »» Check all the last details with all your vendors »» Decide head table sitting »» Contact guests who haven’t replied »» Pick up wedding rings »» Visit reception site for floor plan & create reception seating plan »» Give musicians a list of your music selections »» Print out seating cards
»» Wrap »» Have work to half! Go yourselv »» Have »» Drop decor off location
1 WEEK
»» Eat br »» Make »» Allow hair and »» Relax »» eat p »» detai long &
»» Give caterer/reception final number of guests »» Pack for your honeymoon
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IMPORTANT INFO CAN MY FAMILY AND GUESTS TAKE PHOTOS TOO? Absolutely, yes! However, I would like to suggest that during the ceremony they should avoid photographing and filming, so they can really appreciate your commitment, your vows and they can experience life through their own eyes, instead of a small LCD screen. HOW MANY PHOTOS DO WE GET? I hate to create limitations on the number of images you get “just because”. I deliver ALL good images (except duplicates and test shots). This usually means between 500 and 800 images for a whole day of wedding
photography and between 300 and 500 for a whole day of Photo+Film. HOW ABOUT THE FILMS? A short Wedding Trailer is included in all video packages. You also get a 10 to 20 minutes wedding film, which goes a little deeper into the day, featuring interviews, your wedding vows, the best speeches… You are welcome to spice up your package by purchasing some documentaries: your whole ceremony, all the toasts and speeches, guests’ interviews, and even an engagement film. HOW LONG UNTIL WE CAN SEE THEM? Already on the first days and weeks after your wedding I might publish some previews and sneak peeks. Check my blog for those little surprises! http:// mairamartinsblog.com. Your wedding gallery will be made available 8 to 12 weeks after the wedding and your wedding trailer will be released 2 to 4 weeks after your wedding. High-resolution files as
well as the wedding film and any film documentaries are sent to you 6 months after the wedding day. DO YOU DELIVER HIGH-RESOLUTION FILES? Yes! All your films are in 1080p Full HD and all your images are delivered as high-resolution digital files (edited JPEGs, 3500px on the large side, ready to print), as well as low-resolution files optimized for online sharing. DO YOU RETOUCH PHOTOS? All images are delivered fully edited (color correction and artistic edit; what you see in your proofing gallery is what you get!). I will also retouch all prints ordered through your online gallery or images selected for your album. The wedding trailer and wedding film are delivered with color correction and color grading for a complete, artistic look. The documentaries and any extras are delivered with a basic edit and no color work.
COPYRIGHT! I have copyright on all my work from the moment of the ‘click’. Your photos and films are licensed for your personal use and you are welcome to make copies, send to friends, print etc. If you post it online, please give me credit or tag me and my business (if using social media). Please don’t edit the images! I spent so many hours creating that perfect look for you! Last, but not least, I reserve the right to use the photos and films for my own marketing! That’s how I get new clients! PLEASE NOTE: I do not deliver unedited photos or films, RAW images or original video footage. Thanks for your understanding!
“There is nothing more beautiful than a woman just being herself. Every woman is perfect, with all her flaws and scars. Because that is who she is.” Beloved Boudoir is my way to celebrate the feminine, the sexy, the powerful, the strong and brave, the mother, the daughter, the friend, the beauty that exists in all of us. We are all perfect and we need to celebrate ourselves, just the way we are. During the session you can use your favourite lingerie or your favourite dress. It doesn’t matter. The only important thing is that you feel beautiful and feel respected, and that you end up your session feeling in love with yourself.
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