MoscaStudio Wedding Photography Style Guide by MoscaStudio

Welcome to MoscaStudio’s

Style Guide!

We offer inspiration for all things wedding photography. As your planning progresses, refer back to images and ideas collected here and throughout our online galleries and social media. We hope to be more to you than wedding photographers… we hope to be a source for fabulous ideas and your support team as well. Keep in touch with us and enjoy!

~ Alice (MoscaStudio.com)

In This Issue:

Engagement session advice Sample wedding photo timeline Our advice about choosing other vendors Wedding albums are so worth it! More about MoscaStudio

MoscaStudio is not only your wedding photography expert; as part of your patronage, you will also receive sound advice, a helpful wedding expert, a shoulder to lean on for when things get a little stressful. Your wedding day will be perfect, with the right amount of help and a perfect wedding team. Let us help you make it happen…

A wedding is a unique, one-time event. Knowing this, makes us even more honored to do what we do. We are inspired by you and can’t wait to begin the photography process. We are accessible and available to you anytime, provided we are not photographing another event, of course :) Anytime you have a question, as specific or generic as it may be, feel free to contact us! We are happy to provide as much help as we can, including referrals to the handful of wonderful vendors we love to work with and we love to pass on to our couples.

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* Use us as a trusted resource. We’re honored to be yours. * Connect on a personal level, on our social media outlets (links below!) * Save our style guide for ideas and inspiration and vendor referrals.

f a cebo o k.co m/ Mos caSt u di oLLC tw itter.com /Mos caSt udioL LC ins ta gram. com/M osc aStu dio pi nteres t .com/Mo s ca St udio

H EL LO @ Mos ca Studio.com ( 5 0 3 ) 7 3 2- 0378

Real Wedding Image: Netarts, Central Oregon Coast

Part 1 : THE (LIFESTYLE) ENGAGEMENT SESSION !

While we feel that everyone is beautiful inside and out, we understand that some of you may not feel confident being photographed. Not problem at all! Engagement sessions are a great way to break out of that photo-funk, and to see first hand how it feels to be captured on camera.

What we strive to do with our engagement sessions (which are more like lifestyle sessions, than anything else) is to let you be YOU by helping you be as confident as possible, without forcing you to do anything you wouldn’t normally/naturally do. It’s our trick for capturing the REAL you, without making you feel “weird” and “awkward” on camera. This of this as a

practice run for your wedding day! Once the big day comes, you’ll feel so much more confident and comfortable with cameras around that you’ll know exactly what to do.

There is strategic posing when necessary, but there is a whole lot of casual and genuine photography in the mix, too. The best way for you to show your true personalities and the love for one another, is to be left to be yourselves. We will observe you as you walk down the street, as you sip on a delicious coﬀee together, as you watch the sunset, or hike to a waterfall, or ride a cruiser bike, and as you flirt and hug and squeeze each other, too.

Everything you do in front of the camera, during your engagement session, should be what you usually do as a couple. That way, you’re not forced into strange situations that don’t reflect your personalities. That way, you can show oﬀ your love for each other, as naturally as possible. We want you to see the images and say: “That is SO us!”

Read this brief but detailed mini-guide, to prepare for your own session. See you soon!

Engagement Session: DRESS CODE

Engagement Session: MEANINGFUL LOCATION

It’s really not a “dress code” per se. What is most important is for you to be comfortable with how you look, to match your partner’s style, to feel confident (from every angle), and to be and feel like yourself. Don’t mask who you are… enhance it!

We can easily suggest locations for your engagement session… but not before asking you if there are any places that really truly mean the world to you, as a couple.

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Choosing a rustic barn setting, for example, encourages a more relaxed feel. Boots, sun dresses, sandals, big straw bag, a colorful blanket to lay on, maybe your doggie! All of these things come to mind, and all of them would look perfect for that environment, especially in the evening, when the sun is about an hour away from setting. Gorgeous warm light & beautiful long romantic shadows to play with!

If you were to choose a more urban location (such as downtown Portland in the afternoon / early evening) then dressing up with heels and evening make up and more city-like attire, would be perfect. Consider your nicest pair of jeans with fabulous shoes and a great bag as an accessory (we might hit up a coﬀee shop or even a bar, as a fun setting!).

A soft and romantic beach setting or an outdoorsy National Forest/waterfall hike will have completely diﬀerent clothes requirements… It’s a mater of feeling GOOD in anything you wear that is appropriate for your chosen location. Don’t worry! We can help.

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Do you love to hang out at a local caﬀe’ or city park? Do you love to hike waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge? Are you a lover of snowy winters and spend lots of time on the mountain, maybe at Timberline? Do you love dramatic cliﬀs and sand dunes and ocean sunsets?

We are fortunate to be living one of the most diverse environments in the country. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful region and MoscaStudio is always thrilled to explore. The Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area; the National Forest with Mt St Helens; the vineyards, the high deserts of central Oregon, the beautiful bridges of downtown Portland, the historic Timberline Lodge… there are so many possibilities! Truly something for everyone. Choose what means the world to you and we’ll organize!

For our destination wedding clients, your engagement sessions will be more specific to you, especially if we won’t see you until your wedding week. Don’t worry! We will organize with you in other ways ;)

Real Engagement Image: Ramona Falls, Mt Hood Oregon

Engagement Session: PREPPING WITH PRO MAKE ! UP AND HAIR

Engagement Session: BRING PROPS + YOUR FOUR ! LEGGED FRIEND!

Many brides only think of this for their wedding day… but why ignore the engagement session? Besides your wedding day’s photography, an engagement session is most likely going to be the only other professional shoot you will participate in in a while. Get PAMPERED for it!

It might sound a little silly, but if your hands are occupied with carrying a gorgeous bag, or holding on to a fabulous wide-brimmed hat as the wind tries to whisk it away, or riding a tandem bike together in the countryside… the images will be even more fun (and much more easy for you to experience).

Go to your favorite salon and have a professional hair stylist wash, condition and style your hair. Getting spruced up for a photoshoot makes all the diﬀerence in the world to your attitude and your confidence in front of the camera. I’d stretch this to include getting professional make up done too… You can think of it as a wedding trial run!

MoscaStudio’s engagement sessions are more of a lifestyle shoot, than a portrait shoot. This means that the images will be active and full of movement, with less posing than you would think… so having an activity to do (or an object to hold) makes the look more complete.

What is most important is for you to feel your best. These photos are yours to keep for life and most times, they will end up in the wedding albums too. Why not get pampered for your engagement session as you would for your wedding? Light make up, nothing fancy nor extreme, just enough to even out your skin tones and accentuate your eyes and lips… there are amazing techniques that are perfect for each person who gets this done. A professional will be able to hear your requests and make them happen. Email us for referrals! Some are listed at the end of this Style Guide, and more are available upon request too. You’ll love your look!

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Each couple is in love, so each couple will inevitably hold hands, walk away into the sunset, sit embraced under a gorgeous tree, etc. But what about including a something that means the world to you? How about bringing your doggie to include in part of your shoot? How about an old VW bus that you two always camp out in? Maybe you can bring items that you love to include when you two have a picnic at a park (like a blanket and a basket with a bottle of wine)?

Infinite possibilities here! It’s just a matter of brainstorming and planning for it. We are open to just about anything, in order to make your photoshoot as unique as you are, so let’s brainstorm!

Real Wedding Image: Alexana Winery, Dundee Oregon

Real Engagement Image: Hiking the Ramona Falls Train, Mt Hood Oregon

Being a full-service photography studio, means being able to not only capture the beauty and emotion of any wedding day, but to be able to provide quality, beautiful, timeless products that are sure to last lifetimes to come.

Part 2 : BEAUTIFUL  !As professional photographers, we dream of having our very own hand-made albums be found in tucked away trunks in attics, 50 or even 100 years from now. CUSTOM Old photographs always speak volumes of a moment in time from the past… ! MADE  There is nothing quite like finding an old collection of images that tell a beautiful old story, to a new generation. ALBUMS !

No one knows exactly how long a digital image file will last. It is a fact that a JPG image (the most common image file for images, today), deteriorates each time it is opened and viewed on a computer. Technically, the more these images are viewed digitally, the more they deteriorate, and the closer they become to being lost, for ever. MoscaStudio backs up each file in multiple locations in order to always have unopened copies, but most (if not all) of our couples, don’t know how to store image in this long lasting, archival way.

As a full-service studio, we encourage our couples to choose a package that includes a BEAUTIFUL , HAND MADE ALBUM . Albums are archival, made to last, UV protected, durable and timeless. We have beautiful relationships with albums makers and plenty of samples to show you at our studio. Think of it as an investment into our future generation’s memories. There is nothing like touching and feeling and flipping through pages and passing books around. It’s a whole other experience in wedding photography… Trust us when we say, albums are worth their money in gold!

For our COMPLETE guide to MoscaStudio Wedding Albums, visit our online catalog here. If you are not online at the moment, don’t worry! Contact us (Hello@MoscaStudio.com) for information.

12x12 inch Red Genuine Leather Couture Line Album

Real Wedding Image: Private Estate, Portland Oregon

Part 3: THE NEXT STEPS !

Most of our couples reserve MoscaStudio services well in advance of the actual wedding day (usually one year before, if not earlier). This allows for plenty of time to get organized and to finalize wedding photography details (and for the lifestyle engagement session as well).

At the 30-day mark we will help you begin to solidify the photography plans and we will help you compile a perfect photography schedule. It is advised to hire your own professional and trusted wedding planner (they will save you time and will alleviate the stress of planning your own big day!), but feel free to ask us anything because we are experts in helping schedule your photography sessions within your wedding day.

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Your second payment is due 60 days before your wedding day.

! ! Please send checks and other correspondence to: ! MoscaStudio 5531 NW Willbridge Ave, Portland OR, 97210

Thank you for your timely payments! Our small business really appreciates it.

We have a sample schedule for a short summer wedding day in this guide. Feel free take a look at it and use it as a jumping point for your own day.

MoscaStudio : Example Schedule for a 7 hour Wedding Day

This sample schedule is *ideal for a wedding in ONE location* or *a wedding in TWO very close locations*, and it is also typical for *a wedding with a private FIRST LOOK* prior to the ceremony. Let us know if you need a schedule that is more specific to your wedding; we’re happy to help as much as we can. Remember to consider hiring your own wedding planner, they are well worth the investment. See our PREFERRED VENDORS at the end of this Style Guide.

2 to 3

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GETTING READY (one photographer with the bride and the other with the groom - if only one photographer is included in the chosen photography package, shared time between the two getting-ready rooms is perfectly acceptable, provided both bride and groom are within the same hotel/home/venue)

3 to 3:30

PRIVATE FIRST LOOK (a perfect time for a few candid moments between you two, and away from the preparations)

3:30 to 4

GROUP AND FAMILY PORTRAITS (his might take a bit less or a bit more than 30 minutes. The key is to make sure you tell everyone to be ready and at the pre-chosen location for the photos, that way no one has to wait for anyone)

4 to 4:30

REST UP! (Take this time to sit down, use the restroom, hide from the arriving guest. The photographers will take a little break too, and will reorganize to be ready for the ceremony. Usually this is a great time to take some detail photos of the decor and ambiance and scenery, too)

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4:30 to 5

CEREMONY

5 to 5:45

PRIVATE BRIDE AND GROOM PORTRAITS DURING COCKTAIL HOUR in a pre-selected location. Just the photographers and the couple (while all family/guests make their way to the reception via the cocktail hour. Believe me, everyone will be hugging and talking and having drinks, as they wait to make their way to the reception - it is excepted for a bride and groom to leave for the cocktail hour for photos, but it’s up to you!)

5:45 to 6 6 to 7

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REST UP! (Freshen up, take your veil off, hydrate, prepare to be announced into your reception) DINNER. You will be announced into the reception (the buffet will open - or dinner will be served, depending on your caressing choices - and you will all make your way to dinner time (one hour for eating is a perfect amount of time. Even if some are still eating their second helping of food, we can begin the rest of the wedding activities, in order to save time). Your dinner times also your photographers’ dinner time. This is when the photographers can sit for a few minutes and grab a bite to eat through the buffet line as well. PLEASE FEED OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS!

7 to 7:15

SPEECHES AND CAKE Stand next to your cake and listen to speeches and toasts (generally, the fathers and the best man/maid on honor will speak. After the speeches are given, you get to cut your cake!)

7:15 to 7:30

YOUR FIRST DANCES (Who dances is completely up to you and it definitely depends on your families’ structure. Generally it’s the following combinations: Bride and groom first; Bride and dad second, then Groom and mom)

7:30 to 8

Take a quick break and then its SUNSET PHOTOS! This is particularly striking and important if your wedding is in a place with sweeping majestic views where the colors of the sky are really impressive! Whenever the sunset may be at your time of year, you should definitely take a few minutes to get some private images of this.

8 to 9

PARTY TIME! Dance the night away and have fun! The photographers will take photos of the dancing and the p a r t y! The garter and bouquet tosses should happen sometime within this time (unless you don’t want to do them, of course. Some of our couples are not that traditional :) PHOTOGRAPHERS LEAVE (After 7 hours, unless the studio is reserved for more, of course)

Part 4: CHOOSE THE RIGHT VENDORS! (A great team makes for a perfectly stress-free wedding day)

MoscaStudio highly recommends hiring ONLY professionals for all aspects of your wedding! Hair and Make Up, Flowers, Catering, Planning/Coordinating, Cake, Lighting, Linens, Videography… everything.

Count on everyone you’ve hired, to be talented professionals you can count on to make your day PERFECT. This is your day to shine bright, without playing the part of bride and planner, or bride and cook, or bride and decorator.

Hi re ex p e rt s so you don’t hav e to attem pt t o be o ne yo u rs el f…

MoscaStudio has 12 years of experience in the Portland area and at destinations worldwide. We have a close-nit web of professionals whom we trust and highly recommend.

Please use us as a resource when hiring other experts, as we are more than happy to help.

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If you are viewing this Style Guide online, the list below is filled with live links; click and see! If you are viewing this oﬀ-line, google the names as they are written and they will appear in your browser. We vouch for ALL of the following professionals! Tell them MoscaStudio sent you and they will help you out:

Wedding planners/coordinators/decor designers: • Creations by Ly • Bridal Bliss • Whitney Werts Events

Wedding florists: • Blum Design in Flowers • Sophisticated Floral Design

Wedding DJ: • DJ Mo Funk

Wedding videography / cinematography: • Focal Point Digital Media • Moving Picture Weddings

Wedding make up and hair: • Powder, Inc • The Prettiest You • Portland Make-Up and Hair • Whitney Stassi Make Up Artistry

Real Wedding Image: Red Ridge Farms, Dayton Oregon

AJ COURTNEY

ALICE & JOSH

Part 5 : YOUR MOSCA PHOTOGRA PHERS !

MoscaStudio’s main photographers are Alice and Josh. Together they have built a brand that is trusted and respected throughout the region and by national and international publications.

M o s c a S t u d i o ’s a s s o c i at e photographers are AJ and Courtney whom have grown to represent Mosca’s brand and artistry so well, that they are asked to return for the summer season, year after year.

All MoscaStudio photographers (TWO year-round local and destinations, FOUR seasonal and local) are experienced and professional and excited about each and every wedding assignment. The key is to trust the studio with logistics, so that you (the couple) can pass the time anticipating your big day by counting back the days to the

event. You haven’t simply hired p h o t o g r a p h e r s, yo u ’ve h i r e d photography experts, who will take care of everything wedding photography related, so you don’t have to think about anything but your marriage to your partner.

MoscaStudio photographers have been awarded with Oregon Bride Magazine’s Best Wedding Photography Studio in 2013 AND in 2014. Internationally s p e a k i n g, G r a c e O r m o n d e Wedding Style Magazine hand selected MoscaStudio as Platinum Level Members of their exclusive high end network of international professionals. The prestigious online publication Junebug Weddings has deemed MoscaStudio one the The Wo r l d ’ s B e s t We d d i n g Photographers.

A l i c e a n d Jo s h a r e a l s o organizers of an educational, Portland-based, photography group where people at all levels of photography come to learn about t h e i n d u s t r y. We a re p u bl i c educators, respected by many, and happy to be accessible to teach the industry’s ins and outs.

Alice was born in Rome, Italy on 3.8.78 she has been a world traveler and “citizen of the world” (with an Italian passport) ever since she was born. Her parents worked for the Italian Embassy which took the family to Indonesia, Ja p a n , I t a l y, Ve n e z u e l a a n d Singapore. Alice moved to Arizona for college (Archaeology) in 1995 and never left the USA. In 2003 she moved to the Pacific Northwest to pursue her photography career by opening up for business, full-time. She met Josh in 2007 and together, they’ve grown more and more in love, and increasingly respected in the industry. Josh is a life-long Portlander with deep passions for fashion and luxury, both of which are evident in his photography style and attitude towards life. Since the incorporation of Mosca-associates AJ and Courtney, MoscaStudio’s Alice and Josh have been able to accept more beautiful wedding assignments than initially possible, allowing for more couples to enjoy the modern yet classic photography style that is loved by so many.

We are so lucky to have such a great team and can’t wait to immortalize you wedding!

ONCE AGAINâ&#x20AC;Ś Thank You! Alice & Josh want to thank you for having chosen MoscaStudio as your preferred wedding photographers. We work hard at making photography dreams come true. We look forward to being your guides and your photographers and your friends.

* Alice (CEO and Studio Manager at MoscaStudio) * Josh (Partner in business and life + commercial photographer for MoscaStudio) * AJ & Courtney (Staff photographers for MoscaStudio)

Real Wedding Image: Silcox Hut, Timberline Lodge, Mt Hood Oregon

Real Wedding Image: Gorge Crest Vineyards, Underwood Washington