Jess here! I run a wedding photography studio based in California and we want you to have a wedding photography experience that let’s you live your best life on the best day of your life. If you’re lookin’ for fun, bright, colorful photos that look natural and authentic, you’ve come to the right place!
I’m so excited to chat about bridal hairstyles with y’all today! I am bringing you 12 bridal hairstyles that will look gorgeous in your photos. It can be so hard to decide how to wear your hair, whether you should grow it out, or get it cut sassy & short. It all depends on what you hope your day to look and feel like. Take your dress’ neckline into consideration as you’re choosing a hairstyle as well as if you’ll be wearing a veil or not. It’s better to truly feel like your best self rather than grow your hair out for your big day, only to feel relieved to cut it immediately after. Below you’ll find some of my all-time favorite bridal hairstyle looks for inspiration!
Welcome to How to Pop Champagne for Photos 101, my friend! You’re probably reading this because you want some fun photos of you & your boo thang in full celebration mode — popping a bottle of bubbly. (Or you’re a photographer trying to nail that shot!)
You’ve come to the right place hunny! I’m Jess, the founder & lead photographer at Cheers Babe Photo. Yes my business is practically named after this activity because I’m here to help you capture the biggest celebration of your life – your wedding.
Now, whether you’re popping champagne at your wedding or your engagement session, there are just 3 things to keep in mind.
A good shake
good aim and
A good attitude
Sidebar: Unless you are a baller millionaire, don’t use your best champagne for these moments. By popping and spraying a bottle of champagne you can lose like half of the bottle & how sad to waste your tastiest bubbles rather than sip them!
Okay back to business. Remember: shake, aim, attitude. You’ll need to give the bottle a very strong shake. Then you’ll aim the bottle so the cork is facing upward at about a 45 degree angle and jussssst to the side of the photographer’s camera (if you point it too far to the side of the photographer, we won’t be able to capture your happy faces!).
Most importantly, your attitude. You want a celebratory photo, not a scared to get sticky photo, so don’t pull your face back in fear, rather smile, laugh and embrace the fun, sticky shower. Here we go! These are all the images you’ll want to capture during this super fun moment:
The big POP moment
The Aftershock (aka the champagne shower)
The Classy Sip (who needs a glass?)
The Happy Bubbly Pour
The “We do this every weekend” walk
The Cute Cheers Moment
The Kiss & Cheers
That was so much fun & now you know how to pop champagne for photos! If you want to remember this for later, be sure to pin any of these photos. CHEERS!
Here in California, we’ve been in self-quarantine under the governor’s stay-at-home mandate for about 8 weeks now. Obviously, it’s not super fun especially when you’re trying to figure out how to plan a wedding while in quarantine. But instead of looking only at what we can’t do right now, let’s talk about what we can do! You’d be surprised how much you’re able to complete from the comfort of your own couch.
It SO important to continue planning your wedding since dates are filling up twice as quickly due to Spring/Summer 2020 couples who were forced to reschedule their weddings. Not only are there fewer dates available to snatch up, you have the opportunity to make a massive difference in your vendors lives by choosing to book now. Most wedding vendors are small businesses (often female-run & operated) that need bookings now in order to stay in business and continue serving couples. Think about how good it will feel to support a small business owner during a time like this!
Since I want you to have all the resources at your fingertips to continue planning your amazing wedding day, I’ve compiled a list of 10 ways to plan your wedding while in quarantine. I’d LOVE to talk you through some of these items in a zoom call if you’re looking for extra support, so you can send me an email or DM me to schedule a chat!
Virtual Venue Tour
Did you know that many wedding venues offer virtual tours? Since it’s generally unsafe to do physical venue walkthroughs right now, reach out to a venue you’re interested and ask to book a virtual tour.
Another tactic to get a feel for a venue is to look it up on Instagram. There’s a few ways to search a venue on instagram: you can look at the venue’s actual instagram feed, you can search the venue hashtags (ex: #hudsonloft #hudsonloftwedding) or you can even check out the venue on the “places” tab on instagram search to see photos that have been tagged at that location.
Something I often do to search a venue that I haven’t photographed before is a deep google search. Type in the name of the venue followed by the word wedding (ex: hudson loft wedding) and many many blog results should show up. On the first page you’ll see mainly where the venue is advertised (The Knot, WeddingWire, Here Comes the Guide, The Venue Report etc.), then you’ll begin to see specific vendor’s blogs of real weddings that happened at that venue. This will give you a much fuller picture of where a photographer might roam around the entire property with the couple, what the ceremonies typically look like or if there are multiple reception location options.
If you’re close to making a decision, but really feel like you need to see the venue IRL, do a drive-by the venue to see it for yourself.
Vendor Zoom Meetings
Thank the Lord for Zoom, Google Meet & FaceTime, am I right? What a relief hopping on a video chat can be. It’s as close as we can get to a face-to-face meeting these days! As I mentioned before, now is the best time to schedule a virtual video chat with the vendors you’re considering hiring, as postponements are filling vendor’s calendars very quickly. I’m lookin’ at you 2021 couples!!
The first vendor I suggest hiring is a wedding planner. Planners are your lifeline when this process gets tough (that much more with covid-19 is involved!). You can read more of my thoughts on hiring planners HERE.
Once you’ve locked down your venue & a date, schedule meetings to find your photographer and florist. These two vendor types tend to fill up their calendars the quickest, so you’ll want to lock them down asap while your date is still available!
At-Home Dress Appointments
Believe me, I know that trying on wedding dresses at home is probably not what you pictured for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Do what you can to bring the fun energy: get your bridesmaids & mom on a video call and have them all pop some bubbly with you as you try the dresses on.
Here’s some amazing places that offer at-home-try-on for wedding gowns and/or custom dress design:
You can also do this for bridesmaid dresses or your rehearsal dinner look! Revelry,Brideside and many more shops have at-home-try-on options.
Gather & Organize Addresses
Get this nitty gritty task out of your hair. The best part is that since most people are stuck at home, you’re likely to get quicker responses when you ask for addresses.
Start your Registry
Honestly, I remember registering was one of the most fun tasks for Chris & I! There are some great online places to register including Zola, Honeyfund, Target, Crate & Barrel, and Amazon to name a few.
Cocktail Tasting
Okay this one might be the most fun of all! Spend an evening pretending to be mixologists and craft your custom cocktails (you can also pick up ingredients from local businesses like The Whaling Club‘s ready-made cocktail mixers).
Work on Your Bridal Party Gifts
Do some research & start ordering a small gift for each of your bridesmaids or groomsmen to give to them on your wedding day. This is such a sweet way to thank your friends for their support and investment in your wedding day.
Start an Inspo Playlist for your DJ
Cue the living room dance party! Every couple has different music tastes, so creating an inspiration playlist to send to your DJ can help them understand the vibe you’re hoping for on the dance floor.
Write Your Vows
Sit down and get sentimental. Reflect on your relationship, its ups and downs, everything you’ve been through together as a couple … including covid. Find a special journal and jot down ideas that can eventually turn into your personalized wedding vows. After you’ve reflected and brainstormed, start getting specific and write out each promise or “vow” you’d like to make at your ceremony. Sometimes it’s fun to talk through these together too!
Download the Ultimate Wedding Checklist
With all the things you’re juggling, it’s very likely you may forget something on your wedding day. If you want to feel totally prepared, download my ultimate wedding day checklist to be sure you’ve got everything on lock.
There you have it! Now you have 10 tangible ways to plan your wedding while in quarantine, so get to it! If you’d like to chat about photography, I would love to set up a zoom call with you, simply inquire here 🙂
How can I create a sense of community in a time where we don’t really get to see our normal communities?
I don’t know about you, but as an extrovert, quarantine has me craving community and connection. What if we all did something creative together online? That’d be so fun!
I’d like to invite you to an Instagram Challenge
5 Days: The instagram challenge starts today & you’ll create one post for the following 4 days.
Mobile Only: The challenge is to post only photos that were taken on your smartphone! You can find prompts below for what to photograph & post.
Add a Preset: Take it up a notch and add one of the new Cheers Babe Presets to your photo!*
Don’t overthink this one! Studies have shown that posts with the account owners face in them outperform all other posts, so share a little bit about yourself!
Day 2
Snap a “shoefie” on your government-sanctioned walk
Y’all know what a shoefie is, right? It’s a selfie of your shoes! Find a textured surface and snap a pic of your footwear on your daily walk around the neighborhood.
Day 3
Your work-from-home space
This one is self-explanatory, but be sure to write a caption about what it’s been like working at home for you. If you’re an essential worker & not working from home right now (first, thank you!), post a picture of you in your work clothes as you head out the door.
Day 4
Style a flat lay of your favorite local takeout meal
Support a small biz restaurant in your area & be sure to tag them in your post!
Day 5
Post a photo of the BEST thing you’re quarantined with
This is up for interpretation – get creative!!
Use the #cheersbabechallenge for a chance to be featured! I’ll be participating in the challenge too, so I can’t wait to connect with each of you on instagram!
Hello my bride-to-be’s!! How tired are you of googling a million places in Los Angeles to find the picture perfect wedding venue? Probs real tired. Chances are if you’re here, you’re hoping to have a garden style wedding. Just for you I’ve compiled a list of the best, coolest, prettiest, cutest, most stunning Los Angeles garden wedding venues that I recommend you visit first! These are fool-proof and gorgeous – sign on their dotted line and call a sista up, because I’m SO there. 🙂
Cheers Babe Photo offers wedding photography that lets you live your best life. We help couples capture the party of their lives in LA, OC and SF. Take a look at some of our favorites weddings over the years! We hope we get to chat with you about YOUR wedding day. Here are Los Angeles garden wedding venues!
Beach, Garden AND Spanish Casa? Can you ask for more? This place is breathtaking and will feel like the ultimate destination for guests coming from out of town.
Imagine a clean, Mediterranean style courtyard ceremony (yes, there are twinkle lights for night time!) that transitions into a cool, concrete industrial loft-style room for reception. Unique, right?
If color is your jam, then The Fig House was literally designed for you (and you are designed for me – ha!). This is another amazing venue with a super-star designer behind it! The owners hired HGTV’s Emily Henderson to design & curate the space. This literally perfect LA wedding venue is nestled in between downtown & Pasadena, right in Highland Park. Love me some East LA!!
There is a series of amazing wedding venues owned by the Marvimon group! They take old buildings & bring them new life with super unique details. This is Grassroom in DTLA, where you’ll find a jungle-like courtyard for the coolest ceremony and insanely cool triangular door openings that lead you to the reception space!
Do I have rose-colored glasses on right now? No sis. That peachy-pink goodness is real. Up the fairy tale vibe by having your ceremony in the romantic secret garden next to the swan pond.
Over in Hollywood, Lombardi House will give you all the barn-vibes you’ve ever wanted, but in the most modern & cool way (thank you white walls)! Not only are both indoor spots super beautiful, their courtyard spaces are equally breathtaking!
I feel like the coolest couples in LA get married at Millwick. I don’t know what it is, but this place just oozes cool-factor and has jungle vibes for days! It’s also in the arts district as well & there’s some super cool opportunities around the venue for outdoor portraits with a city view in the back.
Literally next door to Grassroom is Valentine DTLA! I am obsessed with this pink geometric door mural they have and the rest of the space is just as special and unique!
There you have it! The best Los Angeles garden wedding venues. I hope you are feeling inspired & that you’ll reach out to us to capture this amazing day you’re planning!
Hello my LA bride-to-be’s!! How tired are you of googling a million places to find the picture perfect Los Angeles wedding venue? Probs real tired. Each of these stunning wedding venues has a breathtaking view of the ocean. You can’t beat that! I’ve compiled a list of the best, coolest, prettiest, chicest, Santa Monica and Malibu wedding venues! These are fool-proof and gorgeous – sign on their dotted line and call a sista up, because I’m SO there. 🙂
Cheers Babe Photo offers wedding photography that lets you live your best life. We help couples capture the party of their lives in LA, OC and SF. Take a look at some of our favorites weddings over the years! We hope we get to chat with you about YOUR wedding day. Here are the best Santa Monica and Malibu wedding venues!
Beach, Garden AND Spanish Casa? Can you ask for more? This place is breathtaking and will feel like the ultimate destination for guests coming from out of town.
I mean first of all, this spot is on Catalina Island, not in Santa Monica or Malibu, but I just had to include it in this beachy list! They’ve got a lawn with palms & an ocean view, but I’m almost as excited for those adorable beach cabanas!
Wow, I love when you can have an elevated view of the water. The gorgeous ceremony patio does just that and it’s easy to get onto the sand for some beautiful portraits too. Oh, and the reception space is all white and has amazing natural light!
Honestly, this place is the quintessential beach wedding spot. You can have the ceremony on the sand or on the patio overlooking the water, but the grounds are so dang cute too!
If you’re imagining a space with the smell of palo santo, lots of white linen and warm wooden accents, then The Surfrider Malibu is truly what you want. It just oozes the LA cool factor!
There you have it! The best Santa Monica and Malibu wedding venues. I hope you are feeling inspired & that you’ll reach out to us to capture this amazing day you’re planning!
Hello my LA bride-to-be’s!! How tired are you of googling a million places to find the picture perfect Los Angeles wedding venue? Probs real tired. Not to mention, you need a spot that has plenty of rooms available for your guests to stay in. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the best, coolest, prettiest, chicest, resort and hotel wedding venues southern California has to offer! These are fool-proof and gorgeous – sign on their dotted line and call a sista up, because I’m SO there. 🙂
Cheers Babe Photo offers wedding photography that lets you live your best life. We help couples capture the party of their lives in LA, OC and SF. Take a look at some of our favorites weddings over the years! We hope we get to chat with you about YOUR wedding day. Here are the best resort and hotel wedding venues in Los Angeles!
This place is straight up ICONIC. From the banana palm wallpaper to the striped awnings at the valet, your photos would truly be timeless at this one of a kind resort.
I love how chic this boutique hotel is. The lobby alone is packed with personality & photo opportunities, not to mention the ultra-cool concrete vibes in the reception space.
This resort has one of my favorite rooftop (helipad) views in all of LA and it’s to die for at sunset!! Not to mention, the ceremony garden & ballroom are both perfection.
Do I have rose-colored glasses on right now? No sis. That peachy-pink goodness is real. Up the fairy tale vibe by having your ceremony in the romantic secret garden next to the swan pond.
This spot has a true top-of-the-world feeling! There’s plenty of rooms available for guests & they’ll be pumped to get to cocktail hour with that gorgeous view.
This sprawling property is the perfect spot for a romantic wedding. Since the place is so big, you don’t feel on display the way you might at other resort venues. There’s also so many options for ceremonies & receptions!
If you’re imagining a space with the smell of palo santo, lots of white linen and warm wooden accents, then The Surfrider Malibu is truly what you want. It just oozes the LA cool factor!
There you have it! The best hotel wedding venues in Los Angeles. I hope you are feeling inspired & that you’ll reach out to us to capture this amazing day you’re planning!
Hello my LA bride-to-be’s!! How tired are you of googling a million places to find the picture perfect industrial wedding venue in Los Angeles? Probs real tired. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of the best, coolest, prettiest, cleanest, dopest, modern and industrial wedding venues Los Angeles has to offer! These are spots to consider if you are planning a wedding in some of the hottest months of the year, as they all have beautiful, bright indoor space for your guests to feel some reprieve from the heat. These are fool-proof and gorgeous – sign on their dotted line and call a sista up, because I’m SO there. 🙂
Cheers Babe Photo offers wedding photography that lets you live your best life. We help couples capture the party of their lives in LA, OC and SF. Take a look at some of our favorites weddings over the years! We hope we get to chat with you about YOUR wedding day. Here are the best industrial wedding venues in Los Angeles!
I know this one is kind of out of left field, or left runway?, but it’s such a cool spot! If you’re into the industrial vibes & have a vision for adding a lot of personal details, this place is perfect. Also, can you say helicopter entrance?
I love how chic this boutique hotel is. The lobby alone is packed with personality & photo opportunities, not to mention the ultra-cool concrete vibes in the reception space.
Pronounced “honeypot”, this all white industrial space was actually the runner-up for our wedding. I love that you can open up the garage door at HNYPT and let the natural light in! Also the rafters give you tons of opportunity for some insanely cool hanging decor!
Ohhhhhh my goodness – where do I even begin with Hudson Loft? Oh right! I GOT MARRIED HERE!! Obviously I am super biased, but this is one of my favorite venues – and it’s more than just sentimental for me. It’s the perfect industrial loft right in the heart of bustling downtown & has so many options. There’s incredible getting ready spaces, prep rooms, a stunning rooftop & view, and even a giant freight elevator that we actually drove our car into & used for our grand exit!
This spot has a true top-of-the-world feeling! There’s plenty of rooms available for guests & they’ll be pumped to get to cocktail hour with that gorgeous view.
You may be familiar with OUE Skyspace as the “place with the glass slide” — yes it’s the tallest building in LA and they have a theme-park-like attraction, but that’s not the main draw. You can rent this place out for your wedding & let me tell you that it feels like you’re on top of the world! I did my very first styled shoot here back in 2015 and we got to take some photos on the helipad – it was so exhilarating! The indoor space and deck has gone through a massive renovation in the last new years and it turned out so gorgeous.
Since this spot is a working photo studio, it is the definition of a blank slate … with amazing soft light! It’s basically a photographer’s dream — everyone will look incredible!
Gosh, this place has views for DAYS! I love the modern lines on the massive windows & I can only imagine how this room sparkles at night when the city lights up around it.
The description is truly in the name at this venue! There’s so many unique little gems in this Arts District venue, not to mention a rooftop with a gorgeous view of the city!
There you have it! The best industrial wedding venues in Los Angeles. I hope you are feeling inspired & that you’ll reach out to us to capture this amazing day you’re planning!
