Spring 2015 Newsletter - Melissa Schollaert Photography by Melissa Schollaert

Melissa Schollaert P

O T O

SPRING 2015 NEWSLETTER

News Featured Engagement Session Destinations Featured Product: Coffee Table Book Spring Portraits

2 Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

Hello!

Hello! Welcome to my Spring Newsletter! I'm so excited to share the latest and greatest news from Melissa Schollaert Photography and show you what I've been up to lately. My newsletters feature the latest news from MSP, recent wedding photos, featured fine art products and lots of tips to make your wedding or photo session the best it can be! I look forward to sharing my work here and also discussing what is new with my business as well as provide information to clients about my current offerings, products and tips to make their photos amazing! The newsletters will be released quarterly in December, March, June & September, so look for the latest newsletter link to be posted on Facebook, Instagram and of course my Blog. Cheers!

TIP: Many of the images in this document are clickable and will take you to a full blog feature! 3 Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

“THE GARDEN OF LOVE IS GREEN WITHOUT LIMIT AND YIELDS MANY FRUITS OTHER THAN SORROW OR JOY. LOVE IS BEYOND EITHER CONDITION: WITHOUT SPRING, WITHOUT AUTUMN, IT IS ALWAYS FRESH.” - Rumi

4 Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

Spring News

The winter is usually slow around here, but this year has been extra busy. The winter is a popular time for couples to get engaged, so I've had lots of potential new clients contacting me about their weddings and events. So if you are a new client who has booked me over the winter, welcome! The trend in the last two years has been very short engagements, so I'm still actively booking weddings for the 2015 season. Many of you have already seen my NEW BLOG which was launched in January, but I'm also working on a brand new website as well! Launch Date will be annonced on my blog and on social media via Instagram and Facebook, so if you aren't already following allong, hop on over to follow me and be the first to hear about the website launch! I've had a few engagement sessions over the winter and will be sharing those on the blog soon. I was also fortunate enough to be a part of an amazing event in February, The Governor's Ball which was hosted by It Takes Two Events and Chancey Charm Events at The Engine Room in Monroe, Georgia. The event was held for wedding professionals to have a night out and relax with colleagues. You can read more about the event and see all the photos HERE or by clicking on the image above. Last, the biggest news is that I will be holding special Spring Mini-Sessions on Sunday, May 24th for one-dayonly in Atlanta! You can read more about it on Page 16 or email me for more detailed information and to book your session!

Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

FEATURED ENGAGEMENT - KATHERINE & EVAN - LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

I love just about everything about Katherine & Evan and am beyond excited for their summer wedding! They had a very clear vision of what they wanted for their engagement session, which included a destination session in Lexington, Kentucky where they went to school. Katherine & Evan also have the best taste and showed up with several amazing outfits to shoot in.

Katherine & Evan

WHITNEY & ADAM Scottsdale, Arizona

Destinations

POSITANO Campania, Italia

10 Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

Considering having a Destination Wedding? Not sure where to start planning or special things to consider? With over ten years of destination wedding experience, I'm sharing my top recommendations for planning your destination wedding. I also share some tips to make your photography memorable.

CHECK THE CALENDAR

If you're having a destination event where all of your guests are traveling to your wedding, be sure to check the calendar for holidays and other peak travel times. While guests love a destination wedding, some might not want to travel due to family obligations on the holiday. The cost of travel is also a big factor, and airfares and hotels are notoriously higher surrounding a holiday which may dissuade some guests from attending. In addition, check the local events calendar for your location for festivals and other big events. Certain events book up hotels months or years in advance, so be sure to do your research before choosing not only a location, but also your date.

HIRE A PLANNER

RINGLING RINGLINGMUSEUM MUSEUM Sarasota, Sarasota,Florida Florida I have been lucky enough to travel extensively for weddings and events from coast to coast as well as internationally. More than 80% of my weddings are categorized as destination events, where most of the guests travel at least 100 miles for the occasion.

If you're getting married in a location where you don't have any friends or family, or even in another country, the necessity of having a planner is key. Triple that if speaking a foreign language is required with dealing with local vendors. Your planner can not only help facilitate hiring those vendors, but is also well versed in the local market and what typical prices and customs are. They can be essential from the beginning stages all the way through the day of the wedding and I can't encourage enough that you hire an experienced planner. If your event is in another country, consider hiring a local travel agent who can help with finding accommodations for your guest, arranging transportation from the airport and booking tours. They can also accept packages you might send ahead of you for use at the wedding, deal with customs clearance, etc.

CHOOSING A LOCATION

Many of my clients choose to have a destination wedding for several reasons. Some may just want to get out of town and enjoy a mini-vacation with all of their family and friends. Others choose a destination wedding in order to have a small, intimate affair with only the most important people in their lives present. Others even may choose to elope alone, only their officiant, photographer and the sand beneath their toes.

SEA ISLAND

But most clients choose a destination wedding because the place is special to one or both of them. Maybe it's your hometown, the beach where you always vacationed, the place where you fell in love, your first vacation together or other places of significance. In any case, the location is important and usually carries meaning and traditions into the wedding day. It's a chance to show your guests your personalities, passions and family history. When clients infuse their history into their wedding day, you can feel the love!

MELISSA'S FAVORITE DESTINATIONS:

Curious what some of my favorite destinations are? There are a few of them on this page including Sea Island, The Ringling Museum in Sarasota, Florda, and by far my favorite destination of all, Italy! I've traveled so much and been fortunate to work at some amazing locations and resorts throughout the world. Look for a feature in my next Newsletter discussing Sea Island Georgia! Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

MOTHER NATURE

Make sure you research the weather for your destination, and know the high and low seasons if it's a seasonal destination. This will not only make a difference in price, but also usually means different weather conditions. You might not want to get married during hurricane season in Florida or when it's the rainy/flood season in Venice.

FINDING A VENUE

Whether you've had a venue in mind for years, or need to find the perfect location, you'll need to do your research and definitely visit the venue prior to booking. Meet with the events director, and get a thorough tour of the property. I highly recommend taking your planner along since they will probably have worked at the local venues, and also so that they can be an objective third party who can negotiate on your behalf.

HIRING VENDORS WHO TRAVEL

While some destinations may have a wide selection of caterers, hairstylists, bands or photographers, others may not. I've photographed in so many remote locations where the nearest town was hours away. You want to be comfortable with your vendors and have the faith that they're going to do an amazing job. You don't want the 'closest' florist, you want the 'best' florist, right? If you'll have to pay travel fees for a vendor to come in from 3 hours away, why not widen the search to the entire state or further in the country you're getting married in? Often the cost difference is small and in the end, it will be worth it to have someone who is amazing, and not just someone who is local. Plus, bringing in someone who hasn't worked at your venue before, I believe, actually inspires more creativity. As a photographer, I love shooting at new and fresh locations where I'm pushed to create something new and different. You don't want the same photos as eveyrone else, or the same cake that the last pastry chef made for every other couple that gets married at your venue. Think outside the box!

DESTINATION ENGAGEMENT SESSION

If you're having a destination wedding, sometimes it doesn't make sense to do your Engagement Session at home. Or, maybe you've always wanted your photos taken at your favorite vacation spot, that's different from your wedding location? Consider a Destination Engagement Session before the wedding or schedule your Engagement Session the week of the wedding at your destination, your photos will be so much more meaningful and will flow nicely with the wedding day photos.

SCOTTSDALE Arizona

MAKING IT FUN FOR YOUR GUESTS

Planning fun activities such as a welcome lunch or dinner, tours, a luau if you're in Hawaii, a tour of wineres in Tuscany, fishing outings, spa day for the ladies, sailing on a private yacht will add so much more to your wedding experience. And, you'll get to spend more quality time with your friends and family.

PHOTO TIME & LOCATIONS

If you're having a destination event, be sure to find out when the sun sets and compare it to your ceremony time. If you aren't doing a First Look and completing all of your portraits prior to the ceremony, but the sun is setting during your ceremony, it will be too dark afterwards to take photos. And, if you do a First Look, and want a sunset ceremony, you'll want to time the sunset perfectly with your ceremony time. You'll also want to decide where you want photos taken. If you're traveling to multiple locations, taking your wedding party around to all of the scenic spots in the area, you'll need to be sure you make room in your wedding day schedule for these events to happen, and for your photographer to capture it. Transportation will also need to be considered. In the end, planning is key and your planner can help you with the timeline and logistics of these events.

CONSIDER A DAY-AFTER SESSION

OLD EDWARDS INN Highlands, North Carolina

If your wedding is at one location where you won't get to leave during the wedding day, or maybe you don't have time, consider spending some extra time the next day taking photos at other local sites. Take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take photos in front of the Eiffel Tower, or scooting around the English countryside taking in all of the beautiful vistas.

Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter

GASPARILLA ISLAND Boca Grande, Florida Melissa Schollaert Photography - Winter 2015 Newsletter