Monthly Archives

March 2020

Hyatt at the Bellevue Wedding

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With  all of the talk about postponing weddings lately it seems fitting that Kaitlyn and  Rob’s Bellevue wedding is the next on the blog. These two successfully postponed their November 2019 wedding after a tragic car accident and were able to celebrate this past February, just three months later. In the end, the date didn’t matter for the newlyweds – only the fact they were happy and healthy, and able to have one hell of a party – mostly thanks to Lisa, their wedding coordinator at the Bellevue.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kaitlyn, Rob, and Kaitlyn’s parents in my studio to discuss their day and then photographed their engagement session on a beautiful spring day in old city. Their wedding day was full of amazing surprises planned by friends and family! Their niece beautifully sang their first dance song, one of the maids of honor had the most amazing toast which was written  to the tune of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and the best man surprise everyone with a visit from the Eagles pep band! It’s difficult to accurately put in words what an incredible day it was, so continue scrolling for a complete overload of photos! Congratulations Rob and Kaitlyn! It was an  honor to photograph your wedding day. And thank you to all of the vendors that pulled together to make the new wedding date a complete success!

Ceremony & Reception – Hyatt at the Bellevue

Photographer – Noreen Turner Photography

Videographer – Visual Rose Production

Florist – Carl Alan Designs

DJ – Mike Ry Productions

Strings – Philadelphia String Quartet

Makeup Artist – Gina Jost

Hair Stylist – Heather Psoras

Dress Designer – Whispers and Echoes

Bridal Salon – BHLDN

Bridesmaids Gowns – Hayley Paige

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Philly Engagement Session

By | Engagements | No Comments

Well I did mention a few weeks ago that I was determined to get caught up on all of my blog posts from 2019 so I guess now is a good time to actually do that! It’s only day 3 of our technical quarantine and I’ve had crazy ranges of emotion going from fear to excitement to depression and anxiety. Let me clarify that the excitement came from a part of me where I enjoy a challenge and looking on the bright side. I thought that home-schooling my kids and involving them in a more simple life would be awesome. Today was a little stressful as I tried to work and entertain my kids. When dinner finally hit I had a bad headache and was just completely exhausted. But then the evening got more simple and I felt better about this whole situation. Sitting down to work on this business of mine which I love so very much, is actually great therapy. I have worked so hard to get where I am and I will not let this get in the way of working hard for my couples and any future couples that book me as their photographer.

Anyhow, now that I’m off my soapbox – let’s talk about how awesome Jamie and Matson are! Oh – and we can’t forget Phoebe, their dog! We had a really great time with their Philly engagement session even though it was one of the coldest days we had all winter! We started at City Hall and then wandered around the area including the Comcast Center, Dilworth Park, and Broad Street. Jamie and Matson are getting married this fall at the Knowlton Mansion in northeast Philadelphia which is not far from my childhood home! I always loved the mansion and I’m so excited to photograph not one, but two weddings there in 2020! The future Mr. and Mrs. are super down-to-earth and a joy to be around! Also Jamie does crossfit like a fiend and is amazing, FYI. I am SO excited to photograph their wedding – even more so now that I have an unexpected slow season now 🙂

 

A chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkA chilly, fall, Philly engagement session at City Hall, Comcast Center, Broad Street, and Dilworth ParkAre you engaged? Congratulations! Go here to find out more information about weddings or engagement sessions and then go here to contact me to book!

COVID-19 Craziness

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What a crazy week this has been, am I right? I have reached out to my couples getting married this spring and we have spoken about our plans for their weddings. As for the remainder of my 2020 weddings, we’ll see where this goes and make plans accordingly! For now though we are sitting tight in our homes just waiting this out and hoping that we can all stay healthy through this COVID-19 crisis.

I am not one to panic but rather the type of person that likes to plan and prepare as best as possible. If you are finding that you have some downtime now that basically everything has been cancelled you can definitely use this time wisely! In a way, we are so fortunate to have amazing technology that will allow so many resources at our fingertips. You can easily research all of your vendors online and even skype of facetime with them instead of meeting in person. This is the perfect time to plan your 2021 wedding!

I know I have mentioned it often in my instagram stories but I really just want to restate that fact that you shouldn’t wait to book your key vendors. Popular dates book up sometimes 18-12 months in advance! And in 2021 it might be a possibility that dates will book even faster due to the postponed weddings happening now.

If anyone is concerned about their own wedding or potential plans please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m always available by e-mail and would love to help where I can.

 

On a more personal note, my kids are officially home from school until April 20th. Yes – you read that right. That’s more than one month of “home-schooling” while working my day job and running a business. I am so fortunate to be able to work from home in the first place so while this is uncharted territory, I’m thankful for the ability to be home for my kids. And just like I mentioned above, I’m a HUGE planner and I love a challenge. So since being faced with this major change in lifestyle and schedule, I have been doing what I do best – making lists and plans!

  • I took stock of what food we have at home, what I was able to scrounge up from the grocery store, and what instacart was able to deliver and planned my menu for the week! Unfortunately no one has bread but on a positive note, I LOVE baking! So tomorrow I’ll be making rolls for pulled pork sliders, and sandwich bread for all of the PB&J we’ll be eating!
  • Our yard needed some major attention so today was the perfect day to get outside and rake up all of the “sticky balls” from our trees. I also cleaned out the garden beds to prep for our herbs and veggies! Speaking of out garden, I’ll have the kids start our seeds tomorrow!
  • I have 3 boys, ages 8, 6, and almost 5! I’m not sure what their virtual learning will look like but I am hoping to involve them more in making meals throughout the day, as well as making their own beds. Since they won’t have music class we might dust off our keyboard and find some youtube tutorials to learn to play. My oldest is interested in learning cursive while he’s home and my youngest just wants to bake M&M cookies! I also have a whole pinterest board of crafts ready to go!
  • I’m a little upset that I won’t be able to go to the gym but I do have two legs and a river nearby to walk to on nice days! Otherwise I’ll be doing some kettlebell and dumbell workouts alone in my basement.
  • I also have my usual business goals and things to tend to but I won’t bore you all of that!

I think that whether your a parent or not, sticking to some kind of schedule each day is so important. This can be a really great time to tackle some projects that were lingering, learn to bake something ( as long as you were able to get the ingredients from the store), plan your wedding, or who knows what! On any normal day I also devote some time to my mindset by journaling and meditating. I’m pretty sure I’ll need that now more than ever!

I love to connect over making plans and setting goals so if you’re stuck on what you want to accomplish over this “quarantine” just reach out and we’ll chat! Most importantly, count your blessings! It’s so easy to think about all of the ways we have been inconvenienced but there is always something to be grateful for.

 

 

Wedding Day Tips From A Pro Photographer

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8 Wedding Day Tips

Welcome and congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Weddings are such beautiful events that involve so many people. Even intimate weddings with a low guest count can still end up being crazy when working with different vendors and dealing with moving parts. I always offer the following wedding day tips to my couples to help them have a stress-free, smooth-flowing wedding day!

  1. Brides’ Details. Have all of those little details that you want photographed set aside. This way the photographer doesn’t have to run around searching for tiny details which can take a lot of precious time. These small details include jewelry, perfume, the full invitation suite, rings, shoes, garter, and anything sentimental. Your dress and veil can stay in their bags and we will carefully move them when we’re ready. Flowers can also stay in water so they don’t wilt early.Wedding day tips from a professional photographer specializing in Philadelphia weddings
  2. Grooms’ Details. Same rules apply to the groom! Make sure he has his cologne, shoes, tie, cufflinks, watch, etc. all set aside. When your photographer arrives he or she can get all of those photos out of the way and this also gives the bridal party a few minutes to warm up to the new person in the room.Wedding day tips from a professional photographer specializing in Philadelphia weddings
  3. Getting Dressed. The bride and groom should not be dressed when the photographers arrive. Grooms can be in their pants and shirts but shoes, jackets, ties and accessories should be set aside. Brides can be dressed in anything they’d like. I personally like to photograph my couples getting those final details on when it’s actually happening, instead of staging those events.Wedding day tips from a professional photographer specializing in Philadelphia weddings
  4. Hair and Makeup. When planning the timeline for hair and makeup it is incredibly helpful if the bride, and anyone assisting her into her gown, have their hair and makeup done before the photographers arrive. This way, if anything does run late with hair and makeup, we can still have the bride get dressed while other bridesmaids finish hair and makeup.
  5. Getting Ready Photos. Do you love those photos of the bridesmaids in matching robes? Make sure your photographer knows ahead of time! Because when those photos happen it means that all hair and makeup needs to be done and that getting dressed is put on hold.
  6. Hotel Room Keys.  A lot of hotels require a room key to access the elevator so if yours does, make sure you tell the front dest to have a room key ready for your photographers! Otherwise we have to have the front desk call your room and bother you 🙂
  7. Room Numbers. Don’t forget to also tell your photographer your room numbers as soon as you know them! Again, just so we don’t have to bother you.
  8. Family Portraits. Make sure that any family members included in the portraits before or after the ceremony, know that they are being photographed. They will need to know to arrive early or to stay after the ceremony for photos. A lot of guests are really excited for that cocktail hour and will rush out if they don’t know they’re needed for family portraits. Wedding day tips from a professional photographer specializing in Philadelphia weddings

That’s it! Those are the tips I provide to all of my couples! If you would like any more information please visit the experience section of my website! If you are interested in booking your wedding with Noreen Turner Photography then contact me here!

Enjoy!

Noreen Turner Photography, wedding photographer specializing in Philadelphia weddings