Why you Need a Pro Photographer

Off Season & Winter Specials!

Have a WINTER DATE (“Off Season”) for Wedding OR a Photo Session?

We minus $50 from the Grand Total for EVERYONE for our services for ANY winter date between November 1 and March 31! What's it like on the coast in those months?  Warmer than you may remember--"global warming" is evident here:  for example, its Oct 17 today and the high temperature was 83 degrees! These wintertime beaches are clear, sunny, calm, and still very hauntingly beautiful then… and VERY deserted and lovely. Dec-Feb are the coolest, around 30-45 degrees. PLUS, You can wear a wider variety of clothes on the beaches then, making for VERY beautiful photos that are unique!

BRIDES:  you got a shoulder-less dress to wear in the cooler months?  When you hire her for photos, you may borrow Margo's lovely, all-white, clean, Faux Fur shoulder Wrap with white satin liner ... authentic, elegant, warm, and luxurious look and feel!  Coordinates with all bridal wear:

 

Want Our Hiring Info?  CLICK HERE!

~ OUR OTHER SPECIALS for ALL YEAR LONG: ~ 

WANT YOUR VOWS RENEWAL? 
All year, we minus $50 from Grand Total of ANY package for everyone because no marriage license needed! Otherwise, the ceremony and wording are all the same choices and options as for a regular wedding. We do "surprise" ones, or planned... great gift for Birthday, Valentines or on ANY anniversary!

ALREADY MARRIED (secret or not) or COMMITMENT CEREMONY?
Happy to subtract $50 from Grand Total of ANY package for EVERYONE all year, because no marriage license work is needed! Otherwise, the ceremony and wording are all the same choices and options as for a regular wedding--your custom choice.

Are the bride or groom a L.E.W.A. CLERGY MEMBER?
Yay!  We subtract $50 from Grand Total of ANY package for our current L.E.W.A. Clergy members of our church.

Hurricane Florence Update

Following Hurricane Florence, the following NC and SC beaches/towns are restored and open to the public as of September 20, 2018, according to public announcements by either their Police  Dept or their Town Halls:

• Sunset Beach NC
• Ocean Isle Beach NC
• Oak Island NC
• Southport NC
• Holden Beach NC
• Wrightsville Beach NC
• Wilmington, NC
• Carolina Beach NC
• Kure Beach NC
• North Myrtle Beach SC
• Cherry Grove, SC
• Little River SC
• Myrtle Beach SC

More beaches and town opening every day--check the websites, Facebook page or call that Town Hall or Police to get status. (THIS IS NOT A GUARANTEE that your accommodations are open too--call the owners or call town Police Department to confirm FIRST)

July Sunrise Wedding Special!

$100 OFF for

2018 weddings on July 1 - 31 during sunrise (6am-7:30am) ONLY!

$100 off the grand total with us, 
For truly amazing, breath-taking photography and custom wedding ceremony.
Sunrise is THE best time for this too...
quiet, clean, cooler, deserted, and AMAZING colorful skies!

 A Very Magical and Timeless Experience!

Visit beachpeopleweddings.com or

email Margo & David: kiss@beachpeopleweddings.com

See Sunrise Weddings now (7 secs):

Trash The Dress at the Beach!

Dogs and Pets in Beachpeople Weddings!

Why David is THE BEST Officiant

How to Pose for Great Photos

Watch and PRACTICE this short, EASY, and fun video
of How To Pose and look natural:

CLICK HERE to SEE VIDEO

Best Photos So Far in 2018

Royal Wedding Fashion Top 6

1. Ladies wearing Fascinators or huge ripple-brimmed hats.
2. Mustard yellow color, or peachy pink pastel color or navy blue clothing.
3. Monochromatic outfits with matching accessories, few patterns, like the Queen (who wore pale green).
4. Morning tuxedos for men, with interesting patterned ties or vests.
5. Both Prince Harry and Prince William wore their Blues and Royals frockcoat uniforms.
6. Meghan's dress:  white silk organza with a muted sheen, boat neckline, no embellishments, no necklace, short train, loooooong cathedral veil, Queen Anne's tiara, and a small, posey-style  white & yellow bouquet with flowers from each of all the British commonwealths.

Famous guests:  Oprah Winfrey, David Beckham, Amal and George Clooney, Serena Williams, Elton John, James Cordon, and others. Prince William was best man, and Prince Charles escorted bride partway down the aisle too. 

Top 10 Wedding Words by Couples

Per reports from www.theknotpro.com here are Top 10 words couples used to describe their wedding in 2017. We noticed all 10 are words to describe OUR wedding services too!
 1. Romantic
2. Fun
3. Elegant
4. Down to Earth
5. Classic
6. Do-It-Yourself
7. Practical
8. Creative
9. Traditional
10. Casual
See for yourself at https://beachpeopleweddings.com

Friend or Professional Photographer?

Either let a friend or relative shoot your wedding, or a hire a recommended professional shooter. There are pros and cons to either choice, plus some important points you may not thought of yet:

PRO - FRIEND:

·        Free or cheap

·        Friend gets a favor: he can give this as his wedding gift

·        Almost unlimited for time shooting whenever

·        If you like, you probably can micro-manage a friend

·        Comfortable with very personal photos; it’s a familiar face and energy

·        Usually takes your suggestions for poses

·        May get clever “inside” shots from being in-the-know with your group’s politics

·        Some have experience as wedding photographer and associated challenges

·        Photographer might party with you

·        Favoritism – might get your photos delivered sooner because you’re friends

CON - FRIEND:

·        May expect to be compensated elsewhere (i.e. big tip, free drinks, barter, use your images in his ads)

·        You are kind-of “the boss” but not really—because you are friends first

·        May need micro-managing if inexperienced

·        May resist micro-managing by stopping shooting, or arguing, sulking or feeling insulted

·        Expections for his goasl are loose—may miss important shots

·        Chatting and distracted by other guests—may miss important shots

·        If you don’t like his behavior and say something, you risk hurt feelings, arguing or embarrassment

·        Can refuse your suggestions for poses

·        Can take embarrassing pics or may tell confidential/private things to other loved ones

·        If friend gets sick, injured, too drunk/high, has travel problems at the last minute--good replacement is limited

·        May not handle challenges (i.e. bad weather, rain, poor lighting, embarrassing guests, dead batteries, hairdo and make-up failures, meltdowns, etc.)

·        May not know how to help people relax and be comfortable—feels awkward, add stress, wastes time

·        May not know how to pose people to look their best

·        Without good recommendations and seeing samples, you risk your photos being unsatisfactory.

·        If you don’t like his photos and say so, you risk hurt feelings

·        If you don’t like his photos and say nothing, you risk having no great wedding photos

·        May not have truly high-tech equipment or editing skills to either take pics, or re-edit photos you don’t like

·        If someone breaks his equipment or gets injured during shoots (tripping/falling), or he damages property (drops the borrowed & blue bracelet down a drain), you may need to pay for the camera, the doctor visit, or the property lost

·        Because this was a free/cheap project, other paying projects may get priority over finishing your pics

CON - PROFESSIONAL:

·        You pay money upfront

·        May not feel like a familiar energy behind the camera at first, takes a few minutes to settle in

·        Usually not open to being micro-managed

·        Photographer will not party on the job

·        Might not handle challenges the way you think she should (good recommendations avoid this)

·        Without good recommendations and seeing samples, you risk your photo results being unsatisfactory.

·        Unless you’ve hired her before, you have to trust other people’s recommendations

PRO - PROFESSIONAL:

·        You choose when the shooting starts and stops

·        She is your employee and you are THE boss.

·        If you don’t want to micro-manage others on your wedding day, you don’t have to

·        She always helps people to relax, be comfortable, happy and genuine for photos

·        No embarrassing shots; stays confidential about what she saw or heard in private

·        Always takes your suggestions for poses

TOP 5 Wedding Trend for 2018

According to WeddingWire.com: 

1. Metallic and Marble materials, colors,  textures - lots of silver, chrome, white metal.
2. Greenery - instead of flowers, now its vines, ferns, leaves, succulents, berries, pods, stems, grasses, spanish mosses, peacock feathers, straw or raffia. (our florist LOVES to make these!)
3. Casual ceremonies and photo poses - cheerful, fun, relaxed, even humorous. (Like we do!)
4. Outdoors locations (a beach perhaps?!)
5. Unique foods on the menus, and unique food displays.

Earned an 11th & 12th Excellence Awards

David and Margo Sears, co-owners and operators of Beachpeople Weddings, are pleased to announce being 2018 ­recipients of more  service excellence Awards in the wedding industry.  This brings their grand total of prestigious awards to 12 since 2013. What does that mean? This means they remain among the top 2% of 250,000 wedding vendors on the East Coast of the USA.

Voters for this award were 150+ former clients who benefited from Beachpeople Weddings photography and officiating, thus ratifying this prestigious award from Wedding Wire and  The Knot, national media leaders in this industry.  Additionally, the photography of Margo Ross Sears made the covers of four regional wedding magazines in since 2015: Weddings with Pride and The Perfect Wedding Planner, the latter of which Margo also is a featured writer and advice columnist, The Wedding Whisperer.

“Photos? You can see hundreds on our Facebook with more than 2,000 Likes!  Interesting to me… even people with no wedding plans follow us on Facebook just for the eye-candy. They comment on my photos and its very cool,” said Rev. Margo, photographer.

“We are so blessed to be doing this! Our couples tell us they love the warm attention and enthusiastic support we give. In turn, this gives us a real quality of life.  And a part of why our weddings are so awesome is due to the wonderful local businesses to which we refer clients daily, such as bakers, restaurants, hotels, salons, a florist, and many more,” says Rev. David.

To learn more visit www.beachpeopleweddings.com.

The 13 Gold Coins Ceremony

(Spanish Tradition - following the exchange of rings)

The groom’s mother will hold the coins and bring them to the minister, upon request.

Minister: The symbolism of the 13 gold coins in this ceremony is that the groom recognizes his responsibility as a provider, and pledges his ability to support and care for his bride. Acceptance of the 13 coins by the bride means accepting that trust with confidence and total dedication.

Minister: Thirteen gold coins will now be counted out to the groom. As I place the coins in the groom’s hands, they represent different values that the couple desires to share between themselves as part of their lives together.

(Minister recites the 13 values listed below - one-by-one - while placing each coin individually into the groom’s open hands):

1.      Love

2.      Commitment

3.      Trust

4.      Respect

5.      Joy

6.      Happiness

7.      Peace

8.      Harmony

9.      Cooperation

10.  Caring

11.  Nurturing

12.  Wisdom and;

13.  Wholeness

May these coins be a symbol of this couple's unconditional love, and mutual trust and respect for one another.

Minister to the Groom: Groom, please repeat after me.

Groom: I, Groom, give you Bride, these coins, as a symbol of my unquestionable trust and confidence I place in you as my beloved wife. As we unite our lives as one today, I give myself, and all that I have, with unconditional love for you, from this moment on.

Minister to the Bride: Bride, please repeat after me.

Bride: I, Bride, accept these coins and assure you, Groom, of my loyal dedication and commitment to you, as my husband. As we unite our lives as one today, I share all that I am, and all that I have, with unconditional love for you, from this moment on.

Minister: In exchanging these coins, Groom and Bride are essentially saying, "what's mine is yours and what's yours is mine". These coins are also symbolic of the positivity and infinite good that the universe has in store for this loving couple.

When selfishness shows itself, grant generosity;

When mistrust is a temptation, give moral strength;

When there is misunderstanding, give patience and gentleness; and

If suffering becomes a part of their lives, give them strength and an abiding love to carry them through.

May the covenant of their union be filled with unconditional love, true devotion, and lifelong commitment to one another from this moment on.

And, so it is.

How To Avoid Corrupting Your Photos Flashdrive

NO PULLING – Never remove a flashdrive from a computer by just pulling it out! That's a Russian Roulette ... eventually it WILL damage/corrupt your flashdrive. ALWAYS use the "Eject" function and Wait to see the safe removal notice (view 4 steps how-to):

4 Steps to SAFELY EJECT: at bottom right corner of Desktop Screen

1. The first time you open a photos flashdrive, copy/SAVE all files onto a computer or another device. Make a backup copy of them!  When finished, Eject Safely--see above!
2. NO HIGH HEAT – avoid a hot computer, in a purse or backpack in the sun, near a heater, stove or hot coil, left in a car, a dryer, in direct sunlight for long time, on beach, etc.
3. NO WATER like condensation or sweat – avoid high humidity, refrigeration, pools, bathrooms, lakes, in pocket while hiking/swimming/exercising/camping/working in heat, greenhouses, humid kitchen or hot tub or fish tank splash, left in a hot/moist gym bag/locker/towel, or hit by drink spills, etc.

Friend vs. Pro Officiant?

Some people entertain the warm fuzzy idea of a good friend or family getting quickie-poo ordained online so he or she can officiate your wedding. But there is MUCH more needed for this intensely personal and legal task.  Most people know little about what goes into designing a ceremony, a rehearsal, or what authorizes a person to officiate. Think about it – would you hire a music band that had never played before? Would you want your wedding to be their first gig? Also, you are putting your loved one in a high-pressure, complex, and legal position of VERY BIG responsibility … with only ONE shot at it!  You don’t get that special moment back.

On the surface, it seems a fun idea, however a closer look shows many reasons why this is not a good idea. On the other hand, is it possible to still have a warm, comfortable, personalized (and legal) ceremony with a non-relation? Oh yes! Read on…

Six main reasons to interview and hire a seasoned, qualified, professional to officiate:

1)       In all 50 states, the location state of the ceremony has jurisdiction over the wedding, not your home state. In NC, only a judge or a church-authorized clergy is allowed to officiate a legal wedding.

2) The state courts of North Carolina and Utah have 'judicial precedents' which allow NC judges to invalidate online or mailorder ordinations. If your officiant’s ordination is judged invalid (at any time, even years later), then your marriage is annulled and invalid too.  This causes you, your business, your property, your children and grandchildren very serious legal problems.  

3)     THE KICKER: "Ordained” does NOT equal “authorized”. Many clergy don’t know this legal necessity--some clergy are not authorized to officiate weddings!  Couples need to contact the leadership of a clergy’s church with three questions:

a.      Was she or he ordained in-person or no?

b.     Is that ordination current or expired?

c.      Is she or he authorized by THAT church to solemnize your marriage or no? 

4)     Officiating also requires hundreds of details and skills for a great ceremony. Which ones are you willing to forfeit when an amateur overlooks them? Such as: 

• knows the minimum legal requirements to say/do to marry you
• wedding logistics and common sticking points
• reliable/ on time consistently
• enjoys public speaking, relaxed
• gracefully flexible during sudden changes or surprises 
• calm, patient nature especially around difficult family or guests
• good problem solving skills
• friendly attitude under ALL trying conditions
• controls stress habits (twitching, tapping, scratching, smoking, drinking, waving hands)
• appropriate attire and non-distracting hairdo
• neat and clean apprearance
• 100% sober during ceremony
• appropriate eye contact with audience AND couple
• clear and correct pronunciation with correct grammar and syntax
• pleasant voice, projection without yelling
• appropriate voice inflection (going up & down in pitch to avoid droning)
• speech writing skills and poetry skills
• ceremony co-writing to YOUR taste not his
• leads or knows standards for rehearsal
• knows etiquette and proper exceptions for wedding
• shows appropriate creativity, diplomacy, social skills.

5)     Why set up someone you love (and yourself) for disastrous failure? The consequences of that are pretty high with legal issues. Why not let them enjoy being a pampered guest, or wedding party attendant, or best man, or toastmaster or a poem reader during the ceremony?

6)     And if your loved one says he is already a clergy, are YOU willing to check his/her ordination credentials for the sake of the legality of your marriage? Also, are you two willing to feel vulnerable and weep in front of this person?  
7)  IF the friend is human, totally ruins the moment or flubs the job, are you willing to risk your friendship, or forgive the loss of your ONE shot at your dream wedding? 

There are better, safer options. A seasoned, trained, authorized Officiant knows the ropes, logistics, solutions and obligations. Plus they are a wealth of information! A good one know what works, what won’t, and will let YOU choose.

If you don’t want a stranger officiating, or you want more control over the vows, YOU CAN HAVE THAT TOO!

1)     Ask your other wedding vendors. They are going to recommend GOOD ones for their own good reputation's sake.

2)     Ask among your circles. Ask married folks who officiated for them, did they like it, and specifically why or why not? Ask other chums if they saw weddings with a great minister or officiant.

3)     Search reputable wedding websites with vendor listings. This can be VERY FUN!  Read the reviews of the 4 and 5-star ones. Notice the wording and photos of interesting officiant vendors… do they look, read and “feel” good?

Your ceremony is what your wedding day is all about. Give it the respect and attention it deserves as follows: 

• Contact 3 or more of the best. Ask for a phone interview, or a meeting.
• Trust your instincts:  how flexible is she?  Is he enthusiastic? Notice reactions to your wishes and ideas.
• Speak openly about what you do and don’t want, listen to their questions. Don’t worry if a clergyperson doesn’t share your beliefs … you won’t hire that one. 
• Do you like how she or he talks aloud? How he looks--he’ll be in half the photos.
• Does she seem to like you or your ideas? 
• When you find 1 or 2 favorites, ask for the contact info to the leaders of their churches to confirm their ordination and authorization. If they don’t comply, then smile, say thank you, and walk away.  Regardless of charm, if they aren’t authorized, your marriage won’t be legal. 

Find someone who is on your wavelength, knowledgeable, experienced, their church leaders confirm, and he or she is happy for you. You deserve all that!

~ author, Rev. Margo Ross Sears, as Pastor of her church authorizes over 200 clergymembers since 2006 and she is co-owner and co-operator of www.beachpeopleweddings.com

Hear David blow our Triton Shell Horn!

Photobombing, a no-no...

See "Uncle Bob" in this pic? hyper-focused on his cellphone picture taking, standing behind the Maid of Honor and Bride during the ceremony? Don't be an Uncle Bob. 

Use Bright Colors at Beach Wedding

Look at this picture overall (ignore faces). Which outfits look "best" against this typical beach background? The ones in colorful clothes or neutral clothes (left side or right side)?

Hint:  for best results, WEAR BRIGHT, COLORFUL CLOTHES to your beach wedding and any beach photo session too! Your wedding party can wear any bright colors you wish BUT:
**AVOID white, ivory, cream, gray, tan, beige, khaki, nor light blue (and medium blue) OR any pastels too! ** They all washout and look weak, or even disappear into background of beige, white and pale blue beach and sky backgrounds.

This is true for your flowers too... white and pastel flowers disappear on a white or pale dress and the pale beach background! Choose strong, bright colors or jewel tones. 

Honest & Blunt Advice:  For Brides: the typical strapless, sleeveless white/ivory dress does NOT look good on most body types (90% of us are not tiny and slender). Women of Color:  you got a natural advantage--you can wear the white/ivory colors okay, but bright colors still look better than pales!  

SHOPPING ADVICE: look in non-wedding dress departments, bring honest friends along who have good taste, try different colors and get YOUR style instead--be YOU! IF you just GOTTA do a white dress, then put your fiance and attendants all in bright colors, you carry bright/contrasting flowers (same rules as above), put colorful decor in your hair, consider a color sash or dress accents, and pick a non-strapless style that flatters your beautiful shape!

Typical dress color against typical sand color.