It is said that your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. With so many special moments from the epic proposal, to picking out your wedding party, finding THE DRESS, securing the ideal venue *cough, Liuna Station, cough* and then diving deep into other wedding logistics. After all the planning leading up to your special day, what stays forever are the PICTURES! Something that you and your family can look back on with fond memories.
We recently caught up with David and Kara from David and Kara Wedding Imagery, one of our preferred vendors at Liuna Station. Read our mini interview below to get the lowdown on what to expect from your photographer, what sets them apart from the rest, and important tips on choosing the right wedding photographer to capture your special day!
LS: What inspired you to start your company David and Kara Wedding Imagery?
DK: We got into photography more by chance than anything else. David’s friends saw some of his documentary pictures he’d been taking overseas and asked if he did weddings. Eventually they talked him into shooting theirs, and it quickly became something he absolutely loved. Kara came along shortly after that, and started coming out to all the weddings David was shooting. We got married on January 1, 2010, and then rebranded David’s business to David + Kara Wedding Imagery, which is also when we decided to focus exclusively on wedding. We love our job, and we haven’t looked back since!
LS: Describe the advantages of working with your spouse in the industry.
DK: We love that we get to work together at weddings for a few reasons. First, we complement each other REALLY well (which is also why we got married, obviously!), and it results in a cohesive, strong team that can take on more than we could separately. Second, we get to spend the day reliving our wedding and remembering why we chose each other for this journey while we celebrate with couples who are just starting theirs. And three, we just like being together and taking challenges together.
LS: Can you tell us one of your most memorable events you captured at Liuna Station?
DK: One of the most incredible weddings we ever got to shoot happened to be out first time at Liuna Station. Telma + Joe brought us along for their big Italian-Portuguese wedding with about 650 guests. We didn’t realize at the time the size of the wedding (or the venue, for that matter), so we spent the day with our jaws open. Everything from the décor to the food (oh my gosh, the food!) to the quality of service was INCREDIBLE. We shoot a lot of weddings at a lot of venues in southern Ontario, but there are very very few that even come close to the experience that we have at Liuna Station. We were so impressed that we even wrote a special blog entry about it!
LS: Weddings can be stressful at times, what is the biggest advice you can give to our readers when deciding a photographer to use?
DK: Honestly, the most important thing to look for in a wedding photographer is that you enjoy being around them. If you aren’t sure you’ll enjoy spending a whole day with them, they’re probably not a great choice. That’s why we also recommend against going with an agency style photography company, where you book the company but they basically assign someone from their staff to you, instead of you choosing your actual photographer. It can literally make or break your wedding day and all of the memories associated with it, so be sure to find someone you like being around!
LS: Describe your primary style in four adjectives to capture your clients special occasion?
DK: Our style is elegant, dramatic, romantic and cinematic. We are also known for our unique Nightscape portraits with our couples, which give them night time pictures that are different from the standard sunset pictures that everyone else takes.
LS: When should readers who are planning an event start interviewing photographers? And what are some important questions to ask?
DK: If you want your choice of photographer, it’s best to book them as soon as you can after you’ve locked down your venue (and let’s be honest, that venue probably should be Liuna Station). We book up to two years out, and offer a limited number of dates per year, so that our couples don’t just feel like another number.
Other than the specifics of what you can expect to receive from your photographer, some other good questions to ask would be:
- What backup systems do you have in place for your files, your gear, and your personnel?
- Are you insured?
- Do you have a legal contract?
- Are you a natural light only photographer, or do you know how to create gorgeous light when you need to?
- Can I see a couple of full wedding galleries?
LS: Tell us one thing you would like brides and grooms to know before their wedding.
DK: If there’s one thing we want our couples to know before their big day, it’s that the imperfections are what make the day memorable and unique, and to just embrace those imperfections rather than stressing over them.
We’d like to thank David and Kara for sharing their thoughts, expertise and tips on wedding photography. Be sure to check them out and review their website when planning on who will capture your special day!
Stay tuned for weekly blog updates and make sure to connect with Liuna Station on Instagram and Facebook as we deliver fresh, new content to inspire, excite and assist as you plan your dream event. While you’re at it, head over to Liuna Gardens blog to read a mini interview with FunWeddings Inc., and learn about the unique service it provides couples to have the most memorable day of their lives!
From all of us at Liuna Station, thank you for following along!