Beachside Wedding Tips:

No one knows better how to make a beach wedding run smoothly than wedding photographer Jackie Wilson. She has done over 200 weddings on South Padre Island. As her assistant photographer, I am soaking in all the tips she offers to her customers, so I can share them with you here. This list will evolve, of course.

Tips I picked up from photographer Jackie Wilson:

My First Day Tips:

1) You won't hear an acoustic guitar on the beach unless it's amplified.
2) Steel drums sound great on the beach.
3) Blowing bubbles on the beach doesn't really work unless, like today, there's no breeze.
4) Instead of blowing bubbles on the beach, try it during the reception when the bride and groom are introduced. The effect will be a gorgeous, prismatic one.

My Second Day Tips:

1) Shawls are beautiful for the bridesmaids because "Once you get out on the beach, we can get some dramatic pictures," and "wear it off the shoulder since it's summer."
2) Red is a beautiful color to wear on the beach for contrast.
3) Don't forget to follow the "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" adage.
4) If the bride wears her hair down, small white flowers look lovely tucked into a partial upsweep. Jackie suggests placing a few in a spread-out "V" shape in the back, "so it looks like the flowers are falling out of her hair." She said it would photograph well.
5) You won't hear an acoustic guitar on the beach unless it's amplified.
6) Steel drums sound great on the beach.
7) Blowing bubbles on the beach doesn't really work unless, like today, there's no breeze.
8) Instead of blowing bubbles on the beach, try it during the reception when the bride and groom are introduced. The effect will be a gorgeous, prismatic one.

My second day

When I arrived at the Wilson's home, we looked at the photos I took yesterday. Jackie had a lot of nice things to say about how they turned out. She said I have a good eye for composition and capture candid moments well. I was surprised that the only criticism she had was sometimes I need to get further back on my subjects and aim blow their waists, otherwise I should get in really close for headshots, but somewhere in between isn't necessarily ideal. I still have a lot to learn.

Today there was a blackout on the Island and when we got to the hotel, the power was out. What could have been the source of major tension and panic turned out to be no big deal. The bride and her mother and three friends simply moved to a well-lit room to get ready. Jackie and I took photos of the girls putting make up on each other. The bride had beautiful dark, wavy hair that she wore down with small white flowers tucked into a partial upsweep. Jackie suggested they place a few in a spread-out "V" shape in the back of her hair, "so it looks like the flowers are falling out of her hair." She said it would photograph really well.

We started to feel stuffy in the hotel right before Jackie sent me out to take groom photos around 9:30 a.m. It was even hotter outside with no breeze to compensate for the heat. I found the groom talking with the pastor and trying to stay cool under an awning. It was hard to get photos of him with so many people milling around, but I didn't want posed shots so I worked from different angles and I think I got a few good ones.

I shot people walking out to the beach from the hotel and I ran in front of the mother and father of the bride to get shots of them coming down the walkway to the beach. I followed them to the front of the isle to take the "Vase Shots." (I will explain more about this ritual later.) I stayed in the front to capture the bride and groom from a side angle, while Jackie got the close-up shots from the aisle. At this point I was just trying not to miss anything and to stay alert, but it wasn't easy with the intense heat.

It was cute how a few people made jokes about the heat, rather than complain about it. The pastor said, "Well, this is the shortest wedding I've ever done," and a female friend of the groom said at the end of her toast, "I hope your marriage is as hot as your wedding."

Some of my favorite shots I took today were the ones of guests dispersing after a group photo on the beach. I took some great photos of people laughing and talking. I took one of a guest carrying the wooden cross that was staked in the ground near the front (it was about four feet in length). He had it perched it on his back to carry it up the walkway, and I got him carrying it with the surf in the background. I took another favorite of a guest in a brilliant turquoise dress that was beautifully contrasted against the beige sand. (Jackie said turqoise or ocean blue as well as coral are great colors to wear for contrast against the sand.)

At the reception I really liked a few I got of the bride and groom sharing personal moments. I got several cute kid photos, especially of the flowergirl who was just adorable. When we took grandkid photos I thought all the kids should look at the baby that was on one of the boys' lap. That one turned out to be a sweet photo.

When we were done, we were exhausted, mostly because of the heat. Next time, I'm going to carry a small purse with emergency items like extra sunscreen and a washcloth, I told Jackie. "Next time I'm not going to suggest morning weddings in the summer," she replied.

Other tidbits I learned today from Jackie: 1) You won't hear an acoustic guitar on the beach unless it's amplified. 2) Steel drums sound great on the beach. 3) Blowing bubbles on the beach doesn't really work unless, like today, there's no breeze. 4) Instead of blowing bubbles on the beach, try it during the reception when the bride and groom are introduced. The effect will be a gorgeous, prismatic one.

My first job

Today was my first day working for Jerry and Jackie Wilson of Island Event Photos. For some reason I wasn't expecting to have charge of the camera on my first day as an assistant photographer, but after the ceremony, I took photos on the beach and at the reception.

When I arrived, I was sent up to a room where the bride, her mother and her bridesmaids were getting ready. I said I was with Jackie the photographer and they let me in. When I entered the room, I was introduced to the bride and her bridesmaids. I told her she looked lovely; I didn't realize for a split second that she was dressed in her undergarments only. She did look radiant, though, with her upswept red hair and easygoing demeanor.

I tried to stay out of the way as best as I could and watch how Jackie was giving direction to the girls. Fixing hair, putting on make up, searching frantically for nail clippers were all activities caught on camera. The best shots were when the bride slipped her beautiful, white strapless wedding dress with red trim over her head with the help of her bridesmaids.

The girls spent several minutes trying to figure out how to place the two-piece veil and whether they should wear the red shawls to match their dresses.

Jackie offered advice: 1) Wear the shawls because "Once you get out on the beach, we can get some dramatic pictures," and "wear it off the shoulder since it's summer." 2) Red is a beautiful color to wear on the beach because of the contrast of colors. 3) You must follow the "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" adage.

The only thing that went wrong at the ceremony was the music. Whoever was in charge of the wedding march cassette didn't fulfill their duties, so the wedding party marched along without music. Well, except for the crowd that had gathered below the deck, about 30 yards away, who were singing, "Da dum da dum..." It was rather comical and gave the wedding character. Later on they were singing Mexican wedding rancheras. One of the groomsmen shouted a request and the somewhat-inebriated group obliged.

Photos were important to the bride. A few times they verbalized what kind of photos they wanted. Jackie and Jerry have a "give them what they want" motto that works well. They have to control the situation, but they also have to make the customer happy. Jackie seemed to have a bag of tricks: First take family photos, then take wedding party photos, and at the reception take photos of embraces and honest emotions. So much goes into capturing every detail.

I left before the first dance and the bouquet toss, but that's because Jackie said she only needed her camera for those shots. I was basically going over her shoulder, and at different angles to capture images similar to what she was already getting. I saw a few things I wanted to catch, like the mothers hugging and sharing a tearful moment, the bride laughing heartily, relatives embracing. It was a very human experience for me. I really enjoyed hunting out those moments through my lens.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store. Jackie said I was doing a good job. I'm sure she'll have some advice for me tomorrow after she's looked at my photos thoroughly. Well, I'm ready to soak it in...and get some rest!