Hello again! We are starting a new initiative on our blog to highlight fellow wedding vendors in and around the Northeast Indiana area each month. We kick off this new blog series with our very first vendor, Nicole Howard with Nicole A. Howard Photography!
Meet Nicole!
Nicole started her photography business in 2004. She graduated from the Ohio Institute of Photography and has over 19 years of photography experience!
When she is not out shooting beautiful photos, Nicole can be found at her downtown studio located at 74 W. Market Street Wabash, IN 46992. In this post, we will focus on Nicoles wedding photography; however, Nicole specializes in all things lifestyle photography including weddings, newborns, senior photos, families, and children photography.
From a young age, Nicole knew she wanted to become a photographer. In fact, she photographed her very first wedding at the age of 19 with just one year of college under her belt! Wow! What an inspiration! During our interview with Nicole, she commented that she loves capturing memories of special events that her clients never want to forget. Her favorite moments are those that immediately bring goosebumps or tears (such as the one pictured below)!
A bride gets a first glance at her wedding day look while her family and friends look on in awe.
To be as successful as Nicole, a lot of time and energy must go into keeping on top of wedding trends in photography. As mentioned before, Nicole started her photography career by attending photography school right out of high school. She says this gave her a great foundation to build upon, but continuing education is required. She attends seminars, watches tutorial videos, and looks for inspiration from other photographers. Although photography is always changing, Nicole states that she has a look to her photos that is unique to her which draws many clients to book her. She gets to walk the fine line of staying on top of trends while remaining true to her unique style! And we must say, she does a wonderful job of doing so! We love seeing her traditional lifestyle shots!
Read our interview with Nicole below to learn more about her business and how couples can prepare to book her for their wedding day!
What should couples know about booking you for their wedding day?
Im a planner! Meeting with each couple ahead of time helps me to make sure their day unfolds the way they envisioned it. This is very important to me.
How far in advance do couples need to book your services?
12-24 months ahead of the event.
What should couples prepare to bring to their first meeting with you? How many times do you typically meet with a couple prior to their wedding day?
Discuss doing a First Look with your future spouse. Pictures that are taken before the wedding work best. That way your hair, makeup, and wedding attire are perfect and youre not rushed to your reception. I usually photograph the couples engagement images then plan a meeting to set up a timeline a month before the wedding.
What does it look like for YOU on the wedding day? What preparation is required?
All equipment is charged, the timeline is studied, and my assistant is educated on her duties as every wedding is different. The wedding day is an extremely busy day and there is not a lot of downtime. The organization is key, and backup plans are thought out in advance in case of bad weather.
What will your interaction with the bride look like on the wedding day? What should the bride expect? Is it easier to work with a wedding coordinator?
Im usually with or near the bride most of the day. Staying close to the couple allows me to capture events as they unfold, and I am less likely to miss anything important. Wedding coordinators are great!
What do you wish couples knew about your business?
I might only spend 10-14 hours actually photographing on the wedding day; however, there is a lot of preparation before the day even starts. There are also days of post-editing following the big day. Make sure you hire a professional to capture one of the biggest days of your life. (We at Ellens couldnt agree more! You will cherish those photos forever!!)
Are there certain things a couple can do to make the process of working with your business easier?
Find a photographer that fits your style!
What are some things couples should consider that are specific to photography? Is there a certain time of year that photographs well? Time of day? Color/theme?
If youre planning on an outdoor event or photographs being taken outside, choose a dress that isnt bright white. An ivory color dress or a dress with some color photographs much better. A late ceremony time in the Fall doesnt allow for a lot of time for outdoor photography following the wedding.
Wow! What great insight from Nicole! We are excited to know that ivory dresses or dresses with color photograph better than pure white dresses. We plan to use this information with our brides as they choose their dream gown at Ellens. Nicole, thank you so much for taking the time to complete our interview! We so enjoy working with you!
We will leave you with some more photos by Nicole and some reviews from her facebook page! Be sure to follow her on Facebook at Nicole A. Howard Photography!
“Nicole was such a calming presence during my daughters wedding day. She was incredibly easy to work with and put in an extremely long day to make sure she captured all of the memories of Emilys special day. She is such a blessing!”
“Nicole photographed our wedding and went above and beyond anything I could have hoped for! She met with us in the weeks/months before our wedding to make sure she knew exactly what we wanted and was so patient and understanding throughout our wedding day and captured it perfectly. She was quick, efficient, attentive, and all-around amazing. She is highly skilled and is very fair in pricing. Im so glad we were able to have her capture our wedding! She is amazing and we will definitely go to her for any photography needs in the future!”
“Nicole photographed a family wedding for us this past weekend. We fell in love with her. She is so warm and professional, knows her stuff!! Simply the best! Thank you, Nicole!”
Find Nicole A. Howard Photography on Facebook!
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