Today, I’m wrapping up my interview of Liz and Ryan from Elizabeth Ryan Photography. This amazing photography duo, who will be capturing my “I Do’s – Take 2″ give you more insight into their business, weddings and even share some self portraits…I made them do it!! :) And off we go…
Q: I know you always tell me that most people don’t realize that Elizabeth Ryan Photography is a husband and wife team…not just a girl name Elizabeth Ryan, who is taking pictures. So, do you feel a husband/wife team of wedding photographers gives you an advantage? Why?
Liz: Having a passion is one thing, but being able to share that passion with someone you love is something completely different! It takes the passion to a whole different level! We are so incredibly blessed to have each other in our business to push ourselves to dream bigger than big and achieve our goals. We are a little biased ;), but I can’t think of a better scenario than having a husband and wife team as your wedding photographers. Having two photographers to document your wedding is a must, but having two photographers who work together for every single wedding that they shoot can be very powerful. Not to mention, we make it a priority to get to know our couples on a more personal level to help them feel the most comfortable on their wedding day. Being a husband and wife team who can relate to every emotion they are facing during this incredible time of their lives certainly makes us feel more connected with them and therefore better at what we do!
Q: Favorite detail shot from a wedding…rings, paper, shoes, dress, table…which one is the best? Liz? Ryan? And, since detail shots are my favorite thing…please your favorite detail shot photo from one of your weddings!
Liz: Ahhh! Details!!! ;) From our perspective, details are such an important way to bring the bride and groom’s personalities into their big day! The colors, the paper choice for all of the stationery, the dress, the girl’s dresses, jewelry, the shoes!!… ;) … the table décor, the favors… the list goes on and on and we LOVE every single one of them. However, for me, I tend to get most excited when I know a bride and groom has incorporated something completely unique to them into their day. Between a special family heirloom on the bride’s bouquet, a meaningful quote inscribed inside of the rings, shoes adorned with a note from each bridesmaid, cuff links passed down from the groom’s great great grandfather, or perfume that was a gift from the bride’s grandmother…. these are the details I love to shoot. They may not always be the most “glamorous” pictures, but they are certainly the ones that I know the bride and groom will hold close to their hearts from generation to generation to come.
Ryan: We absolutely LOVE when our couples have amazing details. A Bride and Groom’s personalities show through so vividly in the details of their day. In fact, details are so important to us, we make sure to show up extra early to make sure we have at least 30 minutes with just the details! Without these pictures, details like the perfume the bride wore or the cufflinks the groom wore will surely be forgotten 20 years from now. I think Liz said it best; the details that we truly love are the subtle details with the most important meaning. However, I do have a thing for great shoes! =)
So our favorite detail image is probably one we captured by pure luck. Our amazing bride Lauren had just finished putting on her Dress. Liz came out into the hall wall to let me know to come back in and grab a few more shots before I went over to capture the groom getting ready. As I walked in, Lauren was putting on her perfume “Grace”. I quickly snapped a picture and was lucky to perfectly capture the moment. I love the picture because the word Grace truly describes Lauren. She was truly a graceful person inside and out.
Q: You did this to me in your questions, so, describe Elizabeth Ryan Photography in 5 words!
Liz: Authentic, Lovers of Life, Dream-Believers, Passionate…
Ryan: That was 7 words, Liz =) Authentic, Lovers, Passionate, Romantic, Dreamers
Q: And, you are probably going to hate me for this. Can you each take a self portrait picture and send it with your answers? It could be off your i-phone or staged with something that describes you or just goofing around, but I want you to take a picture of yourself. You always get to make others pose for you…now pose for me!!!! ;)
Only for you Allison ;) We have actually discovered that self-portraits are incredibly hard to take. Setting the camera on a tripod, pressing the timer, and trying to look natural is not easy. So instead we decided to jump inside our photo booth and have some fun.
I also must say that I couldn’t agree more with your last comment. “You always get to make others pose for you…now pose for me!!!” We know that for a lot of our couples, this is probably the first time they have truly been in front of a professional photographer. In order to truly understand how our clients feel, we believe it is extremely important to be put in that same position. This past year we did this three times and I would have to say that doing so has probably helped us grow as photographers more than anything else we have done.
You saw a few of these photos yesterday and I had to share this one, because I think it is just so sweet and really indicative of Liz and Ryan’s relationship.
Photo by Justin and Mary Marantz
And, I didn’t ask Liz and Ryan for any favorite photos they have taken, because I have SO many I wanted to share! Thanks Liz and Ryan for enduring my endless questions and for being so honest with your answers! Enjoy!
