Why choose Timory McDonald Photography? We pride ourselves on giving you exceptional wedding photos, like this one above on a Kauai, Hawaii cliff.
Why choose Timory McDonald Photography?
Photography is our passion. We love taking wedding photos! With years of experience on the sand, on the grass, by the waterfalls and in the jungles of Kauai, taking shots at outdoor weddings, we have developed our Kauai wedding photography into a high-quality service. Timory McDonald Photography is about excellence, inspiration and classy photography you’ll remember forever.
Capture the Inspiration
Timory McDonald Photography aims to capture the inspiration and excitement of a wedding, which is all about new beginnings. The story of your lives together is still yours to write, no matter how many years you’ve been together. There’s something idealistic and magical about that. Our Kauai wedding photography is not just pictures of a day, a moment or a glance; it’s a snapshot of unrealized potential. It’s the creation of a story out of a collection of images that not only show the first moments of your marriage, but also the very first moments of the rest of your lives together.
Kauai Wedding Photography – The Way You Want It
We’re here to document your wedding day the way you want it. We can be up close, doing whatever it takes to reveal the wonder of Who You Are as a couple. We can be unobtrusive and stand back from afar. Or we can be both – whichever way you prefer. Our photography is not only taking and editing photos, but also capturing your essence as individuals and together as a couple.
Timory McDonald Photography: Affordable Quality
We are committed to giving you quality wedding photos at an affordable price. We deliver top value at any budget, and we attend to every detail. We offer a large quantity of photos – with both of our wedding photography packages, you receive every photo we shoot. With us, the entire process is easy, and only a small deposit is needed to reserve your date.
Lastly, we make the whole experience personable and fun, because after all, happy people create better photos!
Life’s Too Short to Get your Wedding Day Wrong!
Photography is our passion. Please contact us or call Timory McDonald Photography on 888-939-3885 for a free consultation. Remember, we are wedding coordinators too! We are happy to provide wedding planning during your shoot.
Learn the most important factors to consider when choosing a Kauai wedding photographer. There’s more to it than just price or the number of images offered.
Choosing a great Kauai wedding photographer
is obviously important for any Kauai wedding which includes photography. However with a lot of great photographers out there, how do find the right one for you, especially if you have no experience with professional photography? Learn the most important factors to consider when choosing your Kauai wedding photographer. There’s more to it than just price or the number of images offered. We suggest checking our the various portfolios and galleries of wedding photographers, then using your intuition or going with your gut to make the final decision.
Essential Points to Keep in Mind when Choosing a Kauai Wedding Photographer
Having said that, below are some points or criteria you can use when trying to assess who would be the best Kauai wedding photographer for you:
• Detail-Oriented: Is your photographer great with details? Can he/she scan you and see if something is out of place, such as strands of hair, necklaces, bra straps, etc.?
• Quick Learner: Will your Kauai wedding photographer catch on quickly to learn what you want during the shoot?
• Natural Setting: Is your wedding photographer willing to include Kauai’s nature as backdrop and change the setting if need be, to get the best possible images?
• Flexible: Is your photographer flexible, and willing to move his/her schedule around your wedding?
• Organized: Is your wedding photographer organized? Do they operate by methodically getting through a list of wanted shots?
• Affordable: Does your Kauai wedding photographer have reasonable prices within your budget so you’re not stressed?
• Experience: Has wedding planning experience, not just wedding photography experience?
Call us at Timory McDonald Photography at 888-939-3885 for a free consultation!
One of the best Kauai Wedding Photo tips: stand in front of a jaw-dropping background – not always easy, but Kauai has many options! (The photo above was a double rainbow)
Want some Kauai wedding photo tips?
We’ve have been doing Kauai wedding photography for a long time, on this most beautiful gem of the Hawaiian islands. Based on our extensive experience, we have come up with a quick and handy list of the most important things to bear in mind when getting ready for (and during) your Kauai wedding shots. Here are our top 6 Kauai wedding photo tips, but you can get more photo tips here!
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #1
Kauai can be really hot, especially during the months leading up to summer and during summer, and especially if you come from a cold US state or foreign country. It is normal for temperatures to reach between 80-95°F (26-35°C). Stay out of the sun as much as possible to reduce sweating and squinting. Also, try to do the wedding photos at start of your trip, so you have the rest of your time to relax and play without having to schedule things around them.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #2
A good Kauai wedding photographer can help you find slimming or flattering poses to help you hide certain parts of your body if need be. Don’t hesitate to ask your photographer about it. Professional photographers are well-practiced with image composition, i.e. setting up an image in the right way, including setting up people to look their best.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #3
If you’re coming to Kauai for a destination wedding, you’ll be wearing unusual clothes (i.e. a wedding dress) that you’re not used to wearing. Ask your photographer for help in adjusting it to make it look right.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #4
If you have a Kauai destination wedding with guests, chances are that they have flown a long way from the US mainland to be here. They may be older, but regardless of their age, they may get tired. It’s important to give tired people a break in between shots.
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #5
A wedding is meant to fun, light and joyous, right? Help your guests relax by talking or joking around. Happy people make better wedding shots!
Kauai Wedding Photo Tips #6
Finally, here is the last Kauai wedding tip: avoid windblown hair by wearing your hair up. You would be surprised by how many people ignore this one – only to have wisps, curls and strands of hair flying in their husbands’ faces! You’ll be able to relax and be more at ease knowing that your hair is held in position when standing on Kauai’s windy beaches.
Call us at Timory McDonald Photography at 888-939-3885 for a free consultation!
Lydgate Beach is a great, private Kauai wedding location – perfect for wedding photography.
Our Kauai wedding location series
of blog articles will take a look at some of the best places on Kauai for weddings and best beaches for wedding photography. Since Kauai has a multitude of top-notch beaches and other outdoor wedding locations, we will be going through the best of them one-by-one to show you a little about each. We love performing the service of Kauai wedding photography at all of them; there’s nothing like being outside in the beauty of Nature. Today’s featured Kauai wedding location is Lydgate Beach on the East Side of Kauai.
Lydgate Beach, Superb Kauai Wedding Location
Lydgate is located in Kapaa near the Wailua river, which used to be sacred to the Hawaiian royalty. Lydgate is mostly known as a park, not a beach. It hosts the largest and best park for kids on Kauai, along with several pavilions, barbecues and a camping area. Strangely, not so many people know about Lydgate Beach, which is a great beach to swim at, and which extends along the coastline for miles. Because it is so long, expansive and relatively unvisited, along with having great mountain backdrops, Lydgate Beach is a hidden gem. It is our personal favorite when it comes to Kauai wedding locations!
Lydgate Beach: Privacy Supreme
It is uncommon to see weddings taking place at Lydgate (unlike the crowd of weddings at Shipwrecks Beach on the South Shore). Also, there are many sections where rocks jut out into the ocean, which creates little private areas along the beach. Every single beach on Kauai is public, so you can never get a complete guarantee of having a beach to yourself, but at Lydgate you are very likely to have a private ceremony. If someone else is there, they will likely be off in the distance, fishing or taking a walk.
Lydgate Beach Has Rainy Day Options
The East Side of Kauai can be both sunny and rainy – sometimes on the same day or in the same hour! Overall the East Side is not that wet, especially compared to Kauai’s North Shore. However, the great thing about Lydgate Beach as a Kauai wedding location is that it comes with rainy day options, in the form of various pavilions that provide a covered area to perform a wedding. They are free of charge too.
Having done Kauai wedding photography and planning for many years now, we know the best hidden and secluded Kauai wedding locations to make a perfect backdrop for your wedding photos. Call us at 888-939-3885 today for a free consultation!
Both wreck-the-dress photos and getting ready shots can be fun!
Getting ready photos, and wreck-the-dress photos,
can be a whole lot of fun. When you look at a couple or more hundred photos after your wedding, it’s really important to have diversity in them. Getting ready photos, as well as wreck-the-dress photos, are two possibilities to create a more well rounded series of photos to document your special day. Besides, it’s nice to look back on the whole day and remember it, even those nervous moments getting dressed up beforehand!
Getting Ready Photos
What are getting ready photos, and why have them?
People tend to forget about allotting some of their photo time for getting ready shots. Remember, the wedding photos are supposed to be telling a story of your day … which is a whole lot more than just the 15 minute ceremony! Getting ready photos display the bride and the things/people that are important to her. Getting ready photos set the stage for anticipation and how important it was to the bride to be, at her best, for the love of her life. If she’s lucky enough to have friends or family there in the room to help her get ready, it’s also a chance to visually tell a story of how important that friendship/person helping her get ready is to her. Some of the best father/daughter, mother/daughter or best friend shots we’ve seen have been taken before the bride even got to the ceremony.
What is the timing for getting ready shots?
Getting ready shots can mean anything from Timory getting there for an hour before your wedding (or more) to just arriving in your room 10 min before you walk out the door to your ceremony and doing (or just reenacting if you’re trying to cut costs on photography time) a few of the more key getting ready shots. There are a lot of examples on my site of getting ready shots here:
A good example of a wreck-the-dress photo where the bride only goes in the water a little.
Wreck-the-Dress Photos
What do you have to do, and why bother with wreck-the-dress photos?
As you can see from the link below, wreck-the-dress photos also add a depth of diversity to the entire photo shoot. They can be as simple as you walking at the water’s edge of a pool or the ocean. You don’t need to get more than the bottom of your legs wet. They can also be more adventurous, going half way in or further. They are the shots that show you as a fun couple (remember, we are showing through images who you are as a couple together) being relaxed, spontaneous, adventurous or playful. Trust us, people stuck in the box never do these … so they set you apart from the rest as adventurous!
What is the timing for wreck-the-dress photos?
The timing for wreck-the-dress photos can be very short, or longer if you prefer. They can be as simple as 5 minutes at the end of the wedding photo shoot getting only your legs wet, or longer playing in the water and getting fairly wet. You do NOT need to go all the way in to get great shots. Going up to your waist is about as far as most people go in. You can forget about your photographer; these are mostly candid shots. Just look at each other, play around for a few minutes, and before you know it you’re done (these are normally the guy’s favorite part of the shoot!). Then, you just go change your clothes and go off to eat (or whatever you have planned next) … and your dress will dry and be cleaned perfectly fine. Your hair/makeup does not need to be touched and it does not stain the dress nor need extra clean up beyond changing your clothes.
When making plans for either getting ready shots or a change of background shots, people often want to know how the timing works for changing locations in terms of what they are paying for. Generally speaking, the getting ready photos are done next to or closet to their wedding location. If this is the case, then we do not charge for a change of fee location. As long as the change of location is not too lengthy, Timory is very generous with her time and is happy to stop the “photography clock” to help make these very special shots work better for people’s budget. If the change of locations is further away, just give us a ring and check … we are very fair, and we will make it work for you.
Many brides are concerned about looking good on their wedding day. Some are worried about looking heavier than they’d like to in their wedding photos. There, we said it! Although Timory has no special trick to take 20 pounds off of you when editing the photos, she does have some tricks up her sleeve. She knows some good slimming poses as well as how to hide things that bug us about ourselves. Just let Caitlin or Timory know what your sensitivities are, and she can help you out with how she takes the photos, what she crops out, hides or accentuates. Timory can really help if you give her a heads up on what you want, or don’t want. As a woman, she understands well that us women have a tendency to be overly critical of our bodies, and Timory is great at working with this to make sure that the photos don’t just look great to other people, but that you look great to you!
Consider whether you want to have your guests holding phones/cameras during the ceremony. It’s fine with us what you choose, but do be aware that small crowd of people taking photos of your special moment is not necessary (you’ll have all the photos you need from us!) and also looks distracting in an otherwise romantic and beautiful photo. Consider asking your guests to wait until after they are in the photographs too to take out their cameras and assure them that you can share your photos with them later.
Kauai wedding hair can be a tricky thing. It will blow in your face if you’re not careful!
Kauai wedding hair and makeup
is different to wedding day hair and makeup in other locations. We do many outdoor wedding photo shoots which introduces a lot of elements like wind, mist, moisture and rain. When you are styling your hair here on Kauai, you need to take into account these different factors.
Why Is It Important to Have a Professional Do Your Kauai Wedding Hair and Makeup?
We think it’s very important to have a professional do your hair and make up for your Kauai wedding. Here’s why:
Kauai has unique whether which affects your hair differently than at home. The humidity here is a mix of moisture in the air and salt spray, which can affect your normally manageable hair and can make even the most perfect skin types oily. Having a professional the day of your wedding is a must-have. They come prepared with the tools and products that of been tested against Kauai elements. Also, if you’ve never done your hair and make up for a photo session it’s nice to have someone who knows where to accentuate your natural features, something that really comes with practice.
Wedding days come with their own set of emotions and feelings. Having a professional do your Kauai wedding hair and make up not only gives you a more perfected look in the photos you’ll be keeping forever, but also takes away from the stress and anxiety of having to do your own.
When choosing a hair and make up artist it’s important to find someone who’s experienced with brides here in Kauai, who’s easy to talk to you and who has your best interest at heart. You can be confident that Caitlin will ensure you have the best artist (if she’s not available) on your big day! Caitlin is not only here to help you book your photos/wedding, but she is also a licensed cosmetologist. She has years of experience with brides here on Kauai and would be a valuable member of your wedding team helping you get ready the day of. Caitlin has the knowledge and experience to deal with the elements specifically here on Kauai. The hair products and makeup she uses in her kit have passed the humidity, wind and sun test. Taking the stress off yourself on your wedding day to get ready for your gorgeous wedding photos is well worth the extra money.
A Few More Important Tips
Always bring your lip color to retouch after kissing shots and some blotting paper to get rid of any oil or sweat.
Hair: pull some or all of medium/long hair back neatly before you come to the photo shoot. This applies to all people whose hair is not really short! One of the most common things people forget is that they chose to have their photos taken at the beach, which is always windy, and then forget to do anything about pulling their hair back. Most people find hair down very attractive, myself included. However I have a LOT of experience with this, and I can assure you that medium/long hair down never looks good on a windy beach … and all beaches have the potential to be windy here on Kauai. If your hair is not at least partially back, it will blow in your face (as in the photo above), and we will have to take up your photo time moving the group around in circles trying to find an angle where it’s manageable, or we will have to have someone in the group hold your hair down!
For more info, see this article on how to wear your hair:
