by Heidi Craig
I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, or that an usually high percentage of my friends are involved in citizenship scams; whatever the reason, it seems every time I turn around someone else is getting hitched. I’ve seen my fair share of nuptials, and let me tell you, a lot has changed since the weddings of yore. Cupcake pyramids are replacing huge tiered cakes. Flirty white frocks you can wear again are prefered over giant poufball single-wear dresses. Catered is out, potluck is in. And why spend thousands on a live band (or lazy DJ) when a pre-programmed Ipod will do the trick? When it comes to weddings, cheap and cheerful is definitely the way to go, even if M&D are footing the bill.

One place you don’t want to skimp, though, is on the photographer. A friend once forwent a professional photog, thinking that it’d be “cute” to have the guests document the event on disposal cameras handed out beforehand. She ended up with shots that were blurry, too dark, too bright, or pictures dominated by errant fingers and penises (free cameras + open bar = penis pictutres). In short, nothing usable. I think they got a divorce.

If you want your marriage to last,  it’s probably best to leave the picture taking to the professionals. Studio Ballad is a wedding photography studio conceived by professional photographers Richmond Lam & Coey Kerr. Their inspiration is drawn from a range of different aesthetic styles, including traditional portraiture, rock’n’roll photography and storytelling. Their philosophy is to capture un-staged, subtle and sincere instances that are individual to each wedding while remaining unobtrusive. Check out their site http://www.studioballad.com: you’ll be tempted to betroth your very own illegal alien, if only for the pictures!

For inquiries, contact Studio Ballad at info@studioballad.com, or 514.265.9216