DLP Top 3 Garden Venues in Miami

3 Garden wedding venues you’ll love!

One of the many perks of living in the sunshine state is the greenery, specifically gardens and foliage. Here we’ve made a short list of our favorite garden venues for that fairy tale wedding. Click on the images to see more!

The Walton House https://www.waltonhousemiami.com

The Walton House 

Homestead is home to a few venues where we really enjoy shooting. It’s the South Floridian Country side if you will. Boasting amazing greeneries and historic estates like The Walton House built in 1917 by W.K. Walton. 

Five lush acres of wilderness meets english sophistication complete with candle lit dinners, exotic animals and rustic cobble stones make this venue absolutely beyond anything we could ever describe, but we'll try.

There is one common statement amongst past patrons of the Walton House; that it's "breath taking." Whether you fancy flowers, exotic birds, tranquil koi ponds, or whimsical cottages, the Walton House will transform your wedding into a fairy tale. The House's charming decor, foliage and natural setting makes the Walton House a photographers dream. 

Redland Koi Gardens http://www.redlandkoigardens.com/

Redland Koi Gardens

Red Land Koi Gardens was founded as one family's get away from the hustle and bustle of New York City. When the Cruz family started building their version of Shangri-La they never suspected that their family get away would become the amazing venuethat it is today.  

For over 20 years the Cruz family has been in constant evolution of their ponds and Japanese garden. The elegant 2.5 acre landscape is the perfect setting for weddings and events, the shimmering koi pond and sparkling waterfalls provide a peaceful setting to create a true feeling of harmony unique to Miami. Romance resonates through out the coral walls, lush canopies and traquil sunsets.

The Cooper Estate http://www.thecooperestate.com/

The Cooper Estate 

The Cooper Estate is a spacious native limestone manor that sits on three acres of manicured landscaping. Its lush green sunken grotto provides beautiful processions down the isle and stunning photographic back drops. Waterfalls, rare exotic palms and massive mature oaks are just part of the charm of the old world ambiance.

One of our favorite features of the cooper estates is a massive beautifully lit bridal suite. It's larger than your standard hotel room and it really enhances the quality of the wedding prep photos and video footage.

When the party moves indoors  guests  are welcomed into an impressive renovated Barn House, vaulted wooden ceilings, rustic rot iron chandeliers and candle lit dinners ( always a must) all the elements to romance and to the perfect garden wedding.  

Q: Why an album?

A: Because they are soooo worth it!

Chances are your wedding budget six months ago or even last week is not your wedding budget today. Your ever expanding guest list, the never ending cuteness found on Etsy and the hidden costs of the wedding your venue, church, planner, loved ones and D.I.Y Pinterest boards insist you have, have truly become outrageous and often times absolutely necessary! [cue: Doves, confetti cannons, bubbles, peonies...] But lets get real, the single most important part of your wedding aside from you and your boo, is the documentation of it all even happening and that's where your photography budget comes in to a very real debate.

Digital Files vs Wedding Albums

1) Do you want a wedding album? Yes.

2) Do you also want to save money and cut corners? Yes.                                  

:::psst::: cancel the doves, they're super awkward

3) Should you consider NOT having a wedding album on top of the expense of hiring a very reputable and established photographer who will capture the memories you always dreamed of? Absolutely NOT!

Wedding albums might seem unnecessary now amidst the chaos of planning your wedding. But it often is the only tangible thing once you've said your nuptials. Specialty albums are filled with durable, luxurious heavy weighted smooth pages that beautifully flow through your weddings sequence of events, in a manner that is ascetically pleasing and arranged to bring tears to your eyes each time you relive it. Each time you excitedly pull it out to show your families when it first arrives and as it proudly sits displayed in your home through the years. An iPad or a computer screen could never evoke the same sentiment in your family as it grows and your children marvel at its pages and all the loveliness and magic that was shared on that day so long ago. In good times and in bad times when you reminisce of all the details and people who made your wedding so memorable.

Wedding albums are invaluable keep sakes that your family will forever treasure and if you choose to make it yourself on shutter fly or hand it over to a relative with a Costco card it may never even happen, and that's sorta tragic. Because your wedding album it’s not like the rest of many miscellaneous projects on the back burner of everyday life. This is your wedding, this is the greatest day of your life. So what I’m saying to you is, do your beautiful memories justice and get the album. It will be worth it. You will be forever glad you did.

Every Wedding Needs a Professional Photographer

Wedding photographs are much more than just simple images from your day. They are frozen moments from one of the most precious and memorable occasions of your life. Weather your wedding is big or small, having a professional photographer will ensure beautiful, quality images for a lifetime.

Here are the top three reasons why hiring a professional wedding photographer is the only real answer.

Quality

True professional photographers produce the highest quality results and have experience you can trust. Wedding photography is a full-time profession that pros dedicate their time, talent and lives to. You only get one chance at your wedding day, make sure you hire a professional wedding photographer who cares as much as you do!

Alexandra & Chris' Wedding, Dana Lynn Photography

Peace of Mind

You can save yourself a lot of hassle by just hiring a professional from the start. Don’t worry about unanswered calls, lost deposits, or worst off all; being a no-show on your wedding day.  Set your mind at ease by knowing every aspect of your day will be captured with care and creativity.

Alexandra & Chris' Wedding, Dana Lynn Photography

Affordable (really!)

Weddings can be expensive and many couples assume that hiring a professional wedding photographer is not within their budget. This isn’t always true! Many wedding professionals are willing to offer smaller packages, payment plans and reduced rates. Compare prices and request quotes! Budget this expense into your plans; After all, why arrange a beautiful wedding that won't be documented beautifully?

Alexandra & Chris' Wedding, Dana Lynn Photography

Of course, there are many, many more reasons why it’s important to budget for a professional wedding photographer.
Contact our service consultants and we’ll tell you more!

Secrets of Creating the Perfect Wedding Hashtag

Want to use Instagram at your wedding, but not sure what hashtag to use?  Can you just choose the first one popping into your mind and use that one?  What do you need to pay attention to?

Ely & Rafael’s Wedding, Dana Lynn Photography

Fortunately, it doesn’t take a lot of time to pick the perfect hashtag.
Let’s break down exactly what makes a great hashtag, what the do’s and dont’s are and how to pick yours.  At the end of this post, you are sure to get the most out of your wedding hashtag!

Do's and Dont's for your Wedding Hashtag

Pro-tips For Pointing Your Wedding Photos In The Right Place:  

1. Be Specific so all of your guests know which hashtag to use

2. Make it unique: test search for the #hashtag you use and see if others are doing it.  And make sure to double check before the wedding!

3. Add a “wedding word” like “hitch”, or “love”, or “weds”, to appeal to your guests.

4. Make your hashtag funny or a little bit bizarre, this will add to the appealing factor of your hashtag.   Time to get creative!

Don’t Do These Things, Just Don’t:

1. Add symbols, dashes or spaces, this will cut the hashtag.  A good hashtag only consists of alphabetic characters (a-z, no special accents) and numbers.

2. Just use initials and dates.  Weddings tend to have these in common.

3. #useeverylonghashtagwithoutcapitolletterstodescribeyourwholewedding, because…  You can see why.

4. #WOJAAWSID, would you know what that says? It doesn’t make sense because it’s the abbreviation of Wedding Of John And Amy Who Say I Do.

Ely & Rafael’s Wedding, Dana Lynn Photography

With these tips in mind, it should be clear how to pick the hashtag that suits your wedding perfectly.  Take some time to create a custom hashtag for your wedding that, in a great way, will add social media to the most social event of your life.  Make it fun, unique and appealing to use.  

Ely & Rafael's Wedding, Dana Lynn Photography

And don’t forget!  One you have found your hashtag, it’s important to let all your guests know! Check out this link for a free wedding hashtag generator to test the waters!

(shout out www.ewedding.com)