Four Seasons Ko Olina Reception

Oh man, you guys! This is Eric & Tiffany’s beautiful wedding reception in Hawaii. They hired me to specifically shoot their reception, mostly because they wanted a couple of different photographers for variety, but also because I’m skilled with off-camera flash.

A good photographer will make sure they get in the room early (or send their second photographer there early) to capture all the small details and room layout before everyone starts to trickle in. These small details are what people spend most of their money on so it’s really important to make sure the client gets to remember how it was all set up.

Receptions are notoriously dark so lighting them is always a tricky situation. Many photographers still use on-camera flash which does not produce natural looking photos. They are very obviously flashed and create really hard lines. Using multiple flashes set up around the room, bouncing off the walls and ceiling creates a MUCH softer, much more natural effect.

I’ve been fortunate to train with off-camera only photographers so it was the only way I ever learned. But let’s get to some photos. Check out these details! Tiffany did an amazing job with her sense of taste and styling the room.

And um, hello, all you can eat lobster?? Yes please.

First Dance

Can we just all agree how gorg this couple is? Whoa. So gracious, so elegant.

Cake Cut

Tiffany decided to have fabric encircling the entire reception space, which really helped create an ambiance and an even background. The creamy champagne colors distributed through the room really nicely, allowing me to get the light soft and even.

Party Time!

It really matters who you invite to your wedding as far as how fun the reception is. You have to make sure there’s a good amount of friends to mix in with the obligatory family members. Your friends are usually the ones who are gonna get lit and cheer for you at every turn. I’ve definitely seen receptions that are dead silent. Let’s be real, these parties cost MONEY, so make sure you invite some nuts to the party to livin it up.