It’s an absolute honor to announce Heather Brulez Photography was awarded one of the best Kansas City wedding photogarpher awards in 2015 by The knot, an award only given to the top 2% of wedding industry professionals.  And, to top if off with a chocolate kiss (because I don’t really dig cherries) we’ve won the award 5 years and have also been titled into the Hall of Fame of top Kansas City wedding photographers and professionals.

So, I’ve been thinking about this and feeling pretty humbled actually.  Also very thankful to the awesome people I work with each week.  Although we no longer photograph 50-some weddings in a year, we still work with each of you every week, day in and day out, and I couldn’t be happier about that.  I love the clients we choose to work with and that choose to work with us.  It’s a mutual agreement and level of trust and respect that we share.

So, that’s the fantastic news.  I do, however, have something else I’d like to express that has become an issue this year more than past years.  I’m blessed enough that I know my clients give me proper photo credit online but we’ve run into several other businesses in this industry this year that either don’t understand or simply don’t care about giving proper credit where it’s due, among other issues that have taken us by surprise recently.  In case there are any copyright questions, please venture over to this lawyers blog about photography and copyright law: http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/photography-copyright-and-the-law/  It will explain the law in the most understood way.

So, if your wedding venue is asking you to sign a model release, PLEASE, do yourself a favor and ask them why.  They don’t need a model release to share your professional photographers  images online.  Because we share willingly, at no cost to them and only ask for proper photo credit, your model release with your photographer is enough.  If they’re asking you to sign a model release, this can give them the assumption (not the right) that they can have their own photographer at your wedding day!  I never thought I would see someone attempt this in the 8 years I’ve been a wedding photographer until this past month.  A photographer was hired by a venue to not only take photos of the reception details (details they didn’t even set up) but to also stand over my shoulder with a zoom lens and try to take photos of the bride with poses we set up.  In the past year, I have seen venues hire their own photographer for detail images.  Although this really isn’t etiquette, it’s not something I would stop or even think twice about really.  As long as they’re not in our way or during the reception, of course, we’re very easy to work with and love forming Kansas City vendor relationships.  When a venue goes beyond that I assume they just don’t understand how that’s not appropriate or they don’t care to perform their own job they’ve been hired for, by you.  In this particular case, I did have to tell the other photographer that we have an exclusive model release and to refrain from photographing my clients.  My clients thanked me as they were not told another photographer would be present from the venue.  An exclusive model release is something EVERY photographers contract has or at least should have if written by a professional.  Instead of being met with a professional attitude, I was told off by the venue owner, loudly, in front of her customers in the most ugly way I’ve ever seen a grown woman behave.  So, PLEASE, ask why you’re having to sign a model release and make sure it’s not in violation of your photographers contract.

My next issue happens to be with wedding venues again.  I promise I’m not trying to pick on venues.  We work with and have so many wonderful venue relationships.  However, your venue should have one goal, to perform the duties you hired them for.  To be your venue.  They don’t dictate when you go outside for photography, they don’t dictate where you go for photography as long as it’s following the rules, and they don’t have the right to play amatuer photographer all day, getting in all of your ceremony procession and recession images, cutting the cake and first dance photographs.  When your venue coordinator is playing photographer, who’s playing venue coordinator?  Who’s making sure your dinner is being served on time?   Who’s dimming the lights for dancing?  Who’s making sure your guests have a place to hang their coats? Etc.

These issues concern me for so many reasons.  One, when you violate your photographers contract, you can either face losing your photographer that day or paying fines, depending how that contract is written and in most cases its your job to make sure you’re not in violation, no one else has read both contracts from your vendors.  Two, you’ve spent money with someone to do a job and they decide to perform a different role instead to further their own interests rather than serve you.  This is a major problem that affects your entire wedding day.  Three, you’ve also spent money for a great photographer so you can show off fantastic images from your day… not get tagged a day later in blurry images from your venue.  And, finally, your professional photos should NEVER have your venue coordinator with a camera in the background of you walking down the isle with your father and again when you’re coming back down the isle with your husband.  I understand guests wanting to take photographs.  I even understand a venue wanting to take a photo of their empty space to show prospective clients how beautiful it can look, but I will never understand a venue that photobombs such important moments of your wedding day.

This brings me full circle and back to the Knot and reading those reviews.  These are true and actual accounts of your hired professionals from other brides and grooms.  It’s so worth taking the time to read reviews as well as meet in person before hiring someone to take over your wedding day.

Kansas City is full of amazing people ready to make your day special and all about you.  It’s only been shocking to us to find some that are not in line with that because there truly are so many more that are awesome.  Although I can’t possibly list all of them, I do provide a list of favorite wedding professionals here: http://heatherbrulez.com/kansas-city-wedding-vendors/  that we’ve worked with in the past and love.  Good people is my favorite thing in the world.  I hope in the future we’re met with a mutual understanding and respect among other professionals.  And, just in case, here’s that fantastic source for photography and copyright laws again. http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/photography-copyright-and-the-law/

Cheers and here’s to working with an amazing group of clients and professionals in 2015!

Heather Brulez Photography