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Stefanie Ray

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Ambiance

The ambiance of a light shining through church windows on the bride and groom as they exchange their vows is etherial.  Either large stained glass windows casting glorious colors or simple windows make a sanctuary look heavenly.

Great Beginnings

God can be the center of the momentous day of your life.  For many, getting married in one’s church, is a vibrant and true statement to everyone who attends that God is the center of your married life.  

Beautiful Family Moments

There is such a sweetness when a father walks his daughter down the isle of her church.  Most fathers look forward to the day he will walk his beautiful daughter down the isle and give her away to her husband.  Most fathers and mothers pray their whole daughter’s life for the right man for her to marry.  This is an answer to prayer for them.  The photographs the photographer will capture of this moment will be one the parents will always treasure.

Church Family

There is something astoundingly beautiful about saying your vows in front of people who have watched you grow up.  The ladies who watched you in the toddler class when you were a toddler, get to share your wedding day with you and the church where you grew up. It gives them such joy to see the woman or man you have grown up to be.

Climate Controlled

Your church family can all be apart comfortably knowing no-one will receive a sunburn, get too hot,, or adequate water.  For the handicap, most churches have facilities that are handicapped accessible. Those who love you most – your church family, can celebrate your day with you. Whatever the weather decides to do, your guests will be warm, protected and safe from any weather condition.  From the elderly to the young, all will stay warm, or cool and dry. Many wedding venues are not adequately equipped for the handicapped, a nursing mother, or if the weather turns bad.

The Vows

Those who have seen you grow up in the church, can be a part of the covenant you make with your husband/wife.  This is so special to witness for many people.  

Pastoral Care

Your pastor, whom you love to listen, can usher you into the most important life decision you will ever make.  He can be there for you through the moment of which you have dreamed your whole life – your wedding day.  Your pastor can pray with you, advise you, and help you make your first steps as a married couple.

Lovely Landscaping

Most Churches have beautiful landscaping all around the church building where wedding portraits can be captured. Churches have large spaces outside where large family groupings and wedding party portraits can be photographed. Shrubs, flowers, trees and long grasses make beautiful backdrops for bride and groom portraits.

Great Acoustics

Most churches are acoustically friendly.  If you prize beautiful singing and playing at your wedding, a church will probably have a sound system in place with which your musicians can perform. Also most churches have pianos and microphones where your keyboardist and singers can perform for your wedding.

Church Kitchens and Banquet Hall

Oftentimes churches are equipped for church banquets.  Your ceremony and reception can be comfortable held in the same location making it easier on all of your friends and family in attendance. When you don’t have to drive to a separate reception location, you have more time for your photographer to take photographs. Driving from point A to Point B takes up a lot of valuable time.

Interesting Architecture

Inside and out, churches have interesting architecture which makes the portraits look outstanding. Often the ceilings are vaulted with beautiful beams and lines. Ceremonies look beautiful in a large sanctuary with beautiful architecture.

Cost Effective

Wedding venues often times are very pricy.  Many of them charge more to take an extra day to decorate.  Also there are hidden fees with a wedding venue for cleaning, etc.  Having a ceremony at your church can save money. This is money you can spend on quality photography. Oftentimes wedding venues require you to use their own photographers, who may be lacking in experience and quality work.

Why Hire Tim Ray Photographer to Photograph Your Wedding? Click here!

Contact us today to share your ideas!

What are the benefits to hiring Tim Ray Photography to photograph your fairy tale wedding?

1.  He Is A Seasoned Professional.

Tim Ray has been in the wedding photography business for 28 years.  His studio is located n Fairmont, West Virginia.  He has photographed over 1000 weddings in West Virginia and the surrounding states not missing a single one for any reason.  He first began working as a film photographer prior to going digital.  Through film photography, he learned to see what the camera sees, how to use available light, and how to photograph in many challenging lighting.

2.  Every Wedding Is Unique.

Tim’s approach to wedding photography is unique.  His attention to details, and to expressions enables him to capture each wedding in a way that brings out each couple’s uniqueness.  He does not believe in “cookie cutter” weddings where each wedding looks exactly alike.  If a wedding couple has a sense of humor, he tries to capture the humor of the day.  If the couple is more romantic, he captures the romance.  Every wedding is unique because every couple is unique.   

3.  Tim Tells The Story.

Tim Ray captures each wedding day in such a way that the couple can relive their day as they view their pictures.  From the beautiful details of the bride’s shoes, dress, jewelry and flowers as she is getting ready, to the groom putting on his tie and laughing with his groom’s men, Tim is there to capture the moments.  To the father viewing his daughter for the first time in her wedding dress, to giving her away to her husband, Tim wants to tell the story through portraits.  Tim Ray photographs weddings in such as a way that the couple can relive their wedding day.

4.  Tim captures amazing expressions.

Posing and capturing expressions is sometimes the most difficult part of wedding photography.  Oftentimes the groom might be nervous, or the bride may never have had a professional photographer take her picture before.  Sometimes not knowing where to look, or what expression to have is daunting.  Through many years of experience, Tim has learned to capture beautiful expressions on the most romantic day a bride and groom will enjoy – their wedding day.  If you are annoyed by an unprofessional photographer dropping his equipment who does not know how to pose the bride and groom and has not brought proper back up equipment, that expression of annoyance will show in your portraits.

5.  Tim Ray Is an Artist.

Fine art photography is created as carefully as paintings.  Art is art because when you view it, you feel something.  Fine art photography takes experience, planning, and know how in order to capture the emotions of a couple expressing their love for one another in a wedding, the emotions of parents seeing their children making a commitment in marriage, and all the friends and family who are there to celebrate.  These emotions are what Tim captures at weddings and is what makes his photography so amazing.

6.  Tim Ray Is Excellent At What He Does.

With his years as a film photographer, Tim has learned to see as the camera sees.  In the world of point and click photographers who have just purchased a nice camera, and recently started a facebook wedding photography page, Tim has learned his art in an era when the artist had to set the camera using a light meter manually.  He became a photographer in an era when there was no instant feedback on the view screen in the back of the camera.  Every shot had to be perfect.  Through this experience, he learned how to photograph in many different situations, how to effectively use available light, and how to photograph without using flash. Most importantly, how to capture the most artistic image in all sorts of lighting situations from high faulted church ceilings, to splotchy outdoor lighting for outdoor weddings, to every possibly live event scenario.

About Tim Ray Photography

Tim Ray has been in the wedding photography business for 28 years.  His studio is located n Fairmont, West Virginia.  He has photographed over 1000 weddings in West Virginia and the surrounding states not missing a single one for any reason.  He has photographed for various publications, websites, and groups.  He would love to show you his studio in Fairmont, WV and walk you through his albums, canvases and other print photography products. 

Contact us for more information!

In order to make a wedding special, you have to choose a few details along the way.  

What is the big deal about a venue anyway?  Here’s a look as some very important aspects of choosing your wedding venue in order to make the day go by seamlessly.

Weddings at Hotel Morgan

Does the venue fit the theme of your wedding?

Everyone nowadays wants to make their wedding personalized.  Will the venue you are considering allow you to decorate it, or add your own unique mark to it?

Stonewall Resort Weddings

Will the venue accommodate all the guests you are planning to attend?  Make sure there will be plenty of space for all your guests!

Weddings at Waterfront Place Wedding Venue

Will the wedding venue accommodate the reception?  Will there be room enough for dancing, and space enough for your guests to be entertained.

Is your venue all inclusive or can you choose your own caterer?  

Weddings at Benton Grove Bed and Banquet
Weddings at High Gate Carriage House

You may have a special caterer who is known for outstanding smoked meat.  Can you personalize your wedding by being able to choose your vendors?

Will you venue allow you to bring a photographer of your choosing?

Weddings at Oglebay Park Wedding Venue

There are some venues who will not allow you to bring your own photographer.  Many times the photographers the venues offer are family members providing substandard photography.  This is a once in a life time day.  By the end, all you will have left is your wonderful relationship and your portraits.  Portraits are treasured works of art to be viewed for a lifetime.   Make sure you can have the freedom to hire who you want for your wedding.

Does the venue have beautiful landscaping to capture outdoor photos?

Weddings at Snowshoe Resort Wedding Venue

If you have hired a professional photographer, but the venue you are getting married in is a metal pole building with parking lot all around it, the photos you will be able to take is limited unless you are able to drive somewhere.  If you are getting married in a venue such as this, take a day before and drive around.  Look for beautiful grass, mountains, lakes or flowers.  Speak with your photographer beforehand.  He may have photographed another wedding there and can give you ideas where you might be able to drive after the wedding to take portraits outside.

Recently we photographed a wedding in a metal pole building surrounded by cars and a parking lot. There was little to no beautiful landscaping. The bride was not interested in driving to another location in order to capture scenic portraits of her and her new husband. After her wedding, she regretted not having those scenic portraits that we are known for capturing. We offered to go on location elsewhere on another day. This may be something to consider during wedding planning if your venue is not beautiful or photographable on the outside.

Does the venue have back up options if you have bad weather?

Weddings at Alpine Lake Resort Wedding Venue

Everyone loves an outdoor wedding.  But with the outdoors, have a backup plan in case it rains.  Make sure your venue has space where the ceremony and reception can be indoors in case of rain.

Does the venue have adequate parking?

Weddings at Nemacolin Wedding Venue

Your guests will arrive in a multitude of cars.  Make sure they will have a place to park.  

Does the venue offer rooms for your guests or are there rooms nearby where your guests can stay?

Will your venue allow you time to decorate or are there hidden charges for that?

Weddings at Lambert’s Winery
Weddings at The Historic Summit Inn

Ask your venue what are all the charges?  

Many venues will charge extra for you to come the night before in order to decorate.  They will charge you an extra day.

Weddings at The Barn At York Hill

Does the venue have adequate bathroom facilities and are the bathrooms accessible to the handicap?

There are some venues that require you to purchase your own portable bathrooms.  Make sure you have a place for your guests and your handicap guests.  Some venues have bathrooms with stairs making it impossible for the handicap or elderly to climb. Many barn venues that have grown in popularity recently, have no accommodations for bathrooms. Either that, or the bathrooms are not handicapped accessible.

Weddings at Glade Springs

Below is a list of wedding venues with which we have enjoyed working with to create the most seamless weddings and happy brides.

Stonewall Resort

Alpine Lake Resort

Morgantown Marriott at Waterfront Place

Wisp Resort

Snowshoe Mountain Resort

Lambert’s Winery

Oglebay Resort

Lakeview Golf Resort

Clarion Hotel Morgan

Harrison County Parks and Recreation Center

Falcon Center at Fairmont State University

Benton Grove Bed and Banquet

Crystalline Events Venue

Canaan Valley Resort

Bridgeport Conference Center at Charles Pointe

Adventures On The Gorge

The Historic Summit Inn

Edgewood Country Club

Bell Meadows Golf Club

4 T Arena

MeadowView Weddings & Events

Glade Springs

Oak Lodge

The Barn At York Hill

High Gate Carriage House

About Tim Ray Photography

Tim Ray has been in the wedding photography business for 28 years.  His studio is located n Fairmont, West Virginia.  He has photographed over 1000 weddings in West Virginia and the surrounding states not missing a single one for any reason.  He has photographed for various publications, websites, and groups.  He would love to show you his studio in Fairmont, WV and walk you through his albums, canvases and other print photography products.  He can also provide more information on our Why Hire Tim Ray Photography page.

Contact us for more information!

Why Hire Tim Ray Photography to Photograph My Event?

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