melissamermin.com

Product photo shoot for Batiste rum

Melissa Mermin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:01:10 +0000

My cousin Tristan Mermin is promoting his new Batiste Blanc Rhum , imported from St. Barts and distributing first to the Bay Area. Rum is one of my favorite booze in girly cocktails with cute umbrellas and fruit garnishes, but Batiste is so smooth it’s really wonderful to drink by itself. Batiste is clear and smooth, it’s no wonder when I drink Bacardi I need to sweeten and add a lot a fruit or soda to to mask it’s flavor. Look for Batiste in trendy San Francisco bars and restaurants like Smugglers Cove, The Tonga Room and Absinthe.

ISES Napa Sonoma party at Castello di Amorosa

Melissa Mermin — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:23:06 +0000

I photographed and sponsored the International Special Events Society Northern California Chapter (ISES NCC) Napa-Sonoma 8th birthday party at Castello di Amorosa. It’s the only real ‘castle’ in the U.S, complete with mote, dungeon, and of course a wine cellar and gift shop! A unique venue for a wedding rehearsal dinner or corporate party.

Napa wedding photographer Melissa Mermin photographs weddings in Napa, Sonoma, wine country, San Francisco and beyond. Her approach to wedding photography is documentary and photojournalistic.

Joyce Scardina Becker, chocolate, champagne flow at the Bubble Lounge

Melissa Mermin — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 04:33:03 +0000

The Bubble Lounge hosted our NACE San Francisco party, featuring over 300 varieties of champagne, upscale desserts and our bubbly guest speaker wedding planner Joyce Scardina Becker. There was a lovely local oyster station by The Oyster Girls. Passed hors d’oeuvres and champagne provided by the Bubble Lounge, a restaurant bar that’s in NYC and San Francisco focusing almost exclusively on champagne. The deserts were the highlight in my book- the lovely yellow passion fruit and green key lime pie handmade chocolates by Napa Valley’s Le Belge Chocolate. A dessert tier with a variety of artisan made sweets from Black Tie Desserts and take-home gift boxes of classic Ghiradelli chocolates. DJ Jason Mitchell spun the tunes and San Francisco Brides Magazine had the latest issue on hand showing new wedding trends for the season. San Francisco wedding planner Joyce Scardina Becker from Events of Distinction did an informative presentation showing what trends were in or out for modern luxury weddings this year.

The Price of Hiring a Wedding Photographer

Melissa Mermin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:09:55 +0000

As a professional photographer of sixteen years, I’ve gotten several hundred inquires being in the wedding photography business. Sometimes I get a comment in the online form, Great images! We were referred by so-and-so wedding planner who highly recommended you. I love hearing that there’s a trust and connection to someone we have in common. Many comments I get these days is a demand for a complete price list and no information about their wedding. I know there are lots of new photographers who are curious about others’ fees so they pretend to be a bride, but most inquires are legitimate couples who don’t know what questions to ask. One of the reasons I’ve never posted my rates on my website is that every event is so unique that I would be all over the board with price. Questions I ask my clients: It is a 250+ guest list with 3 locations? Then you probably need a second photographer (not just an student intern shooting a wedding for the first time, by the way!) Is it a destination wedding we need to fly to? Travel expenses and logistics have to be estimated. Three day Indian wedding? Overtime coverage. Or an intimate group of your closest friends witnessing your vows at City Hall next month? You may not need a package at all but just a few hours coverage and then choose your a la carte post-wedding services.Some think that we don’t post our rates in order to increase them if the bride tells us it’s going to be held in a high-end reception venue (hence they have more money to spend). One time I kept asking a bride about where her wedding was to take place and she kept repeating, “a hotel in downtown Boston.” I then asked, “Um, is it a big windowless ballroom that seats over 200 guests? Is the cocktail hour outdoors? Can you give me a hint?” I had to explain that I needed to get a sense of logistics and type of coverage she would need. After giving her a ballpark of my rates, She finally “admitted” to me she was getting married in a church 45 minutes from the reception, having over 250 guests at The Ritz Carlton and an after-party at midnight in another location she also wanted covered. She said she didn’t want to tell me in fear that I would increase my price when I heard ‘Ritz Carlton’. What an odd way to start a relationship off with a professional, feeling that they are out to screw you right off the bat. Why would she want to even do business with me if she doesn’t trust me? Ask your recently married friends if they raved about their wedding photographer experience and if you also loved their images as much as they did. If you are working with a wedding planner (which I can’t say enough how they make my life and your life so much less stressed!), one of her/his jobs is to listen to what you like and narrow down your choices to two to three tested and trusted professionals. The digital age and the internet has brought an avalanche of new photographers eagar to test their skills. They may have gotten a new digital camera and want to try to doing weddings on the side to make extra money (we call them “Weekend Warriors” and also “Shoot to Burners’ as they hand over a DVD of unedited jpegs when they leave the event.) They don’t think about business and liability insurance (what happens when a kid on the dance floor trips over their light stand?), having lots of back-up gear or what happens if they get sick and can’t be at your event? Then there’s there’s big corporate companies I like to call the “Walmartization of McWeddings”. They pay their newbie photographers very little as they are eagar for the experience and want to get a portfolio. The McPhotoCorp makes money on volume doing hundreds on weddings a month in their region and farming out every part of the process to cheaper labor to keep costs down. Comparing a fine restaurant with a corporate chain, you don’t get the same consistent quality you would have from an award-winning artisan chef. You know who you are working with from the initial meeting before the event to the post-wedding process of designing a custom wedding album. Some of my clients hire me to do their pregnancy and expanding family portraits. Your wedding photographer is the one vendor that you’ll continue to have a great working relationship long after your wedding.

I’ll end with the most asked Big Question: What does a wedding photographer cost? My answer: What does it cost you when you think you saved some money but really didn’t like your images or your experience with your photographer on your wedding day? What do you have left to show for it? I’ll leave you with a quote that I borrowed from celebrity wedding cake designer Sylvia Weinstock:

Melissa Mermin is an award-winning wedding photographer who seeks to educate brides-and-grooms-to-be on how to hire their perfect photographer.

“There is nothing in the world that some man cannot make a little worse

and sell a little cheaper,

and he who considers price

only is that man’s lawful prey.”

– John Ruskin

Wine Country Wedding Venue at the Culinary Institute (CIA) Napa

Melissa Mermin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:16:21 +0000

Way back I photographed Tristan & Matt’s destination wedding at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Napa Valley. The couple were from the east coast, huge foodie fans and loved great wine parings so the Napa-Sonoma area was their first choice. The C.I.A. St. Helena California campus was the perfect venue to experience where great chefs are born. The best wedding vendor meal I’ve ever ate including the cake! Thank you to I Do Venues for publishing my wedding this week. Thank you also to the wedding vendors that made my event photography spectacular, Kate Stanley for lighting and hydrangea wedding flowers and La Tavola linen rentals of Napa-San Francisco.

The Culinary Institute in Napa, CA is a winder wedding wine country venue

Seeing each other for the first time before the wedding. Culinary Institute, Napa-Sonoma

Wedding ceremony at The Culinary Institute, Napa

Cutting the wedding cake and toasting the couple. Culinary Institute (CIA), Napa

Wine barrels make a rustic backdrop for the wedding reception. Culinary Institute in the heart of Wine Country

The end of the wedding reception at Culinary Institute, a perfect foodie and wine lovers paring

Wedding and Reception venue, Caterer: The Culinary Institute of America, St Helena

Cake: The Culinary Institute of America

Rehearsal Dinner: Tra Vigna, Napa Valley, CA

Florist: Kate Stanley Design Inc.

Linens: La Tavola

Wedding Invitations, Programs, etc.: Vera Wang (ordered at Paper Source)

Band/ Wedding DJ: Mixxed Company

Wedding coordinator: Layla Azimi, C.I.A.

Dress designer/Shoes/Bridesmaids dresses: Wedding Dress — Carolina Herrera; Shoes: Stuart Weitzman; Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew

Videographer: Thomas Hughes Productions

Wedding Photographer Melissa Mermin

SFBC Winterfest benefit at The Metron 2011

Melissa Mermin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 06:52:14 +0000

Urban bike goddess 'Bubble Girl' Jill shows off her bubble-powered pink ride

Usually my news is all about wedding and portrait photography, but I donate my services to causes I love. I love helping to make San Francisco a safer place for cyclists like myself and love to see art and unique bicycles up for auction for a great cause.

The San Francisco Bike Coalition (SFBC) had their annual holiday benefit Winterfest party this year on the rooftop of the Metron. The silent auction included everything from local San Francisco made Public Bikes (I own one and personally love them!), bike-themed art, tickets to Burningman, an erotic gift basket from Good Vibrations and a bike ride and lunch with SF Supervisor John Avalos (who sadly didn’t become our new mayor this year.) Happy 40th birthday to the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and making my city a great place use my bike as my car. Keep your wheels spinning!

Wine Country wedding venue Beaulieu Garden featured on idovenues

Melissa Mermin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:23:42 +0000

Joelle's green wedding themed flowers provided by Kathleen Deery. Beaulieu Garden, Napa.

My Beaulieu Garden wedding was featured today on I Do Venues, founded by wedding planners Alicia Falango of Alicia K Designs and Gloria Atherton of Glass Onion Catering. idovenues.com is a great resource for brides searching for wedding venue and vendors in the San Francisco, Napa and Bay area. Thanks to the great vendors that made Joelle and Hectors’ wedding visually beautiful, Kathleen Deery Florist, Paula LeDuc catering, cupcakes and wedding desserts by Perfect Endings of Napa. Wedding photography by Melissa Mermin Love Stories.

Beaulieu Garden and vineyards has so many places for lovely wedding photo backdrops.

Sushi cones were some cocktail hour appetizers provided by Paula LeDuc catering. Beaulieu Garden, Napa.

My Boston Wedding on Style Me Pretty & Newport Wedding Glam

Melissa Mermin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 04:14:53 +0000

My ‘nautical navy’ themed wedding at the Commandant’s House and the USS Constitution in Boston was the story of the week in both Style Me Pretty‘s Massachusetts Weddings and Newport Wedding Glam, a New England & Newport RI wedding guide started by wedding and event planner Raina Dawn. I’m honored to have my wedding images featured, thank you!

Boudoir in the Bay: A Sexy San Francisco Lingerie Photo Shoot

Melissa Mermin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 23:57:26 +0000

Oooo, you sexy thang! An on-location boudior photo shoot in San Francisco by Melissa Mermin, boudoir and wedding photographer.

I do wish I could show you more of my on-location boudoir (French for ‘In the bedroom’) sexy photo shoot with my lovely bride-to-be client, but she was a little shy to show her face on my public blog. The warm late afternoon light through the shades made for a shoot that reminded me Bert Stern’s last photo shoot of Marilyn Monroe in her bed and satin sheets.

You’ll have to use your imagination here: her retro make up and hair gave her a Brigitte Bardot look and she had fun modeling all her lingerie from Agent Provocateur and La Perla. Her fiance will have an intimate pre-wedding gift! If you’re thinking about a unique gift for your bridesmaids, why not schedule all of them for a private boudoir photo shoot and you can have your own done as well. It’s less expensive to split the cost to have a hair and make up person on a set all day and also a much better deal to book the entire day for individual shoots than on separate days.

I currently do on-location boudoir photo shoots but will have my own private studio in San Francisco in the next few weeks! They make a great wedding gift for husbands, but you certainly don’t need to be getting married or a skinny model to be drop-dead sexy in my pictures. Here are some tips for hiring a professional photographer and having a great boudoir photo session: I do recommend having a professional hair and make up person work with you before the shoot to get that Hollywood glam look. Bring several outfits (panties, bras, garters, even a prop the like the faux mink throw my client had in the photo), jewelry and shoes (the more impractical and higher the heel, the better for photos.) It’s important to feel really comfortable with your photographer so interview a few and see if your vision matches up. Do you want to be mostly nude or covered up? Close ups of your face with your body out of focus or the other way around? Ask what photo retouching skills they have (sometimes you want a little help with acne or cellulite and a good photo retoucher is better than a plastic surgeon.) In the photo, I just lessened the look of her bra lines on her skin. Also, it’s a good idea to not wear tight underclothes to a shoot or they will leave marks on your skin.

I’m a big fan of retro and pin-up poses (the 1940′s and 50′s illustrator Vargas is one of my favorites.) I think women look most powerful and boom-chica-wow-wow sexy when they exaggerate their femininity. Me-owww!

Navy wedding at the Commandant’s House & USS Constitution, Boston

Melissa Mermin — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:41:49 +0000

Julie and Brendan tied the knot in a most truley historic Boston fashion at the Commandant’s House, built 1806, in the Charlestown Navy Yard. Brendan first proposed on the roof at the XV Beacon hotel in Beacon Hill, so they had their intimate reherasal dinner their in their wine cellar restaurant Mooo (which boasts the biggest wine list of any restaurant. Mooove over Napa!)

The ceremony took place on the lawn of the historic Commandants House on the active Naval Yard in Charlestown where the battle of Bunker Hill was fought during the American Revolution. The colors of the wedding were navy blues to go with their maritime and sailing theme as both Brendan and Julie have family ties to the Naval reserves. We had to have special permission to shoot photos aboard the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) which was exciting and made me so proud to be a Bostonian. More beantown ties: Julie and Brendan’s families are from Ireland (go Celtics!) and Boston City clerk and Justice of the Peace Rosaria Salerno married them (she was also a former candidate for Mayor of Boston in ’93!) Have a peek at their wicked awesome Boston Love Story!

Their wedding rehearsal dinner at Mooo restaurant, private dining and wine cellar in the VX Beacon Hotel, Boston

A Navy inspired wedding at The Commandants House, historic Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston

A detail from the staircase in the Commandants House showing Bunker Hill monument. Wedding guest place cards aboard the USS Constitution. Custom wine labels inspired by their dog.

Just married onj the front lawn of the historic Commandant's House, Boston. The front steps were great for getting pictures of all their family and wedding guests.

Photographing their wedding formal photos aboard the historic USS Constitution in the Naval yard, Charlestown.

First dance in the tent outside Commandants' House. Wedding cupcakes were a fun and delicious alternative to a traditional wedding cake (provided by Five Bites Cupcakes, Boston)

Wedding Rehearsal dinner Mooo Restaurant and Wine Bar (inside the XV Beacon Hotel, Beacon Hill)

Wedding ceremony and reception venue: Commandant’s House, Boston

Caterer: Gourmet Caterers, Boston

Oyster Bar: Island Creek Oysters

Cupcakes: Five Bites Cupcakes

Florist: Studio 123

Tent rental, Linens and Lighting: Peterson Party Center

Band/Wedding DJ: Sweet Tooth and The Sugar Babies

Wedding Planner: Ronda Flashen, Entertainment Concepts

Bride’s wedding dress: From Vows. Designer: Provonias

Justice of the Peace: Rosaria Salerno

Wedding Photographer: Melissa Mermin

Julie & Brendan’s Boston Wedding Love Story