Of Wedding Shoots and Pets Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of our 3-part series regarding weddings and pets! 

(Link to part 1: Of Weddings Shoots & Pets Part 1)

This time we interviewed a photographer & prenup venue owner who has both a cat and a dog. Woot woot! He is Mr. Marco Constantino. Photo below shows a prenup with both of his pets.

First question I asked Marco revolved around why he has both. (Side note: I have 10 dogs, 2 indoor cats, and 4 outdoor cats.)

Marco’s response: “It reflects daw sa character ng may-ari if cat or dog owner siya, it doesn’t matter naman... Basta you know how to deal with both and love both”. I agree. Cats and dogs have different ways of communicating their love and of being willing to receiving affection. 

So how do you deal with cats and dogs during prenups? 

Marco: Most cats, hindi madaling magtiwala. Dogs naman, may mga mas friendly. Mas mahirap magpa-pose ng cats. Kailangan mag effort. I bring my own treats. In wedding shoots and even prenups, if there are friendly strays, I include them in the shots.

You have your own cat and dog and they live in Casa Foliage with you. Do they join other couples during prenups? 

Marco: They welcome couples and other photographers during prenups. (For safety purposes though, Marco has a place for them beyond the prenup area of Casa Foliage. And yes, I asked, you may bring your pet if you’re having your prenup there. Do inform Marco ahead of time though. Photo below shows a couple with their own dog at casa foliage. 

What tips can you give those who want to include their pets in their prenups or wedding shoots? 

1. There should be a handler who can take care of the pets when the owners are having their shoot. 
2. Bring treats, water, and toys. 
   
   
   
   
3. Have diapers on hand to avoid accidents.  (Additional note: bring poop bags & wipes as well)
4. Include them in one part of the prenup (one look) then let them rest. 
   
5. If you are including your pet, your pet must be ok with people so it doesn’t accidentally scratch you because it is spooked out by the number of people in the shoot. 
   
6. Bring a lint roller. (Additional note: the one I got in SNR recently — in the pet section — seems to be better than all others I have tried. Yes, I really chose the photo with a husky for this tip. Husky owners would know. Well, cat owners, too.
   
7. Send your pegs so the shoot can be discussed and things can be considered realistically. Example: a dog without training may not be able to do the poses you will see on Pinterest. 
8. Train your dog or cat prior to the shoot. (Marco gives pointers because he also studied how to handle cats and dogs.) 
9. Animals can sense if the humans in front of them like them or not. So good idea to get suppliers who are animal lovers, too. 

Thank you, Marco, for being nice to strays and for all these tips that cat and dog parents can use to help them with their upcoming shoots. 

If you’d like to know more about Marco, the photographer, or Marco, the prenup venue owner, pls check out these links: 

https://www.facebook.com/MCNSTNTNO

https://m.facebook.com/casafoliage/

All photos above are from Marco Constantino :)

Watch out for part 3 :)

Back in the Saddle

Though I have never stopped emceeing since 2010, I took a hiatus from coordination in 2013, but before I did, I made a promise to one of the barkadas with some members whose weddings I have handled. I told them I would come back when they need me. 

In 2019, one of them did! Moreover, the niece of my mom’s private nurse needed me to step up as well since she didn’t have a lead coordinator anymore. Her first coordinator would be giving birth close to her wedding day. She had already booked me as emcee and I felt if she would end up with a coordination who could not handle her details, I would also blame myself for avoiding the task, so I offered my services and handled her very detailed, all white wedding. (Yup, that’s the reason why I am wearing white in the photo.) 

There you go... 2 weddings in December 2019 and I got bitten by the coordination bug again! 

I figured though if I were to have enough time for my emceeing clients and my family, I would have to limit the number of coordination clients per month. The photo above is of my first full planning clients post-hiatus. 

Are you planning your wedding? Need an emcee? Let’s talk about your big day :) 

Of Weddings Shoots & Pets Part 1

Aww! So cute! 

Prenups and wedding photos always inspire more pleasant reactions when the bride and groom are accompanied by their pets. 

But how do you include your pets, dogs in particular, in your shoot?  Let’s ask a team that has had a lot of shoots with dogs, shall we? 

Here are some tips from Team Benitez Photo: 

• Get a venue that not only allows dogs but is also conducive to having dogs — it should be well ventilated, and there should be places for dogs to rest in between takes.

• Have the set with dogs when they are in a good mood — perhaps, the first set so they are still energetic. (These are the dogs of Dog Coach Francis and Irene, so yes, they are well-trained.) 

• Have treats, water, and toys to make the shoot easier & more comfortable for the dogs. 

• It’s also a good idea to have basic commands like sit and lay down in place. That way, you as furparents won’t be too stressed during the shoot because your dog is not cooperating. (Cay of TBP doesn’t like to super structure the shoots because he would rather capture how the dogs are with their furparents but he has seen how fur parents have gotten stressed over how their dogs are running around and are being disobedient, so have at least a little training with these 2 commands weeks ahead of the prenup or wedding, so it’s easier for you and your dogs to enjoy the shoot.) 

• Best to have suppliers who are ok with dogs. One of these 2 dogs actually decided to lay down so Cay saw the opportunity for a flat lay. They did have to coax the other dog to follow suit — not too difficult because these two pooches love their bosses. (I saw how TBP greeted the dogs of Aciel & Tof and played with them so even before the shoot, the dogs got to know them already. Also, dogs can sense if the persons around them like them or are scared of them. So if your suppliers like dogs, then it would also help to make the atmosphere good enough for dogs to be calm as well.) 

{Cay, their team lead, has a pug named Chulo. He actually chose to get a pug because of the movie, Men in Black. All photos here with the exception of the collage below are from Team Benitez Photo: https://www.facebook.com/teambenitezphoto} 

{Should you wish to have your dogs trained like Serena below, you may reach Dog Coach Francis via https://www.facebook.com/DogCoachFrancis} 

Check out this link from an episode we did with Dog Coach Francis and his wife, Irene. We were their wedding suppliers: Abby of Kiss the Girl Events, Jake Olaso (Video), Team Benitez Photo, and Darlene Tan - Salazar (Emcee). 

https://fb.watch/4ZRg38_0eN/

Watch out for part 2 of this 3-part series :)