Weddings

GETTING READY

CHOOSE A SPACE WITH LOTS OF WINDOWS
If you’re trying to decide where to get ready, this is HUGE! I always opt for spaces with lots of windows. When it’s time to get into your dress, I will likely direct you to a clean area with lots of window light.

GATHER YOUR DETAILS
Please gather all your details before I arrive if you can. My biggest recommendation is to put them all in one box or bag, so they are all in one place. This includes:

All three rings
A copy or two of your invitation suite
Your jewelry
Shoes
Bridal dress
Veil
Hairpieces
Perfume
Menus
Favors
Name Cards
Bouquet and boutonnieres
& anything else you want to be photographed!

HAVE YOUR BOUQUET ARRIVE BEFORE I START SHOOTING
If possible, have your florist deliver your bouquet and boutonnières BEFORE I arrive. This ensures they will be included with all of the other pretty details.

RING BOX
This is just a bonus tip, but purchasing a velvet ring box in your wedding colors will help to personalize your details. My favorite places to buy them are from TheFamilyJoolz and The Mrs. Box!

GETTING IN YOUR DRESS
Make sure to have it in the timeline that your bridesmaids, mom, and anyone else you want to help you get into your dress be ready at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time. This ensures they can be included in these memorable photos looking their best!

MAIL THE INVITATION
If you could mail me a copy of your wedding invitation with all the others, that would be amazing. Please feel free to reach out if you need my mailing address.

GROOMSMEN PREP
My second shooter will photograph the guys getting ready if they are getting prepared in the exact location as the bride or within 10-15 mins. If you want this photographed, ensure it is on the timeline, or you have communicated it directly to me. Ensure all the gentlemen know when to arrive and when to be dressed for photos.

HAIR & MAKEUP
I would encourage you to have hair and Makeup scheduled to be done around 30 minutes before you’re expected to get into your dress. This gives you some buffer time in case you run behind. Hair and Makeup is typically the first event to run behind.

FIRST LOOKS

There is no pressure to do one… however, there are SO many benefits and reasons why many of my couples opt for one.

First looks are trendy for so many reasons, and there are so many incredible benefits of doing one. A first look is when the bride and groom arrange private time to see each other before the ceremony. The only people present will be you and your photographers and videographers.

Although I love this so much on a wedding day, I always encourage my couples to do whatever they want. Because at the end of the day, it’s their wedding, and what they prefer matters the most! So although I love it so much, I want their day to go however they envision. This will help you decide whether it’s right for you and why I recommend it so much.

YOUR ONLY ALONE TIME

Throughout the chaos of a wedding day, it will very likely be your ONLY alone time. It allows you to have a chance to talk and enjoy hanging out with each other. Groom, you get to tell your bride how beautiful she looks as soon as you see her! You get to extend your day together by 2-3 hours.

FRESH HAIR AND MAKEUP

My brides love this because your hair and makeup are fresh for all your portraits. You don’t have to worry about touching up before photos because you just had your hair and makeup done! Your bridesmaids will love you for this as well.

MORE PORTRAITS IN YOUR FINAL GALLERY

With a first look, you can enjoy taking your wedding portraits and not feel rushed. Plus, you’ll receive MORE variety in your images because of the extra time! It makes taking photos much more enjoyable because you aren’t trying to squeeze them all in.

LOGISTICALLY, IT’S A DREAM!

You can finish the majority of your wedding photos before the ceremony begins. We will jump right into bride and groom + bridal party photos after the first look. This means no long cocktail hours with guests waiting on us to finish taking pictures.

IT DIMINISHES NERVES

So many couples say their nerves went away after they saw each other! It helps you to feel more relaxed and makes the ceremony more enjoyable. You’ll probably remember your ceremony better because you weren’t so nervous. The whole thing would probably be a blur otherwise.

YOU CAN ENJOY COCKTAIL HOUR

Once we do family formalities directly after the ceremony, you can enjoy a cocktail hour or start the reception! If your bridal parties aren’t family members, they want all cocktail hour.

FATHER/DAUGHTER FIRST LOOK

If you and your dad are incredibly close, a father-daughter first look is one of the SWEETEST things you can do with your dad. It allows him to see you and your whole face before everything gets crazy and a particular time for you to connect. These quickly become one of my FAVORITE parts from past weddings because they are so emotional and sweet! You’ll be surprised at how passionate your dad gets when he sees you for the first time. If you want this in your timeline, let me know so we can add 10 minutes to make this happen! I did this at my wedding, which is some of my favorite images.

BRIDESMAIDS FIRST LOOK

A first look with bridesmaids has become one of the most fun things on wedding days! Especially if most of your girls haven’t seen your dress yet, it’s the perfect way to show it to them and capture their priceless reactions simultaneously. The only challenge is ensuring everyone is dressed and put together by the time you have your dress on, so good communication with your girlfriends is a must if you want to add this to your timeline! It typically only takes about 5-10 minutes during the getting ready portion of the day.

As a photographer, there is nothing worse than trying to photograph the bride coming down the aisle and having someone stick their phone out in front of you (yes, it’s happened!). If you’re unfamiliar with unplugged ceremonies, they are essential when you request that your guests turn off all their devices for the ceremony. This allows the photographer to work more freely without worrying about getting guests in their shots.

I think these are a GREAT idea, and I’ve had many couples do them with fantastic success. I also did it at my wedding and am so glad! Guests are typically very respectful if you ask them not to take photos during the ceremony, which will reflect in your photos. This especially shows in the broader shots; you’ll either see a lot of guests holding their phones up for pictures or your guests sitting and enjoying the moment.

To make this happen at your ceremony, I recommend first having a sign at the entrance of the tradition that encourages guests to put away their devices. You can also include a short and sweet line on your ceremony program that requests that no one has their devices out. You can also ask your officiant to announce it a few minutes before the ceremony starts to reinforce what they’ve already read.

Not only will your photographer love you, but a beautiful thing will happen: your guests are sitting and enjoying the moment you two become one instead of staring at their screens. What a lovely way to encourage your guests to unplug for a short amount of time to enjoy such a special moment with the two of you.

SHOULD I HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER?

I have worked with many incredible wedding planners, from the day of coordinators to complete service planners. They can help your wedding day in a way no one else can. They also allow me to focus solely on taking your beautiful photos while they keep the timeline going throughout the day. There are typically many different types of services planners offer, so here are a few to consider for other aspects of planning if you don’t have one yet.

VENDOR MATCH-MAKING
Some planners offer the option of helping you with “vendor match-making.” They will sit down with you, ask what you’re looking for in your different vendors, and offer the best suggestions within your budget. From what I’ve heard, the amount of money you save doing this by knowing where to invest more (AND finding vendors that are the perfect fit) saves you more than what you pay. Plus, you’ll have a dream team that will be amazing for your wedding!

STYLING SERVICES
Many planners also offer day-of styling services in addition to planning. This means they will be responsible for setting up your spaces and the design. They’ll add a beautiful, creative touch, and since they’ve worked alongside you up to your wedding day, they can carry out your vision perfectly. This also means mom won’t run around trying to set everything up. They have you covered!

BENEFITS OF A DAY-OF COORDINATOR
If nothing else, this is the BEST thing you can do for your wedding in this area! It is crucial to have a go-to person the day of who can take care of the logistics and answer questions. Otherwise, this burden typically falls on your mom, maid of honor, or photographer. They are there to run the day and make sure everything goes smoothly. This typically also includes planning the month before your wedding. Once that one-month mark hits, they will conquer the last-minute planning details for you. What a stress reliever.

FULL-SERVICE PLANNING
If you want wedding planning to be as stress-free as possible, this is the route and what my couples typically choose. They will be there from your engagement until the end of your wedding day. They are there to take care of all the planning for you, so you can relax and enjoy being engaged. They work alongside you to create the perfect vision for your wedding day, help you choose vendors, create your timeline, work out the logistics, and everything else that goes into planning. They are true professionals who will make a day worth remembering.

My most significant advice in this area is to, at the very least, have a go-to person, ideally a day-of coordinator. If you don’t have one appointed person, those responsibilities will fall on someone else (usually your mom, maid of honor, or photographer). Whoever takes over the logistical things that pop up during the day won’t be able to enjoy the day or focus solely on their job. Sometimes your venue will provide a day-of coordinator, but make sure they will be there the whole day and are there to help actively! Sometimes they’re there to oversee things and not help with what needs to happen the day of. If you’re okay with this go-to person being a family member, go for it! But realize that they aren’t able to enjoy your day, so you’ll have to be okay with that. Bringing someone else in isn’t as much as you’d think, and it takes so much stress off everyone. They can also be an excellent middleman when sticky situations arise throughout the wedding day. Trust me; you won’t regret it!