Wedding Guide
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
THE PRE-WEDDING GUIDE<br />
1
2
3
ENGAGEMENT<br />
S E S S I O N<br />
Now that you’ve picked your wedding date, a<br />
photographer, and most likely your venue as<br />
well, you can celebrate! The hardest decisions<br />
made during your planning process are over!<br />
Now for some fun stuff.. Like your Engagement<br />
Session! I include Engagement Sessions in this<br />
guide because I absolutely believe they are a part<br />
of the entire process. During your engagement<br />
session, you’ll have the chance to get to know me,<br />
experience how I photograph and how I handle<br />
posing and lighting! This makes a huge impact on<br />
how your wedding day flows, and honestly makes<br />
us 10x more comfortable with each other! In most<br />
cases I’m going to be with you guys throughout<br />
the entirety of your wedding day, so having us<br />
comfortable with one another is huge! I’ll arrive<br />
on your wedding day already knowing how the<br />
pair of you interact, what your best poses are and<br />
how to photograph you in a genuine way!<br />
Your engagement session can be scheduled any<br />
time before your wedding day, but I normally<br />
suggest at least 3-6 months in advance to avoid<br />
stress! Because my weekends are normally filled<br />
with weddings, I schedule engagement sessions<br />
normally on weekdays, from 5-7pm depending<br />
on the light and the time of year! In the winter<br />
months, 3-5pm is a normal time frame for an<br />
engagement session!<br />
As you start to plan for your engagement session,<br />
you’ll need to brainstorm some location ideas!<br />
I love it when a couple picks a location that is<br />
special or sentimental to them in some way! I’ve<br />
done shoots where the proposal happened, to in<br />
the home of a beloved grandmother where they<br />
always spend their weekends! If you can’t think<br />
of any specific location you’d like to shoot, I’m<br />
totally happy to brainstorm some locations with<br />
you, based on what kind of feel you’d like! As<br />
long as the light is great, I can make any location<br />
look wonderful! Farms, hiking trails, a well lit<br />
restaurant or coffee shop, on a brewery tour,<br />
downtown or on the beach, your engagement<br />
session can happy just anywhere, don’t shy away<br />
from any unique or fun ideas!<br />
It’s always a little bit intimidating to have<br />
your photo taken... even if it’s just with an<br />
iPhone! We still want to look nice, make<br />
sure nothing is in our teeth and that our<br />
hair is behaving! I realize prepping for your<br />
engagement session can be overwhelming,<br />
so please read ahead for some tips on<br />
outfits and accessories to that will make<br />
your engagement session prep a bit more<br />
manageable!<br />
4
TIPS<br />
FOR YOUR SHOOT<br />
Most couples like to have one casual<br />
outfit, and one more dressy outfit.<br />
This will give your shoot two totally<br />
different looks! I normally recommend<br />
beginning in the dressier outfit!<br />
Most patterns are actually okay,<br />
however graphics are not favorable for<br />
portraits. If you’re wearing a pattern,<br />
make sure it’s not overwhelming or<br />
distracting!<br />
Don’t try to match.. Try to pick outfits<br />
and accessories that coordinate<br />
instead. If you both wore the same<br />
exact color, think of how boring and<br />
monotone that would be!<br />
Clean your ring! I love to get shots of it<br />
while my couples change outfits!<br />
5<br />
Don’t be afraid to be bold! Accessorize<br />
and make your outfits your own,<br />
scarves, bold necklaces, and fun shoes<br />
are always welcome, and can transform<br />
an outfit from photo to photo!<br />
Make sure you’re comfortable in what<br />
you’re wearing!! I can’t stress this<br />
enough! And ladies, if the top is super<br />
low cut, this will limit the angles I can<br />
shoot from!
6
7
EVERYONE’S TIMELINE WILL BE DIFFERENT, AND TENDS<br />
TO FLUCTUATE, BUT HERE IS A GOOD STARTING POINT TO<br />
CONSIDER THE MAJOR PARTS OF THE DAY!<br />
2:00-2:30<br />
After the details have been<br />
photographed, it’s time for<br />
the bride to get into her<br />
dress! This is a big moment,<br />
and will be one of the most<br />
memorable parts of your<br />
day. I usually request that<br />
the mother of the bride<br />
& the bridesmaids are all<br />
dressed and ready so that<br />
everyone looks their best in<br />
the images! After the bride<br />
is in her dress, she can put<br />
on her jewelry, veil, shoes,<br />
etc and I will capture some<br />
additional Bridal portraits!<br />
3:15<br />
If you put time into the<br />
details of your day, I want<br />
to photograph them. I love<br />
this part of the day, using<br />
it to capture your dress,<br />
shoes, veil, bouquet, rings,<br />
other jewelry, invitations,<br />
etc! These shots allow me to<br />
get warmed up for the rest<br />
of your big day, and also<br />
to capture a few shots of<br />
you and your bridesmaids<br />
getting ready! I recommend<br />
having me arrive after the<br />
majority of your hair & make<br />
up is done, since you want to<br />
look your best for photos!<br />
2:30-3:00<br />
This is one of my favorite<br />
parts of the wedding day! If<br />
you have a perfect location<br />
in mind let me know, and I<br />
will go set up the groom so<br />
the bride can walk to him<br />
and capture the moment. Be<br />
sure to use this moment to<br />
breathe, and just enjoy.<br />
This is also completely<br />
optional, if you’d prefer not<br />
to have a first look, we can<br />
make timeline adjustments!<br />
8
3:30-4:00<br />
A little detail to make sure<br />
of is that the groomsmen<br />
get their boutonnieres<br />
on before they arrive for<br />
portraits! During the Bridal<br />
Party Portraits we will<br />
make sure to take some of<br />
amazing shots of the guys<br />
and the girls both separately<br />
together, plus any additional<br />
photographs! As soon as<br />
these portraits are complete,<br />
we can move right into the<br />
Family Portraits!<br />
4:20-4:40<br />
portraits<br />
After the bride and groom<br />
have taken their time with<br />
the First Look, I will begin<br />
to take a few romantic<br />
portraits of the two of you<br />
while the initial excitement<br />
lingers! A location full of<br />
natural light is the most<br />
ideal, and remember we will<br />
be subjected to the situation<br />
of the day! If it’s raining, we<br />
might need to find a back<br />
up plan! This is also a good<br />
time for the Bridal Party to<br />
head to where the Formals<br />
will be taken!<br />
4:00-4:20<br />
bridal party<br />
Family Formals normally<br />
take place immediately<br />
before the ceremony (or<br />
directly after if there is no<br />
first look). It’s best to tell<br />
everyone exactly where<br />
they need to be 10 minutes<br />
early so that we don’t miss<br />
any groupings. However if<br />
anything isn’t done, we can<br />
sneak it in post-ceremony<br />
before folks sneak off to<br />
the cocktail hour! The<br />
questionnaire I send out<br />
before your wedding will<br />
make sure we get all your<br />
must-have groupings!<br />
9
4:40-5:00<br />
If the reception is in<br />
the same location as<br />
the ceremony, I will<br />
use this time to shoot<br />
the reception decor<br />
UNTOUCHED! If the<br />
ceremony and reception<br />
are in different locations,<br />
I recommend having a<br />
cocktail hour outside the<br />
main reception area if<br />
possible so that I can grab<br />
some great shots of your<br />
reception decor before<br />
guests start putting down<br />
their belongings/finding<br />
their tables!<br />
5:00-5:30<br />
After the Family Formals<br />
have been completed,<br />
it’s time for the couple<br />
and the wedding party<br />
to hide away before the<br />
ceremony begins! The big<br />
moment is JUST around<br />
the corner!<br />
4:40-4:50<br />
It’s time to get hitched!<br />
On average, most<br />
ceremonies don’t last<br />
more than 30 minutes,<br />
but if you are including<br />
special traditions,<br />
readings, etc and it’s<br />
going to be more than 30<br />
minutes, don’t fret! We<br />
can adjust the timeline to<br />
suit YOU! Cherish these<br />
moments, your ceremony<br />
will pass by so quickly!<br />
10
6:00-6:30<br />
7:45<br />
This is when the Bridal<br />
Party lines up for<br />
introductions and the<br />
party kicks off! By this<br />
part of the day, your<br />
timeline will be far more<br />
fluid, and we’ll focus on<br />
your reception events!<br />
Around sunset (remember<br />
from your engagement<br />
photos!) is the BEST time<br />
of day for portraits in the<br />
late spring, summer and<br />
early fall! I love having<br />
even just a few extra<br />
minutes with the bride &<br />
groom to take a few “Just<br />
Married” portraits right<br />
after the ceremony!<br />
6:30-?<br />
Most of my weddings<br />
are around 6 hours of<br />
coverage, and that will<br />
cover most reception<br />
events & a good start<br />
of the dancing before<br />
the dance floor gets<br />
too sloppy! If you’re<br />
interested in having an<br />
exit photographed, and<br />
I’m leaving before the<br />
party is done, we can<br />
stage a faux exit very<br />
easily! Or if you’d like<br />
to add some additional<br />
coverage, that’s an option<br />
too!<br />
11
This portion of the <strong>Wedding</strong> Experience really sets<br />
the stage for the entire wedding day! The next few<br />
pages will share tips and tricks that will ensure<br />
a seamless morning of bridal preparation and<br />
beautiful portraits!<br />
12
GETTING READY<br />
It’s the morning of your wedding!<br />
Hopefully all of the little details are taken<br />
care of and you’re relaxing with your best<br />
friends while your hair is being done. If<br />
certain items haven’t been checked off your<br />
to-do list, it’s time to hand them over to<br />
someone else!<br />
Delegation is a KEY part of a stress-free<br />
wedding day. I know it’s hard to hand over<br />
decorating duties and all of the last minute<br />
things, but it really is important to just relax<br />
and enjoy! The rest of the day is going to be<br />
such a blur and full of so many emotions,<br />
take advantage of this downtime!<br />
There are a few things to consider about<br />
the “getting ready” portion of your day. Do<br />
you want to share a “first look” with your<br />
father or any other person who has played<br />
a huge role in your life? Will you and your<br />
groom be exchanging gifts during this time?<br />
If so, who would you like to deliver them?<br />
Are there special women in your life that<br />
would appreciate seeing you get into your<br />
gown? Some brides want only a select few<br />
around for this moment, and some want<br />
grandmothers and aunts present! It’s totally<br />
up to you!<br />
As you get ready to put your dress on, refrain<br />
from putting on any of your jewelry or other<br />
touches! I love photographing all those final<br />
steps when you’re in your gown!<br />
Keep reading for a few more “getting ready”<br />
tips to help you prepare!<br />
13
By having even just ONE<br />
simple window in the bridal<br />
prep area, I am able to create<br />
beautiful portraits with soft<br />
light. I prefer natural light,<br />
so the more windows the<br />
better!<br />
14
When putting together your wedding day<br />
timeline, the best advice I could ever give you<br />
is to ADD CUSHION TIME! Sometimes the most<br />
simple things can take an extra 20 minutes,<br />
and then all of a sudden the whole morning is<br />
thrown off! Sometimes even getting into your<br />
gown could take extra time if the back of your<br />
gown is a button up! It’s just a good idea to add<br />
in an extra ten minutes here or there so that we<br />
have wiggle room to work with, this way if your<br />
day gets thrown off 20 minutes, I can help you<br />
to compensate that time somewhere else during<br />
your day!<br />
There are so many different things to<br />
think about when you’re planning a wedding day,<br />
and so here are some tips for the pre-ceremony<br />
timeline. I realize that every single wedding day<br />
is different, and so not all of these tips will apply<br />
to every wedding day schedule! Something else<br />
to consider is that not EVERYTHING will go as<br />
planned, and I promise you, that is completely<br />
normal!<br />
The most common detail missing when<br />
I arrive are the rings! Most advice says<br />
to give the rings to the best man before<br />
the day begins, but hold onto them for<br />
just a bit longer so I can photograph<br />
them in the AM!<br />
You will need your bouquet<br />
and boutonnieres for your<br />
detail photos! Have them<br />
delivered to the room where<br />
the bride is getting ready!<br />
I encourage my brides to<br />
at least have their makeup<br />
done before I start! This<br />
makes sure you look flawless<br />
in ALL your photos, from<br />
start to finish.<br />
Be sure to think about travel<br />
time and TRAFFIC to and<br />
from your getting ready<br />
location and your venue!<br />
If you’ve booked a second<br />
shooter they’ll head off with<br />
the guys if they’re getting<br />
ready in the same location<br />
as the bride, or within 10-15<br />
minutes!<br />
15
Your whole day begins with your DETAILS! I’ll come in, give you a big<br />
hug and get started on your initial details to get warmed up before the<br />
rest of the day starts!<br />
If possible, collect all of your details before I arrive so I can begin<br />
quickly and have more time for some “getting ready” shots of you and<br />
your girls!<br />
Don’t forget the Bouquet! Have the florals delivered to the Bride’s<br />
getting ready space before the first look so that you can have your<br />
bouquet for portraits!<br />
I’d absolutely love it if you could get into your dress close to a window,<br />
and it would be fabulous to have your girls dressed and ready to go to<br />
help you get into your gown!<br />
Be sure to cushion a bit of time here, never know what might happen<br />
when putting on your dress that might eat up an extra bit of time! I’ve<br />
seen buttons take up 15 minutes all their own!<br />
DRESS<br />
VEIL / HAIR PIECES<br />
RINGS (ALL 3!)<br />
SHOES<br />
JEWELRY<br />
PERFUME<br />
INVITATIONS<br />
BOUQUET<br />
BORROWED & BLUE<br />
16
Your first look is an amazing part of your wedding<br />
day! If you aren’t sure about this tradition, the<br />
next page will explain why it would be a romantic<br />
addition to your wedding day that not only adds to<br />
the experience, but also reduces stress! Please know<br />
that I would never want my couples to feel pressured<br />
to go with this option, I just want to explain it & why<br />
so many couples love it!<br />
17
I have confessed my love for first looks several times, and will<br />
probably continue to do so, and there is a reason for this: They’re<br />
AWESOME! Most brides get caught up in the non-traditional<br />
aspect and immediately write it off, but let me explain.<br />
A lot of brides worry that this first look will diminish the initial moment of him seeing you walking down the aisle, and<br />
let me tell you, it wont! Picture this: your groom will be fresh off the golf course or hanging out with his friends, and just<br />
before the ceremony the gravity of it all will hit him. Nerves will hit, his palms will sweat, and he’ll stand at the altar in<br />
front of all your friends and family staring right at him. Right at his face, because everyone expects the groom’s reaction!<br />
It’s the furthest thing from a private, intimate moment, but yes it is SO powerful and SO wonderful, but if you shared a first<br />
look he’s free to enjoy that moment without nerves! You’ve both spent the morning with your best friends and each other,<br />
and now is the main event and you can both just ENJOY! I’ve seen countless grooms still moved to tears of joy seeing their<br />
bride walk down the aisle, even with a first look, so don’t be concerned about it diminishing the emotion! Think of it as an<br />
extension, an extra element of romance on your day!<br />
40% MORE PORTRAITS<br />
You’re investing a lot into your wedding photography! With<br />
a first look, you’ll receive 40% MORE portraits of the two of<br />
you.. and those are the images that will decorate your home<br />
with!<br />
ENJOY THE SURPRISE<br />
You actually get to have intimate time on your wedding<br />
day with one another. Most brides don’t realize that when<br />
you come down the aisle and totally SHOCK him with your<br />
gorgeous-ness... he can’t even tell you how amazing you<br />
look! He can’t touch you, embrace you, or even speak to you!<br />
You have to wait until 30 minutes later when the ceremony<br />
is over for his reaction, and it wont be the same as the initial<br />
18<br />
first glance.<br />
YOUR ONLY ALONE TIME<br />
First looks allow you to be together and alone on your<br />
wedding day, time that is hard to come by! Portraits after<br />
family formals can feel a bit rushed, and it can be hard to get<br />
back into that “loving mode” with family around! Some of<br />
my sweetest portraits are captured right after the first look!<br />
DIMINISHES NERVES<br />
You get rid of your jitters! Even the most stoic groom can<br />
get nervous on their wedding day, and I have had so many<br />
of my couples tell me how a first look helped them to calm<br />
down and enjoy the ceremony to the fullest!
CEREMONY<br />
It’s finally time! The moment everyone has been waiting<br />
for! In a world of Pinterest and bridal magazines, it’s easy<br />
to be overwhelmed and consumed by the “prettiness” of the<br />
event. While details do matter, it’s important to never lose<br />
sight of the real purpose of this amazing day!<br />
If you get married outdoors at 12pm, the lighting will be<br />
harsh on you, your faces, and your guests, and most people<br />
will end up squinting! I suggest planning an outdoor<br />
ceremony 2 hours before sunset if you are planning on a<br />
First Look, and 3 hours before if not, to make sure you have<br />
plenty of light after for formal photographs! If planning an<br />
indoor ceremony, it is always best to have EVEN lighting at<br />
the altar. Two spotlights on the bride & groom means I can’t<br />
expose properly for the bridal party. It is better to have soft,<br />
even light across the whole altar<br />
19<br />
Hiring an event planner or just a day-of coordinator can<br />
make your life so much easier! Without a coordinator,<br />
responsibilities for timeline will fall on the mother of the<br />
bride, the photographer, or worst yet the bride herself!<br />
All of my most stressful weddings were caused by a lack<br />
of coordination and organization! Even the most flawless<br />
timelines can fall apart without someone to organize.
If we’re being honest, all of the wedding day images are important, but my real<br />
favorites are almost always from my time with the Bride & Groom! These romantic<br />
portraits of just the two of you will be the images you print and frame beside your bed,<br />
over your mantle and they will also be the images that fill your album for generations<br />
to enjoy!<br />
These images are always my favorite not only because of their beauty, but because this<br />
is such a sweet portion of the day. For this brief moment in time you will be alone with<br />
your groom on your wedding day. You will have a chance to love on each other and<br />
really connect! Romantic portraits are normally done before the ceremony (after the<br />
First Look), and then I love shooting a few “just married” portraits after the ceremony<br />
as well! If you’re not interested in a first look, we will make sure to include lots of time<br />
after the ceremony for these portraits!<br />
20
21
FAMILY FORMALS<br />
I love meeting my couple’s families on the wedding day, and Family Formals<br />
are sometimes one of my first interactions with everyone, so having a game<br />
plan for this part of the day is crucial! A month before your wedding, I’ll send a<br />
questionnaire asking you for any essential groupings that you want us to capture<br />
during the Family Formals time! Below is the basic list I capture at every wedding,<br />
so if any photos you dearly want aren’t on this list, please let me know!<br />
Finding a nice, well lit space for these is a good thing to consider, especially if<br />
your family groupings are large. We want to make sure that we’re not in direct<br />
sunlight, and have a large enough area to maneuver in!<br />
Something else very helpful is to give a copy of the family formals list to a<br />
bridesmaid who can help me to wrangle the family members I might not know!<br />
BRIDE’S FAMILY<br />
BRIDE & GROOM + BRIDE’S PARENTS<br />
BRIDE + HER MOTHER<br />
BRIDE + HER FATHER<br />
BRIDE + SIBLINGS<br />
BRIDE + GRANDPARENTS<br />
GROOM’S FAMILY<br />
BRIDE & GROOM + GROOM’S PARENTS<br />
GROOM + HIS MOTHER<br />
GROOM + HIS FATHER<br />
GROOM + SIBLINGS<br />
GROOM + GRANDPARENTS<br />
BRIDE & GROOM + BOTH SETS OF PARENTS<br />
BRIDE & GROOM + SIBLINGS + PARENTS<br />
WHOLE FAMILY<br />
22
Just before your Family Formals is when we’ll<br />
capture your bridal party shots! Of course if<br />
your siblings are a part of your bridal party<br />
they’ll be in the formals, but standardly I’ll<br />
capture:<br />
Bride + Bridesmaids Group<br />
Bride + Each Bridesmaid<br />
Groom + Groomsmen Group<br />
Groom + Each Groomsman<br />
If you’re not doing a First Look, the Bride &<br />
Bridesmaids shots at least can be something we<br />
can do before heading to the ceremony!<br />
23
The party is finally here! It’s time to eat, drink and be merry, and celebrate the fact that your two<br />
families have now joined as one! Most things get much more lax during this part of the day, but that<br />
can only happen smoothly if your event is well thought out ahead of time! This is going to be a big role<br />
of your DJ or Coordinator, making sure that every event of your reception moves along smoothly and<br />
on time, coordinated with the catering so that everyone is eating at the same time!<br />
You can make the reception completely your own, of course it’s your party and should happen how<br />
you want it to, but here are some common events that happen during a large majority of receptions!<br />
BRIDAL PARTY INTRODUCTIONS<br />
FIRST DANCE<br />
FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE<br />
MOTHER-SON DANCE<br />
ANNIVERSARY DANCE<br />
TOASTS<br />
CAKE CUTTING<br />
BOUQUET TOSS<br />
24
RECEPTION TIPS<br />
GUEST CONSIDERATION: If you have a lot of elderly guests, consider them when planning out your<br />
timeline! Many won’t stay until the very end of the reception, so consider planning sweet traditions<br />
like cake-cutting and parent dances for earlier in the evening so they can be a part of them!<br />
KEEP IT MOVING: Chat with your DJ or Coordinator about how you can plan your reception’s flow in<br />
a way that will keep guests engaged and moving all night, until the open dance floor really kicks off!<br />
MAKE IT YOUR OWN: If you want to have a special dance with your grandparents, do it! If you have<br />
elderly relatives you want to honor with an anniversary dance, do it! Make your reception a reflection<br />
of yourselves, and don’t feel like you have to keep to traditions! Also make sure to give your DJ or<br />
Band a “Do Not Play” list if there are songs you really don’t want to hear during your reception! (Does<br />
anyone really like the chicken dance?)<br />
DON’T GET CAUGHT UP: In the details! You want to enjoy your reception to the fullest, not spend<br />
it worrying about if your centerpieces look good. Sure details are pretty and fun to photograph, but<br />
they can steal joy of the day if you get too caught up in them (speaking from experience!). Plan your<br />
centerpieces, welcome table, etc. well before the wedding and teach your coordinator or a close friend<br />
to set them up so you aren’t thinking about them day of! Delegation is key!<br />
25
26