9 Tips

presents

Here’s the question: What does your wedding
look like? How would you describe it
to a friend? Paint the picture. How does it
make you feel? Make it so vivid that you
can almost hear and smell it. This is important
because if you don’t know what you’re
looking for, there’s no way to ask for it.
If you’re not sure what the day looks like,
think about the blogs and magazines
you’ve been looking at or the weddings
you’ve attended. Picture yourself in those
weddings and ask yourself if it feels right
to you. With so many options, it’s important
to make sure that your wedding feels like
your event and not something that came off
a production line. The last thing you want is
to feel like you’re living someone else’s day.
There is no “one size fits all” wedding.
Some have a wild party atmosphere.
Some are intimate and romantic. Some
are family-oriented, some deeply rooted
in religion and tradition. There are casual
weddings and there are “black tie” events.
Some even have off-the-wall themes. It’s
fine to want a little from column A and
a little from column B, but try to zero in
on what is at the heart of your big day.
As a photographer, I want you to ask
yourself about what gets you excited.
What part of the day is the most meaningful?
Some people want flawless, artistic
portraits more than anything. Other
people want the little moments that
most people won’t see. There are couples
who have one or two very important
shots in mind that outweigh the rest.
A website and portfolio alone won’t give
you all the answers. You have to talk with
photographers. Find out about their process.
Find out how they capture images
and what type of interactions they will have
with you and the guests. Does their personality
mesh with yours? Are they someone
you want to spend the day with? You
want to be excited about all the vendors
you hire for your wedding day, but nobody
will interact more with you and your guests
than the photographer. This means you
need to be compatible. Will they be able
to bring out the best in large groups? In
shy guests? Do you need them to bring a
lot of energy or be a calming presence?
Can they handle a rowdy bridal party?
Your wedding starts with the venue you
choose and the vendors who will make
it all happen. Finding compatible personalities,
who fit your vibe and understand
your vision makes all the difference.
It is an absolute must that you are able
to put your full trust into the professionals
that you hire. You should ultimately
feel like the most honored guest at your
wedding, not like you’re playing host
and micromanaging the party. Building
a great team of vendors is the path
to a smooth and successful celebration.
One thing you never want to compromise
is quality. As a photographer, it doesn’t
matter if you want a full day of coverage
with an album and all the extras or
just want to go home with the digital files.
What’s important is that all of your images
are consistent in style, well composed,
well-lit and meaningful. As in any profession,
more experience often comes at a
premium. A pro with ten years under their
belt will likely charge more than a new
photographer with only a few years in the
field. It might seem tempting to choose the
lower price tag or hire a friend looking for
an opportunity, but remember what you’re
getting with an experienced pro. It’s the
ability to shoot anywhere in any situation.
It’s the confidence and cool head to handle
any situation because they’ve been
through it before. Ask yourself how crucial
it is to have the peace of mind that
your photographer is going to document
your day in the most gorgeous and insipiring
way. It all depends on how comfortable
you are with their level of experience
and their process. So don’t feel shy
about reaching out with questions: How
many weddings have they shot? How do
they handle wedding day pressure? How
will they guide you through the process?
Choosing quality vendors up front will save you from headaches down the road. If you’ve put
together a capable team, trust them. You might have a lot of opinions about how you envision
your wedding, but remember that your vendors do this every weekend. Listen to their advice
and on the day of the wedding in particular, rest easy and let them do what they do best.
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM

You and your vendors both need to know
the other’s expectations. Be clear in communicating
your wishes, voicing what
is most important to you and what isn’t.
As your vendors get to know you, they’ll
know where to focus their attention and
how to provide a service that works for
you. Wedding professionals also have
their own way of doing things and running
their businesses. Take the time to
talk with them, ask questions, learn what
they require of you and let them educate
you about their process. Setting expectations
clearly will help your vendors fulfill
and work to exceed those expectations.
Will you be having a large wedding? Are
there reasonable locations to shoot the
kinds of images you want? Does the photographer
bring an assistant or supporting
team? How much time do they need to
achieve the work you hired them for? Discuss
big picture dreams as well as specifics
like how and when you’ll receive your
images, when your payments are due,
etc. When the bride, groom and photographer
all know what they’re getting into,
there aren’t surprises or hiccups. Choose
vendors who are open and available communicators.
The cake will be eaten, the drinks will be consumed, flowers will wilt and the last song will eventually
end. Your photos and videos are the enduring account of your celebration to help you
reingite how you felt on that day. We understand the value of that and hope that our work will help
tell your story to many generations of your family. That’s why we recommend booking a team
with the experience and expertise to capture your wedding in a timeless, authentic manner.
We also encourage our couples to prepare
to invest in physical keepsakes. You’ve
put your time, money and emotion into the
images, don’t let them sit on a hard drive
unviewed. Fill your home with the images
by purchasing a print, canvas or premium
album. These heirloom products highlight
your day in an artistic, inspirational
way and make the perfect artwork for your
walls and shelves. We can also create
custom items from an engagement shoot,
like save the date and thank you cards.
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM

Even the most organized couple with the
most well-scheduled timeline can find
themselves running a bit late on their wedding
day. People can get caught in traffic,
a dress can malfunction and as a rule of
thumb, just about everything will take longer
than you expect it to. Adding an extra
15 minutes here and there to your timeline
will help keep things running smoothly.
If you don’t need the extra time, there’s
absolutely nothing lost. It will only help
make your day feel relaxed and unrushed.
It can be helpful to take a mental walk
through your day and recognize blocks
of time you might not have originally accounted
for. Providing ample traveling
time is important and hiring buses for the
wedding party and/or guests can eliminate
issues. Do you have a gift to open
or letters to exchange with your soon-tobe
spouse? Are there any special moments
that you want to have with a loved
one, such as a reveal with your father or
mother? Does your dress or tux take an
army to get into? Scheduling enough time
for each of these things will keep you
on track from the beginning of the day.
Gathering people for photos could be the
biggest time suck of your day if you aren’t
organized. To avoid this, make sure to provide
your photographer with a detailed list
of the groups you want formal portraits of.
Our policy is to include the wedding party,
parents, grandparents, siblings and nieces/nephews.
We are happy to take photos
of any important people, but need to be
made aware of any additional groupings
(aunts, uncles, cousins, college or high
school friend groups). It’s also helpful to
tell your photographer about any deaths,
divorces or other sensitive family issues
to avoid any uncomfortable situations
during the family photo portion of the day.
Informing those family members of where
they need to be and when is important. It’s
also helpful to have a family member (or
even one from each side) on hand to find
missing family members. Your photography
team doesn’t know who people are so
they are not ideal for hunting them down.
If you follow these tips, your group photos
will be brief and painless!
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM

A first look means formal photos of the
wedding couple, family and wedding
party can be taken pre-ceremony, which
frees up more time to enjoy the cocktail
hour and following event. The first look
also allows your photographer to set the
scene and capture that personal moment
as beautifully as possible. Then you’ll dive
right into some portraits while you and your
partner are in that loving state of emotion..
Traditionally, a groom sees his bride for
the first time when she walks down the
aisle at their ceremony. This custom is
now often replaced with a “first look,” a
private pre-ceremony moment for the couple
to share, and this twist to the wedding
day format can offer several advantages.
Brides and grooms show a visible change in
demeanor after they’ve broken the ice and
seen one another at the first look. You can
see a wave of relaxation come over them
when they come together and the jitters
disappear. Why then spend your wedding
day hiding from your future spouse when
you can instead increase the amount of time
you’re actually experiencing it together?
Participating in a first look won’t make
walking down the aisle any less emotional
either. If you were to look at all of the ceremony
images we’ve ever taken, you’d
never be able to guess who saw each other
before the ceremony and who did not.
If a traditional reveal is right for you, your
photographer should know how to use their
time to wisely, but the first look is the most
popular way to free up large amounts of time
and relieve a lot of wedding day nerves.
The receiving line is a great example of a
tradition that many couples include in their
wedding day schedule without a second
thought about whether it’s really necessary.
In fact, the receiving line is time-consuming
(sometimes over thirty minutes)
and your guests will get antsy waiting
their turn for a quick handshake. Many
couples now prefer to mingle with guests
during cocktail hour or make the rounds
during the reception. This allows you to
have more meaningful interactions while
the rest of your guests are entertained.
This concept can be applied elsewhere
in your wedding plan. Don’t be afraid to
eliminate formalities that don’t excite you
or feel important to you. Most weddings
will follow a similiar course of events
and there is nothing wrong with that, but
holding a bouquet toss or cake cutting
ceremony isn’t for everyone. The best
weddings are those that match the personality
and interests of the couple and
premier vendors understand how to adapt.
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM

We get it. There can be a lot of pressure attached to the planning of your wedding. You have
a million moving parts to put into place, family dynamics and finances to consider, and
expectations about how it’s all going to turn out. Pile this onto one of the most important
milestone moments of your life and you have a recipe for potential stress. It’s okay to feel
this desire to make everything perfect. Having built our careers around obsessing over the
details, it’s important to us too. However, perhaps the most important piece of advice we
can give you is to live in the moment and go with the flow when the big day finally arrives.
When the wedding comes, you’ve already done the hard work. You have carefully chosen
professional vendors who can be trusted to create the event of your dreams. It’s time to
let go and allow it all to play out. If you have an issue on your wedding day, be sure to
communicate your concerns to your vendors so that they can handle the situation, but try
not to dwell on the small stuff. Inevitably, something isn’t going to go exactly the way you
wanted it to, but it won’t get in the way of what truly matters most. After photographing well
over two hundred weddings, we’ve seen it all but have yet to see a wedding that didn’t
end with an overjoyed, beaming pair of newlyweds. Moreover, those who actively choose
an enthusiastic yet flexible attitude always seem to get the most out of the experience.
Your wedding day is about you and the person you love. Being present in that moment
and soaking it in while it lasts should be your first priority. As photographers, it’s our mission
to work with your other vendors to take the weight off of your shoulders. Enjoy the
love of your friends, family and spouse. Know that we’re here to preserve those memories
through the
images we will we create together.
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM
WWW.KEVINDEMASSIO.COM