The Wedding Guide
Hey! Let's do this!!!!
Congrats on your engagement! I'm stoked about you, and capturing your love story! This will be the most memorable day of your life and I am honored to capture it. These images will be passed down through your family, and this is how your love story will go on forever. Isn't that just epic! Below are things I have learned and hope to save you the time with. All of these are just tips and info, they are not a must. Let's get started.
Engagement Photos
I will help you pose but I mostly use prompts to get those candid moments, and to keep it fun. I might have you whisper you favorite pizza toppings in your partners ear in a sexy voice. It sounds silly but it gets you laughing and moving. Just silly stuff like that. We will also make sure and get those posed photos for your grandmas fridge and those save the dates.
Just relax. We will have tons of fun, don’t worry about being in front of the camera or thinking about how you look.
Choose a location that is meaningful to you or a location that we can take an adventure. I usually choose locations that the sunset will be behind you (west) and I almost always have water somewhere in the background. Outdoors is best but it’s okay if you prefer indoors especially in the winter, just check with me on the lighting situation.
If its summer... bring an outfit you can get wet!!! Let's jump in the water!
The style/session guide is below.
Timeline
In order to ensure that I can do the best job possible for you on your wedding day, I request that all of my couple's set aside the following time increments for photography on their wedding day. If you do not have a wedding coordinator and would like help with creating a timeline for your wedding day, I am happy to help with that!
• Groom Preparation: 60 minutes (or less) • Bride Preparation: 90 minutes
• First Look: 15 minutes
• Family Portraits: 30 minutes
• Bride & Groom Portraits: 30 minutes
• Want to attend part of your cocktail hour?: Consider an extended cocktail (about 15 minutes).
• Detail shots of your room setup BEFORE guests are allowed to enter: 10 minutes
• Sunset Portraits (optional): 10-15 minutes
Other things to consider:
• Sunset: Make sure you check sunset times for your wedding day and how that will effect the timeline above. Bride and Groom portraits will be done at sunset when possible.
• Portrait Hour: Portraits should be scheduled at optimum lighting time(s) whenever possible. Anytime after 2pm (as long as there is some shaded areas/trees to work with on the property), is the best time to plan your portrait hour. The most beautiful light occurs just 60-90 minutes before sunset.
• Hair & Makeup: Hair and makeup artists will often give you an estimated completion time. Add 20-30 minutes to this time as a buffer, just in case you want something changed or re- done, or the schedule is running behind. Hair & Makeup should be about complete 30 minutes after the time I arrive at the Bridal prep location.
• Travel Time Between Locations: If the travel time is 15 minutes, add another 15-20 minute buffer in the event of traffic, accident, or delay.
Tips and Tricks
Bouquet
I totally understand cost savings but I 100% recommend the bride having real flowers even if the rest of the wedding bouquets are not real. They are the flowers in the photos the most. Actually 75% of the photos have the bridal bought in them, also it's a nice keepsake for later. If you decide to have all real flowers for the wedding party use them as centerpieces at the head table. Have a vase for each girl at the table for her to put her flowers in. Saves money and spices up the table.
Unplugged
I greatly encourage all of my clients to consider an unplugged ceremony. Guests standing in the aisle with their iPad and iPhones prevent me from capturing what would otherwise be a beautiful image and moment. Have your officiant announce/ request at the beginning of the ceremony that all guests put their phones away for the ceremony. Or you can just put a cute sign at the beginning of the isle. Please do not let family members who have a camera shoot the wedding too, or stand up and walk around with the camera during the ceremony. They will be in all your shots.
Tricks
-Dress tape never works. NEVER. The only thing I have seen work is the roll on glue called STICK-IT.
-Walk in your heels a few times before wearing them for the first time on your big day. Bring comfy shoes too.
-Know how to bustle and how many bustles there are.
If you have real buttons on your dress use a crochet hook to loop them.
-Bring lots of bobby pins and safety pins.
-designate a bridesmaid to hold your dress everywhere.
-Have your partner keep a hanky or tissue in his/her tux for you during the ceremony.
Have a planner yet?
Check out Courtney at Allie Rose Events. She has many packages that go from day- of, to full service. They are a huge help to you and you're vendors.
Planners can also help you save money and time. They know all the ins and outs of the wedding industry.
She brings comfort and ease to all brides.
Details
Please try to have ALL of the wedding rings/details, jewelry, and shoes all in a box. This can sometimes take up to 15 minutes to complete, so I like to do these first thing in the day, so I have time on my side and the benefit of some natural light to work with. Also have the invitation, programs, shoes, garter, and any other significant details set out for me for when I arrive at the Bridal prep location.
• The Dress:
Something that is a huge time saver for me, is having the Bride and Bridesmaids dresses ready to go for when I arrive. If one of the bridesmaids has time, remove all of the cardboard and plastic from the dresses.
• The Veil: They make photos 10x more exciting. If you are not really wanting a veil the entire time or think they might be out of your budget. You can also find amazing veils on amazon for under $50. They are more of the average veil not cathedral, but a great alternative if you really want it for photos.
• Bridal Room: the biggest regret a lot of brides have is letting too many people in the bridal room. Limit this room to bridal party only. It gets very crowded and nerve wracking to have many family members getting dressed in this room and seeing you before the ceremony.
6 months out
When you are 6 months out from your wedding day I will contact you about any questions or concerns you have or I have. We will start talking tentative timeline, vendor details, and meet in person if needed. if we have not already, this is when we do your engagement photo too.
3 months out
We should be finalizing the timeline now. Either your planner will have that info or we can sit down and make a final timeline. I will first need to know when your hair and makeup plan to start and be done. This is also when we will make sure all the plans are the same when we first talked and decide on things like first looks, sunset photos, extra locations, and special photos that needed to be taken.
1 month out
Your invoice for your final payment will be sent. A list of family member photos you want taken should be made and sent to me. (please inform me if you have special family circumstances.) This is also the time I will reach out to any vendors, such as the videographer to make sure we are on the same page and ready to rock!
