Everything I know about weddings

This one depends on your venue. Some venues provide phenomenal day-of coordinators while others are totally useless. Definitely ask me about this during your consultation with me and I’ll give you an honest answer!

Generally speaking, having a planner or coordinator at your wedding should allow you to relax and let someone else manage your vendor team and ensure the day runs smoothly so you can enjoy the day. A planner/coordinator also helps to take a few things off my plate so I can focus on taking beautiful photos vs. running around looking for your misplaced bouquet or starting family portraits and realizing that no one has their boutonnieres pinned on yet!

I recommend booking one photographer per 100 guests to ensure we can do our best to capture as many of your guests as possible. Another reason to book a second shooter would be a complex timeline where multiple things are happening at once at different locations. Once we review your timeline together, I will make a recommendation!

I recommend reaching out to your favorite photographers as soon as you book your venue. Now that you have a date and location, you can confirm your photographer’s availability and put down a retainer so they can hold your date.

While other vendors may be able to do multiple weddings in the same weekend, wedding photographers only have so many dates available and you don’t want to find out your favorite photographer is already booked!

This one depends on your photo priorities and your wedding timeline. Most couples book me for 7-10 hours. Here’s what a sample timeline looks for me to give you an idea!

12:30 Photograph Details (stationary, jewelry, etc.)
1:00 Photograph Wedding Attire (dress, suit, etc.)
1:30 Hair & Makeup Finishing Touches
2:00 Time to Get Dressed
2:30 Individual Portraits
3:00 First Look & Couple Portraits
4:00 Wedding Party Portraits
4:30 Family Portriats
5:00 Travel to Ceremony Location
5:30 Shoot Ceremony Details
6:00 Ceremony
6:30 Cocktail Hour Candids & Reception Details
7:20 Dining Room Portrait, Practice First Dance
7:30 Introductions & First Dance
7:45 Guests are Seated for Dinner
8:00 Vendors Eat
8:30 Toasts
9:00 Cake Cutting
9:15 Parent Dances
9:30 Party!
10:30 Photo & Video Wrap!

No. Of course you don’t need a wedding video! However, you might want one… The thing is, you only get one chance to film your wedding day and once it’s done, it’s done. So, for that reason, I do recommend booking a wedding videographer if you are at all on the fence about it. There is always a chance you might regret not booking one, but it’s highly unlikely that you will regret booking one!

An engagement session is a pre-wedding portrait session where you get a chance to get to know your photographer better. This helps to build a relationship with your photographer so that you will feel more comfortable around them on your wedding day. During my engagement sessions, I play around with different posing so that I can see exactly what works for you as a couple. This saves me so much time on a wedding day because I will already get your vibe and be able to jump right into the poses that suit you as a couple!

An engagement session is also a great time to do a trial with your hair and makeup artist to ensure everything photographs well and looks good on-camera.

Afterwards, you can use these photos on your wedding website, on the welcome table at your reception, or just as nice photos of the two of you all dressed up!

My engagement sessions generally involve a lot of movement (walking, dancing, etc.) so I always recommend wearing shoes that you can comfortably walk around in for the length of your session.

Jewel tones photograph best and look great in the fall!

If one of you is planning to wear a pattern, I recommend having the other person wear solids.

The best thing you can do to set yourself up for success is to wear something that makes you feel like a million bucks. You want your outfit to give you confidence and not be something you have to constantly adjust or fidget with.

If you are getting married within 30 minutes of my studio, I highly recommend getting ready there! My studio offers 800+ square footage of space with wraparound windows and hair and makeup stations for everyone to get photo ready. My team will make sure the hair and makeup schedule runs on time and we’ll even steam your attire for you. I can also set up a portrait studio area for you to use!

Not getting ready within 30 minutes of my studio? I recommend booking a large hotel suite that is as close to your venue as possible. Both of you should try to get rooms on the same floor to make it relatively easy for me and my team to move back and forth between rooms during getting ready coverage. This also makes it much easier to coordinate the first look if you are doing it at the hotel.

When choosing a hotel, keep in mind that the aesthetic of the hotel will reflect the aesthetic of your detail and getting ready photos so pick a place with beautiful light and chic decor.

A flat lay is a styled grouping of your wedding details photographed to document all the little things (stationary, jewelry, wedding bands, perfume, flowers, family heirlooms, etc.).

Sometimes your wedding planner will set up a flay lay and your photographer can just show up and photograph it, tweaking it if necessary, and shooting a few different configurations (one highlighting just one partner’s details, then one highlighting the other’s, etc.). If your wedding planner doesn’t offer this, and you know you want flay lat photos, make sure to give your photographer enough time to set everything up.

Pro tip: have ALL details that will be included in this flat lay set aside in one bag or bin ready to give to the photographer as soon as they arrive. This saves so much time and back-and-forth about where everything is. What kind of items should you include? Here is an exhaustive list, adapt it to your unique day as you wish!

FLAT LAY ITEMS:

1. Wedding Stationary Suite with envelopes, stamps, ribbon, etc.

2. Wedding Bands & Engagement Ring(s)

3. Jewelry, cufflinks, bowtie, etc.

4. Shoes

5. Handbag

6. Perfume and/or Lipstick

7. Locket or handkerchief

8. Extra flowers provided by your florist to tie it all together!

A “first look” is the moment you two see each other for the first time in your wedding attire on your wedding day. This is scheduled pre-ceremony so that you can get all of your portraits out of the way ahead of time. This allows you to ride the high of the ceremony straight into cocktail hour without interruption.

While a first look is generally a great idea, it doesn’t always make sense depending on your venue, your religious traditions, and/or the actual time of day (for example, the best light of the day may be later in the day on your wedding date). I’m happy to make a recommendation based on your timeline and the flow of your day!

I think it’s best to start by identifying what you don’t like. Start looking at wedding photographer’s websites and write down things that don’t feel right to you. For example, maybe you notice that you don’t like overly-edited images, or maybe you get the ick when you see fashion magazine-style posing.

Next, start saving photos that make you feel something. You can use a tool like Pinterest or Instagram to make this process easier. The more photos you save, the more a vibe will start to develop. You’ll probably have contradictions at first, don’t worry about that yet. Just keep pinning!

Eventually, over time, you’ll have a Pinterest board full of inspiration and some common themes will start to stand out. Are the majority of the photos you saved B&W? Do the photos tend to be close up to the subject or far away? A mix of both?

Now you can go in and start removing photos that you’ve outgrown while you’ve been training your eye.

Finally, you are left with a mood board that you can share with your photographer to ensure you’re on the same page!

If you prefer a candid photography style, it’s important to understand how to be “candid.” Not everyone can be photogenic without guidance but some people are naturally comfortable in front of a camera and look great in every photo.

The key to getting beautiful candid photos is to be yourself, enjoy the day, and express your emotions without restraint.

Some tips?

1. Practice good posture in the months leading up to your wedding so that you aren’t accidentally slouching on your wedding day. Bad posture is the most common complaint amongst “candid moments.”

2. Avoid negative conversation topics on your wedding day. I tell my couples during our portrait time that they are only allowed to say “I love you,” “you look beautiful,” and “I’m so excited to marry you” to ensure your expressions are candidly happy and beautiful. Save the vent about your Uber driver or annoying sister-in-law for another time!

If you are hiring an experienced wedding photographer, a multi-page shot list is not necessary. In fact, a multi-page shot list will likely be a distraction and keep your photographer from being present enough to capture real moments when they are happening.

Instead, I recommend letting your photographer know which photos are most important to you so they know to prioritize those shots. Make sure you also communicate anything you want captured that wouldn’t be obvious. For example, if your favorite thing about your attire is the back of your dress or the custom lining of your suit, let us know!

As for family portraits, I definitely recommend providing me with a list of all family groupings you want captured so that I can help gather the appropriate people and cross those shots off the list in a timely and organized manner!

I’m so glad you asked! Here’s my default template to get you started. Customize as necessary to suit your unique family dynamics!

This shot list will take me approximately 30 minutes:

1. Partner 1 with Mom

2. Partner 1 with Dad

3. Partner 1 with Parents

4. Partner 1 with Siblings

5. Couple with Partner 1’s Grandparents

6. Couple with Partner 1’s Parents

7. Couple with Partner 1’s Immediate Family

8. Couple with Partner 1’s Immediate Family and Partner 2’s Immediate Family

9. Couple with Partner 2’s Immediate Family

10. Couple with Partner 2’s Grandparents

11. Couple with Partner 2’s Parents

12. Partner 2 with Parents

13. Partner 2 with Mom

14. Partner 2 with Dad

15. Partner 2 with Siblings

Make sure to also let your photographer know of any family dynamics that may affect this time. For example: divorces, recent deaths, touchy subjects, people who can’t stand next to each other, etc.

As an introvert myself, I can 100% relate to this question and get it ALL THE TIME.

For starters, set yourself up for success and don’t invite too many people to get ready with you. A chaotic morning can be really draining for couples and leads to them being tired in their portraits and struggling to enjoy the long day they’ve planned. No energy vampires allowed!

Next, limit the number of group portraits on your list to 10 groupings. This will take approximately 20 minutes and you’ll get all the important shots without wearing yourself out before the ceremony.

Lastly, plan to eat dinner at your own private sweetheart table. This will allow the two of you to recharge a bit and actually eat without the need to make conversation. Once you’re finished eating and you feel up for it, you can always walk around and say hello to other tables, but at least this way you have the chance to rest, eat, and spend a little quality time with each other first.

This one is controversial but I always recommend feeding the photo/video team at the same time as the couple. This is because that is the one time all day when you probably don’t want your picture taken! Enjoy your meal in peace, we’ll eat quickly in a room nearby and be back at it in time for toasts and special dances!

I deliver anywhere from 50-100 images/hour. The final number varies based on the number of photographers and how action-packed your day is.