CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You’re getting married!!!! Woot woooot! So…..now what?

You’re about to start the most exciting experience of your life! But, let’s be honest…it can get pretty stressful at times. One thing’s for sure: come your wedding day…you deserve to reap the rewards of your hard work & experience the entire day to the fullest!

With my 5+ years of experience photographing weddings AND as a recent bride myself…I know exactly what it takes to have the most enjoyable day with as little stress as possible.

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Your wedding photos will be a family heirloom.

Your LOVE…will be a family heirloom. Long after your wedding & long after your life…your children & your children’s children will look through your wedding photos and dream about the affection you had for each other. They’ll smile while seeing how in-love you looked. They’ll be inspired by the creativity you put into the celebration of your commitment to each other. & be filled with hope that they can find a love like yours for themselves.

I truly believe you deserve to have the best photos possible, and someone who cares about the getting-married process as much as you do.

So, I created this guidebook just for you. Whether I’m your photographer or not…I want to share the combination of my professional & first-hand bride experiences to help engaged couples achieve an awesome & seamless day from beginning to end! While also giving tips & tricks to make sure you’re setting the day up to be captured wonderfully.

*BEFORE WEDDING*
The early stages of the wedding day can be SO beautiful. As you’re slowly preparing & getting ready for the amazing day ahead - there’s a sweet anticipation in the air that’s like no other! Sure, these might not be the images that you hang up on your wall. But, they definitely still are amazing memories for you & everyone involved in the process.

While most of my work emphasizes the big moments of your wedding day, some of my absolute favorite things to capture are all the beautiful little details that collectively tell the big story!! Assigning at least 45 minutes for detail photos ensures that I have plenty of time to get that perfect shot of your dress, rings, bouquets, & other important/precious things. It’s pretty often that the bridal suite is too crowded or poorly lit, which means i’ll have to take the details somewhere outside! This is a big part of why I request 45 minutes, because i sometimes have to do some scouting. I promise, the resulting photos are allllways worth the additional time. :)

Also, gathering up the details that you want photographed prior to my arrival makes it so much easier for us all! Here’s the list of things that I recommend having photographed:

- Copy Of Invitation, Save The Date, Wedding Program

- Wedding Dress

- Garter

- Veil

- Bridal Bouquet 

- Rings (engagement ring + wedding bands)

- Any jewelry/accessories that you two plan to wear (necklace, earrings, bracelets, cufflinks, watch, etc.)

- Your something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

- Shoes

-suit details (tie, suspenders, handkerchief, etc.)

Getting ready is a big part of the day!! Some of my favorite moments have been captured during this time. However, it’s often that these lovely little moments are overshadowed by a cluttered bridal suite & not-so-ideal lighting conditions. Here’s a few tips about those things to consider when choosing a getting-ready location & prepping for my arrival on your wedding day:

Keep your space tidy: Even though it’s often that a dozen or more of you are getting ready in one space - try your best to keep that room clean! some of the most beautiful, emotional moments can be just a little less beautiful when there’s stuff like empty coffee cups, fast food paper bags, & piles of clothes in the background. When it comes to getting the most out of your getting ready photos, it’s important that your space is as clean as possible when I arrive! Please make sure that all bags, shoes, clothes, garbage, and general clutter is put away in order for your space to be clean for beautiful photos.

Natural Lighting: If you’re getting ready in a dark room with fluorescent lights, try to consider swapping to a room with bright & beautiful windows! If you’re booking an AirBnB or hotel, the interior design doesn’t matter as much as lighting does. choosing a getting ready location with lots of natural light really makes a HUGE difference for your photos.

This is your time to shine with your favorite girls!!!!
I usually take bridesmaid photos right after you’re done getting ready - when your hair, makeup, & flowers are fresh. I recommend a minimum of 45 minutes so we don’t have to rush your moment to shine together!

It’s important that the dudes get their time to shine in the spotlight, too! This is also usually after they’re done getting ready - which often is before the girls. Shots of the guys are a lot easier & quicker to capture - so I recommend 30 minutes for this.

Although it’s not essential, a first look can really make your timeline SO much more seamless and can take a lot of pressure off your ceremony. Plus, it’s such an incredibly intimate & sweet moment to share with your love before the wedding begins!.

I will NEVER persuade you otherwise if you feel strongly about seeing your fiance for the first time during the ceremony. However, even if you’re having a more traditional wedding, here’s a few reasons why I strongly believe a first look will make for a much more stress-free day:

—It reeeeally takes the pressure off. THere’s often A LOT of nerves & anticipation going into your ceremony. Which can sometimes be really overwhelming & take away from being in the present moment with each other! Not to mention, the somewhat overwhelming feeling of everyone’s focus being on you two when you see each other for the first time. A first look completely reserves all of the vulnerable emotions for just you two! removing the stress of everyone’s eyes on you. In all honesty, it’s uniquely beautiful to experience those moments of pure love & bliss for each other in a private, quiet place. Plus, it really ups the chances that you’ll be much more relaxed come ceremony time!

—You’ll have better photos. While I do love the groom reaction shots while a bride walks down the aisle, it’s far less intimate than a first look and we aren’t able to capture the emotion as well as if you took some time aside for the two of you!

—It frees up your timeline. Yep! Usually after a first look, we’ll do family photos prior to the ceremony. This means you won’t have to spend time doing family photos after all the excitement of the ceremony and you’ll be able to spend even more present time with family and friends during cocktail hour and the reception!! We’ll still grab you for sunset portraits at some point depending on when your ceremony is, but more time for you to enjoy the party you put together is a huge plus, in my opinion!!

(Privacy, please: If you decide on a first look, i highly recommend you keep it completely private. Just you, your fiance, and me (from a distance, of course). This big moment is such a pure & beautiful one, which deserves privacy - not your mom/dad/bridesmaids hiding somewhere, giggling & taking photos with their phones!)

While the majority of the day is focused on capturing emotion and unplanned moments, I realize that family photos are just as important and I take them very seriously.

We’ll chat to come up with a list closer to your date, but I recommend limiting to 10 family formal groupings. I know it can sometimes be difficult to get your list down to 10 groups, however, I’d encourage you to think about which arrangements are most important to you and stick with no more than 10 groupings. Family photos are often the most exhausting portion of the day, and instead of tiring yourselves out with dozens of family groupings, I recommend allowing for more time with family during cocktail hour and reception while I capture all the candid moments along the way.

Both bridal party and family photos work best prior to the ceremony.

Corralling everyone during cocktail hour is often difficult. Grandma is likely to get lost in the crowd and it’s easy for the best man to find himself at the bar instead of lining up for bridal party photos. This corralling can really eat into the time we have for portraits and for you to enjoy your reception! Prior to the ceremony, the family and bridal party are already together to prepare/decorate/get ready, which makes it so much quicker to get everyone in the same place.

TIMELINE: 30 minutes family, 30 minutes bridal party

Less is more: When it comes to group photos, having a clean, simple background is best. If you’re getting married in a gorgeous location with a stunning backdrop, please keep in mind family photos might be done in front of a grove of trees or against a clean, simple background instead. While I realize you chose your venue for the backdrop and location (and trust me.. we’ll get plenty of photos there!), having soft, even light with a clean background is most important for beautiful family photos!

You’ve spent hours planning the PERFECT outdoor ceremony overlooking the mountains, desertscape or in a lush forest. However, you soon realize your planning efforts were in vain when your wedding photos from your ceremony come back with harsh shadows streaming across your faces and blinding light coming in your eyes causing you to squint constantly.

When planning your outdoor ceremony location, it’s easy to get caught up in the location and views and disregard the lighting, but the lighting will play the biggest role in how your photos will turn out!

Backlight: This is especially important if you must have a midday ceremony. This means setting up your ceremony so the sun is behind you, your fiance, and your officiant, and your guests are facing the sun. If your ceremony is in the afternoon or close to sunset, your guests should be facing West (towards the sunset). For morning ceremonies, your guests should be facing East (towards the sunrise).

Sunset is best: With few exceptions, I plan portrait sessions and bride and groom photos right before sunset because the lighting is most beautiful that time of day! It’s softer, golden and straight up gorgeous. That same light is just as important for your outdoor ceremony. I recommend doing outdoor ceremonies about 2 hours prior to sunset allowing time for bride + groom photos as well as potential delays + timeline emergencies.

TIMELINE: 2 hours prior to sunset

Here’s a few outdoor wedding ceremonies that were closer to midday, but harsh shadows were avoided due to backlighting!

It’s no secret that bride and groom photos are my favorite part of the day. Not just because the moments you share on the day you become husband and wife are nothing short of magical, but because these are the photos you will share for the rest of your life. They’ll be on your walls, in your heirloom album, and the ones you’ll show to your kids and their kids someday. You likely won’t reminisce over photos of you cutting the cake or entering the reception, but the look of pure joy on your face as your love holds you close are the memories and photos you’ll treasure for a lifetime!

Having been a bride myself, the photos of my husband and I are what is most important to me. I still consider myself a newlywed, but while it’s been about 4 years, those photos of Eric and I on our wedding day are becoming more and more important to me. I honestly wish we had carved out more time on our wedding day for photos, so I’m hoping for your sake you’ll dedicate time on your wedding or elopement day to get the photos you’ve always dreamed of!

Sunset: You’ll hear me talk about “soft, beautiful light” a LOT on the days leading up to your I dos, but you might not understand quite what I mean by that! We won’t get too scientific (because let’s be real.. I can’t), but the closer the sun gets to the horizon, the more diffused the light gets. Essentially, all the sunlight gets filtered through little particles in the air making it “softer,” which is why many photos are most beautiful at sunset! There’s less harsh shadows and the light is much more flattering on both your skin and the landscape around you. However, I’m more than okay with working with any kind of light! Having a morning wedding? No worries! I recommend arranging your timeline first and foremost around beautiful light for your bride and groom photos. I like to plan for 60 minutes for photos. But the more time you give me for bride and groom photos, the better your photos will be and the more you’ll receive!

Post-ceremony: While most couples do a first look prior to the ceremony, we don’t do couple’s photos until after the ceremony. Not only because of the light, but because you are SO much more relaxed! There’s a lot of nerves building up to the ceremony, and once it’s over, not only are you MARRIED, but you’re in a giddy, I-can’t-believe-I-just married-you, love bubble of joy and it makes for some amazing moments!

Just the two of you, please! While mom, dad, the best man and every other guest is so excited to spend time with you after the ceremony, I ask that the time during your portraits is just between us. Not only can guests watching be a distraction, but it often takes away from those sweet moments you’ll share after you say I do!

TIMELINE: 60+ minutes

I shoot using natural light as much as possible (with exception to dancing/party photos)! This means instead of setting up artificial lighting during your reception, I’d prefer using the available light already in the space. I do this not only so the photos look more natural, but also because I strive to capture every part of your day not only by the way it looks, but also how it feels.

If you’re having an outdoor reception with beautifully strung lights through the trees and candles everywhere, you want to remember how your reception felt and the mood of the evening. I believe using flash detracts from that so I recommend providing enough light so I can capture your reception naturally!

Adequate lighting: Having a few candles around may feel moody and cozy, but will likely not be enough light for me to capture your reception without using flash! I recommend using Edison bulbs or similar string lights. I can work with any space or lighting condition, but for outdoor, open air receptions, the more lights the better!

Save money on the tent: I know, I know. Suggesting no tent at an outdoor wedding almost gave you a heart attack, right? “But what if it rains?” is the question I know you’re asking yourself right now. The reason I suggest going tentless for your reception is because tents often detract from the beauty of your reception! Instead of watching the sun set, giving way to a star filled sky in a beautiful location, you’re often subjected to metal poles and dirty white plastic walls with a tent. This is, of course, 100% up to you, but your photos will be unhindered if you choose to forgo the tent and let your reception space breathe under an open sky! If you’re still concerned about the weather, having a backup tent set up in a cocktail area is another option.

As a quick note, I AM 100% comfortable using flash if the need arises! While I prefer to shoot without it to preserve the feel and vibe of your evening, I always have my lighting setup with me just in case! If you have any questions on your reception lighting setup, don’t hesitate to reach out!

One last word on receptions: please feed your photographer! Most wedding days are at least 7 hours. Besides getting straight up hangry during that time, a malnourished photographer is not a creative one. I usually plan to eat while you guys are both eating, that way I’m still not waiting for my salad to arrive when it’s time for toasts!

TIMELINE: dinner 45-60 minutes, toasts 15 minutes (you can start these while dinner is still being served!), dances 15 minutes, party 15+ minutes

SAMPLE TIMELINES

Amethyst (3 hours)

Rose Quarts (7 hours)

Moonstone (10 hours)

First Look

No First Look

Family + Friend List example