CLIENT WEDDING GUIDE
I am SO excited to capture your wedding day!
Your session is really just about celebrating your love and life together. It's a chance to capture moments that tell your story and illustrate the love you share. During your session I want you to relax, have fun and be yourselves! When you're having a good time the result is photos of real moments that capture who you are authentically.
Shooting an engagement session not only gives you a beautiful set of pictures to cherish, but it also allows you to experience what your photography will be like on your wedding day. Engagement sessions are an amazing way to overcome a little of that anxiety, and it will help you to get comfortable in front of the camera before your special day so you'll have one less thing to stress about. It is also a great way for me to learn about both of your personalities and how best to capture them and tell your story on your wedding day.
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WEDDING DAY TIMELINE
Whether you choose to do a first look or the traditional "no seeing each other before the ceremony" I will work with you on making sure you have the best timeline and plan for images.
If you're choosing to go the traditional route, most images will be taken after the ceremony. If you're doing a first look, photos can be done all before the ceremony. You'll need to plan for about 1.5 hours of bridal getting ready photos and about 1 hour of groom getting ready photos before the ceremony. You'll also need about 2 hours of combined bridal party portraits, family portraits, and couple's portraits, which will be done either before or after the ceremony depending on your timeline choice.
If you choose an outdoor ceremony, all I ask is that you keep your ceremony time and the sunset time in mind when planning your wedding. If you're planning a sunset ceremony or an evening ceremony, it's best to do most of the photos before the wedding, as daylight is crucial to getting amazing portraits for your families, bridal party and your couples portraits. Making sure we have enough time after the ceremony ends when the sun will still be out is vital to ensure that portraits are not rushed and include all of the different photo spots you want.
Another set of photos I absolutely love capturing are sunset photos. I highly recommend it to all my couples to take even just 15min during your reception to head outside and get some gorgeous shots. Sunset portraits are literally the best 15 minutes of portraits you'll get on your wedding day. I promise you wont regret it! They are worth it and are those dreamy photos with the glowy romantic lighting.
Timeline Tip: Don't forget to add travel time in your timeline between each location.
Formal Photos Location Ideas: Willistead Park, Jackson Park, Brunet Park, or at your venue!
"traditional" timeline example
11:00am-12:00pm Groom getting ready photos
12:15pm-1:30pm Bride getting ready photos
2:00pm-3:00pm Ceremony
3:00pm-5:00pm Formal photos (family, wedding party, bride and groom)
5:30pm Reception + Cocktails + Grand entrance
6:30pm Dinner + Speeches
7:45pm Sunset Photos
8:00pm Formal Dances
8:30pm Party Time
9:00pm Photographer Departs
"first look" TIMELINE EXAMPLE
11:00am-12:00pm Groom getting ready photos
12:15pm-1:30pm Bride getting ready photos
1:45pm First Look
2:00pm-4:00pm Formal photos (family, wedding party, bride and groom)
4:30-5:30pm Ceremony
5:30pm Reception + Cocktails + Grand entrance
6:30pm Dinner + Speeches
7:45pm Sunset Photos
8:00pm Formal Dances
8:30pm Party Time
9:00pm Photographer Depart
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WEDDING DAY DETAILS
I love capturing all the little details you've carefully chosen to be a part of your wedding day! Once I arrive at your getting ready location, I need about 30 minutes to capture and style details. I recommend choosing a spot filled with natural light and, if possible, keep the space free from trash and clutter so there's no distractions in your photos while you're finishing hair and makeup, and putting your dress on. It would be wonderful if you could put all of your details together in one spot for me so I can make sure to photograph all of the important little details as soon as I get there.
Details Checklist
Dress
Dress Hanger
Rings (engagement and wedding bands)
Invitation
Shoes
Veil
Bouquet
Hair pieces
Jewelry
Perfume/Cologne
Tie/Bow Tie
Cuff Links
Pocket Square
Boutonniere
Any other sentimental keepsakes you would like to include
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FAMILY PORTRAITS
For family portraits, I’ll place you in the center of a large group photo with all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, godparents, etc. And then I’ll keep removing family members and switch a few closer family members in and out so I get all the different family photo combinations. Then I’ll repeat the process with your spouse's family. The whole thing will go quicker and smoother if you let family know when and where they will be needed for family photos ahead of time.
When we have our final photography meeting, I'll ask you for a list of specific groupings, but if you want to start thinking of photo arrangements in the meantime, you'll find my typical list below.
Bride + Groom + Bride's Parents + Bride's Siblings + Bride's Grandparents
Bride + Groom + Bride's Grandparents
Bride + Groom + Bride's Parents + Bride's Siblings
Bride + Groom + Bride's Siblings
Bride + Groom + Bride's Parents
Bride + Bride's Parents
Bride + Mom
Bride + Dad
Bride + Groom + Groom's Parents + Groom's Siblings + Groom's Grandparents
Bride + Groom + Groom's Grandparents
Bride + Groom + Groom's Parents + Groom's Siblings
Bride + Groom + Groom's Siblings
Bride + Groom + Groom's Parents
Groom + Groom's Parent's
Groom + Mom
Groom + Dad
Please note that this list is just a starting point and that I'm happy to take any requested family portraits as long as time allows! Also, please let me know of any divorces, deaths, or family dynamics that may affect the photo arrangements.
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WEATHER TIPS
If the forecast is calling for rain, snow or cold weather think about a back up indoor location to take your formal photos.
Some ideas for indoor photo locations are wineries, breweries, bars, photo studios, or manors.
If rain is in the forecast, I recommend ordering a few clear umbrellas. I always keep a handful of clear umbrellas in my car for photos, but it can't hurt to have additional umbrellas for your wedding party or family as well.
While we won't know whether or not it will rain on your day, we can still put a plan in place to ensure a beautiful day and beautiful images no matter the weather!
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RECEPTION EXIT
There are so many options when it comes to exits. Sparklers, bubbles, glow sticks, or flower petals. If your coverage ends before the end of the night, you have the option of planning a "mock" exit! I recommend not to take all of your guests off the dance floor and plan a mock exit with just the members of your bridal party and your immediately family members. This allows us to have more control over these shots and the party never has to stop. In most cases, no one even notices that the bride and groom are missing for a few minutes. Also, it’s almost impossible to tell that the whole wedding isn’t there waving sparklers and sending off the happy couple. This allows my couples to save money and still have all of the shots that they dreamed of.
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YOUR WEDDING GALLERY
When downloading your photos, I recommend downloading the entire online gallery all at once, so you immediately have a copy of all your images! After downloading your gallery, be sure to save it to multiple places. You can also download individual images as you want them! All my couples also receive a usb stick of all their images.
Your online gallery is guaranteed to remain open for 1 year after your wedding date. Therefore, I highly recommend backing up your images in more than one place, on multiple devices, flash drives, hard drives, and even in online cloud storage systems.
You are completely free to share your images wherever you would like. Whether it's on social media, printing them for your home, or sending to your friends, share away! Just keep in mind not to add filters or re-edit them in any way. Photo credit when posting is always so greatly appreciated! Please feel free to share your gallery link with your friends and family.
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THANK YOU
Thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your big day! I am so excited for you both. I want you to know that I am here for you throughout wedding planning and am happy to help however I can! If you have any questions along the way, whether they are photography related or not, please feel free to reach out to me via email. I hope this guide serves as a great resource for you as you plan and prepare for your big day!