Welcome
Thank you so much for trusting me with documenting your wedding day. This guide serves as a way to assist in the planning process in order to get the best photos possible. I believe that the best photos come from allowing yourself to fully immerse into your wedding day. By planning your day to create space for these moments to unfold, it will be easier to experience your day as it comes.
What to Expect
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Engagement Session
If you booked an engagement session with me, we’ll coordinate on time and location beforehand. If you don’t have a specific location in mind, you can give me the type of vibe you want and I can find some places. Engagement sessions are the perfect opportunity for both of us to learn how the other works, making it much easier on the day of your wedding.
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1.5 Months Out
When your wedding day is just over a month out, I’ll be in touch to set up our final meeting to catch up, go over logistics, and answer any last questions. I will also send over a questionnaire for your to fill out regarding your wedding day logistics, family photos, and contact information for the day of.
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Week Of The Wedding
The final stretch! Don’t forget to soak it all in before the day arrives. I will look over your questionnaire one last time and follow up on anything that might need to be changed. I will also be available to help with any last-minute changes or questions.
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The Day Of
The day is here. All the planning is finished and it’s time to celebrate. I’ll follow the timeline for the day, celebrating alongside you, and documenting all the big and small moments that come.
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Your Images
After your wedding day is finished, the editing begins. Your photos will be finished within 8 weeks of your wedding day, and delivered in an online gallery for you and your loved ones to view. From here, you’ll be able to download and order High Res photos.
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Prints and Albums
Your photos deserve to live off of your screens and on paper for all to see. If your package came with an Heirloom Album, I will follow up after your photos have been delivered with more information. If your package does not include an album, I’m happy to set up a call to share more about the process and for you to see some samples. After your album has been sent in, it will be delivered to you in 4 weeks.
You and your loved ones will also be able to directly purchase prints through your online gallery. After they are purchased, your prints will arrive directly at your doorstep.
Planning the Timeline
Assembling a timeline with the parts of the day that you want prioritized can influence and create more candid moments. Below are a few of the important sections of the day with an average amount of time that it usually takes to photograph.
Getting Ready - Groom Prep - 30 mins
Depending on location or other circumstances, some Grooms choose to skip photographing their getting ready section of the day. Feel free to do whatever you would like.
Getting Ready - Bridal Prep - 1.5 to 2 hours
I like to arrive while the Bride’s hair and makeup is finishing up. This way, I can photograph any last minute getting ready photos. From there, I like to observe, documenting any candids or meaningful details present. It’s helpful to have any details you want photographed together and ready before I arrive.
Ceremony - 15 mins to 1.5 hours
I’ve had couples with ceremonies that last 15 minutes, and others where the church service was 1.5 hours. How you decide to go about the length and formalities of your ceremony is completely up to you. If you are planning on greeting your guests afterwards, make sure to build ample time into this part of the timeline.
Family Photos and Wedding Party - 15 to 30 mins
One of my favorite parts of the wedding day. It’s important to have all of your photo groupings made beforehand, as it will help with the organization and flow of this part of the day. While every family has different dynamics, I recommend keeping the different combinations to less than 10 groupings. More than that tends to eat into your time at the cocktail hour. We can always take more photos during the reception.
Couples Portraits - 20 mins to 1 hour
The timing of this is dependent on where you would like to go, and our lighting during that time. Another part to consider is how much time you are willing to spend away from your guests at cocktail hour.
Reception - 2 to 6 hours
Sample timelines
Without a First Look
2:00 - Coverage Begins
2:15 - Bride’s makeup finishes
2:30 - Bride gets into dress
3:00 - Bridesmaid’s Photos
3:30 - Groomsmen’s Photos
5:00 - Ceremony
5:30 - Family Photos and Full Wedding Party
6:00 Couples Portraits
6:30 - Reception Begins
8:00 - Dancing Floor Opens
10:00 - Send Off
With A First Look
2:00 - Coverage Begins
2:15 - Bride’s makeup finishes
2:30 - Bride gets into dress
3:00 - First Look and Couple’s Portraits
4:00 - Wedding Party Photos
4:30 Family Photos
5:30 Ceremony
6:15 - Reception Begins
8:00 - Dancing Floor Opens
10:00 - Send Off
Family Photos
Here are some example groupings of what your family photo list might look like. Like I mentioned above, I’d recommend keeping the grouping to 10 or less for each side for the sake of time. However, I understand that every family is different and so I’m happy to do more if you’d like.
If it helps, it’s a good rule of thumb that each grouping will take an average of 2 minutes each. For example, If you are planning on having your family photo section only take 20 mins of the day, try and keep the list to less than 10 groupings total.
First Client’s family
- Couple with parents
- Couple with parents & siblings
- Couple with parents, siblings + grandparents
- Couple with siblings
- Couple with grandparents
- First Client with mother
- First Client with father
- First Client with siblings
- First Client with grandparent
Second Client’s family
- Couple with parents
- Couple with parents & siblings
- Couple with parents, siblings + grandparents
- Couple with siblings
- Couple with grandparents
- Second Client with mother
- Second Client with father
- Second Client with siblings
- Second Client with grandparent
Couples Portraits
Locations
First, whether you’re going for a more nature background or more urban, it’s important to think of what is most practical for your wedding location. The last thing I want is for you to spend most of your portrait time going to and from the photo location.
If you’re getting married at the same place as your reception, we can make use of what the venue has around. Before your wedding, let me know what parts of the venue you’re drawn to and we can work from there.
If you have a location in mind that requires a bit of traveling, consider having your portraits before the ceremony. That way, when the ceremony concludes, you can go straight into the cocktail hour with your guests.
Timing
While my job is to take photographs, I don’t want your whole day to revolve around the photos. At most, I’ll need about 30-45 minutes for formal couple photos. However, if you want to keep taking photos, I will not say no! After portraits, you can rejoin the cocktail hour if you’d like.
If 30-45 minutes feels like too much camera time at once, another option is to split up the portrait time throughout the day. For example, after your first look, we can do 10-15 minutes of portraits, another 10 minutes directly after the ceremony, and then take one final moment after the dancing in the reception. This works well because it splits up the portrait time throughout the day. I also love doing this because it allows me to document you and your immediate emotions at that moment throughout the day.
Getting Ready Locations
If you decide to get ready at a location outside of your venue, my recommendation would be to rent an entire Apartment or house at an AirBNB over a hotel room. Hotel rooms can be tricky for a few reasons. Most of the time, there isn’t great lighting available, or there are details such as carpet patterns or wall decor that can make for difficult photos. With AirBnb, you’re able to choose what the getting ready space will look like. AirBnbs also tend to bring a more relaxed feeling to the morning due to the more “home-like” feeling. And logistically, they’re also a lot easier to coordinate with on a wedding day.
Preserving Your Photographs
It's no secret that holding a tangible photo has a different feeling than viewing your photographs through a screen. There's something about physically holding a photo in your hand that allows you to connect with the images differently. And while digital images have their place, my end goal for your photos is to never have them live in an online gallery.
Photos are heirlooms, and heirlooms are meant to be passed down through the generations. Because of this, you want tangible products that will last. It can be a bit difficult to know where to get your photos printed. And while some of the cheaper options might appear to be of quality at the time of delivery, most will likely not stand the test of time.
To alleviate this problem altogether, you can buy prints directly through your online gallery. I've visited the lab where your photos will be printed. In fact, they're a local boutique company located here in Nashville, TN that only offers higher-end, luxury products.
Custom Heirloom Albums
An album is the easiest way to show others the story of the day. Not only do these look great as a coffee table piece, but they are also made to last. All albums are made with museum-grade quality materials and are backed by a lifetime guarantee. Albums are available in 3 different sizes.
Working with a Videographer
Who you choose to surround yourself with on your wedding day can
influence the feel of the day. I have worked with some videographers in the past who shared a different vision than what I had. Because of these differences, the photographs were not what they could have been. If you choose to hire a videographer, make sure their style of shooting works well with mine. When working with videographers who DO share the same vision, we end up working well off of each other.
When looking for a videographer, I recommend finding one who is more documentary forward, and less directive. Someone more interested in finding the story of the day versus trying to create the story. My mission is to photograph your day with honesty and artfulness, and having a videographer who shares the same goal is crucial.
Here are a few videographers that I love working with and share a similar goal when documenting weddings: