WELCOME GUIDE!

WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER! I hope you are excited because I can not begin to tell you how excited I am that we have made it this far together! You had a lot of options and now I AM YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER! We get to dream about and plan your day together! I am basically your wedding planner, friend, bonus bridesmaid and photographer all in one! I am here to answer all of your questions so you feel the most prepared and ready for your wedding day! I have seen it all, not really but I have seen a lot, so I will help you navigate a tight schedule. I will help you get into your dress. I will calm down your mother who is bugging you about being late. I am not just your photographer, I am your personal hype girl, encourager and so much more! Thank you for trusting me with your memories and these special moments. This business is such a dream, and you are now a part of that dream with me! THANK YOU! Now that you have decided to work with me, this packet is designed to help you understand what the next steps will look like!

So you’ve signed your overwhelming wedding contract… now what?

Continue planning your wedding! Hiring your photographer is a big decision that is now out of the way! But you still have to continue planning. I have resources for you, like day-of timeline templates and example timelines. I have shot several weddings and each one has been different! If you have any questions about anything at all, shoot me a text or e-mail and I will help you plan your dream wedding! This packet has some FAQs that brides have asked me in the past so refer to this if this can answer some of your questions!

WHAT I DO TO SERVE YOU

• Pray for you from the moment you contact me

• Edit your images fast so you can reminisce on your special day.

• I help you plan your day, whether that be we figure out your day-of-timeline or if you need to figure out if you want to wear a cardigan over your dress!

• Think of me as an extra bridesmaid! I help you get ready and help the groomsmen put their boutonnières on.

• Make sure we are all on the same page so your day runs smoothly.

WE HAVE LOTS OF FUN!!

The months leading up to your wedding, I will ask you lots of questions to make sure we are all on the same page. I make sure my travel and housing accommodations are set. I’ve had brides share their wedding pinterest boards with me so they can help me understand their details a bit more. The month before your wedding I send you some resources that will need to be finished and sent back to me the week of your wedding! The day of your wedding, I may come and go from your eyesight, but I promise you I am getting all of your shots! I also refer a lot to your timeline to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible. I also ease your nerves if you feel like things are falling apart, which, by the way, isn’t haha. When I am taking pictures of you and your groom or wedding party, I will give you prompts instead of poses that feel awkward. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you want to change the pose or have a fun idea! I love that!

FIRST LOOK

So many people do first looks nowadays for lots of reasons and most of them actually help with the logistics of the day! Here are some reasons to consider doing a first look!

• If you have a ceremony outside and don’t want to worry about blindfolding the groom, consider doing a first look!

• If you know you are going to feel super anxious about not seeing your sweetie all day, spend some special times alone together before the craziness of the ceremony and reception!

• If you are rushed for time and need to get all of your photos done before the ceremony, plan a first look and then take wedding party and family photos done right after!

If you feel like a first look is for you, consider not having your family or wedding party around. I’ve noticed that they can distract from the intimacy and sweetness of the moment. They can be near by but try to have them fully away so this moment is just for you two (and me cause I will photograph it).

FIRST TOUCH

If you want to wait to see each other until walking down the aisle, that is A OKAY! There are some other things you can consider if you want those special moments together before the ceremony! Consider a first touch! You can find a corner, a door or stand back to back. You can write personal vows to each other, letters, or pray together. First touches are so sweet and still allow the traditional aisle first look. This also helps calm nerves of the wedding day and see how you both are feeling during the day so far.

WEDDING PARTY & FAMILY

So I will be totally honest and say that this will be the hardest part of your entire wedding day! The reason is that it is difficult to manage this many people and make sure your grandparents and your aunts are all there and everyone is smiling and happy. While that may be stressful for you, it is my fault to make sure this goes as smoothly as possible! I usually take the family photos as soon as the ceremony is over so older family members can head to the reception. Here are some things to make this all go SMOOTH:

• Tell your officiant to announce at the end of the ceremony that ALL family members stay so we can get those family photos done right away.

• Make sure you are DETAILED about your shot list I send you so you tell me exactly what family will be there and what family dynamics you might have so I don’t have your Uncle Don next to your dad and they have a fued I didn’t know about. This helps me so much so I can call out the order of the photos instead of trying to figure out these dynamics

• Have your wedding party bring props: beers, flags, anything that you think would be fun to add as a part of the photos!

CEREMONY

We ask that your ceremony be unplugged so we can do our jobs. If you know of a guest that will be taking pictures with their own personal cameras, please have them not get in our way or use flash!

If you are able to have a say in where your ceremony will be, PLEASE consider the lighting. If your ceremony is outside, make sure direct light will not be on your faces but rather behind you. If you will be inside of a church, make sure that the sanctuary is BRIGHT and NO colored lights on the stage! It makes editing MUCH more difficult. I have worked with lots of lighting situations so don’t worry too much but these are some suggestions that will make your images turn out THAT much better!

If you will be lighting a candle, washing feet, praying privately, or combing unity sand on the stage, communicate with family, wedding party and anyone else involved that we will be getting on the stage to photograph that. There have been many situations where we were talked to strongly for “ruining the ceremony”.

For the first kiss, ask your officiant to step away before you kiss so you don’t have a face behind your smooching faces!

As you walk back down the aisle, stop midway for a big dip kiss!!!

Here are some photos to help you understand the various lighting situations.

The first photo: They had their reception outside and the sun had set. They danced under this gazebo with lots of string lights. This lighting situation is okay but floor lights would have helped.

The second photo: This reception was outside and the sun was still up, mid afternoon. This lighting was perfect!

The third photo: Their reception was outside and they danced under a gazebo with some string light but the sun had just set.

The fourth photo: This reception was inside with flourescent lights. The lighting is harsh and puts shadows on your face.

The last photo: This reception was inside with lots of ambient lighting. I used flash here because it was too dark. I try not to use flash, especially if you hire a videographer but when I do I use it for moments like this. Up close. Not far away like dancing. Sometimes I do but it gets crazy for guests.

EXIT IDEAS

Yay! Your special day has come to an end so let’s celebrate the heck out of you! Make sure you choose an exit idea that works with your venue. If you are outside in the woods, sparklers probably isn’t going to be the safest idea and you don’t want to leave confetti at your nice venue for someone to pick up so here are some other ideas that could work for you!

SPARKLERS

The classic sparkler! What a way to end the day with a bang! Make sure you have enough lighters (3-5) for everyone to light them fast enough for them not to burn out. Have buckets of water to place them in after the guests are done using them. If you are able to, buy the longer sparklers so kids don’t burn their hands and they burn longer. Use sparklers if you will be leaving in the dark. Not a good idea to use when the sun is still up!

FLOWERS/LEAVES

This is a great option if you are outside! Make sure to use leaves and petals native to the area you are in if you aren’t going to be cleaning it up. Eucalyptus in the middle of the desert or mountains wouldn’t be the best. You can hole punch leaves for natural confetti for guests to throw!

BUBBLES

Bubbles are one of my favorites! This is a good option during the day if you leave before sunset. There is no clean up needed and packs of bubbles are super cheap!

BALLOONS

Balloons are lots of fun! Buy packs of balloons that match your wedding colors or that complient the scenery. You can have guests blow up their own balloons and wave them as you go by during the day. OR blow them up before hand and place glowsticks in the balloons to wave during the evening.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE I can give you is to enjoy your wedding day! You have prepared, prayed, spent money and the day is here! There is only so much you can do to prepare for the worst on your wedding day and honestly, there will be some things that go wrong! BUT IT IS OKAY! If you are falling a little bit behind schedule, that is honestly expected on wedding days! Your guests and family should give you grace and understand. If your sticky bra doesn’t fit the way you thought it would, your girls will help you out and fix you up! If your family is throwing a fit about something pointless, I will set in and say, “It is okay!” When you look back on your wedding day, you want to remember the joy you felt, not the stress. Your wedding day will feel like a blur and that is totally normal so don’t put too much weight on the small details. Everything will come together. Your family and your wedding party will be there to help out with anything that you need! Let your dress drag in the dirt (YOU WILL NEVER WEAR IT AGAIN), don’t stress too much about your lipstick (YOU ARE GOING TO BE KISSING YOUR MAN ALL DAY ANYWAY), wear the underwear that is the most comfortable (DON’T LET YOUR MOMMA FORCE YOU TO WEAR A THONG, if you don’t want to). If you want to leave your wedding early because you guys are tired or the weather isn’t working out, DO IT! If you need a minute for yourself to escape all of the questions and nagging, escape! Have fun on your wedding day. Try not to stress!

SOME THINGS I NEED FROM Y O U

• Make sure to check your email for payment reminders from me

• All travel arrangements be done, booked ASAP (If applicable)

• Book my hotel/airbnb 2-3 weeks before your wedding (If applicable)

• Send the timeline back the week of your wedding

• Account for me and my second shooter (if you booked that) in your reception meal (make sure to give us seats), and in your timeline

• Put all details (rings, bouquet, shoes, veil, jewelry) aside the day before the wedding

• Try to have a day-of-coordinator or friend to keep track of timing for the day

• Make sure family members know that I am getting all of the pictures I was hired to get

• Make sure family members aren't getting in the way when they are taking pictures

• Make sure the getting ready, ceremony and reception space has enough light

FAQs

How long do pictures normally take on the wedding day?

Family and wedding party photos take around 30 minutes total when everyone is there and on top of things. But I’ve also shot weddings where it has taken up to an hour because family members would leave and come back. CARVE OUT AT LEAST 45 MINUTES and tell all your family members and wedding party to be there at that time. Make sure they don’t have any duties during that time so we can get through it fast! Romantics (bride and groom photos) take 30 minutes max. These photos are special so you can spend time away from the day and chaos and be with your sweetie. Plus we get to be more creative with these photos and have some fun! You can try to have these photos at a special location away from the ceremony or reception space but account for the travel time in your day of timeline.

What locations should I take photos at?

Lots of open space that has options for shade and light! Good backdrops like mountains, deserts or lakes. A place that is easy to access especially with older family members or large groups of people.

Can we request certain shots we want taken?

Yes! Please! If you are wanting specific shots with certain individuals, you can grab me during the wedding day. But I will need a list of what family photos you want. It helps me figure out your family dynamics as well. Like if you absolutely can not have Uncle Fred with Aunt Carol, that list helps take care of those awkward family moments that tend to happen on wedding days.

Can we add more hours after we have signed our contract?

Absolutely! I will add it to your contract and I will remind you of the updated final amount!