Create a Schedule

Begin with writing down locations, then jot down the most important events (and the times for those events) throughout the day like the ceremony, reception, and sparkler exit for example. Once you have the main events down, do your best to put other events in between(ex: bride and groom getting ready, wedding party pictures, family pictures, etc). Once you have a rough draft ready, send it to your wedding photographer so they can look over it! Give yourself time to do all of this way before the wedding. Also keep in mind that weather can change, so it’s a good idea to watch the weather forecast. It’s always worth having a backup plan for weather surprises. Our biggest recommendation when making a schedule is to give yourself extra buffer time into your day to ensure you’re not rushed if something takes longer…trust us we’ve seen it way too often.

Choosing a location for photos

We highly recommend choosing a location that will not only look pretty but will also make it easy for you to maneuver around in a wedding dress (and something that won’t get your dress dirty). Do your best to find a spot that will also look good in all sorts of lighting (sunny or overcast). For this, we recommend a spot that offers both open areas and shaded-natural areas (trees) or artificial (side of a building). It’s also a good idea to have a spot in mind that can also offer cover in case of rain (we recommend a studio if you can’t find any locations).

Side note— some locations for wedding photos can require a reservation ahead of time, so don’t put this off till right before your wedding.

How much time to plan for photos

We typically need about 30-40 minutes with the groom/groomsmen in the morning and 1 to 1 1/2 hours with the bride and bridesmaids for the getting-ready shots. Ideally we like to be there about 30 minutes before hair and makeup is finished. Also set some time aside for your bridal party photos before the wedding as well as bridal portraits with your other half-preferably during the best lighting of the day (which is an hour and a half before sunset on a sunny day or anytime during the day on an overcast day).

Great lighting produces great photos

If we were to pick the top 3 most important things in a wedding day, lighting would be number 1. We highly recommend booking a hotel/venue with lots of natural window light, and if that isn’t possible, choose a location that will emit white light vs. orange, yellow, or blue light. Not only does this look better in photos, but it eliminates the need for us to use flash which is always better, in our opinion, because we would rather accentuate a place and the vibe it has rather than pop our flash off all day.

Be ready

When the photographer arrives, the bridal parties should be almost all dressed up. You wouldn’t believe how many times we have arrived to the groomsmen to find them running around in their boxers -looking for their belt with their pants in one hand… not only is this a big waste of time, but it throws the schedule in jeopardy for the rest of the day. Being almost dressed saves you from being on a time crunch and leaving your extra buffer time for more exciting things like photos with the bridal party!

Gather your details

Ask your florist to include some extra flowers and greenery which can be used to enhance the layout for the photographers. This makes your details stand out and flow into your wedding day theme and color palette! Don’t forget to prepare details for the groom as well. Details usually include but are not limited to: Invitation card/envelope, stamp, ribbons, flowers, perfume, rings/ any other jewelry, shoes, tie, watch, belt, veil, (etc).

Heartfelt Moments

Writing a note to each other that can be read in the morning while you are anticipating seeing each other for the first time on your big day produces an unforgettable moment. The emotions we have seen from these letters are incredible and the photos always turn out candid and amazing. 

We also recommend considering doing private vows at some point in the morning during your photo session where we can take you aside and let you have your special moment together.

Good skin tones make a difference

For natural-looking skin tones, it is important for your makeup to match your skin tone. You don’t want your face to look pale when compared to the rest of your skin or vice versa. We also recommend that your makeup artist do your makeup in front of a window with natural light or have them turn on their LED ring light to the “natural setting”. This helps tremendously to make your skin retain its natural look.

Dress with mobility in mind

When you go on the search for your perfect dress, remember that it is very important that you are able to move freely in it on your wedding day! From our experience, the longer and fluffier the dress, the more it gets caught on things and weighs you down. There is beauty in simplicity and often times-less is more! We recommend making sure that the aisle you will walk down for your ceremony and reception will be able to fit the dress of your choice with no complications.

Conceal your man’s flaws

It’s no secret that men don’t always have “perfect skin”. That being said we recommend that he find someone to help him apply some concealer/foundation that specifically matches his natural skin tone to cover up any blemishes like a zit or pimple that you wouldn’t want in the photos. There is always photoshop, but it just makes it easier for everyone if it’s covered up.

Adding markers

If you would like a symmetrical look to your wedding party photos on stage then listen up! Mark the spot where each person will stand, during the ceremony, with a piece of tape on the ground. Start with the Bride and Grooms Location. They should be in the middle of the arch and/or centered for the guests. Next put tape evenly spaced out to the sides from there for each bridesmaid and groomsman to stand on at an even distance between them, once they stand on the tape, it will become invisible and your wedding party will look perfectly symmetrical! If this is not done however, you risk having uneven spacing between the wedding party members.

Assigned seating

If your wedding will have assigned seating, consider reserving a table for the media team that is close to your sweetheart's table. This will ensure that important action is not missed on the media’s part because of the close proximity to the front where the action will happen. It doesn’t have to be directly in front of the sweetheart’s table, anywhere in the front (like in the corner) works great as well.

Clean up the space

In the morning, before the photographer starts photographing, clean up the space where you’re getting ready, or tell one of your friends or family to do it. During the reception, move items off your table like bottles, dirty plates, or anything else like that. This makes photos look a lot more professional and clean.

Clear the way for the first kiss

Tell the officiant to move out of the way before they even announce the first kiss. We see it way too often when the officiant stands right behind the couple as they kiss…seems okay in person but when you see them standing right behind you, or even worse, running out of the way in the background, it makes you wish you told them to move! It also doesn’t hurt to remind them before the ceremony starts :)

Consider lighting

If your venue is in an outdoor covered area with natural light coming into the area, you want to be facing toward the light. It may be tempting to set up your sweetheart's table with guests looking at you and the view behind your back, but for the best photo results you want the wall behind your back, you facing the view and the light source instead of the other way around. This also helps with people not walking behind you.

Family photos

These photos are some of the most important photos you will have from your wedding day, so it’s worth planning! Put together a list of the family photos you would want to have photographed. You can start with immediate family like parents, siblings, grandparents, a combined group shot, and possibly extended family such as cousins, and friends. Another thing we recommend is to designate someone to gather people for photos (like an aunt or uncle) who is good at communicating and knows everyone on your list. Talk to them ahead of time and give them the list you made. It’s also a great idea to let the officiant know that you want him to announce when it is time for family photos and to announce the name of the designated helper if your photos are being done after the ceremony.

Send off ideas

From our experience, sparklers only look good way after sunset when it’s dark. If you plan on ending your wedding when it’s still bright out- there are lots of other great ways to make it special and look good at the same time! Your other options could be, but are not limited to, rose petals, bubbles, lavender toss, balloons, paper airplanes, eucalyptus leaves, etc. If you end up deciding to go with sparklers, make sure to get the proper one! The small flimsy ones are usually not going to last long enough, nor produce enough sparkle to look good. The ones you do want are the long wand ones that will produce lots of yellow/orange colored sparks and will not smoke when lit. It’s also very important to make sure you have enough lighters for people to pass around.

Get Inspired

It’s a great idea to put together a compilation of some dream shots you would want your photographer to take of you on your wedding day. This is usually best done on a Pinterest board and then sent to the photographer. We are there to make your dreams come true and give you those shots you’ve been dreaming of!

Let’s talk

The best way to clarify any questions is through a phone call. I would be more than happy to sit down and discuss any further questions you may have about any details you aren’t sure about or need our best advice on from our past experiences with other events. We look forward to doing everything we can to plan your day so that it goes as smoothly as possible.

Prepare now, then just enjoy it!

We always tell our clients to prepare what they can and then when the day comes, enjoy it to the fullest and be present in every moment. If anything unexpected does come up during your wedding day, remember that we are always there to do what we can to help and give advice, plus all your close friends and family who have always been there for you and will more than likely be willing to lend a helping hand. Focus on each other and be confident that you planned it well enough! That’s why you’re reading all this and now are one step closer to being done planning! We cannot wait to capture your special day.