WEdding Guide

ENGAGEMENT SESSION TIPS, TIMELINE GUIDANCE,
VENDOR RECOMMENDATIONS & MORE!

A Note About THis Guide

We are so excited to be working with you and we can’t wait to get to know you two better over the next several months!

Whether you are working with a wedding planner or planning an intimate wedding, this guide will help you plan you wedding day! It's full of all the tips and tricks we have learned from photographing weddings over the past 6 years. (Oh, and getting married ourselves!)

This guide will help you do everything from choosing a location for your engagement session to photographing your grand exit and everything in-between.  

Thank you so much for choosing to work with us.  If you have any questions between now and your wedding, just shoot us an email!

With Love,
Amber & Josh

+ Your ONline Gallery
+ Wedding Albums
+ Reception Details & PLanning
+ Family Portraits
+ Wedding Day Portraits
+ Ceremony DETAILS & PLANNING
+ Additional Timing TIps
+ PreCeremony Prep & Details
+ SAMPLE TIMELINE BREAKDOWN
+ The First Look
+ Engagement Sessions
+ Photography Timeline

Table of Contents

3 weeks after your session, your images will be delivered via an online gallery.

1 month after booking, I will send you a suggested photography timeline for your wedding day.

1 week after booking, we will start to plan your engagement session.

Two weeks before your wedding, we will jump on a video call to finalize the timeline and photography/videography  details.

You marry the love of your life and leave the rest to us!  (Final payment is due.)

Four weeks before your wedding, I will send a questionnaire to gather the important details of the wedding: timeline, family members, vendors, special details, etc.

2 weeks after the wedding, we will post a personalized blog with the highlights of your wedding day.

Four weeks after the wedding, your online gallery will be ready to share with your friends and family!

After your honeymoon, we will schedule a time to jump back on Skype to see your wedding images for the first time!

Most of my couples book us 9 - 12 months from their wedding date. And we do not expect you to remember everything that is going to happen over the course of the next 12 months until your wedding! So, here are the key major events and touch points with us from the time you book until we deliver all your wedding photos.

Photography Timeline

Engagement Sessions

First things first: your engagement session! The engagement session is an important ingredient for an amazing wedding day. So, I have put together a whole guide just for your engagement session.

You should receive an email from me to officially book your engagement session about a week after you sign the contract. This guide will get you started by helping you choose a location and pick out outfits. There are also some great tips to make the most out of your session!

Let's Go!

First looks

First looks are our absolute fav! What is a first look? It is when you see each other before the ceremony. If you aren't sure if a first look is for you, take a peep at the benefits below and discuss them with your partner. Most of our couples choose to do a first look, but I want you to make the best decision for you and your wedding day. We are totally ready to capture your day with or without a first look! But first, let me tell you how we like to do the first looks. 

If you choose a first look, we like to set you up to mimic waking down the aisle. One partner will be set up facing away. The second partner will be set up looking at the first partner's back. Once we give the thumbs up, the second partner will walk towards the first and ask them to turn around. We will be hanging back with our zoom lenses on capturing everything. Once you have spend a few minutes together, you will let us know you are ready to start taking your more formal portraits!

You get to spend the day together

With a first look, you will get to spend the whole day together with your partner, rather than just the last half.  After you are done getting ready, you will get to spend 2 - 3 hours together before the ceremony even starts!  Without a first look, you see each other for the first time at the ceremony and then it is a dash to get all the pictures during cocktail hour before running into the reception.

Less Stress, because you have your person

The truth is, wedding days are stressful.  And you are doing a lot of it without your person.  The person who can calm you down, help you focus on the positives, and can make everything go away with one hug.  With the first look you will be spending more time together and will be able to be there for each other throughout most of the day.

You feel more comfortable showing emotions

With a first look, it is just you and your partner there together.  (Yes, we are also there, but standing far away with our zoom lenses to give you guys space to be in the moment!)  During the ceremony you are standing there with the pressure of all your guests putting their sole focus on you.  Most people are going to be more comfortable showing their emotions with just their partner than with all their friends and family looking on.

Less Stress, because we have more time

Trying to cram family photos, bridal party photos, and your couple's portraits all in a one-hour cocktail hour can be a little stressful.  With a first look you can have most or all of the pictures done before the ceremony. You have more time to take the pictures (which means less stressing and more genuine images) and more control over who is around.

You Can Touch Each Other

Ok, this one may seem a little silly. But picture this. You see the love of your life for the first time on your wedding day. And you get to stare at each other until you are asked to hold hands. And then you have to wait 10 - 20 minutes to kiss!  With a first look, you can do whatever you want together.  Hug, kiss, tell your partner how good they look, show off the pockets of your dress, kiss again.  Anything you want!

You Get some nerves Out

Yes, getting ready to walk down the aisle is always going to make you nervous. But, so will seeing each other for the first time. The difference a first look makes is that you will get some of those butterflies out before hand. You will feel more confident and excited for the ceremony rather than nervous about walking down the aisle.

WHEN WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND FIRST LOOKS

SUNSET CEREMONIES

Sunset ceremonies means there is little to no sunlight left after the ceremony. Which means all your portraits need to happen before the ceremony. Which means you need to have a first look!

YOU WANT TO JOIN COCKTAIL HOUR

If you are seeing each other for the first time during the ceremony, cocktail hour will be used to take all your pictures together: your portraits, full wedding party, and family portraits! So, if you want to join cocktail hour, we need a first look to take as many of these photos as possible before the ceremony.

either of YOU GET NERVOUS IN FRONT OF CROWDS

Seeing each other for the first time on your wedding day is a very emotional moment. And if your first time seeing each other is walking down the aisle, this moment is in front of ALL your guests.  During the first look, it is just the two of you and us with our zoom lenses. No pressure, no on-lookers, just you: together.

Wedding Day Timeline

First Look Timeline

Traditional Timeline

The timeline of the wedding day depends heavily on if you choose a first look or not. Click below to see the different suggested photography timelines for your wedding day. You can use these examples to see a general suggestion for timing and what will be covered during each portion of the day.

These examples are for 8 hours of coverage with a 4:30 ceremony. Remember, we will be sending you a custom timeline for your wedding day!

Suits: Once the guys are in their pants and shirts, we will take some photos of them helping each other finish getting ready: ties, cufflinks, boutonnieres, etc.
Dresses: Once the bridesmaids and any helpers are dressed, we will photograph you putting on your dress and the finishing touches: jewelry, veil, shoes, etc. 

The wedding party will still have some time for finishing touches  before they are needed for pictures.

This is one of my favorite parts of the wedding day!  We will find a  perfect location for your first look and my second shooter and I will be like secret agents to set it up!  After you take a moment to yourselves soaking in how great you look and how happy you are to be getting married, we explore the venue for your portraits together.

We love starting our day by photographing all your details.  From your florals, to the watch your fiancé gave you as your wedding gift, your grandmother’s earrings that you are wearing, and everything in between.  We like to allow 50 minutes to capture both partner’s details. While we are shooting details, we will also be capturing some candid shots of everyone getting ready!

We will start by taking photos of the full wedding party together.  If you have any flower girls or ring bearers, we will snag a few  photos with them to start, then move to just the adults.  After the full wedding party pictures, we will split up the wedding parties by side between me and my second photographer. I will take the group photos of each group and  my second photographer will take a photo of you with each of  your attendants.

This is about the time that your early guests will start to arrive.  So, after wedding party portraits are complete, you will go into  hiding so that early guests don’t sneak a peek. Take this time to take a breath and relax before the ceremony.

We will take this time to explore the venue with just the two of you capturing the majority of the pictures of the two of you on your wedding day.

It's time to get married!!! Most ceremonies are 30 minutes long.  If your ceremony is longer than 30 minutes we'll make adjustments to the timeline!  Cherish the ceremony and know that we have everything covered.

We love having a few extra minutes with you to take a few "Just Married" portraits.  Right after the ceremony you are just so giddy and happy that you are officially married!  It is definitely worth taking a few moments to capture.  During this time the family member will be gathering for the family portraits.

If the reception is in the same location as the ceremony, we will use this time to shoot the reception décor UNTOUCHED.  If the ceremony and reception are in different locations, we recommend having a cocktail hour outside of the main reception area if possible so that we can grab some great shots of your reception before the reception begins and guests start laying down purses and coats on their seats!

This is when the party begins!!!  We let you and the DJ determine what your timeline will be for the reception.  We are typically there for 2 1/2 hours, which gives us enough time to capture the main events and some dancing (before everyone gets too drunk)!

If you’re interested in having your exit photographed, we have options! You can either add additional coverage or plan a faux exit with just your wedding party!

Once your family has hugged you and given their congrats, it will be time for pictures. My second photographer will help us go through the list of the family groupings you requested. If you want to join cocktail hour with the guests, we can move your family portraits before the ceremony.

Wedding Day Timeline with First Look

Suits: Once the guys are in their pants and shirts, we will take some photos of them helping each other finish getting ready: ties, cufflinks, boutonnieres, etc.

Dresses: Once the bridesmaids and any helpers are dressed, we will photograph you putting on your dress and the finishing touches: jewelry, veil, shoes, etc. 

After we do each of your getting ready photos, we will take you outside to get pictures with each of your wedding parties separately.  We will take the portraits with the entire wedding party after the ceremony.

We love starting our day by photographing all your details.  From your florals, to the watch your fiancé gave you as your wedding gift, your grandmother’s earrings that you are wearing, and everything in between.  We like to  allow 50 minutes to capture both partner’s details. While we are shooting details, we will also be capturing some candid shots of everyone getting ready!

This is about the time that your early guests will start to arrive. So, after wedding party portraits are complete, you will go into hiding so that early guests don’t sneak a peek. Take this time to take a breath and relax before the ceremony.

If the reception is in the same location as the ceremony, we will use this time to shoot the reception décor UNTOUCHED. If the ceremony and reception are in different locations, we recommend having a cocktail hour outside of the main reception area if possible so that we can grab some great shots of your reception before the reception begins and guests start laying down purses and coats on their seats!

After we take your separate wedding party portraits, we will take some portraits with your immediate family members.  This way, we only have the larger group photographs after the ceremony and more time for pictures of just the two of you!

Right after the ceremony we will sneak you away for a few quick portraits together.  This way we know we have at least a few photos of the two of you together before family and wedding party portraits.  During this time the family member will be gathering for the family portraits 

Once your family has hugged you and given their congrats, it will be time for pictures. My second photographer will help us go through the list of the family groupings you requested. If you want to join cocktail hour with the guests, we can move your family portraits before the ceremony.

It's time to get married!!! Most ceremonies are 30 minutes long. If your ceremony is longer than 30 minutes we'll make adjustments to the timeline! Cherish the ceremony and know that we have everything covered.

This is when the party begins!!!  We let you and the DJ determine what your timeline will be for the reception.  We are typically there for 2 1/2 hours, which gives us enough time to capture the main events and some dancing (before everyone gets too drunk)!

If you’re interested in having your exit photographed, we have options! You can either add additional coverage or plan a faux exit with just your wedding party!

We will start with your large wedding party portraits.  This will be all the guys, gals, and little ones that are officially part of your wedding party.

Then, we will use the remaining time before the reception to explore the venue and to take more portraits of just the two of you!  The more time we have, the more portraits we can take.

Wedding Day Timeline without First Look

Talk to your hair and makeup artist to get an accurate idea of how long it will take to have your hair and makeup done. I suggest having your makeup finished before your getting ready photos start. This way, you don’t have half a face of makeup on in your photos. We will capture the ‘final touches’! Be sure to add in a little buffer time if anyone else is also getting their hair/make-up done to make sure yours gets started on time!

HAIR & MAKEUP

If you are traveling by car any point in the day, be sure to google the drive time! With google you can now estimate travel time for a specific date and time. It gives you an average range, and I suggest using the longest time to plan your day. There is also a very cool app called Waze. You can schedule a drive ahead of time (or link with your calendar) and it will give you a notification when you need to leave based on current traffic conditions. And, if there is an accident on your way, it will re-route your drive!

TRAVEL TIME

Additional Timing Tips

You may not want to eat very much on your wedding day, and that is totally fine. But, you need to eat something! If you don’t, you may not eat until dinner at 7 or 8 that night. Depending on the time of your wedding, lunch will probably fall right before or in the middle of getting ready. If that is the case, I suggest having something brought in for your to eat in-between hair and make-up. 

INCLUDE TIME TO EAT

Things will take longer than your expect on your wedding day. And something is bound to ‘go wrong’ at some point. But, if you add in 10 minutes here and there of buffer time in your wedding day timeline, it will be no big deal if a zipper pops on a bridesmaids dress. And if everything does run right on schedule, then you will have some extra time to relax and enjoy the day!

ADD BUFFER TIME

If you are going to have anyone helping you get ready (usually mom, a sibling, or close friend), make sure they are camera ready before it is time to take your getting ready pictures. These helpers usually will help you put on your dress, pin boutonnieres, put on jewelry, and put on ties.

GETTING READY HELPERS

If you can, have your bouquets and boutonnieres delivered to where you are getting ready, before the detail pictures. That way, I can include them in those photographs. If not, be sure that they are delivered to the venue well before your first look or your portraits start. We want to make sure they are there for these photograph for sure!

BOUQUETS & BOUTONNIERES

There are so many different things to think about when you’re planning a wedding day, so here are some tips for the pre-ceremony timeline! I realize that every single wedding day is different, so not all of these tips will apply to every wedding day schedule. Keep in mind, not EVERYTHING will go as planned, and I promise you, that is completely normal!!

Before the Ceremony

There are so many special moments to photograph before the ceremony. From the special items you will carry on your wedding day to your closest friends and family helping you get ready. And as many portraits as we can fit in!

This section will give you all my tips and guide you through everything that will happen before the ceremony.

The whole day begins with the details.  Not only do I want to document your invitations, rings, and flowers, I want to document the sentimental items from your wedding day.  The his and her cologne/perfume you will be wearing.  Your dad's pocket watch you will be carrying.  Your grandma's handkerchief you will be carrying down the aisle.  Basically, I want to photograph anything that helps to tell the story of your wedding day.

Below,  you’ll find a list of the most common details that I shoot.  Be sure to have them gathered and set aside for me when I get there.  That way we don't have to scramble to find your shoes!

The Details

Invitation Suite (2 full sets with envelopes and Stamps)
Rings (All Three)
Dress/Suit
Dress Hanger
BOUQUET/BOUTONNIERE
Shoes
Vow Books
Hair Piece/Veil
Cuff Links/Watch
Socks (if they're special)
Tie or Bow Tie
Pocket Square
Any other sentimental or special items
Bonus: A few Loose Flowers from your Florist

Details Checklist

Getting Ready

I get it. You don't really need photos of you in your boxers with your best mates or images of you with your make-up only half done. That is why we focus on the finishing touches of you getting ready.

As I am photographing the details, my second shooter will pop in to get some candids of you and your wedding party.

For those wearing suits, we will come back in for your official getting ready pictures once you all have your pants and shirts on. We will photograph putting on ties, cuff links, watches, shoes, bouts etc.

For those getting their make-up done, we will come in for the final touch-ups and to remind anyone helping you get dressed to get dressed first. We will then photograph your family and friends helping you into your outfit, putting on your shoes, jewelry, and any other finishing touches.

JUST THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Additional Getting Ready Tips

GATHER THE GOODS

Collect all of your details before I arrive and set the aside before you start to get ready. That way, I can pop in and grab all the details and we don't have to go on the great shoe search!

KEEP ALL THREE RINGS TOGETHER

Be sure to keep all three rings together at the beginning of the day so I can photograph them together. They should be ready with whoever's details I am photographing first! (Bonus if we have the invitation there too!) I will make sure that the rings get to the appropriate person before the ceremony.

BOUQUET & BOUTONNIERES

If you can, have your personal florals delivered to where you are getting ready before I arrive. This way, I can include them in photographing your details.  Also, ask your florist if they can deliver a few extra stems for me to use in the details. It always looks amazing in the photographs.

I want you to be able to relax and hang out with your best friends the morning of your wedding. Here are some additional tips to planning our your wedding morning so this can be your wedding day reality.

DELEGATE!

Delegate as much as you can on your wedding day. Once it is time to get ready, you want to be a chill as a cucumber. If you have not hired a wedding planner, be sure to put someone else in charge of things like decorating, day of payments, and fielding your calls and text messages!

COMPLICATED OUTFIT ITEMS

If you have a complicated item on your wedding day outfit, we may need to add in a little extra buffer time. So be sure to let me know if you have anything like a corset dress, bow-ties, a bustle, presidential suspenders, etc.

DOWNTIME

Whoever is getting ready first will have a bit of downtime before it is time for pictures. Be sure to have something to do to keep you entertained that is not just drinking! Put on a great playlist, crack jokes at each other, eat some snacks, and just relax.

01-04

If your venue has ample space for both of you to get ready and allows you to show up more than a few hours before your ceremony time, this is the perfect place to get ready!

However, most venues will only have a getting ready suite for the bride.  And sometimes, you only have access to this room a few hours before your ceremony, aka, only enough time to put on your dress or suit.  If that is the case, click on to see other great places to get ready!

Your Venue

02-04

This is a great option if both you and your fiance will need a spot to get ready outside of the venue. You can get two separate rooms and it will be easy for me to jump between the rooms to photograph both of you getting ready. Bonus, you can book a suite and use that room for your wedding night! Just be sure to have housekeeping come and clean up after whomever got ready in that room. Try to choose a hotel within 10 – 15 minutes of your venue so you do not have to worry about any traffic on your wedding day.

A Local Hotel

03-04

Getting ready at a house near the venue is another great option. There are multiple bathrooms, mirrors, and areas for everyone to get ready. This is an especially great option if one of you will be getting ready at the venue and the other needs a place to get ready. This can be your house, a friend or family member’s house, or a cute Air BNB that you rent near the venue. Again, try to choose a location within 10 – 15 minutes of your venue so you do not have to worry about traffic!

A House

04-04

Getting ready at the salon or barber feels like a truly lux experience. You will get your hair, makeup, and a clean shave or beard trim done there. You will need a second location to actually change. So this option is perfect if your venue has a getting ready area that will only be available for a short time before the ceremony.

Salon/Barber

Getting Ready Locations

This is the reason that the wedding day even exists, so it is easy to get caught up in emotions and expectations surrounding the ceremony.  My best advice is to create a ceremony with your officiant that reflects the two of you as a couple and what it means to you to be married.  Then, take a deep breath, and let everything else go.  At the end of the day, you will be married to your person, and that is all that truly matters.

The Ceremony

Ceremony Timing

The timing of your ceremony depends on if you are having a first look or not, as this will determine how much time we need for photographs after the ceremony.

First Looks: I suggest planning an outdoor ceremony 1.5 hours before sunset if you are having a first look.  If you want to have a sunset ceremony, schedule the ceremony for 30 - 45 minutes before sunset so there is still enough light for pictures of the entire ceremony.

No First Look:  If you are not interested in sharing a first look, then I would suggest having your ceremony 2.5 hours before sunset to ensure that you will have plenty of time for all of your portraits afterwards. 

Lighting

Unfortunately, cameras do not see shade and sunlight as well as our eyes do. This makes even lighting really important.  If you are in the shade and your fiancé is in the sun, one of you will be light and one of you will be dark in your wedding pictures.  And the truth is, some venues have harsher light than others.  Ask to see pictures from a wedding taken during the same time of year as yours to see what the lighting will look like.  If the lighting is harsh, you may want to consider a sunset ceremony to get the romantic, even lighting.

If you do end up with uneven lighting on your wedding day, make sure the person with the darker skin tone is in the sun and the lighter skin tone is in the shade.  This will make sure we can see both of you in your photographs.

Other Quick Tips

Ask your officiant if they have any rules we need to follow on the wedding day, and let me know.  I have no problem adapting to the wishes of the officiant or the venue.  I would rather know ahead of time rather than get shouted at by the officiant like in that viral wedding video from years ago!

Speaking of your officiant, ask if they can step to the side during your first kiss.  (This way, they are not in the background of that photograph.)  Most seasoned officiants will do this without needing to ask.  But, if you have a family friend officiating the ceremony, its a good idea to mention it to them!


personalization

I have seen so many couples do so many amazing and unique things during their ceremony. I’ve seen sand ceremonies, rope ceremonies, special readings, and a unity tea blending. The options are truly endless!  As you plan your ceremony, make sure you design it to be what the two of you envision it to be. This is your day!

 Josh and I had a super personal ceremony. We were married by our best friend, were both walked down the aisle by both our parents, and had a handfasting ceremony. Not to mention our vows included references to Harry Potter and Grumpy Old Men. Some people were unsure of some of the elements of our wedding, but we’re really glad we did exactly what we wanted to!

Portraits

The portraits of you and your new spouse are one of the most important things for me to capture on a wedding day. I will take as much time as you give me to not only capture your photographs but to help you create lasting memories from your wedding day.

I will take care of everything from choosing locations to keeping track of time so you can focus on each other. We will always start with the "look here and smile" photographs and move into our more candid and romantic poses. Basically, we will be focusing on the best poses and prompts that we had from your engagement session.

You know that family portraits are important for your wedding day. But, thinking about it is starting to stress you out. What photos do you want? What photos will your mother-in-law be disappointed that you missed? Will there be enough time? What if Grandma Julie forgets about pictures? And the list goes on.

But it does not have to be that way! Family photos can be easy breezy and stress-free, even on your wedding day. I promise.  It starts with a good game plan.  Eight weeks before the wedding I will send you a questionnaire asking for all the family groupings we want to capture on the wedding day.  Below you will find some sample groupings and tips for making this part of the day run smooth!

Family Portraits

Couple with Both Immediate Family (Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, Nieces & Nephews)

Couple with Each Person's Immediate Family

Couple with Both Grandparents

Couple with Both Parents

Couple with Both Siblings

Couple with Couple's Children

couple together

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Immediate Family (Grandparents, Parents, Siblings, Nieces & Nephews)

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Grandparents

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Parents

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Mom

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Dad

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Parents & Siblings

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Siblings

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Sisters

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Brothers

individual with family

Couple with Both Immediate Families and Step Parents (Grandparents, Parents, Step Parents, Siblings, Nieces & Nephews)

Couple with Each Immediate Family and Step Parents (Grandparents, Parents, Step Parents, Siblings, Nieces & Nephews)

Couple with Both Parents & Step Parents

Couple with Both Siblings & Step Siblings

Non-Traditional FAMILIES

couple together

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Immediate Family and Step Parents (Grandparents, Parents, Step Parents, Siblings, Nieces & Nephews)

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Mom, Step Dad, Siblings, Step Siblings

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Mom, Mom’s Children

Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Dad, Step Mom, Siblings, Step Siblings
  
Bride/Groom/Newlywed with Dad, Dad’s Children

individual with family

Non-Traditional FAMILIES

Have someone who knows your family to collect them when it is time for family portraits and direct them to the right location. You may want to have two people: one for each of your families. The best people for this job is usually the maid of honor/best man or a sibling.

I will have a list of everyone we need to hand off to our wrangler(s).

FAMILY WRANGLER

There are two great times to do family portraits: just before the ceremony or just after the ceremony. If we are doing a first look and your family is super type-a, punctual people, we can do the pictures before the ceremony.

Most couples choose to do their family pictures after the ceremony because you don't have to worry about anyone running behind! And, we will still be able to hit the last half of cocktail hour if we did a first look!

TIME OF PORTRAITS

Tips For Family Portraits

Keep the family portraits to your immediate family only: parents, siblings, grandparents, nieces, and nephews. The people you would print a photograph of an hang on your wall. This includes any other important family members you are close with, like your aunt who was like a second mother or your godparents who have been to every birthday party!

We will have plenty of time to grab pictures with your extended family at the reception.

IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY

The order of the pictures is something I take care of for you, so you don't need to worry about it. Rest assured that I will make sure that Grandma and Grandpa's picture are taken care of first so they can go relax!

Then we will get the pictures with small children done so they can go do what they really want: play!

GRANDPARENTS & KIDS FIRST

When was the last time your family had professional photographs taken together? You know, the kind you frame and decorate your home with. Years ago? Never? If you fall into either of these camps, then you (or mom) is going to put high importance on the family pictures from you wedding. So, you want to make sure they look extra amazing. The best way to making your family photos really stand out is with outfit coordination!

Family Outfits

Complimenting wedding Colors

This option gives your family members more options when it comes to choosing outfits. For this, you would have your family choose outfits is the same color family as your wedding colors. For example, if your wedding colors are natural greens and lavender, your family can wear different neutral earthy tones. Tans, whites, browns, etc.

Matching Wedding Colors

This option is great if you have family members in your bridal party. They will already be wearing the wedding colors, so have the rest of your family follow suit. For example, if your wedding colors are burgundy and grey, have your family wear different shades of grey and maybe accent their outfits with pops of burgundy.

Coordinate Formality

The newlywed couple will usually look a bit more formal than the rest of their family members. The key here is “a bit”. If you are wearing a ball gown or tux, you do not want your dad showing up in khakis! Or for your father to be in a suit and your father-in-law to be in jeans! As a rule of thumb, your family should dress at the same formality level as you two or just one step below.

Another quick tip is to have both of the dads rent coordinating suits and invite moms to try on dresses with the bridesmaids.  It is typical for the "father of the bride" to rent a suit, but we think all important family members should be given this treatment!  So, have both dads head to the suit shop with the groomsmen.  And have the mom's go to the dress shop with the bridesmaids.  Most of them also offer dresses for the mothers!

Neutral Colors

Maybe you don’t quite have a wedding color. (Mine was earth greens and burnt yellows. Not really a specific color…) A good option here would be to ask your family to dress in neutral colors. Greys, blacks, nudes, whites. There are so many awesome options in this neutral colors! And they will all look nice and coordinated!

The best way to make your family photos look great is to coordinate the outfit colors of your immediate family members. This would generally be parents, siblings, and grandparents, but may include a few others depending on your unique family! The key here is coordination not matching. Have them choose outfits with colors that also compliment the colors of the wedding!

Color Coordination

The Reception

It's time to relax and celebrate that you are officially married! Whether you are planning and intimate dinner or an all night dance party, we will be there to capture the night!

For the reception, I let the DJ take over the timeline and follow their lead for the rest of the evening. There are quite a few activities you can choose to include or not include in your reception. Here are some of the most common events we photograph during the reception:

GRAND ENTRANCE
FIRST DANCE
PARENT DANCES
CAKE CUTTING
TOASTS
BOUQUET/GARTER TOSS
ANNIVERSARY DANCE
MONEY DANCE
LARGE GROUP PHOTOS WITH FRIENDS
EXTENDED FAMILY PHOTOS
FAMILY OR RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS/DANCES
Newlywed Game
Grand Exit

Reception Activities

The fun has begun! It’s time to relax, dance and celebrate!! Your reception should be a BLAST! The last thing you need to be worrying about is your timeline. Your coordinator and DJ should take care of making sure that everything stays on schedule so that you can enjoy your night. Here are some tips that will help with planning your reception.

Reception Tips

Non-Dancing Activities

Maybe staying out on the dancefloor all night is not your idea of a good time, or maybe you just want to add some extra fun to your night!  Here are a few fun alternative activities to dancing: photo booth or gif booth, lawn games, glitter/temporary tattoo bar, a drag queen as your emcee, a mariachi band, food truck for desert, traditional cultural dancers, fireworks or laser show, s'mores bar and campfire, or aerialist performers.  There is really no wrong answer here!  If it is something you love, your guests will too.

Make It Your Own

Your reception is where you can really let your personalities shine! It's your opportunity to do whatever you want. Want to have a special dance with your grandparents? Do it!  Want to name custom drinks after your pets?  Hard Yes!  Want to skip the bouquet/garter toss?  No one will miss it!  Make your reception a reflection of who you are and don’t feel tied to traditions. Play the music you want, serve the food you want, and celebrate how you want!

Feed Us When You Eat

Give your caterer a heads up that your photography and videography team will need to eat when you eat.  This is important so we are ready to take pictures/video of the toasts instead of just sitting down with our plates of food.  It also gives us an opportunity to catch a few candids of you mingling with guests after you finish eating.  Generally, we will jump in a buffet line or ask you caterer for our plates after your family and wedding party have their plates.

Reception Coverage

If you haven’t purchased extra coverage time for your
grand exit, that’s ok! We have several options! (See next section!) We recommend planning your timeline so that we are at the reception for about 2 hours after dinner is finished.  This will be enough time to capture the main activities of the night (like the cake cutting) and lots of dancing/candid photos of guests.

Grand Exits & Faux Exits

If your coverage ends before your exit, you have the option of planning a faux exit with your bridal party and close family members! This is more common than you may think.

Instead adding on hours of coverage so we stay until the very end, you can plan a faux exit with just the members of your bridal party and a few family members! 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 all the wedding guests aren't there waving sparklers or light sabers to sending off the happy couple! This option allows you to save money and still have all of the shots that you dreamed of!

I always encourage you to PRINT YOUR PHOTOS! And what better way to do that than a wedding album?! Your wedding album is something you can use to share your wedding photographs for decades. Remember your wedding day on your anniversaries and in-between. Over the years use the album to share the wedding day with your kids and your grandkids.

Our albums are handcrafted in the United States with quality checks throughout the process. Creating a quality product to be shared for a lifetime.

Your FIrst Family

Heirloom

Wedding Album

See More Info

Thank You!

Last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU for trusting us with your special day. We are so excited to be the ones capturing your memories!

Enjoy this season of planning but also remember that your marriage is more important than the wedding. The wedding will come and go, but your marriage will stand the test of time. Continue to make time for one another, even with all that needs to get done.

As you continue to plan, please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have along the way! Our next step is to plan your engagement session. I hope this guide has been helpful as you continue to plan and prepare for your wedding day!

with love,
Amber & JOsh