WEdding Guide
ENGAGEMENT SESSION TIPS, TIMELINE GUIDANCE,
VENDOR RECOMMENDATIONS & MORE!
A Note About THis Guide
We’re so excited to be working with you, and we can’t wait to get to know you both better over the next several months!
There is a lot that goes into planning a wedding, so we put together everything we’ve learned from years of photographing weddings (and planning one ourselves!) to make things a little easier.
Inside, you’ll find advice for everything from choosing an engagement session location and planning your wedding day timeline to family photos, getting ready, your ceremony, reception, grand exit, and everything in between.
You definitely don't need to read this whole thing in one sitting! Think of it as a resource you can come back to throughout the planning process whenever you need it.
Thank you so much for choosing us to be part of your wedding day. If you have questions along the way, just shoot us an email!
With Love,
Amber & Josh
Table of Contents
Your engagement photos will be delivered via an online gallery within 4 weeks of your session.
Within 1 month of booking, I’ll send you a suggested photography timeline based on the plans we discussed and the answers in your questionnaire..
If your collection includes an engagement session, we will start planning with your first questionnaire. Within 4 weeks, I’ll send over location ideas and everything you need to get your session on the calendar.
About two weeks before your wedding, we’ll jump on a video call to finalize your timeline and go over all the photography and video details for the day.
You marry the love of your life and leave the rest to us!
About four weeks before your wedding, I’ll send over your final planning questionnaire to gather all the important details for your wedding day: timeline, family groupings, vendor information, and anything else we should know.
Your full wedding gallery will be ready within 6 weeks of your wedding day! If your collection includes video, your film will be delivered within 8–12 weeks!
After your gallery is delivered, you’ll also receive a custom album pre-design that tells the story of your day! You can view the design and learn more about your album options from there.
Your first wedding photos are coming!
I’ll send over a collection of sneak peeks so you can relive a few of your favorite moments while I finish editing your full gallery.
There’s a lot that happens between booking and your wedding day, and we definitely don’t expect you to remember it all! Here’s a quick look at the major steps and check-ins you can expect from us along the way, from booking through your final gallery.
Photography Timeline
Engagement Sessions
If your collection includes an engagement session, we have a whole guide to help you plan it! We’ll start with a quick questionnaire, then I’ll send over everything you need to choose a location and get your session on the calendar.
The engagement session guide covers everything from locations and outfits to what to expect and tips for making the most of your session.
Plan Your Session
First looks
What is a first look? Simply put, it’s when you see each other before the ceremony. If you aren't sure if a first look is for you, take a look at some of the reasons my couples have chosen to do one and what they loved about the experience. Then talk it over with your partner and decide what feels right for you and your wedding day. We are totally ready to capture your day with or without one!
If you choose a first look, we’ll help you find the perfect spot and get everything set up. Then we’ll hang back and photograph the moment unobtrusively while you take a few minutes together. There’s no rush. We will let you tell us when you’re ready to move on to portraits!
(And if you are getting ready together, you can go ahead and skip this whole section!)
When I would Recommend A first Look
SUNSET CEREMONIES
If your ceremony is close to sunset, there may not be enough daylight afterward for all of your portraits. A first look allows us to take most of your photos earlier in the day while we still have plenty of light.
YOU WANT TO JOIN COCKTAIL HOUR
If joining cocktail hour is important to you, I will likely recommend a first look. This gives us time to finish most of your portraits before the ceremony so you can spend cocktail hour with your guests.
YOU WANT MORE
LOCATION OPTIONS
A first look gives us more flexibility to take portraits somewhere other than your ceremony or reception location. We can sneak away to a nearby spot before coming back for the ceremony, giving you more variety in your photos and a little time away together.
Wedding Day Timeline
WIth First Look
Your wedding day timeline will look a little different depending on whether or not you choose to do a first look. Below, you can see sample timelines for both options and get an idea of how we typically divide up photo coverage throughout the day.
These examples are based on 8 hours of coverage with a 4:30 ceremony. Don't worry about making your day fit these examples! We will create a custom photography timeline based on your wedding plans.
Suits: Once you are in your pants and shirt, we will photograph the finishing touches: ties, cufflinks, jackets, boutonnieres, etc.
Dresses: Once everyone else in your room is dressed, we will photograph you getting into your dress and adding the finishing touches: jewelry, veil, shoes, etc.
Your wedding party will still have some time for finishing touches before they are needed for photos.
We will find a spot for your first look and get you both into place without accidentally seeing each other along the way! After your first look, I will give you a few minutes together before we head into your portraits.
I like to start the day by photographing all the little details you have chosen for your wedding: from rings and florals to jewelry, shoes, invitations, and anything with a little extra meaning.
While I am photographing the details, my team will also capture candid moments of everyone getting ready!
We will start with the full wedding party together, including any flower kids or ring bearers, then move on to portraits with just the adults.
From there, we will split the wedding party by side. I will photograph each group while my second photographer captures individual photos of you with each of your attendants.
As guests begin to arrive, you will have some time to tuck away before the ceremony. Take a breath, grab some water, touch up anything you need to, and enjoy a little downtime before you get married!
This is our first chance to focus on just the two of you! We will use this time to explore the venue and capture the majority of your portraits together, with more opportunities for photos throughout the rest of the day.
It’s time to get married!!! Most ceremonies are around 30 minutes long, but if yours is longer, we will adjust your timeline accordingly.
Enjoy the moment and know that my team has everything covered!
Once your family has had a chance to hug you and say congrats, it will be time for family portraits! My second photographer will help us work through the family groupings you requested.
If you want to spend more of your cocktail hour with your guests, we can also move family portraits before the ceremony.
While you take a break before the ceremony, my team will photograph your ceremony and reception details before guests settle in.
We will also use this time to set up our photo and video equipment and get into place before the ceremony begins.
This is when the party begins!!! Your reception timeline is totally up to you and your DJ or coordinator.
We are typically there for about 2½ hours, giving us plenty of time to capture the big moments and special touches you have planned, plus lots of dancing (before everyone gets too drunk)!
If you want your exit photographed, you have a couple of options! You can add additional coverage for your actual exit or plan a faux exit with a smaller group before coverage ends.
Time to join your cocktail hour! Grab a drink, enjoy some appetizers, and spend time with your guests. Around sunset, I will pull you away for a few minutes of portraits in that beautiful evening light.
Wedding Day Timeline with First Look
Suits: Once you are in your pants and shirt, we will photograph the finishing touches: ties, cufflinks, jackets, boutonnieres, etc.
Dresses: Once everyone else in your room is dressed, we will photograph you getting into your dress and adding the finishing touches: jewelry, veil, shoes, etc.
Your wedding party will still have some time for finishing touches before they are needed for photos.
After getting-ready photos, we will take wedding party portraits separately by side. This lets us get most of your wedding party photos done before the ceremony while saving the full group for afterward.
I like to start the day by photographing all the little details you have chosen for your wedding: from rings and florals to jewelry, shoes, invitations, and anything with a little extra meaning.
While I am photographing the details, my team will also capture candid moments of everyone getting ready!
As guests begin to arrive, you will have some time to tuck away before the ceremony. Take a breath, grab some water, touch up anything you need to, and enjoy a little downtime before you get married!
While you take a break before the ceremony, my team will photograph your ceremony and reception details before guests settle in.
We will also use this time to set up our photo and video equipment and get into place before the ceremony begins.
After the wedding party portraits, we will photograph your immediate family portraits separately. This leaves only the larger family groupings for after the ceremony and gives us more time for portraits of the two of you!
Right after the ceremony, we will sneak away for a few quick portraits of just the two of you while your family gathers for photos. This gives us a little time together before we jump into family and wedding party portraits.
Once your family has had a chance to hug you and say congrats, it will be time for family portraits. My second photographer will help us work through the rest of your requested family groupings so we can keep things moving quickly.
It’s time to get married!!! Most ceremonies are around 30 minutes long, but if yours is longer, we will adjust your timeline accordingly.
Enjoy the moment and know that my team has everything covered!
This is when the party begins!!! Your reception timeline is totally up to you and your DJ or coordinator.
We are typically there for about 2½ hours, giving us plenty of time to capture the big moments and special touches you have planned, plus lots of dancing (before everyone gets too drunk)!
If you want your exit photographed, you have a couple of options! You can add additional coverage for your actual exit or plan a faux exit with a smaller group before coverage ends.
We will start with the full wedding party together, including any flower kids or ring bearers.
Then, we will spend the rest of our time exploring the venue and focusing on portraits of just the two of you in that beautiful evening light.
Wedding Day Timeline without First Look
Additional Timing Tips
There are so many little things to think about when planning your wedding day! Here are a few tips to help your pre-ceremony timeline run smoothly. Not every tip will apply to every wedding, and not everything will go exactly according to plan. A little preparation and extra time built into your timeline can help keep those small hiccups from derailing the rest of your day!
If you would like your flowers included in your detail photos, ask your florist if they can deliver them to your getting-ready location before photography begins. If that does not work with their delivery schedule, no worries! Just make sure your bouquets and boutonnieres will be ready before your first look or portraits begin.
Wedding Day
Florals
If someone will be helping you get dressed (a family member, close friend, etc), make sure they are dressed before it is time to take your getting ready pictures. Whether they are helping with a dress, jewelry, a tie, boutonniere, or other finishing touches, having them ready keeps things moving and makes sure they look nice for the photos (and not stuck in their getting ready robe).
GETTING READY
HELPERS
If you are traveling by car at any point during the day, be sure to check the estimated drive time for the day and time you will actually be traveling. Use the longer end of the estimated range when planning your timeline, and add a little extra time for getting everyone loaded up and on the road.
TRAVEL TIME
Talk to your hair and makeup artist about how much time they will need and when you should get started. Plan to have your makeup finished before getting-ready photos begin. We can always capture the finishing touches! If multiple people are getting hair and makeup done, be sure to build in a little buffer time in case things run behind.
HAIR & MAKEUP
You may not want to eat very much on your wedding day, and that is totally fine. But you need to eat something! Depending on your timeline, you may not eat again until dinner at 6:00 or 7:00 that night. Order lunch, put together a snack tray, grab a sandwich between hair and makeup. Whatever works for you. Be sure to add "time to eat" to your timeline or put someone in charge of making sure you are directly handed some food!
INCLUDE TIME TO EAT
Things will take longer than you expect on your wedding day, and something is bound to go off schedule at some point. Adding 10 minutes of buffer time here and there means it is no big deal if a zipper pops, someone runs late, or you just need a few extra minutes. And if everything runs right on schedule, you have a little extra time to relax and enjoy the moment!
ADD BUFFER TIME
Before the Ceremony
There are so many special moments to photograph before the ceremony: from all the little details you chose for your wedding day to getting ready with your favorite people and fitting in as many portraits as we can before guests arrive.
This section will walk you through what to expect before the ceremony, along with plenty of tips to help everything run smoothly.
Getting Ready
I get it. You probably don't need photos of yourself in your boxers or with your makeup only half done. That is why we focus on the finishing touches of getting ready! While I am photographing your details, my second photographer will pop in to capture some candids of you and your wedding party getting ready.
SUITS: Once you are in your pants and shirt, we will come back for your official getting-ready photos. We will photograph the finishing touches like ties, cufflinks, watches, shoes, boutonnieres, and anything else that completes your look.
DRESSES: Once everyone else in your room is dressed, we will photograph your family and friends helping you into your dress and adding the finishing touches like shoes, jewelry, a veil, or other accessories.
HAIR + MAKEUP: If you're having your hair and makeup done, we will also capture some of the final touch-ups before you get dressed.
JUST THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Additional Getting Ready Tips
I want you to be able to relax, hang out with your favorite people, and actually enjoy getting ready for your wedding! A little planning ahead can make the morning run so much smoother. Here are a few more tips to help make that happen.
GATHER THE Details
Before I arrive, gather all of your details in a box or bag that I can easily grab and take with me. That way, we can get started without going on the great shoe search! If your personal florals have already been delivered, have those nearby too. Don't worry if they haven't arrived yet, we can always photograph them later.
Enjoy The DOWNTIME
Depending on your timeline, one of you may have a little downtime before it is time for pictures. Take advantage of it! Put on a great playlist, eat some snacks, hang out with your favorite people, and just relax. You don't need to fill every minute of your wedding day with something to do!
Tidy up The ROom
Getting-ready spaces can get messy fast! When we come to grab your details, that is a great time to start tidying up the area where you'll be getting dressed. Toss trash, put food away, and have everyone gather their bags, clothes, and shoes together. It doesn't need to be spotless, we just need a little room for those finishing-touch photos!
COMPLICATED OUTFIT ITEMS
If you have anything that takes a little extra time to put on, be sure to let me know so we can add some buffer time to your timeline: corset dresses, bow ties, complicated bustles, presidential suspenders. If it requires instructions, extra hands, or a YouTube tutorial, I want to know about it!
DELEGATE!
Delegate as much as you can before the wedding day! Once it is time to get ready, you want to be as chill as a cucumber. Put someone else in charge of things like decorating, last-minute questions, day-of payments, and fielding calls and text messages so you can relax and enjoy getting ready with your favorite people.
KEEP ALL THE RINGS TOGETHER
Keep all of your rings (engagement and wedding bands) together at the beginning of the day and put them with the details I will be photographing first. That way, I can photograph them together before making sure they get back to the right people before the ceremony!
the Ceremony
This is the reason the wedding day even exists: you are getting married! With all the emotions, expectations, and little details surrounding the ceremony, it can be easy to get caught up in everything going exactly as planned.
Once the ceremony begins, take a deep breath and let everything else go. Be present, soak it all in, and enjoy getting married to your person. At the end of the day, that is what truly matters.
Other Quick Tips
check for RESTRICTIONS
Ask your officiant or ceremony venue if there are any photography rules or restrictions I need to know about. Some churches and religious venues may restrict where photographers can stand, flash use, etc. I am happy to work within their guidelines. I just want to know what they are before the ceremony starts!
MOVE FOR THE KISS
Ask your officiant to step to the side before your first kiss so they aren't standing directly behind you in the photograph! Most experienced officiants already know this trick, but if a friend or family member is officiating, be sure to give them a heads-up.
PHONES + CAMERAS
Whether you want an unplugged ceremony is totally up to you! Just keep in mind that guests holding up phones, stepping into the aisle, or using tablets may end up in your professional photographs. If that would bother you, consider asking everyone to keep their devices put away during the ceremony.
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
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
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:
Reception Activities
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!
Make it yours
Customize your Wedding Collection
Your wedding plans may change between booking and the big day, and your collection can change with them! Whether you need a little more coverage, want to preserve your full ceremony or toasts, or decide you'd love an album after all, you can add to your collection along the way.
Prints and Wall Art
Wedding Albums
Video Add-Ons (For photo + Video Clients)
Additional Wedding Day Coverage
NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME?
- Photography - $400/hour
- Photo + Video - $700/hour
PRESERVE THE WHOLE MOMENT
Video Add-Ons
Full Toast Film - $200
Single-Camera Ceremony Film - $200
Multi-Camera Ceremony Film - $400
These can be added anytime before the wedding. Adding them ahead of time allows our video team to plan specifically for complete coverage of your ceremony or toasts.
Want to add one? Just send me an email and I’ll take care of the rest!
Your highlight film tells the story of the whole day, but sometimes you want to relive a moment from beginning to end.
I will always encourage you to PRINT YOUR PHOTOS! And what better way to do that than with a wedding album?!
Your album gives your wedding photos a life beyond your phone or computer. Pull it out on your anniversary, flip through it on a random Tuesday, and someday use it to share your wedding day with your kids, grandkids, and all the people who weren't there to see it themselves.
Our wedding albums are handcrafted in the United States and made to last, so this isn't just something pretty for your coffee table right now. It's something you'll be able to pull out and enjoy for decades to come.
FOR ANNIVERSARIES & RANDOM TUESDAYS
Wedding AlbumS
Learn More About Our Albums
I deliver all of your engagement and wedding photographs in an online gallery which makes them easy to share with your family and friends! You will have the ability to order prints directly from the gallery! You can also download the low-resolution files (perfect for small prints and sharing on social media). I will send your USB with your high-resolution images and print release a few weeks after your gallery is live.
Online Gallery
one Last Thing...
Last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU for trusting us to be part of your wedding day! We’re so excited to celebrate with you and capture all the big moments, little moments, and everything in between.
Wedding planning can be a lot, so don't forget to actually enjoy this season, too. Take a break from the to-do lists every once in a while, spend some time together, and plan a wedding day that feels like you.
And remember, you don't have to figure everything out on your own! If you have questions or need help along the way, just send us an email.
