The Wedding client faq
For all your burning questions.
Table of Contents
BEFORE THE CEREMONY
Great question! There’s definitely a few things that will ensure your coverage will go off without a hitch:
1. Ask a wedding party or family member to gather the details that you would like photographed (dress, shoes, veil, rings, perfume, cologne, jewelry, ties, boutonnieres, cuff links, invitation suite, etc) in one spot in your getting ready room so you won’t need to spend precious time trying to find them.
2. Ask your wedding party to help keep your getting ready room neat. Let’s be honest– most getting ready rooms are a little messy. And that’s absolutely fine, as your wedding will be a bit of a whirlwind and I want to authentically capture your wedding day, but it’s nice to have a relatively clean room!
3. Invest in an excellent makeup and hair artist. Hiring a talented MUAH for your wedding day will not only provide some well-earned pampering, but will make you feel and look like the best version of yourself on one of the biggest days of your life. I promise, a great MUAH will enhance your portraits and will add to the value of your wedding photography.
4. Have fun. Do everything you normally would do with your friends and family. I’ll capture all the laughter, happy tears, and the little moments that you may forget otherwise.
If you are planning to have hair and makeup done at your getting ready location, I typically suggest that you have me arrive when you are halfway done with your hair, which usually ends up being about an hour before either of you begin to get dressed. I partially use this time to connect with your closest friends and family so that when important events happen on your wedding day they’ll trust me to capture them at their most vulnerable. If a second photographer is included in your collection, she will typically begin coverage of your significant other at the same time as I begin.
First and foremost, you should feel comfortable in your skin on your wedding day. I’ve had couples that have opted to wear no makeup, or have decided to do their own hair and makeup, and I’ve had couples invest in hair and makeup artists. None of these options are wrong, but consider the following:
- I do limited facial retouching, so if you would be uncomfortable with any redness or zits showing in your photos, consider at the very least wearing concealer and/or foundation to even your complexion.
- If you do a trial before your wedding day, have someone photograph you in all types of light and at different angles. Take photos inside, both in natural and fluorescent lighting, and take photos outside, in the sun, in the shade, your profile, straight on, etc. You want to make sure you like how you look in all sorts of lighting conditions and at all angles!
Definitely! Make sure that everyone who needs to be in the photos knows when and where they should arrive, and I’ll bring them to our family portrait/wedding party portrait spot. And, if you have any family members/friends who tend to run late, ask them to arrive 10-15 minutes early just to make sure everyone is ready to go at the time planned!
the first look
The first look is a time set aside before the ceremony for the couple to see each other in private. While it’s not for everyone, I’ve found that it tends to not only be an emotional moment that photographs beautifully, but it allows you for a quiet, private moment to revel in the fact that you will soon be married! Many of my couples choose to do a first look so that they can do their portraits (and in certain circumstances their family and wedding party portraits) immediately after the first look so that they can enjoy the entirety of cocktail hour!
First looks are great for couples who:
- Do not mind breaking the superstition of seeing each other before the ceremony.
- Are worried they will be stressed and nervous until they see each other on the wedding day.
- Want to spend as much time as possible with friends and family during the cocktail hour.
- Want to have a private moment before their wedding is flooded with friends and family.
Set aside a minimum of twenty minutes. It can take up to 15 minutes to get everyone ready and in place for the first look. If you want to do most of your couples portraits afterwards, make sure to set aside more time- at minimum 30 minutes.
The ceremony
During an unplugged ceremony guests are asked to refrain from taking photos or using their cell phones so that they can be fully present during the wedding ceremony.
It’s up to you! Couples who have elected to do an unplugged ceremony have told me afterwards it was exhilarating to have their friends and families “in the moment” with them. You’ll have stunning photographs of your guests without screens/cameras blocking their faces, which is another benefit. And, by asking guests to put down their phones and cameras, you’ll ensure that guests will (most likely) not venture into the aisle or elsewhere that may disrupt your ceremony or wedding photos.
One of the drawbacks, of course, will be that you will not have photos of your ceremony taken by your guests. While I do think unplugged ceremonies offer a lot of benefits to everyone involved, I am happy with whatever choice you make.
While many do request in their wedding programs that their wedding will be unplugged, I find that guests will generally ignore such sentiments unless the officiant asks all guests to put away cell phones and cameras at the beginning of the ceremony.
This wonderful article on Offbeat Bride provides suggestions on what to write in invitations, programs, and what your officiant should say so all of your guests will understand your reasoning behind having an unplugged ceremony and (ideally!) be behind your decision.
Group Portraits
Most people assume that the prettiest, most scenic spot will be the best spot for group portraits, when in fact light matters more than anything else. I’ll need to use a location where I can either photograph everyone in open shade, or in a spot where I can backlight everyone. Both of these lighting scenarios are ideal because the light will be even and soft on everyone’s faces, resulting in pleasing portraits. Direct sunlight, or sunlight coming off from the side, can result in racoon eyes, awkward shadows, squinting and unflattering portraits. Ultimately, it’s best if you let me select the group portrait location so that I can ensure that everyone looks their best.
I suggest that you do no more than fifteen groupings (this is including family, wedding party, and other groupings). Sometimes couples opt to do more, sometimes less– it’s absolutely up to you. Groupings require about 3 minutes per portrait, so you’ll want to consider how much time you’d like to set aside for group portraits.
Every wedding is different, but here’s a great place to start should you be unsure as to what groupings you should consider for your wedding day:
- A & B with A’s immediate family
- A with A’s immediate family
- A & B with B’s immediate family
- B with B’s immediate family
- A & B with A & B’s immediate families
- A & B with A’s immediate family + grandparents
- A & B with B’s immediate family + grandparents
- A & B with A’s parents
- A & B with B’s parents.
- A & B with wedding party
- A with A’s wedding party
- B with B’s wedding party
3 minutes per grouping. While this may sound like a lot of time, I find that family portraits tend to run late for the following reasons:
- The ceremony starts and/or ends later than expected.
- Well-meaning guests may approach you after the ceremony when we need to begin family portraits, thus delaying the start of portrait time.
- Well-meaning individuals in the group portraits may wander off to greet a friend, grab a drink, or run to the bathroom when it is time for group portraits, thus throwing us off schedule.
By putting aside 3 minutes per grouping, we’ll be able to, in most scenarios, finish group portraits in the time allotted, and, in the best case scenario be ahead of schedule!
Do any of your family members wear transition glasses? If yes, and you want to see their eyes in family portraits, please talk to them prior to your wedding day to ask them to take their glasses off for portraits. If your family member doesn’t feel like themselves without their glasses (understandable!), they could buy another pair of frames and pop in clear lenses for portraits. I can bring this up on the day of during portraits, but it’s better to discuss beforehand so nobody feels awkward.
Couples Portraits
Thirty minutes is a great amount of time for us to get a variety of photos in one location. Couples sometimes opt for a little more time if they would like to travel to another location, or are hoping for more wedding portraits. Feel free to contact me with questions about your portraits and I can help you decide how much time you should set aside for the portraits you would like to create!
Well, you could do two things:
- Do a first look.
- Save some time at sunset (ideally during the 15 minutes prior to sunset) for 10-15 minutes of portraits. This is an excellent idea if your couples portraits do not fall during “golden hour” – i.e. the two hours of light right before sunset- which is very beautiful, flattering light. Usually, sunset happens either during dinner or after your wedding events, so it’s usually possible for you two to sneak out for 10-15 minutes. Contact me so we can pinpoint the best time to schedule sunset portraits!
It’ll be fine, I promise! We’ll discuss options if it appears the forecast isn’t looking promising, but I can create beautiful portraits regardless if we’re photographing inside or outside. So long as it isn’t a monsoon, we can still do a few portraits outside if you’re open to the idea. I always bring a pair of clear umbrellas just in case the weather takes a turn for the worse! If it appears that it may be raining during portraits, I’ll also scout out a good indoor location for family and wedding party portraits. Please, don’t worry too much about the potential for rain– it’ll be okay.
If it appears that it’ll stop raining later on in the day, we can always save some time to do some of your portraits outside, perhaps after you finish dinner.
cocktail hour
It depends. My second photographer (if your wedding coverage includes a second photographer) will usually stay with me to help me with family, wedding party, and couples portraits- by having her assist, we’ll get through portraits faster (and you’ll get back to your party sooner!), and having a second set of eyes helps to improve the quality of your portraits. If she’s not assisting or co-shooting couples portraits with me, she’s likely photographing your reception details if we were not able to photograph them prior to the ceremony. It’s rare that either of us do not have a chance to create some photos of cocktail hour, but you will have more coverage of cocktail hour if you do a first look, have an extended cocktail hour, and/or do some family portraits prior to the ceremony.
The reception
I do ask for a hot meal for both myself and my second photographer (if you package includes one) during the reception. I spend 6-10 hours of your wedding day on my feet, constantly moving around, and if I have the time I’ll try to drink a glass of water and eat an energy bar, but it’s not enough to keep me going for a full wedding. Having a meal at dinner will provide me with the energy to capture some amazing dance photos!
I’ve found that the best time for me and my second photographer to eat is when you two of you are eating, as I try to avoid taking photos of people eating. We’ll likely to finish around the same time you will, and one of us will follow you around and capture the hugs and happy conversations that the two of you are having with friends and family while other guests are finishing their meal. Venues/caterers will typically wait to feed vendors until all of your guests have been fed (and typically the rest of your wedding events will start very shortly after this, making it difficult to eat at this time of the night), so it is helpful if you request that I eat at the same time you do.
Uplighting is one of the easiest ways to transform a room, and will only enhance your photography coverage!
I do!
- When possible, try and have the toaster stand next to the two of you. That way, it’s easier to create a photo of the three of you together then if the toaster stands in the middle of the room, far away from you.
- If your centerpieces are tall, and if you’ll have one directly in front of the two of you, consider moving it during the toasts. I spend a lot of time photographing your reactions, and I want to be able to see them!
After the wedding
Here’s the general timeline. I promise to let you know when to expect your photos in an email I’ll send you immediately after your wedding.
Sneak Peek photo on Facebook and Instagram – Usually within 24-48 hours of the wedding.
Your gallery – Within 8-10 weeks of your wedding.
There may be times, due to illness, family emergency, and vacation where these general timelines may be delayed, but as a rule I like to finish my work quickly and efficiently so that you will have your wedding images to treasure shortly after your honeymoon.
My personal philosophy in regard to your wedding images is quality, not quantity. My goal is to provide you with a carefully curated set of images that effectively and beautifully tells the story of your wedding day, rather than providing you with a ton of images that may include awkward expressions, blinks, and misfires. The number of images you will receive will depends upon the length of your coverage, if you have selected a second photographer, the number of guests at your wedding, and the general nature of your wedding day. You can typically expect to see 50-70 photos per hour.
I carefully edit each image for exposure, white balance, contrast, and saturation. Images that I share on the blog and photos that you order for prints or images that will be placed in an album will receive a little more attention, and may also get some light skin retouching if it is needed. I’m happy to retouch additional images from the gallery for an additional $40 per image (a higher cost may be required if the retouching will require a lot of time to get it just right).
The gallery will remain open for at least one year, from which you can purchase prints, gallery wraps, and albums. Feel free to share it with friends and family– after all, I’m sure they’d love to see all of your wedding photos (and they’ll likely want to find the photos that they’re featured in)! It’s a great way for friends and family to purchase professional prints from your wedding, although of course you can always create prints for them with your own high resolution images.