My Process for Wedding Photography
I can't wait to tell the story of your wedding day by capturing the big, tearful moments and the small, powerful details. I aim to balance the need to capture the important events, like cake cutting and first dances, while also watching for special moments, like grandma fixing a loose curl.
01. Wedding Check-In
I send this questionnaire about one month before your wedding. This will gather more information about what's most important to you on your wedding day so I can align my focus accordingly. It will also help me be prepared for any planned surprises or special details that you want me to capture.
02. Observation, not Orchestration
My style of photography doesn't take over and dictate your wedding day. I balance getting the must-have shots with observing and actively seeking the special in-between moments as well.
I use mostly natural light but will also use a flash if it's too dark. I try to avoid a lot of flashing lights when I take photos as it can be disorienting for guests and interrupts the moment.
03. "I'm so awkward in front of a camera!"
I love getting using creativity to facilitate moments. This can mean waiting for the perfect lighting and finding spots that have interesting composition. From there I give prompts to help you relax and feel more natural in front of the camera.
I don't do any edits that fundamentally alter the way someone looks, such as making someone appear slimmer or altering body features.
04. Timeline
They main thing for me is that I can only be in one place at a time. So if you want me to do getting ready photos of the bride, I likely won't be able to run over to where the groom is to do getting ready photos of him, unless they are very close together. If you want me to spend a lot of time doing detail shots of the venue, I will need that built in before the ceremony and reception. Otherwise, I always get detail shots during the event.
05. Guest requests during the wedding
During a wedding, I am often asked by guests to do family photos for them, without the bride and groom. While I understand that this is a special day where everyone is together and dressed up, I can only do this if there is free time in the schedule and I have finished the must-have photos for the bride and groom. I am also sometimes asked to find someone who is needed or go grab an item (like flowers, the veil, etc.). I usually do not have time for these requests if they require me to leave the main area to search for something because it can result in me missing shots.
06. When you'll get the photos
You'll get a 'Sneak Peak' with about 30-50 photos within 72 hours after the wedding. Then I will begin working on the rest of the photos in sections (Getting Ready, Ceremony, Dances, etc.) and will upload them to the same link as I finish that group of photos. You are guaranteed to get the photos within 30 days but it will likely be much sooner than that.
FAQ
Do you create a wedding timeline for us?
I approach each wedding as a blank canvas where I am capturing the flow of the day to create a visual story. I am an unobtrusive participant and don't want to dictate how your day should go. As such, I don't create wedding timelines. A lot of logistics and coordinating with various vendors go into creating a timeline and this is something either the couple, a wedding planner, or a wedding coordinator does.
I also don't move the timeline along during the wedding. If I am watching the clock and talking to people to get the next event to happen on time, I will miss shots. I have a documentary style of photography, which means that I follow along with the day as it unfolds. I capture moments as they happen, including getting those candid shots. I will have the timeline (if you provide one) on my phone so I'm ready for the big events. However, in order to capture the candids and special moments, I stay focused on the events, the guests, and the interactions instead of focusing on the clock.
What I've noticed with wedding timelines: give yourself enough time to breath in between events without stressing about the next upcoming 'thing'. If you're extroverted and want a lot of time built in to talk and dance with guests, give yourself time for that.
Ceremony times around 4 pm in the summer are extremely hot for the guests and tech equipment will overheat during this time. Make sure to wear sunscreen since I've had bridesmaids get sunburned during the ceremony and then are red for photos later on.
I'm a relative of the bride and groom. Can you do additional edits on the photos for me?
I occasionally get requests after I have delivered the album from extended family. These requests have ranged from asking me to make grandparents eyes appear bigger to photoshopping people in and out of family photos. My client is the person who signs my contract, which is usually the bride. Additional edits are not included in my contract. I include all of the 'use-able' photos in the gallery, which means that I delete duplicates and ones of people blinking, etc. There are not additional photos that I could go through and send to family.
What's a challenge you've seen with wedding photography?
One of the biggest things that I've heard from friends and family looking at their wedding galleries and as a wedding photographer is the challenge to balance what kind of photos the bride and groom want and what their families want. Before the wedding, the bride and groom have a pretty good idea about what they want and how they want me to focus my attention during the day.
After the event, sometimes parents are disappointed that there were not more family combinations done or more candid photos of Aunt Becky. This is something I like to work through before the wedding so there are expectations around what photos I need to capture and which ones might not happen. This has guided how I do my check-in questionnaire and the prior discussions I have with brides. I think it's important for the bride and groom to think about how much time they want to devote to photos that their parents and extended families want and how to set expectations ahead of time around that.
My check-in questionnaire asks how much time and how many family photo combinations you want done. This could be a great time to offer 2-3 family combinations for parents to pick out to guarantee their must-haves get done. I also ask which guests you would like me to focus on and take extra photos of, outside of the bride and groom. Perhaps there is an aging grandparent or a younger sibling that you want extra photos of. Knowing this information ahead of time helps me align the photos I take with everyone's expectations.
What does the 'Family Photo/ Wedding Party Photos' part of the day look like?
This is usually done immediately after the ceremony and before the reception, during cocktail hour. The amount of time you want to be away from your guests to complete these photos is dependent on the number of combinations you want done. Each family combination takes around 2 minutes to set up, depending on the family member's mobility, kids who don't want to be in the photo, or if a family member has wandered off.
30 minutes= 6-10 different combinations
45 minutes=15-22 different combinations
60 minutes= 20- 30 different combinations
Please check in with parents and extended family to see if there are any must-have family combination they want done. It is not included in the wedding contract for me to edit in or remove people from photos after the fact. If there are family combinations that you want done, please type up a list beforehand and assign someone to hold the list, help gather the people for each combination, and cross it off after the combination has been done. This is really helpful for me because I won't know everyone's names. The bride and groom often want to get back to their guests and the event so any help with making this process quick and efficient is appreciated. When making the list, I often do pictures with grandparents and little kids first so they can go sit down or run off and play.
If you don't want to type up a list and assign someone- that is perfectly fine! I will do in-the-moment combinations. This just may not align with everyone's expectations, including parents or extended family.
This is also the time that bridesmaids and groomsmen photos are usually done. If there is another time in your timeline when you want these photos done, we can plan for that. Some couples try to get these done before the ceremony, unless they want photos of the bride with the groomsmen and don't want anyone else to see the bride until after the ceremony.
I have inspiration photos. Can we re-create them?
I love to see what you're types of photos you're passionate about! In order to help me envision what you want, my guiding questions are:
How much time do you want to devote to getting this shot? Some photos that have an editorial look to them can take awhile to set up.
Do we need any props or special items for the photo? For example- the items needed for a champagne tower that you pour champagne on.
What do you like about the inspo photos? For example- Do they all have movement? Are they close-up or far away? Do you like the view in he background of the photos? Or the specific lighting (golden-hour, night-time with a flash)? Can this be achieved at your venue? Is there a wind-swept look to them (hair or fabric is blowing in the wind)? Is she being picked up a lot or are they laying down in the photos? Are these things that the groom is up for?
These help me nail down what it is you like about the photos so I can do my best to capture that at your venue.