KEEPING THE JOY B Y: A N D R E W + C H R I S S Y P H O T O G R A P H Y
TIPS FOR THE ENGAGED WWW.ANDREWANDCHRISSY.COM
THIS IS YOUR DAY Your mother thinks you should stick with the traditional ways. Your soon-to-be husband rolls his eyes because he doesn’t understand why you think “it” is so important. Your grandma wants a picture of you at the altar just like her photos. Someone dislikes your color scheme. the month you chose to get married and, oh wait, they dislike your fiancé as well. We have heard ALL OF IT! From our experience, JOY is almost always stolen from wedding days. Every family has their issues and we get it: though it is always a good thing to be surrounded by your family, it can also be overwhelming! We want to encourage you that this is IT. This is the day YOU celebrate that you found each other. This is the day you will always remember. Your one wedding day! This is such a joyous occasion and we are here to remind you to not let the “stuff” get in the way! Remember that the reason you are getting married is because you have found the one who makes your heart beat faster. You have found the one who is ready to take your hand and walk through life with you. That is something to celebrate! Put the opinions and naysayers aside and focus on all of the good things to come.When all is said and done and the wedding is over, you are left with ONLY each other. It will just be the two of you. The core. What matters. Your “us.” Stick to what you believe is “us” throughout your planning. Smile and push through when things get rough because this time in your life is so worth celebrating! THIS IS YOUR DAY!
FIVE WAYS TO HAVE A STRESS-FREE WEDDING 1. TIMELINE We believe chasing TIME is the number one joy killer on a wedding day. Having a timeline that is padded with more than enough time will help you stay on track. Once you feel late it can be hard to stay calm. For example, if you think your hair takes an hour, be sure to put on the timeline that it takes an hour-and-a-half. If your drive is 15 minutes, then make sure you give yourself thirty minutes instead. If your photographer or planner doesn’t create a PDF or image for you of a timeline, then YOU can do it! Send it to your bridal party and family to help communicate clearly. Want to know another great tip? Set it as your lock screen on your phone so you can check it throughout the day. You can even have your bridal party members do this as well. Lastly, assign a groomsman and a bridesmaid to assist the two of you to stay on time. 2. VENDOR COORDINATION Introducing your vendors BEFORE your wedding day through e-mail is a huge help. This helps communicate your day clearly and get everyone on the same page so there are no surprises. This will give you another level of trust in your vendors knowing that they are all on the same page! 3. COMBAT THE “LIFE-SUCKERS” This might be a little straight forward, but we have seen it too many times to not say it. If there is a friend or family member who sets you off or can suck your joy, then assign someone to protect you. Yup! Make sure there is someone there to stop conversations, say your busy or that you want to be alone, etc. This is your day and you deserve to enjoy it and not have the joy sucked out of it!
4. DAY RUINERS We have seen so many weddings were there is a drunk DJ that completely messes up the timeline and starts an hour late. There could be a lack of coordination for the ceremony and lots of mishaps causing the ceremony to go longer than planned. We believe making sure your PHOTOGRAPHER, DJ, and CEREMONY are taken care of and organized is crucial. These are the biggest three areas that can ruin or make your day. A photographer who isn’t organized and takes too long could make you late to your reception and keep your guests waiting. A photographer that you aren’t completely sure knows how to get the images you want can cause you to stress. Lack of coordination during a ceremony can cause confusion and a longer ceremony. A DJ could drag your event and cause people to want to leave. Making sure your photographers are thorough and organized is huge, and not just the style or “look” you want. Making sure someone is there to help your ceremony run smooth will make a big difference. You should pick a professional DJ who won’t drink on the job, and who prides themselves in moving things forward. They should desire to follow a timeline that will give you the peace you need to enjoy the night and not worry about what’s next. Never skimp on these three areas for a stressfree day. Hire the vendors you know you can trust the MOST so that you can be hands off on your day! 5. BE YOU It can be so easy to let parents and friends influence your decisions about your wedding. Stay true to the two of you and you will be so much more relaxed and comfortable on your day!
LET GO We know every couple has an idea of how they want their and that’s great. When the day comes and everything is in its place as best as possible... LET GO from there. Some things just can’t be changed, but it’s not going to matter in the end! Letting go of that perfect vision will help minimize the stress when little things happen. Trust others to handle your day. If YOU feel like there is a vendor you CAN’T let go and trust completely you may want to re-think hiring them. Always select the vendors you feel you can be the most HANDS OFF! Have a drink before things get going to take off the edge and try to take a deep breath and relax. Again, remember what matters! YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED! Never allow something to steal that excitement, just let go!
WHAT TO WEAR FOR ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS
1. WEAR WHAT IS YOU You want to feel like yourself in your pictures. If you are uncomfortable or not being totally YOU, it will show! So, are you more laid back, sporty, whimsical, urban? Dress how most people you know would describe you. 2. COMFORT Of course, you want to have some style to your outfit, but the most important is comfort. You want something you can move around in and relax. An outift that is uncomfortable can totally change the look of your photos. 3. NO MATCHY-MATCHY Never get caught in the trap of wearing one color or even two colors. Add different patters, textures, and colors; the camera loves color. Never be afraid to go too bold! 4. ACCESSORIZE For girls, we always say to layer your clothing and to add accessories. An outfit that has finishing touches goes a long way! Guys, be mindful of shoes! 5. SPECIAL ELEMENT Add a special prop or something meaninful to your session. This can be hats, umbrellas, your dog, etc. (This may not apply to everyone) 6. OUTFIT CHANGE We always recommend two outfits to capture two different styles. This is really important if it is a themed session like “UP” or vintage, black-tie, etc. You may want a more traditional outfit for photos as well.
HOW TO PICK A PHOTOGRAPHER
1. TIME Photographers who have been in the industry long enough know that you can’t show up on the wedding day without a timeline in place! A photographer who shows up without a plan usually causes you to feel chaotic, behind on time, and arriving late to your reception. Some may even miss the sunlight and have underexposed photos. A great photographer will have a timeline meeting with you, ask for a family formal photo list, and more. Many of our brides thank us after the timeline meeting because they see their day organized right in front of them. It brings peace of mind and creates clear communication. This is a huge factor that is missed when picking a photographer. Be sure whoever you hire is willing to organize your day, that they are aware of the sunset, and will create a solid plan. Ask if they send out questionnaires and how they learn more about your day.
2. CONFIDENCE Running around during wedding making sure your photographer didn’t forget something is not how you want to spend your day. A great photographer will know exactly how the day goes and will find the time to figure out what is important to you. If you lack confidence in your photographer, it could cause a bad attitude and lack of focus on what is important. You should be able to be ALL HANDS OFF with your photographer and completely trust that they were the perfect fit for your day. 3. PERSONALITY I wish I could say this from the top of the world: your photographers can be your friends OR they can be that guy that shows up on your wedding day that you somehow have to try and smile “for real.” If your personality clashes with your photographer, you will look uncomfortable and lost in your pictures. We believe every couple deserves to have authentic images and that a photographer is key in producing that. Andrew and I believe by choosing clients that have personalities that click with us, we are guaranteeing authentic images on their day. Why? Because we like them and they like us. We meet at the consult, then the timeline meeting, date nights, the rehearsal, and even other events. By the time their wedding day rolls around we know what makes them laugh, cry, and what their heart is after. Our presence on their wedding day doesn’t interrupt or annoy them, but rather compliments them. This is key in getting those relaxed and real images! Not to mention.. you get new friends!
4. PRICE “What are your prices?” It is so easy to price shop when you know you want to stay within your budget. I struggle with this myself. I always buy cheap dress clothes, $10-$30 an article. Guess what? Every year, I have to buy new clothes. The buttons fall off or they rip. If I would just buy the expensive clothes that LAST longer I would save myself the frustration. Photography is kind of the same. You always get what you pay for. So, there is a photographer you love that you know you could completely trust on your wedding day and you would feel like you won something by getting them. THEN …(dun dun dun) there is a photographer that you kind-of like their work, it’s not bad, and they fit your budget. Inside your heart you want to tell them twenty things they need to do because you are worried. You don’t get all the butterflies when you talk to them and you feel like you have to settle because of price. Can I tell you something? Some of the things we budget for in weddings are just not as lasting and important as photography. Like my cheap shirts that fall apart.. Photography is something that should last forever. You don’t want to look back at your images in twenty years and notice work that was mediocre and trendy for that time. You also don’t want to look at your photos and think about all the awful memories from your photographer making you late, etc. You want to look at them and think of the REAL moments and how it is true to time because it is YOU. Timeless photography is worth investing in. More than adding those extra flowers, details, lights, favors, etc.. Those will fade, but your pictures are the one thing you will have as an heirloom to pass down to your grandchildren. Besides all of that, you deserve awesome pictures and feel like you have won something. Select the photographer that makes you feel that way. Although it is different for everyone, be true to yourself.
FL ORIST
Prema Designs rita@prema-designs.com http://prema-designs.com
STRESS-FREE VENDOR RECS
Hunters Florist https://www.huntersflorist.com Hilliard Floral Design www.hilliardfloraldesign.com
CAKE ARTIS T
Flour Pot Cakes https://www.facebook.com/The-Flour-Pot- Cakes Cakes Creatively by Crystal http://cakescreativelybycrystal.com
DJ
614 Sound https://www.facebook.com/ 614sound
INVITAT ION S
Cheer Up Press http://www.cheeruppress.com
WEDDIN G PLAN N ER Perfectly Planned http://www.perfectlyplanned events.org Wedded Perfection http://weddedperfection.com
H O NES T • TIMELES S • BO L D
We are Andrew + Chrissy, a husband and wife team that specializes in wedding photography. Our goal is not only taking amazing photos that capture the REAL story to be told, but also come alongside our couples and assist them. We call ourselves joy-protectors, secret wedding planners, stress-removers, or just people who care! For more information about our wedding photography services, our contact information is below. You already have a photographer? No worries! Our website is full of free resources for engaged couples. We would love to meet you over there so stop in and say hello! INVESTMENT STARTING AT $2595 WWW.ANDREWANDCHRISSY.COM FACEBOOK + INSTAGRAM @ANDREWANDCHRISSY
© 2018 ANDREW + CHRISSY PHOTOGRAPHY