Jcp wedding guide

photography Hiiii! I’m so excited to be working with you. Here’s a few tips and tricks I’ve come up with through the years to get you the most gorgeous photos possible and have a stress free wedding day because the last thing you want is to be stressing on your big day. You ready? Let’s go…

The first tip that I am going to give you is this…

GET ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS TAKEN I know, I know. Not everyone wants them, but they are the key to getting beautiful wedding photos. Why you ask?

1. We get to know each other better and can use that information to make your wedding photos “more you”.

2. You get a chance to see my shooting style and what it’s like to be in front of the camera, which will make it that much easier on your wedding day.

3. Engagement albums make really beautiful guest books and profile pictures.

4. And if it’s included in your package, why not?

Now with engagement photos people always ask the following: Q. When should we take them?

A. That is totally up to you and depends on the look you are going for, what you want done with the photos, and the time of year you want them done. If you are using them for save the dates you should do them about 8 months before your wedding. If you are doing them just for the above reasons then it really doesn’t matter how soon you have them done. Please note that engagement sessions are done midweek either 2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset as I keep the weekends open for weddings.

Q. Where should we go for them?

A. Think about what you’d like to do with the photos. If you plan to display in your living room, which is decorated with bright bold colors, a city scene can be a great backdrop. If you hate having all eyes on you, you might not want to shoot downtown, but would prefer an ocean setting or farm.

But don’t get too hung up on a spectacular background. The prettiest light will give us the best pictures—and you can find that in some of the most unexpected places: an abandoned parking garage, an old barn, an outdoor café. My favorite engagement sessions are the ones that show the personality of the couple. If you enjoy a night out, let’s shoot in your favorite bar. Pick a place that is different and unique and “you”.

If you want to do something fun and different but are stumped, let me know!

Carnivals, railroad tracks, ski mountains, sailing…I’ve got tons of ideas. Here is a fun blog post to read about making something out of nothing {CLICK HERE}. Here is another little fun video about engagement sessions {CLICK HERE}.

Travel is included for the first 30 miles of Boston, but an additional travel fee applies thereafter.

Q. What should we wear?

A. I have the best article for you to read about what to wear. It’s dead on in terms of accuracy. My biggest piece of advice? GO BY SOMETHING SUPER CUTE. You won’t regret it. {CLICK HERE}. I have also created a Pinterest board to help give some ideas. {CLICK HERE} Q. Can we bring a pet?

A. Go for it, as long as you have someone there to help with the animal. You won’t want your pet in EVERY photo so arrange for someone to come babysit!

A KICK ASS TIMELINE You probably picked me to photograph your wedding because you’ve seen some of the weddings I’ve shot and like my work, am I right? The key to getting those beautiful photos is to have a kick ass timeline that keeps the day running smoothly and stress levels low.

So what does a kick ass timeline look like? I typically ask for an hour and a half total for portraits. This assures a stress free/relaxed experience.

The timeline is by far the most important part of making or breaking good photos. The day of your wedding is pretty hectic.

Things are very rarely on time. Plan for everything to take longer than you think. If you’ve given yourself 20 minutes to travel from the ceremony to the reception, make it 30 instead. The more you plan for the unexpected, the less stressed you’ll feel on your big day.

If you want to have a stress-free day and you want to enjoy every second of it I strongly recommend doing a first look. I know some people are against it but this is HUGE in having enough time in your busy day. I have never had a couple say the regretted doing it, but I have had many couples say they wish they DID it. Here are reasons why.

1. Having extra time before the ceremony to capture amazing images of you and your fiancé is amazing. You will love the private and emotional photos of you seeing each other for the first time. It saves so much on stress and you get “real” emotion. And I promise, your groom will still be emotional when you walk down the aisle—twice as many tears makes two times better photos. I promise!

2. If you are doing both ceremony and reception at the same venue you are usually given an hour for photos. If things are running late you might only have 45 minutes. An hour, let alone 45 minutes is not enough time to do family, bridal party and bride & groom portraits.

3. By doing a first look you can do the wedding party portraits and bride & groom portraits before the ceremony even begins.

4. If your wedding is in the fall or winter, light might be gone by the time your photos are taken, which means they will all have to be done inside with flash.

5. You also get to enjoy your cocktail hour and go around and get photos with your guests. I have had so many people say they want photos with college friends and high school friends but after the cocktail hour it’s so hard to get everyone together. If you are at the cocktail hour you can just grab them and do it then. This also allows you to enjoy another aspect of your wedding.

Want to know more about first looks? Read a great blog post {HERE} Family photos are still done after the ceremony no matter what.

If you are getting married at a church we can make it work without a first look, even though I still recommend it. Just plan to have a larger gap between the end of your ceremony and the cocktail hour (I’m talking two hours, especially if you are having a receiving line). Receiving lines are the death of a kick ass timeline. People always say “we will make sure its quick”. Plan for them to take 45 minutes because every receiving line I have had to witness takes that long, some being over an hour!

GETTING READY 1. Ladies…I know you want to look your best at all times. Here is a huge tip on how to help that happen. When you are getting ready and getting your dress on I really believe that you can get some amazing photos. This is also typically where we do some of your bridal portraits. I highly recommend you get ready in a space where there is plenty of natural light. I know some girls want to get ready in their old bedroom, but if there is no light then the photos are not going to be as natural and flawless. You are better off getting ready in another room or even getting a hotel room.

2. Make sure that you have all details ready for me in a clean space. Have your invitations, jewelry, something borrowed, something blue, dress, shoes, etc. ready when I get there!

3. I HATE CLUTTER. The last thing you want is to be looking back at your photos saying “Man, what a disaster that place was”. I have been known to go in and make beds, clean up dishes, and re-arrange spaces to make sure that the space will look spotless in photographs. Or, a better tip: Put a bridesmaid in charge of making sure your room is nice and tidy.

4. Crowds. I know how it’s really important to have EVERYONE that you love with you the day of you wedding, but too many people can create stress and chaos and a late timeline. It’s best to only have your mother, father, and bridesmaids with you. You will see everyone else at the reception and get to visit there. Do yourself a favor and avoid all stress while getting ready.

5. Many people assume the bride should be the last to get her hair and makeup done… WRONG. The bride should never go last. Hair and makeup tends to run a bit late and the last thing we want is for the bride to be the one rushing. When I get there I can always grab some photos of the bride getting touch ups done if I miss the real deal. \ Whoever is helping the bride get dressed should get their hair done early on as well. I always suggest for my bride to tell hair and makeup that they need to be done an hour before they really need to be done. So if you need to start to get dressed at 2PM, tell them you need to be done at 1PM.

*I know you might think your timeline is too padded, but I guarantee, you will be so much happier having a few extra moments to relax with a mimosa in your had with your bridesmaids rather than being the bride who is rushed to get her photos done. Promise.

6.

CANDID / NATURAL PHOTOGRAPHS

So many people ask how I get such natural/candid photos. The real answer to that is that I don’t do anything. If you look up “candid” in the dictionary you will see that it means: open and sincere; unposed; honest. I can capture that, but I can’t create it. What I can create is a close relationship with my clients so that they are comfortable to open up and show their true emotion, which leads to those natural/candid photos. My goal is to get you guys to interact with each other not with me. I am just there to document it and help bring it out! My goal as a photographer is to have all photos be honest and

emotional, but it is up to you guys to trust me and open up to me. YES, I help find flattering light and place you in situations that will help make images beautiful but the rest is up to you. With family and bridal party stuff…that is different and I’ll pose you.

FAMILY PHOTOS If you are not doing a first look I make it mandatory that you only have immediate family (and grandparents) present for the family photos during the cocktail hour.

Once you start bringing aunts and uncles into the picture things get really complicated: people start to wonder, they start chatting, and our time disappears.

Getting everyone into a photo is tricky and takes much longer. I have seen so many hectic family photos that the bride and groom only end up with ten minutes for the two of them, which makes me so sad. Family photos can easily consume your entire cocktail hour if you incorporate extended family. If you are 100% against doing a first look and you cannot have over an hour cocktail hour here is what I suggest: 15 minutes for family, 15 minutes for bridal party and a half hour for bride and groom.

This rarely happens because things happen to run late at weddings, but its something to aim towards.

If you are doing a first look you are free to do whatever family photos you want to during the cocktail hour. TA DA!!!!!!!!!

My rule of thumb: Allow for five minutes for every group shot you want taken. It always takes a bit to round everyone up. A little tip could be to put a bridesmaid or friend who knows the families in charge and help me wrangle.

TRUST. The easiest way to get the best pictures possible is trust! I am a professional photographer and you have seen a good chunk of my work. I shoot close to 30 weddings a year and have seen a lot of stuff (good and bad). If you allow me to do my job and we communicate with each other I promise you that you will be happy with the outcome. It can show through in pictures if you don't feel comfortable. My goal with every wedding that I shoot is to make it my best. By the time your wedding comes I want you to be my friends not my clients. You trust your friends, right?

Trust me. I truly believe that everyone deserves the best wedding photos ever and I do my best to make that happen.

I can’t wait to capture what will be one of the most memorable days of your life. XO