The Wedding Guide by Pine & Sea Photography

the wedding guide by pine & sea photography

Welcome Hello you awesome bride and welcome! This is such an exciting time for you! I’m sure your mind is racing with all that needs to be planned. It’s all very exciting, but it can also be somewhat overwhelming. This is your day. The day might be perfect without a single hitch, or it might have a few hiccups, but you know what? That’s love. It’s messy and imperfect. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you’re in this together. My goal as a wedding photographer is to make this one aspect of the planning process simple. Photography is more than just images, it’s a real part of your day. Not only do you deserve beautiful images, you also deserve an amazing photographic experience. You deserve someone who treats your day with care and is genuinely just as excited as you are! I take this honor very seriously and I take on a limited number of weddings each year so that I can dedicate more time to my couples, be a resource when needed and ensure the quality of my work remains high. I’m thrilled you chose me to spend the day with you, and I can’t wait to celebrate with you! The goal of this guide is to help you plan your wedding day in a way that will allow me to provide you with the BEST experience possible. Since we’re official, the next step is to plan your engagement session (if applicable) and then start chatting about wedding day details as we get closer to your date! I’m beyond excited to be working with you!! Thank you for allowing me into your space, and this incredibly momentous occasion in your life.

table of contents

Engagement Session Intro

Engagement Prep Tips

Preparing Your Groom

Sample Timeline Breakdown

Getting Ready

Bridal Details & Tips

The First Look

Family Formals

5 Tips to a Stress-Free Wedding Day

Pro Tips

My Favorite Vendors

Your Online Gallery

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not there for me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m there for you: to document your love.

your engagement session During your engagement session, you’ll have the chance to get to know me, experience how I shoot and how I handle posing and lighting. This session will make a HUGE impact on how the wedding day flows. I’ll arrive on your wedding day already knowing how you two interact, what your best poses are and how to photograph you in a genuine way! What I will learn about you during your engagement session is invaluable! You will feel like such a pro on your big day because of the great practice you had during your engagement session, and that’s how it should be! The objective isn’t just to take pretty pictures. It’s to capture an exciting stage in your life, while spending time together. It’s very likely that the last time you got your picture taken“professionally” was for an awkward high school photo or for super-posed family portraits. I promise you, it will be nothing like that. So forget the photos, and focus on enjoying the evening! Honesty is mandatory. Vulnerability is encouraged. I can only capture your true dynamic if you allow me into your space. Remember how you interact when you’re alone, don’t hide it. Embrace both the goofy laughter and the quiet vulnerable moments. I will, of course, guide you through all this as we shoot, but I need you to meet me halfway and allow me into your intimacy. Embrace the environment! I don’t just mean the weather. I want you to embrace the rocks, the dirt, the paths less traveled, the wind messing up your hair, your dress getting dirty, and all the other spontaneous and “imperfect” elements. If it starts to rain, we’ll keep shooting and have fun with it! I want to keep it natural and honest, so just let go! Your engagement session can be scheduled anytime before your wedding day. I normally suggest booking it at least 3-6 months in advance. Because my weekends are filled with weddings, I recommend scheduling your engagement session on a weekday. Also, weekdays are generally less busy at popular photography spots in Los Angeles. I shoot engagements on weekday evenings, normally starting two hours before sunset for that gorgeous lighting!

engagement prep It’s always a little intimidating to have your picture taken .... even if it’s just a photo on an iPhone. We still want to look nice, make sure nothing is in our teeth and that our hair is behaving! I realize that preparing for your engagement session can be a little overwhelming. Here are some tips for outfits and accessories that will make the e-shoot preparation a little more manageable!

- Don’t try to MATCH...try to pick outfits and accessories that coordinate instead. If everyone wore the same exact color at their e-shoot, how boring would those images be? - Light and neutral colors complement my editing style well, but so do bold, jewel tones! I only recommend avoiding bright, reflective colors like bright red and coral. - Layering and accessorizing adds visual interest! Cardigans, scarves, bold necklaces and fun shoes are always welcome! - Most patterns are actually ok.... however, graphics are not favorable for portraits. If you’re wearing a pattern, make sure the pattern isn’t too small (pinstripes), overwhelming or distracting. - Travel light and empty your pockets! I want you to be as mobile as possible. Also, you don’t want to have key chains or phones showing through your pockets.

- Most often, couples like to have one casual, everyday outfit and then one outfit that is dressier! This will give your shoot two totally different “looks”. I recommend saving your favorite outfit for last! - Make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. Ladies, if you’re wearing a bodyhugging outfit, make sure you can’t see your undergarment lines. - BE ON TIME! The sun is only out for so long. The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot, and nobody wants that! - Clean your beautiful ring! I love to shoot a few rings shots while you change outfits! - Relax! You don’t have to be a pro at this! I’m going to help you along the way and it’s going to be a blast! Enjoy this time together, and make a date out of it! Plan dinner afterwards and celebrate!!

preparing your groom If you’re a bride that is a little anxious about how your groom is going to react to this whole “picture” thing, you’re not alone. I receive so many emails from brides who are worried that their groom won’t be into it and I have great news for you.... you both are more photogenic than you think! I am constantly surprising couples by discovering their hidden modeling skills and my most common response from my Pine & Sea Grooms is “That wasn’t as bad as I thought! It was actually fun”. Boom! Mission accomplished! When the groom says that taking pictures was FUN, I have done my job well! Your engagement session is supposed to be fun and relaxed, not forced or awkward. As you prepare for your shoot, there are a few things that you can do to help your groom know what to expect. First of all, I highly recommend sitting down with your guy and showing him 2-3 of your favorite engagement sessions that I have photographed. Spend some time together scrolling through a few blog posts, this will allow him to gauge what his expectations should be. I also recommend that you allow for plenty of time to get to your shoot. There is nothing worse than when a couple shows up late, and they have been arguing in the car. That is definitely going to put your groom in a bad mood. Last but not least, remember to have patience with him, and don’t assume that he’s not going to have a good time... I think you’ll be surprised how much you will both enjoy your session with me!

logistics - I like to photograph engagement sessions on weekday evenings because my weekends are usually dedicated to photographing weddings. - I love shooting at gorgeous locations and I have some favorite spots, so if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stuck on deciding where to shoot - let me know. I recommend two locations max for engagements. - I can do sunrise sessions if necessary. I require sunrise shoots for those who want to take portraits in crowded locations like the Griffith Observatory.

your wedding day

sample timeline The wedding day timeline makes a tremendous difference in the type of final images you will receive. Those romantic candid shots and real moments take time and cannot be rushed. The location and timing of your portraits also affect the feel of your pictures. In order to get those bright and warm images, you also need to keep natural light in mind. So as your vision begins to take shape, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll work together to ensure your wedding day timeline is structured in a way that ensures coverage of all the important aspects of your day!

DETAILS

1:00 pm 1:30 pm

GROOM PREP

2:00 pm 2:30 pm

BRIDAL PORTRAITS

FAMILY PORTRAITS

5:30 pm 9:00 pm

CEREMONY

4:30 pm 4:30 pm

RECEPTION

FIRST LOOK

2:45 pm 4:00 pm

COCKTAIL HOUR

BRIDE PREP

PHOTO SERVICE ENDS

A PP R OX I MAT E T I M ES: DETAILS: 30-45 MINUTES BRIDE GETTING READY:

60 MINUTES

GROOM GETTING READY: 15-20 MINUTES FIRST LOOK:

15-20 MINUTES

ROMANTICS: 30 MINUTES BRIDAL PARTY:

30-40 MINUTES

FAMILY FORMALS:

30-45 MINUTES

CEREMONY DETAILS:

15-30 MINUTES

RECEPTION DETAILS:

15-30 MINUTES

getting ready It’s the morning of your wedding! Hopefully all of the little details are taken care of and you’re relaxing with your best friends while your hair is being done. If certain items haven’t been checked off of the to-do list, it’s time to hand them over to someone else. Delegation is a key part of a stressfree wedding day. The rest of the day is going to be fast paced and filled with a lot of emotions! Take advantage of this down time! There are a few things to consider about the “getting ready” portion of the day. Do you want to put your dress on at the hotel/house, or at the venue? Do you want to share a “first look” with your dad or bridesmaids? What music do you want to play? Do you want to exchange gifts with your groom? If so, who would you like to deliver them? Or do you want to just enjoy your morning as simply as possible with your best friends? It’s totally up to you! A few other things to consider.... as you get ready to put your dress on, refrain from putting any jewelry on. I love shooting all of those final steps once you’re in your gown! Speaking of the gown, if your gown is on a plastic hanger, try to make a note to bring a wooden hanger along for picture sake. Keep reading along for more “getting ready” tips to help you prepare!

every little detail The whole day begins with the DETAILS! This is one of my favorite parts of the wedding day, because it allows me to prepare and get my creative side warmed up for the rest of the day! I photograph a bride’s details in a way that matches and showcases the style of the entire wedding day. So, in some ways, the details set the stage for the look of the whole wedding and I love having ample time to stylize, and shoot everything from the dress, to the jewelry, to grandma’s handkerchief! To the right, you’ll find a list of the most common details that I shoot. I ask brides to gather any details they have before I arrive so that I can walk in, say hello, give you a big hug and then begin with all the goodies!

W H AT T O B R I N G

invitation suite - 2 copies dress veil / hair pieces rings (all three) shoes bouquet & bout jewelry perfume borrowed & blue

PRO TIP

Keep a tidy room Stowing away all bags or trash in the background of your photos

fir st look

why it’s worth it

MOR E ALONE TIME: It’s no surprise that you will be surrounded by people on your wedding day, but you may be surprised to know that time with you and your new husband is pretty hard to come by. Of course you’ll have the romantic portrait time, but that time is maybe 20-30 minutes, so adding a First Look means that you’ll have even more time together - ALONE. MOR E PORTRAITS : You’re investing a lot into your wedding photography. With a first look, you’ll receive way more portraits of the two of you… and those are the images you will decorate your first home with! With a first look, you make the most out of this large investment and get the most for your money. LOO K ING FRES H: Because a first look is one of the first events of the day, you are both looking super fresh -- you just put on your dress, his suit doesn’t have mom’s makeup on the collar, your hair and makeup is absolute perfection and your flowers are fresh out of water! If you wait until the ceremony to see each other, it will be at least two hours before your bride and groom portraits because of ceremony time, family portraits and bridal party portraits. E NJ OY T HE SURP RIS E FREELY: You actually get to have intimate time on your wedding day with your man. Most brides don’t realize that when you come down the aisle and totally SHOCK him with your gorgeous-ness… he can’t even tell you how amazing you look. He can’t touch you, embrace you or even SPEAK to you. You have to wait until 30+ minutes later when the ceremony is over for him to react and tell you how amazing you look. EXTE ND YOUR DAY BY 3 HOURS: First Looks allow you to extend your wedding day. Normally the wedding day would start when you come down the aisle, then the ceremony would end, you would rush through portraits so that you’re not late for the introductions and then it’s reception time. With a first look, your wedding day is extended! Instead of being rushed for your bridal party portraits… you actually get to enjoy them and have fun hanging out with your BEST friends on your wedding day. You can even join cocktail hour and visit with your guests! DIMINISHES NERVES : You get rid of your nerves! I’d say more than half of my couples who have ultimately decided to do a first look, the grooms were not fans of it at first. However, because they have never experienced their wedding day before, they didn’t know how nerve racking it can be. I have testimonials from so many grooms who initially weren’t a fan of the first look... but afterwards admitted to being SO much more relaxed and ready for the ceremony!

“...one of my favorite moments of the entire wedding. The first look was that moment where I got to take a deep breath, relax, and fully realize that I was about to marry this beautiful woman.” - Daniel “It was nice to get some pictures beforehand and not fullon breakdown crying in the chapel. It also felt even more special because it was just the two of us, and I loved that we were able to share our excitement before the ceremony.” - Michael “For me, standing at the end of the aisle was going to be emotional and a big deal whether I saw Jackie before or not. You’ve got enough going on that seeing her before truly didn’t diminish anything about the ceremony, we both cried and freaked out anyways. But, now the ceremony is over, and we’re not worried about wrangling the kiddos or our families, we can just enjoy the rest of the day.” - Todd

tips 23

Average about 3 minutes per grouping Keep family formals to immediate family only Assign someone from both sides to help gather family

sample list for

family formals I absolutely love meeting my couple’s families on the wedding day! Family formals are normally my first interaction with them and so I love to have a game plan for this part of the day. One to two months before the wedding, you’ll receive a document from me that will ask you to list out the family formals you want me to capture. I do have to limit the family formal time in order to ensure that we have plenty of daylight for your romantic portraits. However, any large family group shots that we don’t accomplish during family formals, we can be sure to capture at the reception! Family formals typically take 30 minutes max following this sample list.

B&G with Bride’s Immediate Family (Parents + Siblings) B&G with Bride’s Grandparents B&G with Bride’s Parents Bride with her Parents Bride with Mom Bride with Dad B&G with Bride’s Siblings B&G with both sets of Parents B&G with Groom’s Immediate Family (Parents + Siblings) B&G with Groom’s Grandparents B&G with Groom’s Parents Groom with his Parents Groom with Mom Groom with Dad B&G with Groom’s Siblings

5 tips for a stress-free wedding 1 | BE STRATEGIC WITH SCHEDULING: Plan your wedding timeline around the BEST LIGHT of the day. One of the most influential pieces of your wedding day puzzle will be the wedding day timeline and allowing enough time for the things that matter to you. I work with all of my couples on an ideal timeline for ample portrait time based around their ceremony time. The time of the ceremony will direct how the day will lead. And always incorporate cushion time as everything tends to take much longer than you think! 2 | TRUST THE PROCESS: Vendors need your trust to do their best work. They want to do an amazing job for you. Trust them and allow them freedom to be creative. Ditch the Pinterest board. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Trust locations. Light and locations change from day to day and nothing kills creativity quicker than being asked to replicate someone’s work. 3 | COMMUNICATE CLEARLY: Need your grandma at the church early? Mom wants your photographer to take a picture of her with Uncle Bob? Who’s bringing the marriage license? Want your wedding party to hang around after the ceremony? Need your college buddies ready for a shot during cocktail hour? Tell them! Make sure you communicate the schedule clearly and that everyone who needs it has it (including vendors). 4 | DELEGATE, DELEGATE, DELEGATE: I don’t think anyone goes into their wedding day thinking... you know what I really want to do on my wedding day? Set everything up, worry about vendors, or stress out. It’s time to hand over everything to someone else - your planner, your MOH, anyone but you. You’ve worked SO hard for this day, it’s time for you to let it go and enjoy it. Relax. You’re marrying your freakin’ best friend!!! That is so rad and it is cause for a huge celebration. Take it all in. 5 | BE PRESENT: Pause, breathe, hold each others hands, and intentionally take in the moments. When I shoot portraits of my clients, I make sure it’s private and I tell them, “This isn’t just time for photos, this is a time for you to be fully present. To hug each other and feel the warmth, to look into each others eyes and lock that memory, to kiss like you’re 15 and never kissed before…” You get the idea. Throughout the day, set aside little breaks in your schedule where you can pull away from the party and just simply “be.” You won’t regret that time, I promise. I truly believe that wedding days are living, moving, breathing phenomenons. They are here and gone in the blink of an eye. It’s important to set yourself up for success and to ease any stress ahead of time so that as you float through your day you aren’t focused on the details or the flowers, not on the cake or the music, but you’re focused on the union, the marriage that is beginning. I want you to experience, not just plan a marriage more beautiful than your wedding day and if you put these five tips to work, you’ll be on your way to a stress free day! 25

pr o tips

MAKE IT YOUR OWN: It’s YOUR day, so design it around what’s important to you. Don’t worry too much about formalities. One thing I’ve noticed in the past couple of years is how my couples have done away with some of the traditional events in an effort to make more time to enjoy each other, their families and their guests. It’s not uncommon to see cake cutting, garter toss and bouquet tosses completely removed from timelines, or shared parent dances. I’ve had more than one bride actually get ready with her groom, until she puts on her dress to surprise him during their first look. So, feel free to do what you want! Looking back on my own day, I wish I’d taken this advice. GET READY IN THE SAME LOCATION: Whether it is at the wedding venue, or at one hotel, having both the bride and groom in the same location makes the whole morning run infinitely smoother AND makes it way easier for your photo/ video team to capture getting ready shots. Oftentimes, if the bride is getting ready in one location and the groom is a car ride away, the groom is usually left out of the morning coverage. BRIDE’S GETTING READY ROOM: The best getting ready rooms have a ton of natural light streaming through windows, have minimal decoration or distraction, and have white or neutral-colored walls. I always look for the best spots for this when I arrive. Sometimes if brides are getting hair and makeup done at a hotel, they opt to put their dress on at the venue when they arrive because they like the aesthetic better. It’s up to you and if you have any questions - please ask! How can you prepare? Ask your bridesmaids to stow away all bags and trash in the room so there aren’t any distractions in the background of your photos. KEEP ALL OF YOUR DETAILS TOGETHER: The first thing I do when I arrive is give you a big hug!! Then I start taking photos of your details invitation, accessories, etc (reference Page 20). You’ll save us both time on your wedding day if you keep all your details in one place. Put them in one box or bag in the corner of the room so I can grab and go! 27

ALTERNATIVELY, BRING YOUR DETAILS TO ME BEFOREHAND: If you have A LOT of details you’d like photographed, you’re welcome to bring them to my house before the big day. This allows me all the time I need to photograph your details and it is a huge time saver on your wedding day. Details can take hours! HAVE FLORALS DELIVERED TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACES: While most of the time the florals are delivered to the venue, consider having the personals delivered to your getting ready areas. This way bouquets and boutonnieres are on hand for photos. Also, bonus points if you ask your florist to include some scrap pieces that I can use for styling details! BRIDAL BOUQUET: I recommend making your bridal bouquet a big priority! When I’m photographing a wedding, if the bride has a gorgeous bouquet, I can make the entire day look like there were beautiful florals everywhere! I highly recommend getting your DREAM bouquet and investing less on the bridesmaids bouquets since they will not be photographed nearly as much! HAIR + MAKEUP: You probably have a very specific plan for your hair and makeup, but sometimes the weather has a different plan in store. If your day brings 20 mph winds or 101 degree heat, and you worry about having your hair down or your curls falling, be flexible and chat with your glam squad to possibly consider a style a bit more resilient to the weather conditions. CEREMONY LIGHTING: If you’re getting married outdoors at 12pm, the lighting will be extremely harsh. I suggest planning an outdoor ceremony two hours before sunset if you are having a First Look. If you are not interested in sharing a First Look, then I would suggest having your ceremony 3 hours before sunset to ensure that you have plenty of time for all of your portraits afterwards. GOLDEN HOUR: Don’t skip this magical sunset hour! Arrange your reception schedule around it and make these photos a priority. The light during this part of the evening is warm and sparkly and it only happens for about 30 minutes. Wedding planners tend to schedule sunset photos exactly AT sunset, but the magic happens about 30-45 minutes before the sun sets. I’d be happy to confirm what time we should dip out for those. BE ADVENTUROUS: Sometimes the best locations aren’t always the easiest behind the scenes. You might need to be open to going off property, or hop a fence and get your shoes dirty. I promise you though, the pictures and experience will be totally worth it! RECEPTION EXITS: If you’re planning a special exit and your photography coverage ends before your scheduled exit, consider planning a faux exit with your bridal party and a few family members! This is more common than you may think. This allows me to have more control over these shots and the party NEVER has to stop! Another fun option is do a reception ENTRANCE, so when you make your grand entrance, everyone surrounding you has bubbles, sparklers, ribbon wands, to welcome you into your party!

my favorite vendors

SHINDIG CHIC, shindigchiccreations.com FLORALS BY ISABELLE, floralsbyisabelle.com

FLORISTS

WILD MUSE FLORAL, wildmusefloral.com PENELOPE POTS, penelopepots.com GREEN LEAF DESIGNS, greenleafdesigns.com BRIGHT CRYSTAL, brightcrystal-wedding.com

HAIR & MAKEUP

BIJOUX BEAUTY, bijouxbeauty.biz VERONICA FENSEL, veronicafensel.com NICOL ARTISTRY, nicolartistry.com DESIGN VISAGE, designvisage.com DETAILS, DARLING, detailsdarling.com

DESIGN & C O O R D I N AT I O N

PINK SPARROW EVENTS, pinksparrowevents.com DEANNA NASH EVENTS, deannanashevents.com POP THE CHAMPAGNE, popthechampagneevents.com OVATION ENTERTAINMENT, ovationcelebrations.com

SKYLINE ENTERTAINMENT, skyline-entertainment.com VOX DJS, voxdjs.com EMMA LYNN CINEMA, emmalynncinema.com

VIDEOGRAPHY

AKROS MEDIA, akrosmedia.com LIGHT UP VIDEOS, lightupvideos.com TORRANCE BAKERY, torrancebakery.com

DESSERTS

GREAT DANE BAKING CO., greatdanebakingcompany.com SWEET AND SAUCY, sweetandsaucyshop.com HIGHTIME PHOTOBOOTH, hightimephotobooth.com

PHOTOBOOTHS

PIXEL PHOTOBOOTH, pixelphotobooth.com TRAVELING PHOTO BUS, travelingphotobus.com WOODENBOX PHOTOBOOTH, woodenboxphotobooth.com 30

your online gallery

Years ago you had to order prints of the images that you wanted to have forever. That isn’t how we work around here! I want you to have ALL of your memories in your possession forever and ever! I also want you to share your images freely and without any hesitation. This is why I deliver your images via an online gallery! This means that you don’t have to wait on a package in the mail, and you’ll have access to them wherever you are! I’ve listed some important information that will help you understand your online gallery and all that it can do on the next page! Enjoy! 31

AFTER THE BIG DAY:

how it works

Four to six weeks after your wedding day, you will receive an email from me with a link to your online gallery. There you will find all of your images will be fully edited and organized into the categories/events of the day. DOWNLOADING PHOTOS: You will be able to download your edited digital images directly from your online gallery! This process is very simple. All you have to do is click the download icon and you will be prompted to enter your download PIN number and email. If you opt to download the entire gallery, you will be notified via email when your entire download is ready. It takes a few minutes to prepare for hundreds of images to be downloaded! ORDERING PRINTS: You can actually order professional and affordable prints from within your online gallery and have them shipped directly to your house! Prints are printed in a professional lab to ensure color and contrast accuracy! You are more than welcome to print images on your own. However, I would avoid using printers like Walgreens, Walmart, Target and Costco. I cannot promise that your colors will print true-to-life if you choose to print at those stores. If you don’t print through your gallery, I recommend using Mpix.com or NationsPhotoLab.com! GALLERY EXPIRATION: Your gallery will expire after one year, so it is very important that you download the images and save them in multiple places for safe keeping! All of my collections include a USB loaded with all of the images as well. If you’d like to purchase USBs for family and/or friends, please let me know. SHARING, WATERMARKING & EDITING: You have the freedom to share your images in any way that you choose! These are your images, and I want you to love them so much that you can’t help but share them! I don’t believe that it is necessary to watermark my images. All I ask for is some type of credit whenever you use an image on social media! I only have ONE rule when it comes to what you can and cannot do with my work. I always encourage our clients not to re-edit their images, as it compromises the integrity of my art. Let me do that hard work! However, if you have an image or two that you want to print at a very large size and you find an imperfection, I will gladly perfect it! 32

Thank you!

Last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU for trusting me with your special day. I am so honored to be the one capturing your memories, and I cannot wait to celebrate alongside of you! Enjoy this season of planning but also remember that your MARRIAGE is more important than the wedding. The wedding will come and go in a matter of hours, but your marriage needs to stand the test of time. Continue to make time for one another, even with all that needs to get done. As you continue to plan, please feel free to contact me with ANY questions you may have along the way! I hope this guide has been helpful as you continue to plan and prepare for your wedding day! Love, Tracy 33