A G U I D E TO H AV I N G YO U R B E S T D AY E V E R
WELCOME! We’re so excited to w ork w i t h y ou on your wedd in g day ! Wedd i ngs are such a mea ningful t i me, f ul l of ac t i v i ty a nd so ma ny t hings goi ng on at onc e. Our fa vorite part of photographi ng wedd ings is ca tc hi ng t he beaut i f ul moments that tell the story of your day so you ca n rel ive t ho s e moments ov er and over a ga in a nd remember t he prec i ous vows you give to eac h ot her. Fol l ow i ng a re some t ips f or t he engagement session a nd wedd i ng day and al s o more in dept h d es c ri pt i ons of how w e work to ca pture beaut i f ul moments .
THE ENGAGEMENT SESSION Enga gement sessions a re a lw a ys i ncl uded i n w edding da y covera ge beca use t hey are an importa nt w a y for us to get to kno w each o t her before the w edding a nd for you to be co mf o r t abl e w ith ha ving your photos ta ken by us o n t he w edding da y. It ca n be a bit nerve w r acki ng t o ha ve photogra phers follow ing you a ro und al l day, a nd w e’ve found tha t our couples f eel s o much more rela xed w hen they’re a ble to w o r k w i t h us before the w edding da y on a short engagement shoot. P lus it’s a lw a ys nice to ha v e pho t o s o f the tw o of you a side from the weddi ng day. We ta ke a “ lifestyle” a pproa ch to our engagement sessions w ith the goa l of ma king pho t o s o f t he tw o of you intera cting together a nd s i mpl y bei ng yourselves together. T here a re of co ur s e s o me photos w ith you looking a t the ca mera and s mi l i ng, but for the most pa rt w e a re doc ument i ng an hour or tw o of you together a s you w o ul d be o n a da te. Our enga gement sessions a re as uni que a s the couples in them, a nd no tw o are t he s ame.
S O M E T I P S FOR A G REAT SESSION 1. We a r clo t h e s y ou fe e l b e au t ifu l an d c o mfo r t ab l e in. I f yo u l o v e w e a r in g a su it an d e ve n in g g o wn , g o for i t ! I f y o u ’ re m o re o f a je an s an d t - sh ir t k in d o f c ouple, t ha t ’s a w e s o m e t o o. Man y p e o p le c h o o se t o d o one form a l a n d o n e c a su al o u t fit t o o , always a g o o d o pt ion. 2. Choose a location that means something to your relationship i f po s s i b l e . P i ck in g a b e au t ifu l sp o t fo r t h e sak e o f h o w it looks is great too, but if possible try to incorporate a location that has m ea n in g , m a y b e a f ir st d at e sp o t o r wh e re yo u g o t e n g a ged. 3. Bring your fur kid(s) if you have them, they are always a wonderful add it io n t o a n e n g ag e me n t se ssio n an d are an imp orta nt par t o f y o u r l i v e s t o g e t h e r, so it ’s g re at t o h ave t h e m along. 4. Br id e , g e t y o u r m ak e u p an d h air d o n e p ro fe ssio n al ly for t he s h o o t . G ro o m , if yo u ’ re g o in g t o g e t a h airc u t ma ke s ure t o d o s o a t l east a we e k o r t wo b e fo re t h e shoot.
THE WEDDING Oh H a ppy Da y! Everyt hing you’re current ly p l anni ng f or w i l l c ome fa ster t ha n you t hink, a nd it wil l fly by in t he bl i nk of an ey e. O ur wedd ing photogra pher ga ve us t he best a dvic e w hen he tol d us t hat t he da y would pa ss quickly a nd we’d ha ve a hard t i me rememberi ng a nyt hing, so stop a nd look a round every so often to tak e i t al l i n. I tel l a l l my couples to do t he sa me, beca use it truly d oes go i nc red i bl y f as t. Luckily, we’re here to ca tch t he moments y ou’re i n as w el l as t he ones you a ren’t a round for. T here’s a lo t goi ng on duri ng a wedd ing in ma ny d ifferent spots, which is w hy w e al w ay s hav e 2 photogra phers so we ca n ma ke sure to give y ou a c ol l ec t i on of ima ges t ha t tel ls a ful l story of your wedd i ng day. We’v e been photogra phing wedd ings toget her for 10 y ears , s o w e hav e a system a nd a pproa ch t ha t flows sea mlessly t hroughout t he day. We somet imes ha ve a n a ssista nt a long wit h us to hel p us w i t h our ba gs a nd such, t hey a re a lwa ys a n amaz i ng treat f or us ! You’l l receive a n ema il a few weeks before t he w edd i ng w here y ou ca n fil l out your vendor na mes so we ca n sh are photos w i t h t hem a nd you ca n sha re a ny deta ils you don’t wa nt us to mi s s , t hi ngs l i k e a specia l ribbon included in your bouquet t hat w e need to get a photo of. If you ha ve a ny quest ions beyond wha t t his l it t l e magaz i ne addres s es , plea se don’t hesita te to ema il or ca l l me!
“FOR THE TWO OF US, HOME ISN’T A PLACE. IT IS A PERSON. AND WE A R E F I N A L LY H O M E . ” STEPHANIE PERKINS, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
TIPS FOR A STRESS FREE DAY 1. Hire a wedding planner! It may seem like it’s doable to pull your wedding day off with several months of planning, but the end result is that you’re the one in charge on the day you should be enjoying every moment without a care. This is the biggest, most complicated party you’ll ever throw, hiring someone with experience to run it is a decision you will never regret. 2. Pad your schedule with more time than you think you’ll need. We suggest ideal schedules to all of our couples ahead of the wedding day that will allow for the most relaxed day. We’ve been photographing weddings for 10 years, so we’ve seen quite a few smooth weddings and a whole lot of disasterous timelines that leave everyone stressed. We’ll guide you through the day and make sure you know where and when to be, but moving groups of people can be challenging and always takes more time than you think. 3. Hire the best wedding professionals you can and trust them. Experience is invaluable in this field, and it is worth every penny! 4. Put your bridesmaids and groomsmen to work. Give them duties to perform the day of such as making sure the getting ready room is neat and tidy so that your photos don’t have a lot of clutter in them, or coralling the rest of the attendants when it’s time for photos. A responsible and caring best man and maid/matron of honor is invaluable at a wedding, we appreciate them more than we could ever express! 5. Make sure you take time to eat and to be alone with each other during the day. The first look time is invaluable for this, keep reading for more on that.
THE FIRST LOOK T he m aj o r i t y o f o u r c o u p le s d o a “first look ” at th e ir weddings. T hi s i s a n a m a z in g w ay to h av e p le n ty of time for bea utiful por t r ai t s a n d s t i l l e n jo y c oc k tail h ou r with y ou r g u e sts. Couples o pt i ng n o t t o s e e e a c h oth e r b e fore h an d e n d u p missin g cockta il ho ur an d s o m e t im e s n e e d in g to le n g th e n it d e p e nding on ho w bi g t h e ir v e n u e i s or h ow man y loc ation s th e y want to use. We appro a c h f ir s t l o o k s a little d iffe re n tly th an most p h oto gra phers, prefer r i n g t o s e t i t u p so y ou se e e ac h oth e r at the sa me t i m e r at h e r t h a n o n e comin g u p b e h in d th e oth e r. All of our co upl es w h o h a v e o p t e d to d o th e first look h av e said it w a s i nval uab le t o t h e m e n j o y in g th e ir d ay an d b e in g ab le to ha ve a rel axe d s c h e d u l e w h ile still g e ttin g th e p ortraits they w a nt. We rec o m m e n d s c h e d u lin g at le ast an h ou r an d a h alf for a ll por t r ai t s i n c l u d in g t h e f irst look , p h otos of th e two of y ou, fa mily phot os , a n d b r id a l p a r ty p h otos. K e e p in min d th at if there is wal ki ng o r d r iv i n g t o d iffe re n t loc ation s in v olv e d , th e time ma y need t o b e l o n g e r. Als o k e e p in min d th at mov in g g rou p s of people o ft en t a k e s m o re t im e th an y ou p lan for, so it’s alway s a dvisa ble t o l eave a b u ff e r. P o r traits are an imp ortan t an d irrepla cea ble par t o f y o u r w e d d in g d ay, mak e su re it’s a re lax in g an d enjoya ble t i m e t o g e t h e r w i t h e a c h oth e r an d y ou r c lose st frie n d s and fa mily! I f yo u wa n t t o s e e m o re e x amp le s of ou r first look c ou p le s, go to the website blog and look for the post with examples www.takenbysarah.com
SHOT LISTS AND CELL PHONES T here is so much w edding a dvice out there, i t can be di ff i cul t to know w ha t to follow, but 2 things a re w o r t h ment i o ni ng. H a ving a n “ unplugged” w edding ceremony i s al w ays a go o d idea a nd ha ving a shot list for us is never a go o d i dea.
“ TO LO V E AT A L L I S TO B E V U L N E R A B L E . LO V E ANYTHING AND YOUR HEART WILL BE WRUNG A N D P O S S I B LY B R O K E N . I F YO U WA N T T O M A K E S U R E O F K E E P I N G I T I N TA C T YO U M U S T G I V E IT TO NO ONE, NOT EVEN AN ANIMAL. WRAP IT C A R E F U L LY R O U N D W I T H H O B B I E S A N D L I T T L E LU X U R I E S ; AV O I D A L L E N TA N G L E M E N T S . LO C K IT UP SAFE IN THE CASKET OR COFFIN OF YOUR S E L F I S H N E S S . B U T I N T H AT C A S K E T, S A F E , D A R K , MOTIONLESS, AIRLESS, IT WILL CHANGE. IT WILL NOT BE BROKEN; IT WILL BECOME UNBREAKABLE, IMPENETRABLE, IRREDEEMABLE. TO LOVE IS TO BE V U L N E R A B L E .”
C.S. LEWIS, THE FOUR LOVES
Unplugged ceremonies simply mea n tha t you as k gues t s no t t o l et their phones be the ma in a ttra ction of your w eddi ng ceremo ny. T his is done usua lly in a va riety of w a ys such as o n t he i nvi t e, i n the progra m, w ith a n a nnouncement by the o ff i ci ant , o r w i t h a sign a t the entra nce of the ceremony. We’ve pho t o gr aphed pl ent y of w eddings w here guests w ith phones, ipads , and camer as are looking a t nothing but their devices, somet i mes even bl o cki ng our a bility to get shots like the bride coming do w n t he ai s l e, and genera lly being distra cting. You didn’t invite t hem t o yo ur w eddi ng so they ca n insta gra m it, you invited them t o be pres ent and celebra te this most w onderful of da ys w ith y o u. I n o ur t echno l o gy obsessed w orld, w e a ll need a little reminde r t o be mo re pres ent . Shot lists a re something tha t new bie photo gr apher s mi ght f i nd helpful...so long a s they a ren’t the ma in pho t o gr apher at t he event. T hey a re difficult to follow, very distra ct i ng f o r us , and j us t pla in ha r mful to our overa ll covera ge of the event . The o nl y s ho t list w e recommend is if you ha ve specia l co mbi nat i o ns o f f ami l y members you w a nt photogra phed during po r t r ai t t i me, o t her w i s e w e ha ve a tried a nd true for mula for ma ki ng s ure w e get al l your fa mily members photogra phed in a n eff i ci ent and f un w ay.
THE RECEPTION Recept i o n s a re a l o a d o f fu n , an d we work h ard to g e t th ose am az i ng d a n c i n g p h o t o s an d e motion p h otos of a b e au tiful s peech. T h i s i s w h e re t h ose fu n /fu n n y c an d id p h otos e v e ryone want s t a k e p l a c e ! T h i s i s wh e re all th ose mon th s of p lan n i ng fi nal l y c u lm i n a t e s i n t o t he b e st p arty y ou ’ v e e v e r b e e n to. We’ re o n o u r f e e t a l l d a y with ou t b re ak s, so we tak e th e oppor t u n it y w h ile e v e r y on e is e atin g to re st for a fe w minutes a nd recharg e , b e c a u s e n o b od y wan ts p h otos of th e mse lv e s e ating! We have a f e w re q u e s t s f o r th is time to e n su re th at we g iv e y ou the bes t re c e p t i o n c o v e r a g e p ossib le . M an y c ate re rs fe e l th e need to feed us a f t e r e v e r y o n e e lse h as e ate n , wh ic h is n o g ood since w e need t o b e f in i s h e d l o n g b e fore y ou an d th e g u e sts h av e ea ten so t hat we c a n g e t b a c k t o d oc u me n tin g e v e ry th in g . It’s imp o rta nt t o m ake s u re y o u r c a t e rer k n ows we n e e d to h av e ou r me a ls a t t he beg in n in g o f d in n e r time so we c an fin ish q u ic k ly. It’s a lso i m por t a n t t h a t t h e re ’s a d e sig n ate d sp ot in or n e ar th e re ception area fo r u s t o s it s o t h a t we are ab le to k e e p an e y e on things in cas e s o m e o n e w a n t s t o g iv e a sp on tan e ou s sp e e c h or th ere a re m om en t s w e re a l l y w a n t to c ap tu re for y ou . We ’ v e b e e n told to s i t i n co a t c l o s e t s a n d t o tally d iffe re n t floors th an th e re c eption, whi ch i s n o g o o d f o r u s k e e p in g an e y e on e v e ry th in g an d getting t hos e mo m e n t s t h a t m o ve re ally q u ic k ly. Lastly, y ou may hea r the t er m “v e n d o r m e a l ” in y ou r c ate re r me e tin g , an d c h an c e s a re t hey wi l l m e n t i o n i t a s a c ost sav e r. U n fortu an te ly, th is h as most oft en m e a n t t h a t w e ( lit e rally ) g e t a c ou p le of p ie c e s of white bread w i t h s o m e b a c o n on th e m with a b ag of c h ip s. We ’ ve found out t ha t v e n u e s h a v e c h arg e d u p to $ 4 0 to th e c ou p le for this, and t ha t d o e s n ’t m a k e u s v e ry h ap p y in more way s th an o ne! We res pectf u lly a s k t h a t w e are p u t on th e list with d in n e r g u ests fo r t he s im p l e re a s o n t hat we d e sp e rate ly n e e d to re c h arge a nd rej uven a t e d u r in g t h i s t i me of th e d ay in p re p aration to c a pture a l i vel y re c e p t io n .
W H AT T O E X P E C T A F TER THE WEDDI NG We usual ly post a pho t o o r t w o o n I n s t a g r a m @t ak enbysarah w hen w e g e t t h e m b a c k f ro m ou r film lab. You’ l l rec e i v e y o u r d i g i t a l p h o t o s wit hin 4 -6 w eek s of y o u r w e d d i n g , w i t h r a re e x c ept ions w hic h w e w o u l d l e t y o u k n o w about. For al bum s w e re c o mme n d l e t t i n g u s de sign t he spreads fo r y o u a n d c h o o s i n g t h e ph o tos so you get t ho s e s p re a d s a t t h e s a me t im e as your d igital d o w n l o a d , t h e n y o u c a n tw eak t he layouts if y o u ’ d l i k e a n d w e c a n ge t t he al bum ordere d a s q u i c k l y a s p o s s i b l e so you have it w it hin t h e f i r s t f e w mo n t h s o f be ing m arried along w i t h y o u r p r i n t s . We ’ v e found t his to be t he b e s t w a y f o r o u r c o u p l e s t o get t heir al bum s q u i c k l y, s i n c e i t c a n b e d iffic ul t and overw he l mi n g t o c h o o s e a l l t h e ph otos yourselves and ma n y c l i e n t s n e v e r e n d up ordering t h e i r a l b u ms a t a l l . S om et im es w e get a w e d d i n g p u b l i s h e d o n a we dd ing blog or m ag a z i n e a n d t h e y u s u a l l y l ike to hear from t he c o u p l e a b o u t t h e i r d a y. We’ l l em ail you if t h a t h a p p e n s , i t ’s a l w a y s very e x c i t i n g !
@ TA K E N B Y S A R A H W W W. TA K E N B Y S A R A H . CO M TA K E N B Y S A R A H @ G M A I L . CO M 315.436.5663