WEDDING PLANNING GUIDE
Hello! Thank you so much for booking your special day with me! I’m looking forward to getting to know you both. I have been doing photography since 2011 and photographed my first wedding in 2015. I have a lot of experience and helpful tips that I can’t wait to share with you.
Engagement Session Tips
I love photographing engagement sessions. This is where I get to meet you and your fiance! I get to see your personalities and the way you interact with each other. I know it’s a little nerve racking at first to be in front of the camera, but just be yourself. Soon enough, you will feel relaxed and we will be having a great time. I will pose you and have some fun prompts to make you look great in front of the camera. And if you have any ideas as well, let’s do them!
Time: For your engagement session plan on 1-1.5 hours shooting time. I usually plan on starting the session 1.5 to 2 hours before sunset depending on the location.
Location: I have location ideas that you can choose from or I am open to new ideas as well. I have a travel fee if the locations are outside of Utah county.
What to wear: You are welcome to wear 1-2 outfits. You could start your photo session wearing dressy clothes, and then change into more casual clothes (or vice versa). Most locations do not have a bathroom, so plan on changing in your car or bringing a blanket to change behind.
Tips on what to wear:
Choose comfortable clothes: If you’re not comfortable, it will be noticeable in the pictures. Choose clothes that will flatter and look best on you.
Wear something that compliments your personality: Make sure your clothes look like “you” and fits your style.
Coordinate your clothing with each other: Wear clothes that are the same level of “dressyness,” and wear similar shades that compliment each other.
Choose clothes to compliment your location and the time of year.
What NOT to wear:
Fluorescent Colors: Fluorescent colors (such as bright orange or red) tend to color cast on faces, necks and hair. When the shirt is so bright, it often also changes the color of the person standing next to them.
Big and bold graphic shirts, baseball hats, sunglasses.
Major changes with your hair and makeup: You want your engagement photos to reflect who you really are, and you want to be comfortable in your own skin.
If you are unsure what to wear, bring it all and I can help you decide!
Other tips:
-Please empty your pockets. You don’t want keys and phones to show through.
- Spit out your gum. It is hard to photoshop out gum showing through teeth.
- Please be on time! I want to make sure you get the best light for both of your outfits.
Formal Session Tips
This is why I do what I do. I absolutely love seeing you in your wedding attire. I love witnessing the groom seeing his bride for the first time. I love seeing the love you share for each other and being able to capture that.
Time: For your formal session plan on 1.5-2 hours shooting time. I usually plan on starting the session 2 hours before sunset depending on the location.
Location: You are welcome to pick 2 locations as long as they are 5-25 minutes within each other. If you are getting married in an LDS temple, consider going to a nearby nature location and ending at the temple. This will save time on the day of your wedding and you will get better lighting at the temple. I will send you a list of location ideas and am open to ideas as well.
What to wear: Obviously wear your wedding attire. Please be ready to start shooting at the time I set. If you need to change into your wedding dress, please get there early to change.
What to bring: Please bring your bouquet and both of your rings. If you are worried about your dress train getting dirty, you are welcome to bring a clear shower curtain. I will do my best to keep it clean, but know it might get a little dirty, but it will be worth it for the pictures! Bring your wedding shoes, but wear another pair to walk/hike in. Winter brides: Wear leggings, socks and boots to stay warm and bring a coat to wear in between shots.
You are welcome to bring helpers! Moms, sisters, friends- all are welcome to help fluff the dress, carry things, cheer you on.
Wedding Day Tips
It’s your big day! I can’t wait to be a part of it. Enjoy each moment together. Today is all about YOU!
Two weeks before your wedding day, I will send you a wedding questionnaire. This will let me know all the groupings you need photographed and what details at your reception that are the most important to you. At the end of the questionnaire, there will be a spot to fill out who all your wedding vendors are. Listing their instagram handle will help me so much so I can credit them for the amazing work they did at your wedding.
Here’s a few tips:
Getting Ready Photos:
If you want pictures of you and your groom getting ready, please have the bride’s room and groom’s room cleaned as best as you can, so you won’t see clutter in the back of your pictures or in the reflection of the mirror. I love getting photos of the details of the bride’s makeup and hair things, the dress on a hanger (without it being on yet), shoes, veil, etc. Then bridesmaids and mom helping zip up the dress, put on shoes and jewelry. Of the groom I like to get details of putting on the tie, cuff links, watch, boutonniere, etc.
Ceremony Photos:
I will capture every angle of the ceremony (as long as the venue permits), especially the moment when the groom sees the bride for the first time in her wedding dress. A few reminders: Tell your wedding guests to put their phones away (at least the guests who are in the aisle). Tell your wedding party to look pleasant and smile when walking down the aisle and to walk slowly and spread out from each other. If your father is walking you down the aisle, don’t forget to hug him before he hands you off to your groom. Have your maid of honor fluff your dress and take your bouquet. Then enjoy what your officiant tells you! After you say I do and kiss, then walk back down the aisle and at the end of the aisle give each other one more kiss!
Family and Friend Photos:
After the ceremony and after your guest congratulate you, it is time for family and friend pictures! I will do my best to gather everyone and get the photos done. It helps if you have a host or DJ help announce that pictures are about to happen. I will get the largest groups done first and then whittle it down to smaller groupings. I do families first and then the wedding party last. I’m flexible if this order needs to change. Depending on your family and friend sizes, this portion usually takes 45-60 minutes.
For LDS brides, after you come out of the temple and greet guests, I will take charge and lead everyone to the spot where we will take pictures. I will do the same order of groupings as mentioned above. Plan on 1.5-2 hours for family, friend and bride and groom pictures at the temple.
Bride and Groom Photos:
If we don’t do a formal session before or after the wedding, I’d like at least 45 minutes with you both. These are the most important pictures that you will hang in your house. So we will need time for them!
Detail Photos:
During your dinner or reception, while you are greeting your guests, I will take detail pictures of the decorations, food, cake, bouquet, rings, etc. If you want a flat lay photo of your invite, please remember to bring that!
Reception:
One of my biggest tips for the wedding day is to have a host or DJ– someone that has the itinerary and that will announce each event. This will help the night flow and not forget anything. This is also helpful so that you or I are not announcing each event.
Cake cutting: This is usually an event that is done earlier in the evening so that you can serve the cake to your guests. I will instruct you on what to do right before, but make sure to talk to each other if you are going to be nice or mean!
Dances: I prefer if the mother/son and daddy/daughter dances go before your first dance. Because– I can make sure to know where all the good angles are in the first two dances to make sure I’m prepared for the first dance.
Last Dance: This is something I’ve been seeing more often and I love it. While all of your guests are outside preparing for your send off, you can have a last dance with just the two of you (and I will be creeping in the background to take pictures). It’s such a sweet moment before you leave.
Send off: Whatever you do for your send off is great! I’ve seen sparklers (make sure to get the long sparklers so they last longer), bubbles, bubble wands, glow sticks, fiber optic wands, biodegradable confetti, rose petals, lavender, rice, ribbons. I will instruct you before you go out to go slow. Pause at the beginning, middle and the end to kiss, dip, cheer or whatever. Then once you are in the getaway car, give a wave to your guests and then kiss.
And that’s a wrap! Please let me know if you have any questions or need an itinerary outline idea!
