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WEDDING STYLING

TIMELINES GETTING READY FIRST LOOK PORTRAITS CEREMONY RECEPTION

Timelines

Planning the day

No two weddings are alike, but when it comes to planning your timeline, having an example to work from can help make scheduling your day less daunting. Here are a few example schedules that can be massaged to fit your day. We're here to help so be sure to let us know when you're ready to get started.

EXAMPLES

SIX HR

One Location // First Look

EIGHT HR

One Location

EIGHT HR

One Location // First Look

EIGHT HR

Two Locations

Getting Ready

The preparation part of your wedding day is when so many beautiful, quiet, and sentimental moments can happen. The best way to achieve equally soft and flattering light is to get ready in a space with big windows and neutral walls. Utilising one light source makes for beautiful natural skin tones in your images. It is not uncommon for us to turn off room lights to allow that beautiful, natural window light to fill the room. It’s simply the best!

If you opt to get ready in your hotel rooms, be on the look out for a bright and spacious room with simple, uncluttered scenery when choosing your hotel. Often times you can find an AirBnB near your venue that shares the aesthetic that you are going for that is affordable and provides more space to spread out.

Keep this in mind for both partners. Each one of you should have the opportunity to be in a space that allows you to comfortably prepare for your ceremony with flattering light. Setting each other up with a calming and roomy space will ensure that both of you walk down the aisle feeling great.

The Day Of

If you have a hair and makeup artist, we recommend that they set you up next to the window. It’s better light for both them and us.

Clutter is our quiet enemy. We’ll ask that your entourage help sweep the room for water bottles, empty glasses, and any other debris before we start snapping away, but it always helps to keep your bags and garb in a separate room or closet, if you can. Less clutter equals cleaner images.

We always plan to photograph your outfits on their own. Bringing along a different hanger than the one that is provided with your outfits, whether that’s a personalized or simple elevated hanger, keeps the attention on your clothing and gives it the styling it deserves in photos. If you like, we can bring one along for a different look, just let us know.

If you’re the more modest type, when it’s time for you to step in to your wedding clothes, we will give you some privacy until you’re most of the way in. Just capturing the final zips and buttons.

Before we send you off for your trip down the aisle, we like to take a moment to allow you to have some quiet reflection, take advantage of that great window light and capture a few portraits.

SMALL ITEMS AND DETAILS

Be sure to keep together items that you will want images of. Consider including sentimental items, thematic elements, jewelry, wedding paper items, etc. Getting ready is the perfect time of the day for us to photograph these.

Talk to your florist about leaving a few of their extra cuttings behind when they drop off your florals so they can be used in your detail images as well.

First Look

The first time you see your partner on your wedding day is often the most notable memory you carry with you from your wedding. For that reason, we would be silly not to recommend that you do a first look.

The most common refrain is that your day will fly by. By literally scheduling in time for you to slow down, breathe, and just be together you encourage an intimate, beautiful moment that you will always remember. There’s room for some sweet whispers, maybe a few tears, and a kiss on the cheek before you walk down the aisle in front of your closest friends and family members. If the jitters are proving to be a bit much, you may also consider exchanging your personal vows at this time to relieve a little bit of pressure.

By having a handful of extra minutes with you before the ceremony, it gives us the opportunity to take advantage of consistent light for group portraits—and gives everyone in those photos the ability to enjoy cocktail hour.

Plan for lighting to be ideal, just like you would the ceremony. If your first look will take place during peak sun hours, we will help you pick a space that can provide enough shade to avoid dark bags under eyes. Interesting backdrops are at the top of our list. If you know of one at or near your venue, make sure to bring it to our attention so we can work it into the scheduled portrait time.

Portraits

GROUP PORTRAITS

Group portraits are a classic representation of your closest friends and family. It’s important for us to capture them in the most efficient way possible. If you’re doing a first look, the best time to gather everyone for photos is also before the ceremony. Everyone is dressed and ready to go.

We typically start with family portraits, prioritizing the largest group first. We then work our way down in numbers and finish with the wedding party.

With consideration for time, we can also take these photos immediately following your ceremony. In both instances, it’s important that the family members you want to be included are notified ahead of time of where and when you want them to show up. That way we aren’t chasing Uncle Steve away from the party at cocktail hour.

COUPLE PORTRAITS

Similar to the first look, scheduling time for your couple portraits allows you to take a moment away from the hustle and bustle to check in with one another. There are two times during the day that we recommend; after ceremony and 30 minutes before sunset. We will take full advantage of any amount of time with you that we are given, but good images often take time. Consider giving your portraits some extra cushion time so that you can comfortably enjoy the time together.

Ceremony

Outdoor ceremonies are the bee’s knees. With an abundance of fresh air, natural light, and room to roam we are free to capture every angle.

The time of day plays a crucial role in capturing great images outside. Soft even light is the most flattering and is best found a couple hours prior to sunset. Avoid 10am–3pm if you can. This is when the sun is highest in the sky and creates those dark under-eye circles.

If you do need to work within those times, choose to have your ceremony in an interesting place (like under a tree) that can provide relief from the sun. Especially in the summer months, you’ll stay cooler and be less squinty.

UNPLUGGED

Encourage your family and friends to be present with you at your wedding. Choosing an unplugged ceremony means that you ask guests to refrain from using cell phones and cameras to take their own images. We understand it may be a challenge for everyone to comply. In this instance, we ask that guests simply stay in their seats. If anyone is taking photos from the aisle it will affect the photos we are able to take.

Reception

We’re getting to the end of your day and you’ve created a mood for your whole wedding. It’s important to continue this through your reception, and the lighting is just as, if not more important at this stage.

We always encourage using natural warm lights. String lights are a tasteful example of just that. They create a mood that cannot be replaced and it will look stellar in photos.

Our lighting setup is straight forward. We stay away from the tall light stands and soft boxes that might get in the way and instead utilize various techniques with on camera strobes and small video lights to capture the night’s essence.

When working with a DJ, we suggest caution when it comes to a couple areas. Avoid uplighting with bright red and orange colors as it will significantly affect skin tones in photos. Purples, blues, and greens also give off a color cast that can be unflattering (no one wants to be a Smurf!). Multicolored strobe lighting during the party portion of the reception is great when you want to dance like no one’s watching, but should be avoided during special moments of the evening as it can lead to colored splotches on you and your guests.

If at all possible, during your first dance or other important moments, we ask that you talk to your DJ about turning them off to simplify the lighting during those times. Feel free to fire them back up for your partner’s choreographed routine to their favorite Taylor Swift jam.

If you’re planning an exit, sparklers fit the bill. The tunnel they create will light your faces with a soft warm light. We recommend going for the longer sparklers to help ensure that everyone’s sparklers are still lit (and further away from you) as you make your way to the end.

Personal Touches

Receptions don’t have to just be about dancing. There are tons of ideas to make it interactive for you and your guests that are equally worthy of photo opportunities. A lantern release, signature cocktails, photo stand-ins, a guest quilt, a second-line jazz band exit, and a doughnut wall to put Willy Wonka to shame are all totally fun examples. Use this as a way to bring in fun elements that speak to your personalities. Don’t be afraid to make it your own.

This Styling Guide was written to give you a few tips to help plan for being in front of the camera, but it’s in no way a rule book. It’s just a few pointers to help guide you in the right direction to make sure you’re your most confident self.

When it gets right down to it, these are YOUR images. Make it personal, make it about you…and have fun—because you’re freaking in love!

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