This is your go-to place where you can find a ton of information to help you prep for your special day! From what to wear for your engagement session to the best lighting for your getting ready shots - this is the place where you can get all the deets! As always, shoot me an email if you have any additional questions!
Words cannot even express how honored I am to be a part of your wedding day. I know what a special time this is in your lives and I am beyond excited to be able to document everything from your engagement to your wedding.
I'm so excited for you!
SCHEDULING: If at all possible, I try to keep engagement sessions to weekdays as weekends are reserved for weddings. Sessions are typically 1.5 to 3 hours long depending on your vision for the shoot. For an outdoor setting, I typically start about two hours before sunset (or right around sunrise, if you prefer) for the best lighting. If you're thinking of a location that's typically more crowded (like the city), going early in the morning, during the week, is the best way to avoid crowds. I know that weekday timing can be a little difficult for people who have a busy work schedule, but keep in mind that the sun sets much later in the warmer months, so holding off until spring or summer might open up some options for you. Please note, I typically book engagement sessions very early on in the wedding planning process.
If you're planning on using these photos for your Save the Dates, I would recommend scheduling your session at least 6 months before your wedding.
LOCATIONS: I usually recommend picking a location that's special to you! For example, where you met or where you had your first date. If you have another idea or need some recommendations, let me know! I absolutely love traveling and photographing in new places. Travel fees may apply for certain locations, but please refer to your contract for travel fees and keep in mind that I am located in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ (07423).
engagement session planning
WHAT TO WEAR
1. I always recommend thinking about your outfits as if they're one big outfit. What I mean by that is think about how your colors and patterns work together. Try to stick to a similar color palette and avoid too many clashing patterns. If one of you has on a pattern, I would recommend the other stick to solid colors. Try to avoid clothing that has logos. Please be aware that intensive photoshop retouching is not included in your editing so please come to your session how you would like to be photographed! Editing that is included is light skin retouching, removal of small blemishes/stains if necessary, exposure and overall color of the images. Examples of things that will not be edited: chipped nail polish, roots, bra straps, body transformation of any kind, etc.
2. A cute pair of shoes can add so much to an outfit so don't be afraid to opt for some cute heels! But make sure to bring a comfortable pair of shoes for walking in between locations if you're not comfortable walking in heels. Please keep in mind that if we're in New York City, there's a good chance that white shoes can also get dirty.
WHAT TO WEAR
3 Please keep in mind that the way the gallery is delivered is the editing that's included! My style of photography is very natural, so I do not alter bodies and I typically ask that you arrive how you would like to be photographed. Examples of things that would be edited: blemishes, small stains, bruises. Examples of things that would be considered an additional request: bra straps, wrinkles on clothing, skin/body alterations. This applies to the wedding day as well!
4. Most importantly, make sure that you feel like you! Do you love getting dressed up? Go for it! Do you lounging around in jeans and a T? Do that too! I want these photos to feel like you so never feel like there's anything that you can't do! You can also feel free to bring an outfit change as well to get a bit of variety. Check out the board below for some inspiration!
CLICK ME
This session is really an opportunity for us all to get comfortable with each other without the stress of it being your wedding day. It's a celebration of your love and the start of your lives together. This is meant to reflect who you are so please don't hesitate to bring along anything that you think will help tell your story together. I am literally down for anything! Just let me know what you're thinking when I send over your engagement session questionnaire and we can start planning! Click through for more!
One tip that I can give you for this session is to just be present. I will be there coaching you along, giving you different prompts that will help you interact naturally with one another, but feel free to just do your thing and flirt with each other! I always tell my couples to think about us making a movie, rather than taking photos - always bringing movement into play. I know how awkward it can feel in front of the camera which is exactly why I'm there to tell you what to do, but if at any point you want to just grab each other and kiss each other - go for it! There are no rules!
I always try to give a ton of variety with my sessions, incorporating a mixture of fun, playful poses with classic, moody poses. I also love to incorporate some vintage, film edits into my galleries, so you'll receive some of those as well!
next >
The experience
NOW ONTO THE BIG DAY...
If your venue does not have an on-site getting ready suite, I would strongly recommend renting an airbnb or a hotel suite to ensure that there's enough room for hair and make up as well as portraits. Getting ready somewhere that has enough space for everyone and has nice natural light will make a HUGE difference in the outcome of your photos. It's also a good idea to choose a getting ready location that is close to your wedding location to avoid wasting part of your photography coverage on travel time.
1. location
next >
2. details
Details help tell the story of your day. Some people also use small details as a way to commemorate the people in their lives who may not be able to physically be there on the day of their wedding. Some suggested details to include are rings, jewelry, hair pieces, flowers, shoes, socks, cuff links, cologne/perfume, letters, pictures, gifts, cultural items, invitation suites, ring dishes/boxes, printed pieces, and any unique items you treasure! GATHER ALL OF YOUR DETAILS THE NIGHT BEFORE OR MORNING OF so that I can get started on them right away when I arrive. Ask your florist for a few loose florals to include in these shots as well - I'll get started on these right away when I arrive so if these florals are not there, I unfortunately won't be able to include them. I always arrive early, so it's a good idea to either get them the night before or have your florist drop them off first thing.
next >
3. timing
Staying on time for your getting ready photos is going to totally set the pace for the rest of the day. The number one tip I can give is to check in with me before giving a timeline to your hair and make up artists because if hair and make up runs late, it unfortunately delays the rest of the day. If you have a large number of people getting hair and make up done, it's a good idea to get multiple artists or start early so that things can move quickly. I'll help keep you on track for things and I always incorporate buffer time, but make sure to familiarize yourself and anyone getting ready with you the time that you all need to be ready by. Please also make sure that yourself and anyone who will be helping you get ready will not be last in line to get hair and make up done.
next >
Throughout your entire day, I try to use as much natural light as possible, with some fun, flash moments sprinkled in throughout the day. Having natural light available for your getting ready shots is so helpful because it tends to be more flattering and more accurately shows what everything really looks like. Try keeping the space next to the largest window clear if possible so that we have room to take your photos.
4. lighting
next >
getting ready
wedding day timelines
Sorry in advance, but I have A LOT to say about wedding day timelines! I want to start off this section by talking about first looks. For those of you who don't know, first looks are an intimate time for you and your partner to see each other privately before your wedding ceremony. I will never ever pressure you into doing a first look, but I also want to tell you about some of the benefits of doing one! First looks not only allow you to spend more time at the actual wedding, but they also allow for a much more intimate setting for you to see each other for the first time. Having a first look will also allow for more flexibility in your schedule for additional portraits and buffer time if something takes a little bit longer than expected on your day. Below are two sample timelines so you can see the difference between having a first look and not having one. Please keep in mind that these samples are based on weddings where everything is at one location for the entire day - yours may not look exactly like these:
12:30: Photographers arrive and get started on detail photos
1:15: Getting ready photos
2:15: First look
2:30: Couples photos
3:15: Partner 1 with party; Parter 2 with party
3:30: Full wedding party
3:45: Immediate family portraits
4:15: Couple hidden away
4:30: Guest Arrivals
5:00: Wedding Ceremony
5:30: Ceremony ends; cocktail hour starts
6:30: Guests head to reception
6:45 - 9:30: Reception coverage
2:00: Photographers arrive and get started on detail photos
2:45: Getting ready photos
3:45: Separate family photos
4:00: Separate wedding party photos
4:15: Couple hidden away
4:30: Guest Arrivals
5:00: Wedding Ceremony
5:30: Immediate family portraits
5:40: Full wedding party
5:50: Newlywed portraits (*note that you will be missing cocktail hour)
6:30: Guests head to reception
6:45 - 11:00: Reception coverage
As you can see from the samples above, having a first look gives you a lot more flexibility throughout the day without being rushed. During times of year when the sun sets earlier, it can also be really difficult to fit in enough portrait time after your ceremony which could result in some (or all) of your photos being taken indoors. The timeline without a first look also does not have really any buffer time so things can easily get really rushed if something takes longer than anticipated. There are a lot of factors that may change the way that these look - if you're ever unsure of what your own wedding day will look like with or without a first look, don't hesitate to reach out and ask!
If your ceremony and reception are at the same location, 8-9 hours is typically plenty of time to capture all of the special parts of your day. There are a number of factors that could require some additional time, such as if you're having your ceremony in a different location, getting ready in a different location that's far away, have a decent amount of travel between your ceremony and reception location or having a longer ceremony. If one of these applies to you, you'll most likely be looking at 9 or 10 hours in order to cover everything for the day. You can always add this time on later when we do your wedding timeline consultation. We can talk about what can realistically be fit into certain timeframes during your timeline consultation. Many couples choose to add on additional time just for the flexibility of not having to rush throughout the day. Here are a few tips to ensure that our coverage covers as much of your day as possible!
1. Try to keep travel between locations to a minimum. Even 20 minutes between locations can add on a lot of time and it can be time consuming trying to get everyone together and ready to go. If possible, getting ready at the venue makes the whole day a lot easier in many aspects, the biggest being that you don't have to worry about remembering to bring all of your items from location to location!
2. If you don't plan on having a first look, there are a few ways to ensure that you get some more photos! If your ceremony is in a different location than your reception, consider having a longer gap between your ceremony end time and cocktail hour start time. If you're at the same location for both, you can also check in with your venue to see if you can extend your cocktail hour. It's also helpful to get ready at a spacious location so that we can get as many of the wedding party and family photos done earlier in the day as possible.
3. Early on in the planning process, your hair and make up artists might ask you what time you need to be ready. If you're doing a first look, 4-5 hours before your ceremony start time is typically when hair and make up should be finishing up. If you're not doing a first look, 3-4 hours before your ceremony should be safe! There are a few things that could alter the time (first looks with parents, robe photos with your bridal party, etc.) that could alter that time, so please reach out if you get that question before we've started on your specific timeline.
with first look
without first look
YES!!! Your ceremony! This is why we're all here!
Here are a few tips to help your ceremony run smoothly:
1. If you have an arbor, altar or something that you're planning to stand in front of, ask your officiant to make sure that they're centered when they head up to the front. Once you head up there, position yourself based on where your officiant is standing. This will help ensure that things don't look uneven once you're both up there.
2. Take your time! Your mind will probably be racing, you might be biting your tongue to fight back tears, but just take a deep breath and enjoy these moments. When you have your first kiss, kiss a few times! When you walk down the aisle, take your time! Walk slow and throw those arms up! You're married!!! And when you get midway down the aisle, pause for another kiss! The sight of all of your guests smiling behind you is such an awesome shot.
3. I would HIGHLY suggest trying to have an unplugged ceremony for a number of reasons. For starters, when you're walking down the aisle or when you peek out at your guests, you want to be able to see their faces, right? This is one of the few times in your life that you'll have this many people that you love in one location, there to celebrate you - encourage them to be present for that and to trust me and your videographer (if you choose to have one) to capture everything for you. Also, people have a tendency to walk out into the aisle to take a photo and sometimes even block me from being able to get the shots that I need. Who wants that to happen?
PRO TIP: If you're considering doing an unplugged ceremony, ask your officiant to make an announcement at the start of your ceremony and have a sign somewhere in your ceremony space to let guests know! Click the link below for a great article that has some more tips and explains the benefits of having an unplugged ceremony! If you'd like some photos/videos taken on your phone, consider adding content creation to your collection.
Your ceremony!
CLICK ME
After your ceremony, it's time to party!!! Just a few more points about the rest of your day to help ensure that you have ample party time AND a kickass wedding gallery!
1. Newlywed Portraits: As you saw in the timelines above, there are a few times throughout the day where we might be taking some portraits of just you two. These times vary depending on the specifics of your day. I want you to have as much time as possible at your party, but I also went you to get a huge variety in images! I will never make you leave your party, but if you're open to it, leaving for 15 minutes or so around sunset or at nighttime can be seriously worth it for some incredible shots.
My absolute FAVORITE part of the day
NOW WE PARTY....
2. Reception Lighting: Natural lighting is always the most flattering for images. During receptions, I love experimenting between using flash and utilizing the ambient light in your space. I would recommend trying to avoid uplighting with crazy colors that may come along with your DJ's package. If you do opt for uplighting, sticking to white will give you the most flattering images! If you love color, it might be best to hold off on the colors until after your speeches and first dances. Lots of candles are also a really great way to add some romantic elements to your reception and naturally light the room up.
3. Phones: Unfortunately, I've seen phones ruin so many photos and it's such a bummer! I would recommend telling anyone who is giving a toast to write out their toasts on a piece of paper rather than reading off of their phone. It's also a good idea to ask your parents to stay off of their phones as much as possible. I promise, there will be other people there taking photos and videos of the exact same thing and you will absolutely LOVE seeing photos of your parents looking adoringly at you while you get married, have your first dance, dance with a parent - all of the fun moments that go by so quickly on a wedding day!
3. Vendors: Take a look at my list below and feel free to reach out about anyone who isn't listed here! I'm always working with new vendors and there are a ton of amazing people who may not be listed here.
next >
VENDORS
more info >
Your gallery comes with a store attached where you can order high quality prints and other products directly from there! Other product offerings include: framed pieces, canvas prints and greeting cards. All albums come with complimentary design!
