A Wedding Planning Quickie – Give Yourself Enough Time

The biggest wedding planning mistake I see brides make is not having enough time to get those swoon worthy images.  When mapping out your wedding day, draw up a timeline and ask your wedding photographer if you realistically can do all the things you want to do.  Chances are if you hired a season pro, they’ll be able to tell you right away if your expectations are realistic, and if they’re not, they can work with you to come up a solution that works.

If the timing of things is tight, pick a closer photo location for your portraits.  Want photos at the salon and the getting ready room at the manor house; you might have to stretch your budget for an extra hour or two.  Want sunset photos on the rooftop over looking the city – plan ahead for it!

The most important thing to remember is that photography is a process and to get the best out of your images, you want to give your photographer time to take it all in and find inspiration! 

One of the worst things you can do on your wedding day is rush! You’ll spend countless hours planning your perfect wedding day, you should be able to relax and enjoy the day you worked so hard on! So be sure to give yourself enough time!

How To Prepare For Your Engagement Session

You’re engaged, crushing the plans for your dream wedding, and now is the perfect occasion to celebrate this exciting time with an engagement session. 

Not sure where to begin or how to prepare for your engagement session? Here are a few pointers from the other side of the lens.

Location, Location, Location

This can be the single biggest challenge of the whole planning process – you want these photos to be amazing, you might even use them for your save the dates, so you want to pick a location that really compliments you as a couple.

The best course of action is to pick a romantic location that is meaningful to you as a couple - Perhaps a favorite date-night location, the spot where he proposed or even just a place that you both really like. 

Are you both really into outdoor adventures, your favorite trail might be the best choice.  Prefer tapas and wine to running around the woods, a sophisticated downtown location would work best for you.

The most important thing is to NOT be a tourist.  Avoid landmarks and cliché locations and instead focus on a location that really speaks to who you and your fiancé are as a couple.  Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

What to wear

Some people are natural fashionistas, blessed with this innate ability to look amazing all the time – and then there is the rest of us, where the struggle with what to wear is real.

Whether you’re down with the latest in designer shoe trends or you prefer something a little more casual, here are some universal tips that can help up anyone’s fashion game.

1. Solid colors are your friend. Avoid wearing things with strips or patterns. (simple patterns are usually ok) They don’t often photograph well and can be distracting to the viewer.  Instead, keep the silhouettes clean and colors simple and classic. 

2. Keep the accessories simple and to a minimum. 

■ For the guys, that means simple things like wearing your favorite watch or a simple, seasonal accessory like a scarf or slouchy hat.

■  For the ladies, stick with simple, coordinating pieces, and leave the handbag at home. If you’re planning on wearing jewelry (besides your engagement ring) keep it a simple piece like a necklace or bracelet.

3. Coordinate.  Pair similar items together in a complimentary way using your color palette as your starting point.  Mix and match colors across both your outfits to bring a cohesive feeling to what you both are wearing.

Get Involved!

Get involved with the planning process and include your photographer in on any ideas you have! Some of the best shoots I’ve ever been on have been where the couple is actively involved in the creative process and wants to collaborate on the shoot.

So don’t be afraid to share ideas, ask questions and get your hands dirty – after all, these are your photos.

Don’t Be Afraid To Play

Even with everything I just wrote the most important part of having a successful engagement session is to play. Yes, that’s right – goof off, play. Laugh, be silly, eat ice cream, and bring your playful A-game.

Engagement sessions are meant to be fun!  Most people haven’t had their photograph taken professionally since high school, so your engagement session is a fantastic opportunity to get to work with your photographer before your wedding day when there is zero pressure. So, don’t be afraid to laugh, tell each other silly jokes and enjoy the experience  - after all, these are just photographs with the person you love! 

4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Meeting with a Perspective Photographer

It’s full-on engagement season, which means a lot of newly engaged couples will be heading out to meet with perspective vendors to begin assembling their dream-team of weddings professionals - and one of those key vendors will be your photographer.

I’ve met with a lot of couples over the years and wanted to share four simple tips to help you get the most out of our meeting and to make sure that your potential photographer is a good fit for you!

So, here we go!

Tip #1

Be yourself!  Sounds kinda silly, but the best way to see if you jive with your perspective photographer is to show your personality! Your wedding photographer will have an all access pass to the most intimate moments on your wedding day and it’s really important that you feel comfortable with them. Unlike your other vendors, your wedding photographer will be with you all day, from before you get into your dress to while you’re having your first dance; and it’s important to choose a photographer that not only photographs in a style that you like, but that you’ll feel comfortable spending all day with.

Tip #2

Ask to see complete wedding galleries! Not all wedding photographers are created equal.  Some photographers take the most breathtakingly beautiful wedding portraits you’ll ever see – you know, the kind that you secretly gush over while looking at Pinterest, but that’s where their awesomeness may end.   It’s really important to see how your perspective photographer handles all facets of your wedding day, from getting ready to your ceremony through the reception.  There are lots of challenges to be faced when photographing a wedding and you’ll want to make sure that your potential photog has the requisite skill set to handle them.

Tip #3

Find the right photographer for you.  Love light and airy photographs? Or perhaps you dig more of a moody vibe.  Pick photographers that photograph in a style that you like and reach out to them.  Most wedding photographers can adapt to match a style of imagery that you like but honestly, you’d be better off going with a photographer who already shoots in that style.  They’re going to be the experts in that particular image-making methodology and you’re going to be much happier with the final result if you pick a photographer that does the work you love!

Tip #4

Be willing to stretch your budget. Weddings are expensive and even the simplest affair can have a relatively high-price tag so it’s really important to spend your hard-earned money wisely.  Every couple has a budget that they feel comfortable spending on putting their wedding together, but if you had to stretch your budget anywhere, do it on your photographer.  Your photographs will be the only thing that you actually take with you from your wedding day so you want to make sure that you’re going to love them.