After discussing some engagement session tips last week, I wanted to touch on some wedding day tips and ideas!

1. First Look. Some of you may have heard of this, but the “First Look” is when the bride and groom decide to see each other before the wedding. They would get completely ready in separate locations then meet at the location of their choice for the “First Look”. The groom will have his back towards his bride as she walks towards him and turns him around to see her for the first time, and I will (subtly) be there to capture it all! This time allows for a romantic first look between the bride and groom and also allows for plenty of time for relaxed portraits before the wedding even begins! This way the bride and groom can go straight from the ceremony to the reception to enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests and never miss a beat. I understand “First Looks” are not for everyone, so that takes us to point number two…
2. Timeline. It is super important to have a timeline for your wedding day and for all of your vendors to have this timeline as well. Included in your timeline (if you are not doing the “First Look”) needs to be time in between the ceremony and reception for portraits of the family, the bridal party and the bride and groom! I typically ask for at least an hour and a half for this time to allow us to get all the shots we want to get. This is your one and only wedding day, you don’t want to feel rushed during this portrait time. The portrait time with my brides and grooms are my absolute favorite part of the day to photograph…the emotions are so authentic and beautiful!
3. Getting ready. Mmm another one of my favorite times of the day. I love hanging out with the bride and her bridesmaids giggling about the day as they are getting their hair and makeup done! There is just nothing like that excitement and anticipation! Some brides get ready at their house, some get ready at the church and some get ready in a hotel room. From personal experience and from experience as a photographer, getting ready in a hotel room is the most ideal situation. I loved spending the morning with my mom and bridesmaids getting ready in a hotel room, we felt luxurious! And who doesn’t want to feel that kind of special on their wedding day?! We had our hair stylist come to the hotel, and we didn’t have to worry about going here or there to get ready, everything was right there in the room. Believe it or not, it also makes for great pictures! The lighting of the big hotel windows and the clean white bedding makes for stunning bridal shots! And on top of everything else…it’s great when the bride and groom are both getting ready at the same hotel (but on separate floors, of course) so we can easily capture both of you guys getting ready and spending the morning with your bridal party!
4. Details. I love photographing the details of your day. From the handkerchief your great-grandmother gave you to your shoes and even the pretty little details at your reception site! Don’t be surprised if I take some of your details with me into another room for better lighting or even just to get out of your way. The details make up so much of the day and I want to be sure to capture all of them!

Here’s an example of a “First Look” taken by Katelyn James!

 

Last but not least, here are some awesome wedding blogs with even more awesome ideas:

Style Me Pretty

100 Layer Cake

Once Wed

Ruffled

Wedding Chicks

 And here are just a couple extra places to find some fun, uniques ideas for your wedding day!

Pinterest

Etsy

Paper Source

Oh So Beautiful Paper