Bridal Experience Guide
We can't wait to have you in front of our cameras soon!
Hey there and welcome, Bride-to-Be! We are so excited that you have chosen us to capture the moments of your special day. Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and we are touched that you’ve allowed us to be a part of it in such a big way.
We know that planning a wedding can be a stressful, often overwhelming time, so we want to make sure this one part of your day goes as smoothly as possible. Your wedding photographs will be a tangible portion of your day that you’ll be able to cherish forever. This guide is designed to help make that happen. With it, you’ll be better able to make decisions about your wedding day to ensure you receive the most amazing photographs possible.
The next steps for you are to read through this guide and then get in touch with us to schedule your engagement session. And don’t worry, we’ve got information in here to help you plan your engagement session, too! We’ll stay in touch in the months leading up to your wedding.
Welcome!
Hello there & welcome!
We are a husband and wife wedding photography team, and since we’ll be getting to know each other more over the coming months, we thought it would be great to introduce ourselves!
Our photography journey started several years ago when Brian decided to tag along with me to a wedding Shannon was photographing. Shannon handed him a camera on that day, and we’ve never looked back. Since then, we’ve photographed every single wedding we’ve booked together, and we’ve had the opportunity and pleasure to photograph countless weddings and engagement sessions.
We’ve been in love and married for 16 years now, and we have two beautiful children together. Shannon is known for being genuine, simple, down to earth, and a good listener. Brian loves being a father and feels that it encourages him to be a better influence and person overall. He’s a storyteller and has a charming sense of humor.
We’ve already started our legacy, and now we’re so excited to help you start yours.
about Shannon and Brian
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Our Photography Process
The great news is, since you’ve received this bridal guide, you’re well on your way through our photography process.
From here, your next step will be to get in touch with us to schedule your engagement session. After we’ve completed your engagement session, you’ll receive a follow up from us along with the photos from it!
Six months before your wedding, we’ll check in with you and see where you’re at in your planning process.
One month before your wedding, we’ll send over a wedding questionnaire to get more details about your special day. From then on, we’ll stay in consistent contact with you in the weeks leading up to the wedding.
After your wedding, we’ll follow up with you, and you’ll receive your beautiful wedding photos edited and completed within 7 weeks.
Your Engagement session
Now that we’re official, you can select your date for your engagement session! We include a complimentary engagement session in The Wedding Experience package because we truly believe that it makes your wedding day flow even smoother!
During your engagement session, you’ll get the chance to get to know us, and you’ll be able to get a feel for our own photography process. All of that means that by the time your wedding day rolls around, you’ll feel like a seasoned professional in front of the camera. Those nervous jitters of posing in front of a lens will be long gone.
On the opposite side, we’ll get to know you better, which means we’ll know how the two of you interact with one another. Knowing that will also help us photograph you in the most genuine way to really capture the raw passion you two have for one another. Come your wedding day, we’ll all quickly fall into the same smooth rhythm we found during your engagement session.
Your engagement session can be scheduled anytime before your wedding. We suggest scheduling it far enough in advance that you can use some of your new photos for your save-the-dates! Due to our own schedules, we book our engagement sessions on the weekends, typically in the evenings. We find that the best light for our style is found in the evening, generally about 2 hours before sunset.
Once you’ve booked your engagement session, and we have you on our calendar, you’ll want to start brainstorming locations. We suggest choosing a location that is special to you and your fiancé! We’re always here to help you decide if you need us, and we’ll give you some great location ideas later in this guide.
Your engagement session | How to prepare
We know it can be stressful to have your picture taken, especially if you’ve never really done it before. It’s only natural to be a little nervous before we have our first session together. To help you set those nerves aside, we’re giving you some quick tips to make sure your engagement session runs perfectly!
Be on time
To make sure your engagement session flows smoothly, and to get as many photos as possible, it’s crucial to be on time! This is especially important if you’ve chosen an outdoor, open-air environment. The natural lighting and that special golden hour moment moves quickly, so we’ll need as much time as possible.
Choose your outfit ahead of time
A lot of our clients love to choose a more casual outfit and a dressier outfit for their engagement session. No matter what you decide to do, plan and coordinate your outfits ahead of time!
Make sure you're comfortable
Always try on your outfits before your engagement session to make sure you’re completely comfortable in them. If you’re uncomfortable in a too-low top or a dress that fits more snug than you thought it would, that will translate in your photos. Find something that you feel comfortable and confident in!
Complement, don't match
Gone are the days when couples wore outfits with the same exact color palette. The matching look is definitely a thing of the past. Choose colors and patterns that coordinate and complement one another, rather than match identically. We promise, it will look so much better in your photos.
Make a statement
Don’t shy away from accessories, statement jewelry, or even big scarves. The camera loves anything that looks bold and “runway-esque,” and we’re certain you will love it, too!
Clean your ring
Remember to clean your ring before your engagement session. We alway sneak in a few detail photos during your session, and a sparkly ring makes for a much better photo than a dull, dirty one.
Empty your pockets
This one usually speaks more towards the groom-to-be, but it’s good for everyone to know! Empty out your pockets before the session starts. Believe it or not, you’ll notice in your photos if you have a wallet, cellphone, or keys in your pockets.
Relax!
Maybe this one is easier said than done, but it’s so important. Do your best to relax during your engagement session, as that will translate into your photos. We’re certain that once you get started, you’ll be able to relax even more!
engagement session styling
Planning for your wedding can already be stressful enough, and planning your outfits for your engagement session can add to that feeling of overwhelm. We want to make sure that your engagement session doesn’t add to that tension, though, which is why we’re giving you tips for styling your outfits for your session. We want to make this experience as easy as possible for you!
Don't be afraid to dress up
If you’ve ever thought about dressing up in a romantic gown or anything else that you always thought was too over the top, now’s the time to do it! There’s no such thing as “too dressed up” for your portrait session. So, go for the dress or the outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks because you’ll love it and the camera will, too!
Choose appropriate colors
When you’re choosing colors for your engagement session, we recommend going for softer, lighter colors that are muted in tone. Avoiding the ultra-bright, bold colors will help draw attention towards your face, instead of only your outfit. The softer, muted tones will look beautiful no matter what location you decide on.
Flatter your features
If you’re self-conscious about any part of your body, please know that you are not the only one. In our experience, every woman has a part of her body that she’s worried about. The key to handling that is to find outfits that flatter your features and that make you feel confident. Choosing flattering silhouettes, styles, and colors that compliment your features is the best way to ensure you’ll love your photos.
Bride-to-be
Find the best fit
In our experience, long fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are the most masculine and flattering outfits for men. They’ll help to draw attention to where you want it -- on his face. Choose clothes that are correctly fitted instead of loose and baggy.
Mix it up
Add visual interest and mix up the color palette by adding a sport coat, jacket, or blazer in a color that complements his pants and shirt. We always love this take on a classic, timeless look!
It's all in the details
For men, we love seeing the details. Feel free to bring a tie, a watch, pocket squares, colored socks, belts, vests, or any other sharp accessory. These all make for wonderful photos for your engagement session.
Groom-to-be
Engagement Session Times
Our favorite time to photograph engagement sessions is during the soft glow of “golden hour,” which always makes for beautiful photos. Our sessions typically last around 2 hours, as well, so that we can use all of the available light.
Your engagement session start time will depend heavily on the season in which your session takes place. Ultimately, plan on starting 2 hours before the sunset no matter what time of year your session is scheduled. However, we’ll always confirm with you before your engagement session takes place.
Engagement Session Locations
Unless you have a specific, special location in mind that is significant to you and your fiancé, deciding on where to do your engagement session can be somewhat of a challenge. After all, you want to make sure whatever you choose will look good in your photos!
The good news is that we can make just about anywhere look good in photos. As long as we have good lighting, your photos will look beautiful. We still understand that you want a great place for your backdrop, of course.
As we mentioned earlier, we’ll happily travel throughout the lower peninsula of Michigan for your specific location!
Some of our favorite locations include beaches around Lake Michigan and the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum. We’ve also had clients who chose a cityscape backdrop from on top of a parking garage, and even simple roads and streets close to home.
Preparing your fiance
Most men aren’t all that thrilled about spending 2 hours in front of a camera. They usually think that it’s going to be forced and awkward, instead of fun and relaxed. If you’re afraid your fiancé won’t be excited either, you’re not alone.
To get him ready for your engagement session, sit down with him and tell him why you chose us as your photographers. Show him a few of your favorite galleries and photographs we’ve done so he can see what to expect from your session. Be sure to explain to him how much this means to you. If he understands how important this is for you, we have no doubts he’ll be a team player!
Remind him, too, that we’ll coach both of you through everything. He doesn’t need to have any prior experience of being in front of a camera. We’ll take care of that for both of you!
Your wedding day
In the months and weeks leading up to your wedding, you’ll have to make plenty of choices to make sure your day is perfect for you.
Some of the decisions you’ll need to make can also directly impact your wedding day photography. Ultimately, we will absolutely work with any decision you make. However, we also want you to have all of the information available to make sure you receive the best possible photos from your wedding day.
In this section, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about your wedding photography!
Wedding day sample timeline
We know determining the timeline for your wedding day is one of the most stressful parts of wedding planning. With so many different vendors and moving parts, it’s easy for this aspect to become overwhelming. That’s why we’re giving you an example of what a wedding day timeline looks like with your photographers in mind! This sample will include a first look, and we’ll get to more information about that in just a bit. We’re also including time estimates so you can plan your wedding day accordingly, no matter what time your ceremony starts!
12:00 - Bride / Groom Details
We typically arrive when you are still getting ready. When we arrive, we’ll make introductions with your bridal party, and then we’ll get to work on your wedding day details. Your details are an important part of your entire wedding day, as they usually hold so much significance to you and your fiancé. We’ll take photos of your invitation suite, your jewelry, your shoes, your dress, and any other details. During this portion of the timeline, we’ll also snap photos of you and of the groom getting ready for the ceremony. For this part of your wedding day, we like to divide and conquer. Shannon will take photos of you and your bridesmaids, while Brian photographs your groom and groomsmen.
12:45 - Hair and Makeup Finished
At this point, your hair and makeup should be ready. We’ll get some final photos of you putting on the finishing touches for your makeup, like applying lipstick and mascara.
1:00 - Dress On / Final Touches
This is a big moment in your day! To make sure everyone looks great in the photos, we’ll ask that your mother and your bridesmaids be dressed and ready to help you put on your gown. Then we’ll capture photos of you putting on your dress and any jewelry or accessories you have. We’ll finish this portion of the day off with some bridal portraits.
1:30 - First Look / Bride and Groom Portraits
We’ll scout out the perfect location for your first look ahead of time, so you don’t need to worry about it! We’ll make sure it’s private and secluded, and we’ll also make sure that no one is peeking so you’ll have an intimate moment to yourselves. After your first look, we’ll go ahead and take initial bride and groom portraits.
2:30 - Wedding Party
After your portraits, your bridal party can make their way to us for wedding party portraits. To save time during your wedding timeline, have your groomsmen attach their boutonnieres before wedding party portraits start. We’ll take photos of the bridesmaids and groomsmen separately and together to add variety to your wedding day gallery!
3:00 - Break, freshen up for ceremony / Reception details
30 minutes before the ceremony starts, we’ll take a break so you can freshen up and get into your hiding spot. During that time, we’ll start on reception details while they’re untouched and perfectly in place. If your ceremony and reception venues are in separate locations, we recommend including a cocktail hour outside of the main reception area, so that we can allow time for us to photograph the details before your guests start getting settled.
4:00 - 4:30 Ceremony
4:00 - Ceremony Begins
Wedding time is here!
4:30 - Ceremony Ends
Most ceremonies are 30 minutes long, but if yours is longer, we’ll adjust the timeline accordingly.
4:40 - Family Portraits
The best way to make sure family portraits run smoothly is to let all of your family members who will have their portrait taken with you know this ahead of time. Make sure they are well aware of when they will be needed for family portraits so nobody has to chase anyone down. We also recommend sticking to the suggested family portrait shot list. If there’s anybody else you’d like your photo taken with, we can do that during the reception!
4:55 - Additional Bride and Groom Portraits
We’ll take all of the time you’ll allow us to take “just married” portraits of you and your new husband!
5:30 - Reception Begins
We’ll already be set up and ready to go by the time your reception begins. During the reception, we’ll do any extra family portraits you want to have done. We’ll also sneak you off to do our signature portraits which include off-camera lighting. These are definitely some of our favorites to do so you’ll have some stunning, dramatic portraits in your wedding photography gallery.
8:30 - Grand Exit
If you’re planning on having a sparkler exit, fireworks, confetti, bubbles, or anything else, we’ll be there to capture it. Our wedding day package includes 10 hours of coverage, so depending on when you’re planning to leave your reception, we can plan on doing the full grand exit or a faux exit beforehand!
Approximate Times:
Wedding Day Details & Bride and Groom Prep: 1.5 hours
First Look and Portraits: 30-40 minutes
Bridal Party: 30-40 minutes
Family Formals: 30 minutes
Extra Portrait Time: As much time as you’ll give us!
The Morning of
Today’s the day! Your wedding is finally here, and it’s time to sit back and enjoy your day. The morning of your wedding will be the most relaxing part of your festivities, and the rest of the day will probably race by in a blur. Allow yourself to enjoy the process of getting ready for your day.
If any details haven’t been taken care of yet, this is the time to have your wedding planner or coordinator, your maid of honor or bridesmaids, your parents, or anyone else take care of those for you. Give yourself the freedom to revel in this more relaxing part of your day.
There are a few things you’ll need to consider beforehand, too. Will you be doing a first look with your groom? Will you want a first look with your bridesmaids, mother, or father? Are there any other special women in your life you want present as you finish getting ready?
As you’re getting ready, don’t put on any of your jewelry or accessories until after you’ve stepped into your gown. We love to photograph those little details, like you putting on your earrings, or your mother or maid of honor helping you put on your necklace!
We’ll share more tips for the getting ready portion of your day in the following pages!
Choosing your "getting ready" Location
Depending on your ceremony venue, you may have a bridal suite to get ready on-site, or you may have to find a different location. No matter where you decide to get ready, there are just a few things to keep in mind.
If you can, find a location that has at least one window. The window will allow natural light into the room, and that makes such a huge difference for your photos! We’ll be honest, shooting with that natural glow is our absolute favorite.
That being said, if you happen to have a location in mind that doesn’t have a window, don’t worry even the tiniest bit! We are pretty darn good with off-camera lighting, if we do say so ourselves. If your location doesn’t have that window, or if it’s just a little darker, we can set up our off-camera lighting for your getting ready photos, and you’ll never know the difference! All we ask is that you let us know beforehand so we can be ready to set up appropriately.
Setting up your "getting ready" location
The last thing you’ll want to think about on the morning of your wedding is what you’ll have to do to set up your getting ready location for your photographers.
We promise it won’t be a lot of work, and you’ll notice a huge difference in your photos!
When you get to your pre-ceremony location, talk with your bridesmaids about keeping the room as clean and neat as possible. We know that as soon as you get in there, it’ll be easy to just toss your clothes in a pile on the floor, or leave wrappers from your breakfast on the bed.
Keeping your room neat and tidy to start with will make such a huge difference for your getting ready photos. We’ll have more room to move around for different angles and shots, and that will add variety to your wedding photo gallery.
All in the details
As you’re getting your hair and makeup done, we’ll start on photographing the details of your day! We love this part of the morning, as it gives us the freedom and flexibility to warm up our creativity for the day. We’ll photograph your details and showcase them in a way that matches your wedding day style. We ask that you keep all of the wedding day details for both you and your groom in one box of some kind that way everything is in one place when we get there.
What to bring:
BRIDE DETAILS:
• Wedding dress
• A stylized hanger other than the plastic one your wedding dress comes with
• Wedding day jewelry, such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and brooches
• Veil / hair pieces
Shoes
• All three rings and ring box if you have one
• Bouquet
• Your something old, new, borrowed, and blue
• Special perfume
• Family heirlooms
• A full invitation suite
• A wedding ceremony program
• Wedding vow booklet
• Gift for your groom
GROOM DETAILS:
• Timepiece
• Tie
• Shoes
• Cufflinks
• Boutonniere
• Special cologne
• Wedding vow booklet
• Gift for your bride
Reminders for the day of
Don't forget your details!
To make sure everything starts off smoothly and we all have plenty of time, gather your details ahead of time and keep them in one place. By doing so, you won’t have to send anyone running after anything you forgot to put in your box!
Think of any extras
Depending on your wedding, you might have something of significance to add to your wedding day details. If you have an heirloom ring box you want to include, be sure to grab it. If you are using part of the fabri
Keep your rings
So we don’t have to spend time running after the rings in different locations, keep all three rings together in your details box. It’s also a great idea to have them cleaned before the special day, too!
Have Your Bouquet
We’ll need your bouquet to photograph your wedding day details, so be sure to talk with your wedding coordinator to make sure the bouquet is ready and available when we get there!
Timing THROUGHOUT the day
As you work with your wedding planner or coordinator on your wedding day timeline, remember to give yourself plenty of cushion time. Go ahead and account for a few mishaps or for things to take longer than you originally anticipated. Know that not everything will always go according to plan, and that’s okay! Allow for extra time throughout the day. Add 10 minutes of cushion time when and where you can throughout your timeline. If you do this, you’ll cut back on your stress level throughout the day! Here are just a few things to keep in mind as you plan the timing of your day before the ceremony:
Start early
As you’re planning your timeline, go ahead and start with ample time for the day. Believe it or not, you’ll want to start earlier than you might think. It can take around 90 minutes for your hair and makeup alone! You’ll feel much less stressed if you start earlier and are ahead of schedule rather than behind. Plus, that means we may have time for even more portraits later in
Travel time
If your getting ready location is not on-site, or if you’re having your hair and makeup done elsewhere, remember to factor in travel time. Find out how long it will take you to get from your first spot to your ceremony venue, and then add ten minutes!
Bouquets and Boutonnieres
You’ll need both of these for your first look with your groom! Have your bridal bouquet and your bridesmaids’ bouquets, as well as your groom and groomsmen boutonnieres delivered while you’re getting ready. That way, you’ll be ready for your first look in plenty of time! While we’re shooting your first look, the groomsmen can start putting on their boutonnieres for wedding party portraits.
Hair and Makeup
If you’re getting ready on-site, have your hair and makeup artist do your makeup first. That way, we can start getting great shots of you getting ready without having to worry about waiting for your makeup!
Most of our brides choose to wear a veil for their special day, and we love it when they do. There’s nothing like a gorgeous veil to add visual interest, variety, and drama to your wedding day photos.
If you are planning on wearing a veil of any kind, we suggest wearing it for the ceremony and for additional bridal photos after your first look, and here’s why:
One
We’ve seen it happen all too often. Your groom might be so excited to see you during your first look that he throws his arms around you and accidentally pulls your veil out. Especially if your hair is up, it can tug your hair out of place which may be detrimental to your styling for the day!
Two
Wearing your bridal veil for the first time during your ceremony will give your groom another part of your outfit to see for the first time. It’ll almost be like having two first looks throughout your wedding day!
Three
After your ceremony, we’ll plan for additional bride and groom portraits. During that time, we’ll be able to capture some beautiful photos with your veil blowing in the wind. We love these dramatic, dreamy photos, and we know you will, too!
Your bridal veil
Having photographed so many weddings, we do stand by our recommendations when it comes to your bridal veil. But, we’ll never tell you what to do on your wedding day, or how to plan it, and we want to make sure you know that. If you want to wear your bridal veil during your first look, too, by all means, please do so!
Your first look
We want to start off by saying this: we will never pressure you into choosing a first look for your wedding day. They’re not right for everyone, and we completely understand that. However, we do believe that they are a wonderful option for the majority of weddings. If you are on the fence on whether or not you want to include a first look in your wedding day timeline, we’re sharing what a first look is and the benefits of having one.
What is a first look?
For many couples, the idea of breaking tradition on a wedding day sounds awful, so they write-off the first look altogether. However, most couples who understand all of the benefits of a first look end up choosing to include one in their timeline!
First off, what is a first look? We’ll mark off a chunk of time on your wedding day before the ceremony begins, and we’ll find a private, secluded area for you and your groom. At that point, you will already have your hair and makeup done, you’ll be in your wedding dress, you’ll have all of your accessories on, and you’ll have your bouquet in hand. Your groom will be all decked out in his wedding attire, too. Then, with him facing away from you, you’ll be able to walk up behind him. When you’re ready, you’ll tap him on the shoulder, and he’ll turn around to face you, all while we’re snapping photo after beautiful photo filled with raw emotion and the passion you two have for each other.
So, what makes a first look special? Usually, when we talk to brides who are on the fence about doing a first look, they’ll tell us that they don’t want to miss out on the reaction of their grooms as they walk down the aisle. On the other hand, grooms typically find themselves the most nervous at the start of the ceremony if they don’t do a first look. The tension has slowly built all day, and as he stands at the altar, he’ll see all of the faces in the crowd staring right at him. For many grooms, their nerves will be greatest right as their bride starts to walk down the aisle, and that typically conveys in the photos.
The great news is that, with a first look, you won’t miss that reaction you’re wanting so badly, and he won’t have to deal with all of those nerves! In fact, you’ll get an even better reaction with a first look because it’ll just be the two of you instead of both of you plus countless faces staring at you during the ceremony. He’ll be able to relax, and enjoy that precious moment with just you. You’ll get to twirl around in your dress, show off your beautiful jewelry, your hair, your makeup. You’ll be able to ask him what he thinks, and he’ll find that the tension from the day quickly melts away.
In fact, including a first look takes the pressure off of both of you to have the perfect reaction during the ceremony because you’ll have already had it! Chances are, with his nerves dissipated, he’ll still have a wonderful, genuine reaction as he sees you walk down the aisle.
As we mentioned before, we don’t want to pressure you into doing anything you’re uncomfortable with, and that is not our intention here. We do, however, believe in giving you as much information as possible to help you make the best decision for your day. We’re detailing some of the other great benefits of including a first look, too!
First Look | Why You Should Consider It
• MORE PORTRAITS IN YOUR GALLERY
One huge benefit of including a first look in your timeline is the extra photos we can add to your wedding photography gallery. By including a first look in your day, you’ll be able to take full advantage of us to snap more photos of the two of you during your special day!
• AN INTIMATE MOMENT FILLED WITH RAW EMOTION
A first look is such an intimate moment as your groom looks at you for the first time in your wedding dress. He won’t have to worry about everyone in the audience staring at him, which means he’ll be able to freely express his true feelings with you during this moment. We’ll be there to capture all of it on camera!
• GIVE YOURSELF MORE TIME
By including a first look, you’ll open up your timeline for the rest of the day. We won’t have to wait until after the ceremony is over to capture wedding party portraits or even family portraits. You’ll have more time throughout the day, instead of feeling even more rushed and crunched to fit every last detail in.
• LESS STRESS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE DAY
Since you’ll give yourself more time by adding a first look into your timeline, you’ll inevitably feel less stress! You’ll get to enjoy your day even more, and that’s worth a lot, if we say so ourselves.
• A PRIVATE MOMENT IN AN OTHERWISE BUSY DAY
Unless you specifically schedule time for the two of you after the ceremony, a first look will be one of the only moments throughout the entire day where you’ll get to be together with just the two of you.
First Look | Your Expectations
Every single person is different. While we’ve seen many grooms show more raw emotion and passion during a first look, that doesn’t change the fact that every groom will react differently. If your husband-to-be never shows too much emotion, or if you’ve never seen him cry, don’t put that expectation on him, even during a first look. Before your wedding day, sit down with him and have a heart to heart. Tell him that you don’t want there to be any pressure on him to react a certain way when he sees you for the first time. If you take that to heart, and if you give him grace, your first look will be a beautiful moment to be captured!
Bridal Party POrtraits
This is definitely one of the most fun moments of your day! If you decide to do a first look, we will hopefully be able to get the bridal party portraits completed before the ceremony starts. We’ll get plenty of shots of you with your girls, your groom with his guys, and all of you together. Then, your group will be free to relax after the ceremony and join your guests during cocktail hour.
To make sure this portion flows smoothly, make sure you remind your groomsmen to start putting their boutonnieres on while you’re doing your first look.
Your Ceremony
The moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here! The most important part of the day - you and your groom getting married. By this part of the day, you’ll already be dressed and ready. You’ll be stowed away in a hiding spot, getting freshened up while your guests find their seats. We know that you may feel some nerves and some butterflies in your stomach as you get ready to walk down the aisle. Just remember, the most important part of this day is the person waiting for you at the altar. Focus on the promises that you’ll make to one another over stressing about tiny details. Those details don’t matter nearly as much as you and the love of your life getting married!
Ceremony Lighting
In the months leading up to your wedding, you’ll have to decide at what time you’ll want to have your wedding ceremony. This is especially important since ceremony lighting is crucial for your wedding photographs. If you choose to have an outdoor ceremony at noon in the summertime, it’s possible that the lighting will be exceptionally bright. The bright lighting will look harsh in your photos, not to mention you’ll be squinting in all of them, too!
There are a few ways to go about choosing the ceremony start time while keeping your photographs in mind. If you’re planning to have a first look, we recommend choosing a start time around 2 hours before sunset. If you don’t want a first look, then we recommend having a ceremony start time 3 hours before sunset. This will make sure we get plenty of romantic portraits of you two together after your ceremony.
Even if you’re not planning on an outdoor ceremony, you’ll still need to consider lighting! We recommend using soft, even lighting for your indoor ceremony instead of spotlights on you and your groom. With appropriate lighting, we’ll be able to capture everyone on the altar, instead of having to choose who to expose properly.
Rainy Day Weddings
We all know the old saying. Rain on your wedding day means good luck. But if you’re planning on an outdoor wedding ceremony, a rainy wedding day might really be a damper on one of the most special moments in your life.
Don’t worry though! We’re experts at navigating rainy weather, even for outdoor ceremonies and locations. In fact, overcast weather makes for some of the most beautiful photos since the clouds act as natural reflectors, and that means more vibrant and gorgeous colors!
If it’s showing signs of rain for your wedding day, just remember that we’ll be in charge of the photos during the day. All we’ll need is one covered area, like a gazebo or even just a simple covered porch. We also plan ahead for rainy days and bring a few clear umbrellas which make for some truly beautiful, romantic portraits of you and your groom.
Family Formal POrtraits
Family formal portraits are typically done directly following the ceremony.
The best way to make sure this runs well is to stick with the family formal portrait list below. If you choose to have any other portraits done, we can do those during the reception. Either way, we’ll send you a questionnaire about a month before your wedding so you can tell us who you’d like to have portraits taken with.
Let your family members know who will need to either arrive early before the ceremony or stay after the ceremony to have their portraits taken. That will save us time from having someone chase family members down.
Family Formal Suggested List
Bride and Groom with Bride’s Immediate Family (mother, father, grandparents, siblings)
Bride and Groom with Bride’s Parents
Bride and Groom with Bride’s Mother
Bride and Groom with Bride’s Father
Bride and Groom with Bride’s Grandparents
Bride and Groom with Bride’s Siblings
Bride with Bride’s Parents
Bride with Mother, Bride with Father
Bride with Grandparents
Bride with Siblings
Bride and Groom with Both Sets of Parents
Bride and Groom with Groom’s Immediate Family (mother, father, grandparents, siblings)
Bride and Groom with Groom’s Parents
Bride and Groom with Groom’s Mother
Bride and Groom with Groom’s Father
Bride and Groom with Groom’s Grandparents
Bride and Groom with Groom’s Siblings
Groom with Groom’s Parents
Groom with Mother, Groom with Father
Groom with Grandparents
Groom with Siblings
Your entire wedding day is important, and all of the photos that come from it will help tell the story of it. But there’s something about the glow from you and your groom after you’re officially pronounced “husband and wife,” and we love to capture those dreamy feelings with romantic portraits after your ceremony. When you see your wedding gallery, these will be the ones you’ll want to hang on your walls or frame on your bedside table so you can always reminisce on that moment.
Our wedding day process usually includes bride and groom portraits before your ceremony and some extra time to take your “just married” photos right after your ceremony ends and before your reception begins. With most weddings, the lighting lines up perfectly for those romantic moments, and we’ll be able to shoot with the beautiful evening glow.
Romantic Couple portraits
Your reception
You’ve made it through the getting ready stages and the ceremony itself. Now it’s time to celebrate with all of your friends and family! More than likely, you’ll need to carve out time to sit and eat, mingle with all of your guests, share a few toasts, and cut your cake. Hopefully, you’ll also carve out some time for us to snap what often turn out to be some of our favorite photos of your entire day!
Our signature Photos
As we mentioned before, we are not photographers who shy away from using off-camera lighting. In fact, we think that off-camera lighting makes for some of the most gorgeous photos!
That’s why we love to schedule in time during your reception for our signature photos. While you’re enjoying your celebration with your friends and family, we’ll take some of our gear and set up for a dramatic, romantic portrait of you and your groom. These photos turn out to be some of our past brides’ absolute favorite photographs of the entire day.
As long as you’ll allow us the time to do it during your reception, we’ll be able to snap a few of these photos for you!
Our Wedding Experience package includes 10 hours of coverage to try to fit in every last moment of your day. If you’re planning on doing a grand exit with sparklers, fireworks, bubbles, or confetti, we’ll be there to capture it if your reception ends within the allotted 10 hours of coverage time.
If you’re planning on your reception lasting longer, we can plan for a faux grand exit. We’ll have your bridal party and guests come out with sparklers, confetti, bubbles, or whatever you’re using, and we’ll photograph it just like if you were leaving your reception.
Even if we’re not there for the entire length of your reception, you’ll still get great photographs from your exit!
Grand Exits
You’ve had your special day, now here comes the hard part. Waiting for your photos to arrive! We know it’s hard to wait and be patient for them to get to you, but we promise it’ll be worth it. Just so you know what you’re actually waiting for, here’s a look at our process after your wedding day.
After your wedding
Legacy Albums
Our Wedding Experience package includes a legacy album full of gorgeous photos that tell the story of your wedding day. This album will be an heirloom to treasure forever, one that you’ll be able to pull out for your children and even their children some day. We love helping you curate your album and being a part of one of the first steps in creating your legacy.
Your online gallery
Gone are the days where you have to order your prints to enjoy them. Now, you’ll have full access to your wedding day gallery from your computer and your phone. Whether you want to show them to your friends and family or order prints for your home, you’ll be able to do it all at your own convenience. You won’t have to wait for anything to arrive in the mail before you get to enjoy your photos. We’ll deliver the link to your online gallery via email, and you can peruse through it at any time!
Ordering prints
You’ll be able to order prints directly from your online gallery, too. When you order through your gallery, you’ll know you’ll always receive high quality images printed directly from a professional lab. While it might be tempting to head on over to CVS or Walmart to have them printed quickly, we want to warn you against that. The print jobs at these quick places result in horrible quality photos that don’t showcase the true colors of your photographs. If you don’t want to order prints directly from your gallery, we suggest using MPix.com.
Sharing, Watermarking, and Editing
We hope that you love your wedding day photos so much that you’ll want to share them with the world! And with social media, it’s so easy to do that. We only ask you not to do one thing. As you’re posting your photos online, please refrain from adding any edits or filters to them. We’ll do that part in our own editing process. Otherwise, we hope you’ll share your photos on all of your social media accounts!
We want to thank you so much for trusting us to capture the memories of one of the most special days of your life! We know what an incredible honor this is, and we are so excited to be there with you on your wedding day. Planning a wedding can be a stressful time, so we hope that you take time and continue to be loving towards one another.
If you haven’t yet, let’s schedule a time for your engagement session! About one month before your wedding, we’ll also send you a questionnaire to get a better feel for your wedding planning and how your day will unfold.
We hope this bridal experience guide has been helpful for you in your wedding planning process. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to us. We’re always happy to help you in any way we can!
We’ll see you soon!
Thank you!
-Shannon and Brian
Have any questions?
Contact us:
info@shannonandbrian.net