Welcome To The Family!
I am so honored to work with you on one of the biggest days of your life! I put this page together to give you some extra information regarding the wedding photography process and some helpful tips I've learned over the years having photographed over 100 weddings!
Photo By: Megan Carroll Photography
What to expect after booking
Once you have signed the contract and paid the deposit, your day is officially booked! Your invoice will show the 2 remaining payment dates & amounts. Approximately 1-2 months before your wedding day I will send out a questionnaire for you to fill out at your convenience. The questionnaire will go over simple wedding day details that will assist during our pre wedding consultation. The final consultation will be held approximately 2 weeks-1 month before your wedding day and we will cover all the final details such as timeline, family list and special details about your big day!
Tips for your big day!
Let's start at the beginning of your day... getting ready!
-Don't worry about lighting situations. We have all the tools necessary to give you beautiful photos even if you were getting ready in a cave!
-Before your wedding day, designate 1 or 2 people (who will be with you where you're getting ready) to tidy up the room about 30 minutes before the photographer(s) arrive. No deep cleaning needed - just pick up purses, clothes etc. that may be laying around the room. A clean room in photos makes a huge difference!
-Try to have all your accessories together in one place before we arrive. Shoes, rings, jewelry, invitations, flowers etc. (If the rings are with the guys-don’t worry! We will get ring shots another time throughout the day).
-Make up finishing sprays are important! If you don't use it, you run the risk of having a face smudge print on your groom's jacket (which can be photoshopped out if need be).
-Buy spray deodorant for the day for you and your bridal party to use. It will cut down on deodorant stains on dresses!
-If your dress has loops on the back of the dress bring a crochet hook or have an extra bobby pin on hand.
-If your flowers are real, have someone dry the stems before the bridal party walks down the aisle with them. You don't want wet marks all down the dresses.
-Are you wearing a veil? If yes, when people hug you/stand beside you make sure they put their arms under your veil. If they put their arms over your veil, you risk having it get tugged throughout the day.
-Pick out 1 or 2 people who will be available and near the guys getting ready who can pin the boutonnieres. Have them do a test run beforehand or get easy boutonnieres like magnetized ones! If the guys already have the boutonnieres on before one of your photographers arrive, don't worry! We will replicate it once we are there.
-Some items that come in handy!
-Bobby pins... lots of them!
-Stain stick remover
-Scissors
-Band-Aids (mostly for your feet!)
-Lint Roller
Next step, ceremony & portraits! This part of the day can certainly feel the most hectic and it will feel like it was over in the blink of an eye.
-Reminder for you and everyone included in the bridal party, take your time walking down the aisle. It can feel intimidating but try to have a nice pace.
-If you have real flowers and they haven't gotten dried off yet, make sure someone does.
-After the ceremony is over and you walk down the aisle together, try to sneak in a quick kiss at the end of the isle! It makes for a sweet photo.
-Make sure to let anyone who will be involved in family photos after the ceremony to not leave the ceremony area.
These final tips will cover you through the end of your big day, the reception!
-When making the timeline for the day, try to leave some buffer time in between photos ending and being announced at the reception. Even 15 minutes can be enough time to allow everyone to go to the bathroom or freshen up before entering the reception.
-If the DJ will have lights pointed at the dance floor throughout the night, ask them to keep them off or white during the first dances. Red and green dots on your wedding dress in first dance photos can be very distracting!
-During your first dance(s), try not to wrap both arms around the other person's neck. Wrap one arm but hold hands with the other arm, that way both of your arms aren't blocking your face during such an emotional part of the day!
-A couple tips regarding toasts. I've seen it done every way possible, before dinner, during dinner and after dinner. I will always recommend before or during dinner. Afterwards, people have started conversations and moving around the reception venue. It becomes very hard to get their attention again and have everyone stay quiet. Also - make sure you ask the DJ to bring a wireless microphone so no one has to stand behind the DJ table to say their toast.
