Luke & I have 28 weddings this year! To some that may seem like nothing and to some that may seem like a lot! 28 is definitely a full plate for us but we wouldn’t have it any other way! This past weekend was our 14th wedding of the year. This means we are already halfway done with our 2016 weddings.
All in all after this year we would have shot 75 weddings total!
Now that definitely seems like a lot since 2012 was when we first started shooting weddings.
All our couples are different. Which we love so much. Different stories, different styles, and different personalities. We still cannot believe that everyday we get to work some incredible people.
One thing for sure is that our clients are hiring us because of our work and their trust in us to capture their day in a way that is an authentic representation of their joyous occasion.
This is where wedding timelines come into play.
Timelines are crucial.
The day of the wedding is so fast paced and time can definitely escape if we are not careful.
One thing we do with all our clients is help them create a timeline that helps us set up the day in a way that will allow enough time to capture those moments that are so important.
This is a 4 part series that I will go into detail explaining how we conquer the Wedding Day Timeline starting with the Details and Getting ready!
Usually the week of the wedding we plan a time to finalize the timeline with the bride. This is normally done over the phone but sometimes if possible we are able to meet up. One thing I stress is that we arrive 1 hour before our bride gets her dress on. This gives me plenty of time to shoot all the details as well as some candid shots of the bride and her bridesmaids. Speaking of those details…. We understand that your day is not about the details. It is about the first day of the rest of your life with your best friend. With that though, we do want to be sure we have enough time to capture those sweet details such as those pearl earrings, the pretty perfume, and of course the dress! Children and great grandchildren will surely find joy in knowing what perfume their mom or grandmother wore on her wedding day.
One way to make this process of shooting the details go rather quickly is to advise the bride to have a bag or box set aside with all those sweet items set aside for me. This way I can arrive, give the bride a big hug, and go straight to the bag with everything already in it. The whole process usually takes me about 20 minutes.
After finishing, I then move onto the more candid pictures of the bride with her bridesmaids. Hair & Makeup is almost done and getting those final touches are some of my favorites in telling the story of the day.
Also, lets not forget about the guys. The one thing that is so unique about Luke & I is that we are a husband & wife team. Most weddings we shoot together. Meaning that while I am with the bride, Luke is with the Groom.
-Side Note: Luke can only be with the groom if the timeline and location allows. Most of our couples have the groom getting ready within the same location or within driving distance.
I asked Luke what he wanted to relay to future grooms and this is what he had to say:
Have fun and be yourself. If you and your groomsmen decide to drink that is fine. Just keep in mind that you want to remember your wedding day. So drink responsibly.
Grooms Details are important. Luke loves to style things like something out of a GQ magazine. So think of your shoes, tie, cufflinks, cologne, socks, belt, and anything else. Having those set aside waiting for Luke will definitely help him speed through those shots quickly.
One last thing. Think of light. Try to get ready in a room that has neutral colors and window light! We know this is not always possible and we can definitely work with other settings, however if you like those nice airy photos, then getting ready in a room that has great light and neutral colors definitely helps!
Some of my favorite pictures from a wedding day are those when the bride is getting prepped. Those moments where she is anticipating that moment later in the day where she will say I Do.
Creating that timeline that starts with enough time for us to capture those moments are vital to get pictures like some of our favorites below.
