Wedding Day Guide

Here are some things to keep in mind when planning, to ensure the best possible photos and a day that runs smoothly.

When planning your wedding day, we think a good starting point, is to ask yourselves - 'What would our wedding look like if we had never seen a wedding before?' - We believe that the best weddings are the ones that authentically reflectwhothecoupleis. Thebestplacetofind inspirationforyourwedding isnotaweddingmagazine orwebsite-it’s
the two of you and your own story!

If traditions are meaningful to you, embrace them! If nothing about the traditional wedding ceremony or format resonates with you, create something that does. There are no rules! Start with a conversation about is most importanttoyou,andthen aboutwhatyoudon'twant, andonceyou'vedecidedon thosethings,keepreturning tothemwhenmaking decisions.

Getting Ready

This portion of the day is a great opportunity to spend quality time with your bridesmaids or groomsmen (or your closest friends and family) - and to clear your head before the wedding kicks off. Try and build in time to relax and have something to eat and drink together, so that you don't feel too rushed.

When choosing a place to get ready, try and find a room with space for everyone, and lots of natural light.

If possible, allocate a separate room, or part of the room to store bags and clothes, in order to keep the space calm and uncluttered.
Brides - your make-up artist will probably ask you what time the photographer wants you to be ready, but because we don't do a posed 'bridal portrait shoot' before the ceremony, you only need to be ready in time to get dressed, do some final touch ups, and leave for the ceremony.

The Ceremony

We love photographing ceremonies in indoor spaces with lots of natural light, or outdoors where we have plenty of space to move around unobtrusively. It is however very important that you consider where the sun will be at the time of your ceremony, as all to often either the couple or their guests have the sun in their eyes, which causes them to squint. Consider outdoor spaces that have a lot of even shade (in a forest or under a very big tree), or plan your ceremony for much later in the afternoon when the light is softer.

An 'unplugged' wedding ceremony is also highly recommended – this means that you encourage guests to put their phones and cameras away for the duration of the ceremony; this will allow guests to be more present and less distracted, and it will also allow us to do our job without someone's smartphone ruining an otherwise wonderful photo.

Group Photos

Should you want them, family group photos after the ceremony usually take around 20 minutes - these can sometimes be a little stressful as large groups of people need to be coordinated. It is a good idea to keep the list of photos short and simple and to put one of the groomsmen or a family member in charge of rounding the family up and making sure people are where they need to be. If this is done properly the whole process flows much more smoothly. If you would like group shots of the bridal party, allow an extra 15 minutes.

We suggest building in lots of time for guests to greet and congratulate you after the ceremony, and time for you to have something to eat and drink before starting group pictures. We do not want you to miss the pre-drinks portion of the wedding, nor do we want you to feel rushed.

Couple Portraits

If you would like a few portraits taken of just the two of you, schedule these for the 20-30 minutes before sunset, or as close to that time of day as possible. The light is most soft and beautiful then.

We keep this part of the day very relaxed and see it as an opportunity for the two of you to connect and soak in what is happening before joining the guests again for the celebration.

We often do these pictures while the guests are moving into the reception, as they will not notice you are gone during that time and you won't be missing out on anything. It's normal to feel a little awkward in front of the camera at first, but great photos happen when you are relaxed and in-the- moment, so enjoy yourself, try to forget that you are being photographed and focus on the fact that you have just married the

love of your life - what could be better!?

The Reception

Good lighting at the reception makes an enormous difference to the overall ambience and to the feeling and mood of the photographs.

In many ways, the lighting is more important than any other décor, and it's worth investing in something beautiful. Consider adding lots of candles to the tables, as well as plenty of fairy lights and cafe lights to the reception venue.

In terms of flow, we suggest having all formalities (things like speeches, garter & bouquet toss, cutting the cake etc) done before you open the dance floor. This way, once the guests start dancing you will not need to stop them again for another formality, and you will also be able to relax knowing that everything is done and you can just enjoy the party.

Other Reminders

Please remember to allocate seating and a meal for us at the reception. It is simplest to include us in your guest list and seat us with the guests. However, if you are seating and feeding service providers separately, could we request that we eat as soon as dinner begins for the guests. The tendency is for service providers to be served after all the guests have been served, and at this point formalities such as speeches and toasts start happening again, and we would not want to miss anything.

If you are planning something as a surprise for your guests, or something unexpected, please remember to tell us about it so we are ready to capture the moment!

We Are Here To Help!

Feel free to reach out with questions any time! We are

just an email away and are happy to assist!