SO HERE'S WHAT TO EXPECT
My goal is to document your wedding day in a way that feels authentic, beautiful, and true to your story. While every wedding is unique, here’s a general overview of how I typically approach the day:
Getting Ready
I love starting the day by capturing all of the thoughtful details that help tell the story of your wedding. This often includes items such as rings, jewelry, shoes, perfume, save the dates, florals, heirlooms, and any other meaningful details you’d like photographed.
We’ll also take time to photograph the dress in a beautiful location before documenting those final getting-ready moments—buttoning the dress, fastening jewelry, adjusting ties, and all the anticipation leading up to the ceremony.
Pre-Ceremony Portraits
Before the ceremony, I’ll capture portraits of both wedding parties as they prepare for the day ahead. These moments often include candid interactions, special gifts, handwritten notes, and meaningful exchanges that make the day uniquely yours.
First Look (Optional)
A first look is a wonderful opportunity to share a private moment together before the ceremony. Many couples choose to use this time to exchange personal vows, gifts, or simply enjoy a few quiet minutes together before the excitement of the day unfolds.
From a photography perspective, a first look also allows us to complete many of your portraits beforehand, including couple portraits, wedding party photos, and potentially some family portraits if schedules allow. This often creates a more relaxed timeline and gives you additional time to enjoy cocktail hour with your guests.
If a first look isn’t part of your vision, that’s absolutely okay. We’ll simply capture your wedding party, family portraits, and couple portraits immediately following the ceremony while still making every effort to preserve as much of your cocktail hour as possible.
Ceremony
Before guests arrive, I’ll photograph the ceremony space and all of the carefully planned details that help tell the story of your day. If your ceremony includes any special traditions or meaningful moments—such as a unity ceremony, handfasting, knot-tying, wine ceremony, special readings, musical performances, or cultural traditions—it’s incredibly helpful for me to know about them in advance so I can be prepared to capture them thoughtfully.
During the ceremony, my focus is on documenting the experience as unobtrusively as possible. Once formal portraits have been completed, I’ll position myself discreetly throughout the ceremony, primarily working from the sides and back of the venue with professional telephoto lenses. This allows me to capture intimate moments, genuine emotions, and key events without becoming a distraction.
As you make your way back down the aisle as newlyweds, don't be afraid to celebrate the moment. A kiss, embrace, or dip partway down the aisle often creates some of the most joyful and memorable images of the day.
Post-Ceremony Portraits
Following the ceremony, we’ll complete any remaining portraits that have not already been photographed. Depending on your timeline and whether a first look was incorporated, this may include family formals, wedding party portraits, and newlywed portraits.
To help the process run smoothly, it’s always beneficial for family members participating in formal portraits to remain nearby immediately after the ceremony. With a well-organized portrait list and efficient planning, I’ll work to keep everything moving seamlessly so you can spend as much time as possible enjoying cocktail hour and celebrating with your guests.
Reception Coverage
Grand entrances, first dances, parent dances, and all the celebration that follows are some of my favorite moments to photograph. I come fully prepared with professional lighting equipment to ensure these memories are beautifully captured, regardless of the venue or lighting conditions.
Throughout the evening, I’ll continue documenting both the major events and the candid moments that often become some of the most cherished images from the day.
Final Dances & Send-Offs
If you have something special planned at the end of the evening, I would love to be there to capture it. Whether it’s a private last dance, a bubble exit, sparkler send-off, or another meaningful tradition, these moments often provide a beautiful ending to your wedding story.
Making the Day Your Own
This is a general overview of a typical wedding day timeline, but every celebration is unique. I’d love to learn about the traditions, details, and meaningful moments that are most important to you so we can create a photography plan that ensures your story is captured thoughtfully and completely. My goal is to preserve not only how your wedding day looked, but how it felt.
REMOVE ALL EXPECTATIONS
Think of me more as your best friend, your third wheel with you on a date, capturing the in between moments and the TRULY candid moments that you dream about having to remember. I will not tell you to hold still and smile. I don't like to force the moment. I only want you to smile if you’re feeling it. If it’s truly the emotion you’re feeling in that moment.
And don't worry! I have some tricks up my sleeve to make sure you are both ready to love on each other when the time comes.
Living in the Moment - not 'faking' it
The truly candid stuff are those moments when you forget I’m there. When you’re wrapped up in your own world together - the music getting louder, lights getting brighter, your worlds getting closer. When you look deep into each other’s eyes and dream of your lives together. The possibilities. When you start holding each other because you realize that this is it. The person you love, and the rest of your life, right now.
Let's break the ice!
Every friendship starts with some sort of foundation. I’m a huge coffee person - I’m always looking for a good atmosphere and great blends! And before we go out and shoot, I wanna make sure we get to know each other. Let’s go get a burger and some beer, or pastries and coffee. You name it, I’m down. I want to meet you both face to face (not just over a screen), and hang out like pals first!
Capturing the moments you didn't know you wanted...
A Timeless Investment
The images that bring you back to an emotion are the ones that will forever remain important to you. You’re not thinking about it now - but photography shouldn’t just be something on a checklist that you need to accomplish. Photography is arguably THE most important thing to invest in on your wedding day and because you’re putting me in charge of your memories, my goal is for you to have images that will last for years to come.