Feeding Your Photographer | Bridal Business

On the eve of Thanksgiving, a holiday whose main goal is to be thankful for those in your life eat until you go into a turkey coma, I thought a good topic for this week's bridal business would a little bit of education on feeding your photographer (and videographer!) during the wedding reception.

Nearly all photographers address their meal in some form in their contract. Requirements vary from:
- Simply requiring a meal, vendor or otherwise.
- Requiring a meal that is the same as all guests.
- Others don't make it mandatory, but will leave the premise to acquire their own meal if one isn't provided.
And truth be told, I've never heard of a bride having a problem with any of these. It makes sense that we are working, on average, 9 hour days and need a quick meal to refuel.

What isn't normally in the contract, but is usually discussed when developing the timeline is the importance of when your photographer eats. It's pretty simple, no one wants pictures of themselves eating, so what better time than after you and your head table are served. I cannot stress enough... this is not because we think we are special or more important than your guests.  It is just more efficient as we are assured to not miss any big events -- dancing, toasts, etc. -- our main focus and most important goal of the day. We sit nearby for maybe 15 minutes and are still ready to go at the drop of a hat.

And again, I've never heard of a bride having a problem with this. So why even write this? Because there is one person who consistently does have a problem with this....

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Golden Hour | Bridal Business

You've probably heard the term Golden Hour before. And through common sense, you are probably able to figure out that it has something to do with sunrise and sunset. But do you know why this is so important in the world of photography?

Why does Golden Hour matter?
As someone who primarily shoots their sessions outdoors, in natural light, there are a lot of factors to consider when planning -- location, time of year, crowds, etc -- but most important of all is light. A beautiful location is absolutely nothing without the proper light. Why? Because unless there is open shade available, we cannot shoot there.  During the middle of the day, you are limited to areas of open shade -- where you are just inside the shade so you can still get natural light on your faces without actually being in the light or without being so deep that your skin looks blue!

The best way to avoid this is to shoot during the Golden Hour(s), the 30-45 minutes following sunrise/preceding sunset, when the sun is in that perfect spot to create a soft, warm glow that you cannot get mid day. Mid-day light creates very harsh shadows (think bags under your eyes!), blown out highlights, and is overall unflattering for skin tones. In comparison, the light during golden hour is much less contrasty, creating butter-soft skin and soft shadows.

When is Golden Hour?
I probably don't need to tell you that the sun rises and sets at dramatically different times throughout the year, however, this does make it a bit tricky when planning session times as it is always changing. Enter "Golden Hour" -- an awesome iPhone app that will tell you the exact time for that day. Also www.sunrisesunset.com, where you can create an entire month long calendar which is crucial when planning engagement sessions weeks or even months in advance.

What about my wedding?
It goes without saying that your entire wedding cannot take place during Golden Hour. When arriving at your venue, one of the first things I always do is find a location for your first look, wedding party portraits, and family portraits. These will be the areas of open shade discussed above so that we can avoid the harsh, mid-day shadows. They may not be your favorite part of the property, but I promise that you will love your pictures so much more if you choose light over location! In order to embrace Golden Hour (and incorporate some of those "favorite" spots we may have missed earlier), I always request 10-15 minutes for sunset portraits when we are developing your timeline. It typically ends up being in the middle of the reception, but most find it a welcomed break!

Oh and as if all that wasn't enough, here is just a peek at what you can look forward to during Golden Hour...


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First Looks | Bridal Business

Let me start this post with a disclaimer: I think first looks are awesome -- Rob and I did one on our wedding day and I have never regretted it. It is still one of my favorite moments from our wedding day and I love looking at the pictures and remembering what we talked about during that private few minutes of an otherwise crazy day. 

That being said, I am the first to recognize they aren't for every couple. First looks are something I talk about at every initial meeting with clients; I want to be sure that I am planting the seed early enough that they have time to think things over and make an informed decision. The last thing I would want would be for someone to decide at the last minute, based off my recommendation, and then regret it!! 

Which also leads me to my next disclaimer: while I always bring it up, I never, ever try to sell it, per se. I simply lay out the information to educate my couple so they can discuss what is best for them. If they decide against it, it truly doesn't make a difference to me either way -- I just want to make sure you have the best wedding day possible! 

While I know this may have all been said before, let me explain some reasons why I think first looks are beneficial on your wedding day.

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Wedding Day Timelines | Bridal Business

I will be the first to admit, I am serious, all in, "Type A" personality -- organization is my second love. Think I'm exaggerating? My movies and books are all arranged in alphabetical order. The shirts in my closet are first arranged by color and then by sleeve length within color. I keep a calendar for personal, work, and blogging, a to-do list on my phone, and a day planner, that way I am never without one of them! It may be a tad overzealous, but it's what keeps me sane. 

This obviously held true on my wedding day as well. I had an Excel spreadsheet that detailed every 15 minutes from 10:00am to 10:00pm. No, not just for me. For myself, Rob, my parents, the bridal party, guests, and all vendors. To an outsider, this DEFINITELY sounds a tad overzealous, but to the right person this can be a dream (or nightmare). We didn't have a wedding planner, so my mom and I were doing everything ourselves. This timeline was my way of being in control without having to actually be in control! That sounds like it doesn't make sense, but listen... The more I planned in advance and spoke with vendors and family, the more I was able to let go on the day of because I already trusted that everything would be done according to the timeline. And you know what? It worked! With the exception of my mom's speech (which never actually made it's way to the timeline... see!), we didn't miss anything. 

I've said it once and I'll say it a million times (no matter how cliché) -- your wedding day goes by in the blink of an eye. ENJOY IT! The easiest way to ensure this happens it to coordinate with your vendors regarding what you want to see happen and when on your special day! It definitely does not need to spell out every 15 minutes, but be sure to include all major events. Here are a few tips when planning out your timeline:

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