How to get the best wedding photos ever

THE LUXURY SOCIAL NEWS MAGAZINE

HOW TO GET THE BEST WEDDING PHOTOS. EVER.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW 02 TIMELINE 04 WHAT TO HAVE READY 08 FIRST LOOK/SECOND KISS 10 CAMERA TIME 13 GETTING PUBLISHED 14 THE BEST ADVICE. EVER.

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A KICKASS TIMELINE

This will be crucial in making your day run smooth. I always encourage couples to build in more time than you need for your day because inevitably, something will happen that will need more time than you planned. A hair stylist will run late, a groomsman will forget his tie and have to go back across town in rush hour traffic to retrieve it, or a flower girl will accidently lock herself in the bathroom (YES, all of these situations have happened while I was shooting a wedding!) The next page will give you somethings to think about when you are considering your timeline...

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THE DIRTY: 01. ARRIVAL I like to arrive an hour before you are set to go anywhere. This will let me get pictures of you getting the finishing touches on your hair and makeup and allow me time to photograph your invitation, dress and memorabilia.

If you added on a second shooter to get the guys, I like to send them 30 minutes ahead.

If I'm going back between the guys and girls, I leave an hour and a half.

02. FIRST LOOK/PORTRAITS PRE-CEREMONY A first look usually takes about 15 minutes, couples portraits about 30-45 depending on location.

Bridal Party photos take about 30 minutes for the guys and girls. I MUST be at your ceremony cite 30 minutes before the wedding starts.

03. RECEPTION I tell couples that they do not have to book me until the end of the night. I usually stay for one hour after all the wedding "events" (cake cutting, father/daughter dance) are complete. I only need about an hour of dance floor photos because they become redundant (and can sometimes get sloppy;) Please be sure to let your event coordinator know what my departure time is so they can schedule everything before I leave.

One half hour before my scheduled time to leave, I will come up to you and ask if you need anything else photographed. At this time, you have the option of adding time to your package.

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The day of your wedding will be crazy. You'll have people in and out of your room, you may still be tired from not sleeping the night before (or having one too many celebratory cocktails!) I totally get it. I suggest that my brides get a suite to get ready in where they can have some space to leave food, coffee cups, dress bags, and suitcases and leave the bedroom (or the room that has the most light) clean to photograph in. Although I think it's important to have these photos feel like what actually happened the day of your wedding, you'll want some clean space to get those high quality photos in.

BUT DO NOT WORRY if you can't get it all together before I arrive. I've been known to make beds, move furniture, and clean rooms when I arrive to make sure everything is perfect.

GETTING READY

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All in the Details: What you'll want to remember You thought about all these little details to make your day special: don't forget to have them photographed! I ask all my couples to make a list of items for me they'd like to remember. Have them in a box and together in one spot for me to easily be able to locate when I arrive.

If these items aren't important to you, don't force them to be for the sake of having more photos as it will take more time. But think about the things you'll want to remember as items to have ready.

SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER Gifts from the bride to the groom (WAIT for me to open these if you are exchanging!

Perfume

Jewlery (necklace, earrings, cufflinks, hair pieces)

A toast with just your getting ready crew

Your old, new, borrowed & blue

Any special gift bags or gifts you give guests or family members

Shoes Any momento from your loved one.

Family heirlooms

Wedding vows (if applicable)

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YOUR DRESS Of course, right? Having a picture of your dress is one of the things brides love most. One of the things brides tend to forget is a pretty hanger to hang your dress from. Many bridal shops will give you an ugly plastic hanger or a hanger with a cardboard bust to hold your dress up. Make your photos shine and bring a prettier hanger to showcase. Etsy has a ton to choose from or you can even get a nice, plain, wooden hanger from IKEA or Homegoods.

If you don't have a lot of time built in to your getting ready photos, make sure your dress is out and ready to be photographed.

If you'd like your bridesmaid dresses, make sure those are ready to go when I get there.

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STYLING YOUR INVITATIONS SOUND WEIRD?

WHAT TO HAVE READY:

You've spent time, money, and energy to send your wedding invitation to EVERY single person coming to your wedding, so why not memorialize it perfectly? This way, if you lose the copy you saved, you'll still have a beautiful picture of it as a memory.

Your invitation, of course. Please include any inserts and envelopes. Having a copy that is addressed is great, but it's best to have one that h asn't been ripped open.

Adding in a few extra details help create an image that will make your invite even more special.

A really awesome styled shot takes about 10-15 minutes depending on what you have ready.

Your flowers if you can have them ready!

If your florist is really nice, you can ask for a few extra stems to use for styling purposes.

Any other special pieces of jewelry, or trinkets you may have.

A Mrs. Box sets your ring apart from the rest! You can get a Mrs. Box that compliments your wedding colors at themrs.box.com.

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FIRST LOOK If you're doing a first look, I'll survey the property when I arrive to find the perfect location. It is usually helpful to tell your bridal party and family that this moment is something you want to enjoy privately. It tends to help settle the nerves of the couple. I will help keep this moment quiet on the day of, but giving your closest people a little warning ahead of times will help with any hurt feelings and potential photo bombers.

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SECOND KISS Everyone knows that the moment you walk down the aisle is an important one to capture, but some of my favorite pictures are when the bride and groom walk back down the aisle for the first time as Mr. & Mrs. As you decende back out of the ceremony site, I'll throw my hand in the air and give you a signal to kiss one another.

It makes for a great shot of the two of you with your guests cheering you on in the back!

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FAMILY PORTRAITS Family portrait sessions can sometimes make a smooth wedding day go wrong if they aren't properly executed and expectations aren't set. It's super important to make a list of who you'd like in what photos and where they are taking place and when. It's also important to let your friends and family members know who is supposed to be the pictures. Here are a few things you can do ahead of time to help the process: 1. Decide on your priorities as a couple.

Extended family portraits are super important to some couples, but not as important to other couples. As a rule of thumb, I tell couples to expect extended family photos to take 5 minutes each (because Uncle Bob is always at the bar and Aunt Mary needs to fix her lipstick). Take a look at your timeline and decide on how important these pictures are to you and your family.

2. Create a list...and stick to it!

I always ask couples to give me a "shot list" of who you'd like photographed. Make sure you think through each group and include everyone you'd like in the shot. It's also important to share that shot list with your parents and other relatives who might want to add more groups to the list on the day of. I am always happy to add groups on the day of if time allows but this can sometimes take time away from bridal portraits if the timeline is tight.

3. Captains: Have a vocal bridesmaid who knows the names of all your family members? Or a cousin who loves to organize?

This is their time to shine! Give one of your closest the job of helping me get the family portrait groups together and have them make sure we have all the key players together.

4. Family Dynamics: Every family has it's quirks, mine included! Please do not be hesitant to let me know if there is any situation that might make the wedding portrait session awkward. No judgement will come from me, I promise you.

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Guesttographers...

I am totally OK with other people taking pictures of you on your wedding day. Actually, I sometimes encourage it. It's nice to get a different perspective or pictures of guests and great for your # on instagram ;) GUESTS WITH FANCY CAMERAS However, I have had some couples ask other friends with nice cameras to also take photos. There is actually a claus in our contract that requets that you do NOT do this. If you ask another person to take photos of you it is at the risk of them being in some of my shots. So please think very carefully about asking a friend or other person to specifically "photograph" your day.

IPHONES AT THE CEREMONY Some of my couples have asked wedding guests not to document their ceremony at all. They will have a sign or ask the person marrying them to make an announcement.

That decision is totally up to you. What is great, no matter what you decide, is if you ask your guests to remain in their seats leaving the aisle clear.

PORTRAITS During portraits it's really important that we keep the time moving and do not stop and wait for other people to get photos on their phones etc. It can kill a really well planned timeline. (My aunt is FAMOUS for stopping professional photos at weddings to get them on her camera, never to actually be seen again!)

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SURP RISE! Any fun surprises at your wedding?

Walking out to a bagpiper?

Breakdancing with your dad?

Is a guest singing your first dance song?

LET ME KNOW so I can be sure to get great pictures of it.

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SECRETS TO GETTING YOUR WEDDING IN PRINT It's super exciting to think about getting your wedding published. Here are some things to keep in mind if it's something you are interested in: 1. Follow all the tips I shared in this packet!

2. Have lots of details. Blogs usually ask for anywhere from 50-200 photos to submit.

3. Blogs want a theme so we will have to work together to figure out what yours is and be sure we curate the photos to tell that story.

4. There is a MUCH better chance that your wedding will get published if the submission comes from YOU.

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MOST IMPORTANTLY

RELAX, ENJOY, AND HAVE FUN. THIS IS REALLY THE BEST TIP I HAVE Your hard work will pay off. THIS is the day you dreamed of. Don't let rain, personalities, or ANYTHING else ruin your day. I'm here for you with anything you might need help with. If you need to cry, you can with me. If you're nervous, I'll give you my hand to squeeze. But just take in this day as much as you possibly can. It goes so fast and you do not want to waste one single second of it.

I'M YOUR GIRL. IF YOU NEED ANYT BETWEEN NOW AND WEDDING DAY, DO HESITATE TO ASK. I'M HELP MAKE YOUR LIFE

HING YOUR NOT HERE TO EASIER.

AND I CANNOT WAIT.

JANELLECARMELA@GMAIL.COM 585-506-5501