Typical Schedule

I like to arrive an hour before the ceremony begins to tell the photographic story from the beginning … to document the experiences of the bride, her attendants, and her relatives. These very special moments are an integral part of the wedding day. I also capture the activities of the groom, the groomsmen, the best man and the groom’s relatives during this time. Usually, I’m running back and forth because it is a very special time for the members of the wedding party.

After the “getting ready” shots have been taken I will come back for some final pictures of the bride when she is completely ready to meet her groom. After that, I find the most strategic place where I know I will get the best shots during the ceremony. The standard shots during this time usually include the procession, bride with dad, and the groom seeing bride for the first time. Unless you instruct me otherwise, I will be very low key during the actual ceremony. My belief is that the ceremony should be a sacred time and too much clicking and flashing takes away from the moment. I do capture important moments such as the ring exchange, lighting of the unity candle and, of course, the kiss. Other than that, my firm belief is to remain in the background during this time. When the minister pronounces the couple man and wife, I continue to document the moments and emotions.

After the ceremony we take the formal shots of the families and wedding party. During this time a photographer must be friendly, yet firm, in order to expedite the process. In other words, I make sure it gets done in a professional and timely manner. You will want to get the formals finished so everyone will arrive at the reception on time. The families are first, the wedding party second and then I take a few minutes to shoot the bride and groom. During this time I ask everyone to leave except the bride and groom. This is the first moment that the bride and groom have a real chance to breathe. And I can assure you, as a couple, you will appreciate the quiet time and the beautiful photos that come out of this short session.

After the formals, it’s usually non-stop fun. Receptions are easy. Everyone is relieved, the nervousness is gone, and the celebration begins. I capture the first dance, the parents’ dance, the cake cutting, the toasts, the garter throw, the bouquet throw, the birdseed/bubble/lavender/sparklers thing, the dancing, the laughter, the decor, special moments and the reason for the entire event, the love.

The whole point is to tell the story of your day as a couple from start to finish. The combination of photojournalistic, traditional and fine art styles come together to create the unique final product … your wedding day in photographs.

I hope this helps you understand the process and I thank you for your business.