Zack + Kaylen - Memphis Wedding

Zack and Kaylen got married on one of the hottest days I've ever personally experienced, and they were SUCH good sports. I went outside, immediately started sweating, and was half expecting them to tell me they would NOT be going outside for photos (which would be completely understandable, but make my job a whole lot harder). Instead, they joyfully followed me all around the wedding venue grounds in the middle of the June heat, and I think it really paid off.

That little gold and blue bracelet? Yeah, I assumed that was some heirloom from a great-grandmother or something. Actually, it's from one of those coin slot games where you get a plastic bubble with a piece of cheap jewelry. That is even cooler to me than an heirloom. That's awesome.

I think if I've learned anything about myself during my time as a wedding photographer, it's that if there is a magnolia tree, I will take photos with that magnolia tree. I can't help myself. They're my favorite thing. I should make a "weddings with magnolia trees" collection. No shame.

Sometimes weddings are really stressful for the bride, or there's so many rituals to go through that she forgets to just enjoy herself. Not this girl. You'll see. The following is a series of photos in which Kaylen is LOVING her wedding. This girl's joy made me so happy. She is clearly a really fun person. While I watched her dance it out at her wedding I thought to myself that I need to be THAT happy about stuff. 

Tiffany + Jacob - Nashville, TN Engagement

It was so much fun working with Tiffany and Jacob! We met at Sharp Springs Park, which turned out to be a wonderful spot for fall engagement photos. These two were sweet and cuddly and made taking great photos so easy. I'm so excited I got the chance to work with them!

This ring, though...

Things Will Not Go As Planned

I remember that before my wedding I was absolutely sick over guests who I found out wouldn't be able to make it. I cried so many times when I received a "no" RSVP from someone I cared about. I remember thinking that if I didn't have this certain kind of food, or napkin, or flower, or whatever, it would all just be ruined. I remember spending way too much time thinking about if something went wrong. I found wedding planning to be incredibly stressful.

Well... 

Lots of people I invited couldn't come to the wedding, it was too far away for most of my friends. I left my iPod (the source of the ceremony music) sitting in my car for several hours (IN JUNE IN TEXAS) and the poor thing got overheated and couldn't play my music on time and my ceremony started like fifteen minutes late. I spent a couple hours creating a toss bouquet for the reception and forgot all about it and left without tossing it. My adorable navy blue pumps that I bought as my "something blue" were apparently very low quality and the blue started to peel off of the shoes. My wedding shoes were literally falling apart and looked like they had leprosy. Kyle and I didn't arrange for anyone to bring our car around so when we did our "exit" there was no car for us to get in to. 

Things WILL go wrong.

And it won't matter at all. 

All of this happened on my wedding day and none of it bothered me. It was an amazing day. I didn't cry or freak out or panic. I didn't sit and dwell on how it had all fallen apart. It was an awesome wedding. My friends, family, and I had a great time. Things went wrong, and none of it mattered.

The lesson here: STOP FREAKING OUT! This is supposed to be fun! Pick your battles, don't sweat the small stuff, soak up this awesome time in your life, and plan an amazing wedding. Plan your perfect day. Then when the plan falls apart know in your heart that it is STILL the perfect day. 

To See or Not to See - Continued

Last week I shared a blog about the reasons why I love doing a First Look. You can see that blog post here. I do LOVE first looks, but I also understand that they are not for everyone. I don't want my couples to do anything they aren't comfortable with. So, as promised in the other post, here are some options for the couple who wants amazing photos, but doesn't want to see each other before the ceremony.

1. The Extended Cocktail Hour
IDEAL FOR: summer, long receptions, late ceremony start time around 6 or 7

Not seeing each other before the ceremony can really strain the schedule. Trying to fit all of the family photos, bridal party photos, and couple portraits in the time between the ceremony and reception can be tough. An extended cocktail hour where guests can mingle, drink, and snack on some finger foods is a perfect solution. Rather than sitting at tables and waiting for the couple to arrive, this allows guests to do something fun to fill that time. The couple can spend more time on photos this way before people start to get antsy. Also, if the ceremony started around 6 or 7 this is the best light of the day in the summer months!

2. The Fake Leave
IDEAL FOR: summer, shorter receptions, early ceremony start time around 2 or 3

I actually used this one twice last wedding season! How do we fit family photos, bridal party photos, and couple portraits in the time between the ceremony and reception? DON'T. With this plan the couple takes quick family and bridal party photos, then heads straight to the reception. When all of the reception activities are over, the couple does their exit and leaves the wedding like normal. Instead of driving off to the honeymoon destination, the couple will give guests time to clear out (stop by Sonic and grab a drink... make out in the car... whatever you want to do to pass the time) and circle back around and meet me. We can either meet back at the wedding venue, or meet at some other decided upon photo location. There's no rush, no guests are waiting on you, no pressure. Also, if the ceremony started around 2 or 3, this should put the post reception photos right around the best light of the day in the summer months. 

3. Day After Session
IDEAL FOR: anyone at any time

It might sound weird, but this is a thing that people are doing now! If a First Look or one of the options mentioned above isn't ideal for you - maybe skip the wedding day couple portraits all together. Like The Fake Leave, the couple would grab quick family and bridal party photos immediately following the ceremony. Then the couple would go enjoy the reception. Either the next day, or some day after the couple has arrived back from the honeymoon they can get all decked out in their wedding clothes again and have a special, private, stress free photo session wherever they want. 

I'd love to get feedback! Are there any other wedding topics you'd like to read about? Any other questions you need answers? Let me know in a comment below!

To See or Not to See

Let's talk about First Looks.

I've been shooting weddings for years now, and it's easy for me to forget that my clients have never done this before. To me a First Look is a standard wedding element. I know the pros and cons, the situations that require it, and the situations that leave more flexibility. Of course I do. It's my job. My clients don't know. Of course they don't! They've never planned a wedding before. I had a face palm moment at one of my weddings last year when I strongly encouraged the couple to do a First Look. Later, it came to my attention that they didn't know what I was talking about!

That's why I want to share this today. I want my clients (and others) to be educated about their options and feel supremely confident in the choice they make either to do a First Look, or not to. 

WHY I LOVE FIRST LOOKS:

1. The schedule

If the couple chooses to see each other before the ceremony that means ALL of the photos can get knocked out before the ceremony starts. To some that might not seem like a big deal. Why not just do them after? Well, it takes a lot of time to get wedding party photos, family photos, and portraits of the bride and groom. All of that time is time taken away from enjoying the reception with friends and family! When the ceremony is over and the bride and groom just want to get to sit down and eat dinner it's easy to rush though photos and not give them the time they deserve. I've had past clients look back and say "I wish we'd spent more time on this, but I just wanted to get to the reception and sit, eat, and see my guests". 

Another schedule element is the time of day. A wedding in December? Where I live that means the sun is setting around 4:30. If the ceremony starts at 5:00, your time in the sun is gone before you even start. Those beautiful natural light photos definitely can't be achieved after the sun has been down for an hour and a half. For winter weddings I have to strongly suggest doing a first look.

2. It calms nerves

The anticipation is crazy on a wedding day! In my experience (both as a photographer and a bride) it really helps calm nerves to be able to see your partner throughout the day. Instead of letting that sick, nervous anticipation build up all day the bride and groom get to spend the majority of the day hanging out with their best friend.

3. It's intimate

First Looks are significantly more intimate that seeing each other during the walk down the aisle. The couple is alone, with the exception of a sneaky photographer. No one has to worry about someone stepping into the aisle to get an iphone photo and blocking the view of the other person. It's ok to cry, laugh, react however. No one is watching. When the couple finally sees each other they get to TALK and TOUCH! They can spend a moment completely alone before the chaos ensues. They can ask how the other person is feeling, if they're nervous. At the ceremony there's no moment to just bask in it. The bride walks out, and then the ceremony is under way. After the ceremony everyone wants to talk to the couple, hug them, get photos with them. Oh, and they still have to go take the professional photos. There's no time to simply be alone together for a minute until it's all completely over.

Still DON'T want to do a First Look? That's ok. It's not for everybody - and it doesn't have to be. For those of you who want to keep it traditional I have some ideas I'll share with you soon! Stay tuned!