Wedding Guide
What do you mean by “formal portraits”?
The word “formal” can be very intimidating but don’t let scare you! When I say formal I mean the time we allot on your special day to take portraits of you (the couple) and your bridal party, away from the guest.
These portraits are usually taken somewhere picturesque and sometimes, meaningful to the new couple. They usually involve a little posing, but that have to mean “Miss Bride, please stand here and put your hand on your hip and say “cheese”. What I mean by posing is “give her a kiss on the cheek” or “cuddle up to each other”. Nothing formal about it, just the two of you enjoying each other’s presence and happy about your wedding day!
This does not mean your formal portraits will be completely pose-free- sometimes with larger bridal parties there will be a bit more direction required to make sure everybody’s visible and happy and smiling, but fret-not I will keep the posing to a minimum to help you get relaxed, natural photos you’ll cherish!
Formal portraits, to most are very important but to some they aren’t. Take a moment to think if they are to the two of you. This will affect how much time you set aside for them on you wedding day. Some couples go for a full two-to-three hour shoot in multiple locations; others prefer to just take half an hour to snap a few shots for other family members before they head to the reception. Then there’s the whole new idea of a “first look”-more on that later. Whichever you decide, I’ll make sure your formal portraits feel less formal and more fun!
What is an “Engagement Shoot”?
Engagement shoots are planned sometime between the day you make your booking and your wedding day. It’s just like a portrait session-location and date is chosen and we take some fun portraits! The reason I include engagement sessions is:
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It’s a great way for you guys to get a feel for me as your photographer!
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You will get to spend some time in front of the camera so you’ll get comfortable being photographed by me.
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You get a bunch of beautiful portraits that can be used for your Save-The-Date cards, invitations and more!
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You can also order prints, an album, a canvas-seriously endless possibilities!
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Your session is also a way to show your personality, don’t be afraid to wear jeans and a T-shirt! You can wear what you please, it’s your session.
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You will receive a gallery of images online as well as 10 images on aPortrait CD.
Engagement sessions are included in the gold and diamond collection. But remember you can tailor your own collection that fits your means.
What is a "First Look”?
We all know about the tradition where it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding, right? This began back when arranged marriages were common, and marriages were more like business deals between families. The groom was forbidden from seeing his bride before the wedding to keep him from backing out if she wasn't attractive! Thankfully we live in the 21' Century, and while many couples prefer to keep this tradition alive, more and more couples are choosing to embrace a new tradition —something called a "first look". A first look is when the couple arrange some time BEFORE the ceremony to see each other—just the two of you (and your photographer discretely capturing this special moment from a distance). They aren't for everybody, and I'll never push one on a couple who don't want to do one, but here are a few reasons to consider setting time aside for a first look in your wedding day:
Prior to the ceremony, you're both looking your absolute best — your lipstick is perfect, your hair is just right; your suit is crease-free. A few hours later your curls will have dropped a little, your mascara may have smudged, and in order to be phot' you'll probably need some touch-ups. If you decide to have a first look, you'll both be looking flawless — for each other and for the camera. And if you do tear up, you won’t have to worry about having smudged makeup for your ceremony. You'll have time to fix it.
First looks incur no extra charge - your photographer would have capture the first time you saw each other anyway if you waited until the aisle, and your formal portraits would have been captured later. It's basically just rearranging a few elements of your wedding day! First looks usually take place around two hours before the ceremony commences to allow time for you to be with each other, take it all in, and then take some formal portraits of the two of you — and still get ceremony on time! If you'd like to include a first look in your wedding day allow for this in your timeline. If you'd like to capture your whole wedding formal portraits in this time as well, please allow an extra half hour.
