PREPARING FOR YOUR WEDDING DAY

+P R E P A R A T I O N
Every wedding tells a story of the day and the perfect start is while the bride and groom prepare. There are so many beautiful moments happening and memories being created, and good light helps capture everything beautifully. When it comes to making lighting plans, please consider:
+ Dressing in a room with large windows.
+ Windows should have enough light coming through to light the room.
+ Light-colored walls
+ While hotel rooms are lovely, don’t underestimate the beauty of renting a home on Air BnB or getting ready at a bed and breakfast. Hotel rooms are usually filled with busy carpet choices, no smoking signs, and really orange light. Finding an, o -the- beaten-path location might be exactly what you needed to start your day o right.
+ If you’re planning to prepare at a church, please take the time to visit the prep room in advance. Often times these rooms are windowless or classrooms with brightly colored walls and fluorescent lights (not to mention the Noah’s Ark mural painted in the background). The colored walls and windowless rooms run the risk of casting unflattering light, so planning in advance will help achieve securing a room with the best options.

YOUR DAY OF MAKEUP

LADIES when it comes to makeup on the day of, the old saying our mom and grandma tell us, “less is more” has a negative affect when taking photos. More is actually better when it comes to your makeup.
So find a glamours look on Pinterest that you LOVE, even if it’s out of your comfort zone.

TRUST ME! It will translate better in the photographs.

B R I D E S M A I D C H E C K L I S T

Bridesmaids, make sure to remove your hair-ties, Fit-bits and watches from your wrists before photos.

Groomsmen, remove anything you don’t want photographed

Everyone,

NO GUM
(bring mints)

WHAT A TYPICAL WEDDING DAY WITH VERONICA LOOKS LIKE

TIMELINE WITH FIRST LOOK
- PREFERRED -

WHY IS THIS THE PREFERRED TIMELINE?

I prefer shooting first looks because ONE, you get so many more fun photos together and with your wedding party. TWO and this one really can make a difference… is… once you are married and you kiss and you have as much joy as a four year old running to the Christmas tree on Christmas morning… you really don’t want to kill that buzz with a million formal photos while your guests enjoy cocktail hour without you. You want the majority of formals done before the ceremony AND in the best lighting, which is usually before the ceremony.

My brides who do first looks still get the wonderful first look reaction of the grooms as they come down the aisle. My brides will usually keep the cherry on top ( vail ) for the aisle. It adds an extra element he hasn’t seen you in yet. And you still get his wow response. After all he’s marrying his dream partner!

WEDDING WITHOUT FIRST LOOK

IDEAL:

30 minutes - Bridal Party Photos
30 minutes - Bride + Groom Photos
30 minutes - Family Photos (if you have large extended families, it make take longer)
15 minutes - Reception Decor Photos 10 minutes - Ceremony Decor Photos

+P O R T R A I T S
If you’re planning on having photos taken outdoors between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., please ensure there is space away from direct sunlight. Midday light is extremely harsh, so having a location with open shade (under a tree or awning or portico) would be ideal. Harsh light can lead to dark shadows under the eyes and nose, as well as constant squinting, so plan for a location in a shaded area or schedule photos for later in the day.
Ceremony
Outdoor ceremonies are a photographer’s dream to photograph, but if your ceremony will be between the hours of 10 a.m and 3 p.m., please ensure there is some form of shade. Not only is it insanely hot standing under direct sun, it causes harsh shadows on your face. So when is the best time to plan a ceremony? I’m glad you asked! Ceremony photos with the most favorable light is about 2-3 hours before sunset.
Sunset Portraits
If we’re working together, there’s a good chance you were attracted to the golden, soft light I leverage during sunset. If this is the type of light you prefer on your wedding day, you need to make time for portraits around sunset. Depending on the time of year you marry, these photos can be taken during cocktail hour (in the fall/winter) or by slipping away from the reception for 20 minutes (in the spring/ summer). Photos taken in an empty field or along the water’s edge are the prettiest with 20 minutes before sunset.

+ B r i de a n d G r o o m P h o to s /
The defining moment for photographers on a wedding day is the ability to create photos we're proud of, photos we've dreamt of in our minds and can't wait to bring them to life. However, I've documented weddings where I had an hour alone with the couple and other weddings when I had barely 20 minutes alone with the couple. regardless of the time disparity, it's important for me to have a mental outline of photos before I even press the shutter. The MORE time I have, the more creative I can be, but this is a foundation I lay to ensure my clients have a strong representation of their first day as husband and wife.

+R E C E P T I O N
Let’s keep this simple: the more lights you add, the better. Uplighting, pin lighting, Italian strung lights, candle light...all of it! The more light you add to a venue (indoors or outdoors), the higher chances a photographer can capture the exact feel of the evening. If it’s too dark, I rely heavily on my flash, which is fine, but doesn’t exactly document the environment as well as I’d like. Occasionally the DJ will provide

lights for the dance floor, but please refrain from using them during the first dance as colored or moving lights can hurt a photo in the worst way (making skin appear purple or creating a blue light across a wedding dress? Yup...I’ve been there.). Keep in mind a lot of low lit photos from indoors will be in black and white.

+O V E R C A S T D A Y S

Some brides get worried or sad if the sun isn’t shining bright on their wedding days, but I want to take a second and state that a cloudy day is a perfect day. It’s one, big softly illuminated space and we’re free to roam wherever we’d like for photos. Rest assured I’m not worried about clouds in the sky. On a wedding day, clouds can be a photographer’s best friend. If you know it may end up raining on your day bringing matching clear umbrellas for the entire wedding party can make for some INCREDIBLE outdoor photos and fun memories! As you’re creating a timeline for your wedding day or choosing locations for photos, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help however you need!

PHOTOGRAPHING FAMILY AND EXTENDED FAMILY

Typically this isn’t the most favored time of the day but making sure you get shots with grandparents and immediate family is most important.

When it comes to extended family some of us have gigantic families with a 10 aunts, 10 uncles on each side and 100 cousins. To photograph all of them during your formal family portraits can make anyone cringe a bit and kill the mood of the day. BUT I have the best solution for you. I always make sure to get the MOST important photos done for my couples in the best light. Send your extended family and friends to cocktail hour because you can have one of your photographers follow you around you enjoy your dinner to each table so that you get a shot with each of your tables guest. This happens real quick and you get a photo with all of your guests in a more fun environment. So please prioritize your portrait list for the MOST important photos after the ceremony and the rest can definitely take place inside the reception area :) Sometimes it’s hard to prioritize family and friends but there are not hard feelings, everyone is there for you and they want you to enjoy your day and that means enjoying the cocktail hour you planned with your guests.

ALSO

Having a list of people you are getting formals with in order is easy. Have your planner or closest bridesmaid call out each family and family photo combo. Starting with the oldest folks and kids so that they can get to the reception, sit back and relax. Typically kids have a short attention span so get them done and your elderly so they don’t have to stand around waiting long.

+++ KEEPING IT TIGHTY AND CLEAN

As you start the wedding day prep, there’s a good chance you’ll be getting your hair and makeup done when I arrive, so I don’t want to bother you with questions day-of. As a result, can you assign a bridesmaid to show me where the following items are:
Wedding dress, Wedding shoes, Garter, Jewelry, Purse, Perfume, Personalized hanger, Wedding invitation, Wedding rings Bouquet, Note/gift for the groom, Handkerchief, Sentimental items (if applicable) It might be easier for you to arrange these items in a corner of a room, so the bridesmaid can simply point me to them and you can rest assured everything will be documented. Lastly, as your bridesmaids are dressing, can you ask them to keep the room tidy and clean? I know it can be hard with so many people getting ready, but having a clean and open space for you to dress in would be ideal and ensure you get gorgeous photos as a result! I’ll be there to help on the wedding day, but if everyone works together, I have no doubt you’ll be very happy!

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR AND MY “HOW TO’S”

I shoot with professional DSLR Canon cameras.

Lenses I use most:
35mm 1.4
50mm 1.2
24-105mm

Lenses I keep around:
85mm 1.2
135mm 2.8
50mm macro 2.5
24-105mm
28mm f1.8

MISC
external flash x 4
flash triggers, etc
batteries x a million zillion
back up camera bodies x 2

+A P E R T U R E |S H U T T E R S P E E D | I S O

These are my average settings I find myself continuing to use from wedding to wedding.

INDOOR
aperture
F 1.4 to 2.8
shutter
200-250
iso
200-1600