So you're planning your wedding and of course you know A LOT goes into it. Dresses and suits, floral arrangements, venues and food tastings.. the list goes on! So you wonder, what goes on behind the scenes here to prepare for your big day? Let me set the scene for you..
I'll begin from the time after booking, because of course a lot of prep goes into the consultation itself, drafting up the contract, etc.
After you've secured your date, you'll get a questionnaire. Its quick and simple, I'll need to know things like your preferred contact method, etc. I want to make sure you don't prefer email over text, simple stuff!
Now, most weddings are booked so far in advance that you may not have many of the details yet, so as the details and questions do come in, we can communicate. A few months before your wedding you'll receive another questionnaire. This one is a bit longer and outlines most of the details of your day - it will really get the gears turning on building that timeline.
As you get the details and start building, I'd LOVE to sit down and begin talking about your timeline. Because I have been a part of so many wedding days, I truly know how long each part of your day takes and can shed some light on this part of the process. Plus, I want to make sure you have plenty of time for photos built in there too!
As your date approaches we can talk more, answer any questions you may have!
The steps above are everything you're aware of in the planning process, but behind the scenes we're doing a whole lot more to prepare.
Those answers from the questionnaire? I'm sharing them with the second photographer. Making sure they're aware of the details of your day. We often have a call or meeting leading up to your wedding to make sure we are both on the same page, and I like to fill them in on the details of you as a couple and your story as well.
Of course, we do everything to prep our gear: charge batteries, clear memory cards, etc. We get our cameras serviced and cleaned about twice a year, and buy new memory cards quite often. We are constantly making sure all of our photos are backed up (because trust me, I learned that lesson the hard way early on in my career).
The few days before a wedding I prepare my notecards. If you're already a #capturedcouple you are no stranger to my silly notecards! I jot down the timeline to your day on one side of the notecard. This way I have the timeline handy, in my pocket all day so that nothing runs too far off track. On the other side, I keep a list of all of the requested "important photos" submitted in the questionnaire. This often consists of a list of family photos, important friends or extended family, etc. Basically any photos the couple wants to make sure I do not miss. Because it's their wedding day, I don't want them to have to remember so I keep this list handy and make sure I get all of these photos throughout the day. It also helps come family photo time to have this list to keep things efficient and running smoothly.
Lastly, I'll scope out the venue and keep a list of locations and posing ideas based on that venue. If it's a venue I've been to and photographed at before, then of course my brain comes flooding back with ideas, so I like to have a list as to not forget anything. If it's a venue I haven't been to before, I always do my research - google, check websites, even check instagram and recently tagged posts to see what things look like right now. I like to get a feel for things in real time. This card stays with me in my pocket for ideas and inspiration on the day of.
I prep all my gear (which, if you've seen us on a wedding day with all of our bags, you know is quite a bit!), water, snacks, etc. the night before and of course lay out my outfit.
Weather can be tricky so I usually bring sweaters and jackets, because hey, we live in New England. I also usually bring my clear umbrellas for the couple as well, just in case!
On the morning of the wedding, I run through the timelines again, check my gear bag about 100 times, check traffic about 50 times, and always try to arrive to a venue early to scope out some great spots for photos later on in the day.
On our way to the wedding we run through timelines again and basically talk about how excited we are. Wedding days are SO. MUCH. FUN!
You see, that's just some of the planning that goes into your day. We do our best to help your day go as smoothly as possible. We love what we do, and we hope that shows.
Until next time, live creatively friends.