Why You Should Have Your Engagement Session With Your Wedding Photographer

My dad has always been a photo enthusiast. In my his eyes having five kids is as good as having 5 miniature models;  my siblings and I have grown up very uncamera shy because of it! For us any excuse to take photos was a good excuse! 

If you have taken a gander at my packages you have probably noticed I don't charge for my engagement sessions when you book your wedding with me. Your engagement session is not just another opportunity to take more photos (which I know your fiance just loves) it is a chance to build our relationship. Through this crazy business adventure I am still building and learning what makes the best experience for my MW couples! This is one golden nugget that I have learned and will standby for my couples.  Here are 3 reasons why you should shoot your engagement session with your wedding photographer.

1) It allows you to get a feel for how your photographer works. Your photographer will direct you to make you look good and have a good time. You will be able to see how they set up a pose or if they make you feel comfortable in front of the camera. It is better to know that and know how to feel comfortable with the love of your life in front of your photographers camera. Do they have key words?  Do they have favorite poses to stick you in? You will find this all out on your session!

2) It allows your photographer to know how you work as a couple.   Each couple has a different relationship; this is the time before the wedding that your photographer learns how you work together. Whether you are high volumes of pda or a little more pulled back, your photographer can then gauge what things you will be comfortable doing on the wedding day! (Like jumping in a near by pool after the ceremony or being thrown in the air by all the groomsmen) This will help put you in poses and do things that are more YOU!

3) There are no bad surprises when it comes to your wedding day photos. After the engagement session, you will then have been shot by your photographer. So instead of feeling like another stranger is shooting your wedding, you will feel like it is  friend excited to be capturing the day along side you! On top of that, your completed engagement session will be the same style as your wedding photos. So you will have a glimpse of what your wedding photos will look like! 

 I  believe it is important!! ♡ 

When Should The Ring Bearer & the Flower Girl be ready for photos?

One  of my favorite stories of ring bearers was one of my little brother; Christian was a ring bearer for one of my cousin's weddings. He was terrified because he thought he was getting married to the flower girl. He was extremely hesitant, but eventually persuaded by a giant water gun this size of his torso that my grandma Gertie was holding out in the middle of the aisle. To this day it still one of my favorite family wedding stories.  I share this little piece of family history to let you be aware when you have kiddos in your wedding, they have a tendency to think this big party is for them!

Kids have there own schedule but working with them can also be a joy because they are only this little once. For wedding party photos and family photos you want the ring bearer and the flower girl to be ready at the location 20 minutes before we start shooting the full wedding party. In your timeline you want to plan to have them there for long enough that they can be included without it being too much time in between that it is overwhelming for them. If that is too early or interrupts nap time consider doing separate wedding party photo with them after the ceremony.  

As learned with my family, bribes are always acceptable!

Should I have a Second Shooter for my Wedding? | For the Bride

You every have one of those days where you cannot concentrate on anything to the point where you are just frustrated at yourself? That was me, yesterday and that is why you are getting this today! I think it is so important so I just had to share!

I wanted to start off with letting you know a second shooter is not a necessity on your wedding day; I shoot weddings by myself all the time and I capture everything. But there are benefits from having a second shooter that i want to bring to your attention! I know your wondering if a second shooter will be worth it. I just want to encourage you to go for it for a couple of reasons. 

Your wedding gallery will be more rounded out. At the start of the day lead shoots the bridal party getting ready. With a second shooter the lead photographer can focus primarily on the girls and the second shooter can focus on the boys!  This helps give both sides of the story the equal focus they deserve! That does not just apply to the morning but the whole day ! The second shooter will give you different vantage points and more candids of friends and family.

Second shooter are also awesome if you have a tight timeline. I have seen multiple times where grandma is missing for the family formals, so the second photographer can go track her down while the lead is able to continue photos while we are waiting, which keeps everything going smoothly! If the lead photographer needs to go shoot details the second shooter can stay with the wedding party while still documenting the day when the lead is else where. It is wonderful when timing calls to have one photographer in two places at once. ( As much as I would love that ability I am not yet equipped with that particular skill)