the FIRST

I’m a huge advocate of the First Look for many reasons, it helps so much with everything during the wedding day. The First Look is a modern approach to the wedding timeline that creates a private moment between the bride and groom before the actual ceremony. The First Look is, of course, something optional and a decision that only can be made by you. The wedding day goes by in a blink. Doing a First Look prior to the ceremony, means you will get to spend more time together on your wedding day. For the First Look, I will pull you away to a secluded area and you can see each other all dressed up before the wedding. It’s a great opportunity to share a private moment together before the wedding festivities begin. It will also help you release some of the tension of the day, as you will get to spend time together, just the two of you. It’s an emotional moment for everyone and we might all be crying but the memories definitely worth it! The First Look can also help to make the rest of the wedding day run smoother. After you’ve seen each other we can sneak away to take a few couple’s portraits. It’s imperative to know if you want to opt-in for a First Look early enough, so together with your wedding planner, we can incorporate it to the timeline. The concept of the First Look is simply so beautiful and helpful for the day's timeline!

Please allow me to elaborate on some bonus tips

Bonus tip 1: You can exchange your private vows after the First Look. Say the things you want to your better half, in total privacy! That is something very romantic and special. Plus, if you have a videographer, they would love to capture the audio and use it in your movie. Told you, you’re stars!

Bonus tip 2: A First Look doesn’t necessarily have to be one. No pun intended. You can also or alternatively set up a daughter-father First Look! I’ve witnessed some very emotional moments in situations like this! Or have a First Look with your bridesmaids.

Bonus tip 3: Family formals. At certain occasions, we have done family formals right after the first look and your couple’s session. Thus, reducing the time that I’ll need to steal you away from your guests after the ceremony.

However, for some people, the first look takes away the beauty of seeing each other for the first time in the ceremony. If you choose not to have a first look, it’s definitely not a problem and we will plan together plenty of time into the schedule to ensure you get all the portraits you would like. This option means that the ceremony will have to be later in the evening, for the light to be softer at every part mentioned previously. This option will allow you to relax after the ceremony without having to worry about making time for all the photographs. Which means more time for partying and hanging with the people you love!

the CEREMONY

During the ceremony, I always try to capture these moments in a very discrete way and with a variety of angles. It’s equally important for me to have gorgeous pictures but also not to intrude or obstruct your guests viewing this important part of your day.

Suggestion: Going Unplugged
I get that we live in a modern world where everything is documented by everyone and every action is captured by dozens of cellphone cameras. However, do you want photos of you as bride and groom, walking down the aisle surrounded by cellphone screens or do you prefer the faces of the people you care about the most? There is a recent trend in weddings, promoting ‘unplugged’ ceremonies where ALL the guests are highly encouraged and asked to put away their cellphones and cameras for the duration of the ceremony. An unplugged ceremony allows your guests to be entirely present during your time together and as a bonus, allows me to make sure I capture the best moments, without being obscured by a cellphone screen or an enthusiastic guest with an iPad.

Consider: Repurposing flowers
There are some advantages of repurposing ceremony flowers for the reception, allowing you to purchase more ‘expensive’ and beautiful flowers.
A stunning ceremony arch doesn’t need to go to waste. You may be using floral arrangements on the ceremony aisle. These can be used again. Of course please consult your floral designer about the pros and cons on your specific design and flower choices. They are the experts.   

The below two images are a great example of repurposed flowers.

Drone shots
The latest addition in my camera bag is my beloved drone. I love the opportunity it offers me to have a bird's eye view. Please know that not disturbing your guets is a priority to me. Flights will be planned beforehand and brief, to capture the magic from up high. Some high angle shots you have seen on my portfolio are not from a drone, rather from a room with a view to the ceremony area. If these types of pictures are important to you, please consider booking a room that offers a view to the ceremony area. Drone flights will always be respectful towards your guests and you as I wouldn't want the drone attracting the attention.

First Dance
If you are doing a First Dance, please remember that nobody will judge of how good a dancer you actually are, so no reason to stress. The only thing people will be looking at is how happy you are and that you are sharing this positive energy and joy! Just relax, enjoy and take it all in! Friendly tip that I learned from my own wedding. The more good vibes, smiles and positive energy you let out, the more you will receive!

Dinner & Reception
Since no one wants pictures of themselves eating, now is the time for me to take a break, grab a bite, get fresh batteries and memory cards and set up my lights for the reception. During dinner time, it’s custom to have speeches from families, best friends and the bridal party. My advice to you, is try and add as much ambient light as possible. Fairylights and candles are excellent to create a beautiful and romantic atmosphere for your guests but also for me (and your videographer) to avoid using artificial lighting.
Giving a speech can be quite fun or emotional, sometimes both. I was photographing a wedding where the groom was getting married for the second time and his best man opened his speech by saying "Welcome back everybody!" You can imagine the laughter. Speeches can be 
entertaining and bond your guests together.

Party
It’s party time! Throughout the party time, I will wander around the dancefloor photographing everyone having a blast and capturing all of the fun moments. A really good advice that will make a big difference, is to keep the bar close to the dancefloor. Sometimes the party doesn't go as well as you would like and it's not the DJ's fault. It's because the bar is away from the dancefloor, thus your guests are queuing away from where others are dancing.
Suggestion: Keep the bar as close as you can to the dance-floor. No matter how hard your DJ will try, you don't want to have your guests queueing up at the bar and being far away from where the action is supposed to be taking place.

This is just an example chain of events to get you thinking about the process of documenting a wedding from start to finish!
Let me know what you are planning and we can create a custom timeline for your special day! I have prepared a suggested timeline you can find below, so you better understand the idea behind it. One thing you must always keep in mind is that there should be buffer zones between activities. That way, if something falls out of plan, you will have room to cover for it.

Please mind that the afore mentioned timeline does not include any required transportation times. That’s why we'll shape the perfect timeline together with your wedding planner.

Check if your reception venue has a curfew
That means you’ll have to end the reception at a specific time. This shouldn’t mean moving your wedding day all the way in the morning so you can have time to party with your friends. I’ve witnessed weddings where people were so exhausted by the heat that they had no energy to dance. It’s better to spend some quality time with your guests rather than tiring them. And this will also most probably have a huge impact on your photos as it would mean you will have to take some portraits in the harsh mid-day light. Trust me, you definitely want to avoid that.

Sunset Time
Another tip I would like to share is about sunset time, as I get asked this a lot. When checking the sunset time on your location, please mind that this time refers to when the sun meets the horizon in sea level. So, be aware if, for example, there is a hill or a mountain west of your reception venue, then ‘sunset’ is going to be earlier. Have a consultation with me or your wedding planner to know the exact times. I’m sure you would love to have some romantic sunset photos of the two of you, right? Also, just after sunset, there is the Blue Hour. Depending on the location, the season and atmospheric factors, the sky turns blue right after sunset. It’s a very delicate soft light for portraits and reception shots.

Logistics
Maybe I shouldn’t say that as it seems trivial but I’ll do it anyway. Make time to have a proper meal. You don’t want to be 'hangry' during the most romantic day of your life. The more transportations you add to your day, the more complicated your timeline gets. You can run into traffic or miss a shuttle bus and confusion starts. Then things can go south easily. Your wedding day shouldn’t be a choreographed movie of jumping obstacles and running to catch up. It should be a relaxed day to enjoy with your loved ones. Let it be that!

Videographers
I have worked with a lot of other professionals and being absolutely honest with you, there are some that are more team players than others. Your choice of the videographer is a crucial one. Photographers and videographers have to share the space and time to provide you with the best possible outcome. Your selection of videographer will affect the quality of the pictures. Please take into consideration the style and approach. My style of photography, would say it’s on the romantic, luminous side. Would be more difficult for me to work with a videographer who has a darker or moodier style (as we will look for different quality of light). If you feel that photography is even a tiny bit more important to you, I would kindly ask you to advise me on your selection of videographers before booking any. Another lesson I got from my own wedding and I advise you to do, is ask your videographer to capture as much audio as they can. Listening to your beloved people's voices in your video will be a keepsake.

Other equipment
Very close to the theme of cell phones, is the issue of other large equipment like speakers or giant poles. Not everything can be photoshopped out, sorry. Please consult your wedding planner how the ceremony and reception areas are going to look. As all vendors to respect the space and hide as many of their equipment as possible.

Delivery of goods
The photos of your special day need the care and attention to be edited, as much as they were initially composed. Only part of the work was done on the day of your wedding. I am trying my best to deliver your wedding photos soon enough (current delivery time is less than 30 working days). You have the option to ask for speed delivery by skipping the line. Once the pictures are ready, you will be provided with an online gallery of all the photos in high resolution. You are more than welcome to share this gallery with your friends and families so they can download their favourites. Your gallery is directly connected with a Print shop, so you can order special prints right from there. Your guests can do the same of course. If your package contained a proof box, you are kindly asked to select your favourite photos and let me know so I can prepare the prints and shipping.

Walking out the aisle
Your first steps as husband and wife are walking out the aisle, while everyone will be cheering and applauding you! I've witnessed a lot of beautiful moments taking place when the couple enjoys these moments. Remember to keep your heads high, smiling to your guests and really feeling every vibe. It's one of my favorite moments of the wedding day and as your energy will make some great pictures!

Family Formals
Usually taking place after the ceremony or after the First Look, we will do the family formals. You can provide me with a list of all the photo combinations you would like, to make this go quickly and we don’t miss a single shot!
It’s very helpful for everyone and surely stress reducing if you assign one of your close people to be the FPC (Formal Pictures Coordinator) Yes, I invented the term! After the ceremony, people can easily get scattered. If we can have someone to call them for the family pictures, will save everyone lots of time. I will first photograph you with your immediate family members (parents and siblings) and grandparents (if applicable) during the allotted formal family time. If you have groupings outside of immediate family, please send me a list at least two weeks prior to your wedding so your wedding planner and myself can schedule our time accordingly. Additionally, please inform me of any special groupings due to family circumstances (i.e divorce, stepparents, etc).

Couple’s Portraits
After the ceremony, I will need to ‘steal’ you two away from the party for a bit to capture some sunset photos. This is a great chance to breathe and relax before seeing all your guests again. I generally try to schedule this portion of time when the sun is lower in the sky and the light is soft. Depending if you opted in or out of the First Look idea, we will need 15 or 40 minutes for portraits to ensure that you have plenty of beautiful pictures. We will of course coordinate with your wedding planner on the time of the ceremony as I want to make sure you will have the best light for every situation. I know, I’m repeating myself, but having gorgeous light is key!

KEY TAKEAWAY

Avoid looking down as you're walking out. Instead look at your guests and share your best smiles!