I’ve learned so much throughout this wedding season, each time I walk away from a wedding day with a new piece of knowledge that will help improve our work on future weddings. We don’t know it all, and we take every opportunity we can to learn. When we first started photographing weddings, I took a roll-with-it approach (not necessarily a bad thing, and we still r0ll-with-it a lot during wedding days) but I’ve learned their are some things which we don’t have to roll-with-it. The best example I can give is the getting ready photos. I’ll use Jamie as an example. Jamie & Brian were married at a beautiful old home in Cary, it had oodles of character & wonderful natural light….. except in the room Jamie & her girls were getting ready in. The shades were pulled for privacy, their were purses, clothing, etc. scattered throughout the room. Not exactly the prettiest backdrop for a gorgeous woman to slip on her most prized article of clothing. I arrived at the home & immediately asked Jamie for her details (jewelry, garter, shoes) to photograph them before she needed them. When I got them, I quickly bee-lined around the house looking for great light. I found the perfect spot in the dining room, so that’s where all the details from that wedding were shot (on the wood floors & antique chair). But during my search for light, I stuck my head in the vacant bedroom across the hall…. HUGE windows, no clutter and multiple pretty mirrors…. perfect for a bride to slip into her gown.  So… when I came back upstairs to return the details I polietly asked Jamie to dress in the adjoining room. Without hesitation she agreed 🙂 As a result, she has beautiful, bright photos of her getting dressed. Photos I’m positive she loves more than had she dressed in the closet doorway where her dressed was being steamed in a dark room full of clutter.   …… so brides…. don’t be afraid if I ask you to get dressed in a different spot, I only want you to have the best photos possible 🙂