The height of booking season has hit us (thankfully! it’s been a long winter) I love getting to meet with brides about possibly photographing their wedding day. These last few weeks I’ve met with a slew of ladies and gotten all kinds of interesting questions. A few months ago I was asked to contribute to an article being written for Creative Loafing about questions couples should ask when looking for a photographer. You can find it here! Actually, my full response was this…. “Are you well equipped to work in low light conditions? This is something I almost never get asked, but it is SO important. Nearly anyone could take a passable photograph when the sun is up….. but what about when the glow of the candles is all you’ve got? You better know your photographer has the right stuff to make your party photograph well, even if lighting conditions suck. Make sure you ask to see reception/evening/dark church shots if your party will go on into the night or you’ll be in a dark space. ….. on a side note, please don’t ask what kind of equipment I use. Chances are you have no clue what constitutes “pro” equipment, so when I rattle off 50 1.4, D700, SB900…. you won’t have a clue what any of that means. Just because a wedding guide tells you to ask what kind of equipment I use, doesn’t mean a thing if you aren’t well versed in photography.”   It’s so incredibly important that a wedding photographer be able to capture images when it’s dark. The images above were from Maggie & Rory’s reception, they had 2 tents (which easily bounce a photographer’s flash) but their dance floor area was not tented…. meaning we had nothing to bounce light off of…. but we use off camera lights to combat this issue! As you can see above, all the images are properly lit, even though it was next to pitch black out at that remote house and yard. Don’t be afraid to ask a photographer to see dark reception photos if your party will go well into the night. Just because I love daytime/outdoor/bright photos, doesn’t mean I can’t capture a late night soiree!

As a rule, I tend to loathe traditional bridesmaid attire. It can be cheaply made and cost an arm & leg. Let’s be honest, a lot of it is unflattering (although it has gotten a lot better!)….. I also tend to gravitate to pattern… I guess I think about it like decorating a room…. you wouldn’t paint the walls blue, have blue carpet and a blue sofa…. there’s no visual interest there, just flat, boring color. There’s NO reason why you can’t do the same with your wardrobe…. add pattern, add interest. I remember when I was a bride, many of the weddings I saw in magazines that I loved included bridesmaids in a pattern. I have always loved these two weddings; Red Gray *I actually think both these dresses were from Anthropologie Below are a few dresses that could be easily accessible to your gals if they are spread far and wide. Consider the visual interest you’ll add to your ceremony (and your photos!) if your girls are in pattern! (note, I included the J Crew & Ann Taylor, just because I love the sleeves!)  

It never fails, at every wedding there’s a rouge item. Something you meant to bring and it slipped your mind. Something that could make life easier, and now you are on the verge of a major melt-down. I’ve compiled a list of things I know can go missing or get left, consider yourself warned 😉 1. A NICE hanger. Do not, under any circumstances rely on your hotel/house/cabin to have a hanger you can use for your wedding dress. Yes, your dress is likely on a hanger already in the bag… but it’s probably a clear plastic one (maybe with one of those cardboard bust things over it). You bought a $4000 dress, why are you hanging it on something that is so dang ugly. Personally, I think bridal salons should provide you with a beautiful, wood or silk hanger… but they don’t. You may want to have a cute personalized one made up, if so, great! If not, not biggie… but at least have a pretty one.   2. Bobby Pins I would say that 50-75% of weddings I shoot, I give out a few bobby pins. I keep them stashed in my camera bag because there’s always a wild hair that needs taming! My advice is to ask your hair stylist for a few extra and pin them on your bouquet or your bra! Curls get loose, wind blows, your veil will get tugged loose during all those hugs. Have a few extra! 3. Food This sounds silly, but in the mix of all the craziness you can forget to eat. Put someone who loves to cook or help out in charge of lunch or breakfast, whatever you’ll be eating during your “getting ready” time. There’s usually an aunt or cousin who’s dying to have a task, this is perfect for them! When we got married I had our caterer make up some box lunches and had them delivered to our hotel room. This saved us time from going out and finding food.  On the same note…. drink LOTS of water! Mimosas are fun, but you need hydration too. No one likes a drunk bride (or groom) at their ceremony! 4. Keep your accessories together When you pack up all the items you will be wearing put them together. It is very easy to loose earrings, or a bracelet. Those items are so small, they can easily slip under a seat or bottom of a bag. If you have a shoe box or bag, I would pack all these little items inside! A lot of times I’ll photograph your jewelry with your garter, perfume, or veil. So it keeps you organized to have all these together, and easy for me to use them all at once. 5. Clear heel protectors If you’ll be walking through grass in heels, I advise these. I’ve never had a bride use them, but they can be a lifesaver (or heel saver!) if the ground is even a little soft. 6. Pills. Any medication you take can easily be left on your bathroom counter at home. It really is a conscious effort to not only take it, but have it with you! ….. no one wants an unplanned pregnancy on their honeymoon 😉 7. A rain plan. Even if your events are all inside, you’ll still need to get too and from the car without melting. So…. make sure you’ve got umbrellas (and that they wind up in the right spot…. an umbrella inside the church does you no good when you need to dash from the car to the church!) On the same note… if your events are all outdoors…. have a backup plan! 8. A copy of your invitation I love to photograph invitations, after-all they are the first incling  your guests receive about your wedding day. They help set the tone for what kind of ceremony & party you will be having. I often ask my couples to mail me one, but just in case, bring one with you. If you have had someone to make you an entire suite (invite, directions, place cards, program) have one of each available with all your bridal accessories. Hope this helps save some frustration on your big day! We want you to be able to sit back and enjoy the day, not panic all through it!