Recommendations

Best timing for our team

• Morning photoshoot (wedding dress, the dressing process, rings, jewelry, portraits, first look) - 2 hours

• Bride and groom photos - 1-2 hours

• Wedding ceremony - 1 hour

• Bridal party photoshoot - 30 minutes

• Family photoshoot - 30 minutes

• Cocktail hour - 1 hour

• Dining/dancing - 4-5 hours

Before the wedding

Please make sure you’ve shared the full schedule of the day with us, including a list of all locations. If you’re working with a wedding planner/coordinator, they can create this document for you. Also, we ask you to share your personal vision of the day and let us know about any specific requests you have.

When working on the timing, please keep in mind that our team works with lots of different (sometimes heavy) equipment and we need time to park a car, unload and set up all cameras and lights, which may take between 10 and 20 minutes for photo and up to 30 minutes for video setup. Additionally, we will need the same amount of time to load all equipment back into the car if we’re traveling somewhere else afterwards.

How to choose a hotel for getting ready photos

Your perfect choice is a room with tons of natural light, large windows and white ceilings. Light, pastel-colored rooms always look best on photos/videos. 

Picture-perfect venue

From a photo/video perspective, the ideal venue is a place with high white ceilings (especially if you’re looking for light and airy photos from the reception). Big ballrooms, restaurants with high ceilings, and modern lofts are the perfect choice.

Makeup and hair

Flawless makeup and hair are crucial if you want to look your best in wedding photos. Please only work with professional make-up artists and always do a trial session a few months before the wedding. If you need recommendations, let us know, we have a list of artists whose work is amazing.

Two things you should keep in mind:

• You’ll likely spend a lot of time outside, so your hair should hold regardless of the weather. 

• Think of how your hair will look from the side. In many situations, you will stand sideways to the camera, and if your hair overlaps your eyes and cheeks, no one will see your face.

Getting ready

Please prepare and put aside invitations, rings, jewelry, shoes, dress, flowers, perfume — all the little details you’ve prepared for the wedding.

Our team will need about 1.5-2 hours to photograph details, you and your bridal party wearing robes, beautiful portraits, capture you getting into the dress and take photos with parents and friends.

Your bridesmaids should be dressed up and have their makeup done before you so they look their best on those morning photos.

First look

Please discuss with us how and where you’d like to do the first look. It has to be a well lit place, and usually we make a final decision on the day of the wedding, when we can see the location in person.

Wedding photoshoot

We recommend allowing 1-2 hours for wedding portraits with your fiance. It can be more if you have a video team as well. Think of the logistics and don’t choose more than 2-3 locations for the shoot — you don’t want to waste time commuting from one place to another. Please discuss your ideas with us before finalizing the timeline of your wedding — we are happy to share our experience and give you advice. Have a pair of comfortable shoes for the bride, your flats won’t be visible under the long dress, but your feet will definitely feel the difference!

Family photos

Put together a list of family photos you want to take, and dedicate a person to help us get everyone together (it should be someone who knows everyone!). Make sure to allow at least 30 minutes for family photos.

Ceremony and reception

Our video team uses a lot of lighting and sound equipment to capture your entrance, dances, speeches and other moments with the best quality possible. To install this equipment we need about 20-30 minutes. Please keep that in mind when you’re planning the day. Your photographer needs less time to install their equipment but still has to be at the church/ballroom at least 15 minutes before the ceremony/reception.

Ceremony

• To get all possible angles during the ceremony, we need to move around a lot. Please do not block side and center aisles.

• During the procession, give each member of your family and bridal party their own time to shine. Let them walk nice and slow, at least 30 feet apart from each other. Not only will they appreciate a chance to show off their beautiful outfits, but it also gives us an opportunity to capture their entrance nicely.

• We often see that during speeches, the microphone blocks half of the face of the speaker, especially when the mic is on a stand. We recommend removing the stand and simply handing the microphone to the speaker.

• During the ceremony, when you’re standing in front of each other, try looking at one another, not at the officiant. This way the guests (and us!) will see your emotions, not just the back of your head. 

• Before the ceremony we will advise you on how to stand and how to exchange rings so your guests can see it.

Ballroom and lightING

Even though we are bringing some lighting equipment, you will need a separate company to put up nice ambient light and create an amazing atmosphere. Little advice: your table and dancefloor should be well-lit with white (not colorful!) light, otherwise your and your guests’ skin tone will look distorted in photos and video. Please speak with your venue coordinator for additional lighting options.

Teamwork

After many years in the wedding industry we know that a dedicated, well-coordinated team always works better than a group of strangers. Our team works together helping one another and not getting into each other’s way at the same time. For example, during the ceremony some inexperienced photographer/videographer may stand too close to the couple, blocking the view for the guests and for all other cameras. We always coordinate the best spots to shoot from during the key moments of your wedding, to make sure we won’t block the view for anyone.

Your ideas and references

We care for you and want you to be 100% happy with your wedding photos and video.

Do not hesitate to share your ideas, and feel free to send us references to the other weddings you love. Understanding your goals and vision of the wedding helps us create memories you will cherish forever!