Not sure where to start with your wedding plans?
“This is how we do it”
-Montell Jordan
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you probably haven’t been married many times before. Perhaps you know exactly what you want for your big day but you’re not quite sure how it all comes together. Or maybe you’re finding it completely overwhelming and don’t really know where to start. Well, I got you, boo! This ain’t my first rodeo and I’m here to make things as easy and relaxing for you every step of the way.
Here’s how it all goes down:
Before the wedding
1. Book a venue
Once you have a venue booked, you have a wedding date! Yay! If you have your heart set on particular vendor, you might want to check availability before locking your date in, but it’s a good idea not to wait too long as venues and vendors are often booked out a year or more in advance. Find your vendors
So you’ve checked out their socials and website and you think you’ve found someone who’s work you connect with. Get in touch and find out if the’ve got availability. If it’s a yes, I highly recommend you meet with them as soon as possible. Your photographer (also videographer and celebrant) will have a very intimate role on one of the most important days of your life, you want to make sure you vibe with them.
2. Wedding chats
I love hearing all about what my couples have planned for their wedding day and often find they are more organised then they think they are. I’ll write out running sheet based on our chats for you to use as a starting point, which people find to be really helpful in bringing everything together, then I’ll email it through to you in a day or so. If you’re not really sure which package you’re after, I’ll send through a couple of variations for you to consider. We’ll chat about things like how to get the most out of your timeline, locations for photos and the way I approach photography on a wedding day. You can tell me all about how you met and the wedding of your dreams and I will help you as much as I can with vendor recommendations and any questions you might have.
3. Lock it in, Eddie*
Once you’ve decide you want to go ahead and book, get in touch and I will send through an online booking form. Fill it out, send it back and once that’s been received, I’ll send through an invoice for your deposit. Once the deposit has been received, the wedding date is locked in and all yours. You totally have my permission to crack open a cold one and pat yourself on the back for a successful day!
4. Sit back and relax
Well, kind of. In terms of what you need to organise for your wedding photography, there’s not much on the list. I will send through a checklist a month before your wedding to make sure that all the details are correct, that the timeline is locked in and a few other bits and pieces such as family photo lists and vendors details are all sorted. A day or two before your wedding, I also like to do some scouting for your portrait session so I can find some beautiful spots that suit you as a couple rather then just generic spots (as well as come up with a wet-weather contingency plan too, if needed).
On the Day
The Vibe
I approach weddings with good energy, always. I’m pretty good at reading the room - I’ll be your photographer, hype girl and zen master, all in one handy package. I’ll mostly take a step back and photograph all the little moments happening around you, that you probably aren’t really noticing in the moment - I mean, you’ve got a bit going on.
Fam Photos
Okay, so this part of the day is important (especially for Nans and Mums) but it’s almost always a little cray cray. People are excited to catch up with one another and Uncle Bob has gone off to have a beer. No stress, I like to be super prepared and will go through everything with you in our meeting and again in your questionnaire one month prior. I’ll bring a list of your family combos with me, as well as a few extras so people can help me round every one up and you don’t need to worry about a thing. We’ll get all your fam photos taken and before you know it, we’ll be all done and you’ve just got your Chrissy pressies sorted!
Portrait sesh
So we have the perfect location, the wet weather plan is sorted and the esky is packed. What now? If you’re the kind of person who dreads getting their photo taken, let me assure you, I know how you feel and so I know what works to get the best photos. You’re on a high because the serious bit is done and now you get relax and hang with your besties. Think no posing, a bit of direction here and there and lots of laughs. You’re on a high because the serious bit is done and now you get to hang with your besties. After we’ve got the goods, I’ll send the bridal party off so we can get some gorge photos of just the two of you without your mate Johnno pulling the piss out of you. Bloody Johnno.
Need more time?
Everything’s just about done and dusted when old mate Johnno brings out his signature d-floor moves - an absolute can’t-be-missed-photo op. I’m always happy to stay for an extra 15 minutes but if you think you’re going to need more coverage, you can decide on this by indicating in the questionnaire before your wedding date as to whether you’d like me to keep shooting. I will always check with you first as to whether you me to stay on, but who wants to be talking dollars when Johnno’s doing his thing? Occasionally speeches will go overtime and dinner service will be delayed, so it’s good to know you’re covered.
What’s next?
The next day
The hang over may be raging but I got you with a sweet sneak peek of The Best Day Ever to make it fb official. So you don’t have to use Aunty Marg’s blurry ipad schnaps.
The next two months
I’ll personally edit each of your images one by one. You won’t get every image I take (trust me, you don’t want them all) but you will have the best of the best. It varies from wedding to wedding, but for a 7.5 hour package you will probably get 600 plus images, each individually handcrafted. I’ll pop them on a gallery for you with a link for you to download. You can also order prints, frame photos and albums from your gallery, as well as share your photos with loved ones.
The Goodie Package
A few weeks after your gallery is ready, you will get a sweet little package in the mail with selection of prints and a few other goodies too. I can’t tell you how important it is to print your images! Don’t let annual Facebook memories be the only keepsake you have of your Best Day Ever, surround yourself in the joy, my friend!
