GETTING READY

Both parties should get ready in rooms that have plenty of natural light. In the ideal world, we want to keep indoor lights turned off during photos. If you are staying at a hotel, ask the front desk when you check in for a room with the best natural light, think a big window or sliding glass doors.

Pro-actively reduce clutter. Ask your wedding party to hide all of their belongings in one area in the getting ready space. We want to avoid clutter in the background.

Steam and iron your outfits. I recommend doing this the morning of or the day before. The last thing you want is to stress about steaming your dress or ironing your shirt moments before festivities begin.

Gather the details. Please consolidate any heirloom details like shoes, special jewelry, vow books, mementos you want captured so I can easily grab them when the day begins.

Use real hangers. You don’t need anything fancy (no need to buy custom hangers), but your dress and suit deserve a nice wooden hanger.

Drink out of real glassware. It's an elegant day and you deserve elegant details.

Think hard about the energy you want the morning of your wedding. Some want a bombastic getting ready party. Some want a calm, slow morning with just 2 loved ones in the room. Be true to your energetic needs. In general, honor your needs and don't get bogged down by wedding norms.

Avoid any errands the morning of your wedding.

THE CEREMONY

Consider a no phone policy during all or part of your ceremony so your guests can be truly present as witnesses. (Exception: For Super 8mm, designate a loved one to record certain parts of the ceremony.)

Remind your wedding party to look towards the ceremony site or at seated guests as they walk down the aisle. Bridesmaids and groomsmen often don’t know where to look… and they end up staring at the ground. We don’t want that.

Face one another. Unless you are having a religious ceremony, I recommend facing your partner and holding hands during the ceremony. Facing the officiant can make it challenging to get photos (especially if the photographer can’t walk behind the altar). More importantly, your guests will want to see your beautiful faces.

If you are exchanging personal vows, consider writing them in a vow book or on nice card stock. No wrinkled pieces of paper or cell phones.

Please let me know ahead of time if there are any religious or cultural traditions in your ceremony.

Once it's official, kiss long and often! Not only because it's your first kiss as a married couple, but it will help me capture this special moment. I suggest kissing at the altar and then again in the middle or at the end of the aisle. The more the merrier. Walk slowly and take it in, newlyweds!

FAMILY PORTRAITS

Draft a family photo list. Family portraits can be exhausting for the couple, so be mindful of your time and think through your list. (You don’t want any part of your day to feel laborious.) Anyone you would like a formal photo with needs to be on that list. It is most helpful if you list all the combos in the order you would like to shoot. As a starting place, I like to allocate 2 minutes per combo. Keep it concise so you can get to the party.

Include any friend group photos you want as well on this photo list.

Tell your people ahead of time. Designate when and where they will need to meet. Please have your officiant make an announcement if we are taking family formals after the ceremony.

Designate a family photo helper from each side. The ideal candidate is assertive and knows the family. They will help me wrangle everyone on this list.

WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

After documenting over 140 weddings and planning one myself, here are some things I learned firsthand to keep in mind in these final weeks:

Your day is NOT about taking photos. It’s about celebrating your relationship and community and having photos that happen to document that magic.

Your favorite memories from your wedding day will be the unexpected, spontaneous experiences — they are rarely the moments we plan. Just think — you can't even envision your favorite things! That should feel liberating. Leave room for spontaneity and kismet. Don't sweat the small stuff.

It’s not uncommon for the couple to unconsciously spend a lot of the wedding apart. Don’t do this. Be intentional. Find each other. Return to one another. Hold hands as you greet your guests. Sneak in kisses. I promise you will savor those shared moments.

To be human is to feel all emotions, not just joy. It’s a beautiful thing to feel waves of different emotions on the day and the weeks leading up to it.

Hydrate the day before and the day of your wedding. Your bodies will thank you.

Your vendors are here to take care of you. Trust them. Lean on them. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Let’s do this thing!

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. I am here for you!

xoxo m