Wedding Welcome Guide
Your ultimate guide to a perfect wedding.
Hey there!
I love to capture life's big moments. Those once-in-a-lifetime moments that can't be redone. It's my goal to never miss a single thing so that you will have every laugh, every kiss, and every glance forever.
When I'm not photographing you beautiful brides and glowing mamas, I'm hanging with my big mutt Buffett, and exploring all that the city of Charleston has to offer. I'm also a big nerd, and indulge in several fandoms like Dr. Who, Harry Potter, Star Trek AND Star Wars (I know, blasphemy to love them both). You'll see the occasional travel post sprinkled in as well, as I try to get out of Charleston and the country as much as possible.
I studied photography at the University of Colorado and was a studio photographer for several years after. I'm excited to be out of the studio and working with beauties like you!
xoxo,
Jenni
- Keep an eye out in the mail for your welcome pack!
- As we get closer to your date, I'll send out a final questionnaire and a shot list for you to fill out.
- I will do a walk through of your venue (with your planner if you have one)
- I will work with you and/or your planner to create a custom timeline
- We will either sit down or hop on a quick call to talk through all the details of your day, and make sure I have all the necessary information
- After the wedding, I will post a sneak peek within 5 days.
- Delivery timeline is 4-6 weeks, if for any reason it will go longer, I will notify you
Tips for planning your timeline
I will work with you or your planner to create a custom timeline to keep your day moving forward smoothly.
But here are some tips as you start to think about how you want your day to go.
- Plan for about 20 minutes of buffer time around each activity on the timeline. Wedding days are hectic and chaotic, people run late, makeup takes longer than anticipated, something inevitably always happens, so be prepared for it!
- Plan for about an hour for family and wedding party photos - this part is the hardest part, honestly. There are so many people that want to enjoy the party, it becomes like herding cats.
- Plan for about an hour for bride and groom photos - this might get broken up into two time frames depending on ceremony time and sunset time.
- Know when sunset is. If you're wanting photos outside, keep the sunset time in mind and plan around it.
- If you don't have a planner, assign someone to keep you on track with the timeline.
- A note on first looks: A first look between the bride and groom is great for several reasons!
- You get a private moment just the two of you before the chaos of the ceremony begins.
- You can get a lot of the photos done before the ceremony, which will give you more time with your friends and family after.
- You get to genuinely appreciate the moment of seeing each other for the first time on your wedding day.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that timelines are not set in stone. They are fluid and will change as the day progresses. Go with the flow of your day and don't stress the little things - it will all get done and be the best day of your life.
The Details
These are some items to bring with you on your wedding day to include in your details photos:
- rings
- shoes
- loose blooms from your florist
- jewelry
- perfume
- invitation suite
- any sentimental items
Emergency Kit
Here are some items to bring on your wedding day just in case of an emergency:
- Band-Aids
- Moleskins (just in case your shoes or dress rub your skin while dancing the night away!)
- mini sewing kit (include sewing scissors)
- deodorant
- safety pins
- extra bobby pins
- lipstick
- translucent mattifying powder
- mouthwash
- floss picks
- Advil
- a change of shoes
- a second dress/outfit
Never miss a moment
Let's talk about Ties
This one's for the guys.
If you're planning on wearing a tie or a bowtie, please take the time to learn how to tie it BEFORE the wedding day. And make sure all the guys in the wedding party know how to as well.
It seems silly, but we have limited time on the actual wedding day, so waiting for the boys to watch a Youtube video on tying ties wastes time we don't have.
If your guys don't live near you, I recommend making this a wedding week activity.
Engagement Sessions
If you decide to book an engagement session with me, you'll want to book it about 9-12 months out from your wedding date. This gives you time to make your invites and have them printed with plenty of time to spare.
Together, we will decide on a location (or locations) based on what is important to you and what aesthetic you are going for. You can bring up to three outfits.
While I incorporate a lot of static poses, I also like to keep engagement sessions fun.
engagement sessions
Outfit Changes
You are allowed two outfits for your engagement session! I provide a pop-up tent so you can easily change clothes no matter where we are.
Engagement Sessions
What to Wear
Outfit 1: Formal: The outfit you want on your invites. We always start with this outfit because this is when hair and makeup will be the freshest.
Outfit 2: Be You! This is the outfit you would wear on any normal day of just being yourself. Anything flies here. For example, if you surf, bring a bathing suit and your surf board. Do you hang in your PJs all day and read? Whatever makes you, you!
Printing images is actually not as simple as it seems. Print quality and coloration vary per printer/company. I work with a high end printing company to give you the absolute best quality prints. Prices will be available in your gallery.
I HIGHLY recommend getting an album. Holding onto images digitally only leaves the opportunity for those images to disappear forever. I will custom create an album that showcases your big day. I am happy to create the album completely or use images that you choose.
Albums start at $350
Thank you
Being trusted to capture the moments of your biggest day really is an honor. I can't wait to celebrate with you!