Rockin’ glasses AND a Scooby Doo band-aid. Beat THAT, Tyra Banks.

Tip #1 – Plan a good timeline

If ever a bride asks “What is the ONE thing I can do to get the best wedding photos possible?”… “Plan a good wedding day timeline” is our answer. It is THE most important tip we can offer. “What makes a good wedding timeline”, you ask? Plan MORE time than you think you’ll need for everything. Weddings are unpredictable. Plan a timeline with wiggle room for dress bustling, makeup retouching, groomsmen running late, finding Uncle Leo for formal family photos, etc! Avoid having to cut your photo time short in order to make up for time lost somewhere else. If your hair/makeup person says she needs an hour, plan an hour 1/2. If it typically takes 15 minutes to get from your hotel to your ceremony site, plan for 30 instead. Call us. Email us. We will help you plan a custom timeline that will save you lots of stress! You’re welcome in advance. :-)

Tip #2 – Be on time (and lie a little!)

So you’ve planned your wedding day timeline and have vowed to stay on track all day… great! The tricky part is getting everyone ELSE (bridesmaids, groomsmen, vendors, parents, etc!) to arrive on time. Tell your peoples to be there 15-30 minutes earlier than what you’ve planned. That way, everyone will be there when you need them to be there. And don’t worry, your secret’s safe with us. :-X

Tip #3 – See each other before the ceremony

Seeing each other before the ceremony isn’t for everyone. With that said, this post is about getting the BEST photos possible on your wedding day. Doing a first look is huge because we have more light and more time, which leads to more creativity and (ultimately) more amazing photos. For more info about doing a first look, click here.

Tip #4 – Have professional lighting at your reception

When it comes to getting great reception photos, professional lighting is THE most important thing you can do. Lighting creates a mood and makes everything — including your centerpieces, cake, tables, etc. — look better. Professional lighting is not as expensive as you may think and in our humble opinion it is worth every penny. For more info about having professional lighting at your ceremony or reception, click here.

Tip #5 – Do a practice run!

Engagement sessions are super important! We include a complimentary engagement session in all of our wedding packages because they are fun, low-pressure situations where we can get to know and become comfortable working with each other. Our photography style is candid, relaxed, and unposed — which always requires some time for our subjects to “get comfortable” in front of the lens and learn our shooting style. Brides/grooms who shoot with us PRIOR to their wedding are more relaxed in front of the camera because we’ve tackled that awkward, get-comfortable stage ahead of time! The other benefit is that you’ll get to see images of yourselves long before the wedding, so you can tell us what angles you like and what shots you don’t care for.

Tip #6 – Don’t stress the dress!

Brides, this one will be hard (I know, I just got married last year!)… stop stressing about getting your dress dirty. It’s white! It’s gonna get a little dirty on the bottom trim (don’t be mad at us, we’re just the messengers!) The good news is, no one will see it but you. We will never ask you to do something you’re not comfortable doing, so decide ahead of time that a little bit of dirt is ok. Breathe easy and think about the amazing photos you’ll have when we ask you to walk into an open field, for example. :-)

Tip #7 – Tell the fam to stick around

We take formal family photos immediately after the ceremony. Be sure your family knows this ahead of time! Rounding everyone back up can be time consuming, and we want you to get to your reception as quickly as possible!

Tip #8 – Trust us!

Trusting your photographer is such an important part of getting amazing wedding photos. It is crucial that you feel at ease and trust our ability to capture your big day. It happens all the time… a bride (after seeing her wedding photos) says to us “I had no idea WHAT you were thinking when you took that photo… but now I get it and I LOVE that shot!” If we put you in front of an unusual background or pose you in a way that seems strange at the time, trust our vision!

Tip #9 – Show our photos to your bridal party ahead of time

We’re modern/fun photographers – our shooting style may be different than what your bridal party is expecting. Be sure they’ve seen our work ahead of time so they know what to expect. You’ll avoid that “what the heck are we doing” look in all of your fun bridal party shots!

Tip #10 – Have fun!

Photos are better when a couple is genuinely having a good time. So be playful with each other – tickle, hug, kiss, talk, dance… forget about the camera as much as possible!

Tip #11 – Do you!

Don’t wear too much makeup or do something with your hair that is not “you.” Don’t let anyone tell you that you need lots of makeup for photos! You should look like yourself, only slightly enhanced. On the same note, self tanner (aka oompa loompa cream) is NOT your friend! You’ll thank us later, we promise.

…there you have it! Eleven easy ways to get the most out of your wedding photos! For more {our 2 cents} tips, click here!

A little bit of mirror magic underneath the bean.
I love abstract art. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine that no one else seems to understand. Sherry and my mom begrudgingly visited the Art Institute of Chicago with me… and this is their “I don’t get it” pose. Suuuch good sports.  :-)
Two southern girls trying to figure out how to pay the big-city parking machine. I guess you could say this is another “I don’t get it” pose. :-)
It rained during our boat tour… which turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we got to wear these flattering ponchos. This is me, trying to cinch the waist on mine. FAIL.
We ate lots of fun Chicago food, (Chicago pizza, hot dogs, beef sandwiches, etc.) My plan was to take photos of every one of our yummy meals but Sherry said I was embarrassing her by taking photos of the food in the middle of the restaurant. Ha! So these were the only 2 shots I could manage. :-)
This photo is blurry, I know. But I love it because it captures the craziness of Navy Pier.
The end of the trip! It’s only fitting that I include photos of the Chicago airport because we spent so much time there. Our flight was delayed and we ended up hanging out in the airport for almost EIGHT hours before taking off. Check out all of the happy Southwest customers. :-)
Our plane fiiiinally arrived and back to SA we went. :-)