What to expect

A walkthrough of the day

Here is an example of a timeline of a general wedding with some simple explanations of why I like to do things in this order. Keep in mind this is your day and you can arrange the timeline anyway that you like. Some of the things in this timeline you may not even be doing which is totally fine, this is just a general guideline. I customize every couple's timeline for the events they are doing and the order they want to do them in, with the time they need allotted for each event!

11:30- Photographer arrives and scouts the location

I like to arrive early and get acclimated to the location and find places to do big group shots and first looks.

12:00- Detail and dress shots

I like to have all these details in one place ready to go when I arrive so I can get started.

12:30- Groom Preparation shots and Groomsmen

The groomsmen can already be ready we will just recreate some of these shots. If we have time we will do some of the groom and

 groomsmen here as well.

1:00- Bride Preparation shots and Bridesmaids

The bride will be ready to go except dress, shoes and jewelry. We will take shots of the bride putting all of these things on and the

 bridesmaids and mom helping her.

1:30- First Look

I like to do first looks even if they are a little non traditional because we really get to focus on the grooms reaction here. Plus it

 gives us time to get most of the portraits done right after that way the guests aren't waiting forever after the ceremony and we

 aren't feeling rushed. This can be a super private moment.

1:45- Vows and Gifts

Some people opt to do their vows privately and share gifts during this time. I think this is super sweet.

2:00- Bride and Groom Portraits

We will do the bride and groom photos first to get them done and taken care of.

2:30- Bridal Party Portraits

Then I like to do the bridal party shots. I usually do the bridesmaids and then add in the groomsmen.

3:00- Family Portraits

A good way to get the family portraits done before the ceremony is to just ask the family members to be included in the photos to

 arrive a little early. This takes the pressure off of having to get these done after the ceremony. I usually create a detailed shot list

 of all the combinations that you want and have a volunteer call the names out to make this process go smoothly and quickly. Plus

 it ensures we don't miss any photos that you want.

3:30- Ceremony

Ceremonies vary in the length and things involved during them. I always get all the major moments during this time. There is a

 detailed list of things I shoot in the big questionnaire that you will fill out. There is a spot for you to add anything not mentioned

 so that I don't miss a thing.

4:10- Bridal Party Announcements

The DJ will announce the bridal party entering the reception as I capture their entry.

4:20- First Dances

I will capture the bride and groom first dance, father and bride, mother and groom, and any other first dances you would like.

4:30- Speeches

I will capture any special guests giving speeches and the priceless emotions on your faces.

5:00- Dinner

For any wedding 6 hours or more I do require a dinner to keep my blood sugar from getting to low. I usually get served directly

 after the bride and groom. I then scarf my food down (I promise it's not pretty) and then I take shots of all the decor, tables, cake,

 gifts, signing book and all of those details.

5:30- Cake Cutting

We will get shots of the cutting of the cake and give people time to eat their cake, I will continue with decor shots.

6:00- Bouquet Toss

We will align everyone for the bouquet toss. I always do a few practice shots just to make sure we get it before you actually throw it.

6:15- Garter Toss

We will then do the garter toss, I also do practice shots before the garter is actually thrown.

6:30- Anniversary Dance

The DJ will usually announce the anniversary dance to get people on the dance floor. This is where all the married couples go on

 the dance floor and dance until he announces how long they have been married. I have seen this go as far as 60 years which is just

 beautiful.

8:30- Sunset photos with the bride and groom

I usually like to steal the bride and groom away for sunset photos. This gives the two of you a moment to yourselves in an already

 hectic day. Plus the sunset is just so beautiful for photos.

9:00- Capturing all the fun on the dance floor

I don't mean to toot my own horn but I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time in these situations and get some

 awesome shots. You will see me weaving through the dancing people on the floor to get the best shots.

10:00- Sparkler exit

If you plan on doing an exit this is a cool way to do it and always gives us some awesome shots. I will line up all the people in

 position while someone hands out sparklers. I usually do a couple test shots with the first sparkler to make sure my settings are

 correct. Then we have guests help light each others sparklers with the lit ones. Once they are all lit I instruct the couple to come

 down. These are like walking shots where you look at each other, look at me, look at your guests. Then I will have you randomly

 twirl, kiss and dip. We will do this several times until the sparklers burn out to get the best results.