Once a contract is signed with Amy Brown Photography we get right to work scheduling out the time leading up to your day! The first thing we will need to schedule is your engagement session! You can also expect to hear from me about three months before your wedding with a questionnaire, this will have questions about the schedule of your day all the way to vendor information.
With all Amy Brown Photography packages you will receive a complimentary engagement session. This is a great time to get to know each other and really get comfortable. It always makes for a more relaxed wedding day when we have worked out the "new person" jitters before hand! I suggest you think of a special place that means something to the two of you or maybe even just a place that you feel is beautiful. If you can not think of a location then we can absolutely come up with a location together!
The following is an example of an engagement session done on the brides family farm. The couple held their wedding at this location also so it really made fora fun way to honor her families past along with honoring their future together. The brides father and his family collect tractors from all eras so we absolutely had to incorporate one into the shoot! This shot is also at the exact location, the family apple orchard, where their wedding ceremony is to be held.
Once we get to the wedding day, upon my arrival I will say my hellos and grab all of the beautiful details from the bride. A few suggestions that I like to have are:
Bridal jewelry ( Necklace and Earrings )
Bride and Grooms Rings ( All THREE )
Shoes
Bridal Veil
Bridal Gown
Bridesmaids Gowns
Bouquets
Wedding Invitation
(Preferably New - an easy way to ensure you remember is to mail me one)
The bride dressed at her families farm house on the property and the entire day had a purely classic country chic vibe.
I will also ensure that I get detail shots of the decor around your reception and ceremony locations. This bride held her cocktail hour in the families barn while the reception was held in a tent on the property. I am still completely in love with the rustic barn beams wrapped in beautiful large glass bulb lights. The bride and her family designed every aspect of the wedding aside from the gorgeous bouquets and bouts' which were done by the fabulous Lynn at F As In Flowers.
Once we have completed the details of the day and you are dressed and ready, I will then move out to the ceremony site and prep for the start! Initially in the ceremony I like to stand at the front of the aisle to allow me the ability to capture each of the bridal party members as they come down the aisle followed by you and your father. Once the hand off is completed I will move about the area in the most discrete way possible, allowing me to get the beautiful ceremony from all angles. This is where it is a good idea to remember to keep contact with the camera, and keep that beautiful smile our face, and possibly remind your girls too!
I have to say it was a really beautiful thing to get these pulled back shots of the ceremony and to see how lovingly each and every family member and friend was looking upon the couple. Nearly no one had out a phone, they were simply living in the moment of sweetness.
From the ceremony we flow right into portrait time! This is where your top ten comes in super handy! We will usually start right away with family photos and that allows us to release the family back to the cocktail hour and out of the sun. I like to have a lot of organization when it comes to family photos and I will have your list on me, it is helpful to pick one bridal party member that knows everyone to yell out the people needed for each shot. We can set up a next up standing area so that everyone is ready to move right into frame.
Followed by bridal party shots and then couples portrait time!
The "TOP TEN" for this couple was as followed:
1. Bride and Groom
2. Couple With Brides Parents
3. Couple With Brides Parents And Siblings
4. Couple With Grooms Parents
5. Couple With Grooms Parents And Siblings
6. Couple With Brides Family & Grandmothers ( Individually)
8. Couple With Grooms Family & Grandparents
This couple chose to not do individuals shots with each of their parents, but that is a common and great addition to your top ten!
You will also notice that we shot the grandparents photos at a different location. This is because the location that was choose for bridal party and family photos was down a hill on a hot day. They were struggling and there was absolutely no reason to force the situation and drag all of the grandparents across the field, so we set up their portraits in an easier accessible location for them.
After the family portraits are complete we move onto bridal party and couples time!
Now on to the party! Now this is how your time schedule plays with how much of your reception you would like covered. I suggest scheduling with your DJ the first dance , parents dances, toasts towards the beginning of your allotment of time followed by cake cutting right after dinner. Typically the people that will be dancing the first 30 minutes of your reception will be the same general people who will be dancing at the end, so about 30 minutes of dancing coverage is adequate. If a grand exit is something you wish to do I would suggest thinking about doing a ceremony exit or a faux exit, these are both something we can talk about.
You will notice this couple followed up the introductions immediately with the first dance.
This Is A Featured Wedding On:
