THE WEDDING GUIDE
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Welcome
We're so happy you're here! Welcome to our very official Wedding Day Guide. In this guide, we're going to walk you though an ideal wedding day. Over the years, we've compiled a list of helpful tips and now, we're passing them onto you, so that you can enjoy your day to the fullest. Some of these tips are to help you plan effectively to get the most out of your wedding day photo coverage.
Keep in mind, your wedding may run slightly behind schedule, or it might be ahead of schedule and that's completely okay. What matters the most is you'll be marrying your best friend and everything is going to work out! It always does. Your day will fly by and you'll want these moments you can always look back on. Rest assured, we are here for you every step of the way!
We can't wait to document your happily ever after!
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Engagement Sessions
We're so happy you're here! Welcome to our very official Wedding Day Guide. In this guide, we're going to walk you though an ideal wedding day. Over the years, we've compiled a list of helpful tips and now, we're passing them onto you, so that you can enjoy your day to the fullest. Some of these tips are to help you plan effectively to get the most out of your wedding day photo coverage.
Keep in mind, your wedding may run slightly behind schedule, or it might be ahead of schedule and that's completely okay. What matters the most is you'll be marrying your best friend and everything is going to work out! It always does. Your day will fly by and you'll want these moments you can always look back on. Rest assured, we are here for you every step of the way!
We can't wait to document your happily ever after!
Vendor Recommendations
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VenUES
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Florists
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Catering
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DJ/Lighting
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
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TUXEDO SHOPS
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bridal
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INVITATIONS
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BAKERIES
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LIVE BANDS
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beauty
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In short, yes! Hiring a wedding planner will save you stress and money down the road! For brides that don’t have a lot of extra time to plan their big day, wedding planners are heaven sent. They’ll be doing the heavy lifting for you so that you can enjoy your wedding day, stress-free. Not to mention, they’ll be the ones in contact with your vendors, creating your timeline, setting up and taking care of the behind-the-scenes stuff. You might be thinking, “I don’t need a planner, we have family and friends to help with all of that!” However, when you hire a planner, you are also helping out your loved ones so that they can enjoy themselves at your wedding and not have to be "working".
Once you decide to hire a planner, you’ll want to schedule a consultation with them as soon as possible. You should also consider meeting with different planners so that you can see who’s personality you like most and who’s work you enjoy. Note that most planners offer full service planning and some offer their services separately, so it’s a good idea to ask about that during your consultation. The last month of wedding planning is the most stressful so remember it’s never too late to hire a planner. The cost of peace-of-mind is priceless.
Should you hire a wedding planner?
1pm
Upon our arrival, we'll meet and greet with everyone as you're getting your final makeup touches. We'll start by photographing prep shots of your bridal details like dress, shoes, veil, jewelry, etc. We usually allot 15-30 minutes for details to ensure everything is photographed beautifully.
1:30pm
Once your hair and makeup are finished, we love to capture a few fun moments with you and your bridesmaids before getting dressed! Hooray, the day is finally here!
1:45pm
Time to put on your wedding dress, you gorgeous bride! Whoever will be helping you put your dress on, we highly recommend for them to be dressed and ready to go. This is so we can get beautifully manicured photographs of them helping you put on your dress!
2:00pm
Bridal Portrait time! Let's see the finished look with all of your bouquets! You ladies will look stunning!
2:15pm
Now that your hair and makeup are fresh, we'll take a few moments and photograph your bridal portraits.
2:30pm
Optional First Look time! A first look is when you see each other briefly for the first time BEFORE the ceremony. Some brides choose to do a First Look with a parent or their bridal party, too.
3:00pm
During this time, we'll either head straight to the ceremony site or head to the groom's location for your groom's portraits!
3:55pm
It's almost ceremony time. We'll take a few more photos of the last moments before you walk down the aisle.
4:00pm
The ceremony has started! You're surrounded by your closest family and friends, your standing in front of the love of your life. It's truly incredible. Soak in the moment!
4:45pm
The ceremony has ended and you are officially Mr. & Mrs! Over the years, we've seen a good mix of formal ceremony exits. Consider the beautiful moment you would be able to celebrate alongside your guests after the ceremony. They're so much fun and will set the tone for the rest of your evening.
5:00pm
It's time for your family/bridal party portraits. Immediate family is to stay nearby! We have a system we love using for portraits. The elderly and any children in the family will take their portraits first and the rest will follow. Allow 3 minutes per group setup.
5:30pm
It's time for your bride and groom portraits. We love using this time to capture photos of you two enjoying your first moments together as husband and wife.
5:45pm
One of us will head to your reception site early and grab some detail shots before any of your guests enter. You've spent months planning quite possibly one of the biggest celebrations you'll ever throw in your life, why not have photos of the details to showcase what you guys have worked so hard on?
6:00pm
After your guests have been seated, it's now time for your grand entrance! This is also the perfect time to lead into your first dance as energy is still high and everyone wants to see you two share this beautiful moment together. The serving of dinner usually follows.
6:30pm
After our dinner break, we will go around and take a few candid photos, when no one is eating of course! The festivities are going to begin shortly.
7:00pm
Mother/son and father/daughter dances, cake cutting and bouquet/garter toss will commence. Over the years, we've seen a few different versions of each event and it's beautiful every time. How will you make it your own?
7:30pm
Dance floor opens for your guests! We'll use this as an opportunity to steal you away for a few minutes to get some photos during sunset. These are usually quick and fun!
8:00pm
We'll head back inside for some fun dancing photos of your guests and any other portraits you'd like us to grab! The night is still young, go and enjoy your evening! 🥳
9:00pm
The day is winding down, but it's time for your Grand Exit! Some couples choose to do a sparkler send off! Whatever you choose to do, it will be special because it will be your moment and it belongs to you.
coordinating with your bridesmaids
Matching bridal robes or pajamas can be used as a fun prop or as a wedding gift for your bridesmaids. Round up your girls and get ready for a good time before you get into your dresses!
The Little Details
Your wedding dress is far too beautiful to be photographed with a plastic hanger. We highly recommend bringing a wooden hanger from home or borrowing one so that when we photograph your dress, it will look nice and polished. Or better yet, consider getting a personalized hanger! They usually sell them on Etsy. Bonus, you'll also have a keepsake after the wedding.
Lighting is Key
Working with natural light is always preferred while documenting the biggest day of your lives. However, there are some elements that can adversely affect lighting especially in the evening. In our experience, it's always a good idea to have an alternative source of lighting such as uplighting, string lights, candle votives etc. just to ensure we get the most photogenic images as possible. Prior to your wedding, we use all available resources to adequately prepare for your special day such as reviewing wind and weather forecasts. We'd be happy to advise you on your lighting needs to ensure your wedding day is picture perfect.
Invitation Suite & Florals
We love taking some time to photograph an aerial view your invitation suite because it captures your names, the wedding date and of course, it helps pull everything together. Having said that, our flat lay designs sometimes feature a few of your signature wedding flowers to add sentimental value to your photographs. It's probably a great idea to ask your florist to include just a few extra flower buds to lay out for photos like the one pictured here on the day of the wedding. Most florists would be more than happy to accommodate!
Weather Changes
Sometimes, weather can be fickle, especially here in California! This is where having a wedding planner will also come in handy as they can take care of logistics, such as directing guests into a tented/dry area, moving the reception inside, etc. In the Bakersfield area, we are least likely to see rain in the months of June-September and more likely to see rain December-April.
In the event it rains on your wedding, not to worry. Improvising is our middle name. We will make the most out of it and bring some umbrellas to photograph some cute shots of you and your sweetie in the rain. We may even find the rain will be sporadic, so we will utilize a time where the rain stops to take your photos then.
WEDDING PHOTO TIMELINE
1-3 Days after WEDDING
4-6 WEEKS after WEDDING
1-3 WEEKS AFTER gallery delivery
sneak peeks
PHOTO DELIVERY
Album Creation
Questions? Contact us.
We hope this guide has provided some insight into your wedding! The most important thing to remember is to just have fun and enjoy the moment as these are the memories that will be cherished long after the wedding has ended. We will be there to help along the way in the event that you have any questions at all! We are looking forward to working with you!
With Love,
Vic & Sasha
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