Annie and Kevin are so perfect together. When she is nervous, he is calm. When he is silly she is grounded. The best part about them though, is that when he laughs, she laughs. If there is one piece of marriage advice that we hear wedding after wedding from those who are toasting the happy couple, it's not to take life too seriously and have fun together. Annie and Kevin have this figured out. They have an infectious love that draws others in. People smile when they see Annie and Kevin together - what is more beautiful than that? We, for one didn't stop smiling throughout their entire wedding day. It was a 100% chance of rain all day long, but every time we went outside with them, it wasn't raining. We'll never know if it actually rained that day because even though things were wet, there was no rain. Because it was so foggy, I like to think that God sent a giant cloud to follow Annie and Kevin around so they wouldn't have to have rain on their wedding day. One of our favorite photos from their wedding was right before their ceremony. They decided that they did not want to see each other before the ceremony, but they wanted to hold hands in between a wall right outside of the church. We found just the right spot for the two of them to hold hands for a moment before we turned Kevin around and led Annie back to her girls and her father who was waiting to walk her down the aisle. The look on Kevin's face when he saw his beautiful bride walking down the aisle was priceless, and we loved how they kept stealing glances (and winking!) at one another throughout the ceremony. After the ceremony we whisked off to the Smith Barn at Brooksby Farm in Peabody Mass for their adorable reception. We were in heaven shooting with such a thick fog and lush grass in the apple orchards, and we even found a field with seeded dandelions (you know, the ones you blow and make a wish on?) which we thought was fitting since Annie has had a special place in her heart for dandelions since her childhood. The night continued on with a hopping dance floor and some non-stop photo booth action (more about that next week). Annie and Kevin, you two are so deserving of one another. We're so happy for you!
Guest Post with Prairie Fair: Sweet Spring
Hi Friends! Today we have something fun lined up for you. Our dearest Emily from Prairie Fair in Minnesota is here to share a guest post with us about flowers! She'll teach us through photos how to make a boutineer, a flower wreath and a bouquet! Perfect for those of you thinking about DIY-ing your own flowers, and also just in time for Mother's Day in case you're feeling inspired to make mom a little floral present. Since Emily is based in Minnesota, she had the amazingly talented Minneapolis Wedding Photographer Eric Lundgren take photos for this - so these photos were not taken by us. We think the whole thing is just perfect, and we hope you do to! Take it away, Emily!
Hello Dear Readers of Summer Street. My name is Emily, and while I’ve been lucky enough to have my Prairie Fair flower arrangements and styling appear on this beautiful blog several times this is my first experience writing to all of you! I couldn’t be more thrilled. The rapturously amazing Kendra is my oldest friend in the world; we met when we were three, went to the same elementary school, graduated high school together, simultaneously received degrees in dance from the University of Minnesota, and both went into the wedding industry as a complimentary occupation to our dance careers. As you can see, we’re fated friends. I’ve also had the pleasure of knowing Matt for years, and eating some of his baked goods and talking over the day is one of my favorite things to do. I’m so in love with the both of them.
One amazing part of our friendship is that Kendra, Matt, and I have been able to work together on several weddings and photoshoots over the years. Since we don’t live in the same city right now, we always try to find ways to continue our collaborations. With wedding season upon us and Mother’s Day fast approaching (I love you, Marmy!) it only seemed appropriate that Kendra and Matt would want me to share a little bit about those crowns to our wedding ensembles and heart-melters of moms everywhere…flowers.
But before I go any further, can I let you in on a little secret?…I love muscari. Loooooooove. To the moon and back twice times a million do I love them. When I see their beautiful bells opening in my mother’s garden at the base of the lilac tree and scattered amongst the tulips and daffodils I feel like I’ve found a fairy in an enchanted forest. Every spring this happens, this wonder and thrill, and every year I fall in love with them all over again.
I must admit, I can say this for so many flowers, well any time of the year truthfully, but especially in Spring. There’s no greater joy than being overwhelmed by the smell of lilacs on the bush as you walk passed during your post dinner stroll; there is perfection in the long necks of the narcissus and the softness of the snow crabs. I’m in heaven right now soaking up every scent, color, and delicate bloom. If tiny fragile lilies of the valley can push up through the snow and cold only to fade and do it all over again next year then there most certainly is hope and promise for me and for you.
In celebration of the season I made three pieces: a boutonniere or corsage that is both sweet and dramatic, a simple graceful hair wreath, and a lush bouquet that celebrates all the glories of fading cold and early warmth. 
For the bout I used a ranunculus, a double tulip, a sprig of veronica, and a begonia leaf that I cut from my indoor garden. For some subtle drama I wrapped them in a simple and slightly sheer black ribbon. Tis the season for twitterpation after all.
Hair wreaths are the epitome of beauty and femininity to me. I would wear one everyday if I could (made while wandering through a field of flowers ideally.) In fact after the shoot I wore this crown of my beloved muscari, ginestra, and veronica all day until my special boy kindly removed it from my sleeping head (in addition to the Pride & Prejudice playing computer perched on my lap.)
As for the Big Mama…well she is Spring incarnated: ranunculus, muscari, begonia, anemone, double tulips, and two varieties of lilac. (Truth be told I never ended up using begonia in the arrangement but threw in some veronica instead!)
Aside from perhaps the ranunculus and anemone, all of these flowers are abundant in gardens right now (even in your corner grocery store!) Gather some up and place them in a jar on the kitchen table for your mom, sister, friend, grandma, and especially for yourself! Or even better yet carry them, lyrical and radiant (just like you!), down your tulip lined wedding aisle.
I tied my bouquet with a gorgeous vintage ribbon that I purchased two summers ago while wandering through antique stores in Concord, Mass with Kendra. Heavenly.
So what is your secret? Do you love muscari too? Or the smell of freshly cut grass? Have you always dreamed of wearing a crown of flowers as you say “I do” or finishing your favorite book seated in the limbs of a blossoming cherry tree? Let’s share all the promise of dreams fulfilled, the inherent hope of budding branches and sweet smelling magnolia, because Spring is really here!
Love,
Emily
Christine + Jay = Married
There are some weddings that Matt and I leave with a big smile plastered across our face. Christine and Jay's stunning Boston wedding was one of them. Christine and Jay live on the wharf and wanted a wedding that reflected their urban neighborhood and chic taste. What better venue than The Seaport Hotel (which is right across the street from their home) to celebrate in style? When I arrived at their home for the getting ready portion of the day, the room was buzzing with a relaxed and exciting vibe. Christine was glowing with a radiant peace and her bridesmaids and parents were enjoying themselves. Matt's report of the guys getting ready was much in the same. Jay and his crew enjoyed some scotch and jokes before heading into the limo to the church. Christine and Jay were married at the same church that Christine's parents got married in so many years ago. One sweet little detail that we loved was Christine's request to replicate a photo of her mother and grandfather walking down the aisle to frame side by side after the wedding. The ceremony was filled with love and joy as they became husband and wife, and the party that followed was everything they hoped for. A buzzing cocktail hour filled with hugs, funny grand entrances by the bridal party, heart warming toasts from their siblings, a gorgeous cake and a hopping dance floor. Oh yeah, and did we mention a beautiful sunset with the Boston skyline in the background? That was everything *we* were hoping for. Christine and Jay, you two are so sweet together and we wish you many many years of happiness. Congratulations!
Leandra + James = Married
When we met with Leandra and James last fall as they were planning their red and black March wedding, we loved hearing their plans to create an event that captured their personalities. James plays the lead guitar in a Rockabilly Band and Leandra's favorite color is red, to which James added that it took a lot of encouragement to Leandra not to paint their entire house crimson. Even further than their mutual love of good music and bold colors, it was clear to us that Leandra and James belonged together. They finished each other's sentences and looked at one another as though their hearts were on their sleeve.
When we arrived to photograph the ladies getting ready at the hotel, the energy was buzzing and all of Leandra's sisters and nieces were putting the finishing touches on their ruby lips. There were lots of bodies in the small hotel room but Leandra was as cool as a cucumber. We later made our way over to Bittersweet Farms where the barn-like reception hall had been turned into an fun and funky party filled with little details like Mad Limbs on the tables and an incredible vampire bride and groom cake topper that Leandra made (Leandra is a girl after my own heart as she DIY'd nearly EVERYTHING at her wedding). Also waiting at the venue was a sweet and slightly nervous James. Once Leandra walked down the aisle the world seemed to melt away and everyone was enraptured by Leandra and James' sweet demeanor with one another.
The party got off to an energetic start after they walked down the aisle as husband and wife, and we took advantage of the setting sun for family photos and portraits of the newlyweds around the grounds of Bittersweet Farms (we can't pick a favorite photo of the two of them from their portraits!) Later on they cut their cake (which a friend made for them) and boogied down to music from The Memphis Rockabilly Band, which definitely one of the coolest wedding bands we've ever seen!
Summer Street Photography Wedding Albums
It's been a little quiet around here lately and if you've been following our Facebook page, you may have seen a few sneak peeks from some photo shoots that we did while we were traveling in Paris last week. Being a wedding photographer means that we often work and live on different hours than traditional jobs. We work almost every weekend during wedding season and can pick up and leave work whenever we'd like since we work at home, which means odd hours and some times with too much to do and others with not enough to do (although we wish there was more time like that!). While students and teachers get summer vacations, we're at our busiest shooting weddings on weekends and editing like machines during the week. This also means that our vacation schedule is slightly different than most, so we took advantage of some inexpensive airfare last week and jetted off to our favorite destination, Paris! We had an amazing time walking around the city, eating great food and taking in the culture. We worked a little while we were gone as well, which we're excited to show you in the coming weeks. But for now, we're back at work and excited to show you another one of our off-season projects - new sample albums! I'll start by saying that I am a very picky shopper. Put me in a store with no price tags and I'll automatically choose the most expensive item. I have a keen eye for handmade, high quality products (call it a blessing or call it a curse to the wallet!) which is why it's taken us so long to find the right album companies to incorporate into our business. We wanted something that looked and felt really nice. We wanted something that could stand the test of time in design and quality. We wanted something that highlighted the images and showcased them in a beautiful way. We wanted a visual journal that would become an heirloom in our client's lives.
We found three little beauties that we're very excited to offer this year. First off, we'll show you the Standard Album. It's an 8x8 inch layflat album, which means that the pages lay 180 degrees when it is opened. There are dozens of leather cover choices, but for our sample we decided to pick the odd duckling cover choice, a subtle, floral brown velvet.
You can see the binding has folded pages, meaning there is no break between them. This allows you to print a large composite image across two pages if you wish.
The Standard album is a popular choice for Parent Albums since it is smaller, lighter and cost effective.
The next album we're offering is what we call our Portrait Album. It's 10x10 and is a layflat album, similar to our Standard Album. Again, this means the pages open to 180 degrees when opened. You get to choose your own photo for the cover, and your own text as well (if you want it). It's heavier than our Standard album but you can easily handle it with one hand. The pages are slightly thicker than the Standard.
Nice thick pages! We love this album.
Here's an example of one image printed on the seam. In the above photo, we're holding two pages at a V angle so you can see where the seam is. In the photo below, the book is laid flat.
Where's the seam!? It disappeared.
We do all of the album designing and ordering. We try to keep the designs clean and aesthetically pleasing. It's always good to incorporate detail images into albums so you can get a three dimensional perspective of the wedding. You might not print out and hang a photo of your donuts display in your house, but it adds so much to an album.
The front and back of the book start and end with black end paper.
And finally we introduce our Leather Album! This is the creme de la creme of wedding albums at 12x12 inches an almost nine pounds! It is also a layflat album, but it has split pages so the crease between the pages will never ever wear out. You can customize text imprinting on the front and on the spine if you wish. You can put a matte image plate on the front cover (in many different areas). There are dozens of top grain, premium and vegan leather options available. I literally said, 'ooooooh!' when I held this album for the first time. It is PREMIUM.
Warning, you might need to do some bicep curls before handling this album. It's 50 thick pages of album goodness.
And look! A little secret branding mark from us on the inside cover so you'll subtle remember who took your photographs 50 years from now.
Yep, it was so big when open (24 inches across in fact) that our wide angle lens couldn't fit it all in.
Gorgeous binding I tell you. Gorgeous.
Look at those thick pages!
Close up of the spine imprinting, which we choose the couple's name for this album. A Wedding Date might also be sweet.
On the left and below, one large ceremony image spread across two pages. On the right, a close up of the image plate on the cover. Keep in mind that we used a lens that would focus on the corner of this so the image is a little blurry on purpose. In real life it's very clear.
And there you have it! Our three new additions to Summer Street. We're very excited to be offering such exquisite products and hope many of our clients take advantage of them. For those of you who need a little convincing that an album is a good idea, think back 15 years ago when you inserted a floppy disk into a computer to look at documents. You'd be hard pressed to find a floppy disk in any modern computer today. We do our best to keep up with the latest technology (like delivering our wedding images on adorable custom USB drives that are more sturdy than a disk) but as we all know technology moves faster than the speed of light these days, so having a tangible book of your photos is without a doubt the best way to preserve the memory of your wedding day.
Connect with us if you'd like more information about prices, number of pages, cover options or to set up a time to come see our samples in person. Happy First Day of Spring!
Catherine + Justin = Married
Catherine and Justin met in the Peace Corps in South Africa....I know.....you like them already. Justin is from South Africa, and Catherine is from the States, so when their relationship became more serious, it became clear that they were going to need two wedding celebrations. They got married in South Africa in 2010 and had a lovely outdoor summer celebration. They decided that their wedding was not complete until they could have a US Ceremony and celebration with their loved ones who were not able to make the long journey to South Africa. They began planning for a February wedding in Cohassett and contacted us last fall to capture the celebration. We had drinks with them at a neighborhood bar (they live in the 'Ville too) and were captivated by their charismatic spirits. They were so good together, and we could tell their US Wedding was going to be filled with some really awesome people. We're here to say that it most certainly did not disappoint. Their friends and family are a warm bunch who shared many heartwarming stories during their Quaker ceremony about just how good Catherine and Justin are together.
The Red Lion Inn served as a perfect backdrop for their ceremony and reception, especially since some of the guests were staying on site. Everything was right there, which made all of the guests lives easier as the snow gently fell. The snow didn't stop us from wandering off to the beach and a boat dock for some windy portraits. We give full credit to Catherine and Justin taking the freezing wind by storm and rocking out their portraits. They pulled off their jackets and embraced the weather head on. We got to play around with our new Mamiya 645 and our Canon EOS 3 (film cameras) during their portraits, which made us happy campers. The rest of the day was filled with the support of all of their loved ones, embracing their union and supporting their decision to declare their commitment publicly, reminding us once more that a wedding is not made by just pretty dresses, party decorations or chicken with vegetables.
Recent Features
While wedding season is still a few months away, we've had a busy winter this year and seem to be filling our time with all sorts of projects and smaller shoots. One of the more exciting parts of this business admin time are the wedding blog features that we've had the last two months. If you haven't been following along via our Facebook page, have a look at some of the blogs that have featured our work recently. First up we had Lauren and Neil's wedding featured on the adorable Love and Lavender:
Then we had our Whimsical Wellsley Editorial Shoot with Whim Events on the creme' de la creme of Wedding Blogs, Style Me Pretty Massachusetts!
Following that, Ly and Kieran's charming New Hampshire Wedding was featured as a two part post on Rustic Wedding Chic (with the second part here!)
Marie and Mike's stunning New Haven Wedding was next up on the appropriately fitting, Le Magnifique blog:
Then we took a little journey down memory lane to the land of swizzles and beautiful beaches when Carolyn and Sean's Bermuda Wedding was featured on Jete Fete Destination Wedding Blog:
Next up was Katie and John's Harvard Mass Wedding on The Sweetest Occasion....such a fun blog for weddings AND other fun events in our lives!
Jessica and Shaunt's Hurricane Irene Wedding is sitting pretty on Boston's very own Wedding Blog, Beantown Bride!
And finally, our Milk and Cookie's Editorial Shoot we did with Prairie Fair wayyyy back when was featured on the lovely 100 Layer Cake on Valentine's Week!
Wow! We're floored. If you're looking for some wedding planning inspiration, or just a great way to avoid folding the laundry, check out these lovely blogs to get your wedding eye candy fill!
And speaking of Wedding Blogs....you may or may not see our own little wedding coming up on a major wedding blog in the next couple of days. Hip Hip Hooray for Weddings!
Wedding Day Timeline
Recently, we've been getting a lot of questions from our clients about best to schedule their wedding day. How much time should we leave for photos? How much of it should we do before the ceremony, and how much after? What if we don't want to miss our cocktail hour but we don't want to see each other before the ceremony. What do we do? You get the idea. Since it's been such a popular question, we thought we'd dig a little deeper and try to offer some advice and feedback from our own experience, our past client's experience and from the viewpoint of a wedding planner.
We find that couples generally fall into two categories:
1. They absolutely do not want to see each other until the bride is walking down the aisle.
or
2. They have a slight attachment to the tradition of the couple not seeing one another before the ceremony.....but they're open for ideas if it means a smoother wedding day.
For couples that fall into the second grouping, a 'First Look' has become a popular alternative to the first option. When we start talking about this option during client meetings, most often people look at us with some confusion as they may have heard of it before but don't know exactly what it means. Since not even Wikipedia has caught on to what a First Look is, let us briefly explain. Because weddings are evolving so quickly and a First Look could be done in many different ways, the classic example plays out as follows.
-The couple decides at an earlier time where they would like to have their first look - Or if they haven't decided, we'll give our opinion about locations. This is almost always a quiet, secluded, outdoor spot.
-The Bride and Groom get fully dressed and prepped for the wedding in separate spaces.
-Either the Bride or the Groom goes out to the location they've selected - One photographer goes with them, and we communicate or text back and forth to coordinate the moment
-Typically the groom is waiting and then the bride approaches him without him looking - this can be accomplished in many ways (with blindfolds, with the groom facing away from the bride, at the corner of a building, etc.)
-When the couple feels ready, they turn around to see each other for the first time, fully dressed and dolled up - there is always hugging and kissing and crying. Who doesn't love that?
-We photograph like Ninjas.
Obviously there are many different approaches to this, but generally this is how we've seen it done, and it always works well. We're also very careful to shoot with lenses that are fast and allow us a close up perspective without standing right beside you. (for fellow photographers, our 70-200 IS 2.8 is our favorite first look lens.) It's also very important to us to preserve this sacred time as a private moment between the two of you, so we typically arrange a place to meet up with you after we're done taking photos. This way you can truly have a few moments alone before moving forward with the day.
We are generally very protective of this time and won't allow any family or friends around the couple during a First Look because that would defeat the purpose of it. (if you wanted everyone watching that moment you'd probably fall into the 'walking down the aisle' group....right?).
Here are a few photos from Maggie and Seth's First Look last July. This is probably our favorite First Look because they are so expressive.
This is what Maggie had to say about their First Look:
"For the schedule we had decided on, a First Look gave us the chance to really maximize the photography time we had before the ceremony and before craziness of the rest of the guests got involved. It really gave us time to focus on each other and what was about to happen. With a big family, everyone wants to get in on the photo ops, by doing a first look and family portraits before the event we really minimized that. Our first look did not make walking down the aisle any less special. He was still crying, and I was still tearing up too. It made it even more special for us, because THIS was the real moment; we weren't playing around anymore."
Here are some photos from Jessica and Shaunt's First Look last August. They are so classy.
This is what Jessica had to say about their First Look:
"Shaunt and I were very focused on being able to enjoy all aspects of our wedding. We didn’t want to miss a minute of the cocktail hour or reception if we could help it so we decided to do a “first look” and to try and get all wedding party and family photos done before the ceremony. I looked online and read about brides who felt one way or the other about the “first look” and in the end I didn’t feel that seeing Shaunt before the ceremony would make it any less special. The day of the wedding was nuts for us due to an unexpected hurricane and changes to almost all our plans but having that moment with him on the front porch of the Commanders Mansion was really magical. I will never forget his smile and how excited I was to have him turn around and see me as his bride. Right after our first look we did our formal photos and this gave us some more one on one time which I appreciated as after that I can only remember one other moment we were alone the whole night. Knowing that almost all our posed photos were done before the ceremony took place helped me to relax a ton. In terms of the ceremony, there is nothing like standing at the end of the aisle looking up at your husband to be, I can’t imagine it was any less special for me than for someone who didn’t do a first look. There is so much emotion in that moment and I didn’t feel that it was taken away by the time we spent together before the ceremony."
And finally, we had to share some from Katie and John's First Look in October. This was the only first look where there were other people watching from a distance, which almost makes me take back what I said earlier about people not being around. Their first look was like rooting for Team Katie and John.
This is what Katie had to say about their First Look:
"I did have a first look with my husband before the ceremony, and we took bridal party and family photos before the ceremony as well. For us, this worked out really well for a few reasons. We really wanted to be able to spend some quality time taking pictures of the two of us, and also with our families, in all of the different combinations that we needed. We set aside a full hour to do so, and we ended up with a ton of relaxed, beautiful shots of that afternoon, with everyone that we love most. Aside from that, the main draw was the simple fact that we wanted to spend the cocktail hour with our guests, having a drink, tasting the appetizers. We had our ceremony at the same venue as our reception, and we didn't want to miss out on this amazingly gorgeous sunset chunk of time with family and friends. The other reason that we chose to have a first look is that the idea of having a documented moment alone when we first saw each other on the day of our wedding sounded precious. We heard from couples over and over again that the day goes by so fast, that it's important to remember specific moments, to stop and breathe and take it in, and it was completely true. We were able to really stop and focus on each other for a few minutes and appreciate what was about to happen. It made it all feel more real. I don't think that it made the walk down the aisle any less special! I was still an emotional wreck, but it made me so happy to be able to hold my husband's hand for a moment before he left to walk down the aisle with his parents. I was nothing short of astonished and thrilled to see him standing at the end of the aisle when it was my turn to walk down."
Awesome. So we've gotten the perspective of the 'First Look' proponents. What about the traditionalists out there? Matt and I did not see each other before our own Wedding Ceremony, so we can relate (although, in retrospect we sort of wish we would have done a first look, but that's a different story!). While it can make your day a little easier depending on how you schedule things, with plenty of communication between us, your venue and planner, you can still have a smooth wedding day and not see one another before the ceremony.
Let's take Marie's perspective from her wedding last October where she and her husband, Mike choose not to see each other before the ceremony.
This is what Marie had to say,
"As to first look/not first look, I think it's so dependent on the couple. I wouldn't have changed it, because I think that greeting Mike at the altar was such a special moment for us, and I don't think it would have been as much if we had seen each other prior to the wedding. But again, both Mike and I are religious so the ceremony was really the focus of our planning. It's hard for me to verbalize why exactly this was so important to me, but it was. I think that the ceremony end and the reception should be at least 2.5 hours apart. I do wish we had had a little bit more time to take shots between the ceremony and the reception, and I think that the 1.5 hour we had was a little rushed. It sounded like plenty of time to us prior to the wedding."
Here's Sara's perspective from her and Andrew's wedding last August
Sara said; "It was very important to me that we not see each other before the ceremony because we did not want to lose that wow factor! The moment when you walk down the aisle and see each other is like no other. I am a bit traditional and I felt that if we did do the first look before the ceremony we definitely would not gotten the same reaction. It was so overwhelmingly emotion and beautiful. I do not think I've seen Andrew cry so hard and so much, and even though we were surrounded by so many people our eyes were only for each other. It was still our moment. I wouldn't say that I don't like first looks. I think it definitely depends on the couple and I have seen those who are so creative and thoughtful about it. It looks beautiful. We just knew it wasn't for us. In terms of pictures before and after the ceremony, Andrew and I took pictures with our groomsmen and bridesmaids respectively. It did cut down on a bit of time after the ceremony. I felt that afterward I was in a whirlwind of pictures, not only from our photographers who kept us calm and relaxed, but through our family and friends. So I'm glad we took that time before hand to take pictures. I think the only thing I would change is actually taking more pictures before the ceremony."
We also wanted to ask some Wedding Planners their opinions on the topic. Linda Lee, from Boston based Lemon Drop Team said this:
"I personally love the "First Look" because it's such a special moment between the couples. Though I think traditions will be here forever, nowadays, couples want to get majority of the pictures out of the way so they don't have to do it after the ceremony and during the cocktail hour. A lot of times, I'll schedule at least 2 1/2 hours in our timelines for photos before ceremony so we can get most of the photos out of the way. One hour with couple photos, and one and half hours with bridal party and family. But really, it also depends on the photographers. So after the ceremony, several marriage photos can be taken and then the bride and groom can enjoy cocktail hour with their loved ones. After all, I really recommend my couples to enjoy the day as much as possible by being around their family and guest and mingle! Guests really appreciate that as well."
Matt had the opportunity to second shoot a wedding with Chennergy in NYC last fall, and he worked with the fabulous Tzo Ai Ang from Ang Weddings and Events. She had this to say:
"Talk to your planner and/or your photographer about the schedule for the wedding day. If you are taking pictures outdoors, think about what the lighting will be like at that time of day. I like to schedule 1-1.5hours for portraits of the couple, bridal party and family. If you want to do multiple locations, think about travel time, which takes longer with larger groups. I generally pad the wedding day time line, just in case an updo needs to be redone or a bridesmaid is stuck in traffic. If you have bridal party or family members that are often late, tell them to arrive at an earlier time than the rest.
I do recommend doing a first look, as I love the intimacy of this moment with just the Bride and Groom. It allows them to enjoy each other's company alone on their wedding day. It also means they have more time with their guests after the ceremony, as they can enjoy cocktails, instead of leaving to do portraits. It can be challenging trying to extricate key family members for pictures after the ceremony, when all the wedding guests are busy catching up. Brides who have done a first look tell me that when they finally walk down the aisle, it still is an incredibly special moment, as all their loved ones are watching them.
I do completely respect that some couples do not want to see each other until the Bride walks down the aisle. I always explain the pros and cons, but will be happy to plan around my client's wishes. "
Whew! That's a lot of great advice. We won't add too much else to the pot here, but our final thoughts from our own perspective can be summed up as follows:
-Time is precious. If you don't have a wedding planner or advice from a Day of Coordinator, you should pad your day with lots of time. Doing a receiving line? That will take around 30 minutes. Doing Extended Family formals? Expect five full minutes for each grouping. If you're not going to see each other before the ceremony, pad at least two hours between the ceremony and the reception for transportation, family and bridal party photos and couple portraits. If you want photos at 'The Golden Hour' which falls on the hour before the sun sets, look up what time the sun will be setting and arrange a large group activity (like dessert or the beginning of dancing) that your guests won't notice if we pull you out of the reception for 15 minutes to capture those precious photos of the two of you in perfect light.
-Keep it Simple. Do as much work as possible beforehand to make your life as simple as possible on your wedding day. If needed, arrange an aunt or fellow family member that can help identify multiple cousins from each side. We often don't know who might be missing, so if you put someone in charge of this ahead of time you will save yourself so much stress. Bonus points for introducing these aunts from each side of the family to one another so they can be TEAM FAMILY FORMALS. Other things to make your life easier? Make sure you remind your bridesmaids at the rehearsal dinner not to ditch their flowers before photos are over. This isn't typically a problem if you're doing those photos before the ceremony, but they often disappear afterward.
-Communicate. We've done a 200+ family formal. We've done couple portraits in seven minutes. We've shot an entire candle-lit ceremony from the back pew with no flash in a stone church. We work with what we've been given and just make it happen. That said, your day, and your photos, will be so much more comprehensive when you communicate the day-of schedule with us ahead of time, and listen to your other vendors about what timelines won't work. We're here to work for you, but you need to make sure we have proper instructions on your expectations and we can help guide if they are realistic.
If you've made it to the end of this, Congratulations! You now have multiple opinions on wedding day timelines and can see that no matter what timeline road you go down, your wedding day will still be incredibly special.
Special thanks to Maggie, Jessica, Katie, Marie, Sara, Linda and Tzo Ai for your words of wisdom!
2011 - In Review
2011 has been a truly amazing year. I think we will always remember this year with great fondness, as we ate, breathed and slept all things wedding. With the early part of the year leading me (Kendra) into the transition of being a full time wedding photographer, to the middle of the year when we got married ourselves (which has given us SO much more to truly relate to our clients and know exactly how they feel) to the end of the year when we shot 26 weddings, 42 engagement sessions (amongst other non-wedding related work) and got to meet the exciting bunch of 2012 Summer Street couples. With all of the wedding talk, gorgeous rings, adorable proposal stories and sweet moments, the funny thing is that we still can't get enough. There is something deeper than just a 'wedding' that keeps us artistically motivated. It's you. Getting to know our clients and having the honor of telling their stories makes us tick. We've never felt so at home. We say it a lot, but we truly feel blessed to have this job. Here's to each and every one of you who 'liked' something on our facebook page, commented on a blog post, encouraged us in our buisness, and trusted us to document your event. We are nothing without your support, and we can't wait to share 2012 with you!
Alyssa + Mark = Married
After their guests had been seated from cocktail hour, Alyssa and Mark welcomed the group with a few words. I think Mark said it all when he said, "I've been wearing this ring in my heart for a long time, and today I get to show the world how I've felt for years."
Alyssa and Mark were married at the Cambridge City Hall on a Friday morning. Just the two of them, in a beautiful dark courtroom, with the lights off but the sun quietly pouring through the windows. It was exactly what they wanted. Matt and I were there to capture the event on camera, and despite the fact that we were the only ones in attendance except the Justice of the Peace, the room was filled with love. We cheered when they were pronounced husband and wife, Alyssa and Mark both beaming.
We parted ways with them after their intimate ceremony, and joined them again the following night for a close knit group of family and friends to celebrate their union at the Barn at Gibbet Hill. The evening was so cozy, and felt much more like a large dinner party than a wild reception. Alyssa and Mark have two beautiful children, so we of course were following them around like the paparazzi. They also had a few friends who gave congratulatory toasts. Each speech that was given brought the room to tears, and then to laughter, and then to tears again. What an amazing group of friends and family they have! Alyssa and Mark, we are so happy for you! Congratulations!