Wedding Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

What is a "First Look" and is this something we should consider?: A first look is when you see each other for the first time after you have gotten ready and BEFORE the ceremony. It’s a time to truly relax with one another and spend a few moments together before the guests arrive and the festivities begin. We highly recommend having a first look. It gives you time to share your special day together and provides a time to capture intimate, unhurried portraits without keeping your guests waiting. We have more time to be creative and find couples are more relaxed.

In addition to these benefits, a first look can provide you extra time with your guests. Many couples have their formals with the bridal party and immediate family after their first look. This will provide more time after your ceremony in which we can capture portraits of the two of you or you can opt to mingle with your guests or just take time for the two of you.

We highly recommend a First Look for couples that are comfortable with it.
How much time should I plan for my pictures?: Getting Ready & Detail Pictures

We typically recommend 1 - 1.5 hours for getting ready and detail photographs. Details include your bouquet, dresses, rings, shoes, and any special details. Once you have your dress on, we will stage pictures of your mom, maid-of-honor buttoning up the back of your dress. We will take candids throughout the time and then more formal portraits when you and the girls are dressed.

The guys tend to get dressed quickly and right before they are needed. So if they are getting ready nearby, we can run over to capture them about 15-20 minutes before they leave. We also tend to capture the guys before the ceremony.

Family and Bridal Party

We will take bridal party, parent and family grouping portraits (formals) directly after the ceremony. If you have little ones or older family members, we like to capture them first as well as parents so they can tend to your guests while you have additional portraits done. Depending on the size of your wedding party and number of family groups, you will want to plan approximately 1 hour to 1 and a half hours. Therefore, to save time, we recommend you limit family groupings to the extent possible. If there are other individuals or groups with whom you’d like pictures, then we can do so at the reception. For a fun and memorable assortment of bridal party photographs, we recommend reserving at least 45 minutes. During this time we will be the photographing the whole group and individual groupings. In total, it can be helpful to budget roughly 60-90 minutes for family and wedding party photographs.

Couple Pictures Immediately After Ceremony

If the ceremony and reception are at the same location, then we will typically spend 20-30 minutes photographing the two of you directly after the ceremony and family/wedding party portraits. However, we do like to let you breathe, visit with your guests rather than take all your portraits at this time. If we need to travel to an alternate location, then factor that into your schedule. Of course, the more time you allot for your pictures, the more creative we can be! If possible, we’d recommend a “first look” as a way to get some great photos without keeping your guests waiting. A "first look" is also a time where you can have special time together.

Couple Pictures Later in the Day

At some point during the reception, we’d like to take you out for additional portraits. By then, you have had time to relax, visit guests and breathe...and it also gives you a bit of quiet time away from the festivities. These are usually some of the nicest formals from the entire day! We may be able to capture a sunset, the softest light of the day and more candid, fun, romantic and fashion-forward portraits. We usually spend about 30 minutes or more capturing you both.
What should I consider when hiring my wedding photographer?: There seems to be a photographer on every corner and we understand how overwhelming it can be to find the right photographer for your day. When we meet with potential clients, many feel overwhelmed with the process. After all, this is an investment and this isn't something you do every day. Three areas we feel you should consider are:

1) Does their work speak to you? Are they capturing personalities and is the lighting pleasing. Do they use professional lighting rather than just natural light?

2) Does their personalities work for you? You will be spending several hours with your photographer and you want to make sure you will have fun, get exceptional photographs of your special day and ensure you can relax and count on them. It is so important to meet the photographer your are considering. You want to be able to connect with their work AND with them personally.

3) Do their wedding collections fit in your budget and do they offer gift certificates that your guests could purchase to help you? We have heard several sad, horror stories and we want to make sure your day is special and worry-free. Your photographs are one of the few things you will pay for that is tangible and you will have forever. Our wedding collections include 2 professional photographers, professional gear (cameras, lighting, etc.), retouched portraits, an online gallery and exceptional customer service. We also give you the option of a beautiful, keepsake wedding album or digital images.

Some other things you may want to consider:

What is the number of weddings photographed per year? We want to make sure our couples receive exceptional service so we, at times, have turned done work. We like to photograph up to 15 weddings a year to insure you get the best service, quick turnaround time on your photographs and albums. In between weddings, we also have engagement and portrait sessions.

Do you have a professional network if something happened to you? We belong to several professional photography groups and if something unfortunate happened and we were unable to photograph your wedding, we do have colleagues we can reach out to. This has never happened but we like to plan for it.

Do you provide gift items, wall portraits, or other items that I or my guests can purchase? We offer and have samples of many items you can view at our studio. We offer framing on all of wall portraits and have parent albums and gift options.

We hope these suggestions will help in your decision process and more importantly, we hope we have the opportunity to capture your memories!
How can I make sure I look good in my photos?: The biggest advice we can provide is to relax and have fun! You can trust us to use our discretion and pose you to bring out your greatest assets. We’re also pretty good at noticing when people are getting tired or just need a break, and we will keep pace with you accordingly.

Give yourself breathing room throughout the day. We will guide your through a timeline for capturing your portraits and special moments and make sure you have time to relax and have fun. You won't need to worry about the portraits and people you want to include. That is for us to worry about so you can relax and enjoy the day.

Be sure to keep yourself hydrated throughout your wedding day. Dehydration can lead to headaches and exhaustion.
What time of day is best for our photos?: We can accommodate any time of day for your wedding, but usually two hours before sunset provides the softest light and is an ideal time for outdoor portraits. Mid-day (11-2) in bright sunshine is not ideal but we can accommodate different lighting scenarios. Shade is always best to prevent harsh shadows, blown out wedding gowns and squinty eyes. Believe it or not, a cloudy day can lead to fantastic outdoor portraits. We do know you don't always have control over the time of day and we will make sure your portraits turn out beautiful.
When should I book?: We typically start booking a year to a year and half in advance. Therefore, we recommending booking as soon as you’ve decided to work with us. Because there are only so many wedding weekends each year, we must book when we can. Therefore, we book on a first-come, first-serve basis. A date is not considered booked until we have received a retainer and a signed contract.
Should we have an unplugged ceremony?: Guest photography? Should we go unplugged?

We understand that guests are excited for you and they want to capture the moment too. However, we respectfully recommend that guests be instructed in advance when it is, and isn’t, appropriate for them to take pictures. Guest photography during a ceremony can lead to obstructed photographs of you (photographs of arms and cell phones in your photos). During formals, guests photographing can cause distractions and in order to do our best work, we need everyone's attention on us.

Though it’s hard to have a completely unplugged wedding, it is possible to have an unplugged ceremony, and we recommend it. One way to accomplish this is to have your priest or officiant make an announcement at the beginning of the ceremony asking that everyone take a moment to turn off their devices. This way, there’s less likelihood that a guest will jump in front of us or block our view with an iPad.
Do you have a photography studio?: Yes, our studio is located at 2 Somerset Lane in Lakeville, MA. We are open by appointment only.
What payment options do you accept?: We accept cash, check and credit cards.
How long does it take to get our pictures?: We like to post a sneak peak on our website blog, Facebook and Instagram within a couple of days of your wedding. It takes us a bit of time to review and categorize your photos for your online gallery. You can expect to have your photo gallery available or if you have opted for a USB of digital images, you can plan on them being available 4-6 weeks after your wedding date.
Why do you insist on 2 photographers?: We feel it is a win-win for you. Having 2 different professional photographers produces 2 different views of your day and a better overall experience for you. We can also provide a more polished look and quicker time during your formal portraits. We have different artistic visions which will provide you with endless creativity.

Wedding Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

Guest photography? Should we go unplugged?

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