Save the fun colored lights for the fun, everyone on the dance floor, party time! If you are doing traditional first dances, looking back, you wouldn't want bright colored splotches of pink, blue, green and yellow on your face and gown! 

I often mention it to the DJ, wedding planner, event coordinator prior to the arrival of the couple to the reception site, but it is always something to keep in mind. 

During the first dances, make sure there are no colored lights

This is something that time and time again my wedding clients do not think about until long after signing the contract for their venue and ceremony space. 

A church, ceremony space and reception venue look very, very different in the middle of the day versus at the time of your ceremony or reception. Did you book a reception space because you were drawn to the beautiful 20ft windows with natural light pouring in? Depending on the time of year, that light that you are so drawn to will be long gone for your reception, and you will be left only with the overhead and artificial lights. 

Pro Tip: Photographers, like myself, and wedding planners work together to create editorials in various venue spaces. These photographs are with ideal weather and time of day in order to best showcase our work. Be careful when seeing beautiful editorials: you most likely are not having your reception at 2PM. 

If possible, view your venue at the time you will be having the event prior to booking

Your wedding photographer should be one of the people you are most comfortable with on your wedding day. Wedding photography is such a personal experience. For a minimum of a year leading up to your wedding, I spend countless hours spending time with you, planning with you, dreaming with you about your wedding day. We have been meeting up for coffee, happy hour, texting, pinning on Pinterest. The day of the wedding, my partner and I will spend more time with you and your partner than your closest friends and family. If we create an album together after the wedding, we will be spending an additional 6-8 months together. 

Make sure that you enjoy that person's personality! Are they easy to get in contact with? Do you feel comfortable reaching out to that person? Are you going to smile and feel at ease when your photographer walks into the wedding suite? These relationships are why I spend so much time getting to know each of my clients. From our initial consultation, I tell my potential clients "shoot me a text/email me if you have any questions". That line of communication is open in that moment and is available to you for life. 

The most incredible photographs occur when there is a relationship between photographer and subject

The moments prior to seeing your partner for the first time on your wedding day are so special. You have your hair and makeup done, and are about to put on your wedding gown, why not take a moment to soak it all in? These are truly some of my favorite moments captured on your wedding day. The tranquility, the calm before the storm, the anticipation, are all such raw feelings. 
Having a beautiful space to get ready in and have these moments gives you more opportunities for these moments to be captured in the most elegant way. Below are some tips for what to look for when picking a beautiful location:

- Natural light: big open windows, preferably floor to ceiling ones make for absolutely stunning bridals and getting ready photographs. Full sun exposure is so limited on your wedding day, while it is light out, you do not want to waste it!

- Neutral colors or colors that match your color theme. If your color palette is white, sand and pink, try not to book a place with bright green and purple couches and wallpaper. The getting ready portraits will jump out as a stain looking back at your wedding album. 

For my New Orleans wedding couples, reach out to me personally and I will be able to recommend beautiful hotels and AirBnbs, but be quick because they book up quickly!

Choose a beautiful space for getting ready

No location, activity, venue is off the table when it comes to your wedding experience. Dream with your wedding planner and photographer. Give yourself the luxury of time to dream up beautiful ideas, mood board with us, brainstorm. That is why booking and opening a line of communication with your photographer early in the planning process is so important. 

Use our wealth of experience to help you elevate your wedding day to something you never thought imaginable. Trust me, we WANT to do something unique to you specifically! The. more personalized the day, the more joy you have on your wedding day, the better the photographs will turn out, I assure you. 

This is also why I only shoot a select amount of weddings per year. The magic happens when you take the time with your clients to dream, visualize and create together.

Your wildest dreams can come to life with proper communication and planning

There are three guarantees about me as a person: 
1. I love weddings.
2. I love people.
3. I love photography. 

Those absolutes will never change. I truly have the best job in the world because I am doing exactly what I love. Know that if there is a moment when there is a camera in my hand, I am the happiest version of myself. I get a rush every time I press the shutter button on my camera because I KNOW that I have just frozen that priceless moment forever. The photographs I capture, long after the champagne, music, laughter and loved ones are gone, will stand the test of time as a reminder of one of the most important times of your life. 

Trusting me fully in my process in artistic ability will provide for you the most authentic and breathtaking of photographs. 

trust the process!