Weddings
STORYTELLER AND MAGIC MOMENT CREATOR
It's not just a photograph, it's all about capturing a memory!
Hey There
"Once upon a time, there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."
-Nicole Krauss
What is a Small Intimate Wedding?
I often refer to Small Intimate Weddings as having no more than 50 guests, include a small bridal party and still have several events throughout the day. This can include things like the ceremony, dinner, reception, a small bridal party, etc. They usually last about 6 hours in total. The main difference in a small intimate wedding and a regular wedding is a smaller guest list so the couple can really upgrade their guests experience and spend some more intimate time making memories with just their closest friends and family. Usually these are held at a wedding venue as opposed to an adventure elopement on the side of a cliff or somewhere more exotic. This is such a great way to create an unforgettable experience for your wedding day.
"I love your feet because they have wandered over the earth and through the wind and water until they brought you to me." -Pablo Neruda
"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies."
-Aristotle,
What is a Micro Wedding?
Micro Weddings are…
These types of wedding generally have no bridal party, just a ceremony and some portraits and usually less than 20 people in attendance. These types of Weddings are generally to document your special day in front of a few loved ones while skipping most of the other traditional activities. They usually last around 2-4 hours. Most of people who choose this kind of wedding want to get married now without all the fuss or might even be planning a larger wedding for later on, after the world has calmed down or they have saved enough for their dream wedding. While these weddings skip most of the traditional things they can still include things like a toast, cutting of the cake, first dance, etc. Though these weddings skip a lot of things they are not any less of a wedding. You still get all the edited photos with the option to add on a video snapshot of the images to music of your choosing.
Who are Small Intimate & Micro Weddings for?
People generally spend more money on food and beverages at weddings than anything else. This allows people to upgrade the experience for a smaller amount for their closest friends and family.
You also, get to spend more time with each family member and guest. This creates more treasured memories for you and those in attendance.
Both these types of weddings are becoming increasingly more popular since the pandemic that turned the world upside down. Venues have put limitations on the amount of people allowed in one place and the amount of space they need to be able to have between them.
This is one of the most epic things about small weddings, you can literally do it Anyway you could possibly imagine!
Who are Full Weddings for?
Full Weddings are for the couples that want the whole package. These usually include larger wedding guest lists, larger bridal parties and more family portraits, 6-10 hours of coverage, with all the traditions included and lots of coverage of the reception.
This type of wedding is for the couple that doesn't want to compromise on anything, they want the whole traditional package and lots of images of their loved ones having a blast dancing and hanging out at the reception.
What is a Pre/Post Wedding Day Session?
Unlike getting an engagement session 3-6 months before your wedding, a pre/post wedding shoot is where you do bridal portraits in your wedding attire in a more relaxed setting, usually outdoors in an epic location.
Most people opt for the post wedding day shoot because they prefer not to see each other fully dressed until after they have said their vows, traditionally. The other bonus for doing it after your wedding is that it won't matter if your dress gets a little dirty, you would have plenty of time to dry clean it, and your flowers are still fresh so you can use them again.
Either way you choose to do it, this is a beautiful way to have literally the best of both worlds. You can have your formal wedding with all your friends and family and you can have epic wedding pictures with more intimate moments between just the two of you.
Some couples even prepare more personal vows to read or have small traditions that are meant for just the two of them. There are so many things that you can do differently to totally maximize your wedding photos and you can even relive some of the best parts of your day but once again with just the two of you, this makes it even more special. All in all it really is a beautiful way to make the most of your wedding.
What would we even do during a pre/post wedding day shoot?
You’ll smile. A lot. You’ll laugh, maybe cry (I usually do). You’ll have a whole adventure together that you enjoy every minute of.
"yours is the light by which my spirit's born: yours is the darkness of my soul's return -you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars"
-E.E. Cummings
Why should you do a pre-post wedding day session?
The biggest bonus of doing a pre/post wedding shoot is not having to cram all your bridal portraits into 30 minutes in the middle of your wedding day. Bonus you get more photos in a whole new beautiful location. It can cut down on so much stress and anxiety over little things not panning out the day of, which almost always happens. Then you can truly relax and enjoy the best day of your lives.
Plus you get to maximize those beautiful wedding clothes that you spent so much money on. You can even decide to go with an alternate style for your hair and make-up.
You can get adventurous photos as well as your beautiful wedding day photos. You can also get more creative with your poses to have way more variety without sacrificing any of your time with your guests. The best part is that in case of bad weather you can reschedule your bridal pictures so nothing gets sacrificed.
Let's get down to what you really want to know...
How do you decide which session is the best option for you or if you should just scrap it all and elope?
At the end of the day whatever decision you make needs to make you and your significant other the happiest person ever. This really is all about what you want on your Special Day. You shouldn't have to sacrifice or go without. Don't be pressured into doing anything that you don't want to do because of old traditions that no longer serve you. Choose everything that you believe in and cannot live without.
Can I have a reception with a Micro Wedding?
Generally no, the Micro Weddings are all about the ceremony and capturing those details with some pictures of your closest family and friends. The Small Intimate Wedding would work a lot better with all the extra traditions and bells and whistles.
Can I add a video snapshot for each type of session?
Yes absolutely, no matter which type of wedding package you choose you will get all the edited photos, with the option to add a video snapshot with songs of your choice. You get a print release form which gives you full rights to your photos once delivered. They will all be high-resolution digital images delivered in a password protected gallery.
Customized client portal
Your client portal will hold all the information regarding your wedding in one organized place. The contract, date, vendors, locations, timeline, location guide, all the researched info. It's kind of like a Wedding Binder that you can carry everywhere you go on your phone for quick reference. It's super convenient when you have that many flowing details. The best part is I will put it all together for you.
Unlimited Consultations
Nothing will ever go exactly as planned and things will arise that will make us need to go in a new direction. That is why I will be here for you every step of the way. I will have backup plans for all the worst case scenarios so you don't have to worry.
Starting packages should be just that... a starting point!
Check out these Starting Prices and General Packages
$3,000
Large Full Wedding
Do you want all your traditions, reception, large bridal party, large family groupings, and all the hours you need captured. Then this is the perfect Wedding Package for you.
Includes:
Complimentary Engagement Session
10 Hours of Wedding Coverage
Covers: Ceremony
Detail shots and Preparation
Along with Other Traditional Activities
Bride & Groom Portraits
Bridal Party Portraits
Family Portraits
Lots of Reception Shots
All Images Professionally Edited
Password Protected Online Viewing/Sharing Gallery
Digital High-Resolution Download
Print Release
Full Wedding
Are you thinking of having a wedding ceremony now with just a few people there to document your day, and don't want to skip all of the rest of the traditions like the dinner and reception? Then this is the perfect Wedding Package for you, it's a great way to get your ceremony documented and your bridal portraits.
Includes:
Complimentary Engagement Session
8 Hours of Wedding Coverage
Covers: Your Ceremony
Detail and Preparation Shots
Along with Other Traditional Activities
Bride & Groom Portraits
Bridal Party Portraits
Family Portraits
Reception Coverage
All Images Professionally Edited
Password Protected Online Viewing/Sharing Gallery
Digital High-Resolution Download
Print Release
$2,400
$1,800
Small Intimate Wedding
Do you want to not sacrifice any of the wedding traditions but have fewer people at your wedding so that you can upgrade the experience everyone has and make it a more intimate experience? Then this is the perfect Wedding Package for you.
Includes:
Complimentary Engagement Session
6 Hours of Wedding Coverage
Covers: Ceremony
Along with Other Traditional Activities
Bride & Groom Portraits
Bridal Party Portraits
Family Portraits
Some Reception Coverage
All Images Professionally Edited
Password Protected Online Viewing/Sharing Gallery
Digital High-Resolution Download
Print Release
Micro Wedding
Are you thinking of having a wedding ceremony now with just a few people there to document your day, but want to skip all of the rest of the traditions like the dinner and reception? Then this is the perfect Wedding Package for you, it's a great way to get your ceremony documented and your bridal portraits.
Includes:
Complimentary Engagement Session
4 Hours of Wedding Coverage
Covers: Your Ceremony
Along with Other Traditional Activities
Bride & Groom Portraits
Family Portraits
All Images Professionally Edited
Password Protected Online Viewing/Sharing Gallery
Digital High-Resolution Download
Print Release
Complimentary Engagement Session
$1,200
$800
Pre-Post Wedding Day Session
These sessions are my new fav. What a great way to get the most use out of your wedding attire and flowers, than by extending your wedding day for some epic photo shots and intimate moments you will cherish forever.
Includes:
Up to 4 Hours of Coverage
Custom Location Planning Guide
Adventure Elopement Planning Guide
All Images Professionally Edited
Password Protected Online Viewing/Sharing Gallery
Digital High-Resolution Images
Print Release
Travel is included within 50 miles of Blacksburg, VA. Outside of that and the travel will be added up and combined with the package, depending on how far away it is. I will handle the location scouting for all pre/post day wedding sessions unless you have a specific location in mind. I also frequently go out location scouting just to find new areas and options. 12-hour a day access to me for any questions or issues that arise. I will be there with you every step of the way even if you change your mind a million times on the details. I will spend many hours pouring over your questionnaire and really getting to the heart of what you want me to capture. I believe in this experience and want to offer you the best version possible. I will be your biggest advocate and will stop at nothing to make sure you get everything you want out of this day. You really can have everything you ever wanted and I would love to help you get that. Let's schedule a phone conversation or coffee meeting to go over any questions you might have (and become the best of friends).
What to expect
A walkthrough of the day
Here is an example of a timeline of a general wedding with some simple explanations of why I like to do things in this order. Keep in mind this is your day and you can arrange the timeline anyway that you like. Some of the things in this timeline you may not even be doing which is totally fine, this is just a general guideline. I customize every couple's timeline for the events they are doing and the order they want to do them in, with the time they need allotted for each event!
11:30- Photographer arrives and scouts the location
I like to arrive early and get acclimated to the location and find places to do big group shots and first looks.
12:00- Detail and dress shots
I like to have all these details in one place ready to go when I arrive so I can get started.
12:30- Groom Preparation shots and Groomsmen
The groomsmen can already be ready we will just recreate some of these shots. If we have time we will do some of the groom and groomsmen here as well.
1:00- Bride Preparation shots and Bridesmaids
The bride will be ready to go except dress, shoes and jewelry. We will take shots of the bride putting all of these things on and the bridesmaids and mom helping her.
1:30- First Look
I like to do first looks even if they are a little non traditional because we really get to focus on the grooms reaction here. Plus it gives us time to get most of the portraits done right after that way the guests aren't waiting forever after the ceremony and we aren't feeling rushed. This can be a super private moment.
1:45- Vows and Gifts
Some people opt to do their vows privately and share gifts during this time. I think this is super sweet.
2:00- Bride and Groom Portraits
We will do the bride and groom photos first to get them done and taken care of.
2:30- Bridal Party Portraits
Then I like to do the bridal party shots. I usually do the bridesmaids and then add in the groomsmen.
3:00- Family Portraits
A good way to get the family portraits done before the ceremony is to just ask the family members to be included in the photos to arrive a little early. This takes the pressure off of having to get these done after the ceremony. I usually create a detailed shot list of all the combinations that you want and have a volunteer call the names out to make this process go smoothly and quickly. Plus it ensures we don't miss any photos that you want.
3:30- Ceremony
Ceremonies vary in the length and things involved during them. I always get all the major moments during this time. There is a detailed list of things I shoot in the big questionnaire that you will fill out. There is a spot for you to add anything not mentioned so that I don't miss a thing.
4:10- Bridal Party Announcements
The DJ will announce the bridal party entering the reception as I capture their entry.
4:20- First Dances
I will capture the bride and groom first dance, father and bride, mother and groom, and any other first dances you would like.
4:30- Speeches
I will capture any special guests giving speeches and the priceless emotions on your faces.
5:00- Dinner
For any wedding 6 hours or more I do require a dinner to keep my blood sugar from getting to low. I usually get served directly after the bride and groom. I then scarf my food down (I promise it's not pretty) and then I take shots of all the decor, tables, cake, gifts, signing book and all of those details.
5:30- Cake Cutting
We will get shots of the cutting of the cake and give people time to eat their cake, I will continue with decor shots.
6:00- Bouquet Toss
We will align everyone for the bouquet toss. I always do a few practice shots just to make sure we get it before you actually throw it.
6:15- Garter Toss
We will then do the garter toss, I also do practice shots before the garter is actually thrown.
6:30- Anniversary Dance
The DJ will usually announce the anniversary dance to get people on the dance floor. This is where all the married couples go on the dance floor and dance until he announces how long they have been married. I have seen this go as far as 60 years which is just beautiful.
8:30- Sunset photos with the bride and groom
I usually like to steal the bride and groom away for sunset photos. This gives the two of you a moment to yourselves in an already hectic day. Plus the sunset is just so beautiful for photos.
9:00- Capturing all the fun on the dance floor
I don't mean to toot my own horn but I have a knack for being in the right place at the right time in these situations and get some awesome shots. You will see me weaving through the dancing people on the floor to get the best shots.
10:00- Sparkler exit
If you plan on doing an exit this is a cool way to do it and always gives us some awesome shots. I will line up all the people in position while someone hands out sparklers. I usually do a couple test shots with the first sparkler to make sure my settings are correct. Then we have guests help light each others sparklers with the lit ones. Once they are all lit I instruct the couple to come down. These are like walking shots where you look at each other, look at me, look at your guests. Then I will have you randomly twirl, kiss and dip. We will do this several times until the sparklers burn out to get the best results.
