I’d like to send big Happy Anniversary wishes to Megan and Nik, who celebrated their one-year anniversary yesterday. Their wedding was held in their hometown of Fremont, Ohio, and the reception was at Camp Perry up on Lake Erie, where I’ll be shooting the wedding reception of their friend and groomsman next June. It was a great location and I’m excited to be there again!
Here are a few of my favorite images to commemorate their day.
Last Friday, I had the great pleasure to fly to D.C. to shoot Chaitali and Mike’s engagement session in and around their Virginia home and on the National Mall. While the weather was less than cooperative, it certainly added a different dimension to the images, in addition to our not hitting the typical D.C. spots. I love that we were able to do something unique and unexpected in a city full of recognizable landmarks. But that’s nothing compared to what a great time I had hanging out with Chaitali and Mike. We had a relaxed, fun time, and I’m looking forward to their wedding even more now!
It was hard to narrow down my favorites, but here is a generous handful:
We started at the old Torpedo Factory in Virginia which is now home to lots of art galleries.
A remnant of the factory’s former days.
A little umbrella trouble.
After lunch, we hit up one of their favorite haunts, Barnes & Noble. (It’s one of my favorites too! Hard not to stop and browse all the books!!)
Then back to their apartment for a quick change of clothes and a puppet nuzzle.
And a quick train ride to the National Mall.
We spent some time wandering around the beautiful grounds of the Smithsonian and managed to get in a few quick minutes without rain.
You can’t walk by a carousel without having a ride.
More beautiful Smithsonian gardens.
Yep, more rain.
This alphabet sculpture was very cool.
Our obligatory national landmark shot!
Thanks so much, Chaitali and Mike, for showing me such a great time in your city!
Absent a wedding coordinator, your photographer is the next best person to help you construct a successful wedding day timeline. A successful wedding day timeline will help you accomplish everything you’re hoping for with enough time built in to actually enjoy what’s happening.
The easiest way to begin building the timeline is to start with the items that have inflexible start times, such as the ceremony and/or reception, and work backward from there, incorporating all of the things you want to do with a little extra time added to each so you don’t feel rushed. On the other hand, you don’t want to pad in so much time that you’re sitting around for hours in full hair and make-up and a big ball gown when it’s 90 degrees outside. A successful timeline will give you enough time to move from one thing to the next seamlessly, without either rushing or waiting around, both of which can be stressful.
Here are a few timing tidbits I’ve accumulated over the many many weddings I’ve photographed:
If you have one stylist working on the entire wedding party, schedule your appointment last so you’re freshest.
Everything – and I mean EVERYthing – takes longer in a 20-pound dress, in addition to requiring an entourage of helpers.
People will run late, so padding start times to accommodate for that usually means you’ll start on time.
Receiving lines and/or greeting/dismissing guests by row always takes longer than having the ushers shoo out the guests.
Limos drive slower than regular cars.
I’m always happy to help my clients create a timeline that is both realistic and accomplishes everything their hearts desire so that the wedding day runs smoothly and without stress, so always feel free to pick my brain about timing!
These are so fun, I absolutely love them! Thanks again. We had a wonderful time that day also.