Well, this post sure got put on the back burner! I am part of the local Tuesday's Together group of the Rising Tide Society, a community for small business creatives. Last June our group put together a styled shoot with two different themes and a bunch of amazing vendors. We had to keep the images under wraps for a while until they were published, and I completely forgot to share them!
Dear Thai noodles, Why are you so difficult to make? Following the directions should be enough, right?
Dear Butter, Why do you take so long to thaw? I really don't like that I have to plan 3 hours ahead of time if I want to bake cookies.
Dear Tiny Houses, Why are you so stinking appealing? I'm all for living simply but there's no way I could live in a 26 foot trailer! We'd be tripping all over ourselves. But your promise of freedom is so compelling!
Dear June, Why did you leave us so quickly? I feel like summer is already slipping away!
Ryan's Quote of the Week:
I'll melt it down and pour it between your toes.
Photo from the CGP Stock Store
It hadn’t seemed like something special at the start. After all, meeting someone in person that you’ve been talking to online is kind of weird. Being together feels familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. And slowly, without even realizing it, the unfamiliar begins to fade. The love kind of sneaks up on you. Day by day, those feelings build and grow. Each day is better than the last and before you know it, you don’t feel like individuals anymore. You’re two pieces that fit perfectly together. You’re in love with your best friend. And you can’t wait to spend the rest of your lives together.
That’s Jamie & Bert. I am so excited for their wedding at Norfolk Botanical Garden with Sterling Dawn Events and Palette of Petals in just a few weeks! It's going to be a beautiful day!!!
How gorgeous is the perennial garden at NBG? Jamie & Bert are having their cocktail hour here and their guests are going to love it!
“I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
- When Harry Met Sally
Taken at 5:59 in October
One thing that we've noticed a lot of couples forget to think about is what time the sun sets on their wedding day. And since sunset time varies by about 4 hours throughout the year, it can make a HUGE difference in your timeline!
A sunset ceremony might sound like a beautiful and romantic idea, but not if you wanted to take any pictures outside afterwards! Sunset time surprised us for one of our November weddings, because we all thought the time change was a week after the wedding, but it wasn't! The couple ended up choosing to do a first look so that they would have outside portraits (and they were so happy that they did!) So we always recommend that couples double check the sunset time before sending their invitations to print!
During summer weddings, we are often well into the reception by the time the sun sets, and our couples love to sneak out for another 15-20 minutes of portrait time in this perfect light! If we have a clear view of the sunset (and a cloudless sky) we can probably shoot right up until sunset time, but often we have to stop shooting 15-30 minutes earlier. This means that if the sun sets at 8:10 on their wedding day, we want to plan the reception timeline so they can be out taking portraits from 7:40-8:00.
Just remember. Sunset time is when the outside photos need to STOP, not when you start sunset portraits. Here's a general idea of what time we’ll lose light throughout the year:
January – 5:00
February – 5:30
March – 6:00 (7:00 after time change)
April – 7:15
May-August – 7:45 or later
September – 6:30
October – 6:00
November – 5:45 (4:45 after time change)
December – 4:30
Taken at 8:12 in June
It's also important to note that if the sun sets behind a line of trees or buildings at your venue, we’ll lose light even earlier. And since you never know whether you're going to get a sunny wedding day or a cloudy one, I always like to leave a little buffer before the sunsets. I would hate to have to cut portrait time short because it got dark sooner than we thought it would.
As you can see, fall and winter weddings need to happen much earlier in the day to make sure all portraits are finished before the sun goes down. And if you choose a date around either Day Light Savings time switch, triple check the ceremony start time with sunset time that day. It's so easy to get confused, and we certainly don’t want to be off by an hour!
Taken at 5:02 in November
First looks are getting to be pretty common in weddings these days, but if you've never heard of it (a lot of grooms still haven't), it's basically when the bride and groom choose to see each other before the wedding ceremony. It's usually a private moment where they can hug and kiss, she can show him her dress, and they can both get their nerves out of the way.
The decision of whether or not to do a first look is totally up to my clients, but I always want to make sure that they understand how a first look can change their wedding day. Here are some of the advantages to doing a first look.
- The couple can enjoy at least part of cocktail hour because they only have to do family pictures after the ceremony. So they can enjoy those yummy appetizers, get the party started, or just take off those painful shoes!
- They don't feel nervous before the ceremony, because they're together instead of essentially locked in a room until 'go' time. I've heard many nervous brides say "Once I see him, I'll be ok."
- The schedule has more buffer time in case something runs late, which keeps the bride and groom from stressing out.
- He has a chance to tell her how beautiful she looks. He can't do that while the officiant is talking.
- The couple has a private moment to themselves on their wedding day. They probably won't be alone together for the rest of the day! This is their chance to breath and just be together before the events of the day really get going.
- Less of a time crunch during portrait time. (But this doesn't mean that we spend hours and hours taking portraits either!)
- Doing all the bridal party photos before the wedding has a couple of advantages: The bridal party isn't tired, hot, or hungry yet, and after the ceremony, they can enjoy cocktail hour.
- Sunset time usually isn't a factor. Most venues choose their ceremony times based on what time the sun sets, and early spring and fall weddings may have less portrait time because it gets dark much earlier in the day. Doing some of the portraits before the ceremony (typically bride & groom and bridal party) usually keeps that from being a problem.
- The couple doesn't have to keep guests waiting in order to get all the photos they want.
- If the couple wants a lot of portraits or wants to use more than one location, we can plan time to accommodate for that. We can also set aside 15-20 minutes right before sunset for portraits.
- The couple actually spends more of their wedding day together. The first look is usually about 2 hours before the ceremony, so that's more time they can be together.
- We are able to photograph the guests mingling at cocktail hour, which is much more flattering than when they're eating dinner. (And since not all guests are big dancers, this is a great way to get more candid photos of the guests.)
When the couple decides not to see each other before the ceremony, post-ceremony photo time is a flurry of activity. It's delicate balance to get all the pictures the bride and groom want without making them feel rushed or stressed. But in spite of all these advantages that I've listed, a first look is not the right choice for every couple. It's their wedding day, and I don't want them to have any regrets.
Want More Wedding Photography Tips?
Advantages of a First Look
Timeline VS Wedding Day Time
The Family Formal List
The Must Take Shot List
Budget Wisdom from Every Last Detail
Sunset Time on the Wedding Day
What About a Rainy Wedding Day?
Options for Your Wedding Exit
What To Do With Your Wedding Photos
They had been texting for a few weeks now, and Tyler was nervous as he walked from his car to The Hot Chocolatier, the place that Emma had suggested for their first date. He clasped and unclasped his hands, shoving them in his pockets and then taking them out again.
Emma stood on the sidewalk outside the dessert shop, glancing at her watch every 30 seconds. It was two minutes past the meeting time Tyler had chosen. She started to wonder if he was coming at all. And then she saw him.
He looked up from the sidewalk as he turned the corner. There she was. His nerves were gone in an instant. All he felt was peace. And joy. And he knew that he was about to have hot chocolate with the woman he was going to marry.
They both chose the s’mores hot chocolate from the menu, and it was served piping hot with a homemade square of marshmallow floating in the frothy center. As the conversation flowed, they lost all concept of time, in spite of the bustle of the shop around them.
Their mugs were emptied, and still they sat and talked. One by one, chairs scraped against the concrete floor as they were tucked in to their tables. The counter was wiped clean. The cash drawer was opened for counting. Only then did Emma and Tyler pause their conversation long enough to push back their chairs and leave.
He asked for a second date before she’d even pulled into her driveway.
Emma & Tyler live in Chattanooga, TN, but they chose to have a destination wedding here in Virginia Beach at her family's beach house in Sandbridge. So when they came to town for their wedding, we met up for their engagement session, after a day of finalizing wedding details.
You only have to spend about 5 minutes with Emma & Tyler to see why they are perfect for each other. They never stop smiling at each other and they're always making each other laugh!
Enjoy their engagement session images, and if you didn't see their wedding blog post last week, head over there next!
