The Experience
Hot Take: Weddings aren’t all about wedding photos.
I know what you’re thinking, “Should she be saying that?” The answer is yes. I should.
Weddings are about a lot of things, like dancing, and cake, and grandmas. And, you know, marriage. Weddings are not about instagram. Weddings are not a performance. You want to be truly present on your wedding day - to soak it all in and feel at ease knowing that it’s all going to be documented for you. Gone are the days of cheesy poses that don’t look like you and spending three hours on group portraits (raise your hand if you’ve gotten hangry at a wedding during portrait time). I’m guessing this probably is your first rodeo when it comes to wedding planning, so I am here to hold your hand and take you through a step-by-step guide on how to get photos that don’t look like anyone else’s.
Step One:
The Call.
Ah, the beginning of our love story. During this call, we’ll walk through what you have planned so far. I will help you understand what your needs will be on the wedding day, and get to know a little bit about your relationship. We’ll get a feel for whether or not we’re a match, and if you have a dog, I will also want to speak to your dog.
Step Two:
The session.
Portrait sessions are a practice run for us as a team. This is where you get comfy with the way that I shoot, and I gain an understanding of how you interact naturally around one another. This is my secret weapon to giving you wedding photos that look like yourselves and letting you feel comfortable in front of the camera. I love getting to know the ways that you would normally touch / embrace / interact so that its second nature come wedding day.
Step three:
Pre-wedding Process
I’m here to help you and/or your planner during every step of wedding planning. Whether you need guidance with your timeline or help with the design process, I’m here to assist! About a month before the wedding, you’ll complete your pre-wedding questionnaire and we’ll schedule our final meeting to go over this together and lock in any last minute details.
Wedding Day Process
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1. Getting Ready
I’ll arrive a couple of hours before your first look or ceremony, and let the moments unfold naturally by staying on the sidelines and allowing you to relax and be present with your people. I don’t believe in “faking” photos - so I’ll be giving my undivided attention to every detail and making sure it’s captured in real time.
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2. The Details
I know how much work goes into planning every single detail of a wedding. I love to get a mix of details in action without spending too much time away from the candid moments of your loved ones. If the dress and invitation shots aren’t a priority for you - don’t sweat it. We will go over what matters most to you during your pre-wedding meetings, but you can rest assured that you’ll have photos of it all.
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3. First Look + Portraits
Fun fact: portrait time is usually one of the ONLY times that you two will be somewhat alone on your wedding day. It’s my goal to make portraits relaxing, effortless, and brief. Instead of knocking all of these out in one chunk, we’ll plan a couple of short breaks throughout the day for the two of you to breathe and be alone together. No awkward posing - I’ll give gentle guidance without anything feeling forced.
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4. Family + Wedding Party
Group photos with me are a breeze. I’ll have a detailed list of all of the group photos compiled after our final meeting, so this part of the day can run smoothly and quickly. I am detail oriented and understand how important these photos are for documenting families - but there’s no need for this to take hours. You can plan for both of these sets of photos to take less than 30 minutes.
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5. Ceremony
During your ceremony, it’s my goal to be as sneaky and respectful as possible. I’ll be prepared to get all of the angles you want - from guest reactions’ to those close-up portraits of your vows, but you probably won’t even know that I’m there.
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6. Reception
As the party picks up, you can count on me being there to capture all of the feels from every direction. From the tears during a heartfelt toast to the wild dance floor photos later in the night. You can expect images that make you laugh, cry, and probably a few that you won’t even remember happening.
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7. After the Wedding
After I pack up my things and we head out for the evening, you can expect sneak peeks the following day. Yep - that instagram announcement is gonna blow your friends’ minds. You can expect your full gallery 4-6 weeks after your wedding day, and if you ordered an album, the design process begins here.
Do we sound like a good match?
“Where to begin? Hallie is amazingly fantastic. She is incredibly personable and makes everyone around her feel comfortable. She is able to capture beautiful moments in an authentic way. When we reviewed our engagement and wedding photos it felt like we were reliving it all in the best way. Nothing felt over posed or forced. Also, our families loved her. I wouldn’t change anything about working with Hallie.”
— Robin P, former bride