Wedding Tip Wednesday: Photographers

Choosing a photographer within your budget and with a style you love to capture the most exciting day of your life isn’t always easy. Once you decide who to work with, communicating with them exactly what you want from them can sometimes be a challenge. I recommend keeping a running list as you plan of moments or details you want to make sure to remember have them shoot. When we sit down to start talking about your wedding, I’ll give you a list of shots you’re sure to want to capture that you can customize and give to your photographer. This makes family photos, detail pictures and bridal party shots go a lot faster so you can get to celebrating with your guests!

Here’s my top 3 tips for choosing a photographer:

1.       Make sure you look at the style of their work. Everyone is a little different. Explore their website and blog. Are they used to do weddings? Shooting a wedding day is a lot different than a normal photoshoot. Make sure they are familiar with all it will entail.

2.       Thoroughly look over the contract they give you and make sure you understand every little piece. Some people only agree to be at your wedding for a few hours, if you want getting ready photos and pictures of the sendoff, make sure you account for all the hours! Remember you only get married once so make sure they give you what you are looking for!

3.       Are they going to bring a second shooter? Having a second shoot on site at your wedding is always helpful to capture the groom’s face when he first sees the bride and the bride as she walks down the aisle. One photographer can be taking pictures of guests at cocktail hour while the other does family pictures following the ceremony. If at all possible, having one male and one female photographer is ideal so you can get pictures of the guys and gals getting ready at the same time!

xoxo,
Amanda Grace

Showered in Blessings

Will & Grace

11/1/14

Grace and I went to high school together and became good friends our senior year on Homecoming Court. We went our separate ways for college but kind of stayed in contact over the years. When Grace got engaged to this mystery man from college I had to reconnect with her! We talked wedding details and that’s when the dream of starting a small business coordinating events for people I love was born!

Family was always the most important thing to Grace and her family. Growing up everyone knew the Hobgood kids had each other’s backs and nothing was more important to them than each other. When I met Will’s family, it was obvious this was true for him and his family too and it made perfect sense why they were perfect together. I immediately fell in love with the Potts who traveled from Florida to California for their sweet wedding. I got to spend the whole morning setting up and getting to know them as they shared stories about Will and Grace.

The Potts tied the knot at Quail Haven Farm in Vista, CA. It was my first time working with Lindy Waldman, the owner, and she was the best! With an all outdoor venue and rain in the forecast ALL DAY, we knew we were going to face some challenges. The cocktail area and parking arenas had flooding but Lindi’s team rented shuttles and brought guests up to the ceremony safely as I worked to move cocktail hour to the covered reception space. Despite the rain, the whole day was showered in blessings!

Just in time for the ceremony, the rain let up and the sun came out! It wasn’t long after the ceremony concluded and they were done taking pictures that the rain began again. Despite the cold and the rain, guests enjoyed dancing, celebrating, and the mini dessert bar from the bakery Grace used to work at. Right after they got married, Will and Grace moved to Florida and just recently had their first little girl Kinley, who is adorable as can be!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace