Congratulations, you're officially booked!

Engagement sessions are a great way for us to connect and get to know each other before your big day arrives. They give you a chance to get more comfortable in front of the camera too, and you'll quickly realize that having your photos taken can actually be kind of fun!

Engagement sessions typically last 1-1.5 hours and include up to two outfits.

For more planning ideas, check out my blog post here all about engagement sessions!

The getting ready moments are when the day starts to feel real. It's a time when you and your closest people come together, share a few laughs, and prepare for what's ahead. These moments may be calm, but they're full of anticipation and excitement - setting the tone for for everything that's to come. From the final details of your look to the quiet conversations, it's all a part of your wedding day story, and it deserves to be captured with care.

I love getting to capture all of the special details you've curated for your wedding day. Details are one of the first things I'll photograph when I arrive on your wedding day, so it is a great idea to have all of these items in one place that morning. The list below is a great starting point if you aren't sure what to include, but it is absolutely not exhaustive. There are no rules about what can or can not be included in your detail photos, so if it is important to you, I'd love to include it!

Detail ideas:

• dress or suit (and a good hanger!)
• veil
• tie & pocket square
• shoes
• perfume/cologne
• flower bouquet or boutonniere
• jewellery
• loose florals (ask your florist for a few extra loose florals that match your wedding flowers to really elevate the look of your detail shots!)
• vow books
• ring box & rings (it is handy if all of the rings are in one location for the detail shots, instead of each person having their own ring(s) with them while getting ready
• Invitation suite
• any and all sentimental keepsakes you want captured

Detail shots typically take 15-20 minutes per side.

What IS a first look? Simply put, the first look is that special moment where you get to see your other half for the first time in your wedding attire.

Some couples choose to do this privately before the ceremony, others want the grand reveal to happen as they walk down the aisle.

If you are wondering if a first look before the ceremony is right for you, here are some things to consider:

1 - A first look gives you a private moment to get emotional without the audience

• wedding days go by in a blur. As soon as the day begins there is so much to do and so many people to see. Doing a first look will give the two of you a calm moment alone (with me photographing it from afar) to soak it all in without the audience of all your wedding guests. If you are someone who knows they are going to have a bit of anxiety being the center of attention on your wedding day, having a first look can be a great option for helping to manage some of that.

2 - You get to enjoy cocktail hour

• when you have a first look, we can take pictures of the two of you, the wedding party, and even some family groups before the ceremony. This takes a ton of pressure off of fitting every single portrait into your cocktail hour, so for couples who really want a chance to go to their cocktail hour a first look can be the key to doing so.

3 - Possibly avoid bad weather

• If there is potential bad weather in the forecast, having as many opportunities to work around it can be a huge benefit.

There is no right answer, no matter if you have a first look or wait to see each other down the aisle, it is going to be an incredibly meaningful moment.

Couple's portraits are some of the most cherished images taken on your wedding day - they're timeless, personal, and a true reflection of your relationship. These portraits give us the chance to capture you two in your best light, showcasing the love and connection you share. The best part? This is one of the few times on your wedding day where you will have a bit of quiet time together just the two (okay three) of you (us).

For the best results with portraits I recommend having a solid 45-60 minute block of time dedicated to portraits of just the two of you. I can always work with less time, but for a truly relaxed experience and to ensure we get a variety of shots and backdrops, 45-60 minutes is the sweet spot.

• Have your officiant announce at the end of your ceremony where family is to gather for the family photos when the ceremony is done. Keeping everyone in the look will make the whole process faster. The second we lose people to cocktail hour all bets are off in how effectively we are able to wrangle them back.
• crowd management - assigning a friend or family member to act as a wrangler during family portraits can be very beneficial in ensuring they are done in a timely manner. Although I will have a copy of your family photo list, having someone there who knows what great aunt Linda actually looks like is super helpful!
• Create a detailed list of groupings. We ask for this as a part of your pre-wedding questionnaire, but if you have it typed out as it's own document, we'd love to have a copy!

Each grouping will take anywhere from 1-3 minutes to capture. So make sure to allocate enough time in your timeline to accommodate the number of family photo groupings you want to capture.

• The lighting for receptions can often be overlooked, but play a big role in how your evening looks and feels! There are tons of options, from hanging lights to lanterns to candles. These can really impact the mood & vibe of the environment as well as photos because they change the white balance. Candlelight and hanging lights usually allow for warmer, softer photos. Sometimes venues offer colorful uplighting and that can be super fun, just be aware that those colours will be reflected in people’s faces in the photos. Similarly, DJ lights will show up in all of your dancing photos, so if you don't want funky coloured dots on you during your formal dances, be sure to talk to your DJ about starting the party lights only for the party dancing.
• Speeches - my best tip for speeches: limiting the time per speech — there's nothing worse than a speaker going on a 15 minute tangent while everyone just wants to get up and start dancing! 3-5 minutes per speech is typically a good sweet spot. It is also recommended to have all of the speakers talk from the same spot, most venues will have a podium set up for this purpose, instead of having them speak from where they are sat in the room. This helps ensure we can have great lighting on every speaker and show consistency in your gallery.
• When it comes to your send off there are two things to consider. First is the vibe. This can be a really fun time to get creative! Some fun ideas to consider are vintage cars, sparklers, bubbles, fireworks, flower petals, etc. And the second thing to consider is if you actually want to leave or not. A faux exit can be a great option if you want the fun exit photos, but you want to get back in and hit the dancefloor until dawn!