Wedding Guide
welcome to your
Embrace every single moment & we'll seamlessly preserve the smallest details while you revel in the love of your special day. We are happy to provide this guide to help you best prepare.
We’re so honored that you chose us to capture your wedding day!
With over a decade of shooting glamorous weddings, we artfully document joyful events from Philadelphia, New York City & beyond so you can relive the celebration for decades to come. We pride ourselves on our level of excellence and connection-first approach. By creating a unique & personalized experience, we focus on building genuine relationships with you so that there is a foundation of trust that allows us to capture the most authentic moments.
Get to know your photographers
We’re Kate + John—a husband & wife team
We understand the importance of capturing the cheers and love-filled air as you walk down the aisle and the merriment of two families becoming one.
We laid out a timeline to help set you up for success and best prepare for your wedding day. While you immerse yourself in each stage, we’ll be there to capture each special moment..
the timeline
Details & Getting Ready
1-2 pm
This is the time to prepare your invitation suite, shoes, rings, & any other sentimental details you would like photographed while you’re getting ready. We will then photograph getting into the dress & the final touches. This is a perfect time to capture the buzz of anticipation before first look or walking down the aisle.
First Look & Portraits
2:15-3 PM
This is one of our favorite parts of the wedding day! The intimate moment where you first lay eyes on each other before you join hands. We’ll find the perfect location to ensure you have uninterrupted time to embrace each other before saying, “I do!”
Immediate family Portraits
3-3:30 PM
We’ll capture immediate family formals before wedding party photos. It is important that all necessary family members know what time they are to be ready.
wedding party Portraits
3:30-4 PM
We will photograph the wedding party immediately after family formals. The anticipation builds and we’re winding down to the moments of the ceremony! We will tuck you away before guests arrive.
Ceremony Details
4-4:30 PM
While you are in hiding, we’ll head on over to the ceremony area to capture those details before the guests start trickling in. This includes welcome signage, floral arches or other designs where the ceremony is taking place, etc.
the ceremony
4:30-6 pm
The big moment is finally here! We document these special moments for you to relive and cherish forever. *Big gap in time here is because it depends on your invite & ceremony time!*
Cocktail Hour
6-7 PM
Immediately following the ceremony you can either head to cocktail hour or spend half of cocktail hour doing additional family portraits with members that weren’t there earlier in the day. The majority of our clients wrap all photos earlier in the day so they can enjoy their cocktail hour. If this is the case, we shoot half of the cocktail hour & then make sure to get into the reception area to photograph the beautiful details & room once all candles are lit & before guests start coming in.
Reception Begins
7 PM
Let the party begin! Go have a blast with your wedding party as you dance the night away, and relish in the company of your loved ones. We’ll be sure to capture the best moments of the night!
the exit
9:30-10 pm
This is usually when we photograph an unannounced cake cutting & some final end of night shots of the two of you!
You know how to have a good time with the ones you love, value our expertise, and invest your time wisely.
Are down-to-earth and diligent.
There’s nothing we love more than you feeling comfortable and letting go. We dig deep and capture the real thing.
Are unapologetically themselves.
your wedding day
Tips for planning timeline and portrait details
weddings and seasons
Winter
Winter weddings are stunning! We’ll need to take extra time to strategically plan the timing of portraits since the sun sets earlier than any other season.
spring
We love Spring weddings as the flowers begin to blossom and the weather is ideal! It also means it’s allergy season so we recommend having relief on hand in case they flare during portraits.
summer
Summer weddings are perfect because we have so much daylight available which makes the timing of portraits more relaxed. We recommend making time for portraits as the sun sets (we love golden hour!).
fall
We love Fall weddings because of the beautiful fall foliage and cooler temperatures. A little color goes a long way and adds a touch of fun to portraits.
In order to best prepare you for the day to come, we’ll walk you through what to expect and any tips we can share to make all the difference.
pre-ceremony bridal guide
Let the day begin
While you’re getting ready to walk down the aisle, this is the perfect time to think about any special moments you’d like to have documented. Do you want to have a “first look” moment with your dad or any other special person in your life? Do you want any special moments of women in your life seeing you in your dress before the ceremony? Are there any rituals (like an exchanging of gifts) that you’d want us to document?
Getting Ready
Having natural light pour into the room gives the element of a soft touch that highlights and accentuates details perfectly. We also recommend having a window (or more) in the wedding prep area.
Natural light
In order to best prepare for these shots, make sure you have any specific details you want captured ready for us. This includes the rings, invitation suite, shoes, jewelry, loose florals from your florist, and anything else that’s important to you!
Rings, Shoes, & Jewelry
every little detail
Loose Florals
Jewelry
Perfume
Invitation Suite
The rings
what to bring:
a little reminder
Dress
Veil
Hair pieces
Shoes
Bouquet & Bouts
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We can’t forget the groom and his groomsmen! We’ll capture the details of getting ready and shaking out the nerves.
Pre-Ceremony Groom Guide
Groom Details
Aside from your groomsmen, if there are any specific people you’d want to have in the room with you as you get ready and prepare, this is the time to plan this out!
What To Expect
Shoes
Ring
Boutonnieres
what to bring:
a little reminder
Suit
Cufflinks
Bow Tie or Tie
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Gather the goods
To make things easier, please have all of your items ready for us in a clean, bright corner of the room to begin shooting so we have more time to capture each party getting ready.
Extra elements
If there are any other elements you’d want included, please let us know and have them ready! This can be something blue, something borrowed, something sentimental, or something that ties into your wedding theme (if you have one).
Keep all three rings
Know exactly who has the rings! Believe it or not, it’s very common for this detail to be missing as everyone is running around. Having these ready to shoot before they’re handed off to the Best Man or the ring bearer will allow us to get great ring shots.
Bring the bouquet
Please have the florals delivered to the wedding suite in the morning so they can be included in the portraits. This includes asking your florist ahead of time for loose florals for us to style with!
"As a wedding planner for over 9 years I can say I have worked with a lot of event professionals. I can say without hesitation that I love working with Kate & John and happily recommend them to my couples!"
"They were so seamless and amazing on our big day- capturing all of the important big moments beautifully and surprising us with so many special smaller moments that they captured."
day of reminders
Bouquets & Bouts
You’ll need this ready for your first look! Have them delivered early (even while you’re getting ready) so we can include them in those portraits too.
Hair & makeup
We always recommend to plan in advance and to please always allow extra time.
Groomsmen prep
As the bride and her party are getting ready, we’ll be taking some shots of the groom with his groomsmen so make sure you’re all together!
Getting in the dress
Be sure to plan out who will be helping you get into your dress, who you’d want in the room, and have your wedding party fully dressed before you get in the gown. We always recommend taking these shots in a clean space near a window for great natural light.
The Flowers
This is a huge focal point of the day and we love capturing all the florals. We highly recommend investing in a gorgeous bouquet to spruce up portrait details, a floral arch or other beautiful design for the ceremony site, & of course, beautiful arrangements for the tablescapes at your reception. There’s no such thing as too many flowers - the limit does not exist! If you are interested in donating your flowers after the wedding please look into Forget Me Knot!
"As a wedding planner for over 9 years I can say I have worked with a lot of event professionals. I can say without hesitation that I love working with Kate & John and happily recommend them to my couples!"
"They were so seamless and amazing on our big day- capturing all of the important big moments beautifully and surprising us with so many special smaller moments that they captured."
timing tips
Taking the time to do a first look adds on to the experience and gives you two a moment alone to soak in all the emotions together. This private moment is such a beautiful memory to have and to capture!
the first look
Such an intimate moment before the ceremony!
Sharing a first look is such a powerful moment that allows us to capture the raw emotions with ease since nobody else is around.
Capturing raw emotions
why the first look is worth it
Having a private, intimate moment together before the ceremony also allows us to capture more portraits of you two alone.
More portraits
This is the only time you’ll have to really share a moment alone together. Between getting ready, the ceremony, and the reception, you’ll hardly have time to have it be just the two of you.
Your only alone time
Allowing time to see each other before the ceremony helps shake all the nerves and makes everything go much more smoothly.
Diminishes nerves
This plays a huge role in how the ceremony photos are captured. Determining how bright the light will be outdoors or what type of lighting we’d be working with indoors will shape the timing of portraits. We always recommend natural light as the best lighting and golden hour always produces really romantic portraits.
the ceremony
Lighting
There are so many options when it comes to what’s involved in a wedding ceremony. It’s your special day, so be sure to have these details ironed out in advance so you have everything you need in advance and ready to go!
order of service
Having a wedding planner, and/or designated person to be in charge of coordination is crucial to ensure we get everything. Please remember that a venue coordinator & wedding planner are not the same! If there is no dedicated person to help manage the day, the responsibility usually falls on the mother of the bride, the maid of honor, the bride herself, or even the photographer to step in. This will definitely impact the imagery.
coordination
This is your special day so making sure that you have a shot list of everyone you anticipate to take photos with will help make this process go much smoother. We don’t want to risk missing important people when we’re taking portraits. Below are some examples of specific shots; however, we recommend doing about 10-15 groupings. Please understand that if you are adding more than 15 that you are potentially taking time away from your couple portraits.
sample list for family formals
B&G WITH BRIDE'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY
B&G WITH BRIDE'S PARENTS
B&G WITH BRIDE'S SIBLINGS
BRIDE WITH HER PARENTS
BRIDE WITH MOM / BRIDE WITH DAD
B&G WITH BRIDE'S GRANDPARENTS
B&G WITH BOTH SETS OF PARENTS
B&G WITH GROOM'S IMMEDIATE FAMILY
B&G WITH GROOM'S PARENTS
B&G WITH GROOM'S SIBLINGS
GROOM WITH HIS PARENTS
GROOM WITH MOM / GROOM WITH DAD
B&G WITH GROOM'S GRANDPARENTS
What will happen if it rains?
We know the rain isn’t ideal, so we always recommend having a backup plan especially if you want to have an outdoor wedding or reception. Don’t worry about the images! We’ll work to find you the best (and dry) locations to take everything from your first look to your formals. We always bring a clear umbrella for our couple, but we recommend having them on deck for your wedding party as they make perfect non-distracting rain accessories.
"As a wedding planner for over 9 years I can say I have worked with a lot of event professionals. I can say without hesitation that I love working with Kate & John and happily recommend them to my couples!"
"They were so seamless and amazing on our big day- capturing all of the important big moments beautifully and surprising us with so many special smaller moments that they captured."
in the event of a rainy day
the reception details and events
There are so many elements that you can include in your reception! Having a set idea on what you’d like to include and plan out is always helpful. That way, we can also have an idea of details to capture outside of genuine, candid moments!
Guest consideration
When planning, be sure to take into consideration who will be coming so you can plan a timeline accordingly. This is particularly important if you have a lot of elderly guests or guests with children in case they need to leave early.
reception tips
Keep it moving
Plan out your reception so that your guests are engaged and moving all night!
Make it your own
If there are any traditions or elements you want to add in to your reception, don’t be afraid to add it in! This can include special dances or performances.
Don’t get caught up
We all know how important the details are, but don’t get too carried away in the formalities. Having everything planned far in advance helps eliminate last minute surprises and stress.
Reception coverage
We always recommend planning to have at least 1 hour of dancing photographed to cover elements of your reception. This is especially important if you decided not to have coverage until the last dance or final exit.
Ready to close out the night with a final hooray?
It is not uncommon that we wrap up an hour to 90 min. prior to the end of your reception. If you were thinking about a special exit we recommend doing this 30 min. before our end time with a limited number of guests (it is usually family & wedding party). Please let this group know ahead of time that they will be needed for this shot!
reception controlled exits
"As a wedding planner for over 9 years I can say I have worked with a lot of event professionals. I can say without hesitation that I love working with Kate & John and happily recommend them to my couples!"
"They were so seamless and amazing on our big day- capturing all of the important big moments beautifully and surprising us with so many special smaller moments that they captured."
PARENT & COUPLE INTRODUCTIONS (You can include wedding party introductions, but we have seen less of this in the past 2-3 years.)
FIRST DANCE
FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE
MOTHER-SON DANCE
WELCOME SPEECH BY PARENT(S) or couple
TOASTS/speeches
CAKE CUTTING
Parents play such a huge role in our lives and making our wedding dreams come true. A really thoughtful surprise would be to gift them with an album to cherish as you two move onto a brand new chapter of your lives.
Say thank you with a parent album
8x8 Album - $800
10x10 Album - $1,000
12x12 Album - $1,200
per additional page (2 sides) - $50
4x6 - $6
5x7 - $12
8x10 - $24
8x12 - $36
11x14 - $46
12x18 - $60
20x30 - $80
We offer a range of heirloom album & print options as the perfect way to have printed keepsakes to look back on and relive.
Transform your precious moments into art that you can cherish forever.
heirloom albums & prints
We know how exciting it is to get access to your online gallery! You’ll get your own password-protected one with all the high-resolution edited photos to view, share, save, and order prints. As every wedding is different and unique, we curate the best collection that tells your love story. We curate approximately 600-800 edited images; however, we believe quality over quantity is of more importance.
The photos are finally here!
your online gallery
You’ll have the ability to download and save your photos directly from your online gallery! Every image will be in high resolution.
Downloading photos
online gallery tips
The password-protected online gallery is accessible on all devices! You should have no issues viewing, saving, or sharing them.
Accessing your photos on your phone
You can order prints right through the gallery! In addition to prints, thank you cards & holiday cards are also available through your gallery. Any prints ordered can be delivered straight to your door or any address that you like.
Ordering prints
1 Year
Gallery expiration
You’re free to share your online gallery with anyone you’d like! All of your images will be edited by our team and will NEVER have a watermark. You also have the ability to make specific images private before sharing.
Sharing, watermarking, & editing
We’re grateful to be part of your special day and pride ourselves on providing you with the most seamless, worry-free experience. to Our job is not done until we can confidently wow you with every turn.
a thank you!
We are so honored to provide timeless, emotion-evoking storytelling that shares your authentic love story.
