Congratulations on your engagement!
Planning a wedding takes time, patience, and a little creativity, but all the hard work will result in a day you will remember and cherish for the rest of your lives.
At LP Photography, we strive to capture the joy, happiness and elation of your wedding day. When all your planning is over, we're there to capture the newlywed bliss. We will be there to photograph your first look, your first kiss as a married couple, and the night all the way through to the dance floor. When the cake has been eaten, the candles have been blown out, and all your guest have gone home, our photos will help you remember each moment of your big day.
Wedding Day Tips
TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE TWO OF YOU TO CENTER YOURSELVES
A big advantage to us having gotten married ourselves is that we totally understand how chaotic the day can be for both of you. Your day will go by so fast and we want you to take time to yourselves to soak in everything, both separately and together. We will give you a few moments when you can walk away from the chaos and be together. We want you to catch up with each other on how your day is going, share quirky stories about Great Aunt Edna’s way of smooching everyone she meet, and enjoy your first day as newlyweds!
WE DO NOT KNOW WHO YOUR GREAT AUNT MILLIE IS
We will try very hard to get to know your family during the wedding, but it may be difficult to know everyone you want to have formal photos with. Taking the time to develop a “must-have” shot list for us of everyone you want formal photo of really helps us make sure you get each and every photo you hope for.
We would also greatly appreciate you designating a point person to gather important family members for formal photos. Have one person from each side of your families is a huge benefit a and helps the day run more smoothly for you and for everyone involved. It would also awesome if everyone who will be participating in formals was notified ahead of the wedding day so they know to stick around after the ceremony for a bit.
And of course, you can always grab us and say, “Hey, can you take a photo of Aunt Millie and me?!” In which case, the answer is always yes!
BUILD IN SOME TIME BUFFERS
Hair and makeup (if you’re planning to have these done) typically take longer than the average bride anticipates. Inevitably, something will go wrong with someone’s dress, tux, shoes, or transportation, so make sure that you have some time built into the day to allow for any delays.
EMBRACE THE DAY FOR THE GREAT MOMENTS (AND THE NOT-SO-GREAT MOMENTS)
Your wedding day is one of the few (but incredible) times in your life that everyone will be in the room because of you! Embrace the little moments, like getting to see someone you haven’t seen in a long time, and the big moments, like getting to say “I do” and your vows. But also make sure to laugh at the silly things that happen, like your Uncle Ed’s bow tie not exactly matching his shirt or the weather being colder (or hotter!) than you anticipated.
ACCESORIES: DRESS, RINGS, SHOES, BOUQUET
Time of Shooting – 30 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
Advice – Having at least 30 minutes for details ensures that we have plenty of time to get that perfect photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day. There are times when a hotel room is too crowded or simply unappealing; we have to take the dresses down to the lobby or even outside. This can take some time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well worth the additional time!
Ideas for detail shots — Rings, jewelry, hair pieces, flowers, shoes, socks, cufflinks, letters, pictures, gifts, cultural items, invitations, programs, printed pieces, and any other unique item you’ve put thought into!
PREPARATION AND GETTING READY
Time of Shooting – 45 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite or Hotel Suite
Advice – Having 45 minutes to an hour of preparation is ideal for our style. During this time, we are getting close ups of the makeup and hair being applied as well as the candid moments of the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready for the day. Keep in mind that these are some of the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short. A large advantage that LP Photography has is that Leah can be with the bride and bridesmaids and Paul can be with the groom and groomsmen. While it doesn’t take guys hours to get dressed, there are still tons of great moments during this time of the groom and his family and friends.
INDIVIDUAL PORTRAITS OF BRIDE AND GROOM
Time of Shooting– 10-15 minutes
Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden
Advice – Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately). Besides makeup and hair being completely fresh, the day hasn’t gotten hectic yet so we can take our time and get those perfect portraits.
IMMEDIATE FAMILY
Time of Shooting – 15- 20 minutes
Ideal Location -Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, Venue Lobby, Venue Garden, Beach, Park, Off-site Location
Advice – Immediate Family Photos should take another 15-20 minutes. It’s important to have additional images with your parents, grandparents, and siblings beyond the basic formal (mentioned in the section below). We all know how much weddings mean to the immediate family, and we want to make sure we’re capturing enough pictures with them.
FIRST LOOK & COUPLES' DAYTIME PICTURES
Time of Shooting – 20-30 minutes
Ideal Location – Venue Garden, Empty Venue Hallway
Advice – The first look should be about 1 hour before the ceremony. During the first look time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.
CEREMONY DETAILS
Time of Shooting – 10-15 minutes at some point before ceremony
Ideal Location - Ceremony Site
Advice – Please allow 10-15 minutes for one of us to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. Before you have the guests seated, it’s important that we are there to capture the complete set up of your ceremony site so we can capture the scene at its best.
fORMALS OF IMMEDIATE & EXTENDED FAMILY
Time of Shooting – 60-90 minutes after ceremony
Ideal Location - Ceremony Site
Advice – Wedding party and extended family photos should be around 60-90 minutes. Our rule of thumb is typically around 4-6 minutes per group shot. During this time, we get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We use our timeless approach to create classic photos focused on great expressions and lighting and then we move to the fun and creative shots. This time is perfect for your family “must-have” shot list and for a family member to help get everyone ready for each requested grouping.
COUPLE'S SESSION
Time of Shooting – 30-45 minutes after ceremony (late afternoon, sunset)
Ideal Location - Reception Site, Beach, Hotel Lobby, Park
Advice – Couple session should be around 1 hour and should take place ideally 30 to 45 minutes before sunset (depending on ceremony time) as this is the best time in terms of lighting. It also allows us to capture the awesome scenic shots with colorful skies.
RECEPTION DETAILS AND VENUE
Time of Shooting – 15-20mins before reception starts
Ideal Location - Reception Site
Advice – Please allow 15-20 minutes for us to take pictures of the reception room, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. Similar to the ceremony details, this is the only opportunity we have to capture the beauty of the reception room prior to guest arrival.
FAQ
What primary photographic style do you identify with?
Making photos at your wedding requires us to be excellent at several styles of photography. In a typical wedding day there will be times we need to work in a contemporary style, other times we will need to work in a photojournalism style. But if we had to label ourselves, we would say we’re a combination of documentary photography and classic portraiture.
Do you have experience shooting in various lighting situations?
Yes, we are very comfortable working in all types of lighting conditions. We can use available light (our favorite), or we have plenty of lights to create our own lighting (our other favorite).
How soon after our wedding will our photos be ready?
Within three days of your wedding, we will publish a social media post with a few favorite finished images, usually three to five. Within two weeks of your wedding date, we will send you a link to a website called Pixieset. This is an online gallery where all of your edited images from your big day will be available. From this website, you will be able to view, download, and share all the photos you wish!
Do you retain the copyright for the photos?
Yes, as your professional wedding photographer, we will retain copyright of all your wedding images. However, we always provide an official copyright release for you allowing unlimited personal use and printing of your wedding photos.
Do you reserve the right to publish the photos?
We prefer to however, this is negotiable. We respect your privacy and will never insist on retaining any right to publish photos of you. But we hope you’ll agree that your photos are amazing enough to share!
What does the copyright release allow me to do with my pictures?
This copyright gives you the rights to your photos. This means you can plaster them all over Facebook and Pinterest to your heart’s content! You can blog about your special day. You can go to your local drug store (or online photo company) and print as many photos as you chose! What you can’t do with your photos is edit them, add an Instagram filter, or post them anywhere that requires that you claim sole ownership of the photos (like entering them a contest).
When are payments for the wedding due?
We require a $500 deposit within 7 days of signing your wedding contract to lock you in for that day of coverage. Then, 6 months prior to the wedding, the remaining 1/2 of the balance is due and then the full balance is due by 30 days prior to the wedding.
If your wedding is less than 6 months away, just let us know and we can do a custom timeline!
What is your refund or cancellation policy?
If you cancel our photography services more than one month from your wedding date, we will refund all deposits that have been paid minus $500. If you cancel within one month of your wedding date, LP Photography retains all payments made up until that point but you are not responsible for the remaining balance.
What equipment do you photograph with?
We shoot exclusively with Canon mirrorless cameras with a variety of lenses, from prime to ultra zoom lenses. We have multiple types of flashes, including studio and on-camera flashes. We also always bring back up camera bodies and lenses in the case of a rare camera malfunction. We are always upgrading and updating our equipment so we can provide you with the best results!
