Guide
the wedding
Welcome to our very official Wedding Day Guide. In this guide, we're going to walk you though what a typical wedding looks like. Over the years, we've compiled a list of helpful tips and now, we're passing them onto you, so that you can enjoy your day to the fullest. Some of these tips are to help you plan effectively to get the most out of your wedding day photo coverage.
Keep in mind, your wedding may run slightly behind schedule, or it might be ahead of schedule and that's completely okay. What matters the most is you'll be marrying your best friend and everything is going to work out! It always does. Your day will fly by and you'll want these moments you can always look back on. Rest assured, we are here for you every step of the way!
We can't wait to document your happily ever, after!
With Gratitude,
Vic & Sasha
Our wedding day!
september 17, 2016
HEY VS BRIDES & GROOMS!
The Big Day
So, you're ready to tie the knot! We absolutely love the planning phase. If you haven't booked all of your vendors just yet, don't sweat it because we have you covered. We've compiled a sweet and simple list of all our favorite "friendors" (friend vendors) that are sure to make your wedding both beautiful and seamless!
VENDOR RECOMMENDATIONS
FLORISTS
INVITATIONS
DJ/Lighting
VENUEs
BRIDAL
CATERING
LIVE BANDS
PHOTOBOOTH
BEAUTY
CINEMATOGRAPHY
BAKERIES
RENTALS & FURNITURE
signage & calligraphy
TUXEDO shops
OFFICIANTS
WEDDING PLANNING
Birchwood Floral Designs
White Oaks Florist
Walker Lewis
Simply Chic Events
Garden District Flowers
Fino's Menswear
Friar Tux
Matinae Design Studio
Minted
Petroleum Club of Bakersfield
The Barn at Ellis Ranch
Gardens at Monji
El Tango
The Links at Riverlakes
The Padre Hotel
Stockdale Country Club
Evermoore Films
Marianne Lucas
Sweetheart Films
Freestyle Entertainment
Trifecta DJ
All Sound Music
DJ Dance Entertainment
Ladies & Gents
Enchanted Bridal Boutique
Sew Elegant Bridal Alterations
Mento Buru
Ben Mallare Entertainment
Trifecta DJ
iLashdolls Makeup
Yael Makeup
Lily Bridal Hair
Nanette Art and Design
BNB Creative Co
Rev. Kindra
Sweet Surrender
Sugar Twist
Ghiladolci Bakery
NV Catering
Mossman's Catering
Blu Events Planning & Design
Detailed Touch Events
Simply Chic Events by Irma Green
coordinating with your bridesmaids
Matching bridal robes or pajamas can be used as a fun prop or as a wedding gift for your bridesmaids. Round up your girls and get ready for a good time before you get into your dresses!
1pm
Upon our arrival, we'll meet and greet with everyone as you're getting your final makeup touches. We'll start by photographing prep shots of your bridal details like dress, shoes, veil, jewelry, etc. We usually allot 15-30 minutes for details to ensure everything is photographed beautifully.
1:45pm
Time to put on your wedding dress, you gorgeous bride! Whoever will be helping you put your dress on, we highly recommend for them to be dressed and ready to go. This is so we can get beautifully manicured photographs of them helping you put on your dress!
2:00pm
Bridal Portrait time! Let's see the finished look with all of your bouquets! You ladies will look stunning!
2:15pm
Now that your hair and makeup are fresh, we'll take a few moments and photograph your bridal portraits.
2:30pm
Optional First Look time! A first look is when you see each other briefly for the first time BEFORE the ceremony. Some brides choose to do a First Look with a parent or their bridal party, too.
3:00pm
During this time, we'll either head straight to the ceremony site or head to the groom's location for your groom's portraits!
3:55pm
It's almost ceremony time. We'll take a few more photos of the last moments before you walk down the aisle.
4:00pm
The ceremony has started! You're surrounded by your closest family and friends, your standing in front of the love of your life. It's truly incredible. Soak in the moment!
4:45pm
The ceremony has ended and you are officially Mr. & Mrs! Over the years, we've seen a good mix of formal ceremony exits. Consider the beautiful moment you would be able to celebrate alongside your guests after the ceremony. They're so much fun and will set the tone for the rest of your evening.
5:00pm
It's time for your family/bridal party portraits. Immediate family is to stay nearby! We have a system we love using for portraits. The elderly and any children in the family will take their portraits first and the rest will follow. Allow 3 minutes per group setup.
5:30pm
It's time for your bride and groom portraits. We love using this time to capture photos of you two enjoying your first moments together as husband and wife.
5:45pm
One of us will head to your reception site early and grab some detail shots before any of your guests enter. You've spent months planning quite possibly one of the biggest celebrations you'll ever throw in your life, why not have photos of the details to showcase what you guys have worked so hard on?
6:00pm
After your guests have been seated, it's now time for your grand entrance! This is also the perfect time to lead into your first dance as energy is still high and everyone wants to see you two share this beautiful moment together. The serving of dinner usually follows.
6:30pm
After our dinner break, we will go around and take a few candid photos, when no one is eating of course! The festivities are going to begin shortly.
7:00pm
Mother/son and father/daughter dances, cake cutting and bouquet/garter toss will commence. Over the years, we've seen a few different versions of each event and it's beautiful every time. How will you make it your own?
7:30pm
Dance floor opens for your guests! We'll use this as an opportunity to steal you away for a few minutes to get some photos during sunset. These are usually quick and fun!
8:00pm
We'll head back inside for some fun dancing photos of your guests and any other portraits you'd like us to grab! The night is still young, go and enjoy your evening! ;-)
9:00pm
The day is winding down, but it's time for your Grand Exit! Some couples choose to do a sparkler send off! Whatever you choose to do, it will be special because it will be your moment and it belongs to you.
WEDDING DAY QUESTIONNAIRE
After you've seen our sample wedding day timeline, we'll help create your very own wedding day timeline. Be on the lookout for the link to our questionnaire form a few weeks before your wedding! This will help us in creating your wedding day timeline.
THE LITTLE DETAILS
Your wedding dress is far too beautiful to be photographed with a plastic hanger. We highly recommend bringing a wooden hanger from home or borrowing one so that when we photograph your dress, it will look nice and polished. Or better yet, consider getting a personalized hanger! They usually sell them on Etsy. Bonus, you'll also have a keepsake after the wedding.
LIGHTING IS KEY
Working with natural light is always preferred while documenting the biggest day of your lives. However, there are some elements that can adversely affect lighting especially in the evening. In our experience, it's always a good idea to have an alternative source of lighting such as uplighting, string lights, candle votives etc. just to ensure we get the most photogenic images as possible. Prior to your wedding, we use all available resources to adequately prepare for your special day such as reviewing wind and weather forecasts. We'd be happy to advise you on your lighting needs to ensure your wedding day is picture perfect.
INVITATION SUITE & FLORALS
We love taking some time to photograph an aerial view your invitation suite because it captures your names, the wedding date and of course, it helps pull everything together. Having said that, our flat lay designs sometimes feature a few of your signature wedding flowers to add sentimental value to your photographs. It's probably a great idea to ask your florist to include just a few extra flower buds to lay out for photos like the one pictured here on the day of the wedding. Most florists would be more than happy to accommodate!
THE SPACE
We want to give you the best possible photographs. Keeping the room free of clutter during prep shots will ensure we can work efficiently around the space and of course, keep your photographs looking consistent throughout. You might be busy getting ready, so we recommend designating a bridesmaid to check and clear the room of any clutter every so often.
FIRST LOOK pros and cons
Not sure if you want to do a First Look? We wrote a blog post on where we explain what a first look is, the pros and cons behind a first look and if we think you should do one.
First Look
GRAND EXITS & entrances
Over the years, we've seen a good mix of entrances and exits. Flower petal throwing, sparklers, beach ball throwing, you name it! If you're up for it, we highly recommend doing something memorable! Not only do they make for fun portraits, it will set the tone for the rest of the evening. Your guests would love to share that moment with you! How will you make that moment your own? Keep in mind, some venues are strict with flower petal throwing and sparklers, so asking them ahead on what's allowed will help you make an informed decision.
UNPLUGGED CEREMONY
Your wedding is probably going to be drop-dead gorgeous, so it’s no wonder your guests will want to take photos of their own and capture all of those happy and heartfelt moments! For a more intimate and meaningful ceremony, consider having an unplugged ceremony. An unplugged ceremony is when you ask your guests to turn off all digital devices during the ceremony or reception, such as cell phones, cameras and iPads. This will allow your guests to be present and in the moment during this very special time in your lives and it also allows us, your photographers, to capture those moments without the possibility of missing key moments. Something as simple as asking your minister or officiant to kindly give everyone a heads up before the start of the ceremony will suffice. As long as you’re polite about it, your guests will respect your decision.
WEATHER CHANGES
Sometimes, weather can be fickle, especially here in California! We've seen instances where rain is predicted on the forecast on the big day... and what do you know, there's no rain! However, we've also seen cases where no rain is predicted on the date of your wedding, and it will start pouring rain out of no where. We are not saying this to scare you, but having a back-up plan in the event you are having an outdoor ceremony/reception will ensure a peace of mind. This is where having a wedding planner will also come in handy as they can take care of logistics, such as directing guests into a tented/dry area, moving the reception inside, etc. In the Bakersfield area, we are least likely to see rain in the months of June-September and more likely to see rain December-April.
In the event it rains on your wedding, not to worry. Improvising is our middle name. We will make the most out of it and bring some umbrellas to photograph some cute shots of you and your sweetie in the rain. We may even find the rain will be sporadic, so we will utilize a time where the rain stops to take your photos then.
USING YOUR ONLINE GALLERY
All of our collections include your wedding photographs on an online gallery called PASS. It's so user-friendly and we love that you're able to access your photos at anytime, anywhere. A few days following The #AfterParty, we will deliver your photos by emailing you a link to your wedding photographs. Simply view, share, download and order prints straight from the gallery. Our clients love using PASS because they have an easier way of sharing photographs with their family and friends. Did we mention your photographs will be on there for a lifetime?!
WEDDING PHOTO TIMELINE
1 Day after WEDDING
1-2 WEEKS after WEDDING
4-6 WEEKS AFTER WEDDING
social media sneak peek
BLOG POST
PHOTO DELIVERY
Checklist
Schedule your engagement session if you haven't already
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR wedding questionnaire
on the day of your wedding, bring any details you'd like us to photograph: dress and dress hanger, veil, shoes, jewelry, perfume bottle, invitation suite & extra flowers
bring an extra pair of comfortable shoes/flats.
think about any grand entrances or exits you plan on making that day.
