The wedding photography guidebook
INDIA TUNGATE | CENTRAL KENTUCKY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
ALL THE TIPS, TRICKS AND SUGGESTIONS NEEDED TO MAKE
YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS AMAZING
I vow to always show up with my A game for you but let's be honest, we all need a little help. With some teamwork, this is how we can really take your wedding photos to the next level.
I've created this guidebook to help share the information that I think makes a world of a difference, but remember the most important rule..... there are no rules. Shake it up and make the day yours. Are you cutting the cake because you want to, or because that's what the venue said you're supposed to do at 8:00pm? If a certain tradition doesn't resonate with you, scrap it. Why is it always ceremony first, reception after? White dress, high heels, beef or fish? Is this what’s important?
Have tacos for dinner, have a friend perform the ceremony and sign the papers later, get ready together, play rock paper scissors for who gets to pick the first dance song.
Just make it YOU.
What to expect
MY GOAL AS A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IS TO DELIVER MORE THAN JUST BEAUTIFUL IMAGES OF YOUR DAY. I WANT EACH OF MY COUPLES TO WALK AWAY WITH AN EXPERIENCE THAT MAKES THEM FEEL AND LOOK AS NATURAL AND IN LOVE AS THEY FEEL WITH EACH OTHER. THAT IS WHY I MAKE SURE TO WALK YOU THROUGH EACH STEP OF THE PROCESS — FROM DESIGNING YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION, TO OUTLINING THE TIMELINE OF THE DAY, TO GUIDING YOU THROUGH YOUR ENTIRE DAY. THIS IS SUCH A JOYOUS TIME IN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR PHOTOS SHOULD REFLECT THAT.
STEP 1: LET’S TALK ALL THINGS WEDDING!
The first step is to reach out and make sure we will be a good fit for each other. I want to make sure that this experience will be a once-in-a-lifetime, so that means making sure you have your questions answered and you are excited to work together. After getting to know more about you as a couple and making sure we’re a good fit, we will move on to the booking process.
STEP 2: SAVE THE DATE!
Let’s make this official! We’ll make sure your date is secured and start the fun part! We will set up a time to have a consultation where we will meet in person, get to know one another, and go over contract details. Once a deposit is received and you are officially a #TayandIndyCouple. We can talk wedding planning details and engagement session ideas!
STEP 3: ENGAGEMENT SESSION
I love having an engagement session with my couples because it allows us to get to know each other even more and for you all to become more comfortable in front of my camera. Plus having beautiful photos for those save the dates is always nice to have. We will use this time to get rid of the nerves and learn how to look and feel natural in front of the camera. (ps. this makes your wedding day so much more fun.)
STEP 4: TIMELINE AND DETAILS!
Wedding planning can be stressful. Taylor and I are here to be your partner in organization and making sure that we have thought of everything on your wedding day. We will work alongside you and your partner, or coordinator to make sure we have a timeline that includes all of the must-have shots of romantic portraits, fun friends, and family group photos, and pretty details. If you have any last minute questions or need a quick opinion, we are here for you!
STEP 5: THE BIG DAY!
YAY! The big day is finally here! It’s time for all your hard work to come to life, celebrate with your most special people, and let us get to work! I believe in telling the full story of my couples wedding days. It is my priority to make sure you will be able to look back on every aspect of your day, from the little details to the looks on your guest’s faces, to the sweet moments between the newlyweds. One of my favorite parts of the wedding day is the portrait time with my couples and getting to meet their families and friends.
STEP 6: GALLERY DELIVERY!
This is one of my favorite parts of the process. After your wedding day is over and you are enjoying your honeymoon, I will be working to select the best photos from your day, edit them, and deliver them to you on a beautiful custom flashdrive. From there, you can download, share, and order prints — and relive this wonderful day over and over again!
If you are interested in having your memories preserved in more than just digital format, we will talk through your album, canvas, and print options to get you exactly what you are looking for. I encourage all of my couples to go beyond the screen and make sure their images can be enjoyed in their homes.
THE MOMENT WHEN YOU AND THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE BECOME ONE IS SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL. SO IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU ABLE TO SHARE YOUR JOY AND EXCITEMENT WITH ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! THAT WHY WE WORK TIRELESSLY WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT AFTER WE HAVE TALKED THROUGH EVERY DETAIL OF YOUR DAY, I PROVIDE AN EXPERIENCE ON THE DAY OF THAT PROVIDES EXCITEMENT TO KEEP THE ENERGY HIGH AND COMFORT WHEN THINGS MAY NOT GO AS PLANNED (HEY IT HAPPENS). YOU SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHERS ON YOUR WEDDING DAY THAN ANYONE ELSE SO OUR MISSION IS TO BE THE TEAM YOU NEED.
First off, have you booked your engagement session yet?
If not, check out that button below!
Have you thought about having Bridals Done?
Many people do not understand what a bridal session is. This is a photo sessoion that involves only the bride and takes place before the actual wedding day. A bridal session is not something that is required. It is something that I completely up to you! In the past, brides-to-be have shared with me that they were happy to have this experience with a bridal session. They were able to get some practice walking around in the wedding dress and go through the process of getting ready. Most brides use this as a trial run with their hair and makeup to make sure everything is absolutely perfect and if adjustments need to be made, isn’t it better to discover this before your big day? Some of these clients have discovered that an adjustment here or there is needed. It may be that the dress needs to be adjusted or even hair, makeup, or flowers need something changed. This is a very laid back photo session. Of course there is time to take photos by yourself when you are in your dress on your wedding day but it is not as relaxed and as leisure as these type of sessions are. If you are interested in a bridal session it is recommended that it be scheduled soon. The more advance notice I have the better it is. This is a photo session that should be scheduled at least six weeks prior to the actual wedding day. If you would like to display a few of these photos on the day of your wedding, we will need enough processing time to get these. If you are interested, just let me know.
Check out Jessica’s Bridals that we did! I absolutely loved how these turned out and she was so glad we didn’t have to worry about her portraits during her wedding. Plus it had rained on her wedding day so we were so happy to have got this gorgeous sunset for her bridals.
getting ready
Consider this when choosing the location you'll get ready in. There's not much that can be done to make a dark dirty basement look beautiful.
Pick a place that has lots of space, light and minimal clutter (this goes for the guys too)! White walls and light colours work wonders. Think about the room as a blank canvas for this portion of the day.
Lighting, lighting, lighting.
If you can, have your makeup artist set you up in front of a window. There's nothing more flattering than soft, natural light coming in through a window.
Think about what's around you where you're getting ready and remove ALL of the clutter. Seriously, all of it ;)
Going Unplugged
What do you want to see when you're walking down the aisle? The faces of everyone you love, not 50 iPhones and iPads held in the air. A guest leaning into the aisle to catch their own shot can really take away from that photo of your dad walking you in.
Hard truth- A sign alone doesn't really cut it anymore. In our technology driven age, I've found that we really have to be extra bold in reminding guests to tuck their phones away.
Have your officiant let them know that the photographer will share all the professional images with them (of course!) and that you request that they're present and watching with their eyes. It's a beautiful thing to see a full room totally connected to the ceremony - and disconnected from their screens - promise!
The Ceremony
This is what it's all about. The part of the day that everything is revolved around. Time to make it official!
I'll dive into more detailed timelines below but if you're getting married outdoors, try to avoid a mid-day ceremony where the sun is beaming down from directly above. Sweat, harsh shadows and squinting - let's avoid all that.
Golden hour is your best friend, it's those last few hours before the sun sets. Everything glows and the light hits your face just right - it's nature’s way of airbrushing you.
Timelines
I'd love to work with you to specifically tailor this to your venue and your exact date, but generally speaking these are the timelines that will maximize your photos. It's about keeping your ceremony and portraits as close to golden hour as possible without ending up in the dark (unless your plan is a nighttime ceremony - also amazing).
You might be wondering, what is a first look?
It's an intimate moment set up for you and your soon to be spouse to see each other before the ceremony.
In the summer I strongly suggest staying with a traditional timeline and doing photos after the ceremony because of the extended daylight, but when the days are shorter it's much more ideal to do photos before hand!
Example Timeline:
summer weddings
sunset around 8:30-9:00pm
2:30 - photography starts / getting ready photos
4:00 - ceremony
4:30 - family photos
5:00 - cocktail hour / bridal party photos (Could fit Bride + Groom photos here too)
6:00 - grand entrance to reception
6:30 - dinner / speeches
7:30 - bride & groom photos.
spring & fall weddings
sunset around 6:30-7:00pm
2:00 - photography starts / getting ready photos
3:30 - first look
4:00 - bridal party photos
4:30 - bride & groom photos
5:30 - family photos
6:00 - ceremony
6:30 - cocktail hour / reception follows
winter weddings
sunset around 4:30-5:00pm
12:30 - photography starts / getting ready photos
2:00 - first look
2:30 - bridal party photos
3:00 - bride & groom photos
4:00 - family photos
4:30 - candlelit ceremony
5:00 - cocktail hour / reception follows
the reception
Sure, it's great when it's needed, but it's my feeling that flash takes away from the ambience of a room. I want your photos to honestly represent how that moment looked through your eyes and how it felt to be there. They key to this is using only the light that is naturally available as often as possible.
This is where you can help me! Make Italian String Lights (sometimes called Bistro Lights) your best friend. Candles too. So many candles. I think I would die of happiness if I walked in and saw a head table just decked out in candles. Want to win my eternal love? Now you know the key!
Light your room up with a warm, natural glow - the more the better!
make it your own
At the end of the day, it's about the two of you and your guests. It's about celebrating your love and commitment to each other and maybe throwing one hell of a party.
Ask yourself, are you copying Pinterest boards or following the cookie-cutter bridal magazine checklist? What decisions are you making because someone told you that was 'the norm'. Forget the norm.
Kick your shoes off, switch it up, break some traditions and create new ones.
I can't wait to capture it all for you.