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The Pros and Cons of a Wedding First Look
First look wedding photos are nothing new but as your big day approaches, this is a decision you will have to make based on what feels right to you both. Before laying out these pros and cons (and these are only some of them), let’s start with the basics.
Image by Birch and Lace
What exactly is a first look?
A first look is a moment between you and your fiancé, before the ceremony, where you see each other for the first time on your wedding day. Traditionally, a bride and groom will see each other for the first time as the bride starts her walk with her escort down the aisle.
Image by Danielle Blancher Photography
First Look Pros
✨ It’s a private moment that’s all for you. Your photographer and videographer will of course be there with you to capture this but no guests, family and friends are watching you. And with that, nobody has their iPhone out trying to snap a pic of their own.
✨ You can stay in the moment longer. When you do the reveal at the ceremony, your officiant will jump right in to the ceremony itself. Wedding days go by so quickly and this time allows you both to soak up the beauty of the day and shifts your focus to the love you have for each other.
Image by Photo House
✨Ladies, if you end up shedding some beautiful tears (and most likely you will), you get a chance to touch up your make up before the ceremony.
✨You get to select the location. If your venue has a stunning staircase or another amazing location, such as along the water, awesome! Or perhaps you want to return to the spot where you met for the first time, doing a first look gives you this opportunity.
Image by HRM Photography
First Look Cons
✨Typically, doing a first look means getting ready in your wedding day fashions earlier and staying in them longer. And brides this may also mean an earlier wake up time for hair and make up for you and your ladies.
✨Your parents, bridal party and guests won’t be part of this moment. Yes, I mentioned this as a pro above, but not every couple will see it the same way. The first time you see each other may be meaningful moment to your parents and missing out on that may not sit well with them. Not sure how they feel? Just ask.
✨If you opt to do your portraits following the first look, you won’t actually be married yet.
Image by Sounds Like Yellow Photography
As a planner, I’m occasionally asked by my couples if they should do a first look. While I’m happy to lay out the pros and cons as it relates specifically to their wedding day, ultimately, they have to make the decision that feels right for them. Remember, you make this decision together! It’s nobody else’s day but yours so you do what feels best.
Happy Planning!
Designing and Organizing a Style Shoot
Are you a new planner? Or are you dream of owning your own wedding planning business one day? Awesome! This post is perfect for you then!
Whether you’re a new planner, just beginning to build your portfolio, or are more established with years of experience under your belt, chances are you’ll participate in a style shoot at some point in your career. After all, style shoots play a huge part in our industry and seem to go along with running a wedding business.
Up to this point, I’ve participated in a handful of style shoots and boy-oh-boy are they fun! While there is no right or wrong way to go about designing and organizing a style shoot, I’m going to share with you 8 tips to keep in mind the next time you’re ready to dream up something pretty and bring it to life.
1. Define your vision
This is where it all begins. Defining your vision is narrowing down what you’ll create for your style shoot. Creative inspiration is everywhere and it can take just one photo or detail to spark your imagination.
We all know Pinterest is the go-to app for collecting inspirational photos but if you’re looking for a new tool to use to create a mood board, I suggest Canva. Canva’s easy-to-use (and free!) platform allows you to not only create any type of visual content by uploading your own photos, but when your mood board is complete you can download it in a PNG file and share it later with the rest of the team.
Whatever your vision is, it needs to be unique. If you’ve seen it done before on the blogs you follow or in your favourite magazine, stay clear of doing it again. This is your chance to shine by thinking outside the box, showcasing fresh ideas, introducing new concepts or adding a twist on a current trend.
A strong vision also reflects your brand, inspires (and ideally excites!) the vendors you wish to collaborate with and most importantly, appeals to your ideal client. Whoever your ideal client is, keep them in mind because your style shoot needs to speak to them. If you haven’t clearly defined your ideal client or you aren’t currently attracting the right type of client to your business, I recommend sitting down now and make it part of this planning process.
2. Establish your end goal
Why do you want to create this style shoot? Is it to build your portfolio? Flex your creative muscles? Do you just want to have more content for social media? Or maybe you want to be featured on a blog or in a publication?
Having a clear end goal in mind from the start keeps you on track and helps to set you up for a successful shoot. If your end goal is to be featured, particularly on a blog, do your research ahead of time. Most blogs clearly outline their guidelines so get familiar with their submission requirements before you actually shoot. Take note on what image size and file type they are looking for, how many images they want and how you go about sending them in. No matter how stunning your professional images end up being, if you don’t follow the rules you run the risk of rejection.
3. Make sure you have the time to do it well
Before you start reaching out to vendors, take the time to consider your current workload. Designing and organizing a style shoot is fun but let’s keep it real. Style shoots are almost as much work as a wedding. As the planner, don’t underestimate the time commitment involved. You’re the one leading the team and much of the organization and logistics will fall on your shoulders.
If your schedule is full with other commitments, consider doing the style shoot at a different time. I’ve always found spring to be a sweet spot for style shoots. Coming out of winter, I’m full of ideas, excited to create something pretty plus my schedule allows the time needed to focus on the project and be there for my team.
Style shoots are a perfect opportunity to bring your A+ game so vendors see what it’s like to work with you. Your personal goal should be to have every vendor wanting to work with you again, either on another style shoot, or even better, on a real wedding where they have referred you to their client!
4. When building your dream team, start with the photographer
There is no shortage of talented photographers in our industry and like all creatives, every photographer has their own skill set. Choosing your photographer needs to be done carefully because they can make or break your style shoot.
For example, if you want your style shoot to have a deep, bold and moody look, choosing a photographer whose style is light, bright and airy is going to completely miss the mark in the end regardless of how beautiful the images are in their own way.
It’s also worth noting that a well-rounded style shoot includes a variety of images showcasing the smaller details too such as jewelry, menu cards, seating chart and invitations. With this in mind, the photographer you choose should be just as good at capturing the smaller details as they are when photographing models.
5. Write a style shoot contract
Ok, I know this may sound a little bit much. You may even think it’s unnecessary, but hear me out. Having a signed contract in place with each vendor is vital to ensuring everyone is on the same page at the start of the process. Every team member needs to understand what they are getting into and having a contract in place goes a long way to avoiding surprises down the road.
What should a style shoot contract include? Your lawyer is the best person to advise on what needs to be included to protect yourself however, if you aren’t ready to invest in one, a basic contract template should clearly define the following:
- Date and location. Since many style shoots take place outdoors, having a back-up date or an alternative indoor location in mind is something to consider in the planning stages just in case there is rain in the forecast on shoot day.
- Theme/vision/colour palette details
- A list of items the vendor will provide
- Expectations on shoot privacy and exclusivity
A great platform to use for obtaining electronic signatures is HelloSign. I started using this platform last year for securing new clients and I love it! Not only is it user-friendly and convenient but you can send up to 3 documents every month without a paid subscription.
6. Create a timeline for shoot day
Just as you would for a wedding day, create a timeline. This is essential to keep you focused and to value everyone’s time. Be sure to include when each vendor should arrive, what time will you start shooting and when you expect to wrap up so teardown can begin.
I suggest working in breathing room (i.e extra time) as well. Loading in rentals and setting up vignettes can take longer than anticipated and of course there’s always a possibility of other unforeseen hiccups and delays.
7. Prepare a vendor contact list
As the planner, you know who is who on the team and who is providing what for the style shoot, but that doesn’t mean everyone else on the team does.
Show your professionalism by taking the time to ask each vendor how they would like their business to be credited. Take it one step further by organizing the information so it can easily be shared with the rest of the team after the shoot.
When I participate in style shoots, I create a simple chart detailing the name of the business, their role in the shoot, their website and their exact social media handles. Social media handles are particularly important to include as multiple businesses can have very similar account names and of course, you want to ensure everyone is tagging the correct business.
Doing this work upfront will not only be appreciated by the team but it’ll save you time later since a full vendor list is needed if you intend on submitting to a blog or publication.
8. Don’t Share the Images Online
You may be thinking, “But Jen, we’ve worked so hard and we are super excited to share what we created!” I hear you and believe me, I get it. It’s tempting to share your hard work, however, if you plan on submitting your style shoot, keeping the professional images off social media is best.
Each and every blog or publication has their own set of submission procedures but exclusivity does tend to be a common requirement. This means it can’t be found online anywhere, including your website. It’s also a good idea to only submit to one at a time and wait for feedback before submitting elsewhere.
Although the professional images should be kept off line until you receive feedback on your submission, snapping a few behind-the-scenes photos to share on social media on shoot day is something I encourage. I personally love sharing teasers that don’t give away too much of the details through stories on Instagram. This gives your followers a tiny glimpse into what you are working on, it gets them excited to see more and the best part, after 24 hours, it’s gone.
There you go, 8 tips for designing and organizing a style shoot! The next time you’re ready to dive into the world of style shoots, I hope these tips come in handy. Style shoots are certainly a lot of work, and can be stressful at times, but the lessons you learn from the process will make you a stronger planner in the end.
Note: This post was originally written for and featured on WPIC.
Images by The Butterfly Photography, Tamara Lockwood Photography and Sounds Like Yellow Photography
Wedding Styling Tips for the Groom
Let’s hear it for the boys! When it comes to wedding fashion, let’s be honest…much of the focus and attention goes to the bride and her dress. I’m definitely guilty of this. However these days, now more than ever before, a groom has endless suiting and colour options, which makes his wedding day style just as exciting as the bride. Here are 3 styling do’s for a flawless and dapper groom:
DO go for a 3 piece suit, if you opt to go the full suit route.
Wedding days are long and I often find my grooms itching to ditch their suit jacket once the ceremony and pictures are done. Completing your suit with a matching or complementing vest will go a long way in still making you look put together, sleek and stylish for the rest of the evening during dinner and dancing!
DO pay your tailor a visit for the perfect fit.
Remember, it’s all in the details. Just as the bride does dress alternations with a professional seamstress for her perfect fit, grooms need to do the same. Fit and comfort are key and only a tailor will be able to customize the most flattering fit based on your build. Or if you have a little more room in your budget, and want to invest in a suit that you will wear after your wedding day, consider a custom made-to-measure option.
DO be bold and stand out from your gents.
More and more often, I see grooms distinguishing themselves from the gents by choosing a different suit colour or subtly switching up their look. Yes, a groom’s attire should complement what his gents are wearing for a cohesive look but that’s not to say he needs to be 100% matching. There are plenty of options available out there for the groom to play off the gent’s look while showcasing his individual tastes.
Post images by Danielle Blancher Photography, Goody Cambay and Silverlight Photography
Event Insurance and Why You Need It For Your Wedding
So, you’ve finally picked your date, you’ve found the perfect venue, and you’ve selected your bridal party. What’s next? While it’s exciting to get wrapped up in all the details of food and decor, one thing should be crossed off your list before you start to get too far into the planning process.
Purchasing wedding event insurance might not seem like your main priority as you get ready for your special day, but it’s a crucial step to ensure you remain protected throughout your event.
Wedding insurance provides you with an extra slice of comfort as you start to get everything in order for your big day. Still unsure what wedding insurance is even for? Let’s explain!
So what exactly is wedding event insurance?
Purchasing event insurance for your wedding day provides you with liability coverage, which means your policy is designed to protect you in the event someone gets injured during their time at your event. For example, if one of your guests accidentally slips and falls on the dancefloor and sustains injuries, you and your venue are at risk of being sued. Wedding insurance is meant to protect you in case any legal fees arise out of an accidental injury.
Most venues will actually require you to purchase insurance before they allow you to host an event in their space!
Does wedding insurance cover alcohol-related incidents?
Most wedding event insurance policies offer host liquor liability coverage for an additional cost. This additional coverage was created to protect you if an accident occurs as a result of alcohol, for example, if your uncle has a few too many glasses of champagne and accidentally causes damage to the venue. With host liquor liability, you can enjoy your bubbly without worrying about the “what ifs?”.
So how do I purchase wedding insurance?
Our partners at Duuo provide online wedding insurance that can be purchased in minutes! Simply visit their website and answer a few quick questions about your event, and you’ll be able to purchase coverage in less time than it takes to say “wedding liability insurance coverage”. Plus, if you need to cancel your coverage for any reason, you can do so without acquiring any cancellation fees!
A BIG thank you to Rachel Devitt of Duuo for helping to prepare this post!
Image via Shutterstock
Real Wedding: Meaghan + Mike
Each and every wedding day is special. No matter which service offering the couple has chosen to hire me for, I love being part of a day that celebrates love. Meaghan and Mike’s August wedding was elegant, intimate and it came with an unique twist for me because I was also a bridesmaid. That’s right, I traded in my binder and flats for a bouquet and high heels and boy-oh-boy, it was SO. MUCH. FUN!
Edgewater Manor, located in Stoney Creek nestled along the shore of Lake Ontario, provided the picture perfect setting for their I do’s. From the stone staircase in the lobby to the manicured grounds, Edgewater Manor is a spectacular venue. Meaghan and Mike’s ceremony (performed by Beverly King of All Seasons) was short and sweet and afterwards guests mingled on the terrace for cocktail hour before heading inside to the Morris Room for dinner and an evening of dancing.
Meaghan and Mike entrusted Shelley from Wine Country Floral to create magic and well, she NAILED it! The bouquets were full of texture and a perfect blend of soft and bold colours. The stunning arbour installation, with blush and ivory drapes, was later repurposed after the ceremony to the head table. To compliment the opulant features of the Morris Room, the long rectangular guest tables were completed with simple arrangements in clear small vases, tealights and accented with Italian ruscus, which is always a classic choice to add fresh greenery.
Tony and Danielle of Little Blue Lemon kept the bridal party laughing all day while effortlessly capturing all the simple pretty details and heartfelt moments perfectly.
A BIG massive thank you is needed to my biz bestie, Dianna of Amavi Event Planning and Design, for holding it down that day by overseeing set up and coordinating all the activities planned so I could actually take off my planner hat, pick up a drink and fully enjoy the day watching my best friend marry her love.
Happy One Year Meaghan and Mike!
