wedding client guide

Your wedding should be filled with memories of celebrating with your friends and family, not worrying about how your photos are going to look. I wanted to write this guide to answer some big questions you may have, covering everything from what to wear at your engagement session, to tips on how to create a timeline for your wedding day. I can’t wait to work with you and help your vision become a reality!

engagement!

“So what happens at our engagement shoot?”

We’ll meet up at the location you decide on, and then wander around for a bit. I’ve found the best places to take pictures are the ones you come across in the moment! I want to capture you two being yourselves; that means watching how you interact with each other and capturing authentic moments. We’ll dance around, cuddle close, and laugh a lot! I’ll be sure to get some fun pictures of you two goofing around, and some that grandma would be more than happy to stick on the fridge!

“Where is a good place to take our photos?”

Somewhere that has meaning to the two of you is always a good place. Maybe that’s your hometown, the coffee shop where you had your first date, the park you always walked around, or somewhere you just find beautiful! If we’re not able to head to an exact location, it’s good to figure out what YOUR vibe is. Do you prefer getting lost in the woods with your lover, or a more urban setting running down the middle of the street hand in hand? We’ll adventure for the BEST place to showcase your love!

“What should we wear?”

Ultimately, what you feel BEST in. You aren’t going to feel comfortable in photos if you don’t feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. Maybe that’s jeans and a band tee, or a floor-length floaty dress; wear what you want! If you’re still not sure about an outfit, some good things to think about are what necklines you typically wear - go with something you feel good in. It’s also best to avoid crazy prints because they take the focus away from you. If you like them, dresses with a little bit of swing to them can add some great movement and bring life to your photos! Another good way to decide what to wear is to think about your favorite feature. Maybe it’s your legs, your collarbone, your booty; choose something that will highlight that feature! Neutrals are always a good idea, and stick to a similar non-clashing color scheme for the both of you - don’t match colors exactly - instead, coordinate and compliment each other!

So, I bet you’re wondering…

What sort of photos will we take?

I really try and capture the essence of your wedding day. Everything from getting ready photos with your girls, to the details you put so much effort into. We will of course get that first kiss and portraits of you and your crew. Below I’ve included some examples and explanations of some of the things you will see in your final gallery!

The Details:

You put so much work into choosing stationary, flowers, desserts, centerpieces, personal touches… the list goes on! These are the things that make a wedding YOURS. Set aside a folder (or box, envelope, etc.) to bring with you on your wedding day that has a copy of all of the paper materials you sent to your loved ones. This can be your save the date, your invite (include an envelope with your names if you want!), your vows, your letters to one another, your flowers, your wedding-day jewelry, you get the idea! I’ll also make sure to capture some photos of THE dress and you getting ready both before and after you put it on!

Portraits:

Your bridal party, your families, and most importantly…YOU! We’ll do separate bride and groom portraits before you see each other and portraits together after! We will also make sure to take photos of each side of the bridal party and full bridal party portraits. (Later in this guide I’ll share some tips and options for scheduling to make your day go as smoothly as possible!) We will also make sure and get portraits with your family and close loved ones (more on this below). Perhaps most importantly - YOU! We’ll make sure to find some cool spaces to capture your love and all of the emotions this day brings with it! I’ll make sure to get a portrait or two that are “classic”, but my goal with these is to really show your personalities and the relationship the two of you have built together.

Should we do a first look?

First looks can be a great way to have a moment together before the ceremony starts. If you decide to have your first look before you walk down the aisle, we’ll find a secluded place and you can take a moment to be together. First looks don’t have to be limited to you and your partner though! Maybe it’s you and the person walking you down the aisle, or you and your bridal party (this can go for guys as well, you deserve that feeling too!) If you decide to have one with your honey right before the ceremony, some couples opt to take their portraits together after this first look, or share personal letters or vows. This is a moment that I know is special to have photos of, but also it’s important that you two have the freedom to be yourselves and not feel like it is over-documented. If you decide on a first look, we will work out the BEST place for you two to share that moment!

Ceremony and Family Photos:

My job is to capture the moments you never want to forget, and stay as unnoticed as possible. I’ll make sure to capture all of the emotions of you two meeting eyes while walking down the aisle, your first kiss as a married couple, and any other special moments you plan. After the ceremony ends, as guests are dismissed we will invite family members to stay back. It’s very helpful to pre-write a list of family members, parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends that are family etc… anyone who will be asking for a photo for the fridge. I’ll make sure to check in and get the list a couple days before your wedding day so it’s one less thing to think about day-of. We will take these immediately following the ceremony. (Please keep in mind that this does take time, and if you have 200 people on your guest list, they should probably not all be on this one.) Having a list will help them go quickly and get you to your reception (and actually spending time with them) much faster!

MICRO WEDDINGS AND ELOPEMENTS are now the thing! If you’re going with an option like this for your day and have approx. 20 people in attendance, assume we will do portraits with everyone there. It is still helpful for me to have a list, however, and will make the whole process breeze by!

How does the payment schedule work?

In a full wedding package, your engagement shoot is included in your price. At the engagement shoot you’ll pay $250 which serves as the deposit for your wedding! You will pay the remaining balance the week of the wedding. I’ll let you know ahead of time what that will be based on cost of travel (not applicable if your wedding is within an hour of Baltimore, MD) and if you decide to have a second shooter! I highly value transparency, so we will go over all of the financial details before your wedding week to make sure we are on the same page and solidify the plan. To make the payments, you can use my Venmo (username: @HannahMeredith_), or you can write a check made out to Hannah Raupp! I try to be a budget-friendly option - I know first hand how stressful and tight wedding budgets can become - and I hope my clients can see the time, energy, and care for detail that goes into every one of your photos. If you have any questions about why my pricing is the way it is, I am more than happy to answer them!

Ok, now back to the fun things!!

Should we have a second shooter?

A second shooter can be one of the best investments you make as far as wedding add-ons go. As your main photographer, I will make sure to capture all of the key moments, but sometimes it’s nice to have a second angle. A second shooter helps me really focus on getting the perfect shot because I know I have other angles covered. For example - I can focus on the perfect picture of you walking down the aisle, while the second shooter captures your partner’s expression of seeing you walking towards them! You’re also bringing in another artist who adds their own creative vision and perspective to your wedding day, which gives you both significantly more photos in your final gallery, and some cool perspectives that may not be as “traditional” or “typical”. To add a second shooter is $250. For this value, you can expect and additional 200 - 500 images to your final gallery, and some additional perspectives that will fully encapsulate your day!

Where should we get ready?

A lot of venues have started offering bridal suites and getting ready spaces. When choosing a venue, make sure to pay attention to this, because this is going to be a hub of activity and memories on your big day! From a landing space for make-up bags and bouquets, to the place where we’ll get pictures of you putting on THE dress, you want to make sure there is SPACE and that it fits your vibe. Think about it, the majority of photos you’ll be seeing of the morning will potentially come from this space! Some things to think about:

Is there enough space? You’ll have dresses, make up, bags of clothes and shoes, not to mention a lot of people piling in there! You won’t want to feel too crowded while getting ready, because that leads to loosing things and feeling flustered.

Is there furniture? Somewhere to sit down? Somewhere to set your jewelry?

What is the lighting like? Can your stylist see what they’re doing? This also helps me take the best photos I can! (I can bring in some flashes, but there’s nothing like the real thing!)

Are you going to want food / drinks and is there space for that? Your nerves are going to be allllllll over the place, but trust me, you’ll want to (and need to) eat! This will help you not feel even more weak at your knees while walking down the aisle, and cocktail hour is farther away than you think! Make sure you have some space to keep food and drinks where they won’t be in danger of spilling or staining anything important!

Bring some bags. Both for the stray sweatshirt you don’t want to creep into the corner of your photos, and for the bits and pieces of trash that will undoubtedly accumulate.

Do you have your details? This is also the time when I’ll grab the things you set aside for your detail photos, so make sure you have those ready to go! I’ll also include jewelry, perfume bottles, and flowers, as well as any other details that arrive at the venue day-of!

How much time should we schedule for pictures?

Creating a schedule for your wedding day can seem tricky! How do you balance timing out conversation(s) with grandma, dancing with your bridal party, taking your portraits, AND getting to eat some of that cake?? I firmly believe that your wedding day should be spent how you want to celebrate. Maybe this means a quick 15 minute ceremony, hours of dancing, a long dinner perfect for deep conversations, or just the two of you sneaking away for your first dance alone in the woods. I’ll be there snapping away during it all, but whatever your wedding schedule looks like, you want to make time for pictures.

Typically we’ll do some portraits before the ceremony (bride, groom, and respective bridal parties with them), and detail shots. I would recommend about an hour built into the schedule before the ceremony for getting ready photos (I’ll split this time between you and your partner)! After the ceremony, family photos will take anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on how many people you have on your list. If you get me your family list early I can give you a far more accurate estimation of how much time we’ll need! For post-ceremony portraits, you’ll want to schedule about an hour to avoid feeling rushed which will let you just have fun with it! (if you want your full group and couples portraits before the ceremony - schedule that time for then!) Those are the general timelines most people include in their day. If you decide to do a first look, or golden hour photos, plan on 15 - 30 minutes for each! I’ll do my best to take as many photos as I can in that time! Other than these specific photo blocks, I will be snapping away as I see moments happen!

When will we get our gallery?

I do my VERY best to get you sneak-peeks of your day within 24 hours! You can expect your full gallery within a month! You’ll receive a fully digital gallery with a download code. (I highly recommend printing your photos and not leaving them floating in the digital world forever!)

Anything else?

If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out at any time via tex or email! I will do my best to get back to you with answers as soon as I can! I also just want to hear from you through the planning process! Show me the dress, tell me when you’ve chosen a venue, and send me allll the pics! At the end of the day, I want to know how to best capture YOU, and that is so much easier when I know YOU!