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Useful & Important Information: For brides to be! :-)

Hi everyone!

Hope you are having a fabulous week so far! Myself I have already had some setbacks but I am excited about some amazing things to come in the next couple weeks and that keeps me moving forward!

So I am really happy to be posting this. It’s something that I wrote up a couple of years ago and have been sending out to all of my clients! I have decided to post it here instead because I have had some problems with Canada Post in the past AND I have been wasting a LOT of trees printing this off and sending it out! One of my New Years Resolutions this year was to be more eco-friendly so I consider this a small contribution in that direction and I hope all of my clients will be okay with it 🙂

I always hope that these little tips, referrals and pieces of advice will alleviate some stress for brides & grooms in planning 🙂

Please don't stress the small stuff 🙂

*Please note that I have written this up as based on my OWN experiences as a wedding photographer, and if other brides out there are reading it they should not necessarily take this advice without consulting their own wedding photographer first. Also a note to other photographers: I am fine with this being re-posted and re-used as long as you give credit where credit is due. All material is the © of Martine Sansoucy 2012 All Rights Reserved.

Photography by Martine Sansoucy

agasteche@yahoo.ca

306.371.1332 or 306.382.0801

Frequently Asked Questions & Tips!

Q: How long should I allow for the formals portion of our wedding day?

A: I would say ideally 3.5 hours is a great amount of time for a comfortable afternoon of formals. Typically I breeze through the family formals (directly following the ceremony) in about 15-25 minutes, depending on the size of the family. I like to take about 45 minutes-1 hour with the wedding party (again depending on the size of your wedding party), 20 minutes for just the groom and groomsmen, 20 minutes for just the bride and bridesmaids, and 20-30 minutes for the whole wedding party. I love having a couple of hours left over for the bride and groom formals (which is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of the photo session!), so that we can hit several locations to give you a variety and also allows you to relax and get more comfortable with being photographed. Remember to allow for travel time as well 🙂

*That being said, I am an extremely fast shooter..I have had brides in the past give me a very limited amount of time for everything and I can do it! So please don’t worry if this time-frame just doesn’t work with your schedule, I can work with anything you give me well!

Q: How many locations should we choose & who should choose the locations?

A: I have had clients leave the location choices entirely up to me, I have had the clients choose the specific locations that were important to them, and I have also come up with locations alongside my clients! This is something we will discuss more in depth at our last meeting as well.

For family formals: I would highly recommend doing the family formals at the church directly following the ceremony. In the past I have had couples try to move the family from the church to another location for formals and a lot of time is wasted waiting on people who are not on time… It’s best to have your family aware that family formals are taking place right outside of the church directly following the ceremony so that they can be ready and waiting for things to go quickly and smoothly.

For Wedding Party: Typically I like to choose one location with lots of different photo opportunities close by or around so that we are not moving a large group of people around a lot. Of course if there is a fantastic spot on our way elsewhere for a wedding party shot, I am up for anything! The wedding party shots are FUN, and easy to get carried away with, so just be prepared to cut it short should our time be running short as well…

For the Bride & Groom: This by far is the most important part of your wedding day formals and you will want to leave the most time so that we can visit several different locations! Ultimately it depends on the amount of time you have allotted for your photos, but I love to try to get to at least 3-4 great spots for a variety of different shots and looks

Q: What if it rains on our wedding day?

A: Awe, Saskatchewan…we can never quite count on the weather. About a week before your wedding, I do recommend checking out the forecast for rain and if it looks like a possibility do purchase some nice umbrellas for yourself and your wedding party. Unless it’s pouring OR your ceremony is AFTER your formals, I would still recommend trying to get outdoors for as many shots as possible. Not only is the lighting FANTASTIC during an overcast rainy day or storm, but it can make for some beautiful and unique shots. Last year during our amazing storm season, I actually captured a lightning bolt coming down while the couple was kissing in a field! It’s one of my favorite shots to date! So uncomfortable …maybe yes, but worth it? YES! There are also indoor options for a rainy day that we can discuss at our meeting before the wedding!

Q: Our reception hall is dark, should we be concerned about this?

A: If you are concerned with the lighting at your reception hall, I highly recommend putting at the least a simple spotlight in the places that you know will be important. For example: A spotlight or two in different corners of the dance floor, a spotlight that focuses on the people making speeches or the head table if those shots are particularly important to you. If it’s in your budget, sometimes you can hire a lighting designer who can add beautiful up lighting to the room.

Little Tips & Advice That You Need To Hear!

MAKEUP:

If you can, please…HIRE A MAKEUP ARTIST! It will pay off in the long run and make all the difference in the world for the end result of your photographs. Many do-it-yourself brides look fine for the first little while, but then the makeup quickly wears off or small lines under the eyes form. OR brides will wear too subtle and light makeup, that is quickly and easily washed out by the natural outdoor light and it does not photograph well. Hire a makeup artist who has had experience with glamour photo session makeup and who knows the right combination that will work for you and make your photos “pop”. False eyelashes also make a big difference on the impact of your photos, and you may feel like you are wearing a ton of makeup on your face (especially if you typically don’t wear much or any like me!), but believe me it will translate beautifully through the lens and you will be happy with the result. See below for Makeup Artist referrals.

GETTING READY:

I found an insert from another photographer and took the liberty of quoting him since I found his words to mirror my thoughts exactly.

“If you want your ‘getting ready’ pictures to look their best, keep the place clean. That room becomes the basis, the background, for all your pictures. If you have ten girls dressing and undressing in the same room, it will show in your photos. The room should be clutterless. I get the best pictures when I walk into a room that someone has intentionally kept neat.” Brian Dorsey, Brian Dorsey Studios – NY, NY

My take: Yes yes yes!! Cannot stress enough!! And if at all possible choose the room in the house with the best possible window/natural lighting, and clear out as much as possible. It just makes it easier for me to navigate around with the shoes, the dress, and of course your beauty in the moment!

SHOES:

Brides, I love all of the gorgeous strappy sexy shoes….LOVE them! However, I have had too many brides end up miserable and sadly showing it by the end of the day when they are getting blistered and sore from the shoes they were wearing. My suggestion: Definitely try to wear your wedding shoes out for a day shopping in the mall just to wear them in and get a feel for the comfort of them. IF they are just too pretty to pass up, but sadly uncomfortable, do bring a second pair of shoes that ARE comfortable. That way during certain parts of the formals you can slip into the comfy ones and give your feet a rest!

DRESS:

I know that every bride is going to be worried about getting the dress dirty! I definitely suggest bustling your dress for the family formals and wedding party formals just to keep it from a little less wear and then letting it down for all of the bride and groom formals. I do take a lot of consideration for the dress when I am deciding locations/poses, especially if the ceremony is following the formals portion of the day. That being said, ultimately, taking that extra chance to use a unique pose or location will be well worth it… and consider that this is the only day you are wearing this amazing dress so let’s make the most of it!

DON’T INVITE THE WEDDING PARTY:

During the time that I spend photographing the two of you, I really would like you to consider having the wedding party stay behind somewhere, whether it be having drinks in the limo or hanging out somewhere else. This time is really important to me as a photographer and for you, they will hopefully be the most important photo memories you will cherish from the day. It’s not only a great way for you to take a breather from everything else going on, and focus on each other, but it is also the best way for you to be the most relaxed, comfortable and genuine with each other with no other distractions.

EMERGENCY KITS!

I cannot stress how important an emergency kit is on your wedding day! Some suggestions are:

-Tide to go stick

-Baby wipes (oddly useful for everything!)

-False eyelash glue

-Touch-up makeup items

– Band-aids (YES! I have had incidences where they were in need lol!)

-An extra pair of shoes

-A blanket

-Head pills (Aspirin, Tylenol, etc)

-Clear nail polish (for those hose repairs!)

-Extra pair of hose, stockings, etc

-Breath mints

-Travel sized sewing kit with safety pin!

-Tampons

-Tissues

-BUG SPRAY!

-Tampons

-Roll ons

PROPS!

Props can make a picture that much more interesting and spectacular, so if you have anything interesting, quirky, unique, or old that you think might be good in a picture, please let me know! I am always excited to bring props into the photos as they just give it that extra “something”. Wedding party props can be fun and useful in making a picture more interesting, for example; pipes, cigars, flasks, top hats, vintage hats, umbrellas, fans, if a group of groomsmen are into hunting..shotguns, golfing/golf clubs, etc.

THEMES/CONCEPTS!

What do you as a couple like to do together? Do either of you have a die-hard hobby? An interesting occupation or workplace? Please, fill me in on these details! The more I know you as a individuals and as a couple, the better I will be able to create something unique and creative for you. Examples of things you like to do together would be: Fishing, camping, board games, card games, puzzles, movies, comic books, hunting, reading, eating at a favorite restaurant, shopping at a favorite store, cooking, traveling, road trips, etc.

DETAILS/DECOR!

Check out these websites for some great affordable and unique ideas!

http://yesbride.com/blog/ – This website is amazing!

http://www.canadianachic.com/ – Great resource website & ideas!

WEDDING PLANNERS I RECOMMEND:

Lux Events – Molly Lux

molly@luxeventsdesign.com

306-291-1475

http://www.luxeventsdesign.com

Gina Digness – The Rent It Store

www.therentitstoreeventcenter.com 652-0101 or 955-1577

Tricia Person