The Willis Collection | Wedding Photography & Cinematography

Wedding Tips

It's been almost 6 years since of documenting weddings, we have picked up a few tips along the way. We share them in hopes they help you have the best wedding photos possible!

Hair & Makeup

Dresses

Details

Getting Ready

Couple Portraits

First Look vs. traditional

Church Ceremonies

Outdoor Ceremonies

Family Formal Portraits

Transportation

Lighting Your Reception

First Dance

Hopefully these tips help you and yours to have the best day of your lives.

Smile

SMILE! And not just because I said so! Did I mention I have a degree in psychology? Smiling releases a pair of chemicals in your body called dopamine and serotonin, and a good hug releases oxytocin. These are the chemicals that makes you feel happy, relaxed, and all warm and fuzzy. All of these gestures of love and happiness are what thread us together. On the big day, you're going to want everything to go "right", and this can can stress out even the calmest of people. If a moment gets hard, simply take a deep breath and start handing out smiles and hugs.

This is the moment when the world melts away, and it's only you two in the room.

Be yourselves. Laugh, snort, do the running man, or an argentine tango if that's your cup of tea. But no matter what, do what will make you smile.

But, if you have two left feet and are shy about dancing, don't forget about local dance studios! Look up their social media and research whether or not they offer the kind of dancing you'd want to do for your first dance. As a dancer and choreographer, I can tell you first hand that dancing in perfect harmony to your special song is incredibly romantic.

Don't forget to seal it with a KISS!

Find your pro, choose your glow. The secret behind all great photography is light. Many people tend to overlook this very important element until their wedding planner or photographer mentions it. Quality light during your reception can add great depth and emotion to your photographs. Up lights, pin spot, color wash, gobos, LED, or string lights all create a very different look and feel. Certain lights and colors cast a very unflattering look on the skin, while others are very complimentary. Again, we can only do so much with an image if the lighting isn't good.

There's no cheating good light. If you have any questions, please reach out to us as we are happy to help offer suggestions and ideas!

If you already have something in mind, great! We're done with this section!

BUT, if you haven't made a decision yet on how you'll be traveling to and from locations and are open to ideas, we'd like to suggest a vintage car. It's a timeless, elegant look, and you'd be surprised at how affordable it can be to rent one. In fact, many people who participate in classic car shows rent their vehicles (and may even take on chauffeur duties) out for weddings or formal events. I know a couple of people who are in the vintage car restoration business, trust me on this one!

I have developed a system that allows me to efficiently and painlessly capture family portraits. These photos are traditionally taken immediately following the ceremony. As long as you can provide a list of family members and someone who is familiar with their faces to help corral them up, I'll make sure it's short and sweet to help keep the day on track.

The family portrait session is one of the most important shoots of the day because it's a time when the whole family gets an opportunity to get a grand scale portrait taken by a professional photographer. All of the individual photos with the bride and groom are taken at the reception. Why? Because I need to whisk the happy couple away to "The Romantics".

Outdoor ceremony are great. They're like a blank(ish) canvas where the photographer is given much more artistic freedom to capture the events compared to an indoor venue. Yeah, they're kind of our fave.

However, it is important to note that the sunset during the Winter/Spring sets at a different time and speed vs. the sunset during the Summer/Fall. Planning the timing of your ceremony definitely has an impact on the quality and availability of light for photography. If it's too early in the day, your ceremony will be subject to harsher, more direct sunlight (think uneven shadows, squinting eyes due to the glaring sun, etc.). If it's too late in the afternoon, the images can come out too dark. While there are some steps the photographer can take to help mitigate imperfect lighting during the shoot and in post-work, you will almost definitely get better and more images when lighting conditions are better. We work with our clients to best figure out what "look" they want for their images and how to achieve it.

If you have your venue and time of day in mind, check this link to see the location of the sun at various times of the day at that location.

Churches vary widely in their traditions and rules as far as photography is concerned. For instance, the church may dictate if cameras are allowed in the venue, if flash is permitted to be used, and the distance the camera is allowed to enter the sanctuary. Make sure you are well-aware of the conditions at the venue you would like to use so that we can develop a back-up plan, if necessary.

The first look gives the couple a rare opportunity to take a break from the stress of the wedding and focus on one another. It is a very personal and intimate moment [that also looks great on film] that the couple likely won't be afforded the rest of the day. Between spending time with your guests, eating, and celebrating, the First Look is likely the only chance you will have to peacefully let the weight of the day sink in as you and your partner have a moment all to yourselves.

Naturally, the alternative to the First Look is the traditional route where the groom and guests see the bride for the first time as she walks down the aisle.

For me, this is where the magic happens. I call these shots "The Romantics". This is when I get to steal my couples away from the guests and the noise and capture the heartbeat of the wedding.

All couples are different, and it's beautiful when I'm able to capture the exact way they show love towards one another. While chemistry can't be coached, I offer my expertise in setting the stage to allow these romantic moments to blossom. I take on the onus of finding the perfect location and providing cues (previously coached in the e-session) to keep you and your partner as relaxed and comfortable as I can. "The Romantics" are so important because it is these images that at any point in the future, be it a week, a decade, or a century, can transport the viewer back in time and feel that moment.

The most flattering light is when the you have a room that has floor to ceiling windows that allows for natural light to fill the room. The light is key to beautiful and organic images during the "getting ready" phase. We believe that a large part of our job is to make sure everyone is happy and smiling and that this shows through in the final images. Therefore, it is important that the room you choose to use for wedding preparations is large enough for your bridal party, the video team, and your on-site therapist, oops, I mean super-loving & handsome wedding photographer.

The Dress, Bouquet, Shoes, Jewelry, Invites, etc.

A lot of care and thought went into making these decisions; we know how important these details are. While we make an effort to capture these adornments amidst all the activity during the wedding, it is important that we have some time to do a thorough job.

It typically takes 45 minutes to photograph the rings, dress, earrings, shoes, veil, invites, etc. during the getting ready part of the day. We want to do it right, and still have time to come back and document some of those special moments with your bridesmaids before putting on your dress. So make sure we have enough time, schedule for it!

Wear what makes you happy. I see so many dresses that I would love to photograph daily. I don't see how you can choose just one! However, I do have a few tips the that may come in handy:

If there is a style you like, find it in an evening dress and go out in it. Pay attention to how much you're adjusting or pulling up on it, or if you would have preferred sleeves or went strapless.

No matter what wear what feels right for you and wear it with confidence!

I absolutely LOVE my go-to hair & makeup professionals (aka the Beauty Team). Over the years, I have discovered that quality hair and make-up can be the difference between a pretty image and a stunning one. They truly are the bread and butter to the wedding "look". As you think about the various aspects of your wedding day, pay close attention to the following variables that play a signifiant role in your overall aesthetics:

Most importantly, add an extra 30-40 minutes in addition to what you already set aside for the Beauty Team. This part of the day almost always takes a bit longer than expected, so a time buffer helps to ensure the day stays as close to schedule as possible.