When you book Norabloom as your wedding photographer, you get so much more than pretty pictures! My goal is not only to provide you with beautiful memories of your day, but also to make planning your wedding photos simple and enjoyable. The photography is a very real part of your wedding day experience, and I want you to enjoy every moment as we capture it! To that end, I wanted to share a sneak peek into my planning guide for brides.
I have so much great information for you, by the way. This is just the tip of the iceberg! When you schedule your special day with me, I’ll send you my complete Norabloom Bridal Magazine, which is bursting with helpful tips and recommendations to help you create those dream wedding pictures! In the meantime, here are just a few words of advice on how to plan and what to expect for your wedding.
Enjoy Your Engagement Session
I include an engagement session as part of the Norabloom Wedding Experience. This is our chance to get to know each other! You’ll get a feel for posing and how I work, and I will learn how you and your man interact, what your best poses are, and how to photograph you in the most genuine way possible. Your engagement session will make a huge impact on how the wedding day flows, so enjoy every minute of this special time together before the day itself!
A Word About Outfits
Obviously, the outfit for the actual wedding day will already be taken care of. But you will want to plan outfits for your engagement session. I’ve got tons about this in my guide, but essentially, you’ll want to decide on:
Style
Do you love classic or trendy? Dressy or casual? Decide on an overall style and make sure that outfits for both of you are compatible with the overall mood you want your engagement photos to convey.
Colors
Do you love bright, bold colors, or are neutrals more your thing? There are so many myths around color, but all I’m going to say here is that you should wear what you love. And remember, with color, it’s not about matching your partner. It’s about coordinating with them!
Your Wedding Day: From First Look to Reception
Actually, your wedding day photography starts before your First Look. Here’s how a typical wedding day usually flows and the moments I love to document!
Bridal Prep – I like to arrive early so I can capture bridal details, you and your bridesmaids getting ready—all the anticipation!
First Look – One of my favorite moments. Just you and the love of your life, savoring the excitement and joy of your wedding day!
Bride and Groom Portraits – After your First Look, we’ll create a few additional romantic portraits while the initial excitement is still present.
Bridal Party Portraits – Once we’ve captured portraits of just the two of you, we’ll invite the bridal party to join us for more pictures.
Reception Details – I’ll take a few minutes to photograph the lovely reception décor before the party starts.
Ceremony – The big moment! I highly recommend asking guests to refrain from taking pictures during this time so that the climactic moment as you and your love exchange vows is perfect and free from distraction.
Family Portraits – With all the family gathered, we’ll document the joining of your two families with parents, grandparents, siblings, and other loved ones.
Just Married Portraits – Now that it’s official, I love to get some dreamy portraits of the two of you as husband and wife.
Reception and Exit – I’ll capture the main reception events and about an hour of dancing. Because many receptions go longer than this, we will likely stage a faux exit with just the two of you and your bridal party. As long as the music is going, no one will notice you slip out for a few minutes!
Questionnaire and Shots List
Several weeks before your wedding, I’ll send you a questionnaire so we can make sure we are on the same page. I will also ask you to make a list for the Family Portraits so I know exactly which photos you want to capture. You can also do this for other portions of your day. Take a look at the wedding day portrait events above and see if you have any particular shots you would love to capture.
Special Considerations: Schedules, Seasons, and Weather
As you go through this planning guide for brides, I want to remind you that no matter how carefully you plan, the unexpected happens. I promise, that is completely normal. Your day can still be beautiful as we go with the flow and embrace every moment as a memory! That said, here are a few special considerations that can help your day go as smoothly as possible.
Schedule
Everything takes longer than you think it will! Rather than filling every minute, build some wiggle room into your wedding day schedule.
Seasons
Each season offers something unique! Embrace the beauty of the season rather than fighting it. This might require a bit of extra planning (such as purchasing extra coverage or getting portraits earlier in the day if you’re getting married during a season with shorter days) but it is completely worth it!
Weather
What if it rains? If this is a possibility on your wedding day, you’ll want to have a rain plan in place—but let your wedding vendors take care of implementing it. And rest assured, clouds really do have a silver lining and they are not a problem when it comes to capturing incredible wedding photos!
New York Wedding Photographer
I am already so excited for your special day! I hope this planning guide for brides has given you a little glimpse into what you can expect from the Norabloom wedding photography experience. If you have any questions or would like to chat more, please get in touch! Let’s hop on a call or meet for tea and discuss how I can help make your dream wedding day a reality!
