My Wedding Photography Journey | From 2011 to 2019
I remember years where people were telling me that “You should get into wedding photography. That’s where the money is at.” At the time, I had NO WISHES to be “saddled with such a huge responsibility” nor did I realize how much I would love weddings after shooting only a few. So early in my career, I avoided weddings as much as possible. Of course, eventually I was asked by a cousin to shoot her wedding, and there wasn’t really a good way for me to say no.
My First Wedding Ever (2011)
This first wedding was the longest day I ever photographed. I showed up at 7 am at the hair salon to meet the bride and her bridesmaids. Hair was finished by 10 am, and we headed to the bride’s home for the rest of prep photos. A few hours there, and we headed to the venue. Finally the ceremony, couples portraits and the reception all took place ending by 11 pm. That’s right… 7 am to 11 pm. It was so many hours and so many photos.
What I learned from this was there is such a thing as too many hours. Culling the photos down so they weren’t overwhelming took almost 2 weeks. Then the final editing took another couple of weeks. The majority of weddings need maybe two hours of prep (including hair and makeup, jewelry/detail photos, and the bride/groom getting ready photos). There’s no real need to have your photographer show up at the beginning of hair and makeup; Rather, have them arrive at the end to snag a few shots and stage your makeup photos if necessary. The other repetitive timeframe is the reception. Plan all your reception activities early, and consider staging your exit. This can cut down on the hours you’ll need a photographer during your reception. I’ve found the sweet spot is 6-8 hours for weddings. This gives plenty of time for all those dreamy shots and a little buffer if things go haywire. Opt for an extra hour if you have travel between locations, but trust me when I say, You DON’T need full day coverage.
Weddings 2-6 (2013-2016)
The next few years, I continued to learn. I photographed another cousin’s wedding in my uncle’s living room, then my uncle’s wedding, then three friend’s weddings (One of those out of state). I began to get more comfortable with weddings; started to learn which ones I loved and where my passion lied. With the death of my grandfather, I quickly grew weary of working all the time, and decided to kick my wedding photography into high gear. I found a mentor, and would later fly to shoot a second destination wedding with him.
San Luis Obispo Wedding Photography – 2016
That mentor brought me along for what would end up being one of my favorite weddings. Located in the hills of San Luis Obispo, the Flying Cabellos Ranch was a dream wedding photography venue. The small ranch house overlooked rolling hills, while still feeling secluded and surrounded by tree line. The bride and groom loved to travel and decorated the tables with photos of all their trips, in vintage cans they’d collected. A delicious fruit and cheese spread kept guests satisfied while the caterers set up a delicious meal. And as the sun set, the couple danced effortlessly across the dance floor. This wedding felt like it opened all the doors for me.
MV Skansonia Wedding – 2017
The next wedding that really tugged on all my dreams was the MV Skansonia. Another incredible wedding, the bride and groom really brought a vintage flair to this old ferry without going overboard. They kept the details simple, with table coverings and small centerpieces, and let the rest of the venue speak for itself. It showed that you didn’t need a billion elements to make your wedding day feel one of a kind. Nautical aspects of their venue combined with their glittery table cloths and sparkly candles felt like you’d entered a time portal back to the titanic era.
The Tiny Farmstay Wedding – June 2018
This was the wedding that turned tables again for me, that is, after it turned from a family session to a wedding photography collection. The bride poured her heart into the tiny details, from her daughter’s flower crown to gifting her new husband the heirloom cuff links. Every tiny thing was carefully chosen to make their day super special. This was the first elopement I’d photographed, and it renewed a piece of my soul. I’d spent time earlier in 2017 questioning if I was even capable of photographing a wedding on my own. The tiny farmstay elopement was more than enough to help regain my confidence, and I cried happy tears while editing.
2018-2019 Weddings
Since the tiny farmstay wedding, I’ve expanded my experience, skills and wedding count exponentially. Gorgeous venues like Floral Hall in Everett, Windmill Gardens in Sumner and Thornewood Castle in Lakewood, have all hosted beautiful weddings I’ve had the honor of photographing. I’ve traveled to Connecticut for a casual vow renewal, and even taken a mentor to help me with the business side of things. I’ve gained an ever growing love for elopements and a full calendar for Summer 2019. I’m looking forward to the future and serving many more brides as I go.
