Golden Hour Engagement Session

Lanie & Cody invited me to their personal property in Southern Indiana for their Engagement Session. There are so many gorgeous locations for couples sessions but if you have personal or family property you can use, I highly recommend it! You could do some in home photos before heading outside for sunset or do all your session outdoors but utilize a nearby town to switch it up! If you don’t have property you can use, that’s okay! Like I said, there’s so many places to choose from! Choosing locations that mean something to you and your fiancé will really help make your images stand out. Contact me and I’ll help you find a location that is truly unique to the two of you!

We were able to start at golden hour and after a quick outfit change, continued into some Blue Hour to finish off their session together. Getting to spend some time with my couples, photographing them, before the wedding is such a blessing! I learned so much about these two and how they authentically interact showing their love for one another! Not only did I get to explore their gorgeous land and capture some beautiful images, but I also got to meet their family pet Donkey! Scroll though to see the cutest photobomb ever!! So excited to photograph their barn wedding this coming fall!

What to ask your wedding photographer

Okay, choosing vendors is hard! When you’ve never planned a wedding or elopement before how do you even start? After choosing your date and venue, I’m guessing photography is next on your list. Finding a style you like and someone who fits your budget is just the start and then there is the consultation. Most photographers will likely lead you though the consultation with information you may not even think to ask but just in case they leave some things out make sure to ask some questions yourself! Scroll down to see the 10 questions I think every couple should be asking their photographer before they book!

What is your shooting style? Making sure you like the way a photographer edits their images is important but how they photograph you is what’s going to make you feel comfortable in front of their camera. Do you want candid images, posed, a little of both? There is so many ways a photographer may go about getting those amazing images you see on their Instagram or website. There’s no wrong way to this question it will be more about preference. I tend to shoot more candid and pose when needed. Find out what your photographer does and why they do it that way.

Have you ever shot at a venue/location like mine? It’s not necessary that your photographer has shot at your exact location although that is great as well! Just make sure they know how to shoot in the type of location you’ll be at. Dark venue with little light? Ask if they’ve ever shot in low light. 2pm ceremony on a golf course? Ask them about any harsh light weddings they’ve shot at before and how they handled it.

Can I see a two or three complete wedding galleries? Any photographer can get a couple beautiful images from an entire wedding day so make sure you ask to see a few full day galleries! Pay close attention to the “small” moments like family formals and getting ready pictures. Make sure their work is pretty consistent throughout the day and not just the couples formals at sunset.

Do you work off of a shot list? Personally, I do not use a shot list except for family formals, I prefer for the day to flow more organically. Some photographers accept them and even may ask for one. This again would be personal preference so try and think about what you prefer. Ask them if they use one and why or why not to get a better understanding of if they’d be a great fit for you!

How much time do we need for our day? This will vary by photographer and by your own personal wedding day! Your photographer will know how much time you should need based off what you’re wanting and how much time they’ll need for pictures.

How much planning help do you offer? Location help, timeline planning, and vendor recommendations are just a few of the ways some photographer choose to help you with your wedding planning. Your photographer may offer more or less so make sure to check in with them about this if you think you will want help in some areas.

Do you have insurance? If you’re getting married at a venue, some places require all vendors to hold insurance. Check in with your photographer to make sure they’re legal and insured to be safe!

Do you have a backup plan in case of an emergency? I could write ten pages on just this but for your sake I’ll just give you the cliff notes. Lets be honest, shit happens. Even on your wedding day something can go wrong. As much as we don’t want to think about that, make sure your photographer is prepared for everything! Do they have backup equipment? How are they backing up your images to make sure they don’t loose them? What happens if they can’t be there on your wedding day (sickens/accident/death)? How do they handle bad weather? The list goes on but just make sure they got you covered!

Last but definitely not least, Get to know your photographer! What kind of music do you like? Where’s your dream travel destination? Do you like  tacos or nah? Sounds silly but making sure you have a connection with your photographer will make the wedding day so much more fun and will help you to feel more comfortable in front of their camera!

Hopefully these questions are helpful! Write them down, add your own, and chat away with your potential wedding photographer!

Family Formals

Your wedding day family formals are so important and honestly, in my opinion, the most important part besides your vows. Most people dread this part of the day because they feel like they’re just standing there and they’re not wrong BUT it’s worth it! I don’t remember the last time my family and I had pictures done together and what a bummer! I always make a customized family formal list for all of my couples who decide to have family present at their elopement or wedding. This is the only time I use a shot list to  guarantee you will get all the important shots with the people you love the most. 

Some things to consider when making your own Family Formal list is how do you and your fiancé want to be included in each others lists? Want them completely separate? Every single shot with the both of ya? Every single image without and with each other (most of my couples choose this option)? Some with and some without? No matter how you choose to do it is okay!! In this example I’m going to do a combination of it all!

Things that may make your list a little (or a lot) different is if you have blended families. I have a big blended family so I completely understand how this may make it more stressful, especially when certain family members may not get along. For the sake of ease I’m giving this “couple” names, Jordan & Dakota. Jordan will have a very “traditional” family and Dakota will have a blended family so you can see how to incorporate that if you’re making your own list. Feel free to copy, insert your own names and tweak where needed! 

Jordans's Side

- Jordan and  Dakota with both sides of Jordan's Immediate Family (grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, nieces, nephews)

- Jordan and  Dakota with Jordan's Immediate Family from her maternal side (grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, nieces, nephews)

- Jordan and  Dakota with Jordan's Immediate Family from her paternal side (grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, nieces, nephews)

- Jordan, Jordan’s Parents & Siblings (add in Dakota, siblings spouses, and children)

- Jordan & Jordan's Siblings (add in Spouses & Children)

- Jordan and Dakota with Jordan's Nieces and Nephews

- Jordan with both Parents  (add in Dakota)

- Jordan with Dad

- Jordan with Mom

- Jordan, Dakota and Jordan's Maternal Grandparents

- Jordan, Dakota  and Jordan’s Paternal Grandparents

Both Sides

- Jordan and Dakota with All Sets of Parents

Dakota's Side

- Dakota and Jordan with Dakota's Maternal Immediate Family (parents, siblings, siblings spouses, grandparents, nieces, nephews)

- Dakota and Jordan with Dakota's Paternal Immediate Family (parents, siblings, siblings spouses, grandparents, nieces, nephews)

- Dakota with Dakota's Parents and Siblings (add in spouses and children)

- Dakota with Siblings (add in Jordan and Spouses)

- Dakota and Jordan with Dakota's Nieces and Nephews

- Dakota with Both sets of Parents (add in Jordan)

- Dakota & Mom (add in Step-Dad)

-Dakota & Dad (add in Step-Mom)

-Dakota and Jordan with Dakota's Maternal Grandparents

- Dakota and Jordan with Dakota's Paternal Grandparents

There’s no wrong way to make this list! Do it however you want and check in with those close to you to see what they think! Sometimes they’ll think of things we might leave out! Happy Planning!