Wedding planning is a LOT, isn’t it? Unless you’re a professional event coordinator, it’s probably the first time you’re planning and executing such a large event. And if you’re not hiring a professional planner to help you with the process, you might be feeling a tad overwhelmed. (If you are interested in a planner, I highly recommend you check out Christa!) Where should you even start? If you haven’t yet, check out this post first!

Ok, now that that’s taken care of, you’re probably wondering about my booking process, what it’s like to work with me, and what you can expect as we move forward. So let’s walk through it all – from initial inquiry to final image delivery – here’s what it’s like to be a Portraits by Mandy bride!

The Booking Process

You’ve found my website and you’ve submitted an inquiry (yay!) The first reply you’ll get from me includes my investment guide. This is a detailed introduction to my wedding experience with info about me, wedding package pricing and details, as well as some frequently asked questions. From there, the ball is in your court. If you have more questions, we can keep chatting via email or set up a phone call. Life is busy and schedules are hectic, so whatever fits best in your day is great. Once you’ve decided you have to have me at your wedding, I’ll collect some basic information from you to get your contract written. A signed contract and a deposit are required to complete your booking. The documents are all sent via email and payments are all easily made online.

You’re Officially a Portraits by Mandy Bride!

You’ve signed your contract and paid the deposit so you’re officially official! The next email you’ll receive from me includes a link to my online wedding planning guide. This is a huge resource of all the things I’ve learned over the last decade of shooting weddings that will help you get the most out of your photography investment. Things like putting together your timeline, structuring your family formal list, links to other awesome vendors I recommend, and so much more.

The next step is to set a date for your complimentary engagement session. Why are engagement sessions included in my wedding collections? Practice makes perfect! Not only is it an awesome opportunity to hang out and get to know each other better, but by the end, you’ll be experts at posing and know exactly what you can expect on your wedding day. Having this practice makes portrait time on your wedding day easier, more efficient, and takes away some of the stress and anxiety you or your fiancé may feel about being in front of the camera. Bonus – you’ll end up with some awesome pictures to use for save the dates, decor, and more!

Leading Up to the Wedding

Girl, I’m so here for you! Got a question? Shoot me an email! I take on a limited number of weddings each year so that I can truly be available for my couples. Basically by the time your wedding day arrives, I want to feel like another one of your friends there to celebrate you, not just like any other vendor. I’d love to help you put together your timeline, help you choose your engagement session outfits and location, and help you decide if a first look is right for you.

We need to put together a rough timeline before you decide on your ceremony time and send out your invites. Then a few weeks out from your wedding day, I’ll send you my wedding day questionnaire. This is the easiest way for me to gather all the info I need to thoroughly and efficiently capture your big day.

Your Wedding Day

We made it! The morning of your wedding, I will arrive, say hello, and grab all your beautiful details. Your online wedding guide contains a list of the things brides usually include so you can gather everything in one place for me. Shooting your details first gets me all warmed up for the rest of the day. It also gives you time to put finishing touches on hair and makeup. We’ll grab some candids of everyone hanging out and getting ready. If your fiancé and the guys are getting ready in the same location, we’ll pop over there for some photos as well.

The rest of the day will be a combination of posed photos and candid shots. There are times that I’ll be in the background just capturing what I see, like at the ceremony, for example. And there will be other times where I’ll be posing and directing to get you all the dreamy portraits you’ll want. All weddings are different so it’s hard to outline too many specifics here. But we will chat all about your particular priorities when it comes to photography to make sure I capture the things you want.

At the reception, I’ll take a break to eat when the rest of the wedding party is eating. And at some point, I like to steal you away for a few sunset portraits.

After the Wedding

I know you’ll be super excited to see your gorgeous photos, and I’m just as excited to share them! My goal is to get a sneak peek up on Instagram within 24 hours, and a full preview up on my blog within 48 hours. On average, I am able to edit and deliver your full gallery in about 6 weeks.

I deliver all the images from your engagement session and wedding day via an online gallery that makes it easy to share, download, and even order prints. Once you have your full gallery, we can begin the process of designing an heirloom album, my favorite way to display all your favorite photos.

Ready to become the next Portraits by Mandy bride or still have a few questions? Get in touch!