kadwellphotography.com » A husband and wife photography team in Mount Pleasant, MI

Wedding Planning

There are a lot of benefits to booking an engagement session with your wedding photographer. I’ve put together a few of the reasons why you should book one…

>> You will get some great, timeless portraits of you and your fiancé just being…YOU! This is such an exciting time to celebrate your love for one another. What better way to do that than to capture your love and admiration for one another in photos? Something you can hang on the wall or print in a book and keep forever…where it all started. We will not only capture some great portraits of you, but we strive to capture the LOVE between you two. The emotions, how you look at each other, your genuine smiles and the way you interact. We are not into cookie cutter portraits or recreating overzealous Pinterest photo lists, we are into documenting two people and how they connect with one another.

Kadwell Photography_Engagement-2PINIMAGEKadwell Photography_Engagement-1PINIMAGE

>> You get a trial run before the big day! Practice makes perfect right? For many couples it has been quite some time since they had their photos taken professionally. An engagement session gives you the opportunity to get comfortable being in front of the camera. After all, you will have A LOT of pictures taken of you on your wedding day. It also gives us a chance to work together before your big day and to learn more about you. Do you have a good side you prefer? Something you feel self conscious about? We want to know those things to best capture you. We also always ask for feedback on your gallery afterwards. We want you to tell us the poses you didn’t like as well as the things you loved so we can step up our game for your wedding day and create images that are perfectly you.

Kadwell Photography_Engagement-9PINIMAGEKadwell Photography_Engagement-7PINIMAGE

>> We will get to know each other better. We will be with you for a LARGE portion of your wedding day so it’s important to get to know us and make sure you like us! 🙂 We typically like to meet up for a consult prior to booking and go over the basics of your day which is also a good chance for both of us to see if we are a good fit for one another. The engagement session takes that a step further by allowing us to hangout for an hour or so and make some beautiful photographs in a stress-free environment. We want to make sure you’re comfortable with us for your wedding day!

Kadwell Photography_Engagement-8PINIMAGEKadwell Photography_Engagement-17PINIMAGE

>> You can use your photos to create some wedding day or bridal shower decor. What better way to celebrate the two of you than some pictures to incorporate into your décor? From save-the-dates, thank you cards, a guestbook, slideshow, centerpieces, table displays…the possibilities are endless!

Kadwell Photography_Engagement-12PINIMAGE

Those are just a few of the great reasons to book an engagement session with your wedding photographer. Whether or not you choose to have an engagement session make sure to get to know your photographer, communicate openly and honestly and don’t hesitate to ask questions!  

Happy Wedding Planning!

Moriah

What else do you want to know about in planning your wedding day?

Shoot me an email [ kadwellphotography@gmail.com ] or leave a comment below!

 

First Looks have really become popular on wedding days, but when we ask couples if they would like to have a First Look on their wedding day about half of them say they have never heard of it or don’t really understand what it is or how it works so I thought I would share a little bit about it…

What is a “First Look?”

 A “First Look” is a private moment we set up and photograph for the bride and groom to see each other prior to the ceremony. Traditionally, the bride and groom don’t see each other until the bride walks down the aisle where the groom sees her for the first time. With a First Look you get to enjoy this moment together without an audience. If you do opt for a “First Look” I HIGHLY recommend having a second shooter to get multiple perspectives.

2017-02-28_0001PINIMAGE

 

What do we have to do?

 Nothing, except show up. We will scout for a location prior to the first look taking place. When it’s time we will bring out the groom first and set him up in the perfect spot where he won’t see you coming. As we bring you out for your reveal, we will take a quick moment to get ourselves positioned for photos and signal  you to approach your groom. You may tap him on the shoulder, hug him from behind or simply say something to indicate that he can turn around. Then…it’s all about you two. A few minutes where you can take it all in, seeing your significant other for the first time in their wedding attire, expressing your excitement with one another. Sharing these few moments of alone time together is actually quite precious because you really don’t get any alone time together on your wedding day.

2017-02-28_0002PINIMAGE

 

What happens after?

We usually jump into some photos of the two of you since your hair and makeup are freshest and you’re looking your very best. Some couples choose to leave it at that, but some like to go right into bridal party and family photos to get those out of the way so they can head right to the reception following the ceremony. This can also be a great time to exchange gifts together, read each other a letter or cheers with a glass of wine! You can make it whatever you want it to be.

2017-02-28_0005PINIMAGE

2017-02-28_0004PINIMAGE

 

So….should WE have a “First Look?”

  The choice is absolutely yours. Probably half of our couples have a First Look and we totally understand that it’s not for everyone. If having that traditional moment down the aisle is really important to you then we are all for it. We would never pressure a couple into doing something they don’t want to do.

2017-02-28_0003PINIMAGE

Let’s recap…

 Pros:

>> You get to enjoy a few moments of truly alone time for the two of you <<

>> Photos can be taken when you’re hair and makeup is the freshest and you are looking your very best <<

>> Formal Photos can be completed prior to the ceremony giving you much more freedom and relaxation following the ceremony or flexibility in your wedding day schedule <<

Cons:

>> Your friends and family won’t get to see your reactions to seeing each other coming down the aisle <<

2017-02-28_0006PINIMAGE

Whether or not you choose to have a “First Look” I recommend scheduling at least 5-10 minutes of alone time for your wedding day. The two of you will be surrounded by people the entire day and having a few minutes of time for just the two of you will allow you to relax and soak it all in.

Happy Wedding Planning!

Moriah

 

What else do you want to know about in planning your wedding day?

Shoot me an email [ kadwellphotography@gmail.com ] or leave a comment below!

 

F a c e b o o k
I n s t a g r a m