Let me start off by saying I am not a wedding planner. I think it would be a fun job, but I feel my strengths are greatest in the photography-related parts of weddings. That being said, this timeline is my personal estimation of how much time I like to schedule for photos on the day of the wedding. Keep in mind that every photographer is different with how they prefer to shoot. Some like to spend four hours taking photos of just the wedding party. I don’t. :-)

This is the basic timeline that I give all my brides who opt to do the first look – we start from here and if there is anything that we think will take more or less time, we make adjustments as necessary:

T-4 hours: getting ready + candids + details (dress, special jewelry, flowers, SHOES)

T-3 hours: couple’s first look and portraits

T-2 hours: wedding party portraits

T-1 hour 30 minutes: family portraits

T-1 hour: candids + details (time for you and all those involved with photos to grab a snack/touch up makeup/cool down before the wedding)

After the ceremony, I just tag along for the ride and let the rest of the day unfold!

Here are a few variables that tend to shift the schedule:

Location – How far is the getting ready location from the ceremony? How far is the ceremony from the reception? Is there an additional location where you’d like to take photos? Significant drive time will need to be included in the schedule to keep everyone on time.

Lighting – What time of day is the ceremony? With this schedule, a 3:00 ceremony would put the first look and portraits at noon… not ideal outdoor lighting conditions.

‘Fashionably late’ relatives – To keep your friends and family from showing up late, tell them they need to be there for photos earlier than planned. You’d rather have them there early instead of waiting on them to finish up the group photos.

Extended family members – More people means allowing more time for family photos either before or after the ceremony.

Small children – Naps are crucial! Especially if you want flower girls and ring bearers to be in the photos as well as be cooperative. :-)

Again, every wedding is unique and every wedding should have its own timeline – this is simply a suggestion meant to be adjusted to your specific needs. Also, make sure to check with YOUR photographer to see how they prefer to schedule photos. Every photographer does things his/her own way because they know what works for them.

If you know me, you know that I love having coffee dates. With old friends, new friends, photographer friends – anyone who likes coffee. Within the past week, I’ve had four coffee dates.

Now, I try to schedule these coffee dates in places that don’t have metered parking. Except today. I was craving my usual German chocolate cake white mocha from Bully Blends. I only had a dime and a nickel for the parking meter – I actually had to go inside and pay for my order with cash so I could get more coins to go back outside and get myself an hours worth of parking.

I really should know better. I can’t talk photography AND drink coffee in less than an hour!

So Amy and I are chatting, having a good time and we realize it’s past our metered hour. We walk outside, and this, my friends, is why I need to carry more change in my purse…

I love getting to know couples during their engagement session – it allows me to see a glimpse of their personalities and how truly in love they are. From John and Rachel’s session on Saturday, this is what I learned:

They love to run, hike and dig in the dirt (he’s a geophysicist, she’s a paleontologist).

The dinosaurs at Dinosaur Park are not the most accurate depictions of the ‘real deals.’ (Believe me, Rachel taught me all about how the T-Rex’s tail does NOT drag on the ground. :-))

Despite the historically incorrect figures, Dinosaur Park in Rapid City is where John and Rachel got engaged, making it the perfect location for a few engagement photos! :-)

As we’re walking down the hill, I stop for a couple more photos and Rachel announced that this was the very spot where John proposed.

Can I get a collective “awwwww?!”

I don’t know if it was my jokes, or how special John makes her feel, but Rachel was full of giggles and I LOVED it! :-)

A quick outfit/scenery change – don’t these two look great in anything and everything?!

Rachel – I was serious about your boots – they are sooo cute! It’s probably dangerous that we wear the same size shoe.

And last but not least… the ring!

John + Rachel – thanks so much for braving the ‘Indiana winter’ weather.

Also, a special shout-out to Shangri La: The Hideaway Boutique for the adorable outfits Rachel was wearing!

I was recently asked what I thought about brides/grooms getting a spray tan for their wedding, so I thought I’d use this opportunity for another wedding tip to share! I think it’s definitely a healthier alternative than tanning beds. However, it probably isn’t wise get your very first spray tan the day before the wedding.

(click on the image to see Ross from Friends and his spray tan experience)

Okay, so hopefully you’ll know better than to count Mississippilesly. :-)

But seriously, I think that if you’re going to get a spray tan for your wedding, definitely do a trial run a month or two before the wedding. Find out how your skin reacts to it and how long the tan takes to fade. Hopefully you’ll be able to schedule the tan early in the week before your wedding. In case something does go wrong, or you feel you’re too dark/unnatural right after the spray tan, you’ll have a few days for it to wear off (on regular clothes instead of your wedding attire).

It’s a good thing I set reminders on my calendar… I can’t believe it’s already been a month since I’ve posted a few of my favorite things!

By quickly glancing at my little collage, you’ll see that over half of it consists of food. It’s a good thing I’ve started exercising a bit!!

1. C9 by Champion – I decided that having cute workout clothes will motivate me to start exercising more. It’s worked so far (almost two weeks!!) but really, by looking at my workout history, I wasn’t going to invest much in clothing because who knows how long this “I like working out” phase will last!! Plus, I like their logo because it looks kinda fly like a G6.

2. My new ice cream maker – I’m on my third batch of ice cream (it’s okay, I shared!) and first of fro-yo since Christmas. :-)

3. Tracking numbers – I’m an online-shopping junkie and I like to know which days to expect the UPS or FedEx guy so I can change out of my pajamas by noon.

4. Hulu – I don’t really have tv at my apartment. Hulu to the rescue! I signed up for an account and so every time there’s a new episode of The Office, Parenthood, Castle, or The Bachelor online, it automatically adds them to my queue!!

5. Cinnamon Pecan Special K – My closest friends know that I love cold cereal. Until recently, I would keep my cupboard stocked with Lucky Charms, Fruity Pebbles, Kix, Cocoa Puffs, and anything that made Kindergarteners jealous. Since I found Cinnamon Pecan Special K, I am hooked. It’s like my taste buds went from grade school to grown-up with just one bowl of cereal.

6. Mostly Choclates – Lance came to visit last night and there was only half of one peanut butter crunch caramel left. So much for buying two of everything.