Clients ask our advice on everything from timelines, to venues, to first looks, etc. We had so much success and great feedback on our Blog with What To Wear Tips (https://awecaptures.com/what-should-i-wear/) we thought we would add a monthly Blog with tips for our clients!

Right now is engagement season which means Brides and Grooms who are newly engaged are looking to start booking Venues! Here are some tips on what to look for in a Getting Ready Room and what to think about when planning the getting ready photos!

Tip 1: Find a Room With Natural Light!

It is so important that your getting ready room has a big window that allows for gorgeous natural light rather than harsh yellow incandescent light!! A lot of hotels or Bridal Suites already have this taken care of but it is something to keep in mind when looking for your getting ready location! If the location you are getting married at only has one dingy room to get ready in, remember you aren’t stuck with that as your getting ready room! Why not rent a hotel room to get ready at with a big window that allows for more natural light!

Tip 2: Avoid Clutter!

We always remind our Brides ahead of time to straighten up the room and de-clutter everthing before we get there so you don’t lose any precious time cleaning the room after we have arrived (and trust me, I understand how hard that is, you should see my bathroom when I get all dolled up, make-up, curling irons, you name it, its out and it’s a hot mess;) But another thing to think about is not just your clutter, but try to find rooms that either don’t have a lot of JUNK in it or rooms that can be re-arranged so we can present the illusion that the room is clean and clutter free!

Tip 3: Be Prepared! Plan Ahead!

This one is ten-fold! If you are on Pinterest and you see a beautiful photograph where the Bridesmaids are all wearing matching Robes with Cherry Blossoms on it and they are all drinking out of matching champagne glasses, that did not happen on accident! Plan ahead with any outfits, poses, or props you want to use! Have your invitations, rings, shoes, dress, etc. all ready and picture worthy! We can always come up with fun creative positioning for your detail shots on the spot but if you have something specific in mind, don’t forget to plan ahead! Bring a pretty hanger so you aren’t stuck with a crappy plastic hanger for your gorgeous dress! Just think ahead and pin any ideas you might have and if you have anything in particular you absolutely don’t want to forget, include it in your shot list so we can be prepared too!

Tip 4: Set Aside Plenty Of Time!

A lot of people don’t realize this but the Getting Ready portion of the day is actually some of the most crucial time and requires the most amount of time. We recommend that you set aside around 2 hours for the Getting Ready portion of the day! During this time we not only get the Getting Ready photos of the Bride and her Bridesmaids, and the Groom and his Groomsmen, we also get the First look with the Bride and her Mom/Dad or the Groom with his Mom/Dad. We get the shoe shot, the dress shot, the ring shot, invitation pictures, detail pictures of the rooms, Groom Portraits, and Bridal Portraits. This part of the day is so fun, the anticipation, the nerves, the candid moments, the genuine reaction to seeing the Bride and Groom all ready for the first time, it is too much fun to miss a single moment!

Tip 5: Don’t forget the Bridal Portraits and the Groom Portraits!

This is an extension of the last tip but it deserves it’s own headline! We can’t emphasize enough how important it is that you set aside time for posed and candid portraits of the Bride and Groom seperately. This day will go by so fast, you blink and it is over! The only thing you will have left years down the road are the memories and the photographs! We suggest that at some point you set aside anywhere between 15-30 minutes for the Bridal Portraits and 15-30 minutes for the Groom Portraits! Sometimes it takes people a little while to settle down and calm their nerves in order to get the really great shots, so set aside time for these pictures so you don’t feel so rushed! Also, scope out locations for the Bridal and Groom Portraits! Of course, we can find some great spots to use but while booking your venue, scope out locations and take mental notes on specific spots you want your portraits taken.

Tip 5: DO A FIRST LOOK BEFORE THE WEDDING!

Now, I would never urge anyone to do a First Look if they strongly believe in the tradition of seeing each other for the first time as the Bride walks down the isle! However, if you are on the fence about a First Look…..DO IT!!! Not only does it save immense time at the crucial Cocktail hour of the night (when your guests are VERY eager for you to enter the party and join in on the fun) but it gives you two a moment alone! Our best reactions from Grooms seeing their Brides is actually at the First Look! Just imagine, you don’t have all of the eyes of the crowd on you and you two get to just have a private, well mostly private aside from the click of our silent shutter, to just see eachother and really let the moment soak in; you are getting married TODAY! You get a private moment AND we get all of the photos of you two and all of the photos of the entire Bridal Party completely out of the way so after the ceremony we can do Family Photos and then maybe snap a few of you two in a different location and then you get to go do what the whole night is all about….CELEBRATE AND PARTY THE NIGHT AWAY!!! If you are debating a first look….just do it!! I swore I would never do it for the longest time because of tradition and blah blah, now, when I get married the one thing I know for SURE is I am doing a First Look!!

Tip 6: Have Fun!

Just have fun with finding your Getting Ready location and with all of the planning that goes with it! Go on Pinterest and find inspiration, find rooms that speak to you and stick to your theme or style! We will get amazing photos no matter what, because let’s face it, we are pros, so take a deep breath and know that it will all work out and it will be the best day of your life! And if anything goes wrong, either it will be so off that you will laugh about it later, or it will be something you thought was so important and years later you completely forget that you didn’t have that exact glass you had bought just for your getting ready photos! Have fun with it! After all, it is the best party you will ever throw and all of your closest friends and family will be there to celebrate the day with you!!

Feel free to email us with any questions or any advice you might need on any aspect of your wedding! We love discussing your wedding with you, looking at your pinterest boards, hearing your creative ideas, and we love helping with any tips you might need since it not only makes your big day easier, it makes our job easier! We are passionate about what we do and we love sharing that passion with you! We can’t wait for your big day so let’s get this ball rolling! =)

Here are some images from our favorite rooms, our favorite props, and just our faves!

Jenn and Garrett got married downtown at the Courtyard D’Oro and it was perfection! The day started with a surprise note on Jenn’s shoe from Garrett, to a first look by the Old Bridge, a lovely intimate courtyard ceremony, fun posed pictures in the alleyway, a super fun reception with lots of dancing and a song performed by Garrett’s sisters and Mom that was beyond fantastic, and then the two partied with their closest friends at the bar down the street after! The day was such a blast and went by so quickly!
Jenn and Garret have such a unique style and the downtown vibe fit them too perfectly! If you are thinking of getting married downtown, The Courtyard D’Oro has so much charm to offer and gave us so many fun city scape pictures! We even walked down to the Old Bridge for some sunset pictures! We might have had to run into traffic and stop everyone from driving on the bridge for a minute but it was so worth it!! I will just let their pictures tell the rest of their story! Enjoy!

*Vendor Love*
Venue: Courtyard D’Oro Downtown Sacramento Instagram: @courtyarddoro
Hair by Instagram @jehalby
Flowers by Morning Side Florist www.morningsideflorist.com Instagram: @morningsideflorist

At Folsom Lake Inn this last fall, Samantha and Kevin were married! Their wedding had a really fun theme: Superman and Wonderwoman!! Kevin and Samantha bonded over their love for comic books so it only makes sense that they would incorporate it into their big day. From ties, to cufflinks, to charms on the girls’ bracelets, to the brides shoes, we saw hints of their theme and it was soooo fun!
Kevin and Samantha are the sweetest couple and it was so fun to work with them! You could tell Kevin was so nervous before the wedding and Samantha was anxious! The moment they saw eachother while Samantha walked down the ilse, you could see the emotion and excitement build! Kevin tried so hard to fight tears back as he watched his beautiful bride walk down the ilse to become his wife. Now, don’t mistake Kevin for a softy, he might take you down, but he does have a soft spot for his wife and family! You can tell these two admire eachother, keep eachother in check, and deeply love one another!
I hear horror stories all the time of brides that are divas or are unkind to their photographers or DJs but these two were so far from that! They were so thankful for all the time we put in to work with them and thanked us more than a few times, even though we were the ones that should be thanking them! They were so fun and fantastic to work with, we can’t wait to work with them again in the future! I think I see some maternity photos in the future. 😉 Enjoy their photos!!!
Vendor Love:
Wedding Venue: Folsom Lake Inn
Hair by Katy Instagrom: @katycombshair
Makeup by Carly www.LashBossLady.com Instagram: @lashbosslady

Tessa walked into Physics class late. The whole room turned to look at her as she tried to find a seat but couldn’t find anywhere to sit. Tyson noticed her in her teal blue shirt immediately. He was struck by how beautiful she was and stood up to offer her his seat. She took his seat and thanked him. She was taken with him right away. From that moment on a friendship built and that friendship grew to be more and the rest is history. In her own words in her vows, “That first day in class you gave up your seat for me and stood next to me the rest of the class period. And now you still stand next to me today to make me your wife.”

When people ask us what our favorite part of this job is, while the answer is tenfold, the main answer is people like Tessa and Tyson! Meeting people like them and building lasting friendships, that is HANDS DOWN our favorite part of this job! You can tell that these two are clearly adorable and out of this world attractive but they are so much more! Tessa’s elegance and kindness shines through every moment. Also, she is obnoxiously good at any game she plays, even if it is her first time. Really, its infuriating. 😉 She has met her perfect match in Tyson, though. He’s so charismatic and funny, you can’t help but laugh with him and have a good time in his presence. The way they compliment each other but are also so real with each other, it is so refreshing! Tessa even saved her shirt she wore on the day they met and sowed a patch of it into the shape of a heart on her wedding skirt! You can see Tyson’s reaction was very sweet and emotional!

We are so glad to call these two friends and their day was nothing short of magical. Granted, we are biased, but their wedding was spectacular! From the getting ready moments at their suites in the Hyatt Regency Downtown, to their first look in the outside patio, to their beautiful intimate ceremony, their pictures in the capital park, to their super fun reception! We had so much fun, in fact, we stayed up until about 4:30 am the next day and partied the night away with them.

You guys, the love between these two is so fun and so genuine, so raw and real, it was more than a pleasure to capture every moment for them, it was a huge honor. These two have become life long friends and we are so glad they hired us to photograph their big day! Okay enough gushing……here are their photos!! Enjoy….oh and first some VENDOR LOVE! They had an AMAZING team of people including a fantastic hair stylist, creative florist, skilled DJ, amazing caterer etc!! CHECK THEM OUT!

Wedding Planner: Denise Ellis, [email protected], 1.916.321.3529
Hair and Make-up Artist: Lea Buehler, [email protected], 916-705-5827
Florist: Visual Impact design, [email protected], 916-489-3746
DJ: Michael Anderson, [email protected], Office: 916.344.7000