Wood Acres Farm is a hidden gem in Litchfield County. See why Wood Acres is one of our favorite places to host weddings!
Wedding Photography ideas are as trendy as tik tok dances. With so many creative ideas from funny poses and superimposed wildlife to the traditional bridal party shots, there’s no shortage of really cool photos to be taken. And as cool as that is, it’s very easy to lose track of time. One thing’s for sure. You’ve spent so much time, effort, and money to pull off the most amazing day in your life. And we don’t want you to miss a moment of it. Here’s a couple suggestions to maximize your time at the party and still get all the shots you want.
1. Spring for a 2nd photographer. By having a second shooter, you’re going to have so many more photos to choose from because essentially, the team is taking 2 times the amount of photos. A wedding could easily yield 5-8000 shots per photographer. And although that’s a ton of shots, each shot is part of a 3 shot technique to make sure everything that needs to be in the picture is and of the best quality. The other benefit is, by having a second shooter, they can also split up and capture some really amazing candid moments during your wedding ceremony, wedding reception and other formalities during the day. More shots means more options for the photographer to offer the best collection from your day following the editing process.
2. Do your formal shots BEFORE your ceremony so that you can enjoy cocktail hour too! Sure, this means you’re going to have to get up a little earlier and be on time to get out of the house and over to the wedding location but, it’ll be well worth it in the end. When you’re done posing for hundreds of pictures, you’re going to want to relax and mingle with friends. By giving yourself more time to mingle during cocktail hour, this gives you more opportunity to enjoy the meal that you paid for and your introductions will be on time and ready to go. If you’ve ever been a wedding guest, you know what it’s like to wait for the newlyweds to emerge from the bridal suite. If you need a few minutes to freshen up before your introductions to look your best, bustle your wedding dress, or just take a moment, getting your formals out of the way gives you more time.
3. Sunsets are amazing. Get your cake cutting done right after your first dance. Who doesn’t love a good sunset? The beauty of the sunkissed sky with so many colors and that deep blue off in the distance with the perfect couple enjoying each other on their special day. Ahhhhhmazing! Getting your cake cutting done before you sit down for toasts and a blessing does 1 of 2 things. First, it gives the caterer time to take the cake to the kitchen to be plated right after dinner service. Your guests will appreciate it because dessert will promptly be served following dinner. They’ll also love it because if you have a packed dancefloor, nothing kills the vibe and your packed dance floor better than shoving a formality smack dab in the middle of dancing and having your guests sit down. Also, if the cake is out of the way, you can run out really quick for those gorgeous sunset photos undetected and we can keep your party going until you come back!
4. Group shots during cocktail hour and also right before a slow song. Were you a part of a fraternity or sorority? Maybe you invited your highschool band to attend your wedding. Either way, group shots are a fun way to commemorate the life that you’ve shared with your guests over the years. And if they’re timed at the right place at the right time, you’ll get the shots you want without taking away from the rest of the reception. Cocktail hour is a great time for formal group shots with family, friends, and groups of people. Right before a slow song is an excellent opportunity to get that crazy frenzied group shot with all of your guests because they’ll already be on the floor.
5. Parents dances during dinner service. You’re the guest of honor. You will get served first. This mean’s you’ll finish first as well. Having your parents dances during the dinner service accomplishes a few things that people rarely think about. First, your guests will be seated during your parents dances because they’re eating. This is great because the likelyhood of having a hundred people with cell phones on the floor with you during that tender moment with mom or dad is minimal. You’ll have some great unobstructed shots of you and your parent. It also keeps us from having to sit everyone down during open dancing for a formality.
6. Feed your team before your guests. If you’re offering to feed your vendors (which is so appreciated because we’re working a 10+ hour day with zero breaks) please tell your caterer to feed them right after you are served. This will allow your photographer and other members of your wedding team to be ready to go when everyone is done with their meal to get back to work, back to dancing, and back to the party.
Please share with friend who’s getting married. You’ll thank us later when you’ve danced all night long, enjoyed your meal, and have the best shots imaginable!
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With engagement season right around the corner following New Years Eve, many couples will begin the process of planning their wedding. And like many couples, this is their first wedding and knowing what item to check off the list first can be confusing. So which should come first? The wedding venue, or the guest list?
Depending on what your goals are for your wedding reception, that will tell you where you need to start. If you’re looking for one stop shopping, a venue is your best bet. When searching for venues, it’s important to find out first what their minimums and capacity limits are. From there, you can get down to pricing for catering, service and any other add ons that you might want for your special day. Once you clear indication of the wide range of prices and packages, determine which venue gives you everything that you are looking for and go from there. When you set your budget, now you can begin putting your guest list together. Start from your closest family and friends and branch out through your list. Don’t forget, most guests will be bringing a plus one so that will double your number.
But if you’re planning to have your wedding in a tent outside or in a non-traditional venue, the guest list might be able to be taken care of first. Of course you want to find out what it would cost for tent rental, table, chairs, linens, flatware and the rest. But the possibilities are endless. You also have to consider climate control, parking, catering and sanitation. With tented weddings, you could easily have 300 guests, or you can have an intimate affair of 25 in the backyard. Either way, its up to you.
But if we had to give our professional opinion, we’d choose the venue first. Don’t be discouraged. Not every wedding is massive, and not every wedding is tiny. Find the wedding venue, and budget that works best with your priorities to give you and your guests the wedding you’d always dreamt of.