Leading up to the wedding day, I work closely with my clients to ensure that their photography runs without a hitch. We chat through every single photo request, their family tree, wedding party details and event timeline so that I have as much information as possible going into their day. This allows my clients to relax and know that we’ve got them covered on the photography end. Because I get so many photography timeline questions, I decided to share my words of wisdom with you all today. Artistrie clients – I hope you find this helpful! If you are engaged and working with a different photographer, these notes can still be helpful to you. Keep in mind that every photographer works differently and may have different time preferences. Enjoy!

In case you haven’t heard, I live for engagement sessions! Not only are they a great way to get to know my clients better before the wedding, it’s an awesome opportunity to translate their story and personalities into a collection of photographs. Over the last few years, I’ve been perfecting my preparation process to create truly personal photographs for my clients. Today, I’m sharing some pieces of that process with you!

My two very favorite Chicago hotels for my client’s getting ready photos are, without a doubt, The Public and the Waldorf Astoria. The combination of abundance of natural light, timeless decor, and neutral hues make both of these settings picture perfect for those bridal getting ready photos on the wedding day.

At Artistrie, one of our very favorite parts of the day happens when the bride and groom are getting ready to see each other. We love watching the bridesmaids laugh over mimosas, the men cheersing over whiskey, and the bride and groom getting dressed in anticipation of seeing one another. There’s so much excitement and joy in the air, and we love capturing every special moment.

If you want to make sure your getting ready photos are picture perfect, here are the three important pieces of advice to consider:

I’ll admit it. I’m not the biggest fan of winter in the midwest. During the colder months, I make it my mission to escape the snowy weather as often as I can. That being said, I do still love a beautiful winter wedding. There’s something so romantic about the snow fall and candlelight. A question I often get from winter brides is “Do you have experience photographing a winter wedding?”. Truth be told – the season or time of year doesn’t make a huge difference to a photographer’s technique. Believe me, if your wedding photographer is from the midwest, she already knows how to handle the cold and snow! Of course, there are a few tips I always love to share with my winter wedding clients in advance to their wedding day to make the portrait part of their day as easy (and as warm) as possible. Today I am sharing those winter wedding photo tips with you!

To first look or to not first look…that seems to be the question brides are asking these days! At Artistrie Co., we LOVE first looks! While I definitely appreciate the traditional approach of the groom waiting to see his bride down the aisle, there are some very practical reasons to see each other before the ceremony…

7 Tips for Beautiful Engagement Photos As a wedding photographer, engagement portraits are a huge part of my business. Every year, I work with approximately 35-40 different couples for their engagement sessions. It’s such an exciting period of time for the couple as they are getting ready to walk down the aisle. All of my […]