Open dance floor photos can get repetitive, let’s be honest, sloppy. My name is Kelsey. I am the owner and lead photographer of Capture by Kelsey, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As far as how late you want your photographer to stay into the night, unless you are doing some sort of grand exit like you have a vintage car showing up to take you away at the end of the night or if you are going to a different venue for some sort of after party that you’re really excited about that you want your photographer to go to, I would say that honestly, you only need your photographer to stay until half an hour into open dance floor. After that, you’re going to get pictures of the same people doing the same things and getting more and more inebriated. The one other caveat I will put to that is sunset. If sunset photos are really important to you and you are having a summer wedding where the sun sets late and you’re actually going to be kind of sneaking away from your dance floor to go do some sunset photos, then then have your photographer stay for sunset and then send them off.

It’s. Photos of the dance floor, especially after the first half hour or so, are bespoke blackmail. So if you want me to stay past about a half hour into open dancing, I need you to tell me who it is that you dislike that you want an unflattering photo of. I’m kind of kidding, but I’m kind of not. The important photos of the day are all before open dancing. Your first dance is going to be before that. All of your portraits are going to be the before that. All of your details are before that. And open dancing just kind of looks the same all night. The only reason that it makes sense for a photographer to say to the very end of the night is if you have planned a really visually interesting grand exit and you have a good plan for that. So I’m talking about sparklers or glow sticks or any of that. And by a good plan, I mean you know that there are still going to be people there to hold the glow sticks and they’re not going to be too drunk to burn you with the sparklers. I’m willing to do that. I oftentimes do unlimited time and couples love this, but the time when everyone’s just dancing, it’s so limited what you can actually get that makes people look good. So if you’re paying by the hour, dance floor time is a total waste.

So for your details, photos or pictures of your stuff, I would like for you to assemble everything that you put time or money or energy into, especially items that you’re going to wear on your person. So this is your dress, your shoes, your veil, your hairpiece, any accessories you’re going to wear, your robe, your slippers, all three rings, grooms and the brides, engagement and wedding band. Two copies of your invitation, especially if it is if any of the parts of it are printed on both sides, I need two copies so I can get one of each of those sides. Any styling blooms, if you have requested those from your florist or your florist has offered those, all of that stuff, if that can be ready first thing in the morning. When I show up, the first thing I want to do is say hi and let everyone get used to me while I’m not taking photos of their faces without makeup on. So I’m going to start with the stuff and don’t worry about where it is or what it looks like, because I’m going to style it for you. But if you can make me a pile so I know all of the things that I’m working with, and I don’t have someone come up to me at 04:00 p.m. And say, oh, here’s the invitation, because then the light’s about to be gone and I may not have time to get those important details.

If it’s important to you, it’s important to me. My name is Kelsey. I’m the owner and principal photographer of Captured by Kelsey, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As far as your detail photos go, those beautiful flat lays that you see all over Instagram moments of you putting, like, heirloom jewelry on or anything like that if it’s important to you, it’s important to me. Have those things put together and set aside before I arrive. That way. Typically, what will happen is as soon as I get there, I will start with all of those important to you details and make sure that I get those captured and then move into kind of some candid getting ready moments before we get you into your dress and for the grooms, before you get into your suit. So things like maybe you have some heirloom cufflinks that were passed down from your grandpa or something, or you’re wearing grandmother’s pearls, or you really put a lot of thought into your invitation suite, and you just really want to make sure that it’s captured professionally and beautifully. Any of those things your shoes, your dress, your jewelry. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me. Let’s get.

First of all, realize that you’re not alone. The fact that this question is on here means we’ve been asked this about arms by some huge percentage of clients. Kind of. Everybody hates their arms. Robin solely right. Using the veil to cover long hairstyles where your hair can be in front of your arms in pictures. Super handy. Um, I don’t want you to in your head about this, but you can. Part of it is just not squishing your arm up against your side. It’s like letting it hang more delicately. Also, whatever’s closest to the camera appears bigger, whereas what’s further away. So your photographer can totally pose you like this, and that makes a big difference. But it’s not going to be every single picture, and it’s not going to be every single picture that is. Candid the first place to start thinking about arms is with your dress. So if you try on your dress and you love everything about your dress but you’re like my arms, your photographer can only do so much. Start with your dress maker or your tailor, and if there’s some kind of overlay, there’s a lot of sleeve apparatus things that are happening these days. And get to where you like the way your arms look in the mirror at your dress fitting, or at least you don’t hate them. And then as a photographer, we will take it the rest of the way for.

I think it is really important to incorporate parents in a significant way in the day because oftentimes this is a bigger deal to them than we, as the couple getting married, way bigger deal than we realize for this to be a moment in their life. I don’t like doing parent first looks. I’m totally fine if that’s something the client wants, but I don’t like doing them because arranging the first look, somebody going out of the room, making sure that those people don’t see each other all morning before the bride. Is ready or before the groom is ready, and then arranging this special moment where oftentimes you’re making everybody else clear the room, it actually ends up adding ten or 15 minutes to the timeline for each one of those first looks that you want to do. So I think that if it really is important to get somebody’s reaction, like if your dad’s going to freak out over your dress, like, yes, absolutely, do a first look. But if not, do something like a gift exchange. Put in your timeline that you want your mom to be ready at a certain time and have them be there when you’re putting your dress on or having your final, or for the groom, putting on your jacket or your corsage. And then have them moment with them where you actually speak to each other and make sure your photographer is there to capture that.

Are you currently planning your wedding and you just don’t know how to make more beautiful, intentional moments for photos with either your parents or just those VIPs on your wedding day? Here’s an idea for you. My name is Hannah. I’m a wedding photographer here at Stay Golden Collective in Southern California. So lots of times on a wedding day, the only time we get for photos with our parents is usually just the formal family pictures and the first dances. Now, don’t get me wrong. Those can be some beautiful, beautiful photos, and they’re usually some of my favorites. The father daughter dance always makes me cry, and it’s just one of the best moments on a wedding day. But what if you want to have more than just those photos with your parents, especially the groom? Lots of times, a bride will do a first look with her father, but what about the groom? There’s usually not an extra moment besides the dances that you get for photos with the groom’s parents or just a special person in his life. So one idea that I just love is a letter or gift exchange. You can schedule this into your timeline and just have a private moment with each of your parents or just special person and just exchange a letter with them, just telling them how much you love them and just how you can thank them for raising you into the person that you are and in the person that your husband or wife is now going to marry. These make for some beautiful photos and just something a little extra.