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wedding guide

the tori kelner photography

explore:

capturing your love story through
natural, genuine, and warm imagery

Meet Tori

vendor recommendations

engagement session

outfit inspo

getting ready

planners

first looks

ceremony

sunset portraits

reception

online gallery

rainy days

albums

welcome!

oh hey you!

I recommend bookmarking this page so you can reference it throughout your planning process!

Heyoooo my cutie couple!!! I'm SO freaking excited to welcome you to the fam! I hope you’re already soaking in allllll the excitement of being fiances!! There’s so much to look forward to during this special time in your lives!

This guide will be an amazing resource as you dive into planning. You’ll find what to expect with your photography experience, tips and advice for all aspects of your big day, links to different helpful resources, and more!

I’ll walk you through everything, but please feel free to check out what’s ahead by scrolling through the guide! I can’t wait to share everything with you and help ease any stresses that may come with planning. I’m here for you through it all, so please don’t hesitate to reach out at any time!

You ready?! let's dive in

always cooking

annie's vegan mac+cheese

for dessert

cookie dough

wearing no matter the season

fuzzy socks

in my free time

puppy snuggles

01 / 04

listening to

britney spears

relationship status

married to my teenage crush!

in my glass

tom collins

passport faves

edinburgh + florence

02 / 04

always rewatching

harry potter

forever binging

schitts creek + gilmore girls

shopping at

target, of course

late night snacking on

taco bell burritos

03 / 04

candle scent

jasmine

favorite color

yellow ochre

random obsession

artichokes

in my mug

vanilla oat milk latte

04 / 04

my heart in all of this

After seeing so many different types of weddings over the years, I've realized one really important thing: the point in all of this – your marriage – sometimes gets lost a little in the planning process. My purpose is to create beautiful images, while my passion is to give you the permission and support to do your day however the heck you want.

I want to show off how your love actually FEELS. Whether you want your day to be entirely intimate and just the two of you vowing to forever surrounded by nature or a raging party that lasts through the night under the open-air dance floor surrounded by twinkle lights, the stars, and your favorite people – as long as you're choosing what's true to you, I'm so here for it.

The last thing I want to hear is that you wish you had eloped or not listened to what everyone else was saying. Here is your permission to make the choice YOU want for your day. Go wild, be those carefree babes you are, and do your day your way! I'll be there laughing, crying, and celebrating with you the whole way through.

vendor recommendations

i wouldn't recommend them if i didn't love 'em!
i know you will, too!

Our session will last 1.5 - 2 hours, includes your choice of location (or 2 nearby spots if you can't choose a fave!) and multiple outfits. keep in mind, the more locations and outfits means more variety but fewer images in each look or at each location, since we have to factor in driving, changing, etc.! You can expect around 100 amazing images in your gallery!

what's included

01 of 03

I recommend wearing just one or possibly two outfits at most to make the best use of our time! Typically, One dressy and one casual is perfect. dressy doesn't have to mean a ballgown or a suit - I always want you to look and feel like yourselves, but feel free to spice up your everyday vibe for this special occasion! I'll send you a whole what to wear guide to help you along the way! don't worry, I've got you!

what to wear

02 of 03

Since weekends are dedicated to my weddings, I schedule engagement sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings about 2 hours before sunset. Our start time is simply based on the sunset time at the time of year you're considering! I will be in touch soon after booking your wedding photography with me, so we can plan a date and time and get your dream session on the calendar!

scheduling

03 of 03

my personal fave!

engagement session

This is one of the FIRST steps of your experience with me, which also makes it SUPER exciting! There are two main perks of our time together (besides getting gorgeous photos, of course): 
1. Spend more time together and get to know each other better!
2. Dedicated time to get comfortable in front of my camera, learn how I work and pose, and become PROS for when your wedding day comes!

what to expect

You may be feeling a little nervous about being in front of the camera... I mean, you're not used to having a big black box pointed at you, am I right?! Even *I* get nervous when I'm having photos done!!

It's COMPLETELY normal to feel this way, but I want to encourage you to just relax and have a good time. I'm going to be giving you allllll the direction so you never feel like you know what your doing. We're going to capture those timeless photos that everyone loves, while getting a little goofy and having fun (don't be surprised if I pull out my speaker and turn on some music!!). Some prompts I give you both might seem a little silly at first, but TRUST ME, they create some legit magic.

All you two have to do is show up and be an adorable couple in love... easy, right?! I'll take care of the rest and we're going to have a lot of FUN!

tips & tricks

BE ON TIME: The sun is only out for so long! The later you arrive, the less time we have to shoot! And nobody wants that!

BRINGING THE DOG: I adore all the cute pups, so naturally, I LOVE it when you bring them along! The best way to include them is to have someone else join us to take care of your pup during the shoot, bring them for just a portion, or choose a session location that is less than 5 minutes away from your home. We will work out the details!

CLEAN THE RING: I love to shoot a few ring shots while you change outfits! The cleaner, the better!

EMPTY YOUR POCKETS: Literally! You don’t want to have key chains or phones showing through your pockets.

BE COMFORTABLE: Make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing. Make it make sense for the environment (heels while hiking.. maybe not!) and make sure you LOVE every aspect of it! Don't love your arms? Maybe wear something with sleeves. Don't love the cold? Wear a chunky sweater!

RELAX: You don’t have to be a pro at this! I’m going to help you along the way and it’s going to be a blast! Enjoy this time together and make a date out of it! Plan dinner afterwards and celebrate!! I mean, you're already all dressed up!

HOW MANY OUTFITS? Most often, my couples like to have one casual, everyday outfit (think: date night) and then one outfit that is dressier! This will give your shoot two totally different “looks.” I recommend beginning with the dressy outfit first and/or ending with your FAVE outfit for sunset!

PREPARE YOUR PARTNER: Your partner may not be overly excited to take photos, because they don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to you. Take fifteen minutes to educate and empower them. Tell them why you chose me and my style of photography. Show them your three favorite sessions that I’ve done, explain why you love them and express to them how much it means to you. Trust me, they'll light up the camera for you! The most common thing I hear before engagement sessions is this: because of a bad experience in the past, they don’t like taking photos or don’t think they’ll be good at it. By the time we’re done, though, they can’t believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had! I’ve had SO many couples tell me after the engagement session was done, “Wow, I can’t believe how fun that was!”

PROFESSIONAL HAIR & MAKEUP: I highly recommend doing your hair and makeup trial right before your engagement session! This will not only ease the stress of you having to do it yourself, but you'll get to see how the hair and makeup you want for your big day will actually LOOK in photos. It also gives you a way to use the trial towards your session! Win, win!


check out the full

what to wear guide

click here!

melissa & chris

historic smithville park
eastampton, nj

tina & jason

canyonlands
utah

allie & jake

long branch
new jersey

 “I’m in tears! Happy ones, of course! You really work magic. You’ve captured our love so perfectly!”

- Nikki & Ryan

click here for a full pinterest board with tons of outfit inspiration!

location recommendations

First off, I want to say that I ALWAYS encourage my couples to think of session locations that have MEANING to them. This will allow us to capture more genuine images that reflect your personality. Think: Favorite date spot, where you met, where he proposed, your wedding venue, your home, where you had your first date, etc. Some of my all time fave locations have been hidden gems my couples know about from their own adventures that they take me to! However, if you're totally stumped for locations, have no fear!! We'll work together to pick a location that fits you two best!

Here is a list I've compiled of some of my favorite/most common locations for photo sessions! I love these spots in particular because I'm able to provide photos that are super consistent with what you see on my website and blog, and also provide a huge variety in backgrounds for you! If a location you're considering is not on this list, we can TOTALLY make it happen! I love exploring new spots that are special to you! Again, I encourage you to pick locations that have meaning to you. If there's a spot that is especially meaningful and would love to incorporate it, let's chat!!

Red Mill Museum
Clinton, NJ

This location is super cute for those who love a little urban/downtown vibe and a good amount of nature! There's a lot to explore in all seasons. Plus, there are cute coffee shops, ice cream shops, and spots to grab beer or wine if that's your style, too!

ADDRESS: 56 Main St, Clinton, NJ 08809

Asbury Boardwalk
Asbury Park, NJ

If you love color and the beach, this is your place! There's plenty of vibrancy here, and a great set of jetties to wander onto! It's always fun to explore this area, but truly ANY NJ beach can be an awesome location! Pick your fave and let's jump in the water!

ADDRESS: 1300 Ocean Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Central Park of Morris
Morristown, NJ

A perfect location for nature lovers who want that outdoorsy feel without the stress of a full hike! Tall grassy fields, a great sunset location, and a pretty secluded area so you can still get wild and fun without feeling awkward without people around!

ADDRESS: 91 Central Ave, Morris Plains, NJ 07950

Historic Smithville Park
Eastampton, NJ

Lots of beautiful buildings and nature to explore here! This is a little gem of a location that isn't usually super busy! There's often a great field for sunset, and even when it's mowed, it looks great! Definitely a great option for Central/South Jersey/PA!

ADDRESS: 803 Smithville Rd, Eastampton Township, NJ 08060

Tyler State Park
Newton, PA

This is a pretty busy park, but because it's huge, there's always open space to shoot! They do require a permit, but it's a great location for fields, stream/lake, and plenty of nature in the PA area! Look at those golden hour fields!

ADDRESS: Depends on the area we choose!

Coastal Chic Home
Asbury Park, NJ

If you're looking for the cutest little home for a cozy in-home session, let's head to my fave rental home! It's owned by a videographer so they know great lighting, and the decor is on point! It's a few hundred dollars to rent, but worth it if you want a picture-esque location!

ADDRESS: Given upon renting

planners

I have had the opportunity to work with many incredible wedding planners, from day of coordinators to full service planners! They can provide help for your wedding day in a way that no one else can. They also give me the opportunity to solely focus on taking your beautiful photos while they keep the timeline going throughout the day! There are typically many different types of services planners offer, so here are a few to consider for different aspects of planning:

VENDOR MATCH-MAKING
Some planners offer the option of helping you with "vendor match-making." They will sit down with you and ask you what you're looking for in your different vendors, and offer the best suggestions within your budget. From what I've heard, the amount of money you save doing this by knowing where to invest more (AND finding vendors who are the perfect fit) saves you more than what you pay! Plus, you'll have a dream team that will be amazing for your wedding!

STYLING SERVICES
Many planners also offer day-of styling services in addition to planning. This means they will be in charge of setting up your spaces and the design. They'll add a beautiful, creative touch and since they've worked alongside you up to your wedding day, they can carry out your vision perfectly. This also means mom won't be running around trying to set everything up! They have you covered!

BENEFITS OF A DAY-OF COORDINATOR
If nothing else, this is the BEST thing you can do for your wedding in this area!! It is so crucial to have a go-to person the day of that can take care of the logistics and answer questions. Otherwise, this burden typically falls on your mom, maid of honor, or photographer. They are there to run the day and make sure everything goes smoothly. This typically also includes planning the month before your wedding. Once that one month mark hits, they will take over and conquer the last minute planning details for you. What a stress reliever!

FULL-SERVICE PLANNING
If you want wedding planning to be as stress-free as possible, this is the route to go! They will be there from your engagement all the way until the end of your wedding day. They are there to take care of all the planning for you, so you can relax and enjoy being engaged. They work alongside you to create the perfect vision for your wedding day, help you choose vendors, create your timeline, work out the logistics, and everything else that goes into planning. They basically become your best friend during the process, because just about everything is off your plate!

My biggest piece of advice in this area is to at the very least have a go-to person, ideally a day-of coordinator. If you don't have one appointed person, those responsibilities are going to fall on someone else (usually your mom, maid of honor, or photographer). Whoever ends up taking over the logistical things that pop up the day-of, they won't be able to enjoy the day or focus solely on their job. Sometimes your venue will provide a day-of coordinator, but make sure they will be there the whole day and are there to actively help! Sometimes they're there just to oversee things and not help with the things that need to happen the day-of. If you're okay with this go-to person being a family member, then go for it! But realize that they aren't going to be able to enjoy your day, so you'll have to be okay with that. Bringing someone else in isn't as much as you'd think, and it takes so much stress off everyone! They can also be a really good middle man when sticky situations come up throughout the wedding day. Trust me, you won't regret it!

getting ready

CONSIDER LOCATION DISTANCE & TRAVEL TIME
If you're choosing to get ready at a separate location from your venue, I recommend finding a location nearby so you're not traveling too far. This is one of the most special days of your lives, so spending 30 minutes to an hour (or more!) sitting in a car just to get to your venue can take time out of your day!

By getting ready at your venue or at a nearby location (within 15 minutes), you'll eliminate the risk of anything pushing the timeline off track like unexpected traffic, a flat tire, forgetting something, etc.

 If your wedding party and family can get ready at the same or nearby locations (Airbnbs, venue, or hotel), that definitely can help minimize the chance that one side of the party has a longer drive than the other, which again, could result in timeline delays.

GETTING READY SPACE
If you're trying to decide where to get ready, this is HUGE! I always opt for spaces with lots of windows. When it's time to get into your dress, I will likely direct you to a clean area that has lots of window light coming in! If you don't love the option your venue has or if a nearby hotel isn't your vibe, opt for a cute local AirBnb with great aesthetics!

I always suggest choosing a clean, spacious getting ready room that has a lot of natural light coming in! It’s easy for your getting ready space to get cluttered with bags, garbage, snacks, etc. really quickly, so if there’s a separate side room to keep that out of the way, we’ll have nice clean, well-lit getting-ready photos!

I’m always team-Airbnb or venue suite since you can have multiple rooms to put everyone’s stuff! Then, we can use the clean, open space for photos! Plus, there is usually plenty more room than a hotel suite for everyone to relax and enjoy the morning without feeling cramped!

HAIR & MAKEUP ADDITIONAL TIME
I recommend an extra TWO HOURS for hair and makeup than you think you'll need! Your stylists will know best on how long each person will take to get hair and makeup done, but I'd rather have you sipping champagne and having a dance party in your robes than stressing over a late timeline if things run late. I would encourage you to have hair and makeup scheduled to be done around 30 minutes before you're scheduled to get into your dress. This gives you some buffer time in case we run behind! Again, always give EXTRA time, I'd rather you be ready and have time to relax than rush!

GATHER YOUR DETAILS
If you can, please have all of your details gathered before I arrive! My biggest recommendation is to put them all in one box or bag so they are all in one place. This includes:

All 3 rings | A copy of your invitation suite | Your jewelry | Shoes | Bridal dress
Veil | Hair pieces | Perfume | & anything else you want photographed!

Same goes for the guys – make sure their details are prepped for my second photographer!

Tie/Bowtie | Watch | Cufflinks | Shoes | Funky Socks | Cologne | Boutonnières | & anything else they want photographed!

HAVE YOUR BOUQUET ARRIVE BEFORE I START SHOOTING
If possible, have your florist deliver your bouquet and boutonnières BEFORE I am scheduled to arrive. This ensures they will be included with all of the other pretty details!

RING BOX
This is just a bonus tip here, but purchasing a velvet ring box in your wedding colors will help to personalize your details! My favorite places to buy them are from TheFamilyJoolz and The Mrs. Box!

GETTING IN YOUR DRESS
Make sure to have it in the timeline that your bridesmaids, mom, and anyone else you want to help you get into your dress be ready AT LEAST 15 minutes before your schedule time. This ensures they can be included in these special photos!

MAIL THE SAVE THE DATE & INVITATION
If you could mail me a copy of your save the date and wedding invitation with all of the others, that would be AMAZING! Please feel free to reach out if you need my mailing address!

GROOMSMEN PREP
My second shooter will photograph the guys getting ready before meeting up for first look or ceremony. If you want anything specific photographed beyond details and prep photos, please make sure to communicate that with me! I've had people want to go bowling the day of, so we made it happen for photos!

First Looks

There is no pressure to do one; however, there are SO many benefits and reasons why many of my couples do opt for one!

So you might be asking... what is a first look?! Well, let me tell you! A first look is when the couple arranges a private time to see each other before the ceremony. The only people present will be the two of you and your photographers and videographers! First looks are very popular for so many reasons! There are so many incredible benefits of doing one!!

Although I love this so much on a wedding day, I also always encourage my couples to do whatever they want to do. Because at the end of the day, it’s their wedding, and what they prefer matters the absolute most! So, although I love it so much, I do want their day to go however they envision. This is just meant to help you decide whether it’s right for you, and why I recommend it so much!

Benefits of a First Look

YOUR ONLY ALONE TIME.
Throughout the chaos of a wedding day, it will very likely be your ONLY alone time! It allows you to have a chance to talk and enjoy hanging out with each other. You get to be present and soak in all those feels without a bunch of eyes on you! Plus, you get to extend your day TOGETHER by 2-3 hours instead of waiting!

FRESH HAIR AND MAKEUP
My brides LOVE this because your hair and make up is totally fresh for all of your portraits. You don't have to worry about touching up before photos because you just had your hair and makeup done! Your bridesmaids will LOVE you for this, as well!

MORE PORTRAITS IN YOUR FINAL GALLERY
With a first look, you can ENJOY taking all of your wedding portraits and not feel rushed. Plus, you'll receive MORE variety in your portraits because of the extra time! It makes taking photos a lot more enjoyable because you aren't trying to squeeze them all in!

LOGISTICALLY, IT'S A DREAM!
You can finish the majority of your wedding photos before the ceremony begins. We will jump right into your portraits, wedding party photos, and even family photos after the first look! This means no long cocktail hours with guests waiting on us to finish taking photos! 

IT DIMINISHES NERVES.
So many couples say their nerves went away after they saw each other! It helps you to feel more relaxed and make the ceremony more enjoyable. Plus, you’ll probably remember your ceremony better because you weren’t so nervous. The whole thing would probably be a blur otherwise!

YOU CAN ENJOY COCKTAIL HOUR
I try to do family formals before the ceremony, but we can also do it immediately following the ceremony. Either way, you can actually go enjoy cocktail hour! Your wedding party and family will thank you that they get to enjoy ALL of cocktail hour!

Parent First Looks

If you and your parent are especially close, a first look with them is one of the SWEETEST things you can do. It gives them the opportunity to see you and your whole look before everything gets crazy, and a special time for you to connect.

These easily become one of my FAVORITE parts from past weddings because they are so emotional and sweet! You'll be surprised at how emotional your parent gets when they see you for the first time. If you want this in your timeline, let me know so we can add in an extra 10 minutes to make this happen!

Bridesmaids First Looks

A first look with bridesmaids can be super cute if you want to do it! It's special if most of your girls haven't seen your dress yet, since it's the perfect way to show it to them and to capture their priceless reactions at the same time.

It typically only takes about 10 minutes during the getting ready portion of the day. The only challenge is making sure everyone is dressed and put together by the time you have your dress on, so good communication with your girlfriends is a must if you want to add this into your timeline!

unplugged ceremonies

If you’re not familiar with unplugged ceremonies, they are essentially when you request that your guests turn off all of their devices for the ceremony. This allows the photographer to work more freely with no worry of getting guests in their shots! As a photographer, there is nothing worse than trying to photograph the bride coming down the aisle and have someone stick their phone out in front of you (yes, it happens)!

I think these are a GREAT idea, and I’ve had many of my couples do them with amazing success! Guests are typically very respectful if you ask them to not be taking photos during the ceremony and it will reflect in your photos. This especially shows in the wider shots; you’ll either see a lot of guests holding their phones up for photos, or your guests sitting and enjoying the moment!

To make this happen at your ceremony, I recommend first having a sign at the entrance of the ceremony that encourages guests to put away their devices! You can also include a short and sweet line on your ceremony program that requests that no one has their devices out. You can also request your officiant to announce it a few minutes before the ceremony starts, to reenforce what they’ve already read! This is key – make sure someone announces it!

Not only will your photographer love you, but a beautiful thing happens: your guests are sitting and enjoying the moment you two become husband and wife, instead of staring at their screens. What a beautiful way to encourage your guests to unplug for a short amount of time to enjoy such a special moment with the two of you.

Family Formals

About 2-3 months out from your wedding, I will send you a pre-wedding questionnaire! This is where you will give me the exact shot list for your family formals. I do ask that we try to keep the list to around 20 groupings (anything past that we can grab at the reception!)
Here is an example shot list for you to get started:

BRIDE’S SIDE
Bride & Groom with Full Family (parents, step parents, grandparents, siblings)
Bride & Groom with each set of grandparents
Bride & Groom with parents, siblings
Bride & Groom with parents
Bride & Groom with siblings
Bride with mom
Bride with dad

BRIDE & GROOM’S SIDE
Bride & Groom with all parents
Bride & Groom with all parents & siblings

GROOM’S SIDE
Bride & Groom with Full Family (parents, step parents, grandparents, siblings)
Bride & Groom with each set of grandparents
Bride & Groom with parents, siblings
Bride & Groom with parents
Bride & Groom with siblings
Groom with mom
Groom with dad


I recommend saving the large extended group photo with aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. for a more casual reception photo on the dance floor! You can definitely do them during family formals, but just know these take a bit of extra time to coordinate and everyone must be present an hour before the ceremony if you're doing a first look to make these happen!

Sunset Portraits

Sunset portraits are literally the BEST ten minutes of portraits you'll get on your wedding day. Typically we'll sneak out for 10 minutes during your reception (in-between events, of course!) or right after family formals to grab a few of these! Trust me, they are WORTH IT and are the dreamiest photos with glowy lighting.

They also give you another chance to slow down and connect with each other, away from the energy of your big day!

If it ends up being overcast, don't worry! I've had SO MANY overcast and rainy weddings end up having a beautiful sunset. If the sun isn't peaking out, we might still sneak out for some extra portraits for variety at a different location at your venue!

Ceremony Exit Options

You have so many options if you want a little exit on your way down the aisle from your ceremony! Typically, with church ceremonies, all the guests would line up outside as the couple walked through – they'd blow bubbles, waive ribbons, throw bird seeds, and so on! Most of my couples now opt to get married at their venue, which means they go right into cocktail hour after the ceremony – no break for a 10-15 minute exit and a 15-20 minute receiving line! So, a lot of couples opt to do an exit as they're walking back down the aisle! Same concept while taking no extra time out of your day!

Some cute ideas I've seen for ceremony exits are bubbles, bubble guns, ribbons, dried or fresh flower petals, dried leaf confetti, bird seeds (not all venues allow this now), biodegradable confetti, sparklers (yep, I've seen them during the day!), and confetti blasters! So many fun ideas that can make for even more exciting "just married" aisle photos!

Pro tip: stop halfway down the aisle for a biiig dip kiss!

Reception Exit Options

There are SO many options when it comes to exits. Sparklers, bubbles, glow sticks, rose petals, etc.!

If your coverage ends before your exit, you have the option of planning a "mock" exit with your wedding party. This is more common than you may think. Instead of saving your exit until the very end, you can plan a mock exit with just the members of your wedding party and even your immediately family members. This allows us to have more control over these shots and the party for your guests never has to stop. In most cases, no one even notices that you are missing for a few minutes. Also, it’s almost impossible to tell that the whole wedding isn’t there waving sparklers and sending off the happy couple. This idea allows my couples to save money and still have all of the shots that they dreamed of.

Pro Tip:
Get the SUPER long sparklers! They last the longest and look best for photos!

Rainy Weddings

One of the most COMMON questions I get asked is, what happens if it RAINS on my wedding day? While this isn't always ideal and doesn't match the sunny day you imagine while planning, I want to encourage you that you can still have GORGEOUS photos, even if it's rainy! Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind: 

1. Overcast skies = perfect lighting. Sunlight, especially mid-day, is actually very harsh. Rainy days give that perfect, soft, natural lighting, no matter where you take your photos! This gives you perfect lighting + the ability to use a lot more locations. It also tends to make colors look more vibrant. :) Don’t get me wrong, I love golden, sunlit photos… but overcast has its advantages, for sure!

2. Let me worry about the photos. On your wedding, the only thing you should have to worry about is being present and enjoying your day! :)

3. Be willing to go outside! Most of the time when it’s raining, it’s a lot of light sprinkles and not long, huge downpours… going outside is still definitely doable! I typically will find areas that have large trees to cover my couple & bridal party, or overhangs on the side of buildings. I also bring along cute, clear umbrellas to a wedding day that keep you almost totally dry, even when you’re not under anything! :) And they look adorable! All photos I’ve ever taken outside in the rain hardly even LOOK like it’s raining.

4. Have a rain plan. Especially if you are having an outdoor wedding, this is very important! Be sure to communicate to your vendors what they should do if it rains on your wedding day. That way, if the situation arises, they will already know what to do and you won’t have to worry about a thing. Ask your venue about their rain plan EARLY, you want to know that you still LOVE this option if it arises!

reception formalities

From past experience, it’s typically best to schedule the big events of your reception within the first hour or so – first dances, parent dances, toasts, etc. There's a chance that some wedding guests will leave a little bit after the meal (oftentimes older guests or guests with children), so having the main events while guests are still around will allow you to share those events with those who have to leave early. Plus, when couples wait to do their first dance and parents dances later in the night, they're usually much sweatier and their hair is a bit looser by that point if that matters to you!

I always find that doing the first dances (yours and parents), toasts, etc. all around the same time makes for a better flow of the evening. Think about your guests' experience – if they’re asked to get up and dance for 2-3 songs, then asked to go to their seats for the next toast or dance, and then back up for dancing, then back for the first course, and so on, it ends up kind of killing the vibe that your band or DJ gets going! Once you have people on the dance floor, it's awesome to let them just enjoy and not stop them from partying too much. Totally up to you two and the venue's experience, but I love seeing the crowd get pumped for dancing, and it seems to slow them down when there is a lot of stopping and starting! Definitely always good to have some dance breaks still, though!

albums & prints

I’ll tell you this – once the wedding excitement has simmered down, you’re going to be left with a gallery of images on your computer to scroll through and, sadly, the memories may slowly start to fade year after year. Now that’s not to scare you, but as you begin your journey as a married couple, I hope you start to find the beauty in tangible memories, like printed photos on your walls and heirloom albums on your coffee table. You’ll share this book with your loved ones while you’re all curled up in a fuzzy blanket on the couch. You’ll one day be flipping through these pages while telling stories of the day you said, “I do.” This album isn’t just for you and your spouse to enjoy, although I hope you will keep it well-loved. This album is for your children, and one day, your grandchildren. You’ll share this album with them, and the love story that started it all. Your legacy. Whew, anyone else get the chills?! Yeah, same.

Your wedding album is a 10 x 10” custom-designed and fully archival book with high-quality images printed on thick pages that don’t bend. The pages open up to lay-flat panoramic spreads. It comes with 20 spreads (40 pages) to fully tell the story of your wedding day.

The linen cover material comes in a variety of colors and styles. Most album designs include approximately 80-90 images, depending on each album’s unique design. The design process allows for a few rounds of revisions if necessary and full consideration for the images that mean the most to you. I have plenty more information about albums that I will send you once you receive your final gallery!

more album info here

The process is super simple! I'll do the heavy lifting by selecting the first round of images for my album designer to use! These will mostly come from your blog post photos! My professional designer will lay out beautiful spreads that best tell the story of your day! I can't wait for you to see the first draft come together!

design

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After you receive the first draft of your wedding album, you'll be able to go in and make any revisions that you want! Think: swapping an image you see to another one from the gallery, adding an extra spread with more photos you love, or rearranging the images so certain ones are highlighted instead of others! It's totally up to you how your album looks in the end!

revise

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After 2 - 3 rounds of revisions, we'll finalize your album and send it off to print! I'll send over a questionnaire for you to choose the album details like cover color, text on the front cover, any additional parent albums, and a beautiful wooden keepsake box for your album to sit in! This is where you put your finishing touches on before it gets sent to your home!

order

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the process

heirloom albums

 “Tori is an absolutely amazing photographer! Not only is she
incredibly talented, but she is also a joy to work with. Funny, helpful, and willing to be adventurous, which is exactly what we were looking for in a photographer. We consider her to be more than just a photographer but also a friend!”

- Kaelyn & Veronica

thank you

Thank you for allowing me to photograph your big day! I don't take it lightly and am SO excited for you. I want you to know that I am HERE for you throughout wedding planning! If you have ANY questions at all along the way, feel free to reach out to me via email at any point. I hope this guide serves as an amazing resource for you as you plan and prepare for your big day! I'm not only here to help but I want to encourage you that marriage is WORTH IT. It is your greatest adventure yet – always keep that in mind! At the end of the day, no matter what happens, you'll be married and that's the most important thing of all. Thank you again for choosing me as your photographer, and happy planning! xoxo

With love,
Tori

to the blog

tk

education

planning the perfect wedding day timeline

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tk

education

adding buffer time into your wedding timeline

to the blog

tk

education

the importance of thoughtful, unique wedding details

looking for more wedding advice?
check out the blog:

to the blog

tk

education

how to plan a stress-free wedding morning!

to the blog

tk

education

choosing the perfect wedding ceremony start time

to the blog

tk

education

tips for making your wedding day unique and nontraditional

to the blog

tk

education

should you hire a wedding planner for your big day?

to the blog

tk

education

the perks of sunset portraits on your wedding day

to the blog

tk

education

wedding day preparation tips for grooms

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