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I can't think of many pieces of information regarding your wedding day more important than the timeline of the day. It is crucial to keep the events of the day moving and to make sure everything you want documented is documented.
How does one create the timeline? Most photographers have a questionnaire they will send you before the wedding so you can fill out information that will help them create it. Are you doing a first look? Do you have huge families? Small wedding parties? Are the ceremony and reception in the same place? How long will your ceremony last? All of these details are things we need to know ahead of time. Once we receive your responses, we will take the information and figure out how much time to allot for everything. Below I'm sharing two sample timelines, one with a first look and one without a first look. But before I do that, I want to give a general idea of how long it takes to complete all the photos of family, wedding party, and you and your groom. This is one of the biggest misconceptions I see with brides planning their wedding!
1. Family photos
I like to do family photos immediately following the ceremony because this is the largest group of people you'll have waiting around. And the more people you have hanging around, the more chaotic things will become. So we start with the largest group first (i.e., extended family) and move to smaller groups (you and mom, you and dad, etc.) Because family portraits are fairly straight forward and traditional, I typically budget 20-25 minutes. I recommend including your immediate family and grandparents in this section. If you have a favorite aunt, by all means, include her. Otherwise, extended family (cousins, great uncles, etc.) can be photographed at the reception. TIP: Make sure you communicate clearly to your family members that they are to stay after the ceremony for photos (or come before the ceremony!) So often we are chasing down family members who have already gone to the reception because they didn't know they needed to stay.
2. Wedding party
In most cases, I try to take photos of the bride and her bridesmaids and the groom and his groomsmen before the ceremony so all we have left to do are some shots of the full wedding party. If you are doing a first look, we will likely knock all of these out before the ceremony. If there isn't time to do wedding party photos before the ceremony, we will do them after all the family members have left for the reception. Overall, depending on the size of the wedding party, these photos can take 10-30 minutes. TIP: Most photographers will take photos of you and each individual bridesmaid (or the groom and his individual groomsmen) so you likely don't need to list that on your questionnaire. You can always ask your photographer about this to make sure they do it and they know it's important to you!
3. Bride and groom
These are, without a doubt, the most important images from the day. They're the ones you will print and hang on the walls of your first home. They're the ones you'll put in your heirloom wedding album. They're the ones your children and your grandchildren will want to see some day. Unfortunately, when couples don't do a first look and have been smiling for photos for almost an hour at this point, they want to take a few and head to the reception. And I get it! Your guests are here to see you and celebrate with you, and you want to spend time with them. But you might regret not allowing for enough time for photos of the two of you. The more time you give your photographer, the more creative we can be. When we have 10 minutes and we're rushed, we can certainly deliver you a good product. But if we have time to walk around your venue, we can find different spots and try different things. On the other hand, if you don't feel like you're getting enough photos or like your photographer is (gulp!) rushing you, please say something! You have paid a lot of money and you deserve to be happy with your experience and your product. TIP: Can you guess? Do a first look! This will give you time before the ceremony for a lot of photos and it will likely you give you time after the ceremony for some dreamy, glowy golden hour photos.
Sample timeline with first look:
2 p.m. Getting ready photos 3 p.m. First look 3:45 p.m. Bride & bridesmaid photos 4 p.m. Groom & groomsmen photos 4:15 p.m. Full wedding party photos 4:30 p.m. Tuck away before ceremony 5 p.m. Ceremony 5:30 p.m. Recessional 5:40 p.m. Family photos 6:05 p.m. A few more bride & groom photos 6:15 p.m. PARTY TIME! Sample timeline without first look: 3 p.m. Getting ready photos 3:30 p.m. Bride & bridesmaid photos; family if available 4 p.m. Groom & groomsmen photos; family if available 4:30 p.m. Tuck away before ceremony 5 p.m. Ceremony 5:30 p.m. Recessional 5:40 p.m. Family photos 6:05 p.m. Wedding party photos 6:30 p.m. Bride & groom photos 7:15 p.m. PARTY TIME! I'd love to know what confuses you the most about planning your timeline! Are there other things I didn't cover that would be helpful for you? Tell me in the comments and I'll be sure to respond!
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Can we talk about boudoir for a second? What it is and what it is not? When I talk to people about boudoir, a lot don't understand what it is. Just naked, provocative images? Sleazy, overly sexy poses? Nope, nope, and nope.
OK, in all fairness, some boudoir is like that. With a fine art approach, that is NOT boudoir. Boudoir is celebrating our femininity not over-sexualizing it. Boudoir is one of my favorite things to photograph. There is nothing better in this world than making beautiful insecure women feel empowered and on top of the world, seeing themselves for their true beauty. I don't typically share boudoir sessions from real clients because I believe those images are for them and for their husbands only. But I want to share my approach and style so working with a model is my form of talking about boudoir. Below are some favorites from the Duo workshop last spring at Travaasa in Austin. If you are at all interested or curious about boudoir, please please contact me! Venue: Traavasa Austin // Styling & planning: Lindsey Brunk // Mentor: Taylor Lord // Rings: Trumpet and Horn // MUAH: LoLa Beauty // Floral: Pollen Events // Lingerie, robes, romper & veil: BHLDN // Shoes: Emmy Shoes // Model: Campbell Agency
If you haven't spent a lot of time in the professional photography world, you may not have heard the term "golden hour" but I'm guessing you know exactly what it is -- that hour right before sunset as the sun dips lower in the sky, softening it's blaze and bathing everything in a warm glow. Not only does it make everything seem alive and well, golden, it's actually the perfect time for a photo session.
A lot of people ask me what the best time of day is to take photos. Some think noon is best (because the sun is brightest!) but noon is one of the worst times. The sun is so high in the sky, it makes everything seem flat (no dimension) and it casts really harsh shadows, especially under the eyes. It creates an editing nightmare for that reason! During golden hour, colors are more saturated and because the sun isn't as harsh, creates a soft depth and glow to images. Not only will hair glow but your skin will look luminous. Who doesn't want that?! So if you're planning an outdoor portrait shoot, the best time to start is 60-90 minutes before sunset. If you're planning your wedding, there are more factors to take into consideration (to do a first look, ceremony length and location, etc.) but generally, you want to make sure you have at least 30 minutes before the sun sets to do portraits of you and your groom. If you have questions about golden hour or portrait sessions, please drop me a line in the comments below!
Meredith and JR are as cute and stylish as they come. They met several years ago at work after college and have been head over heels ever since. They also might have the coolest proposal story ever -- they were on vacation for a friend's wedding in St. John and on the last day, they went for a beautiful hike before he popped the question. Such a gorgeous place to get engaged!
Once I met Meredith, we clicked immediately and I knew photographing them would be a breeze. Judging from their adorable engagement session, I wasn't wrong! I am so excited for their beautiful March wedding with Treasured Heart Events. Congrats, you two!
Well, friends, it's that time of year again: the seasonal playlist. It's the winter edition and I'm pretty dang excited about it (the songs, not necessarily the season). There are a few mellow tunes on there but it's mostly upbeat to keep you energized during the cold, gray months (not that we have all too much of that down here in Texas. I digress).
It's energizing, a little playful and definitely full on anticipation for warmer spring months. A few of my current obsessions are "Find You" by Pandas & People; "Xo" by Nightly; "Ooh Love" by Ria Mae & Neon Dreams; and "Oh Brother" by Saint Raymond. Listen now! Let me know what you think in the comments! Previous playlists: The best of 2016 Fall 2016 Summer 2016 Spring 2016
Most people who know me know that I love fashion and I love ethical fashion. Akola is an ethical jewelry company based in Dallas and I've loved their designs for a long time. I have had so much fun getting to know the Akola staff and all the successful women I've had the honor of photographing.
Aside from being an absolute knockout, Toni Munoz-Hunt is sweet and kind and the ultimate girl boss. She's been modeling for a long time and has worked hard to make a space for models of different backgrounds to take center stage. Toni founded Model Behaviors and somehow manages it and being a fantastic mom to her 1-year-old daughter. Photographing her in her gorgeous Dallas home was an absolute dream. Jewelry: Akola Project // Black dress: Nha Khanh
Perhaps one of the most heavily debated and emotional discussions of my job is talking with my couples about whether to do a first look.
Many people are worried that seeing each other before the ceremony will take away from the joy and excitement of walking down the aisle to your soon-to-be spouse. Some like the tradition of it. If I may, I'd like to share some pros of doing a first look before the ceremony with the caveat that if you are one of my clients (or you want to be one of my clients!), I am absolutely happy to work with you and not do a first look. It is honestly everyone's personal preference, and I would never push anyone to do something they don't want to do. So, with that being said, here are some really good reasons to do a first look. 1. You will be less stressed during your portraits and therefore will be happier with your photos when you receive them. Wedding days go by so fast and one refrain I hear over and over again is that it is important to all couples to spend time with the guests who came to celebrate such a momentous occasion with them. By time family and wedding party photos are over, it's time for the bride and groom photos, and I can tell you that nine times out of 10, they are just ready to get to the reception and party. If they've kept their guests waiting, they feel bad about spending more time away from them -- and it tends to show in photographs. With a first look, there's typically only a handful of photos to take after the ceremony so you are able to get to the reception faster and party longer. Who doesn't want that?!
2. You'll be able to spend more time at your reception with your guests (see above).
Because the bulk of your photos will be done before the ceremony, you'll only need 15-20 minutes after to wrap up anything we weren't able to get to. If you don't do a first look, you can count on at least an hour to an hour and a half for portraits after the ceremony.
3. Doing a first look in NO WAY takes away from the excitement and joy of walking down the aisle toward your husband.
Time to get personal: my husband and I did a first look before our ceremony. I was skeptical at first but I am SO glad we did! For all of the aforementioned reasons of course, but also, it was so wonderful to be able to see each other before and really just enjoy the moment. We were able to express how good we thought each other looked and talk a little bit about everything that had happened so far that day. If the first time he saw me was during the ceremony, I don't know that I would've been able to tell him how good he looked -- and vice versa! We had a few minutes to ourselves and our photographer was able to document the pure emotion of the moment. Those photos are some of my absolute favorite from our wedding day. So I'd love to know -- did you do a first look? Would you do a first look? Tell me why or why not in the comments!
These two had me laughing for their entire session and I love that they chose to do their engagement session in an urban location like downtown Dallas. Their chemistry was so evident and you can just tell in these photos. Molly has great style and I can't wait to see how it translates to their beautiful October wedding at Lofty Spaces.
All film, processed by The FIND Lab.
I am seriously blessed with the sweetest couples on earth, and Danielle and TJ are no exception. They are kind, compassionate, and up for anything! They were complete naturals in front of my camera for their engagement session at White Rock Lake this past fall. I can't wait to photograph their beautiful California wedding this June!
Congrats, Danielle and TJ!
2016 was quite the year for me, professionally and personally. It's easy to gloss over everything and keep charging ahead (in typical Chelsea fashion) but I'm trying to be more mindful so what a great time to sit down and reflect on everything that happened. If you read this through the end, thank you -- you're my hero! As an added bonus, you get the link to my best of 2016 playlist.
Personal highlights: Well, this might be my biggest highlight from the past 10 years (ha -- only half kidding!) but I finally paid off all my student loans. That debt has been weighing on me since freshman year of college and for a very very long time, it felt insurmountable. When Travis and I were married, we made a commitment to live below our means and pay off the loans. It took about two and a half years and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But now being on the other side, I can say it was TOTALLY worth it. We don't owe anyone anything. Being financially free allowed me to quit my full-time job and pursue being a photographer full-time (more on that in a few).
I got to travel a lot in 2016. We kicked off the new year in Cancun for Travis's birthday, which I wish we could do every year! It was such a relaxing trip. However, my favorite trip of all was to Paris (duh!) I studied there for a semester in college and was elated to go back and show Travis the city I love. I also went to New England twice, Michigan and all over Texas.
I went to some awesome concerts: Andra Day, Nathaniel Rateliffe and the Night Sweats (where Leon Bridges made a surprise appearance!), Johnnyswim, BORNS, and Andrew McMahon/Panic at the Disco/Weezer (random, I know).
Going from a side hustle to a full-blown business is something I had been looking forward to for about two and a half years. Though I would've loved to do it sooner, I'm so glad the timing worked out like it did (that's retrospect, though, believe me!) It felt so good to end five years of work at the nonprofit I worked for, walk out the door, and be my own boss.
God surely blessed that decision as soon as I quit because I booked TEN weddings within the first two months. I've built some really strong relationships with other photographers and vendors and have just plain loved working for myself. I don't think I will ever look back.
#girlboss highlights
Have I mentioned yet how much I love being a girlboss? Yes? Well, let me tell you one more time: I LOVE BEING A GIRLBOSS! I love making my own schedule and having the freedom and flexibility to meet with vendors and clients throughout the day, instead of trying to jam everything on nights and weekends. I can actually relax at night with the hubs instead of going from one computer at the office to my computer at the dining table. It's been awesome. I shot film consistently all year and I've really developed my style. I attended a few workshops and worked on multiple styled editorials. I shot seven weddings and 12 engagement sessions (eight of which all occurred during a three-week period!) I have loved all of my 2016 clients and am so excited for my 2017 brides! The biggest tangible accomplishment of 2016 was being nominated for Belle Lumiere's Image of the Year award (image at the beginning of this post). I almost didn't even enter anything because I thought there would be no way I was nominated! But that just goes to show the answer is always no until you ask. Below are some of my favorite images from the year (organized by category, obviously). I am so humbled and honored to have been a part of each and every couple's day and every styled shoot. I'm thankful vendors and brides trust me to carry out their vision and document their stories. I could honestly cry I'm so grateful and excited. But enough with the gushing! Onto the pretty. WEDDINGS
Andy & Lib Berger
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About meI'm Chelsea - a photographer, writer, adventurer, traveler, wife, Christ follower and mama to the most adorable rescue pup. I'm passionate about telling authentic stories with meaning and purpose and spreading joy through photographs. Grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile. CategoriesAll  RSS Feed
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