Different Pictures to Plan For On Your Wedding Day / November 3, 2023 by Kelli Conley

The Ivy Place, Lisa Wilson, Cali Stott Artistry, Twinfections, Suarez Bakery, Diamond DJ’s, Deans Duets

Sometimes brides come into their wedding day with a list of photo ideas/ poses that they’ve seen that they want to do. Other brides let us as their photographers do the positioning and posing for them, or some are a mix of both and there is absolutely no wrong way to do it! Here is just a basic list of photos that you can expect to do/ can ask your photographer to do on your big day!

One of our favorites - the first look! Whether you’re doing this before the ceremony or the big walk down the aisle is going to be your first time seeing each other, you can definitely expect photos of this, and trust me they are nothing short of emotional!

Getting ready photos! The focus is all on you! This can make some people feel a bit awkward, but we’re here to make you feel as comfortable as possible with all the attention on you. Our best advice is to just embrace it, it’ll go by fast!

Bridal party photos! And not pictured- family photos. Your photographer will ask you ahead of time for a shot list of who is in what picture and things like that, so be ready for your face to hurt from smiling so much! This is also a good time to mention different poses for you and your bridal party to do if you have some.

The first dance! Another situation that can feel a bit uncomfortable since you’re dancing in front of all your guests. But, just remember that they are your closest friends and family who came just to celebrate you!

A huge one- newlywed photos! This is also a great category to have pose ideas that you want to try, and give those to your photographer ahead of time. Also be thinking if you want sunset photos, and let your photographer know about that too!

Exit photos! End your night in a bang! These photos are always so much fun and a great way to end the night, so think about what exit item you want to give your guests!

Lastly, remember- your photographer is here for you and your spouse. We are here to make your wedding day vision come to life into tangible photos, and we love to do what we do. Don’t be afraid to try new ideas and go out of your comfort zone!

Breaking the Rain Stigma / October 26, 2023 by Kelli Conley

Let’s be honest. Pretty much every bride’s worst fear (or one of them) for her wedding day is for it to rain. As a wedding photographer, I’m here to tell you it does NOT matter if it’s sunny, cloudy, or pouring rain on your wedding day. Your photographer is going to create beautiful photos because they’re of YOUR wedding. A day unique to you, celebrating you and your partner tying the knot. Sure, adding in inclement weather to your big day is a huge downer, especially if there is outside spaces included in your day. But you just gotta trust your photographers to work their magic, no matter the weather! Using plan B because of weather doesn’t mean your day is ruined. The rain does not change the fact that you are marrying your best friend and life partner, just maybe the site where you are doing so!

For example, let’s look at Sydney & Michael’s wedding day. This ceremony site was not their plan A. Their plan A was outside in a pretty field at the Ivy Place, but due to rain, they moved it to inside their reception space. However, you would never know that this was their plan B site. It was beautiful because these two showed such immense love for each other. It would have been just as pretty outside, because this couple has a pretty love. They shared their own vows, and created such a special place during their ceremony. It truly did not matter rain or shine, because they brought all the brightness! Plus, sometimes you just gotta dance in the rain!

Now let’s look at another wedding! They still kept their original ceremony site, except it just looked a little different for the guests because of the rain. Still, it was so beautiful and intimate feeling to sit in the drizzling rain watching the people you know and love tie the knot together.

So, to all the brides out there, I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to stress about the weather on your wedding day. Your friends and family are there to celebrate you and your partner and the both of you tying the knot together. The rain or a cloudy day does not change that!

Styled Shoots & Why We Do Them / October 2, 2023 by Kelli Conley

(all photos) Suffolk Punch/ Norfolk Hall, QC Catering, Mint To Be Weddings, Ladies of Lineage, Party Reflections, AM Creative Studio, Nectar Floral Designs, Trei Helms Beauty, Cake Expressions By Lisa

If you follow any type of wedding vendor on social media, chances are you’ve seen photos of a styled shoot. A styled shoot is basically exactly what it sounds like, a team of vendors use their creativity and expertise to create a fake wedding, and use the photos of their “product” for brand promotion! The photos included in this blog are from a styled shoot that Mint To Be Weddings designed and coordinated a couple years ago!

Styled shoots are a really great thing to do for many reasons! They can really get all the vendors’ creative juices flowing. Usually the planner gives the vendors a design board with the vision, and then they can take that vision and run with it! So, it’s really great practice for when a bride/ client wants to do something different.

Another reason is that styled shoots gives vendors the opportunity to work with and meet other companies in the industry that maybe they otherwise wouldn’t meet, or just haven’t met yet. It’s great for networking and getting your name out there!

It is also great practice to work with other vendors closely. This helps makes our clients wedding days more seamless when all vendors work well together to create a vision!

Styled shoots also give us an excuse to try new things we haven’t seen or done before for a wedding. We can do riskier designs, or different photography poses or styles than we normally stick with!

All in all, styled shoots are so much fun, and benefit all vendors involved in multiple ways!

Abigail & Tren | Outdoor Wedding July 2022 / September 26, 2023 by Kelli Conley

Abigail & Tren’s wedding at the Ivy Place In July 2022 was a beautiful day full of love and celebration! It was so hard to choose our favorite images from this day because everything about it was so candidly beautiful.

You know that the couple getting married is so loved and has an amazing support system when the whole day is an emotional rollercoaster (in a good way of course!) From Abigail’s dad being overcome with emotions about seeing his baby girl grown up, to laughing with her before she walks down the aisle, this whole day was filled with unconditional love and happiness for both Abigail and Tren and the joining of the two in their marriage! Definitely was one of those we were honored to capture and to be a part of!

Detail Photos- What To Bring / September 16, 2023 by Kelli Conley

One thing that can be forgotten in the rush of the morning on the day of your wedding is having your items together for your detail photos. It can be easier to have some items set aside for this, maybe even packed in the same box so there’s no rushing around to find them while you’re trying to get ready for your big day. In this blog we’re going to go over items that we see the most for ideas on what your detail photos can look like!

Items that are the most popular to be used are the bride’s shoes for the day. Here they are also included as the tradition of “something blue!” Some brides will also bring their favorite perfume, or purchase one just for the wedding day, that can be included as well. Your veil can add dimension to the photo, and be a subtle inclusion, as you see here. It’s also great to add some flowers from your day as well, so the color and floral types that you use can be captured here too. Lastly, is the rings! All 3 rings are the perfect touch to add to your detail photos. (This is where packing everything together can come in handy, we often see the bride has to send a bridesmaid/ groomsmen or someone to get the grooms ring).

Other items that we love to include is your stationery set. This is your save the date, formal invites, and anything else that you sent out to guests that you would like to include!

Lastly, you can’t forget the dress! Or anything else you might be wearing that day. For example, a garter, maybe a dress change for the reception, or if you DIY’d a jacket or anything else like that!

Even though it’s not pictured above, if you have a special item that you attach to your bouquet to honor a loved one that has passed or couldn’t make it to the wedding, we can include that in the detail photos as well.

Remember, these are all suggestions and are not limited to these, nor do you have to do them. This is just to give you an idea of things you might want to include on your special day so that you’re not stressing out about it the day of when your photographers arrive.