Welcome to our
Wedding Guide

We are over the moon that you chose us to document your day, and we don't take that lightly. Thank you for placing your trust in us! Our couples feel more like friends & family, so welcome to the crew!

We want to make sure you have the best day EVER, so we have created this guide with you in mind, so you have something to reference throughout the planning process.

Keep in mind that this is not a rulebook, and your day is exactly that - YOURS. These are just some tips & tricks we've accumulated from all the weddings we've shot over the years, and we hope they're helpful to you as you dive into the planning process!

Always remember that we are an open book, and we are here for you. If you have any questions that aren't answered here or just want to say hey - text or email anytime.

HELLO@VILDPHOTOGRAHY.COM
615-506-4449

Let’s get started!!

Table of Contents

  • Planning a Wedding

  • Wedding Day Timeline

  • Recommended Vendors

  • Details & Getting Ready

  • First Look

  • Group & Family Formals

  • Ceremony

  • Your (Sunset) Portraits

  • Cocktail Hour & Reception

  • After your Wedding Day

Wedding Cake at Chalet View Lodge

Planning a Wedding

As an engaged couple, I can imagine that you are already seduced by anticipation regarding all the exciting wedding dreams that lay in front of you. So many alluring ideas keep appearing every day! However, realizing them may be more stressful and overwhelming than you anticipated.
        
Outside factors, planning your budget, booking the right vendors, and creating a well-organized schedule are challenging tasks. Still, it is important to remember that everything may go as planned, and small mishaps are quite normal. The key, in that case, is to try to remain calm, relax, and work together to find a solution. After all, remember that you are not alone in this. Your families and friends will be more than keen to help you on your journey. Do not hesitate to ask for their assistance.

Another important aspect I would like to address is to stay true to your style, vision, and dreams. Your wedding is an ode to your love, so tailor it in a way that feels right for your story. Your family and friends will offer you many ideas and advice, but kindly accept what would reflect your vision. If you feel comfortable with the atmosphere and aesthetics of your celebration – your guests will too! As long as we are on the page of guests – only invite those who would be sincerely happy to celebrate with you!

Drafting a guest list will be a stepping stone in your planning process, so curate it diligently. If you are wondering how to approach it, think of all your favorite people and all those who have seen you grow and thrive. Those friends with whom you would pop a bottle of wine and talk into the night. Beloved ones, who will be genuinely happy and ready to support you as you step into your new chapter. 

This is just scraping the surface of the incredible planning journey that lays in front of you. I know, you are already tempted to research what you need to do and what are the crucial first steps, but as I said, you are not alone. Allow me to help you navigate through the challenges, and offer you my many years of experience as a professional in the industry.

Wedding Day Timeline

Being rushed on your wedding day is the last thing we want! Our photography style is documentary, and we love to capture real moments as they unfold, but if everyone's rushed & in a panic, those real moments aren't going to happen as easily. To enable us to have a relaxed day, you should be ready to go about 2.5 hours before your ceremony time. However, there are lots of factors that affect this!

Whether or not you do a first look, the size of the wedding party and families, and travel time between locations will all be factored in when we suggest timing for portraits.

We will work directly with you to make your timeline as soon as the ceremony and reception times are set! Just let us know and we'll get started on a good mock-up.

How much time do you need?

Having time allows for more enjoyable moments.

  • We like to arrive at the prep location just as the bride is finishing her hair/makeup—that way, we can get a few photographs of the final touches. We will also photograph some flat-lays of your details (stationery, flowers, heirlooms, etc) so remember to gather everything so that they’re ready for me to photograph when I get there! If your partner is getting ready at a second location we'll usually start there before we show up at your location.

  • Obviously, the first look happens in a matter of milliseconds but this allows for the time to get out there and to soak it all in once you’ve seen each other.

  • The amount of time these take depends on size and family/group combinations. I recommend keeping the different combinations to a minimum—any more than 15 can start to eat into cocktail hour and/or the time we have set aside for a couple of portraits. If you do a first look, we can do the majority of wedding and family party photos prior to the ceremony!

  • The ceremony length totally depends! A short and sweet ceremony might last 15 minutes; something more in-depth (like a church service) more like 30-45. Don’t forget to include a good 30min buffer time before the ceremony starts to line up and allow for guests to take their seats.

  • We'll take as much time as we can get with you two! But, we typically recommend setting aside at least 30 minutes on your wedding day for couples portraits. We always like to steal you away at sunset for a few extra portraits if the light is right!

  • Usually, there is an hour of Cocktail Hour, a Grand Entrance, Dinner, Speeches, Cake Cutting, Special Dances, and then the Open dance floor. We typically only need to photograph about 30-60 min of open dancing in order to get a good amount of variety of people dancing & having a good time! If you're doing a big exit at the end, consider doing a smaller "fake" exit we can photograph, so you're not paying for extra photography time that you don't really need!

Sample 8-hour timeline

1:00pm – Details & Getting ready
2:30pm – First look
3:00pm – Family photos
4:00pm – Line up for Ceremony
4:30pm – Ceremony
5:00pm – Enjoy Cocktail hour w. guests
5:45pm – Intro & Welcome toast
6:00pm – Dinner
7:00pm – Speeches
7:30pm – Cake cutting & Dances
8:00pm – Sunset Portraits
8:30pm – Open dance floor
9:00pm – We leave

Sample 10-hour timeline

12:00pm – Details & Getting ready
2:00pm – First look
3:00pm – Family photos
4:00pm – Line up for Ceremony
4:30pm – Ceremony
5:00pm – Enjoy Cocktail hour w. guests
6:00pm – Intro & Welcome toast
6:15pm – Dinner
7:15pm – Speeches
7:50pm – Cake cutting
8:00pm – Sunset Photos 
8:30pm – Special Dances
9:00pm – Open dance floor & Games
10:00pm – We leave

read more on the blog

RECOMMENDED

VENDORS

    • Jalie events

    • Epic Thyme

    • Cloud Nine

    • Blue Sky Events

    • Dax Victorino Films

    • Chair7 Films

    • 39North Productions

    • Mountain High Weddings

    • Your Memorable Day

    • Ceremonies by Meredith

    • Twine Floral Co.

    • Love and Lupins

    • Zuri Floral Design

    • Awesome Blossom

    • Create with T

    • Music In Tahoe (DJ)

    • Someone Said Yes (DJ)

    • DJ Brock & Steele (DJ)

    • DJ Super T (DJ)

    • Bread and Butter (Band)

    • Brian Hess

    • Blend Catering

    • As you Wish Catering

    • D’lish Catering

    • Lake Tahoe Cakes

    • Flour Girl Wedding Cakes

    • Sugar Pine Bakery

    • Petit Street Mobile Bar

    • With a Twist Bartending

    • Lunabelle Beauty

    • Edin Carpenter

    • Rah Salon/Beauty Bar

    • Camelot Party Rentals

    • Celebrations

    • Tahoe Rustic Rentals

    • High Desert Pine (Custom wood/Metal signage)

    • Minted

    • Lily and Roe Co.

    • Tahoe Elite

read more on the blog

Details & Getting Ready

Some of our favorite moments on a wedding day happen before the ceremony! Getting ready spaces are filled with the anticipation + excitement of the day to come. However you want to spend your morning before you get married, make sure it's in a clean, bright space. Lots of window light makes my job easier & your photos a whole lot dreamier - so if your venue doesn't have a great bridal suite, look for an Airbnb with open space, lots of windows, and neutral walls.

We encourage you to think about your getting ready space now, instead of leaving it until the last minute - because where you choose to spend this part of your day will have a big impact on the way your morning feels. 

Cramming bridesmaids/groomsmen, hair & makeup artists, photographers, videographers, and family members into a single room filled with ALL your stuff can feel chaotic, as well as make your photos feel cluttered. If you're getting ready in a hotel room - consider getting an extra room or using a family member or friend's room as a designated clean space. That way, we have a clean room for photos and a quiet space for you to hang out in if you need a moment to yourself.

Details we want to photograph

  • FLOWERS

  • SHOES

  • VOWS OR LETTERS

  • RINGS

  • JEWELRY

  • SENTIMENTAL ITEMS

  • INVITATION SUITE

  • PERFUME

  • CUFFLINKS

  • TIE/BOWTIE

  • ANYTHING ELSE THAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU!

All in the DETAILS

Capturing the little details of your wedding day is how we like to begin our photography time! Typically, this includes flat lays of your invitations, heirlooms, shoes, rings - really anything that is important to you two and telling the story of your day! This time also helps us center ourselves and gives us a chance to get the creative juices flowing. We ask that you have these items ready to go, so we can just grab them and get started when we arrive.

FIRST LOOK(S)

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM! First looks are one of our favorite modern-day wedding trends — for a few reasons! A first look allows you to spend more time with your partner on the morning of your wedding day, instead of waiting until the ceremony to see them. You can take this time to read letters to each other, or simply just breathe, embrace, and take a quiet moment to yourselves.

From a photography perspective, doing a first look allows us to take photos before the ceremony, allowing you to enjoy most of your cocktail hour instead of having to cram ALL our photos (wedding party, family, & you two) into a single hour.

A common fear we hear from couples is that if they do a first look, their partner won't be emotional when they walk down the aisle later — and we've found this to be the total opposite! Nothing can take away from seeing your person walk down the aisle to a beautiful song, with all of your friends & family surrounding you. We've seen many brides/grooms still tear up walking down the aisle even after doing a first look earlier in the day!

With that said — we never want you to feel pressured into making a decision for your wedding day that doesn't feel right to you. We've photographed weddings with and without first looks, and at the end of the day, all that really matters is that you're happy with whatever you decide!

GROUP & FAMILY

FORMALS

Either after your first look or directly after the ceremony we'll go into your group and family formals. This can sometimes feel like the most stressful part of the day because we have to wrangle people but wedding party photos don't have to be boring or stale!

In fact, these can be such a fun part of the day. Bring a speaker to set the vibe, and will direct your crew in ways that incorporate movement. We typically will direct some walking, telling the person next to you something funny, cheers-ing, etc! Movement adds so much life to a photo.

We'll take a few classic smiling at the camera shots though, too! Usually, we'll start by grabbing a few big group shots with your parties on their respective sides, and then all mixed up! Then we'll photograph each side individually, plus individual shots of you with each member of your bridal party.

Then we get creative with whatever time is left! If you have a specific photo request or want certain groups of people photographed together (such as college friends, friends from home, etc) please make sure to let us know on your questionnaire ahead of time!

Make a
Group Photo List

Family & group photos can be a little bit stressful to navigate if you have a big, rowdy group — so making a list is the best way to keep us organized, and to make sure we don't miss a photo that's important to you. We recommend keeping this list to about 10-20 different combinations. Each photo takes about 1-2 minutes, so the more combinations — the more time we need to take these. Remember that we can always grab family photos more informally during the reception!

    • COUPLE WITH PARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH PARENTS & SIBLINGS

    • COUPLE WITH PARENTS, SIBLINGS, GRANDPARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH IMMEDIATE + EXTENDED FAMILY

    • FIRST CLIENT WITH MOM

    • FIRST CLIENT WITH DAD

    • FIRST CLIENT WITH SIBLINGS

    • FIRST CLIENT WITH GRANDPARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH SIBLINGS

    • COUPLE WITH PARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH PARENTS & SIBLINGS

    • COUPLE WITH PARENTS, SIBLINGS, GRANDPARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH IMMEDIATE + EXTENDED FAMILY

    • SECOND CLIENT WITH MOM

    • SECOND CLIENT WITH DAD

    • SECOND CLIENT WITH SIBLINGS

    • SECOND CLIENT WITH GRANDPARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH SIBLINGS

    • COUPLE WITH ALL PARENTS

    • COUPLE WITH BOTH IMMEDIATE FAMILIES

The Wedding Ceremony

Don't be afraid to think outside the box when planning your ceremony. Often, couples will ask someone close to them to officiate which can make the ceremony feel even more special. You can keep classic traditions and add your own. There are no rules!

During their ceremony, we’ve seen couples plant trees, perform songs, create a wine box time capsule to open on their anniversary, invite a friend to share stories, honor family members by gifting flowers, and the list goes on. You can write your own personalized vows or stick to the traditional ones. Whatever feels true to you!

PRO TIP:
Ask your officiant to move out of the way when you kiss! That way, they aren't awkwardly behind you in your photos of the moment.

  • Many guests attending your ceremony will love to capture your most memorable moments, such as walking down the aisle, vow exchange, saying I DO, and sealing your marriage with a kiss. And while we understand that they would love to snap some photos with their smartphones, we advise you to ask them to refrain from it.

    As your photographers, we will cover everything, and we would like your loved ones to enjoy the ceremony to its fullest – instead of being hidden behind a small screen. In addition, this may hinder our portrayal. Some of the guests may limit several frames when it comes to important parts of the ceremonial act. For example, if people are trying to capture your walk down the aisle while maneuvering different positions and using flashes, we wouldn’t be able to photograph the overwhelming reaction of your beloved properly.

  • Before starting the ceremony - allow all your guests to take the photos and videos they want before asking them to put the phones away. That way you'll allow everyone to take the photos they want, including selfies with you. After that they can all be present and unplugged keeping their full focus on your ceremony. It also makes for really fun photos and fun moments.

Your (Sunset) Portraits

Depending on what your timeline looks like we will (at some point) pull you away for your wedding portraits.

Your wedding day portraits are similar to your engagement photos — just with way fancier clothes! We typically like to scope out locations beforehand, but we are always open if there's a certain spot at your venue that you've been envisioning photos at, let us know on your questionnaire!

We never want our portrait time to take away from you fully experiencing your wedding day, so we try to move quickly to ensure that we're getting great photos but you're not missing too much of the party! All you have to do is be present with one another, enjoy this time together, and we'll take care of the rest.

Even if you do a first look, we'll often steal you two away for 15 or so minutes before sunset for some golden hour magic. The lighting is dreamiest about an hour before sunset, and - it's 100% worth taking advantage of. This usually happens during dinner or the reception, and your guests won't even notice we're gone!

Cocktail Hour & Reception

Wedding day cocktail hour and receptions are cherished moments filled with joy and celebration. This is your time to celebrate! As guests mingle and share heartfelt conversations, the atmosphere buzzes with excitement. Guests get to explore the details that make your day unique, enjoy floral arrangements, and mingle with the clinking of crystal glasses, all of which create an ambiance that is both elegant and inviting. Friends and family raise their glasses, toasting to you (the newlyweds') happiness and future. In this enchanting setting, you get to dance the night away, surrounded by beaming smiles and enthusiastic cheers. Each moment is infused with love, laughter, and a sense of unity, creating memories that will be treasured for a lifetime.

Reception events

At your wedding, you are not the host - you are the guests of honor - act like it.

  • Weddings are a once-in-a-lifetime event, so why not make the grand entrance something special? An extraordinary grand entrance can turn an ordinary wedding reception into an unforgettable one. It can create a lasting impression on your guests and set the tone for the rest of the night.

    From unique entrances that involve props to choreographed dances, there are many ways to make your grand entrance stand out. With a little bit of creativity and planning, you can have an extraordinary grand entrance that will be remembered for years to come.

    Remember: You do you and what feels best to you as a couple!

  • Okay, our best tip for speeches: limiting the time per speech — there's nothing worse than a speaker going on a 10-minute tangent while everyone just wants to get up and start dancing! 3-5 minutes per speech is typically a good sweet spot.

    We prefer when your speakers are standing near you, vs in the center of the room so we can get your reactions to their speeches while I'm capturing them giving the speech!

    It is our recommendation to (at almost any cost) avoid the open mic. We have seen too many improvised speeches go south and it’s not pretty.

  • It is usually served after dinner, making it a sweet end to the special day. As wedding cakes have evolved over the years, so have the styles and flavors available. From classic white cakes to colorful confections, there are countless options for couples to choose from when selecting their wedding cake.

    Wedding cakes can be personalized to reflect the couple’s tastes and style, making them a truly unique part of the celebration. It's also common to have a variety to the traditional cake such as donuts or some other tasty dessert - there really are no rules.

  • Traditionally the special dances include:

    • First Dance

    • Mother-Son Dance

    • Father-Daughter Dance

    However, we’ve seen some really sweet traditions lately where the dance floor lately including these ideas:

    • Allow your parents (both sets) to join you after the first dance

    • Invite all Mothers and sons onto the dancefloor after your mother and son dance. Same for Fathers and daughters.

    • Anniversary dance (allow all married couples onto the dancefloor to see who has been married the longest)

    There are a lot of different varieties to do these dances and they are all very special and sweet. It’s definitely worth allowing them to have their moment and to take the time to enjoy them before opening up the dancefloor to everyone.

After your Wedding

After the whirlwind of your wedding day settles, there are still a few important things to take care of to ensure a smooth transition into married life.

  • It's crucial to send thank-you notes to express your gratitude to friends, family, and vendors for their presence and any gifts received. A lot of our couples will use one of their preview images for their cards so that they can send these out quickly.

    Leaving a review for your vendors on platforms like Google, TheKnot or Yelp is one of the best things you can do to share your appreciation for vendors.

  • Don't forget to legally change your surname, if desired, by updating your identification documents, bank accounts, and other official records.

    We love the service: Newly Named

  • Additionally, consider taking a well-deserved honeymoon to unwind from the stress of wedding planning and celebrate your newly pronounced union. Whether it's a tropical escape or a cozy cabin retreat, prioritize quality time together to bask in the post-wedding bliss.

Your Wedding Photos

Finally, take the time to reflect on your wedding day and relive the joyous moments by organizing your photos and videos. Preserve these cherished memories in a beautiful wedding album or share them with loved ones. 

When you get your images back you should:

  • Download them and back them up securely on a USB, Dropbox or hard drive.

  • Email or text us to let us know if you love them (Please!)

  • Select your favorites by “heart-marking” them

  • Order prints and albums to fill your home

  • Share them on Social Media and show the world your love

Did we miss anything?  Still have questions?

TEXT US - 615-506-4449 or
EMAIL US - hello@vildphotography.com

Feel free to text or email us at any time - we’re here to help!

LET’S DO THIS!!