Megan & Frankie: Circuit Center Ballroom Wedding Photos

The morning of Megan & Frankie’s wedding, I woke up and immediately checked the temperature, knowing that it was going to be a cold one… and was met with a reading of -8°F, with a high for the day of 15°F.

I’ve only ever photographed two weddings prior to Megan & Frankie’s in January here in Pittsburgh. One had a high of 6°F for the day, and the other had a high of 56°F! It goes to show that you never truly know what weather will be like here in the Burgh for any Pittsburgh winter wedding.

Thankfully, Megan & Frankie were not afraid of the cold (it never bothered them anyway! ;) ), and actually had the vast majority of their portraits taken outside! They, along with their fantastic bridal party members, were all troopers in the frigid temperatures… and I have to say, I think it was well worth it! It may have been cold, but the sun was shining and provided some gorgeous light for us to work with!

The wedding day began with getting ready photos at the Springhill Suites in the Southside, after which Megan and her bridesmaids WALKED the two blocks to the wedding venue… in the cold. One was in shorts! These ladies were committed!!!

After arriving at the Circuit Center Ballroom, Megan put on her dress, her “something borrowed” (grandma’s pearl bracelet), and her and Frankie had their first look in the courtyard of the event venue, while friends & family watched from the windows (so sweet!). We headed straight over to the Hot Metal Bridge for photos of the bride & groom afterward… and again, they walked the 3+ blocks there! Honestly, they deserve some sort of winter wedding MVP award for the amount of time they spent outside without any complaints. I was so impressed!

We headed back to the venue for bridal party & family photos, followed by a short and sweet ceremony, then a cocktail hour and reception. One of my favorite details from the wedding day was the coolest “guest book” I’ve ever seen! Guests could leave the bride & groom voicemails on an old rotary phone. I loved it, and the guests did, too! Another favorite detail was a live painting of their first dance during the reception by a local artist. It was so fun to see the painting come together throughout the evening! They also had a “to infinity & beyond” wedding cake topper, as a nod towards when they met (when they were 12!).

It was an absolute pleasure to get to come alongside Megan & Frankie as they celebrated their wedding day this weekend! They are two of the kindest, most laid back people, and their wedding day was truly so much fun to photograph!

Congratulations on your wedding day, Megan & Frankie! Thank you for the huge honor of documenting your day!

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Vendors: Circuit Center Ballroom, Just Hitched Wedding Films, Prantl's Bakery, Modern Era Weddings, Makeup Design Studio & Day Spa, MB Bride & Special Occasion, Minted, The Fluted Mushroom Catering, Steph Moraca Fine Art

If you enjoyed Megan & Frankie’s winter wonderland wedding, you might also enjoy…

Emily & Jared’s Winter Wedding at the Atrium

Kirsten & Travis’s Winter Wedding in Saxonburg

Sarah & Derek’s Winter Mellon Park Engagement Session

And be sure to check out some of my latest work on the blog below!

Erica & Rio: Mint & Plum Greystone Fields Wedding Photos

The last few months have had many twists, turns, and uncertainties leading up to Erica and Rio’s wedding day. Plans have changed once, twice, then again as new information and restrictions have surfaced for businesses in the wedding industry, and for couples planning a wedding amidst it all. But I can’t tell you how excited I am to be writing this post and sharing their photos with you today!

Erica and Rio’s wedding day ended up being one of the most beautiful days so far this summer! Though rain was initially in the forecast throughout the week leading up to their Saturday wedding, they were blessed with a sunny, somewhat cloudless day!

One of my favorite parts about Erica & Rio’s wedding were all of the personal, meaningful, sentimental details woven into each portion of the day. A chair with photos of Rio’s late mother at the ceremony, along with a blue cancer ribbon in Erica’s dress (used as her “something blue”) to honor his mother, and a meaningful “remembrance dance” at the reception all pulled on guests heart strings, and reminded the couple and their families throughout the day to remember those who were unable to be in attendance with love.

Being avid golfers, Erica & Rio also incorporated many golf themed details into their wedding day and reception decor! But I have to say, one of my favorite details came from a family vacation tradition. Before dinner on vacation, Erica’s family has always loved getting an ice cream as a special treat. What better way to incorporate this little tradition into their wedding day than to serve ice cream before dinner on their wedding day! This is just me talking personally… but I think every summer wedding should make that a tradition! ;)

All in all, Erica & Rio’s wedding day was so beautiful, so fun, and so meaningful. We cried, we laughed, and we truly felt like a part of the family. Congratulations on your marriage, Erica & Rio! We are so thankful for you, and so thankful to have been able to be a part of your wedding day!

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Vendors: Greystone Fields (Ceremony & Reception), Weischedel Florist (Florals), Bethel Bakery (Cake), Carlisle Bridal (Bride’s Dress), Men’s Warehouse (Men’s Attire), Porky’s (Caterer)

Behind the Scenes: JHP Promo Video by Dorosh Documentaries

Curious as to what you might experience at a photo session with JHP? Look no further than the video below, expertly captured by two of my videographer friends from Dorosh Documentaries! Click the play button below to check it out!

PS - Dorosh Documentaries films weddings, so if you’re in need of a wedding videographer, look no further than these two!

To Wear a Veil, or to Not Wear a Veil? These Photos Might Help You Decide!

When it comes to veils, as a wedding photographer, they are one of my favorite accessories that a bride can wear! But on my own wedding day, I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to wear a veil.

Veils have been staple of bridal attire for a long period of time, but within the last decade they’ve become more and more of an optional choice. I love that brides whose aesthetic is not very veil-like can opt for a modern, sleek look without a veil, and to be honest? I LOVE photographing brides with AND without veils. But honestly - there are some wedding photos than can only be created with the magic of a veil! And today, I’m sharing some of my favorite wedding photos featuring my favorite bridal accessory: the veil!

But before we get into the photos, here are a few quick (and random!) things to keep in mind about veils:

1. This blog post is in NO WAY meant to guilt anyone into wearing a veil! If you don’t want to wear a veil - then girl, don’t wear a veil! Go with YOUR style, and stick with what makes you comfortable!

2. But if you are planning on wearing a veil, don’t forget to consider the length. You’ll notice that, throughout these photos, with a longer veil, we can do more things, because there’s more veil to play with! There are a few different ways we can get creative with short veils, too, but long veils give us a lot more to play with!

3. Some veils are heavy, so if you go with a long veil… give it a test run before your wedding day! I once had a bride get a crazy migraine because her veil was too heavy, and I felt so bad!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, too! If you’re married, did you wear a veil for your wedding day? If you hope to be married someday… do you think you’ll wear one? Comment below and let me know!

4 Quick Tips for Avoiding Glasses Glare in Photos

Ever since I started wearing glasses daily a year and a half ago, I became much more conscious of how glasses photograph. The first pair of glasses I purchased had regular old lenses, which meant that they reflected everything around them – and the reflection was especially noticeable in photos (and made it so hard to drive at night!!). Glare on glasses has the ability to block the eyes (aka the windows to the soul ;) ), and when you’re getting your portrait taken… having clear, in focus eyes are definitely one of the most important pieces to the overall photo!

So, when it comes to your senior, engagement, wedding, and family photos, it’s important to be prepared in advance so the glare on your glasses can be reduced!

WHAT CAUSES GLARE ON GLASSES?

The reflection (or glare) that often happens on lenses comes from the light that’s being used to light the subject reflecting off of the lens. It may come from the sun, or a reflective building or sidewalk, or from an artificial reflector (i.e., a big shiny circle disc used to “bounce” light back onto a person’s face!).

Personally, I always use a reflector during my portraits sessions (and sometimes during my engagement sessions and weddings, too!) because it helps 1) light the eyes, 2) make the skin extra creamy, and 3), further illuminate my subject, causing them to “pop” a bit more off of the background. Because of this, I like to try and let my clients know ahead of time what their options are when it comes to reducing the glare on their lenses so that I can use my reflector to achieve the style that my clients have come to know, love, and expect!

If you wear glasses and are hoping to reduce lens glare, below are a few of my top tips and tricks!

WAYS TO AVOID THE GLARE

1.     Opt for non-reflective lenses

If you want to wear glasses in your photos, one of the best things you can do happens when you buy your new frames: opt for non-reflective lenses. Non-reflective lenses greatly diminish the amount of glare in your glasses that can be caught on camera on a bright, sunny day!

2.     Pop out the glass of an old pair of frames

If you have an old pair of frames that you still love and want that glasses-look in your photos, consider popping out a pair of lenses on some old frames. That way, you’ll be able to have the look without the reflection!

3.     Ask your frames provider to borrow a sample pair

This tip came straight from some very smart clients of mine! I once had a groom who wanted to wear his glasses for his wedding photos, but realized that he did not have non-reflective lenses – so he went to the store where he bought his frames and asked if he could borrow a sample pair of glasses for his wedding day (did you know that most sample frames have non-reflective lenses?). They let him, and the photos turned out amazing! Whether you’re having engagement, wedding, senior, or family photos taken, this is a great option if you want the look of your own frames in your photos without a reflection!

4.     Wear contacts

My very last tip that you might want to consider: completely removing your glasses. If glasses aren’t that important to you, opt for wearing contacts instead, or simply take your glasses off!

That’s it for now, friends! If you’d like to hear some additional tips on what to wear for your photo session, feel free to leave a comment below!

5 Things to Remember if it Rains on Your Wedding Day

Just typing the title of this blog post makes me FEEL uncomfortable! 🙈 Almost no one hopes for rain on their wedding day, and sometimes it’s even hard to think about rain being a possibility – but if you live somewhere with crazy weather patterns (like Pittsburgh!) sometimes there will be a chance of rain or inclement weather.

If you’re a bride who has rain in the weather forecast for her wedding day, or a bride who’s afraid of having rain in the forecast for her wedding day, know that this blog post is for you. Know that there’s nothing I hope for more for my own brides than for their day to be beautiful, warm, and sunny.

But also know that what matters more than the rain itself is what you do with it, and the lens through which you choose to view the rain (or potential rain) on your wedding day.

Here are five things to remember if it rains on your wedding day:

 1.     You will still be married at the end of the day, even if it rains.

This might be the most cliché response to rain on a wedding day, but truly – this is the attitude you want to have if it rains on your wedding day. Even if it rains – you still get to marry your best friend. The rain doesn’t automatically nix the significance of that event – don’t let it steal the joy and anticipation that has been building over the months (or years) that you’ve spent waiting for this day to get here! You still have a lifetime of beautifully, sunny days ahead of you. So don’t let on rainy day ruin the significance of what’s taking place!

2.     You have the opportunity to get some really unique photos!

Couples are usually upset about the rain if they: 1) planned an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, and 2) were planning on having their photos taken outside. Which, trust me – I totally understand. I married my husband in an outdoor ceremony, so the thought of rain on our wedding day kind of made me want to cry. But when it came to my photos, I knew that we were in good hands. We hired a professional photographer who I knew could deliver… rain or shine. And I knew that she had tricks up her sleeve – and could deliver unique, beautiful photos, even in the case of rain, which was so important in keeping my peace of mind!

As a sort of side note, another way to have a little bit more peace of mind when it comes to weather on your wedding day is to hire a wedding planner or day of coordinator. That way, your wedding planner or coordinator can execute your rain plan without you having to worry about everything that needs to change!

3.     Umbrellas and rain boots will be your best friend, so make sure you have a ton on hand!

Don’t forget about the umbrellas! Your bridal party, family, and guests will be oh-so thankful if you have a bundle of umbrellas that can be used by everyone on the day of. And for you – don’t forget to bring a pair of rain boots, so you don’t have to worry about ruining your wedding shoes while running between locations!

4. You can always redo (or touch up) your hair and makeup.

Alright, for the ladies in the house, this one could be LIFE CHANGING. One of the main things us ladies worry about when it comes to our wedding day is paying money for hair and makeup, only to have it all wash off/out in the rain - right? Well, if it looks like it might rain on your wedding day.. bring some extra styling supplies with you! You can always touch up your hair or makeup if you’ve been out in the rain. I know it might not be the same as your hair stylist or makeup artist (those people are magicians!) but truly, it’s better than nothing. And chances are, even if you can’t replicate the same hair/makeup look yourself, you’ll have a bridesmaid with a talent for beauty!

5.     Your state of mind and attitude will set the tone for the rest of the wedding day.

This is a tough one to write, because I know that, as a bride, it’s a tough one to hear. You and your fiancé are the center of the celebration, so you set the tone for the wedding day, whether you realize it or not.

I learned this lesson early on in my wedding photography career, noting how the bride’s (and groom’s) words, actions, and reactions can shape the day not only for herself, but for the people around her. If the bride is having a major meltdown over something that went wrong, that reaction ripples throughout her wedding day – unless she can gain control of her emotions and remember what’s important. The same is true in the opposite way. If the bride is focused on what’s important and refuses to let anything diminish the significance of the day, others around her will pick up on her attitude and adopt the same.

One of my favorite examples of this comes from a wedding of mine in 2018. I worked with the sweetest couple who just had the worst luck when it came to weather. It rained for most of their engagement session. Then on the day of their bridal shower. And then, for the couple’s entire wedding day, it rained. There was barely even one moment where it stopped. I felt so terrible! And of course, there were moments of panic and tears – that is sometimes inevitable and unavoidable! But what I admire so much about this bride is how she and her new-husband made the very best out of it. They still had an amazing time, and even took advantage of the rain by going out in it for a few photos! I was totally in awe of their attitudes and unrelenting desire to move past the rain and remember what was really important: their marriage, each other, and their friends and family.

So if you’re thinking that rain might end up being a part of your wedding day… don’t let it dampen what’s truly important. The last thing you’ll want to do is look back on your wedding day and remember having a miserable time. This day is a day that happens once in a lifetime, so enjoy it, rain or shine!

And if you’re looking for more tips on how to deal with rain on your wedding day, check out this additional blog post for tips for how to manage rain when it comes to your photos!

My Favorite Photos of Us From a Decade of Dating

This blog post has been a LONG time in coming. In fact… I meant to get it together for our ten year dating anniversary in August of 2018! 🙈But, nevertheless, today I’d like to take you back a decade to share some of my favorite photos from Nick and I’s relationship throughout the years!

For those of you who might not know our story, Nick and I started dating when he was 16, and when I was 15 (technically, just the day before I turned 16, when I was “officially” allowed to start dating 😂). We were each the first boyfriend/girlfriend that we ever had. After nearly 7 years of dating, in 2015 we tied the knot!

We are both so grateful that we were able to grow with each other mentally, emotionally, physically (i.e., out of bad haircuts and questionable style choices 😉), and spiritually throughout the years. And while I tend to cringe at some of these photos - looking back, I am beyond thankful to have them. And I would love to share a bit of our story - in photo form - with you! And hopefully, some of these photos will remind you (like they did me!) that it’s not about looking “perfect.” It’s about having those moments to hang onto in all of their reality - interesting style choices, weird faces, silly moments, and all.

So, to start, we’ll start at the very beginning. Or, in this case - before the beginning!

For this very first photo, we’re throwing it back to the first photo Nick and I EVER took together! This was actually before we started dating in the summer of 2008. My friends threw me the sweetest surprise birthday party for my 16th birthday, and little did I know (until I got there!) that they had invited Nick! Who, apparently, had gotten really sunburnt that week 😂

Also, note that this photo was taken on the small digital camera that I kept in my purse! Thank the good Lord for modern technology and not having to carry around ten different electronic devices!

On this day quite a few years ago, Nick and I decided to go for a walk in the woods near my neighborhood. Shortly after our adventure began, I tried to pull down a giant tree branch that was in our way and a one of it's tiny branches impaled my arm! While I was freaking out, Nick (like the gentleman he is), offered to carry me back to my parents' house (a two mile walk from there). I (not so kindly) informed him that it was not my FEET or my LEGS that had been impaled, but my arm!

I can safely say that this was one of my LEAST favorite things we've ever done together! Both of our families (who love to hang out together!) decided it would be a wonderful idea for us all to go water tubing - you know, where you hang onto a tube for your LIFE while a boat drags you through deep, churning waters. No big deal! Up until five minutes before this photo was taken, I was insisting that I would never EVER get on one of these tubes just to be thrown off into the depths of the sea. Nick assured me that we would be able to hang on for the whole time if we went together, so VERY reluctantly, I agreed. I should mention that one of my biggest fears in life is drowning, along with large bodies of water (how was I ever a lifeguard for six years?!). So we got on the tube, and literally JUST as the boat started to pull us, our tube submerged under water (I was hanging on too tightly towards the front, apparently) and we were thrown off, as the boat sped away. Meanwhile, I'm FREAKING OUT (screaming, crying, the works) imagining all of the scary darkness and marine life that was swirling below me. Nick (and both of our families) got a GREAT laugh out of that one! Me... not so much! 

Yes, Nick was literally the Chick-fil-A cow on multiple occasions throughout the area where we live! So of course, I had to visit. Once, I was even the "Mrs" Chick-fil-A cow - only I had walking pneumonia (which I found out later) and could NOT control my coughing. Kids kept trying to hug me while I was in the costume (and coughing), then they would start screaming and crying "What's wrong with the cow! The cow is DYING!"

Nick's family was gracious enough to bring me along on a few trips to Florida while Nick and I were only dating! During THIS trip in particular, we decided to rent one of these little two person biking things (yes, that's the official name, in case you were wondering!), and after we initially spoke to the rental guy at one of the rental booths, the rental guy left and Nick says to me: "OH MY GOSH. Did you see it?!" Totally unaware as to what he was talking about, I said, "No - see what?" "THE SQUIRREL SITTING ON HIS SHOULDER!!! Look for it when he comes back!" So we waited, and ten minutes later, the rental guy comes back - without a squirrel on his shoulder. Nick was SO confused, and I BURST out laughing. To this day, Nick still believes there was a squirrel sitting on this man's shoulder. I still don't believe it!

One of the coolest things we've done together is go on a mission trip to Kenya! As you can see from our faces - jet lag is the real deal.

Ahhhhh, Halloween. We've gone through quite a few make shift Halloween costumes throughout the year, only to settle on finally investing in some Hogwarts robes (which I think we've worn for the last four years or so! ;) ). Other mentionables include: Bert Macklin & Janet Snakehole (any Parks & Rec fans out there?!), pirates, and Minnie & Mickey!

When this photo was taken, I had NO idea it would be so important to me so many years later. I was playing "Mrs. Mayor" in my high school's rendition of "Seussical," and Nick came to every single show. Later I found out that at one of the shows, Nick leaned over to his best friend and whispered "I'm going to marry that girl someday." I think it was the yellow suit 😂

Nick and I met through our youth group (read more about how we met here!) on a trip down to Florida to a camp called "Bigstuf." This photo was taken on our third trip together down there - those are some of my favorite memories!

Tenth grade prom. Need I say more?! We went to SO many dances together, and boy, are some of those photos rough, so I’ll leave you with this one that’s not so bad! 😉

Two Disney fans in Universal for the first time together. We decided that it wasn't nearly as interesting as Disney ;) But we did have an amazing time!

THIS was the day Nick asked me to marry him! If you're interested in seeing the video, click here ☺️ And yes - I was completely and utterly surprised!! The weirdest thing that happened that day, though, was seeing a naked man sun tanning in a PUBLIC PARK. Ew!

I always thought Nick had the best redheaded Justin Bieber hair when we were in high school 😍And this was back in the day when it was cool to take photos via the PhotoBooth on your computer.

This is what most of the photos we take together ACTUALLY look like 😂this was on the same day Nick "saw" the squirrel sitting on a man's shoulder!

This photo has been one of my favorites since it was taken by the talented Michael Williams, mainly because I feel like it really captures exactly who we are together! Against allllll of my previous knowledge about engagement sessions before this day, Nick and I showed up in a bit of mid-fight, but by the end of the shoot, we totally forgot what we had been fighting about. We had so much fun!

I bet you can guess what happened on this day! 😉This was by FAR one of my favorite days. To my surprise, I wasn't nervous at ALL, and slept a full nine and a half hours the night before our wedding! We had been dating for so long that we knew this was exactly what we wanted to do and the man I wanted to spend my life with!

I love everything that this photo represents: time together, uninterrupted, in one of our favorite places: Disney’s Boardwalk Resort! This photo was taken during a first year anniversary session by the incredibly talented KT Crabb Photography.

And here is us… just last year, attending my cousin’s wedding in Virginia! This photo reminds me of allllll of the boundaries we had to keep in place and adhere to - together - just to be able to attend this wedding and spend the weekend with my extended family. At the beginning of our marriage, one of the toughest things we had to work through was making time to align our schedules to be together.

When we were first married, Nick was working as a Youth Director at the church we attended, and I was working a part-time Graphic & Web Design job, while trying to build this business. We had no boundaries, and consequently, we never really saw each other or got to spend time with each other. I am SO thankful that we were both given a call out and were able to pursue a healthy work-life balance. 💛

Thanks for reading, friends!

Two Additional Wedding Events to Hire a Photographer For

If you’re getting married, chances are you definitely want to hire a photographer to document your day. Maybe even you’ve hired someone to take your engagement photos. But are there any other events you should consider hiring a photographer for?

Below are two additional wedding events that are typically heavily photographed, but not always by a professional photographer. Consider hiring a photographer for these two events to avoid the dreaded photo taking impairment effect.

1.  Bridal Shower

Your friends and family put SO MUCH work into showering you with love and joy with so many beautiful and personal details, why not hire a photographer to document the day? That way, no one will have to worry about being on “camera duty” and everyone can enjoy your bridal shower fully engaged!

2.  Rehearsal Dinner

Do you have a lot of extended family who you’re inviting to your rehearsal dinner? A rehearsal dinner is not only a great time for a photographer to get to know your family and bridal party before the wedding day, but a great way to get extra photos of your extended family all in one place! Plus – having time to take a few group photos at your rehearsal dinner is a great way to lessen the amount of extended family photos on the day of the wedding, saving time the day of your wedding for just having fun!

For more tips, tricks, and blog posts, be sure to follow @jennahidinger on Instagram!

The Problem with Wedding Photographers...

A few weeks ago, I had an eye opening conversation with a friend.

We were walking around the mall (that’s what we have to do in Pittsburgh when it’s 6 degrees outside ;) ), and we started talking about business. We moved on to weddings. Then we moved on to our couples and to photographing them on their wedding days, one of the most significant days of their lives.

Then, we started talking about something that got my gears spinning. A question was brought up: am I shooting for my couples, or am I shooting for me?

The weight of this question hit me by surprise. Of COURSE I’m shooting for my couples, I mused. Why else would I be photographing all of these weddings if I wasn’t?

But then, the gears kept turning, and I thought back to a conversation I had with a former coworker. Recently married, I asked him what he would do differently about his wedding day, if he could. He answered “I’d insist that we take less pictures. I love how they turned out, but I missed out on a lot of my wedding day because we kept leaving to take photos. Before the ceremony, after the ceremony, during cocktail hour, and during our reception, we were pulled out multiple times for more photos. They insisted that we keep leaving our friends and family for more photos without taking our opinion into consideration.”

Whoa. As a wedding photographer, this hit me right in the gut. I began to wonder: am I putting too much pressure on my couples for the photos that I want? Or do they really want them, too?

Of course, there’s a balance, like with anything. Good photos take time.  It takes time to get a series of photos that represent who a couple is, to capture their friends and family, and to do it all in less time than an engagement session typically takes.

But, the question still remains: am I unnecessarily putting expectations on my couples to take photos that they don’t really want? Are we missing the boat as wedding photographers and camouflaging our desire to get photos that we love while sacrificing our the desires of our couples on one of the biggest days of their lives?

If wedding photography becomes about anything besides the couple, then we’re doing it wrong. We’ve missed the boat. We might say we’re in it for our couples, but in reality, we’re only in it for ourselves. That’s when wedding photography becomes selfish. And the temptation to make it about ME, the wedding photographer, is a great one. But if we can keep our eyes on what truly matters – on capturing this beautiful, sacred union and these two individuals on the first day of the rest of their lives, our focus will stay where it was always meant to be: on our couples.

5 Commandments for Mastering Family Formals

Family formals (aka, mom’s favorite pictures from the wedding day [for good reason]) are a necessary component of any wedding day, and are sometimes one part of the day, unfortunately, that stresses brides out the most. From family members making a dash from the ceremony to cocktail hour to your niece (the flower girl) needing to use the restroom, you might be wondering: is there any way to successfully (and quickly) work through the family formals section of a wedding day?

What if I told you, bride-to-be, that family formals don’t have to be so crazy? That all family formals could be done within a short, concise timeframe? By following these five commandments of family formals, you will be sure to make it through your entire list without letting your list take the entirety of cocktail hour:

1. Have a specific list with specific names.

This is the number one most important key to mastering the family formals portion of your wedding day: have a specific list with specific names. Spending five minutes a month before your ceremony writing out exactly who you’d like to have a part of family formals can save lots of time on your wedding day. Don’t forget to touch base with your groom, your mom, and your mother-in-law to make sure their requests are on the list, too!

Our strategy for wedding days is to have a specific list to work from so nothing has to be decided on the fly the day of the wedding (i.e., one less item for the bride to have to coordinate). If we know exactly who needs to be in your formals beforehand, we can start gathering people directly after the ceremony, calling names, and putting people “on deck” for the next photo.

2. Don’t stray from the list.

Commandment number two might be just as important as number one – once you have your list finalized, don’t stray from it! I’ve seen many a list get elongated throughout the family formals timeframe from well-meaning family members who want a specific combination that the bride (and the bride’s family) aren’t interested in having. Allowing friends and family members to elongate the list during this specific timeframe can cut into bridal party portraits, as well as portraits of the bride and groom. Know what shots are important and stick to them!

3. Keep your list simple.

Simplicity is best when it comes to family formals. If you have a limited timeframe to complete formals, keep it short and sweet – keeping the list to immediate family members and grandparents is a great way to save time (less people to gather), and other larger portraits (i.e., your mom’s whole extended side of 30+ people) can be saved for the reception, where the DJ can announce: “we need all of the bride’s mother’s extended family on the dance floor for a photo!” or the like.

4. Let everyone on the list know exactly where they need to be, and when.

What takes up the most time when it comes to family formals? Gathering family members. Alerting family members ahead of time that they will be needed for a photo, whether it’s directly after the ceremony or at an alternative specific time, will save ample amounts of time. Tracking down someone in a 200-300 person crowd can be tough (especially during cocktail hour when there’s food and drink involved!).

5. Bust through your list right after the ceremony.

At your ceremony, everyone will be sitting in the same room – which means everyone is already gathered and ready for formals! After the couple has exited the ceremony, many couples have their pastor make an announcement to have family members remain in their seats so that they’re ready for photos. If no one leaves the ceremony, it’s easier to jump straight into photos!

By following these five commandments of family formals, you’re sure to breeze through your list with ease and efficiency and spend your day celebrating with family members, rather than just taking photos with them – and that’s what is truly important!

Have any tips to add? Drop them in the comments below!