As a photographer I not only am presented with the challenge to create beautiful work, but to create original, artistic work! That’s something that I always strive for, something that I use to push myself, which ultimately pays huge dividends to my clients. Think about it for a second. You are getting married, and of course want tons of great shots on your big day! Do you want the same old cookie cutter shots that have been getting produced for the last 30 years, or do you want some stunning creative works that move up from being in a shoebox to above your couch on a huge canvas print?

It takes a few key ingredients to make such images, one of which there is no substitute for – time. I know it’s sometimes very tough to make time on a wedding day to go off with your photographer for an hour or more, but there are alternatives!

Let’s make a few scenarios. Starting with the basic beach wedding with just a few family members, we might be talking about 3 hours of total coverage needed for a short 15 minute ceremony, walk up the beach, a few formal shots and a small reception in a beachfront hotel ballroom. That gets my clients some wonderful memories and beautiful beachy shots, sometimes with a few sunset poses. There is usually no cocktail hour and the guests usually have just a minute or two between the ceremony and reception sites, so couples often do not want to leave everyone hanging for an extended amount of time. Formals are usually 15-20 setups max, and the bridals are usually on the beach consisting of walking, holding hands, drawing in the sand, kissing, playing in the surf (for those willing), etc. 30 minutes after the ceremony the couple needs to get the reception going and the night progresses. Now that gets you some nice shots, don’t get me wrong. But they often look pretty much the same as everyone else’s beach shots because let’s face it, you only have a few rather static elements to the shot. The sky, which here in FL is almost always clear and blue. The beach, which here is white and flat, and the surf which is always small and calm on this coast. So the posing is what really makes great beach shots, but there’s only so much to do with just a couple people out in the open. This is a good candidate for a Day After Session! A DA Bridal session allows me to take the couple out away from the beach, to travel to other locations and interact with those spots to produce the more ‘epic’ shots that deserve to hang on a wall. The shots with colors and textures, the ones where the couple is able to relax together without thinking about the time, having to rush anywhere or take care of a reception crowd.

Another situation is the longer all day wedding (my favorite) where we can plan for an extended time for bridal shots on the wedding day. We can do this one of two ways – either before the ceremony or after. A relatively new trend in weddings is something called the First Look, and I ALWAYS suggest it to my couples, for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it gets up another complete set of beautiful, emotion filled images for your collection! At a First Look, before the ceremony, after the Bride and Groom are fully dressed, they see each other privately. I take them out alone somewhere in a beautiful setting, turning the groom away. I lead the bride in from behind and she’s able to turn him around to see her for the first time alone. The emotional outpouring and stress relief is beyond words, it truly changes the entire day after that point! There WHOLE weddings is then a fun, joyous occasion, without the nerves and stress that is usually present at the ceremony! This ALSO gives a LOT better photographs during the ceremony! The best plan after a First Look is to have a large chunk of time to then go with your photographer to make some killer bridal photos! Without the constraint of having to again, rush to a reception, you are able

to use the environment to really get some stunning stuff! Alternatively you can plan for an extended time after the ceremony, if the location and guest plans permit, to do the same shots after the formals.

Without a dedicated time, either before the ceremony, between the ceremony and reception or on a Day After shoot – there is no way to create the artistic, creative photographs that REALLY make an album stand out or can be hung large on your walls. Giving your photographer the opportunity to do so is really all about your own benefit, paying yourself back many times over once you see what it truly gives you!