Q&A on wedding details with professional photographers

Getting married? Where do you start?! Pinterest, more Pinterest and wedding blogs of course!

Before you pin like crazy, I want to be the first to say, I've never been to any weddings except my moms, so I was pretty clueless. Luckily we live in a world where Pinterest thrives through our fingertips. I wanted to host a special blog for weddings to help any bride-to-be in search of a photographer here in the Pacific Northwest. I hope you find these anwsers helpful!

First up, is my wedding photographer Tacey Abney. She owns Laughing Willow Photography , her work is amazing and overall such a sweet person. At the time, my husband and I were hopeless finding a photographer because the one we had bailed on us, (not professional at all). Luckily, Tacey was available for our wedding day. Tip #1: Book your photographer in advance and make sure they care about your special day!

Q: What is the first advice you would give to a newly engaged bride when planning a wedding?

A: Before you involve all your friends and family, take some snuggly quiet time with just you and your man to decide what you really want. Do you want an adventurous elopement, or a big party with everyone you know? Write that all down to help you focus on what's best for you two before you get the opinions of everyone else.

Q: What makes a professional photographer important on wedding day?

A: Speaking personally, I live and breath photography. That perfect sun kissed lighting, those hilarious candid moments those tearful smiles from your loved ones. Not only am I searching for those moments the entire day, I'm also making sure the angles and lighting on you are flattering and magical. When you shoot with someone unprofessional or even a professional that you didn't personally choose (like if your parents picked them out) you run the risk of losing not only quality but also your personality and genuineness might get lost in a shuffle of cheesy amateur poses or stiff commercial portraits. You deserve to have your beautiful relationship captured in a way that will make you laugh and cry (in the good way!) when you look back at the pictures.

Q: I’ve seen glitz & glam a popular trend for wedding details, can you add this years popular style everyone is raving about?

A: I am loving all the gold and rose gold lately! Especially for bridesmaids dresses and table decorations, it's a trend I fully support!

Q: As a photographer, what's your favorite moment during the wedding?

A: If you haven't heard of it, the first look is where the bride and groom see each other before the wedding in a beautiful, private location with just them and their photographer at a respectful distance. I love shooting these moments because the pressure is off compared to the ceremony, they can laugh, cry, hug, kiss, exclaim loudly exactly what they think of their drop-dead gorgeous bride etc! Then the pictures of them that follow are un-rushed, fun and natural and puts the whole wedding day at ease since they don't have to race to do pictures between the ceremony and reception. Plus, if the groom's a crier, he will usually cry again when he sees her walk down the isle, so it's a 2-for-1 bonus cry! My favorite!! :)

Check out more of her work and follow her on Instagram.

My husband and I recently went on vacation to the beautiful Victoria, Canada. I wanted to get pictures of us as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. It was a little hard to find someone from a place I don’t know much about but once I found and talked with Lara Eichhorn, I was super excited. Her blog was the most helpful information I could look for and made me feel she was the right person for us.

Q: What is the first advice you would give to a newly engaged bride when planning a wedding?

A: I’d say to think about your guests and your own enjoyment on the day first vs. thinking about how things will look or how to get the best photos. There are some things that are common practice on the wedding day that guests just hate, like taking a three hour break between the ceremony and reception to take photos. Honestly, the couple and wedding party are probably going to be exhausted after three hours of photos too. Also, make sure you have time to eat and to talk to the people that matter. Delegate anything you can to family or close friends.

Q: What makes a professional photographer important on wedding day?

A: I think my own value as a photographer comes in with the time management aspect too. I can get the photos I need, that my clients will love, in whatever time I'm given. I don't need perfect lighting conditions or half an hour to set my gear up. I can handle surprises. And I know the cues that indicate that a certain event is about to happen, so I can get to the best place to photograph it. It's not just being a professional photographer that's important, but having wedding experience. It's about getting your job done without putting stress on the client.

Q: I’ve seen glitz & glam a popular trend for wedding details, can you add this years popular style everyone is raving about?

A: I haven't been to enough weddings so far this year to know, but rustic elegance is always big in the pacific northwest and I don't think it's

done yet.

Q: As a photographer, what's your moment during the wedding?

A: My favourite moment? I really like the toasts. I like listening to them and learning more about my clients. And they always result in the best expressions from the speaker, the couple, and often from the guests. It's the perfect time to get great guest candids.

Check out more of her work and follow her on Instagram.

Wow that was some good stuff! I hope the juicy details helped you get some insight of hiring a professional photographer. If you'd like to know more about this wedding series follow me on Instagram or better yet, sign up with Sugarr Photos Newsletter to be the first to know!

Lots of love,

Rachel