Erica M Photography »

This is what they were waiting for. Ever since that snowy day last February. While most sat wrapped up in a blanket, hands around a hot cup of tea, admiring the magical white scene from their window, Mary and Brad were outside living that magic. The simple task of picking up eggs at the corner store transported them into a world all their own. On that walk everything stood still. Tree limbs hung heavy, white mountains formed over the red brick walls of campus, and absolute quiet fell around them. And in that moment Brad asked Mary to spend the rest of her life with him. She gladly accepted.

Mary and Brad, thank you for asking me to be a part of your wedding. It sounds simple but it means so much. You and your families are some of the sweetest people I have the pleasure of knowing. I was treated like one of your guests the whole weekend…and I appreciate that more than you know. I so look forward to seeing your relationship continue to grow over the years. Congratulations and all the best to you both!

At the end of the day someone commented to me that Mary and Brad’s was once of the most relaxed weddings they’d ever been to. I agreed. It started at the very beginning of the day with the guys getting ready, playing guitar, and having some laughs. Oh and the first look and well executed timeline didn’t hurt the relaxed vibe of the day either ;) Just sayin’!

My assistant photographer Kristian Thacker hung out with the guys while I was with the ladies. He got these next two shots that I love.

Mary, I’m just going to say what everyone is thinking. You’re GORGEOUS!

Mary and Brad chose to see each other before their ceremony for a first look on University of Maryland’s campus, where their romance and proposal took place. I love love love first looks!

Mary’s wedding gift to Brad, so debonair.

In case you didn’t know, Mary is adorable :)

Kristian got these shots of the father of the groom and the father of the bride getting ready for the ceremony at University of Maryland’s Memorial Chapel.

The moments before the ceremony starts are so emotional, even when you’ve already seen your groom!

The newlyweds! Thank you Kristian for the exit shot!

A sweet and simple reception…

…with a ton of fun and dancing thrown in. Love it!

A quick sneak peak of these two love birds! More goodness to follow soon :)

One of the most important things in planning a wedding is establishing a timeline. When I got engaged I had already shot plenty of weddings so I knew how I wanted my wedding day to flow. I want to pass that same knowledge to you with an example of a wedding day timeline with 8 hours of photography coverage, which to me is ideal. This timeline is for a bride and groom who have chosen to do a first look (which you can read about here & here!). I can not encourage it enough! If you choose not to do a first look all of your photos will have to be taken after the ceremony when daylight is fleeting and your guests are enjoying the reception without you. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Your wedding day goes by in a blur and having time with your spouse to be by doing a first look before the events of the day start is so so wonderful!

You might look at this timeline and say, “I need 30 minutes to put my dress on? That’s crazy!” It may sound crazy now, but you’ll be thankful that you’ve give yourself enough time later. As a bride I thought putting on my dress would take 2 seconds. It doesn’t. You have to shimmy on undergarments and that bow that the bridal salon tied so beautifully for you during your final fitting? It’s just not working now. 10 tries, a hidden safety pin, and 15 minuets later, you’re finally ready to walk out the door. I’m speaking from experience here! I’ve cushioned the whole timeline because, things happen. The ceremony doesn’t start on time or Uncle Joe is missing and you need him in the family photo. I don’t want to be stressed and I especially don’t want you to be stressed so I’ve alloted plenty of time for everything. Planning out a good timeline is so very important. If there isn’t enough time made for photos, I will be rushed. Photography is a creative process. I want to make sure there is plenty of time so you get the beautiful creative natural light photos you deserve!

So here’s the timeline! You can shift the times based on when your ceremony starts, how long travel takes from one place to the next, and perhaps most importantly when sunset is! If you’d like me to email you this timeline, I’d be more than happy to. Unfortunately I’ve had to disable the copy paste function on my blog due to plagiarization in the past.

11:00 Bride and bridesmaids hair and makeup appointments *

2:00 Photography commences. Photograph bride continuing to get ready, groom if in same location. Details photographed. Hair and makeup touchups.

2:30 Bride puts on dress. Florist drops off bouquets and boutonnières.

3:00 First look, B&G see each other before ceremony and take photos together

3:30 Bridal Party Pictures

4:00 Immediate Family Photos

4:30 B&G are tucked away before ceremony. Photographers shoot ceremony and cocktail hour details

5:00 – 5:30 Ceremony **

5:40 Family photos

5:45 – 6:45 Cocktail hour at reception site. Photograph reception details during cocktail hour

6:45 Guests Seated, B&G Grand Entrance & First Dance

7:00 Welcome, Prayer, Dinner Served

7:45 Toasts

8:00 Dancing begins with Mother/Son & Father/Daughter Dances

9:00 Cake Cutting

9:30 Bouquet and Garter Toss

10:00 Photography Coverage Ends

Notes:

* Hair & Makeup Appointments
Getting your hair and makeup done always takes longer than you expect. Please please please trust me on this. This timeline is set up so you are starting your appointment 4 hours before we do the first look. When you’re making appointments keep in mind how many girls are in your bridal party and how many stylists will be attending to you. For my wedding I did two trials (because I didn’t like the style I chose the first time!) and the trials didn’t take nearly as long as the day of did. I went to the salon 30 minutes before it officially opened, so do what you need to do!

** Sunset
Whenever I am shooting a wedding or portrait session I refer to this sunrise & sunset calculator to know when the sun will go down: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunrise.html. When planning your wedding make sure you check what time sunset is. You want to make sure you have enough daylight for your ceremony, family photos, and if your cocktail hour is outside. I recommend your ceremony to start 2 hours before sunset.

And just because, a festive spring bouquet from a wedding I second shot last year that I never got around to blogging. A reminder that winter is at it’s end!