Editorial & fine art photography
Welcome.
We are completely honored to capture your wedding day. One of the most treasured parts of my role as a photographer is that I am able to guide my couples while recognizing their unique preferences and getting to know them personally. Hopefully, this guide will serve as a starting point for you - to begin to think on the details of the wedding that that will all come together to shape the experience you've been waiting for.
Keeping in contact.
Email is the easiest and most reliable way to contact me and get a response. Current office hours are Tuesday-Thursday from 9am-5pm. Weekends are reserved for traveling to and from weddings - should you have an urgent matter while I am away for the weekend you can email my office assistant
Myckenzie
Myckenzierussellphoto@gmail.com
Office assistant
janemyckenzierussellphoto@gmail.com
What to expect.
01.
Inquire & Book your date
You should aim to officially book your date at least 12 months in advance. We do close our books at that time - so it is important to get your priority vendors reserved by that point.
02.
4-6 weeks before wedding
You will receive a client questionnaire via email to fill out. I ask you to include as much information as possible that way I can begin working on a photography timeline. This will also be tied into your planners master timeline.
03.
1 week before wedding
At this point your photography timeline has been reviewed and confirmed by you and your planner. If there are any questions regarding the timeline, this is the time to schedule a final phone call to discuss.
04.
Post wedding
My favorite part of the entire process. You can expect your full gallery back in 10-12 weeks. You will be able to download your images in high resolution and print right away.
Services:
Engagements / Local & destination
Planning your engagement session is the perfect opportunity for us to meet in person, spend time together, and capture photos for you to use throughout your engagement. If your venue allows you time for a session, this is a fun way to walk the property and really immerse yourself in the surroundings + its a great date night!
Local engagements are scheduled with Myckenzie in St. Augustine Florida. If you are traveling into town from somewhere else - we are happy to recommend lodging and restaurants while you visit.
Travel engagements are scheduled with Myckenzie (for a travel fee), or with an associate member of Myckenzie's team that is based in Miami (for no additional fee)
Travel engagements investment:
$500 session fee, hotel/lodging for 1 night (~$150), flight and/or driving mileage
Starting from
$500
Boudoir
Boudoir session are a way to express yourself in your bridal era, and get beautiful images. Some choose to use their boudoir photos to design an heirloom book as a gift, and others just to acknowledge this time as a bride.
Boudoir session are done in my St. Augustine based studio upon appointment only
Includes:
private studio space, 1 hour session, outfit changes, digital gallery of 80-120 images
investment
$700
Photography timeline
Every wedding day is different depending on the wants and needs of my couple. This is an example of a common timeline that can be customized to fit your day. As a rule of thumb - you can expect coverage to begin 4 hours before your ceremony.
1:00 pm Photographer arrives to venue
1:15 pm Detail photos & flat lay
2:00 pm Brides hair & makeup finished
2:30 pm Bride gets into dress
3:00 pm First look & initial photos
3:30 pm Bridal party portraits
4:00 pm Family portraits
4:30 pm Rest & be present before ceremony
5:00 pm Ceremony
5:30 pm Ceremony ends
5:30 pm Brief "golden hour" photos with bride & groom
6:00 pm Reception
9:00 pm Coverage ends - photographer departs
Important elements to consider when building your timeline
First look
Whether or not you choose to do a first look will affect your overall timeline. If you decide to do a first look we will likely be able to accomplish all formal photos (bridal party, bride & groom, family) before the ceremony begins. Without a first look, we will schedule these photos after the ceremony which means you will not attend cocktail hour.
Sunset time
Light is the single most important element to the photographs I take on a wedding day. Your photos will be a direct result of where the sun is during portraits. Ideally, the most beautiful light comes into play about an hour before the sunset. It's during this time that I always try to sneak in some "golden hour" photos with my bride and groom for 10-15 minutes.
Buffer time
Buffer time is key because it is where all of the candid, unplanned, and documentary moments will happen. If your timeline is jam packed, your gallery will reflect that. Having plenty of time in between your formalities is the best way to ensure you're able to be present and in the moment the day of.
First looks
Deciding on if you would like to have a first look or not is always a big conversation amongst my couples. As a photographer who has shot hundreds of weddings, I always like to guide my couples in a direction that leads to a stress free and easy going wedding day. With that being said; I always recommend that my couples have a first look before the ceremony.
If you choose to do a first look; all of your important portraits including bridal party, family, and most of your couples portraits, will be done done before the ceremony begins. This also means that you will be able to attend cocktail hour as a married couple and get to spend true quality time enjoying the day you spent so much time curating.
If you choose to not have a first look; all of your important portraits will need to be done after the ceremony. This means that you, your bridal party members, and family will not be able to attend cocktail hour.
Family portraits.
I will ask for a family portraits list when your questionnaire is sent out about 6 weeks from your wedding. As a rule of thumb, you can estimate that it will take about 10 minutes to gather all family members up after the ceremony, and about 2 minutes per photo combination. I recommend 10-12 family photo combinations in order to stay within the 30 minute mark
Choosing to take your immediate family photos (parents, siblings) before the ceremony can help the day flow smoother. additional extended family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins) can be finished up post ceremony if they are unable to come earlier in the day.
Example family list
This is a total of 9 combinations for a total of 25-30 minutes of photos
- Bride + parents
- Bride + groom + brides parents
- Bride + groom + brides parents + brides siblings
- Bride + groom + extended family (large group photo)
- Groom + parents
- Groom + bride + grooms parents
- Groom + bride + grooms parents + grooms siblings
- Groom + bride + extended family (large group photo)
- Bride + groom + all extended family (large group photo)
Cocktail hour.
Cocktail hour can be a part of the day where your guests are immersed in the day, and present with each other.
Things to consider
Provide a dress code (preferred color palette, fabrics, ect.) for your guests. As a whole, the cohesiveness of your guests visually will provide an overall elevated aesthetic.
Consider if you would like to attend cocktail hour as a couple - if this is a priority of yours we will need to incorporate a first look into the timeline so that portraits can be done prior to the ceremony. Cocktail hour is a wonderful time to interact and get candid photos with your guests.
Final exits & sparkler exits
There are few important things to consider when deciding if you would like to include a final exit in your gallery
- You will likely need more than 8 hours of coverage if you would like your final exit captured. Typically, 10-11 hours of coverage is needed. Coverage hours are scheduled so that final exits happen 20 minutes before coverage ends to avoid overage time
- Insurance coverage limits my proximity to all final exits including fire (cold sparks, sparklers, ect). I must remain at least 10 feet away from any exit.
- I recommend at least 45 minutes of dancing photos. I find that photos taken later in the night aren't flattering for your guests.
Vendor Recommendations
01.
Videography
Mels Films
Brothers Cinematography
Santiago Guy Films