All About Weddings

View My Colorful & Fun Wedding Photos + Lots of Wedding Information

The Experience

I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE ME AS 'JUST THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER'.  I WANT YOU TO SEE ME AS A FRIEND.

I'll scream it from the rooftops... IT'S ALL ABOUT CONNECTION!  When I have a connection with my couples, we create amazing photographs together.  In my 15+ years, all of my most favorite work was made working with couples that felt like new friends.  There's a million photographers out there to choose from, but how well you connect with them really reflects in the images.  It is so important that you can 'see yourself' in the sample photos you view prior to booking someone.  It's so important that you like the photographer as much as the photos, and that you are excited about the process and experience.  I'm not here to just "get the job done".  I want to attract couples that really value photography, are excited to create with me, and don't see it as a chore or as something to just check off the list.  I'm here to help make the whole wedding experience a little more fun, and to make images unique to you and your love!

My Style & Process

I am constantly anticipating and listening for the next belly laugh or happy tears.

Overall, my shooting style is very photojournalistic and candid.  Whenever we're taking portraits, I'm not going to force you into a strange uncomfortable pose.  Instead, I give plenty of direction for natural movement so you don’t feel awkward.  I love giving prompts to capture laughter and natural expressions. During the rest of the wedding day, I quietly keep to the sidelines as much as possible so that I can take everything in and not interfere with the natural moments that are unfolding. I often use a zoom lens so I can get close to the action while staying out of sight, like a spy! My goal on the wedding day is to photograph every detail and moment, big and small. I am constantly anticipating and listening for the next belly laugh or happy tears. Of course, if I have a suggestion for making an okay scene look amazing, I'll give you tips, or if I see a great spot for an artistic portrait later in the day, I'll ask if you'd like to give it a try, but I'm very conscious not to be overbearing or intrusive. 

My Editing Style

Vibrant yet timeless, true to life colors

My editing style is clean and vibrant. With over 15 years experience, I’ve seen more editing trends than I can count. Each one comes and goes just as quickly. As soon as the trend has passed, those images are instantly dated. I prefer to keep my colors vibrant, but also true to life and timeless. I touch-up each and every one of your images to improve skin tone, brightness, and vibrancy. And, as much as I love color, I also love a classic black and white image. I automatically include all of your wedding day images in BOTH color AND black and white!

All About Image Delivery

To your inbox in less than a month!

While every event is a different pace, you can expect to receive at least 100 images per hour. Even when not much is happening during the day, I’m always searching for something to photograph, even if it’s just to capture how the sky looked that day. I often have several thousand images to sort through at the end of the day. I also make it a habit to shoot multiples of nearly everything to ensure I nail the focus and to make sure no one blinks or starts talking at the wrong moment! Digital images are delivered via a download link that is sent to your email. They are high resolution images that come with printing and online sharing rights. I post a couple of sneak peeks within a day or two of your wedding, and a big preview on my blog within a week. Depending on my travel schedule, and time of year, image delivery can take a max of 4 weeks, but most often I will have your full gallery ready to view within 2 weeks!  

But Crystal, We're Always Awkward

I dare you to prove it

I’d say 75% of the couples I photograph say that they are awkward in front of the camera. But I have yet to believe any of them!  If you're like me, being awkward IS being myself (just take a look at my own headshots on my about me page).  The most important thing to me is that you’re having a fun time and enjoying each other’s company. I want you to feel comfortable being yourselves… be silly, tell each other jokes, just laugh it out! I’ll give you plenty of direction and prompts to help get you warmed up, and pretty soon you’ll forget that I even have a camera. I work with posing couples, finding their best angles, and making sure they’re in the best light (literally and figuratively!) all year long… that’s the difference between hiring a professional or hiring a friend or hobbyist. Plus, every booking comes with complimentary engagement session time, so you have no reason not to have a practice run with me before the big day!

The Practice Run

Let's hang out and take fun pictures!

You can call it an engagement session, but I like to call it a “getting-to-know-you” session. Most people have never worked with a professional photographer before and they don’t know what to expect. Even if you have, every single photographer has a different shooting style and personality. Every couple is also different! I think having a little time to work with you and to get to know you before the wedding day, makes a huge difference in the outcome of the wedding day images. We’ll get comfortable with each other, you’ll learn what to expect from me and my directions, I’ll learn your best angles, what makes you laugh, and what prompts you respond to best. I’ll get to learn about your relationship and comfort level with each other, so I know exactly what works on the big day. Then, when you see the outcome of it all, all those directions will make so much sense and you’ll feel like old pros on the wedding day, making the images even that much more natural.  It's just an easy-going time to hang out, have fun, and become friends...  I just also happen to have a camera!

Why Hire A Professional?

It's more than just having a nice camera

Your friend has a nice camera and takes neat photos. They offer to photograph your wedding. It’s a tempting offer, and everyone has to start somewhere, right? But, I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard stories of regret. And it makes my heart hurt. every. single. time. You can’t re-do your wedding day. As cliche as it is, the photos will be all you have to remember it by (other than your brain of course). How important is that to you? A nice camera does not equal nice photos. A handful of decent images from a hobbyist does not equal a level of skill required for capturing 6-8 hours of non-stop hustle and bustle that is a wedding day. It takes years of practice to learn how to anticipate the next important moment, to know how to make one quick change to your camera settings at a split second notice, to know which lens will best portray the story of a particular moment (I change lenses at least 5 times just during a ceremony). I’m able to constantly think one step ahead because I know the entire flow of the day, and have photographed over 200 weddings. It takes experience to not get overwhelmed by the pressure (I cried after every wedding I shot on my own my very first year, just from the mental exhaustion!). Not to mention post-production workflow. When I first started in 2005, it took me about 2 months to retouch a full wedding day. Now, I can do it in 2 weeks. Plus, it’s impossible to work and be a guest - would you rather your friend enjoy themselves, or spend the wedding day working? Just a few things to think about when making a decision.  

How Do You Want To Experience Your Day?

I'm here to help you make the most of your time!

One of the very first conversations I like to have with my couples is about the wedding day timeline. Having a good timeline not only helps ensure you’ll get all the most important photo coverage that you want, but it also ensures a stree-free day for you! The wedding day is going to go by in the blink of an eye. It’s important to think about how you can enjoy it and take it all in as slowly as possible, and how to maximize your time with your friends and family. It’s also important to consider the lighting and times of day things are taking place in regards to the photography. Various lighting throughout the day will result in different looks for your images. I’m here to help you consider all the options and to walk you through the best plan for your vision.

What's Included?

better pack an extra duffle bag!

All of my wedding bookings include high-resolution, hand-retouched, wedding day digital images with printing rights. Images come in both color as well as in black and white. Couples get complimentary engagement session time, or as I like to call it, ‘getting-to-know-you’ time. All sessions include an online proofing gallery to share images with friends and family, with access to purchase high-end, professional prints and products. Planning assistance, a custom wedding day and photography timeline, and access to my wedding guide with tips for making the most of your photography experience is also included! Prints, canvases, and fine art albums are also available, as well as second-photographer coverage.  Plus, gifting is my love language, so it's pretty likely you'll get some surprises as well!

Something To Have & To Hold

Don't keep your wedding images prisoner to your computer hard drive or usb stick!

Isn't it a good thing your grandparents and parents don't have their wedding images on whatever the hot new digital media happened to be at that time?  Imagine trying to get images off of one of those 5" floppy disks today.  Just a couple of years ago, CDs and DVDs were the most common way to receive digital images, but new computers aren't even made with disk drives anymore.  I've heard couples say they tossed their disk in a drawer after the wedding, and haven't seen it in years.  Sure, they had every intention of making their own albums and prints, but you know... life happens.  Don't let that happen to you!  Your wedding images mark the start of your life together as a family.  What better way to preserve the memories you love than with an heirloom fine art album that you can hold in your hands and pass around at your next dinner party?  Handmade, and built to last and to hand down for generations... every couple deserves a wedding album like this, not just grandma!  

READY TO HAVE

FUN TOGETHER?!

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