How much time should you set aside to get ready for your wedding, and are these candid photos actually candid?

Looking at this photo, you’d think I glanced over at beautiful Grace as she sat in her getting ready space right before going out for her first look with her dad at the beautiful Mount Ida venue in Charlottesville.

You’d be wrong.

Instead, Grace knew she wanted a photo similar to this because of other photos she had seen in my portfolio. I placed her in glowing light from a side door and directed her until we got just the right tilt of the head and cross of her legs. This photo would have been impossible to achieve if we had not worked together with her planner to ensure we had plenty of time in the “getting ready” part of her day, pre-first look.

This one, however…candid! I placed Grace exactly where I wanted her with her mother while her mom placed the veil on her head. It’s candid, but a controlled candid because I wanted the light exactly like this for the photo.

I just love educating people about these two things: 1. Crafting a timeline that allows for both candid and posed photos is important, and you CAN be relaxed and not rushed during this part of your day. and 2. The photos you see that you think are totally candid are often somewhat controlled. I clear water bottles and rubber bands from a background, I set people in beautiful light, then I allow moments to unfold.