New year, new boo, new you

You just got engaged, now what?

Congratulations on deciding you want to marry your best friend!

I remember getting engaged and being over the moon! You can’t even think about anything other than spending the rest of your life with the one person you love most! Cue the romantic music and daydreams. Then -BAM- the beast that is wedding planning knocks you right off of your feet. What venue to choose? What style of photography do you like? Does your dress match the vibe of the venue you chose? All while you have everyone you know, and even some people you don’t know, giving you their opinions on what to do. So what now? Where do you even begin?

We’re Sarah and Drake and we are a destination wedding photographer and videographer team traveling the world to help couples have the perfect day, all while documenting their stories, and we are

Here to help you figure out what’s next!

I always tell couples to take an afternoon with each other, away from distractions and make a list. This list will be every vendor or item you want for your wedding numbered in booking order. So, start at the most important thing to you, and then work your way down from there. Here’s an example.

1. Venue
2. Wedding planner
3. Photo/ Video
4. Wedding Dress
5. Florist
6. Decor
7. Caterer
8. Dj

This list will help keep you on track, but also will take some of the unknown stress off of you.

So let’s talk venue

Venues can be so vastly different, but also still so similar. I see so many venues and here’s some small details that can make your venue really stand out in your gallery!

Lighting

Architecture

Aesthetic

Once you found the venue of your dreams that will elevate your wedding to the next level, now its time to find your wedding planner.. and this is a big one!

Wedding planner or wedding god?

Wedding planners can make or break your big day as they should be your go to for everything wedding. Here’s some things to look for to make sure they are the best fit for your day.

Personality

Whoever you choose will be the person you communicate with most about your wedding. It’s super important that you vibe or get along with them. Personality styles can either help this relationship or put a lot of strain on it. Find someone who’s organized but also listens to what you want and can give advice on how to get that.

Their Work

We are so lucky to live in the 21st century. Social media is amazing for looking someones portfolio. Look at their feeds, their tagged posts. Watch their stories, and see if you like the work you see! Wedding planners make your visions come to life, so look and see if you can imagine your vision with them creating it!

What is all included in the package

Once you’ve been married for at least a few hours, you’ve probably started realizing just how much a wedding budget can add up. One thing a planner can help with if you book full service with them, is help with that budgeting. It all comes back to making sure you are able to enjoy the planning process and being engaged and this will definitely take the stress off of you!

Now to my favorite wedding topic…. Photo + Video!

Honestly, this can be one of the most overwhelming vendors to pick. Every photographer has their own style and prices can vary so much, so how do you know who to choose? Here’s three tips to finding the perfect photographer for you!

Style

When you hear the word style while talking about photography, I feel the majority of people only think about editing colors, but a photographers style is so much more than that. Style is the editing and also the way they document those moments. When I am capturing a couples perfect day, I’m not focused on posing every single person for every single second of the day, I want to document our couples naturally, and in a candid aspect. We shoot in a documentary style to allow our couples and their guests to feel comfortable in front of our cameras.

Experience

This is a big one, what is the experience like with the photo + video team you’re choosing? Don’t just choose someone to show up on quite literally the biggest day of your life, snap a few pictures, and leave! We help educate our couples on lighting, intimate moments you might want to do, venue areas for photos, and so much more.

Engagement sessions are another great part of a package that help you get to know your photographer so that come your wedding day you don’t have a stranger in your face for 8+ hours.

Photo + Video Teams

If I had to get married all over, I would spend majority of my budget on hiring a videographer. Video is SO important. We constantly hear couples say they’re not sure about adding video, and I always tell them the same thing.

“Photos are amazing at freezing a moment and making it timeless, video makes you relive that moment.”

Recently, my parents were moving and we found an old camcorder of theirs from almost 20 Years ago. We cried as we went back and watched the videos on it, showing family members who’ve passed and hearing their voices again. Laughing as I cringed at the middle school version of myself. You will cherish seeing your family and friends celebrating the most exciting time in your life, I promise.

Hiring a photo and video team makes that process easier, and more convenient for you!

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with planning but remember you’re marrying your best friend and that’s all that matters. You will have a team of vendors who care about you, and want to make your day absolute perfection! So, deep breath in, and go create the beginning to the rest of your life!

You’ve got this!

XOXO,

Sarah and Drake