Chelsea and I are gaining more experience in photography every day. We are constantly learning new techniques to improve our business and pushing ourselves to be better. Our first wedding was a huge learning experience, and we want to share some of our key takeaways with you. 

     1. Not everything will go as planned. 

     It does not matter how prepared you are or how prepared you feel. Not everything will go exactly as you plan for the wedding day. On our first wedding, it rained ALL day. Thankfully, the venue had a few covered areas, so we were able to take most of the portraits outside. It is impossible to know everything before your first wedding. Looking back, we prepared so much weeks before, but things came up that we didn’t know how to respond to. On any wedding day, a bride may ask you a question that you don’t know how to answer, but guess what? It’s okay!! Everything is a learning experience. Give yourself some grace and keep pushing forward. 

     2. Focus on the experience. As photographers our main focus is on getting high-quality images. It’s easy to stress out on a wedding day, especially if it’s your first wedding ever. Yes, high-qualilty images matter, and they are so so important. However, the experience and feelings the clients have should always come first. 

     3. Smile. This goes along with focusing on the experience. It not only makes the client feel better, but it helps you stay positive as well. Wedding days are stressful, but try your best to not let the pressure of the day get the best of you. Take a deep breath, smile, and keeping moving forward. Each wedding you photograph will get easier!

– Chelsea & Hannah