One of the first things we asked ourselves when we booked our first wedding was “what are we going to wear?” Were we going to be the photographers who wear all black and try to blend in with the rest of the vendors as much as possible? At our first wedding, blending in was the goal because we were nervous and not nearly as confident as we are now, but after we had a few under our belt and much discussion on how we want to interact with our couples and brand ourselves well, we decided that we were not going to dress to blend in.

There are a few things we keep in mind when planning our wardrobe to a wedding:

1. Dress like a wedding guest (within reason).
2. Pockets are a must have!
3. Choose comfortable shoes, and bring two pairs.
4. Have a trusty bag to carry all of your supplies.
5. Bring clothing items for the worse-case scenario situations.

 

We decided that we didn’t want to “blend in” with the rest of the vendors because we not only want our clients to think of us as their photographers, but as their friends too! We want to be a part of their family on a wedding day, while still appearing professional in our dress. Functional attire is essential! We look for dresses that are long enough that we will fill comfortable bending down to grab a shot of the wedding details and climbing on a ladder or stool to get a shot of the entire wedding party. We also seek out dresses with pockets! Having somewhere to put your lens cap, Expodisc, extra battery, or memory card is invaluable on a fast paced wedding day!!

We also bring lots of shoes with us! Comfortable and dressy flats are a must. While we think you should look like a wedding guest, we don’t think you have to wear heels, in fact, there’s no way we could wear heels all day! We wear one pair of flats the first half of the day and switch to another pair usually around the reception. Changing shoes really helps your feet from getting too sore or having the same spot on your foot be rubbed by the shoe. Blisters are not something you want to deal with on a wedding day.

We also choose to bring our Hunter boots for two reasons. One, many of our weddings are out in the country so they are practical if we need to go out in a field with our couple where lots of ticks and other bugs live. Two, as silly as it may seem, Hunter Boots are a big part of our brand. We love Hunter boots because they are iconic, made with the highest quality material, and bring us closer to the nature arounds us. If we can showcase our brand on a wedding day, we are that much closer to inviting the couple’s guests to look us up and see what our boots are all about, which brings them to our social media or website. It’s important to give people little connection points that help the remember your business, and Hunter Boots are one of ours.

It’s also super important to have a trusty bag to carry around with you all day. You can house all of your equipment in a big roll-around suitcase and also bring bags to carry around when you don’t want to lug the whole load of gear out on location. We both love Kelly Moore bags. One of our passions is supporting brands that inspire us and that we truly believe in. Kelly Moore is a innovative female entrepreneur who created these bags when she as a photographer couldn’t find a bag that fit her needs. Instead of buying something just to make due, she actually created what she needed. That’s entrepreneurship at it’s finest. Her bags are as beautiful as they are functional. A bit pricey but worth every penny!

We also believe in being prepared for any situation that may arise. So, we come equipped with a rain jacket along with our Hunter boots. If it starts raining, we do whatever we can to preserve our clients’ clothing, hair, and makeup, and throw our own out the window! We think it’s a good idea to have a rain jacket that’s keeps you as dry as possible while also being professional enough to pull out while your on the job. This one is Johnston and Murphy!

We’re also sure to bring something to pull our long hair up on a super hot or rainy day and some lipstick to touch up our own makeup during the day. These are the things that you wish you had in the middle of the day, and if you plan ahead, they will be in your bag the moment you need them.

From clothing to our wedding details kit to photography gear, we bring A LOT of stuff with us on a wedding day! We typically pack a day or two in advance and use bags and laundry baskets to help organize everything in the trunk of our car so we know exactly where everything is, which helps us to move quickly and efficiently on a wedding day!

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xo. Chelsea & Hannah