Michelle Walker made it easy on us for this episode - she came with a detailed outline of what she wanted to talk about. A top 10. Yay! Here are her most important tips for your wedding planning:

Top 10 Things Wedding Photographers Want to Say to Clients (but usually don’t…)

1) Have a long cocktail hour. 75-90 minutes. So you have time to mingle with your friends and family, and it allows for GREAT candids of the guests. Photographers would much rather shoot candids during this time rather than going to each table during dinner. Who wants pictures of half eaten food in their photos? Also - if you have a lot of family portraits to take after the ceremony, you won’t be able to join cocktail hour AT ALL if you have a short cocktail hour. Why miss out on that fun time with your guests?

2) First Looks (REVEALS) are awesome. More private, and you’re more in control. (Or your photographer is) And you both look more relaxed during the ceremony. Plus, it can be a really special memory, and some of the only time on the wedding day that you are sort of alone with your partner!

3) Allow at least 2 hours for the photographers to hang out and take photos during Hair and Makeup - the Getting Ready portion of the day. Hair and Makeup artists like to work with amazing light...so often times, these can be the most flattering photos of the day. It’s ideal if you can arrange to have a photographer shooting the Getting Ready portion of the day with both partners (typically this means 2 photographers, 2 rooms).

4) Skip the garter and bouquet toss. Or if you decide to do it, embrace the retro vibe! This may be a trend that is coming back...we’ll see

5) HIRE A PLANNER. I mean, do we even have to explain this one? We agree, obvi.

6) Hire a professional hair and makeup stylist...it’s not that much more expensive and it makes for better photographs. This is a photographer, people! She knows what it’s like to retouch shiny faces. Heed her warning!

7) If you can, have your rehearsal dinner 2 nights before your wedding, not the night before. You want to drink, stay up late, catch up with friends...you can’t really party with your friends when you know you have to get up at 6am for hair and makeup. I mean, you can, but it’s not ideal.

8) Plan a private 10-15 minutes with your photographer...maybe sunset, maybe right after dinner. It’s a time to reflect with each other, and it’s a time for the photographer to get amazing, intimate photos of you before you go back in and party and it all goes by so fast. You don’t even know you want this time until you are actually in the moment.

9) Unplug, y’all! Somewhere along the lines, tell your guests to put their phones away. And to let the photographers do their job. It’s a way of reminding everyone how important a wedding day is - and how much you want to just be present with them and enjoy. This is especially important for the ceremony.

10) Buy an album. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it. Michelle talks about the power of print. We totally agree with her. It’s an heirloom - invest!

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Links we referenced

Michelle Walker on Instagram

Michelle Walker's website

Westin St Francis, SF website

Sunrise/Sunset calendar that Michelle and Christy use for every timeline

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Hosted and produced by Michelle Martinez 

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