coordinators
signed, sealed, delivered
kristin ashley events
The Rebel Wedding Planner
natalie's brides
getting ready
the four seasons
the marriott grand
gold door loft
hair & makeup
joy loveless
brides by brady
heather b. beauty
preferred venues
SILVER OAKS CHATEAU
stifel theater
the caramel room
the marriott grand
missouri history museum
world's fair pavilion
union station
studio inn st albans
missouri athletic club
djs
A ROCKIN' DJ
CJ'S DISC JOCKEY SERVICES
MILLENNIUM PRODUCTIONS
florists
the special event florist
belli fiori
ashley macDonald florist
live music
griffin and the gargoyles
the lustrelights
videographers
gaadt productions
millennium productions
ann marie media
desserts
de la creme studio
sarah's cake shop
event design & rentals
the aries company
EXCLUSIVE EVENTS
officiants
ruth ellen hasser
four corners weddings
transportation
best transportation
fun tyme limousine
saint louis trolley
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timeline samples
These sample timelines generally allow for ample time for beautiful photos during all parts of the wedding day. with the exception of the evening wedding without a first look sample timeline. Additional travel time and locations, very large bridal parties, extra family groupings, early sunset time, and other modifications to these sample timelines may impact your wedding gallery, both in limiting the number of overall images, as well as limiting our time for creative portraits. We'd love to help you develop your ideal timeline that allows for beautiful images & maximum enjoyment of the day.
evening wedding
with a first look
evening wedding
without a first look
afternoon wedding
with a first look
afternoon wedding
without a first look
Bridal Details | Girls Getting Ready Candids
Bride Gets Dressed | Bridal Portraits / Groom Gets Dressed | Groom Portraits
Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Travel
First Look | B&G Romantic Portraits
Bridal Party Portraits
Travel
Groom Getting Ready | Groom Portraits | Groom's Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Ceremony
Family Formals on Property
B&G Enjoy Cocktail Hour | Reception Details
Grand Entrance, Cake & Toasts
Quick Dinner
Sunset Portraits on Property
Formal Dances
Open Dance Floor | Grab and Grins | Group Photos
Bouquet & Garter
Night Shots | "Faux" Small Group Exit Photos
End Coverage | Party Continues
12:00pm
1:00pm
1:45pm
2:00pm
2:30pm
3:30pm
4:30pm
5:00pm
5:30pm
6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:30pm
8:45pm
9:30pm
9:45pm
10:00pm
evening wedding with a first looK
Bridal Details | Girls Getting Ready Candids
Bride Gets Dressed | Bridal Portraits / Groom Gets Dressed | Groom Portraits
Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Travel
Bride & Bridesmaid Portraits
Groom & Groomsmen Portraits
Travel
Groom Getting Ready | Groom Portraits | Groom's Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Ceremony
Immediate Family Formals on Property
Large Bridal Party Photos on Property
B&G Portraits on Property
Reception Details
Grand Entrance, Cake & Toasts
Quick Dinner
Sunset Portraits on Property
Formal Dances
Open Dance Floor | Grab and Grins | Group Photos
Bouquet & Garter
Night Shots | "Faux" Small Group Exit Photos
End Coverage | Party Continues
1:00pm
2:00pm
2:45pm
3:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
4:30pm
5:00pm
5:30pm
6:00pm
6:15pm
6:25pm
6:45pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:30pm
8:45pm
9:30pm
9:45pm
10:00pm
evening wedding without a first look
Bridal Details | Girls Getting Ready Candids
Bride Gets Dressed | Bridal Portraits / Groom Gets Dressed | Groom Portraits
Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Travel
Groom Getting Ready | Groom Portraits | Groom's Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Ceremony (Full Mass)
Family Formals
Travel
Bridal Party Portraits
B&G Portraits
Travel
Reception Details
Grand Entrance, Cake & Toasts
Quick Dinner
Sunset Portraits on Property
Formal Dances
Open Dance Floor | Grab and Grins | Group Photos
Bouquet & Garter
Night Shots | "Faux" Small Group Exit Photos
End Coverage | Party Continues
11:00am
12:00pm
12:45pm
1:00pm
1:30pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
5:00pm
6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:30pm
8:45pm
9:30pm
9:45pm
10:00pm
afternoon wedding without a first look
Bridal Details | Girls Getting Ready Candids
Bride Gets Dressed | Bridal Portraits / Groom Gets Dressed | Groom Portraits
Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Travel
First Look (On Property)
Groom Getting Ready | Groom Portraits | Groom's Parents Intimate Family Portraits
Ceremony (Full Mass)
Family Formals
Travel
Bridal Party Portraits
B&G Portraits
Travel
Reception Details
Grand Entrance, Cake & Toasts
Quick Dinner
Sunset Portraits on Property
Formal Dances
Open Dance Floor | Grab and Grins | Group Photos
Bouquet & Garter
Night Shots | "Faux" Small Group Exit Photos
End Coverage | Party Continues
10:30am
11:30am
12:15pm
12:30pm
1:00pm
1:30pm
2:00pm
3:00pm
3:30pm
4:00pm
5:00pm
6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:30pm
8:45pm
9:30pm
9:45pm
10:00pm
afternoon wedding with a first look
timeline tips
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Hair and makeup artists that do weddings every weekend are generally really great at sticking to a timeline and will work with you to determine how much time you really need for the amount of ladies you have and how many stylists are present. As a general rule, plan for extra time at the beginning of your hair and makeup time in order to minimize the likelihood that you'll run late.
These timeline tips are based on real wedding days where timelines have gone awry, causing our couples a lot of stress.
We simply want to provide you with education and some things you might not have thought about, and then allow you to make the final decisions regarding your wedding day with this knowledge in mind.
We'll work with you to create your ideal timeline during our final call, and we'd love to help you with these decisions early in the process, so that you can have a stress-free day with maximum enjoyment!
The time that we list "Bride Gets Dressed" on your timeline is the latest time we can start getting you dressed without pushing the entire schedule back, so be sure that your hair and makeup is done and anyone you want in the photos of you getting dressed are done with hair and makeup (and in their dresses) at least 10 minutes prior to this time as scheduled.
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Travel is the number one stressor on a wedding day for our couples, as we never can anticipate traffic, accidents or construction, and the time waiting on loading and unloading the party bus adds up. This is why we both pad the schedule and strongly suggest that we choose one location with great light rather than travel to multiple locations for portraits. Since our style of shooting focuses more on the people and the light rather than the location and our couples don't like to be stressed, most of our couples heed this advice.
Receiving lines and table visits sound like a great idea in theory so that you can say hi to all of your guests and thank them for coming, but they also take a huge portion of your day. On average, 20 seconds with 200 guests in a receiving line requires 66 minutes of your day, and usually you only have 30-60 minutes of allowable time for family portraits after your ceremony. Likewise, 2 minutes per table with 25 tables at your reception requires 50 minutes of your 4 hour reception on table visits alone, and dinner, toasts, and formal events usually take another 1.5 hours of your reception, leaving only 90 minutes of time to enjoy your party!
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We almost always do "groom getting ready" photos at the ceremony location. If we need to allow for time in the morning, we need to do guys before the girls, and the guys must get ready in the same location as the girls.
For family portraits after the ceremony, we strongly suggest only putting groupings on the list that will be framed and placed on your wall or mantle. Additional groupings can be taken at the reception when we have ample time. Please note that if you have divorced parents, we will have to allow for additional time in your timeline for family portraits, as there will be more groupings. Finally, on average, plan on 2 minutes per grouping when planning your family portrait list.
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Pay attention to sunset time for your wedding day (suncalc.net is great). Sunset time may be an issue for your scheduled portrait time if sunset is before 6pm (generally beginning of November to end of March). The one thing we cannot do is create daylight when there is no sun, but we can definitely handle portraits with off camera flash after sunset. They'll just look a little bit different than our natural light portraits.
WHAT TO WEAR
to look absolutely
incredible in your
engagement photos
RENT THE RUNWAY | CLICK HERE TO BROWSE THE COLLECTION
NUMBER OF OUTFITS
For our one hour sessions, we suggest one really fantastic outfit, as outfit changes eat into our time together. For our epic sessions, we recommend 2-3 outfits for a variety of looks.
WHAT NOT TO WEAR
The two cardinal rules are to not wear ill fitting clothing or anything that you're not totally comfortable in. The more beautiful you feel, the more beautiful you will see yourself in your images. Stick to classic, timeless outfits, and try not to wear something that's super trendy. Jeans and a t-shirt is probably too casual, unless you're going for a sports theme and wearing team jerseys. (There's More...Click Right!)
COLORS, TEXTURES & PATTERNS
Most of our couples prefer to wear classic, muted tones rather than big, bold colors so that their images stand the test of time. Please avoid wearing high contrast colors, like a black bottom and a white top. Also, the following colors compete with green grass and trees AND add not so pretty color casts to your face or your partner's face: coral, red, orange, yellow, mint green, and any other neon colors (and are extremely difficult to remove in editing). Textures look great on camera, so don't be afraid to add some sparkle or a chunky knit. Subtle patterns can be great, but loud patterns can overwhelm the eye. Guys, be especially cautious of shirts with tiny pinstripes or tiny checkered patterns, as they cause moire patterns, or squiggly lines.
A FEW ACCESSORY TIPS
If you wear eye glasses, you might want to borrow a pair of empty frames from your eye doctor or remove the lenses from your glasses to avoid glare. And if you want to wear your gorgeous Louboutins but aren't very comfortable walking with them, bring a pair of flats to walk to different locations in. Accessories are great, but keep the amount of accessories worn at one time to a minimum!
HAIR & MAKEUP
We find that our brides are most comfortable in front of the camera when they've had their hair and makeup professionally done. It makes a huge difference, and you won't regret the expense. Many of our brides use their engagement session as an excuse for a hair and makeup trial for the wedding day!
DON'T TAN
I know a sunkissed glow seems desirable, but please skip the faux tan and/or the tanning bed. Neither an accidental burn nor orange streaky skin is prettier than your natural skin tone. Just don't do it.
PREP FOR THE GUYS
If you think you need a haircut, schedule it approximately one week prior to your engagement session. And if you want to splurge on an old school straight shave, indulge yourself. We love Dapper Gents on Wash Ave! If you aren't that comfortable in front of the camera, check out some of our galleries. We promise that we'll make you look good, so just trust us and enjoy this time with your girl! Guys have it easy.
CLEAN YOUR RING
Soak them for a few minutes in a tiny bowl with hot water, a squirt of Dawn dish soap, and a few squirts of windex. With a soft toothbrush, clean under the diamond and around the band with the mixture and baking soda. Then soak for a few more minutes and rinse with hot water! They'll look like new!
HOW TO CHOOSE OUTFITS
Choose something that you feel gorgeous in, and then choose an outfit for him that complements yours but isn't too matchy-matchy. Check out our sample outfits to the left for inspiration. Text us or email us photos of outfits you're thinking about. We'd be more than happy to share our thoughts!
The First Look seems to be a huge point of contention among engaged couples. We've written out the benefits of a First Look for you so that you can make the best decision for the two of you and what you want for your day. Please know that you are NOT required to do a first look. The decision is completely 100% up to the two of you. I only want the best for my couples, and I just wanted to give you the information you need to make an educated decision.
Opponents of a first look usually make their decision based on firmly rooted tradition. But what if the first look is the new tradition? What if the reaction you're seeking during those magical moments while you're walking down the aisle isn't diminished by a first look, but rather enhanced? Here are the top ten benefits to choosing to do a first look!
TIME ALONE TOGETHER
On our wedding day, we had absolutely no time alone until we got back to our suite that night. I'm pretty sure that, "Hi, how was your day? I feel like I haven't had a moment with you all day." came out of John's mouth. Because of that, even if we don't do a first look, I make sure to give at least 5-10 minutes of time during my bride + groom portrait time to just let you two have some time together and soak in the magnitude of the day. But when you have a first look, it's a huge chunk of your day that you just get to be together with no distractions. Your coordinator isn't checking the clock, your guests aren't interrupting you to say hi, your mom isn't following you around asking questions, your bridal party isn't goofing off behind you. It's just the two of you (and us). That time alone on your wedding day is precious.
INTIMACY
When you walk down the aisle in front of hundreds of your closest friends and family, there's no doubt that he'll be shocked with how incredibly gorgeous you look. but he doesn't have the chance to tell you that, admire your beauty, embrace you, kiss you, cry with you, laugh with you . . . until after the ceremony, when the moment has worn off. With a first look, there's no onlookers and no distractions. It's just the two of you, so he has the freedom to be romantic and let his guard down, because you're the only one he can be that comfortable with. And you have so much time to enjoy that moment, as it's happening.
THE REACTION
You've dreamt about the moment he sees you for the first time. You have seen the photos on pinterest of the groom, completely overcome with emotion. You can't deny that those images are extraordinarily powerful. No matter how cool, calm, and collected your groom is, when he is standing in front of more than 100 people, he's going to be nervous. And even if he does get teary while you're walking down the aisle, he's trying to keep it together because he's in front of all of those people. But if you want that emotional expression when he first sees you and those evocative images that will bring you back to that moment, the first look is where it's at because he'll be 100% comfortable as soon as he sees you, and he won't be afraid to let that emotion show.
ROMANTIC PORTRAITS
Since you'll already been in romance mode, your bride and groom portraits will be AMAZING since you'll be ready to love on each other! It's often difficult to get back into that mode following family photos and bridal party photos if you opt to forego the first look.
MORE PHOTOS
With a first look, you'll get on average of 50% more bride and groom photos than you would without a first look, and they'll be even more amazing + full of emotion. And because first looks usually occur in early afternoon light, you'll get lots of variation since we request a little bit of time around sunset to give you more photos in the best light possible. Since photography is a huge investment, you're getting more bang for your buck when you do a first look.
NERVES BE GONE
Instead of being a nervous wreck as you await your walk down the aisle, you'll be filled with love, joy, and excitement. You'll be relaxed. The emotions that show on your face will be amplified. You'll be completely in the moment with your new spouse and your friends and family, and your memories will be completely clear rather than hazed by your nerves. The first look won't take anything away from the moment he sees you coming towards him. It'll just make that moment even more amazing because he'll think..."that's my wife."
YOUR DAY LASTS LONGER
This might not seem like a benefit until you think about this. You've spent the past year planning every last detail of this day. And if you don't have a first look, you only have a few hours to enjoy it as newlyweds. If you have a first look, you can add up to three hours of time to your wedding day to enjoy it with one another!
ENJOY THE PARTY
If you opt for a first look, we'll likely complete all bride and groom photos (minus our sunset + night portraits), bridal party photos and family photos before the ceremony. This means that your guests won't have to wait around. This means that you get to go to your cocktail hour and enjoy your party. This means that you can actually hang out with your best friends on your wedding day instead of being rushed. It's a win-win!
YOU'LL LOOK GORGEOUS
Because the first look happens right after your hair and makeup is complete, you'll look your best during your first look and bride and groom portraits. You won't have to worry if your makeup needs to be replied. Seems silly, but every bride thinks about it!
YOU WON'T REGRET DOING ONE, BUT YOU MIGHT IF YOU DON'T We didn't do a first look, and I kind of regret it. We don't have many photos of the two of us because I didn't know how much time was really required to get them. I was the bride who only gave her photographer 15 minutes and expected magic to happen. We were rushed, anxious, and our images show it. Now I love the photos we do have. But knowing what I know now, I would have given our photographer more time and I would have added a first look, because I wanted those powerful, emotional images. I wish we could have just slowed the day down and really soaked in those little moments. My mind was so clouded with nerves, and I know a first look would have transformed those nerves into overwhelming love, joy, excitement and relaxation.
THE UNPLUGGED CEREMONY
There's no doubt that we live in a technology driven world. It's incredibly difficult for us to put down our phones and simply be present in the moment with our loved ones. It's probably one of our biggest arguments in our own marriage!
On your wedding day, this phenomenon is still present. We encourage you to ask your friends and family to simply be present in the moment with you during your ceremony as the two of you become husband and wife.
I'm sure you've seen the images on social media that are "ruined" by guests with iphones or ipads, but our request isn't even related to this possibility. It's because we know that guests aren't connected to the moment. They're connected to their technology and not enjoying the entire purpose of the day, which is to be present to witness this incredible moment in your life.
Our desire is simply for you to be able to see your loved ones faces both in person during the ceremony and in your images when you look through your album to relive your day.
sample language for your programs
Today is a day we will cherish forever, and we are so happy that you, our nearest and dearest, are here with us. As our wedding day unfolds, we ask that you please relax, enjoy the celebration, and most importantly, we urge you to be present in the festivities. We have hired our favorite photographer to capture every detail of the day so you don't have to. We want to see your face and you see ours, both now and forever in photos. You are the most important people in our lives, and we want you to enjoy and be fully present in every moment with us. Thank you for being a part of our wedding day!
You can view and download the images from our wedding day in a few weeks at photos.ashleyfisherphotography.com.