Coronavirus (COVID-19) And Planning Your Wedding Day
Is your wedding looking like it will be affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus)? If so, here’s a wedding photographer’s perspective on some ways to plan your big day around this global phenomenon.
Disclaimer: The information in this article may become outdated. Federal and local guidelines concerning best practices for dealing with COVID-19 are always changing. An individual should always reference the most up-to-date information from the CDC before taking action.
Coronavirus. COVID-19. That Cough That Just Won’t Stop. You haven’t stopped hearing about it, and neither have I! It, like many topics these days, is a divisive one. Some people believe it’s a government conspiracy, while many believe it’s the next plague. No matter how you interpret the information out there these days, it’s undeniable that it is currently or soon to be impacting your daily life which, inevitably, will mean that your wedding day may be affected. Many venues are already postponing or canceling weddings. Let’s look at how to navigate this complex time!
Take Care Of Yourself First!
The most important part of this season, be it flu season or COVID-19 season, is to take care of yourself. Wash your hands more frequently than normal, make sure you get an above-adequate amount of sleep, stay hydrated, and find a quiet area to go for a walk or hike to get some exercise. See the CDC’s prevention guidelines for more up-to-date information.
Don’t Stress Over Something That Hasn’t Happened
If you live in a state that has issued a ban on certain gatherings over a predetermined size, make sure to cross-reference that mandate with the size of your wedding! Double-check with distant family and friends that were already planning on making the trip and confirm if they still plan on traveling or not. If your local government hasn’t issued any size limits on gatherings, then don’t panic. It’s the same concept as worrying about rain on your wedding day. Have a backup plan, but there is no sense in calling the whole thing off because of a possibility. Just stay up to date and communicate with your venue and vendors!
Plan For A Reduced Guest Count
Typically, between 17% and 20% of guests invited to a wedding end up not coming to the event, whether they declined the invite or neglected to let you know. That’s the standard number on a normal wedding day, so plan for a greater number of people to drop out during a time like this. It’s completely understandable, and it’s entirely a personal choice for that guest. The fact is, those people did really want to go to your wedding, but this is not a normal situation in the slightest. If it was someone you were greatly hoping would attend, I’m sure they would appreciate seeing the ceremony streamed live. Services like Facebook and Instagram make it really simple to just set up a phone and broadcast your ceremony. Just make sure to keep the phone charged, and maybe invest in a simple phone tripod!
What If Your Wedding Gets Postponed?
So, your venue canceled or postponed your wedding. What can you do?
If the venue canceled in the interest of safety, and your guest count is still below your local government-mandated number, you may be able to relocate to a friend or family member’s property, providing they have enough land. If this is a change you’re willing to take on, it will allow your guests to not worry about changing flight and travel plans, and you can keep most, if not all, of your vendors on your day!
Most venues are providing the ability to reschedule the date with no further charge. Take your venue up on this if it is something you and your guests can accommodate.
If you’re having trouble finding a date later in the year that is available for your wedding, book it during a weekday. Weekday weddings are an absolute BLAST, and I’ve enjoyed every Monday-Friday wedding that I’ve photographed. It’s so special, so unique, and parking will almost always be easier to find. Try it, it is SO fun!
What If Your Wedding Date Doesn’t Change?
If your wedding looks like it will continue, business as usual, then continue getting excited for your big day! There are a few simple tactics you may use to keep your wedding safe for all in attendance, vendor and guest alike.
Consult with your venue about putting up hand sanitizer stations around the location, if they aren’t in place already.
Avoid physical contact as much as possible with as many guests as possible. It may be a smart idea to toss out any type of receiving line, especially if hugs and handshakes were to be involved.
If your meal is going to be served buffet-style, see if your food vendor can bring on a few extra helping hands to serve the food. Keeping the utensils out of your guests’ hands and having the staff be the only ones handling them will reduce the likelihood of anything spreading by that method.
Elderly guests and anyone living with elderly or immunocompromised people should be encouraged to stay home. It’s not ideal, but it is the safest option for them since the severity of the effects of the virus increase as the age bracket climbs. Get them hooked up with a live stream as noted above, or talk to your video team for some higher-quality options.
COVID-19 may come and go, but it’s ripple effects will be felt for the coming months, possibly years. We as wedding vendors want to make your day as comfortable and enjoyable as possible, no matter where or how it happens. We’re in this together, and are absolutely willing to field any questions you may have about customizing your services to fit this unique situation the world is in.
Why The Pre-Ceremony First Look Is The Worst Addition To Your Wedding Day
Are you wondering whether you should or shouldn’t add a first-look to your wedding day? Here’s why it may be a really bad decision.
I’m sure you experienced it. The moment you got engaged, maybe 24 hours after it happened and the adrenaline subsided, the bombarding commenced. Ads in the mail, targeted Facebook campaigns, Instagram promotions, spam emails…. All wedding vendors trying to grab your attention and to convince you to book them for your wedding. They all bring a certain level of bias into the mix. The florist has opinions, the DJ simply won’t recommend that you place the cake cutting before the toasts, and the photographer (that’s me) does not recommend you try and recreate that mountain-backdrop portrait you saw on Pinterest. You live in Kansas for goodness sake! At the end of the day, as you manage all that communication, balance the itinerary, and make sure Uncle Bob has the requisite Miller Light at the open bar, it’s easy to forget what really matters.
How do you feel on your wedding day? Can you remember it? Are those fleeting moments crafted in such a way so as to allow your mind to take a backseat to your heart? It sounds corny, but your wedding is of as much emotional significance as it is legal - if not more.
How Does The First Look Fit Into This Equation?
The first look is arguably to most hotly-debated topic in my client consults. If you didn’t know, the “first look” in the wedding industry is when you and your betrothed, before the ceremony, see each other and have a few quiet moments together before the hustle and bustle of the rest of the wedding day begins. Technically, the first look could also be at the ceremony as the bride walks down the aisle, but in the context of weddings, the “first look” is almost exclusively reserved for the pre-ceremony version.
When I ask my couples if they’re doing a first look, if they haven’t had the conversation yet, the answer isn’t always apparent. Maybe your cousin chose not to do a first look, and she really enjoyed seeing her bride for the first time during the ceremony. But, of course, your best friend did his first look before the ceremony and continues to praise the logistical benefits that doing so afforded his wedding day timeline. So, the choice could go both ways.
The fact of the matter is this, and I want to make it abundantly clear to my couples and any couples reading this: Never sacrifice the traditional or emotional significance of a moment during your wedding day to the benefit of the timeline. Sure, allowing the couple to see each other before the ceremony removes much of the tasks between the ceremony and reception. However, if guests have to wait an extra 30 minutes for the meals to be served, that’s fine, nobody will starve. If the DJ needs to wait to play the walk-in music, it’s okay, they deal with that all the time. If the photographer needs to cram a few extra family photos into an hour than they planned to, no worries! It’s part of the gig, and we can always do some night photos with the couple (which I highly recommend).
If you were looking forward to the pivotal moment in your life when you see your person standing at the other end of that aisle, glowing like they never have before, then hold on to that. Keep that close to your heart, and your partners on your wedding day will adapt and, most importantly, be excited for you in that choice. So, this first look event that you see in countless magazines and articles may be for some people, but it also may not be for you!
Why The First Look Is The Best Addition To Your Wedding Day
Choosing to add a first look to your wedding photography itinerary is a choice many couples have trouble coming to a decision on. Here’s why you should totally do a first look.
On a wedding day, you and your vendors work a delicate balance between the logistics of the actual event, to the emotional flow of one of the biggest days of your life. As a photographer, I’m with you and your spouse every step of the way through the day, so I’m there for all the choked-back tears and hurriedly mis-buttoned suit jackets (guys, don’t fasten that bottom button). When the timeline is fast-approaching the point in the day where excited and hungry guests start arriving, this is often where the most jam-packed two hours of the wedding occur. Utilizing a first look before the ceremony can totally change how you and your family feel after you say “I Do.” Let’s break that down:
The Power Hour (And A Half)
I mentioned that, often after the ceremony, the couple and relevant family members can feel rushed and ultimately stressed by the timeline. People often try and cram everything and the kitchen sink into the time between the ceremony and reception. I call this the “Power Hour [And A Half]”. Here, you must balance the need to get a bunch of photos done in a short amount of time, and the gurgling tummies of your hangry wedding guests. An example of this would be:
3:00 - Ceremony
3:30 - Ceremony End
3:45 - Receiving Line Finishes
3:50 - Family Photos
4:20 - Wedding Party Photos
4:40 - Couple Creative Portraits
5:00 - Line Up For Reception Entrance
You can see how this timeline presents some major issues. The first is that we must face reality… The reality that your family photo time will likely go over what the timeline prescribes. Maybe it’s your distracted uncle Steve, whose attention is being pulled in two directions by both the open bar and his frustrated wife calling his name. Maybe it’s your little cousin who, though she nailed her role as the flower girl, can’t seem to stop crying over the fact that, no, she’s not allowed to yank down the cloth draped over the ceremony arbor. Whatever roadblock your wedding day will throw in your direction, it will likely happen during family photos due to the many moving parts. This pushes the ever-important wedding party and couple creative photo sections deeper into the reception time, where famished guests and anxious vendors await you.
There Is An Easy Fix
If you’re willing to relocate the experience of your first look from the ceremony aisle to an earlier time of the day, then virtually all of your scheduling woes for the rest of the day wash away, at least from a photography perspective. Placing a set time for doing a first look allows us to complete your creative portraits, wedding party shots, and even some family photos, all before the ceremony.
Then, once the ceremony is finished, all we have to worry about is grabbing the remaining family photos - usually extended family and large groups. If we have the time, we can grab a few post-marriage photos of you and your now-spouse in the time before the reception. The rest of the day flows really smoothly, and the only real adjustments you may have to make to accommodate the first look is to start your getting-ready processes an hour or so earlier in the day. A small price to pay for this huge scheduling weight off your back! So many of my couples have told me that they loved the small, quiet moments that happened during their first look. Many use it as an opportunity to read personal notes to each other, or to exchange gifts. As a plus, it makes for some really beautiful, powerful photos!
We, as wedding vendors, really want you to have a beautiful, stress-free day that you remember fondly. If you’re having trouble fitting everything into your current itinerary, consider adding a first look!
Andrew + Kristen - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
Kristen and Andrew’s St. Louis engagement session in Downtown and Lafayette park!
Just another gorgeous evening spent with gorgeous people. I had so much fun hanging out with Kristen and Andrew during their session as we took advantage of the fantastic light and quoted movies that Rotten Tomatoes definitely rated too low. Check out some of my favorites below!
Michalah + Zach - Peoria, Illinois Wedding Photography
The best of the best from Michalah and Zach’s Peoria, IL wedding photos!
Weddings from my hometown are consistently just straight-up magic, so it was fitting that Michalah and Zach’s wedding day was, well, magical! We started the day off getting ready at Cornerstone Baptist Church, hopped on over to Luthy Botanical Gardens in Peoria for some chilly photos, and went back to Cornerstone where the ceremony took place. Then, we scooted on over to Tremont High School for the reception. It was surreal shooting in the building where we all attended Jr. High and High school, but such a blast and the photos turned out great!
I’m honored to have been a small part of Michalah and Zach’s big day, and honored to share some of my favorite moments of their wedding with you. Take a look!
Interested in getting some cool photos made of you and your fiancé?
Heather + Coleman - Springfield, Illinois Creative Wedding Photography
Coleman and Heather’s Springfield, IL wedding at The Inn 835 was fantastic! Here are some of my favorite moments.
Heather and Coleman are just amazing humans, and I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to document their wedding day! What’s that? You need proof that they’re a couple after my own heart? Here’s what Heather texted me when we first spoke:
“We are nerds at heart (DnD, gaming, LOTR, Harry Potter, etc.)”
That’s it! That’s all I needed to know that they’d be rad. Their ceremony and reception were at The Inn 835 in Springfield, Illinois - an absolutely beautiful venue that just popped under the warm light and budding fall colors that we caught that day.
I’m so happy for Coleman and Heather. Check out some of my favorites from their day below!
Lauri + Matt - Peoria, Illinois Creative Engagement Session
Lauri and Matt’s Peoria, Illinois engagement session! Check out some of my favorites!
I had such a blast hanging out with Matt and Lauri for their Peoria, Illinois engagement session! We started the session in Donovan Park, and eventually worked our way over to Peoria Heights for the rest of the session.
Pro tip: If there is a seemingly abandoned yet cute-looking couch in the middle of a park that is popular with photographers, do not approach said couch. It is a trap and you will be asked by another photographer to leave the immediate vicinity.
Chelsea + Mason - Peoria, Illinois Creative Engagement Session
A gorgeous sunrise joined Chelsea and Mason during their engagement session in Peoria, Illiniois.
Chelsea and Mason’s sunrise engagement session in Peoria is a story. A story of trials, a story of challenges, a story of redemption…
Which really means we couldn’t find the trailhead to the park we wanted to visit so we spent some time at a random playground in a trailer park.
In all seriousness, I’ve been wanting to do a sunrise session for a VERY long time. We started on the Peoria riverfront, and made our way over to Rocky Glen park! Some last-minute weather issues made this possible, and it turned out fantastic! Here are a few of my favorites from that morning.
In need of some photos? Hit me up!
Annie + Russell - Highland, Illinois Creative Wedding Photography
This is the blog about Annie and Russell’s Highland, Illinois wedding jamboree!
Annie and Russell’s Highland, Illinois wedding was nothing short of a blast! It was so much fun to see a lot of the same people that I took pictures of last year at Alexa’s wedding!
From the lovely ceremony at St. Paul Catholic Church to the rip-roarin’ reception at Lindendale Ballroom, it was a day filled with so much jubilant love and laughs. Also, the toasts had me cackling behind my camera. Go, team! See some of my favorites below.
Wyoming, 2019 - Landscape and Wildlife Photography Adventure
A blog of the photos I took in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. There were mountains, lakes, bears, elk, deer, wolves, and more!
For the third year in a row, I did the manliest thing I could think of doing and spent a sum total of 40 hours in a Toyota Prius so I could spend 7 days sleeping 6 inches from my buddy.
This year, Stephen and I went to Wyoming. We spent 3 days in Grand Teton National Park and 3 days in Yellowstone national park. We hit some bad weather, we had some amazing weather. We saw some mountains, we saw some animals.
At the end of the day, it matters that we made the trek. Some of my favorite parts of the trip:
Hiking through Paintbrush Divide
The night sky over Jackson Lake
Wolves in Hayden Valley
The Great Grey Owl sighting
Bear, Bison, Elk, Mule Deer, etc…
Check it out!
Elizabeth + Scott - St. Louis, MO Wedding Photography
Elizabeth and Scott’s lovely and intimate wedding day at SIlver Oaks Chateau.
Liz and Scott’s wedding day was one for the books. They did such a stellar job with all of the details, and making everyone there feel so welcome and loved. I’m so gosh dang happy for them, and I’m so gosh darn happy with the photos we made.
Ceremony and Reception held at Silver Oaks Chateau in Pacific, MO.
If you’re curious, here’s their engagement session!
There are some late 2019 and 2020 dates still available. If you need photos, hit me up!
Michalah + Zach - Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session
I love the pictures I made with Michalah and Zach. Checkout out some highlights from their Peoria, IL engagement session.
We had to push the day of this shoot twice. I’m very very glad that happened. The conditions for this shoot were just perfect!
It was also just great to do a shoot on my home turf. There is something very special about couples from my home town. I love it.
Rachel + Holden - Taylorville, Illinois Wedding
Holden and Rachel’s Taylorville, Illinois wedding photography!
Joined my good friends Rachel and Holden in Taylorville, Illinois at The Landing Barn to photograph their wedding a few months ago. The rain gave way to sunshine later on in the day and it was just so much fun!
Video by: Jesse James Ayers
Jesse is a cool, cool guy. Here’s a fun vlog he did from the wedding day!
Thanks for tagging along! If you need photos of your own, hit me up!
Joe + Kailey - Defiance, Missouri Wedding
Kailey and Joe’s Defiance, MO wedding at the Daniel Boone Home. Love love love!
I have so much love and joy for Kailey and Joe. What an honor it was to document their day, make really cool photos with them, and party into the wee hours with their family.
Amen.
Ceremony/Reception: Daniel Boone Home
Need cool photos?
Utah, 2018 - Landscape Photography and Hiking Adventure
Landscape Photography trip to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as Dead Horse Point State Park
I’m fighting for it, my friends. Each year, I’m fighting to get far away from my routine and not shower for a week and sleep on the ground and take photos and hike until my feet fall off and feel so insignificant under the pressing depth of Creation. Not just a weekend getaway, but an intentional effort to go somewhere new.
To be clear, it’s not escapism. I love my life back home.
It’s the desire to feel uncomfortable by breaking my normal, so as to breed an itch that only unfamiliar terrain and an oil change’s worth of miles on my aging car can scratch.
So I went to Utah this year. I went with my good friend, Stephen. We packed up a car full of pasta sides and camera gear and headed to the West, only 6 hours further than the 13 we drove last year.
Here are some pictures I took.
Trip Notes:
We drove for two days. In the middle we stopped and camped for the night an hour outside of Denver. This is where the photos start. We then went to Arches national park and spent 3 nights there. After that, we moved camp to Dead Horse Point state park as a home base and spent two days exploring Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point.
That’s it! These are some of my favorites from Utah, 2018.
Heather + Coleman - Springfield, Illinois Engagement Session
Heather and Coleman’s Springfield, Illinois Engagement Session. EPIC.
What a fantastic couple, and an EPIC set of photos we made together. Heather and Coleman are an absolute hoot to hang out with (they love music, and puppies, and DnD!!! ❤️).
Their joyful natures shine through these photos, I believe, and I cannot wait to shoot their big day!
Check out some of my favorites from their session below!
If you or someone you love needs cool pics… Hit me up!
Rebekah + David - Springfield, Illinois Wedding
A few of the highlights from Rebekah and David’s Springfield, Illinois Wedding!
This was such a joyful wedding day! Hopping around Springfield with these two was so much fun, and their wedding was so special.
The ceremony was at Edwards Place, one of the most unique spaces I’ve had the pleasure of shooting in. We moved over to the reception at the Springfield Motor Boat Club, which is a space I know is so important to Rebekah and David. In fact, each location was meaningful to them in some way, and it was so special to be brought along in the story that day!
Also, the dancing got REAL goofy near the end. Take a peek at some of the highlights!
Thanks for checking this wedding day out! If you need images of your own, let’s chat!
Elizabeth + Scott - St. Louis, Missouri Engagement Session
Elizabeth and Scott’s Forest Park engagement session!
From my first meeting with Elizabeth and Scott, I knew they were gonna be tons of fun! Scott is a super talented potter, and Elizabeth is a painter and raises German Shepherds! Art and puppies: an obvious match made in heaven.
I can’t wait to see what we make on their wedding day! See some of my favorites from their engagement session below. ❤️
Makeup By Ashley Boren
Hair By Katie Evers
Max + Abigail - Peoria, Illinois Engagement Session
Max and Abigail’s Peoria, Illinois engagement session!
I can’t get enough of the deep greens and golden light from Max and Abigail’s engagement session. Please enjoy some of my favorites!
PSA: If you or someone you know is in need of some photos, contact me today!
Emma + Kurt - Marion, Illinois Wedding
Some pics from Emma and Kurt’s lovely Moline, Illinois wedding!
After Emma and Kurt’s engagement session, I knew I was in for a treat with these two.
The loving family, friends and gorgeous weather framed their wedding day so perfectly.
And they even let me steal them for night portraits. How neat is that??
Pretty neat, I’d say! See some of my favorites below.
Thanks for scrollin’! If you need some photos of your own, say hi!