Jessica and Jordan had such a beautiful wedding and since they had not had formal engagement session done, we decided to do it a couple days after the wedding.   It was such a perfect day and the ocean looked absolutely gorgeous and blue! 

It was fun to take some casual photos of the two of them and with such a beautiful backdrop it hard not to keep shooting!  

There are so many resources out on the web today with helpful tips and timelines and checklists.  But no one ever admits that these brides are usually first time brides!  As a bride, it's tough to start the planning process let alone create an entire itinerary for a 16 hour day.  Yes, you read that right, 16 hours!  It's a long day and most people don't realize that it goes in flash and so many beautiful moments happen in the blink of an eye.  

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This is probably the most asked question I get during a client meeting.  

The answer: at least two hours.  

Sounds like a big chunk of time out of your day?  Keep reading to see why you need those two hours on your wedding day.

1.  HAVING A BUFFER

During your day anything can happen.  Anything from arriving late to not having your makeup and hair done at the set time.  Or maybe you simply needed to eat breakfast, shifting the timeline back 30 minutes.  In which case, I'm completely all for it.  I rather have a fed bride rather than a hungry bride and 30 minutes less to photographer her.  Anyway, as you can see, there are so many unforeseen things that can happen during the day and having those two hours in reality turns into one and half hours or *gasp* one hour.  

A real story: I once had a bride get to her portraits an hour late.  Rather than sitting around and waiting, I was able to move the itinerary around and photograph the groomsmen first and some family portraits.  This way, I was able to move that hour to after the ceremony and create some great photos for my clients.  If I didn't have a buffer, we may not have gotten so many images from the wedding.  

Having a buffer to allow for amazing photos of you and your hunny is indispensable. As photographers, having that wiggle room helps us to really take our time in framing, posing, and letting us roam the location for great light and unique spots.  If we're running behind, then I need to work quickly on my top 3-5 spots and bang out the photos and create something amazing.  And get you to the church on time!  If we're ahead of time, then I know I can experiment more and create something that's different, unique, and maybe toy around with ideas that otherwise we wouldn't have the chance.  

2.  ALONE TIME

Your day is full to the brim.  Full of wonderful moments, family, friends, and everything inbetween.  What your day doesn't have a lot of is ALONE TIME with your hunny.  Most brides don't realize this until the day of.  Between getting ready with your girls to the infinite line of hugs after the ceremony, your day is filled with people.  And while this is the whole point of a wedding - sharing with friends and family- you have to share the day with your hunny too.  

It doesn't matter if you're doing the portraits before the ceremony or after, having this alone time is so important for the two of you because it'll be the only time you'll have truly alone.  

Seems selfish?  NO WAY!  Having your guests there to celebrate with you is important, however, being able to relish in your love together for a moment, all alone, while taking some crazy beautiful photos sets the day apart.  When you look back on those photos you'll remember being alone.  You'll remember how it felt when that photo was taken, all the excitement and love toward one another.  Photo after photo will make you want to go back to those two hours when you kissed with tender love.  Just the two of you.

3. MORE PHOTOS

Needless to say, having enough time for just the two of not only makes you feel more excited, it also lets the photographer take their time.  I love to take my time creating something unique and timeless for my clients.  To take all the love they have for each other and make it tangible through photos.  Which also allows for more photos of the two of you.  Gone are the days of your grandmother's wedding portrait - standing together holding hands facing the camera and smiling.  

Having this amount of time lets us explore, go places, experiment, and have fun!  And who doesn't want to have fun on their wedding day? 

More time = more photos.  More ways to remember and relive your wedding day over and over again.  

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Now, don't worry, I usually take care of the itinerary for my clients since it's probably the last thing they want to worry about.  I make sure that everything runs smoothly and we can get the amazing photographs that my clients want.  Don't let anyone talk you into having less time for your photos.  It's important not only for alone time, but for having a buffer, and creating more great photos of the two of you!  

After all, your flowers won't last and your dress will go into storage.  What is left are your photographs making your wedding unforgettable.

Did you like these tips?  Share them with a friend or comment your tips below in the comments section, I'd love to hear your thoughts!  

Happy Saturday!

Over the course of the wedding planning process, I like to sit with my clients and really get down to what they are looking for as far as photography.   What styles they like, what look they're going for, and most importantly, what compliments their personalities.  All of this mixed in with with my style of romantic, intimate, and classic photography.  

A lot of the time, this can't be captured with just one session or one location.  And therefore we schedule two days in different locations! I love when my clients choose different locations and looks because it gives me the chance to create something different with each session.  Perhaps one more classy with interesting lighting, and the other with fun accessories full of light.  

This is exactly what we did :).  This is part 2 of Abril and Daniel's engagement session with a more urban feel.  To see part 1 click HERE.  Enjoy!

The clouds were gloomy but we ventured into the session any way.  We never thought that with the rain a double rainbow would appear in the backgroud with the sun hitting their faces creating such unique images! We had to work fast to capture the moment but I think we did a pretty good job.  After, it kept raining but Cristy + Lalo didn't even flinch.  They kept going with energy and laughter.  It was a fun session :).

Can't wait for their Cancun wedding in November!!! 

Oh these two.  The love just radiates out from their heart-to-heart connection.  When their eyes meet, you can see the flame burning ever so brightly!  I loved every second of getting to know them and having them in front of my camera.  They were naturals and loved to laugh.  They are adorable!

I can't wait until their wedding in October! I know it's going to be beautiful!

It was such an honor to have been a part of this wedding yesterday!  Great friends who get married are what makes my job so amazing!

So, so, so many more to come! 

One of the best parts of my job is being able to go to places that hold a special place for my clients.  To show them familiar places in a different light.  We had big gloomy clouds above us and I was able to experiment with a little bit of flash.  Which, if you know me, I have a love-hate relationship with flash.  Engagement sessions allow for this kind of experimentation.  Helps to try new techniques without the pressure of making any mistake you can't take back, like on a wedding day.

Anyway, these two are really in love and I had such a great time photographing them in their hometown, where they met and fell in love!

Just wait until I post their wedding from Mazatlan!  *Soon*

As time goes on, I have come to realize that there is a blurred line between clients and friends. Sometimes clients become friends, and other times friends become clients. It's such a great feeling when we walk and talk about everything and anything and really feel connected on a different level. Of course, this makes for excellent photos because they stop focusing on the camera and more on who is behind it. It becomes a conversation.  

This session was no different and yet it is very special to us because Roberto and Sheila are in deed first friends. And they took us to the magical place of Noritori in the Sierras of Chihuahua to walk amongst the trees and enjoy the crisp spring air that can only be found there. Mesmerizing and breathtaking it leaves a mark on you and you find yourself wanting to go back.  

There are no words to describe how honored I am to do what I do.  To be able to create once in a lifetime photos for families, couples, kids, and babies.   Thank you to all of my clients for letting me be a part of your lives and for having me photograph you!

I look forward to seeing many more familiar as well as new faces this year!  

Happy 2015 everyone!

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I can't believe that we are at our 6 month mark!  I'm liking this whole marriage deal.  Wake up next to the person you love, endless cuddling before falling asleep, eating together as a family of two at our table, and traveling. 

When we got married, we didn't have the time to go on a honeymoon.  So when Gaby + Fer booked us for their wedding in Puerto Vallarta, we decided to extend the trip a week and finally have a honeymoon.  My husband and I love to backpack and camp and thanks to my awesome dad, who is just like us, got us these amazing backpacks.  We travelled through the entire Bahia de Banderas in the Puerto Vallarta coast.  We enjoyed summer weather, amazing warm waters, cool people, and got to see the famous Isla Marietas that's being posted all over Pinterest.  

I have to say that it's true what they say: "A couple that travels together, stays together."  There is nothing like watching a sunset over the beach and turning around to see your husband enjoying it at the same time.  

Thank you God for such an amazing time and for family!  At the bottom I'll list all the places we travelled.  For now, enjoy the slideshow of our trip!