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A joyful, effortless Northeast Ohio wedding photography experience unlike any other.

The Wedding Experience

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@heatherjphotographyllc

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And I can’t wait to toast a caramel macchiato or split some Oreos with you! 

Hey there, I'm Heather!

A bride wakes up on one of the biggest days of her life and realizes that she has sooo much to do before she walks down the aisle. She is planning things out in her head, but as the day goes by nothing is getting done the way she wants. Therefore she is so stressed out and not able to enjoy her wedding day. When the bride can’t enjoy her day it throws off the whole day for pretty much everyone else.
I never want to see a bride go through the wedding day without having something in place. Usually everyone is in the background helping the newlywed couple instead of the bride and groom being the hosts and waiting on everyone else when they should be waiting for them. I have composed a guide for brides that they can use to help them plan their big day. How I will have it set up is by how much time should be allotted for different things that can occur during your big day. This is from experience of weddings I have photographed and planning my own wedding.
  • Wake up ( it’s your wedding day!) -should take about 5-10 mins…right haha
  • Eat a healthy breakfast- about 1/2 hour or so to cook or get stuff together
  • Get hair and makeup done- this is for all girls, mother’s, and of course yourself could take up to 4 hours depending on quantity
  • Get dress on- depending on if you have zip up or corset this could take up to 15-25 mins
  • First look (this is not a necessity)- take about 15 mins.
  • Pre-ceremony Photos (Bridal party)- depending on how many groomsmen and bridesmaids you have could take up to 1 hour.
  • Hide (don’t want your guests to see you)-always half hour before music starts
  • Music starts-1/2 hour before ceremony. At this time people with start taking their seats.
  • Ceremony (Lets get married!!)-take up to 1/2 hour if catholic then longer.
  • After Ceremony Photos (family photos and a couple bridal)- factoring how large of a family about 1 hour to hour and a half.
  • Grand entrance (bridal and newlyweds)-takes about 5-10 mins
  • Toasts-about 5-10 mins depending on the amount of toasts you plan to have.
  • Blessing-about 5 to 10 mins
  • Dinner-about 45-1 hour
  • First dances-it could take up to 15 mins some couples like to incorporate their bridal party into the dances.
  • Little bit of dancing- just to get people moving a little bit. Up to 15 mins.
  • Cake Cutting-10-15 mins sometimes it can get messy
  • Bouqet Toss/Garter Toss-about 10-15 mins
  • Popular dances (ie.dollar dance/anniversary dance)-these are usually incorporated into dancing through the rest of the evening.
  • Dance (Party!!)- As long as you want it to be.
  • Final Depart-this is where you will depart and leave to go either home or be on your way to your honeymoon.
I know this list is huge and a lot to fit in, but most of these go by fast. It’s always important to have something set in place. It makes things go smoothly and has all of your vendors on the same page and can work as a team to make your day as special as possible. I always help out my brides when deciding how they want their day to go. Since this is only a guide this is not a set in stone type itinerary. This is just to give brides an idea of how they would like their day to go. I hope you find this guide helpful. If you have any questions about this blog please ask away I’m always here to help brides whether you have me as your photographer or not.
Until Next Time,
-Heather M

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- KRISTIN S.

“The photos that stand out to me most are the ones of my husband and I dancing the polka at our reception with my 93-year-old grandparents. I feel so fortunate to have had both of them in person at our wedding, let alone up dancing on the dance floor with us, even for a brief time. I still cry when I look at them. They will be so special to us in years to come.” 

“Heather knew getting photos with my grandparents
was very important to me, and she delivered!“

- OKSANA F.

“However, what won me and my husband over was our first meeting with her. She was the most bubbly, pleasant, friendly, loving human being. We appreciated her warmth and her attention to detail. She was well-established, a wonderful planner, and she truly wanted us to have the greatest memories.”

“I loved her pictures. It was like love at first sight!”

- OLIVIA B.

“She has such a passion for her couples and capturing their true love story! It shows completely when she is snapping away. Her facial expressions and the gasps she makes when she takes a picture that she loves are just the best! We never had someone get as excited as her when taking pictures! And we love it!”

“Heather truly makes you feel like you are her
favorite couple ever to work with!”

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