The Aisle Files
Your go-to guide to planning your
Ohio Wedding with Edgy and Soul
Planning your ridiculously cool Ohio wedding? First of all, hell yeah. You picked a damn good place to do it. Ohio has a little bit of everything. City skylines, weird little dive bars, historic buildings, middle-of-nowhere forests, record stores, rooftops, lakefronts, old architecture, late-night tacos, and a wild kind of beauty that makes every moment feel like magic. So if you’re dreaming up a wedding that’s more “soulful and weird in the best way” than stiff and traditional, you’re in the right place!! So consider this your anti-boring wedding planning guide. It’s packed with the advice, tips, vendor recommendations, timeline wisdom, little details people forget to tell you about, and professional opinions I’ve collected from actually being there when all of this shit goes down. Take what works for you and ignore what doesn’t. Let's break a few rules and make a wedding that actually feels like yours.
May the only part of our marriage which grows old be the two of us.
Be engaged for a minute before you become full-time wedding planners.
You don’t have to lock down any solid wedding plans until you’re good and ready, but it’s a great idea to start gathering inspiration and checking out wedding websites and magazines. (You’re already here, so that’s a start!) With your partner, start identifying overall styles and themes you like, and go wild! This isn’t yet the time to start narrowing things down, so anything that catches your eye should be archived. As the time to start buying and booking things gets closer, you’ll have a much clearer idea of your wedding vision, the more you see and explore the industry and the inspiration available to you. This is the fun part, so have fun!
Budget Without Killing the Vibe
- Make your guest list the A list - It should go without saying that a smaller guest list is better for your budget as well as your sanity! Even if it's impossible to reduce your list to 20 people, reducing it from 300 to 150 will help you go from overwhelmed to manageable. An intimate celebration, more often than not, necessitates less money and effort - and it comes with a priceless bonus: more quality time with the smaller set of guests you invited
- Flowers and food in season - Seasonal and Local are two words that will help you save money on catering and flowers. When you buy in season, you obtain food and flowers at their peak of supply when prices are typically lower. Plus, they don't have to be shipped halfway around the world when they're cultivated locally. As a result, you not only save money but also minimize your carbon foot print.
- Pick a location that looks good au natural - You will save money on rentals and decorative items if you choose a wedding venue that does not require much decorations. Allow nature's beauty to do the work for you in outdoor areas with stunning views!
- Have your entire wedding at one venue - You wont have to stress about the difficulties or additional costs of getting everyone from the ceremony to the reception.
- Find a venue that will let you byob - For many weddings, alcohol is a big expense, so keeping control of the cost-per-bottle is critical to keeping that expense in check. Look for places where you can buy and serve your own alcohol so you can keep tabs on the price.
And one more thing. Do not cheap out on the things you already decided matter most to you. Saving money does not mean automatically choosing the lowest-priced option in every category. Sometimes the cheaper choice ends up costing you more in stress, last-minute fixes, or disappointment. Spend intentionally. Splurge where it matters. Scale back where it does not. And please, for the love of everything, do not spend $900 on favors your guests are going to abandon on the table.
the Details
Okay!! So from the moment I arrive, please have the following things ready for me.
Items to have prepared and ready for me to photograph (all may not apply):
NOTE: please have these items together in one place (For example: a shoebox). Your items in one box and your groom's in another. If you are getting ready at separate locations, then please keep ALL rings with the bridal items, including the groom’s ring.
HIS :
shoes, ring, ring box, bowtie or tie, tie clip, pocket square, watch, cuff links, vow book, etc.
hers :
Invitation suite, shoes, ring(s), ring box, bracelets, earrings, necklace, hair pieces, vow book, perfume etc.
In Addition:
- If there are any textured / sentimental details that you love that you feel like would make great accent items to your detail shots then feel free to throw those in there (lace, fur, miniature plants, pretty rocks, anything!!).
- Please have your dress on a cute hanger. If you didn’t buy one specifically for it, that’s okay! Any nice wooden hanger will do just fine :)
- I love to incorporate floral in my detail shots. If at all possible, I will grab the brides bouquet and incorporate it, if the bouquet can be arranged to be there along with the other bridal details, then awesome!
Getting Ready
Once I'm done shooting details of your items and your dress! I’ll start taking candid photos of you and the girls!
I typically don’t shoot anyone “Getting Ready” until they’re almost completely ready, cause let’s be honest, no one wants photos of themselves with their hair half curled and one eye of makeup half done! haha.
What to Wear Ideas
Now even though we probably just want to get ready in a t-shirt and pj pants like usual haha. But this is your wedding day, and I’m going to be taking photos of you walking around, hanging with your girlies, and then of course i’ll pull you aside for some bridal photos of just you getting ready.
Consider wearing a gorgeous boho white maxi lace robe/gown. They make for dreamy getting ready photos, just like this one.
For more ideas like this check out my Pinterest board
THE “GETTING READY“ SPACE
Make sure to be intentional about your getting ready location. It literally defines the whole mood and feel of your photos, and can make or break your images. For example, if you decide to get ready in a crappy stuffy hotel bathroom with bad lighting and no windows, you might feel stressed and claustrophobic lol.
Instead…consider getting ready in an open, clean room with soft natural light coming through the windows, a place that will make you feel more at peace and in touch with your emotions.
Okay and then there is “Good light”. I swear you will be a master at noticing light by the end of all this haha! Try and get ready near a window with natural light coming in, it is much prettier for details and your skin will look more radiant…rather than yellow-ish overhead lighting. Like I mentioned before, keep indoor lights off during getting ready photos so you don’t get mixed colors in your photos (don’t worry, I’ll switch them off if you forget!).
The First Look
I’ve photographed weddings where couples did not do a first look and I’ve also photographed weddings where they did. This decision is totally up to you as the bride and groom. Here’s my two cents:
In my experience, I’ve found that first looks are such an intimate, private, special time for just the two of you together. You can hug, cry, kiss, share private vows, or just laugh together and talk about the day. Most couples spend more time apart on their wedding day than they would like to. Sharing a first look together allows couples more time together privately before their ceremony (where all eyes are on them). Doing a first look prior to the ceremony also allows your photographer to go ahead and take full bridal party portraits before the ceremony. This means that after your ceremony is over, your bridal party can head on into the reception (instead of waiting) -
While you take your family portraits and first portraits as husband and wife. you take your family portraits and first portraits as husband and wife. Doing a first look allows you to arrive to your own reception sooner as well! Many couples say that they don't want to do a first look because they are afraid it will take away from that special moment walking down the aisle. I’ve not been married myself, but with all the couples I’ve seen do a first look, I haven’t talked to one that said it ruined their “aisle moment” or that regretted it. Talk to your friends and your photographer to hear about others’ experiences with first looks. Maybe a first look is your jam and maybe it isn’t.
the ceremony
And finally we're here! This is the moment you've been looking forward to. It's easy to get caught up in all the preparations and stress. However, remember the most important thing is that this is the beginning of your lives together. Savour this moment!
The usual ceremony lasts approximately 30 minutes, but if you want to include any specific traditions, I'd recommend giving yourself an hour.
Two important tips that I have are asking your officiant to move out of the way before the first kiss so they aren't in the background of the photo and holding your kiss longer than usual for lots of shots!
The best time to start your ceremony is 2 hours before sunset! You can search what time is sunset on your wedding day on google.
The reason, why you want to start your ceremony 2 hours before sunset, is because this gives us time to capture all formal photos. Which include the family photos, bridesmaids photos, groomsmen photos, and bride and groom photos right in time for sunset!!
Ceremony Decor
Before you have the guests seated, it’s important that I can capture the complete set up of your ceremony site at its best. The 30min-60min window will help me with this
Unplugged
When you marry the love of your life, you ask all of your closest friends and family to be there to rejoice with you and witness your union. You want them to be there to share this special moment with you; you want to see their faces, their grins, their tears of joy and excitement as you walk down the aisle. You don't want to glance back down the aisle and find people taking shots of you with cameras and phones covering their faces.
I've witnessed many situations where a guest's phone is sticking out into the aisle, obstructing not just the moment but also the images I'm capturing as your photographer. I strongly recommend having an unplugged ceremony to avoid phones dangling down the aisle and to allow guests to be more present.
There are a few ways to inform your guests if you decide to do an unplugged wedding. Tell them early through the invite by adding a line that says, "We would love you to be there, so we are having an unplugged wedding, please no photos during the ceremony." You can also request that the officiant make a brief announcement requesting guests to turn off their phones to refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony.
group photos
Depending on your own family constellation, there are any number of configurations we can photograph the wedding party in. Some with everyone in them, some with each of your immediate then extended families, and some variations of smaller and larger groups. One thing that’s absolutely necessary for this part of the day is that everyone knows it’s happening, everyone’s on board, and there’s someone (Wedding planner? Sibling? Best friend?) who knows who everyone is and can help me herd everyone in the right direction at the right time.
An ideal time to do this is immediately after the ceremony, but before the couple portraits. Once the reception starts, it’s hard to track everyone down (and likely we might capture hors d’orderves debris between someone’s teeth).
Please provide a detailed family photo list 2 months before the wedding:
List the groupings of family photos you would like taken after the ceremony.
Ex: Bride & Groom with Groom's Parents (actual names).
***This can be provided in a word document or email or whatever is easiest for you!
The reason I ask for names of family members is because it saves from any family dynamic awkwardness! So instead of saying "bride with dad & step-mom," I can just say, "Sarah with Tom & Sally." It’s much more professional & family are more likely to respond to hearing their actual name called.
the reception
You've done it! Woohoo! Now that you're married, it's time to celebrate! I'll shoot some candid and group shots during the reception, so if you have any friends or extended family members you need photos with, now is the time! During the reception a lot of things happen, therefore I'll photograph everything. You have the freedom to make the reception your own. The possibilities are endless!
DINNER
Since no one wants photos of open mouths full of food lol. I’ll be eating at the same time as you.
Cause you better believe I’ll be starving by the time dinner rolls around. hahah! Also, make sure to coordinate this with your caterer, they sometimes will put me in a back room, which is not ideal, since I won’t be able to see any important events happening, if I’m in a random room lol. So keep me in the party! Cause I promise I won’t bite! haha
WOOHOOO!!! LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!
I WILL sing along, and dance with you all night longgggg!! plus take all the dancing + drunk photos of your wedding party, family + friends! haha
- Receiving Line
- Grand Entrance
- Toasts
- First Dance
- Parent Dances
- Bouquet Toss
- Garter Toss
- Anniversary Dance
- Cake Cutting
- Last Dance
- Grand Exit
gRAND eXIT
Make sure to see if your venue allows this!
If you’re planning a sparkler exit, make sure I get the memo about this! It works best if there’s a designated sparkler hander outer so that everyone’s sparklers are burning bright together! If you’ve booked a venue that doesn’t allow for a sparkler exit, you could opt for bubbles or eco confetti -- just let me know so I can ensure there’s enough light available for the shot. It usually takes about 15 min. So I’ll probably make you run up and down twice! Only because I want to get a variety of sparkler exit shots! Just follow my lead, and I got you!!
This is usually where my job ends, and I’ll leave everyone to party on into the wee hours while I head home super excited about all of the incredible moments I’ve witnessed throughout the day.
Parting thoughts
DO WHATEVER THE HECK YOU WANT.
Yeah, I know there is that saying, “Parents wedding, Our marriage”. But honestly, it’s your wedding, your memories, and your biggest day yet! So don’t feel pressured to follow traditions, if you want to get eloped and married then do it!! Get eloped at a RAD spot in the mountains with only 10-20 of your closest family and friends and then have a wedding or a huge party in your backyard where everyone is invited! Don’t want any bridesmaids and groomsmen than that’s COMPLETELY OKAY! It’s your big day, you can do whatever the heck you want! haha.
Don’t want a slow first dance song but rather a choreographed dance remix haha! I’m all for it lol
Don’t want a traditional exit? Then take your wedding party to your favorite fast food restaurant or ice cream parlor and ill take photos of you there! hahah
It’s honestly up to you, and how you both envision starting the rest of your lives together! It’s all about the moments, and the LOVE you two share.
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