Charley + John - Wedding on Gasparilla Island

Simple yet modern wish a dash of elegance is how to perfectly describe Charley and John’s wedding day. On our favorite little island of Gasparilla, Charley and John had a wedding day for the books. From kisses shared underneath the Banyan trees lining the streets, to laughs and hugs on the white sand beach, this wedding had so much overflowing warmth. Aside from all the love, Charley and John had stunning details- from gold-rimmed silverware to impeccably white furniture & florals, this wedding exuded elegance to the nth degree. 

Before the wedding, we asked Charley what the most important thing to her is for the day and she said: “I do want to document all the beautiful details we put so much thought into but I care most about the capturing the emotion and experience of the day, particularly the love between John and I, and our family and closest friends. I hope the photos are able to reflect the just as beautiful,  much more intimate and special micro-wedding we're having during this historic time, quirks and all! Like any guests wearing masks, or the maid of honor sitting at her own table during dinner, or having a 12 piece band for 30 guests!  We want to remember the best day of our lives exactly as it is!  :)”

Despite their wedding being in the middle of COVID, they safely and beautifully said their I do’s and we could not be happier to have been a part of capturing such a wonderful and unique wedding day. Scroll down to see their Gasparilla Island wedding.

This wedding made possible by this talented and creative team:

Venue: Gasparilla Inn & Club

Planning: NK Productions

Florals: Botanica Florist

Band: The Rivertown Band

Gown: Monique Lhuillier

Videography: Eli Meyer

Three Tips for having a No 'First Look' Wedding

One of the things I will forever love about our job is how unique each and every couple is. From learning the story of how they met, to learning the friends and family most important to them, all the way down to the wedding day details they decide to choose, we love getting to know the couples we serve :) That said, one major detail that we find varies from couple-to-couple is whether or not to have a first look. While many feel they have to have one, others prefer not to and feel it’s just not their style. 

Today’s blog is for the couples in camp no first look!  Rather than try to convince you of the reasons I think you might love a first look (I already wrote a blog on that here!) today I’m going to walk you through three must have tips for a relaxed wedding day timeline WITH the traditional “aisle moment”. By the end of this blog, you’ll be more prepared to make an informed decision that is best for you and your significant other.

1) Take all possible photos before the ceremony

Most people know that you might take photos with your bridesmaids pre-ceremony, but something many don’t consider is taking individuals with family, too! Any images you want of just you with parents, siblings, and grandparents can be taken before the ceremony along with bridal party and individual bridal portraits. This way, your post ceremony to-dos can look a bit like this:

5:00- Ceremony begins 

5:30- Ceremony ends > Recessional > Cocktail hour begins 

5:35- Immediate family photos 

5:55- Full bridal party together 

6:05- Bride and groom portraits 

6:25- Portraits end > Get bustled and ready for introductions 

6:30- Cocktail hour ends 

2) HIGHLY consider a 75-90 minute cocktail hour

After reading the prior timeline if you are thinking, “20 minutes? That doesn’t seem like much!”, you are totally right! Compared to an engagement session that lasts one to two hours, 20 minutes is a super fast window. We can make magic happen in 20 minutes if we need to for sure, but if you like the idea of a more relaxed and enjoyable portrait time with your hubs-to-be, a longer cocktail hour is just the ticket. This allows you to have more variety in locations, posing, and simply more bride and groom portraits to choose from in your final gallery! BONUS: With 90 minute cocktail hours, you can even sneak a drink or two in at the end with your guests! 

3) Make sure your ceremony start time leaves light for photos

Often we’ll hear people say they don’t want a first look, and that they also want their ceremony just before sunset so their guests can enjoy the view while at cocktail hour. Now, you can absolutely take all of your photos in the dark (and we have all the most up-to-date flashes and equipment to do so ;) ). But if you find yourself liking the the images you see showcased on our portfolio/Instagram then having sunlight is an absolute key ingredient. Let’s say the sun sets on your wedding day at 6:00. In a perfect “no first look” timeline world, the timeline would look like this:

4:00- Ceremony begins 

4:30- Ceremony ends > Recessional > Cocktail hour begins 

4:35- Immediate family photos 

4:55- Full bridal party together 

5:05- Bride and groom portraits 

5:40- Portraits end > Bride and groom grab a cocktail with guests 

6:00- Sun sets > Cocktail hour ends 

This way all of your photos are in daylight and your guests can still see a gorgeous sunset before they head into the reception. 

There you have it- our three must do tips to use when not doing a first look. I hope this provided you a visual of what a “no first look” wedding could look like in an ideal world to get both your traditional aisle moment AND dreamy photos! That all said… check in with yourself to see if you are having one of these thoughts now:

• But this is still not enough time for portraits of just me and my groom/bride

• I would like to be able to fully attend & enjoy my cocktail hour with friends & family

• I get nervous at the idea of not seeing my person until 4:00 or 5:00 pm on a day that’s supposed to be about the two of us

 If this is you, be sure to check out our blog that specifically focuses on why you might love having a first look. After reading both, you can compare the pros and cons to see which feels right for you. But please remember this- no matter what you decide in the end, your wedding is sure to be one of the best days of your entire life. And when you get down to it, celebrating your love is all that really truly matters.

Happy Planning!

Ashley

Backing Up Your Wedding Day Images

Imagine this: Your 10th wedding anniversary is coming up for you and your husband. (Not me freaking out that Justin and I are already halfway there…!) You never got around to making an album or prints after the big day and thought it would be cute idea to collect some of your images to use for an anni gift. The only problem is you can’t seem to find ANY of the photos. You no longer recall where they were backed up (if they were at all?) and the panic begins to set in.

 This is just an example of many could-be scenarios that show why backing up your wedding images is SUCH an important step after you receive them! 

Today, I want to share with you tips that will leave you knowing without a doubt that your images are safe & secure (in multiple places). And for those of you who are not as technologically savvy, I promise to make this as easy to understand so you too feel your images are properly stored (Bonus- you will also acquire some new skills!) 

To start, we’re introducing you today to your new best friend- the 3-2-1 rule. This rule originated in the IT world as a practice for backing up computer data. Now many photographers (including Justin & I ;) ) follow it for safeguarding images. The rule simply states saving three copies of your data, in at least two different ways, and one of them as an offsite copy. Ultimately, the big idea behind it is to have your images stored in various, different places. This way if your internet crashes or you misplace your album, you can rest easy knowing you were proactive and still have a copy or two of your images safe & secure!

Ansley and Sean embracing after their first look.

Suggested place number 1: Online storage providers 

There is a multitude of providers to choose from! A few we can recommend are Microsoft One Drive, Dropbox, and Google Drive.  A storage provider is a relatively inexpensive option and is usually pretty straightforward for uploading your photos to :)

Charley and John strolling down the aisle.

Suggested place number 2: External hard drives

An external hard drive is another place we’d highly recommend backing up your photos. Having an external hard drive ensures your photos are doubly secure in a place beside an online platform! While more expensive than storing with an online storage provider, external hard drives are great in that they usually come with even more storage capacity. In addition, many are water-proof, drop-proof, and have high speeds making them a quick, easy, and safe option for putting images on. All you have to do is plug them into a computer. We’ve linked one of the most popular hard drive options that photographers and others alike love here. You can also store this at a loved ones home so if there were a fire, flood, or some other crazy scenario that might compromise any prints or albums in your own home, you’ve got everything safe and sound somewhere else! 

Ragan and Barrett’s bride and groom portraits.

Suggested place number 3: Albums & Prints

I can give so many reasons as to why purchasing an album is always the best choice (and I do in my album blog linked here) but just the simple act of storage is another one. Having an album as a final location to keep your images is the most special place of all because owning a physical copy of your most important day that you can hold in your hands and relive over & over again is truly priceless. (Our wedding day album is sitting right on the coffee table where I often find myself flipping through it and appreciating the memories of the best day ever!) Prints are also a nice alternative to put in frames and place around your home to enjoy every day. Either way, nothing beats having a physical copy of special moments from your wedding. They are right at your fingertips and come without all the hassle of technology. 

Alex and Billy preparing to make their exit.

So there you have it- the 3-2-1 rule for having multiple copies of your photos. Three copies, at least two of which are different types, and one stored somewhere else. 

This is the final and most important step to make sure your precious wedding day images are kept safe and sound forever! 

XO,

Ashley 

3 tips for selecting Pinterest-worthy beach engagement session outfits

Saying yes to your fiancé when he proposed was easy. Choosing a beachy and meaningful engagement session location was also probably pretty easy (no shortage of beautiful beaches here in Florida). But choosing the perfect outfit for that engagement session? Well I think I speak for all woman-kind when I say this part is not so simple ;) 

That’s why today I’m telling you my three best tips for choosing the perfect styles for your tropical or beachside engagement session. By the end of this blog, you’ll have a solid starting point to take with and run as you’re dreaming up those perfect Pinterest-worthy outfits! (Bonus- as a photographer, these tips take into account what looks good on camera, too!) Keep scrolling:

1) When in doubt, go for pastels and neutrals

The number one thing that can make engagement session outfits look awkward is a mismatch of patterns and colors. We recommend simple outfits- Pastel and neutral colors often photograph best! It’s better to coordinate outfits with complimentary colors, rather than matching, and to go for a mix of solids and patterns.

For example- don’t both wear blue pants and a white shirt. If you go too matchy-matchy it can start to look like a 1999 family Christmas card (anyone else besides me have to do the matching family photo shoots?!). Instead, if you’re wearing a white dress patterned with blue flowers, put your beau in a solid blue shirt to tie in the colors of your dress without matching completely. 

In terms of colors, the beautiful beaches here in Florida have white sands, various shades of blue waves, soft green plants in the dunes, and tan grasses blowing in the breeze. Wearing bright red or purple is probably going to distract from the natural beauty of your location, whereas pastels and neutrals will compliment it. 

2)   Skip the blue jeans

This probably goes without saying.. but when was the last time you actually wore jeans to the beach? Make sure when you’re choosing your outfits the vibe of what you’re wearing fits the scene. If you’ve chosen a coastal park or beach, play up the space! Try to think of what you might actually wear to those places, and then take it up a notch (it’s an engagement session, after all!). Avoid things like jeans, heavy/thick materials, or black. 

3)    Choose two different outfits and styles

Our engagement sessions are two hours long, so I always encourage our couples to choose two totally different outfits and styles for the session to have a little variety. A more formal outfit might be great for your save the dates, but it’s also nice to have something in more casual attire to print and frame in your home, or use for the wedding website. 

Beach formal? This is where it gets tricky. If your guy absolutely wants to wear a suit, I always suggest navy, or a blue blazer mixed with khaki pants to perfect that beachy formal look. To compliment this, I find a maxi dress always looks formal enough without being overdressed or stuffy. If a suit is too dressy for your fiancé, I also say khaki pants and a white button down is forever a classic combination that looks good on everyone, and also compliments a dress for you!

In terms of your casual outfit- stay true to yourself! Our engagement sessions involve a lot of walking, twirling, or sitting. Choose something you can move in without constant readjustment or fear of getting dirty. Many of our clients will choose a shorter, more casual dress paired with khakis and a nice t-shirt or navy shorts and a short sleeved button down on their groom-to-be. 

4)   Bonus tip!

Ladies, choose something that moves with that ocean breeze! When you’re looking at fabrics, it’s always a fun idea to select something light and billowy for those sunset pictures right next to the ocean. As you’ll see below, it makes for really fun motion and movement in your images. 

There you have it- my best three tips for choosing the perfect beach engagement session outfits. If you haven’t chosen a photographer yet for your engagement session, we sure would love to be a part of telling your story! Inquire here. 

Still looking for more inspiration? You’re in luck! Bridget and Will, who I featured above, got a whole blog dedicated to their engagement session! Check it out here. 

Happy planning!

Ashley