The timeline of events for wedding Photography by ctgphotography

What the process looks like from booking to receiving your wedding images

Im gonna get straight and to the point about what the process will be like! I am always so thankful for any couple who hires me to document their day. There are so many amazing photographers out there and I am always so excited to work with new couples and capture their day uniquely for them!

Here is a timeline to go over the wedding photography process wit CTG Photography. If you are already booked with us or you are thinking about booking you can see below and in the video what steps you can look forward to!

1.Booking

After booking and signing the contract you can pay your retainer. Then you will get a private client portal with all your information and contracts. I tell clients to make a specific email folder for wedding photography to keep all of the communications in one place!

After booking you will send in your retainers and you can pick the payment method within the booking process.

2.Wedding day timeline help ( 1 month after booking)

A few weeks after booking I will send out an email that has a link to a blog post and questionnaire for you to start thinking about your wedding day timeline. The blog post helps you plan out the day and buffer enough time for the different photography segments of the day!

3.Engagement scheduling (6-12 months prior to wedding)

If you have an engagement session in your package you generally want to book your session 6-12 months before your wedding. This is not set in stone and can be done anytime before the wedding. But this time frame is great if you want to send out save the dates.

Weekend shoots are not always a guarantee since I work many weekends for weddings. You will want to schedule your engagement session date  4-8 weeks before you want your images back.

4.Help videos and blog posts (1 month after booking to 1 month before wedding)

A few months prior to your wedding I will start to send you blog post links and help videos about different photographic situations that happen on the wedding day. There will be videos about timely family formals, what first looks are and if its right for you, to prepping your getting ready room for photos and many more.

During the time I send these out any questions you have feel free to reach out to me!

5.Wedding questionnaire (4 months prior to the wedding)

Around 4 months prior to your wedding I will send out a wedding questioner that asks all the vital information I need for your wedding day. You have 3 months to fill it out! I like to send it early so you have time to work on it!

6.Check in ( 2 months prior to the wedding)

Generally around 2 months out from the wedding I will check in with you to see how the questionnaire is going and if you need any help or clarification for anything!

7. Phone call meeting (1 month prior to wedding)

1 month prior to the wedding we will schedule a time to have a phone call and go over the questionnaire and timeline.

8. Check in email (1 week prior to the wedding)

One week prior to the wedding I do a last check in through email and if any last minute changes are to be made we can talk about that then!

9.Gets room numbers (night prior to wedding)

If you are staying at a hotel and I am doing getting ready images I will contact you the night before to get the room number you will be in.

10.WEDDING DAY

It’s here!!!!!!

11.Sneak peek(few weeks after the wedding)

Within a few weeks after the wedding if you signed a model release I will share a sneak peek of your wedding images on different social media outlets!

12.Delivery of images (Within 12 weeks after wedding)

Within 12 weeks after your wedding you will receive your wedding images.Usually it takes 4-6 weeks.But this all depends on the time of the year and the workload. 

The post From Booking To Receiving Your Wedding Images appeared first on Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer.

But there is one thing for sure I know about myself… I ‘am a busy body. I could only stay in a chill environment for so long until I was really ready to work again! I am so excited to hit the ground running here in 2019. Im excited to try new things and work more out of my comfort zone!

I hope you all enjoy some of my favorite images from 2018!

The post 2018 Favorites appeared first on Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer.

Flowing Family Formals

Some of the most important photos of the whole day!

-The ones you really want to pass down to family.

-Whats going to go on the wall at grandmas house.

-What you and your family will really look back on.

Things that can make Family photos run late/feel uncomfortable

• Family dynamics/drama

• People leaving when they still have photos to take

• Multiple people in the crowd that want other photos

• Not enough time

TIPS for flowing family formal photos

1.Review my questionnaire I send 4 months prior to the wedding.

2.Write out your own list to put in the questionnaire.

3.Ask important family members if there are any variations they want PRIOR TO THE WEDDING.

Mom and her God daughter, all of your uncles, or all of the cousins together, etc…

These are important variations and should be noted if wanted. Just be sure to buffer enough time in for these after the ceremony or you can have your photographer take these during the reception. But you will need to have a family member or bridal party member grab the subjects in the photo for your photographer. It can get harder the later in the evening to get family together. Often drinks are flowing and attention spans are not there like they will be right after the ceremony. If huge groupings are SUPER IMPORTANT you should get them done with right after the ceremony. 

4.If you have a rehearsal dinner remind your family the night before to walk back to the ceremony right after they walk down the aisle for photos.

5.Have a family member/bridal party member hand out small pieces of paper to people who need to stay after the ceremony for photos. The paper will say something like “Please do not leave or talk to other wedding guests until after the family photos are done. Please stay up front near the ceremony space so we can get photos done in a timely manner.”

6.Most family formals can take up to 30 minutes to take. Please talk with your photographer to see the amount of time they think it will take for your specific family!

7.Having a day of coordinator or a wedding planner helps relieve the stress of family photos as well! They can help get people ready for their turn and gather family members!

The post Flowing Family Formals appeared first on Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer.

I want to talk a bit about a first look. Below is a video that gets into some reasons why I think a first look is a great idea! Now they are not for everyone, but I think it’s a good idea to take a look at the idea to see if it fits well into your plan of the day. If you have any questions about first looks please contact me and we can go over everything!

What is a first look? from CTG Photography on Vimeo.

The post First looks-What are they and is it right for your wedding? appeared first on Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer.

Sharing Dana and Marks Pittsburgh Aviary wedding photos on the blog today! Dana and her girls got ready at the Holiday In Express in the North Shore. A few miles away the guys were getting ready at Dana and marks house. Dana and Mark live in the North Side of Pittsburgh. Their Aviary wedding is special to them because it’s so close to home. The love living in the city and being able to have a wedding in their own neighborhood was very special to them. They had their ceremony at Saint Stanislaus Church in the Strip District. This was my first time there and the inside is extremely beautiful! After their ceremony we explored a bit around the Strip for some photos. Then we were off to the Convention center. This was the same weekend as the Furry convention and Mark really wanted to find some Furries to grab some photos with! The downtown area was filled with people and Furries that were attending the convention. It was so fun to grab some photos of the bridal party with everyone dressed up!  Once we finished up some shots around the city we headed over to the Pittsburgh Aviary! The  wedding tent was set up  next to the garden outside of the aviary. Marks father is a florist and their company made the tablescapes so beautiful. His shop is in the Strip District!You can check their work out here.  There were lots of greens with pink and white flowers. It all tied together so nice! Their cocktail hour was held inside. So before we came out for dinner in the tent we went  inside the Aviary for their intros next to the Penguin habitat! And we were able to see the penguin, “Happy”, out and interacting with the guests! Dana and Mark got a picture with Happy and then were on their way to their reception! The night was filled with dancing and good vibes! My sister Jessica was their DJ! She is from Blue House Sound and Lighting if you would like to check her out!

I hope you all enjoy their Pittsburgh Aviary Wedding Photos! To see more from Courtney please go to www.ctgphotography.net!

Pittsburgh Aviary Wedding Photos

The post Pittsburgh Aviary Wedding Photos appeared first on Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer.