Wedding flatlay checklists: So you’ve been looking around at all your favorite photographers’ portfolios, and one thing you noticed is the gorgeous photos of all the bride and groom’s details – jewelry, invitation suites, and heirloom items. I truly love all parts of the wedding day, but designing and photographing the flatlay is one of my favorites. I always do them right away when I arrive for your wedding, and ideally I take an hour to style & shoot everything.

But what’s the process of getting these items gathered? Is it stuff you bring? Is it stuff your photographer brings? Well, it’s both. I bring a styling kit with several colors of ribbon and some linen mats for a clean background if I need them. I have tiny scissors and some antique stamps, and a couple neutral ring boxes. But those things are meant to just be an accent to the more personal items that you want to remember about your day! These images will probably end up in your album, and you may not want a bunch of photos of my stuff around your invitation.

I share a wedding flatlay checklist with my clients during the planning process so they are sure to think about it in time to gather a few more items if they want to, and usually put a reminder right on the timeline too. And today, I’m going to share that checklist with you too!

Wedding Flatlay Checklists

BRIDE

• Extra florals*
• Dress
• Dress Hanger
• Rings (cleaned – engagement ring & wedding bands)
• Shoes
• Veil
• Bouquet
• Ring
• Hair pieces
• Jewelry
• Invitation Suite (2 full sets with envelopes)
• Any other paper stationary you may have, like program cards or menus
• Vows Book
• Gift/letter for the groom
• Special gifts she is giving or has received (i.e. matching hand mirrors for all the girls or the new bracelet that her mom gave her)
• Any other sentimental keepsakes/family heirlooms you would like to include

A really sweet way to incorporate something very personal is to have your calligrapher write your first dance song’s lyrics or part of your personal vows to each other on a pretty card that matches your invitation suite.

*IMPORTANT: I would love to have some of the florals you’ll be using throughout your wedding day. If your florist will supply me a small bucket or box of extra pieces so I can incorporate those in your detail shots, that would be so marvelous!

GROOM

• His shoes
• Socks (if they’re special)
• Cufflinks
• Tie or Bow Tie
• Pocket Square
• Boutonnière
• Vows Book
• Ring
• Watch
• Gift/letter for the bride
• Special gifts he is giving or has received (i.e. matching flasks for all the guys or the new cufflinks that his dad gave him)
• Any other sentimental keepsakes/family heirlooms you would like to include

BONUS ITEMS

Outside of the basic lists above, try to think about some other small things that would coordinate with your decor. There are SO many great inspo photos for flatlays on Pinterest. Don’t feel like you need to have it ALL, but some looking around might give you some great ideas for things your photographer could incorporate. I’ll bring the things I have in my flatlay kit, but some other accent pieces you could have available are:

• medium-to-large confetti in your wedding colors
• wax seals and the seal stamp you used
• silk or velvet ribbon on a coordinating wooden spool
• fancy pen or letter opener
• a stock of the special stamps you used on your invitations
• velvet ring boxes in your colors (try to get ones that have removable lids)
• matte silver, matte gold, or wooden trays/ring dishes (whatever you think will go best with the vibe of your decor)
• tiny bottles of champagne that coordinate with your wedding colors
• a yard of luxurious fabric like silk or velvet in your wedding colors
• a pretty book that is meaningful to your relationship and coordinates with your wedding colors
• cigar(s) and/or cigar box, if smoking cigars is a part of your life or part of your wedding day
• extras of whatever smaller objects you are using in your wedding (Ex: if you are using pomegranate halves and blueberries in your deep red & navy centerpieces, save some for me for the flatlay! Or if your wedding favors are tiny jars of local honey with a little honey dipper, throw a few of them in the bag with your other detail items)
• calligraphy card with part of your first dance’s song lyrics or part of your personal vows (ask your calligrapher to do this in a way that compliments/coordinates with your invitation suite)

 

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Corrie Childers is a sought-after Northwest Arkansas wedding photographer, Arkansas engagement photographer, Arkansas bridal photographer and Arkansas proposal photographer. Corrie has a natural passion for classic, timeless wedding photography in an elegant and relaxed style. Corrie is currently booking Arkansas weddings in Bella Vista, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Eureka Springs and all of Northwest Arkansas, as well as Little Rock, El Dorado, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and beyond!

Wedding Flatlay Photography

So it’s been several weeks since your wedding, and you have been absolutely on the edge of your seat. You’ve probably seen a few previews from your photographer (if it’s me, you’ve definitely seen some previews) and you can’t wait to see the rest. You see that email drop into your inbox and trust me, I know you want to click it and look through the photos right away!

But let me tell you something: there is a right way to view your gallery for the first time! Let’s talk about it:

 

Trust me, don’t open the gallery right when you get it!

Take a few minutes to think about who you want to view your photos with, and on what screen. Don’t look at them on your phone for the first time if you can help it! Put them on the biggest screen you have so that you can really immerse yourself in reliving the day.

 

You’ve gotta make it a date.

Viewing your wedding gallery is actually a really special occasion for you and your new spouse! It’s basically the last step of your wedding experience together, and the you only get to view them for the first time once. So wait until they’re free and not distracted, and view the photos then. Get cozy with a bottle of wine and some snacks (my follow-up advice would be to avoid garlic and onion goodies since you may feel like squealing in each others’ faces with excitement) and find a comfy spot in front of the screen.

 

Don’t wait to pick your favorites.

Do not – I repeat, DO NOT – skip this step. Your first impression of your photographs is going to be so valuable as you go back in later and choose photos to print and frame or include in your wedding album. There will be a lot of photos in your gallery, and going back to try to find that one photo that you thought was so perfect could feel overwhelming! This time you’ve created for yourself to take your time looking is your chance to choose the ones you love and make it easier on your future-self. Use the little heart icon (or whatever your photographers’ gallery service offers for selecting favorites) as you move through your photographs!

 

Lastly, get into the right frame of mind.

The discussion about the way we see ourselves in real life vs. the way we look in photographs can often be a little bit of an elephant in the room. But this is something that I feel is so incredibly important to think about before viewing your gallery, so I’m gonna go there.

I’ve never seen a bride who wasn’t beautiful or a groom who wasn’t dapper as hell on their wedding day. Even though this point is last on my list, in some ways your most important job while looking at your wedding gallery is to remember to set aside any of negative things that you know you tend to focus on. Instead, focus on the absolute mountain of things about you that make you beautiful and made your wedding day perfect. Try to see yourself through your spouse’s eyes. Be kind to yourself, and remind yourself that anything that went wrong on your wedding day didn’t stop you from getting married (and it certainly will make your stories more interesting when you’re re-telling them to your grandkids someday)!

 

 

 

Your wedding day slipped by in the blink of an eye, and now you’re just waiting for your photos (and video, I hope!) to be delivered. It’s time to think about all the post-wedding tasks on your to-do list! Between the thank-you cards and taking your gown to be preserved, there is another activity that means so much to the special people who got to help make your wedding celebration amazing: writing your vendors some reviews!

HOW IT FEELS TO GET A REVIEW

You know that feeling of bliss you get when someone surprises you with something you really hoped for? Or that feeling of fulfillment when a project that you put your whole heart into comes to a close, and you know that all the work you did was totally worth it? I get a really epic combination of those feelings every single time a new review pops up in my inbox. It’s my favorite thing, second only to the feeling of actually creating all your photos on your wedding day.

Private texts and emails about how thrilled you are make me feel spectacular too, but there’s something about it when my clients leave a public review that makes my heart swell right up with love!

 

WHY YOUR VENDORS LOVE REVIEWS

As a service provider who is based completely online, reviews by my current and past clients are an absolutely crucial part of what helps my business grow! Just think of all the sweet, doe-eyed future brides and grooms out there trying to find great vendors who will make their day amazing. As someone who’s had a wedding, now you are a wedding veteran! You have the knowledge and experience to tell couples who are in the thick of wedding planning who will do a great job.

And not only does your review help future brides and grooms wade through the confusing waters of choosing wedding vendors, it also lets me know what I got right (and if you have any constructive criticism) and helps me know the absolute best ways I can serve my clients in the future. And that’s something that’s immensely important to me!

I love to get reviews from others’ perspectives too, like your maid of honor or the mother of the groom. It’s so cool to know the overall impression I gave to your friends and family too!

HOW TO LEAVE REVIEWS

First, look your vendor up on Google. Almost every business has a Google listing that accepts reviews, and it’s an incredibly important platform to collect reviews on! Then decide what you’re going to say. Try to think of specific examples of what you loved and share them, like if you gave your DJ free rein to pick your final dance song and he couldn’t have picked a more perfect one. If you’re feeling stuck, here are some useful prompt questions to get you thinking:

1. When you guys were looking for a wedding ________, what were you hoping for specifically? How did your first impression of this vendor fit into that criteria?

2. When you communicated via email, text, phone or face-to-face, how did this vendor compare to your expectations? Were they easy to communicate with?

3. How did you feel about their level of preparedness on your wedding day? If they weren’t a vendor who was expected to be present on your wedding day (like a stationer), did they meet their deadlines?

4. When you received their brochures, pricing guides, etc did that information/education have a positive impact on your wedding planning experience or a negative one? Was everything clear and concise?

5. When you interacted with this vendor in person, how did they make you feel in that moment? Was the experience better or worse than what you were hoping for?

6. What was your initial reaction to the product or service this vendor provided? Did your friends and family have a reaction?

7. Overall, do you feel like you made a good choice by hiring this vendor or the wrong choice?

Once you’ve written something you’re happy with, look them up on the other major platforms for wedding vendors. Mine are Google, Facebook, The Knot, WeddingWire, and Yelp. You can just copy & paste your review to each platform, or if you have a little extra time, tweak each one to be a little different.

If you don’t have an account on one of these platforms yet, might I be so bold as to suggest that you make one for this purpose? I know for sure that literally all of your wedding vendors absolutely covet your reviews on these sites. You can always unsubscribe from any emails they might send you and pretend the accounts don’t even exist when you’re done!

 

 

 

6 Tips for planning a positive wedding day

I got married on a hot & rainy Texas day in 2005, and that feels like a lifetime ago. I didn’t have a wedding photographer (ironic, I know), but the photos my grandpa took of me in the little office area in the little white Cumberland church remind me how calm and unbothered I was about that or anything else. I don’t remember caring about the weather (besides thinking that rain on your wedding day is good luck), the food, the decorations, the cake, or any family drama at all. To be fair, our wedding was a very small and modest occasion – I mean, we were 18 and had nothing but love – but my lack of nerves wasn’t because there wasn’t anything to worry about, it was a part of my habitual & intentional prioritizing of positivity & peace.

As a wedding photographer now, I’ve been told that I actually bring positivity and peace to my clients’ wedding days! What a compliment! There are so many things about wedding planning & the wedding day that can be stressful and hard and believe me, I’ve witnessed my share of breakdowns and freak-outs. It’s really no wonder though; most people are not at all accustomed to the feeling of being responsible for all the moving parts of a large event (which is why you should hire a planner, but we’ll talk about that more in a sec) and it’s really easy to get overwhelmed with anxiety about everything going perfectly. I get it; you spend a lot of time, energy, and money on your wedding, and you want to enjoy it! You want to walk away that night with a full heart from all the sweet and fun memories you just made, so let’s talk about how to achieve that.

1. Before the Planning Begins

Planning a positive wedding day starts before you even start planning. It’s so easy to jump right into planning once your partner proposes, but try to take a few breaths before you jump into wedding colors and reception playlists. Spend a few weeks catching yourself staring at the sparkles in your ring & getting butterflies when you say the words “my fiancé”. Use that time to set yourself up into the right mindset for planning! Weddings are a celebration, and you’ll enjoy the process of planning it if you’ve already decided to not sweat the small stuff. Mindset is so powerful, it can totally make or break anything you do (and that’s a fact). Talk with your partner about this too! Figure out each others’ expectations (do you want to prioritize romance and mood and your partner wants to prioritize fun and partying?) and set boundaries (like if you already know your great aunt “Meddling Melba” will be a problem).

When you feel settled, start pulling together your wedding plan. And if you’re following my advice to the letter, that means your next step is finding an awesome wedding planner!

2. Hire a Wedding Planner

I know what some of you are thinking: “I’m a great designer, I can make it beautiful myself!” or “My sister is so organized, we can totally handle an event with 100 people!”

Let me stop you right there. Yes, I have had plenty of gorgeous weddings and weddings that run smoothly without a planner. Some people are truly gifted enough to design and execute a large event with no (or little) past experience, and if that’s you, that’s wonderful! But if you’re not sure that’s you, you’ll save yourself (and your sister, mom, or whoever is responsible for coordinating on the wedding day) so much stress and you’ll enjoy the event so much more if you go ahead and include an amazing planner in your budget right from the start.

Great planners are so much more than good designers that are organized. They are event experts that know exactly who the good vendors are in your area (and who to avoid), they are well connected, they’re invested in helping you have the wedding of your dreams, and they know exactly what it will take to achieve it (or they can smartly suggest alternatives if something is out of reach because of budget or other constraints). On the wedding day, planners know how to wrangle all the moving parts and put everything in order so all your planning wasn’t in vain. They know when each vendor will arrive and exactly where they should go, they have tons of experience with improvising if something goes wrong, and they’ll even load your car at the end of the night while you’re celebrating your last few dances with your friends.

3. Find Vendors You Can Trust

With or without a planner, having vendors that you trust is a major part of making it easy to have a positive & stress-free wedding. If you hire a DJ that had some bad reviews but he was the cheapest, I guarantee the stress of wondering if he’ll show up or do a good job will be in the back (or front) of your mind all the way up until your wedding day. If your great uncle has a nice camera and says he can probably make a killer wedding video for you, and you’d rather hire a pro videographer but don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, I promise that will be something that will bring negativity to your wedding. It will be the same for any vendor: DJ, florist, band, bartender, caterer, cake artist, videographer or photographer. Find professional vendors who are experts in their fields, have excellent reputations, and make it obvious online how much they care about their clients. Read reviews like it’s your job!

(If you’re looking for a photographer you can trust, I’m your girl! I also send my clients a list of other types of vendors that I know & trust, to make it easier to plan!)

4. Intentionally Surround Yourself With Positive People

In our hearts, we all know which people in our life bring us up and which ones bring us down. On your wedding day, plan to be surrounded by positive, encouraging, and pleasant people as much as possible. If you know your mom or sister tends to be a Negative Nelly, talk privately with a couple of your most positive bridesmaids or groomsmen about how you’d love to have extra support and encouragement on your wedding day (enough to drown out any negativity that may creep in). It’s amazing how purposeful smiles and silver linings from people you love can counteract the funk that negative people might bring to the atmosphere!

5. Accept that Something Might Go Wrong

This is a big one. Even with all the planning in the world and the best vendors with the most experience, something still may go wrong at your wedding. The officiants’ mic may randomly stop working during your vows, it may start pouring during your outdoor ceremony (never trust Spring in the south), or a guest may bump into your champagne tower and send it all crashing to the ground moments before toasts are supposed to begin. Any of these things would be a bummer, but remembering that the ultimate goal of the day is to get married & have a good time with your family and friends will help you brush off any big or small disasters and get your smile back quickly. And as the hosts, you and your partner set the mood and dictate how much merriment people feel at your wedding, so do your best to have a great attitude (I don’t want you to have any regrets)!

6. Have a Plan B

Lastly, having a backup plan for any parts of your day that could go sideways will give you so much peace and make it so much easier to stay positive if you have to go off course from your original plans. If you’re working with a planner, they’ll be your #1 person to go to and make a plan B with. But while you’re planning, don’t forget to include your vendors by making sure the backup ideas will work with their services too! Once you’ve ironed out a solid plan, tell your bridal party and immediate family and prep them for what might happen if it’s raining or if there’s, you know, a global pandemic or something.

 

I love my clients so much, and I consider it to be a part of my job to make sure their wedding experience is the best and most stress-free that it can possibly be. I know that the things I’ve explained here will help anyone that implements them, and you can read that in my best teacher or mom voice (whichever makes it feel more convincing to you). Happy planning!

 

 

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Corrie Childers is a sought-after Northwest Arkansas wedding photographer, Arkansas engagement photographer, Arkansas bridal photographer and Arkansas proposal photographer. Corrie has a natural passion for classic, timeless wedding photography in an elegant and relaxed style. Corrie is currently booking Arkansas weddings in Bella Vista, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Eureka Springs and all of Northwest Arkansas, as well as Little Rock, El Dorado, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City and beyond!

Planning a Positive Wedding Day!

 

Northwest Arkansas Wedding Venues

I’ve been working hard to gather all the Northwest Arkansas wedding venues for you, to have them all in a handy list separated by category. Google and The Knot can sometimes feel overwhelming, with so many choices and no good way to sort them by type. So I’ve gotchu, boo. Scroll down & find your dream venue!

 

Modern Wedding Venues in NWA

Each of these venues give a modern, airy, bright feel when you walk into their ballroom. If you’re hoping for a beautiful, timeless almost-blank canvas to turn into your dream wedding, look no further! Sky high ceilings with chandeliers and an open, airy reception space makes them feel so elegant.

Heroncrest in Springdale – Location – Website

Osage House in Cave Springs – Location – Website

Cabin Creek Lookout in Lamar – Location – Website

 

 

Estate Wedding Venues in NWA

I labeled these venues as Estate venues because they each incorporate a house, either for getting ready areas or for the actual ceremony and reception. That ‘estate’ feel is something that makes your wedding seem so comfortable, like you’re inviting all your friends and family to your house & getting married!

The Ballroom at I Street in Bentonville – Location – Website

The Orchard in Bentonville – Location – Website

Greystone Estate in Rogers – Location – Website

 

Garden Wedding Venues in NWA

Garden weddings are very popular because they’re classically beautiful and timeless. Each of these venues has gorgeous landscaping & grounds for outdoor outdoor festivities (and most of them have really pretty indoor spaces too)!

Crystal Bridges in Bentonville – Location – Website

The Nest at Prairie Creek in Rogers – Location – Website

Pratt Place Inn and Barn in Fayetteville (closed until 2023) – Location – Website

Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Compton Gardens in Bentonville – Location – Website

 

Hotel Wedding Venues in NWA

Two of my most favorite venues in NWA are right here. These hotels have the space to allow you to get ready, have your ceremony, and your reception all on the same property. And while these two are pretty opposite in terms of style – 21C is very modern and Carnall Hall is very classic – they’re both incredibly beautiful and great choices for your big day!

21C Museum Hotel in Bentonville – Location – Website

The Inn at Carnall Hall in Fayetteville – Location – Website

City Loft Vibe Wedding Venues in NWA

Exposed brick and exposed beams, large windows, and patio space is pretty much what I think of when I think of a downtown loft. And each of these Northwest Arkansas wedding venues qualify absolutely beautifully! Loft vibe spaces are so cool because they can easily go in whatever stylistic direction you want to take them, but with a little added boho-y vibe from the existing features of the space.

RECORD in Bentonville – Location – Website

Brick Ballroom in Siloam Springs – Location – Website

The Ravington in Centerton – Location – Website

Fairlane Station in Springdale – Location – Website

The Garden Room in Fayetteville – Location – Website

The Apollo on Emma in Springdale – Location – Website

 

Country Club Wedding Venues in NWA

Country clubs are high-end spaces that are surrounded by acres and acres of rolling, manicured hills for people to play golf on. I have seen some incredibly beautiful outdoor ceremonies on golf courses, and some really classy receptions in their ballrooms. And I added Lakepoint to the list because although it’s not situated on a golf course, it is in a golf community and very much has that country club vibe (and a gorgeous lake view with a sunset).

Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers – Location – Website

Fayetteville Country Club in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Lakepoint Event Center in Bella Vista – Location – Website

 

Unique Wedding Venues in NWA

These venues don’t really fall into any of the other categories, in my opinion. The Air Museum is full of planes in a giant hangar and that’s pretty epic. You’ll end up with photos unlike your friends’ photos. And Theatre Squared is a new event space in Fayetteville that is super open and bright and has tons of options for your ceremony & reception. It even has theater seating in some rooms – how cool would that be for a ceremony?

Arkansas Air Museum in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Theatre Squared in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Event Center Wedding Venues in NWA

These Northwest Arkansas wedding venues are huge, and so perfectly suited for large weddings. I absolutely love seeing shows at the WAC, and a wedding is even better. They have tons and tons of that WOW factor, and they’re a different feel from the other venues in NWA!

Fayetteville Town Center in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Chapel Wedding Venues in NWA

If you’re hoping for a more traditional ceremony setting like a church, these chapels are great options. They range from architecturally stunning to old-world charm, and all of them are beautiful! St. Catherine’s absolutely shines when ceremonies are done on the lawn in front of the chapel as an incredible backdrop. Subiaco Abbey is the largest option on this part of the list, and just wait until you see photos of it!

Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista – Location – Website

Chapel on the Creeks in Rogers – Location – Website

St. Catherine’s at Bell Gable in Fayetteville – Location – Website

St. Anthony’s on the Creek in Lowell – Location – Website

Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco (River Valley) – Location – Website

Hunt Chapel in Rogers – Location – Website

Stone Chapel at Matt Lane Farm in Fayetteville – Location – Website

Rustic/Barn Wedding Venues in NWA

Every rustic venue on this list has so much charm. Some of these barns are white, some are the natural wood color, and there’s even a black one and a red one. They each can host both your ceremony and reception, and they have gorgeous land around the venue to enjoy on your wedding day. If you’re looking for a barn venue with rustic charm, these are the best!

Sassafras Springs Winery & Vineyard in Springdale – Location – Website

Kindred Barn in Mullberry – Location – Website

Barn at the Springs in Springdale – Location – Website

Kindred North in Bentonville – Location – Website

Hazel Valley Ranch in Fayetteville – Location – Website

The Loft at Stone Oak in Greenwood – Location – Website

Cypress Barn in Siloam Springs – Location – Website

Willow Brooke Farm in Hindsville – Location – Website

Holland Barn in Gentry – Location – Website

Under the Woods in Jane, MO – Location – Website

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Corrie Childers is a sought-after Northwest Arkansas wedding photographer, Arkansas engagement photographer, Arkansas bridal photographer and Arkansas proposal photographer. Corrie has a natural passion for classic, timeless wedding photography in an elegant and relaxed style. Corrie is currently booking Arkansas weddings in Bella Vista, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Eureka Springs and all of Northwest Arkansas, as well as Little Rock, El Dorado, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City and beyond!

Northwest Arkansas Wedding Venue

 

 

Making Your Wedding Family Formals List: If you’re like most couples, you might not have thought too much yet about making your family formals list. And that’s okay! This is a topic that I’ll bring up with you automatically, closer to your wedding date (…if I’m your wedding photographer) so we don’t forget to have a list made. But make no mistake – while I may be nonchalant about when we make this list, I am decidedly a stickler for being sure we definitely do make it at some point before your wedding day.

Because honestly, family photos can be one of the most important but most chaotic parts of the day. So let’s try our best to prepare you, okay?

Making Your Wedding Family Formals List

First, decide whether or not you want to do a First Look before the ceremony. If you are, that opens up some options for timing! A lot of couples do things in this order before the ceremony: first look, wedding party photos, then family photos. Each of these things will take approx. 30 minutes (if we do a few bride & groom portraits along with the first look).
If you’re not doing a first look, we’ll do your family photos immediately after your ceremony. Then your wedding party photos, then your bride & groom portraits.

(for more pros, cons & my thoughts on doing a first look, check out this blog post)

Second, write down your groupings. Now narrow it down to 10. If you can’t quite get to 10 while you’re making your wedding family formals list, just get as close as possible! Each grouping will average 2-3 minutes, so 10-15 groupings is 30-45 minutes (I know that seems like a lot, but when Uncle Frank is in the bathroom and your sister forgot and went on to the reception so someone has to go track her down, you’ll see). It’s smart to budget a little extra time!

That being said,  I am not a stickler for sticking to the list when we have extra time. For example, if I take a photo of you and your parents and you ask to take one with each of your parents individually, of course we’ll do that if there’s time & they’re both already standing right there. This step is just about prioritizing your groupings so that we are sure to get the most important groupings if we’re in a time crunch!

Third, take that list and order it so that we start with groupings that include small children and/or any elderly guests or guests with health or mobility issues (to minimize the number of times they have to hop in and out of photos).

Example:
1. Katie, Tommy, Katie’s parents, grandparents, sister/brother-in-law and their 2 kids
2. Katie, Tommy, Katie’s parents & grandparents
3. Katie, Tommy, Katie’s grandparents
4. Katie, Katie’s grandparents
5. Katie, Tommy, Katie’s parents

Additional Tips

Boom, your list is done! I have more to say on this topic though, so this post isn’t quite over. Here are a few more tips for, you know, handling family photos well.

1. Let your photographer know if there are special family situations that you want them to be sensitive to, like divorce, death, new relationships, etc. If I’m your photographer, you can rest easy knowing that all this is covered on my world-famous wedding questionnaire. I’ll send it to you when you book, and we’ll finalize it a few weeks before your wedding when we’re working on your timeline. If I’m not your photographer, don’t forget about covering this important step with the person you’ve hired!
2. Designate a guest or family member to be my list helper! Choose someone who knows all (or at least most) names/faces on the list and is loud. I’ve found that people with teaching jobs in their daily lives are great in this role! You can send them the list before the wedding, or I can just send it to them when it’s time for these photos.
3. If we’re doing the family photos after the ceremony, you can ask your officiant to announce for your immediate family on both sides to stay. Or better yet, a few days before the wedding, you can start a group text with everyone who needs to stay and have a designated person send a reminder text right after the ceremony ends. “Hey everyone, meet on the east side of the chapel!” is much more quick and direct than 2 dozen family members wandering around asking each other where they’re supposed to go. And particularly if you have certain extended family members who need to stay but others who don’t, this technique can help ensure there’s not anyone who stays and then awkwardly isn’t in any of the formal groupings!

 

 

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Corrie Childers is a sought-after Northwest Arkansas wedding photographer, Arkansas engagement photographer, Arkansas bridal photographer and Arkansas proposal photographer. Corrie has a natural passion for classic, timeless wedding photography in an elegant and relaxed style. Corrie is currently booking Arkansas weddings in Bella Vista, Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers, Siloam Springs, Eureka Springs and all of Northwest Arkansas, as well as Little Rock, El Dorado, Dallas, St. Louis, Kansas City and beyond!

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Inspire Arkansas Bridal Show

The INSPIRE Arkansas Bridal Show by Tanarah Luxe Floral at RECORD (Instagram | Website) in Bentonville yesterday was BANANAS. (more…)