Christine + Matt’s Indiana Country Club Wedding
Christine and Matt had a perfect 8 hour wedding day that hit all of the major wedding events without doing a first look. Because they wanted to stick with tradition of seeing each other for the first time as Christine was walking down the aisle, they opted to skip the pre-ceremony portraits together. We met up and got creative with the timing of things to help make the day flow nicely with guests in mind.
bridal party portraits before the ceremony
In order to maximize the amount of time the bride and groom got the spend with their guests after the ceremony, we tried to do as many portraits pre-ceremony as possible. The bridal party was super helpful and accommodating and were ready to get ready a little earlier in order to do portraits before the ceremony. We were able to get group photos of the bride with her bridesmaids and the groom with his groomsmen, as well as individuals of each.
immediate family portraits before the ceremony
Another key element to maximizing time was having any formal portraits with immediate family done before the ceremony as well. Shots like the bride with her mom, dad, and siblings were all able to happen with help from the family and willingness for everyone to be there and be ready early. I’m always so grateful for people that are happy to be a part of a team, even if it’s more inconvenient for them.
prepping details early for wedding
Because the bride is such a planner and worked so hard to have everything done well in advance, it was easy to keep everything moving along in the morning, when things tend to go off track. All of the bridal and the groom details were together in a box waiting for me, which helped tremendously. The country club was also very accommodating, letting everyone in to decorate the day before.
The aesthetic of the day was luxury, but in a very easy, accessible way. The black and white color scheme was elegant and timeless, and easy to achieve a cohesive look. The beautiful white linens with black accents, tall gold centerpieces with white florals and greenery, and all white cake make by the bride’s amazing Pastry Chef sister gave the entire day a high-class feel.
sample 8 hour wedding timeline
1:00 - details / getting ready photos
1:30 - Christine gets dressed
1:40 - first look with dad
1:45 - immediate family photos
2:15 - bridesmaid photos
2:30 - groomsmen photos
2:45 - first “touch”/read private vows
3:15 - prep for ceremony
3:30 - ceremony
4:00 - family photos on patio or by main entrance
4:20 - couple portraits
5:00 - grand entrance
5:15- first dance
5:20 - father daughter dance
5:25 - toast
5:30 - dinner
8:30 - last dance / set up for sparklers
8:40 - sparkler exit
