THOUGHTS BY TOM

CONNECTION

Your photographer will be with you all day and is there to capture your magic as a couple. Make sure that that you feel connected to their work and not only looking to find a photographer that fits your budget. Even if you need to sacrifice the cake to do it…do it! Remember, your photos are the only thing that lasts past your wedding day. And probably no one will even notice if they don’t eat cake. They’ll be searching for another cerveza instead ?

MORE THEN AN INSTAGRAM FEED

Once you have a list of your favorite photographers, make sure that you get a chance to see the full album of the wedding – from getting ready to the end of the party. Don’t be too quick to hire a photographer based only on their beautiful Instagram. That’s just marketing. What you want to see is a full gallery of the weddings they’ve shot because this is what you are buying.

A FULL DAY IS 10 HOURS

Make sure you book enough hours for your wedding day. A lot of photographers offer 8 hours for the full day package but often it won’t cover your party (which most of the time we’ll need photos to recall the wild & carefree times)! If you only book 8 hours, you could end up adding 2 hours on the day of the wedding and costing you an extra $500 USD on the spot.

ALWAYS WITH AN ASSISTANT

Here’s another big one to understand and be aware of. Non-professional photographers don’t come without an assistant. For me, I cover all my weddings with an assistant to make sure I’m capturing all the best moments of your wedding day. It’s also a big help to me throughout the day and creates such an easy-going environment for everyone. It should feel stress-free and that is always my goal when working with couples. Make sure to find inquire about this with the list of photographers you are considering. All my prices include assistant.

SETTING THE MOOD

It’s important for me to get to know you, your aesthetic, and style. The general vision for your wedding will help me give you what you’re looking for, combined with my style of photography. Together, we can create something quite amazing. This is why creating your own Pinterest board, essentially a mood board, and collecting ideas for your wedding is very helpful. From clothing, colors, textures, fabrics, plants, plates, and the list goes on. Don’t worry if these aren’t wedding photos – it can be anything that inspires you.

Once you’ve done that, you can send your board to me or even link it to my Pinterest profile so I can check it out and be inspired. The pictures in my wedding galleries are “pinable” so you can choose a few of your favorites and pin to your Pinterest board. Do this directly from your phone or computer. You can also feel free to browse my Pinterest boards as inspiration and pin whatever you like to yours.

EDUCATE YOUR HUSBAND 

As a bride, you have probably been dreaming of this day for a very long time. You have all the details in mind and you have a very clear vision of how you want the day to look and feel. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that your husband visualizes the same thing or has a clear picture in his head. Having great photos involves both of you, so he needs to have an idea of how the day will go so he can be just as excited and prepared as you. If he knows what the look and feel of the day will be like than together we can achieve amazing results. So get him involved. Show him your Pinterest board. Go through the general idea of what you are looking for and have an open chat so both of your expectations are met.

DRESS HIM UP

From personal experience, I’ve seen a lot of beautiful brides and handsome grooms but sometimes there is so much attention on the bride and how she looks and presents herself, that the groom is left behind. Sometimes the groom needs more attention into the details of his outfit, like the right size of trousers or even the right style that matches the bride. And maybe you’re a bride that is so relaxed about these things, and that’s amazing, but from personal experience, it can make a big impact on your photos when you both look your best. PS. bring another shirt for him just in case you want to refresh a bit later.

OPTIONAL SKINCARE

Skincare doesn’t start a couple of weeks before your wedding. It starts 5-6 months beforehand. There are many great things you can do to ensure your skin is looking healthy and bright. This includes drinking enough water, using moisturizer and also applying sunblock on your face and body. It can make such a difference in your photos and the way you look and feel on your day, you’ll be happy you made the effort.

Here are a few short points to consider:

• • Drink at least 2L of water daily
  • Exfoliate regularly to ensure your skin is rid of dead skin
  • Pay special attention to your decolletage and
  • Consider the best option for your spray tan (because of the humidity, sometimes it may not be worth it because your hands, feet and decolletage can often lose the color)

YOUR WEDDING ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

I so appreciate that you’ve decided to get married in a beautiful destination. It’s why I decided to live here, too. It’s also why we together need to do our part to minimize our waste and use of plastic during the wedding. It breaks my heart when I see one person using 7 plastic bottles or a zillion different plastic straws for every drink. It may seem convenient, but there are so many other great ecological options. So make sure you to talk and push your wedding planner to make this happen for you to eliminate as much unnecessary waste as possible.

Congrats! You’ve made it this far and now your wedding is right around the corner. Don’t forget, you’re in sunny Mexico and the elements here are not to be underestimated.

SUNSCREEN AND MORE  SUNSCREEN

You’ve come to experience paradise and everything that comes with it – from the beach, to hanging out by the pool, to hitting the surf. That also means a lot of exposure to the sun and this can mean you and your wedding party could end up with an accidental sunburn for the day of your wedding. Trust me, you don’t want that. When you are sunburnt, there is very little you can do to get rid of that in post-processing. The color red in digital photography is actually the most difficult to manage and photoshop. So, to combat this, wear sunscreen! Wear sunscreen from the moment you arrive to the morning of your wedding day until the sun drops. Here is one of my favorites if you plan to be active and enjoy your wedding weekend to the fullest. It doesn’t leave you looking shiny – La Roche Posay Anthelios Sport Sunscreen. Or for a lighter option, if you don’t plan to do sports, you can try Elta MD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46.

BYE-BYE BUG BITES

There are mosquitos everywhere. Some of you are more prone to bites than others. And if you react badly, it would be a very good idea to make sure you keep a bug repellent spray with you at all times. Many of the lovely venues are surrounded by jungle meaning there are little bugs that will want to take advantage of that. You also may find yourself going for a nice dinner in town, sitting at the bar outside, and getting attacked by mosquitos. This is common. So make sure you’re prepared and pack that spray with you wherever you go!

A NO-PHONE CEREMONY 

Your guests have come to be apart of one of the most important days of your life. We want them to be present and focused and to remember the moment. We don’t want them fiddling with their phones or trying to get the best angle. That’s why you hired a professional photographer to make sure they’re capturing that for you. I suggest asking your guests to keep their phones away during the ceremony. There will be plenty of opportunities the day to capture some awesome memories. But, let’s keep the ceremony. It also makes a difference when I take photos of the ceremony and your guests have their arms up with in the air or phones in the aisle. This allows me to capture the most important moments without obstruction.

I would also politely enforce you not to use phones when you say your vows. I know it’s convenient to use your phone as a guideline. But from personal experience, it can often look like you’re checking your Instagram while you’re saying I do. So, buy yourself a small notebook that reflects the aesthetic of your wedding. It will make such a lovely impact on your photos. And don’t forget, words, when they are written down, have power and will stay with you forever.

PS. one of the other common mistakes that we often overlook is bringing a beautiful book or hardcover folder for the wedding officiant. Don’t let him or her end up leading the ceremony from a loose 8×11 sheet of paper. Take care of the forgotten details and invest in a nice book.