Info Article
First of all, what the heck is a day-after session? It’s a portrait session that happens the day after your wedding, usually in a different location than your wedding venue. We head off to a great location, you put your wedding clothes back on (or a dress #2, whatever you want), and we take fun photos of you two on your first day as a married couple. We’ll still take portraits on your wedding day of course. But if we have that added portrait time, the wedding day suddenly becomes easier, more enjoyable, and way less stressful. So if you’re considering hiring me for your wedding, please consider a day-after session!
Okay now that that’s explained, let’s get into it. For reference, you can see a day-after session in Jenner, CA here (the wedding was in Sebastopol) and another day-after session at the Grand Canyon here (the elopement was in Zion National Park).
1. LOWERS THE STRESS ON THE WEDDING DAY
Doing a day-after session makes the wedding day a lot less stressful, because it essentially lowers the stakes, so we’re not putting all our eggs in one basket. If it rains on the wedding day, we’ll still have a chance of better weather the next day. If things run late, we don’t have to cut things out of the timeline or rush through anything to make sure we get to portrait time. Knowing we’ll have portrait time the next day makes things way easier, and more enjoyable on the actual day. And the next day you can get your dress dirty, roll around in the grass, go for a swim, or do whatever the heck you want without worrying!
2. MAKES THE TIMELINE EASIER
Most weddings run at least a little bit late, which is why we build in extra time into the timeline for potential delays. But sometimes, because of factors outside of our control, things eat into the padding time and everything ends up running very late. Things like the flower girl spilling juice all over her dress during prep, the rings being lost, hangovers, having to redo your makeup because you cried, your officiant’s car breaking down, and the list goes on. There are SO many things that can derail the timeline on a wedding day. Having the day-after session is a great way to ensure that, no matter how many crazy things go wrong, you will still have plenty of portraits, and we won’t have to rush through the portrait session on the actual day.
3. GIVES YOU MORE TIME TO ENJOY EVERYTHING
In my experience with couples, the post-wedding regret I hear the most is, “it feels like the day went by so fast, and we wish we had taken time to stop and take it all in.” I think every couple should have enough time on their day to really appreciate the moment. Usually, this happens when we take 15 minutes away from the reception to do the sunset portrait session. I try to make this moment special, and to remind you to take it all in. But if we’re rushed for time, you won’t even have a second to breathe and enjoy the day you worked so hard to prepare for. If we have built-in day-after time, there will be less pressure to take photos, and more time to relish. You won’t have to rush through your dinner, or miss your cocktail hour. You’ll actually get to spend time with your friends and loved ones!
4. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!
One of my favorite parts about day-after sessions is being able to shoot in a new location. If the place in which we want to shoot is 20-30 minutes away from the wedding venue, it will take a full hour to drive there, plus shooting time. That’s precious time away from your guests, sitting in a car driving. But if we have a day-after session, we can do exactly what you want. We can go on a hike, drive to the top of a mountain, or take a fun drive through the forest. We can even meet in the morning to document your first post-wedding morning together, making coffee in your home, then get dressed and go find spots to shoot in. I’ve done day-after sessions 4 hours away, in an entire different National Park. That’s the beauty of it! There are so many more possibilities the next day.
5. REMOVES THE NERVES
Even the most chill couples tend to feel at least some nerves on the wedding day. Good nerves, but nerves nonetheless. Maybe you’re worried about public speaking when its time to say your vows. Maybe it’s just butterflies in your stomach from all the anticipation and overwhelming emotion. But the next day, all those nerves are gone, and you’re more free to be yourselves. Your silly, genuine, messy selves.
6. YOU’LL BE SUPER COMFORTABLE
After spending an entire day together, with me, and sharing so many emotions and moments, you’ll feel way more comfortable in front of my camera. It’s just human nature. Even if you were already extremely comfortable with me on the wedding day (which is something I obviously work hard to ensure), you’ll feel even MORE comfortable the next day, because there’s so much less riding on that day, and because by then you’ve experienced my shooting style for 6-10 hours. Let’s take advantage of that built-in comfort!
7. WE’LL GET MORE GENUINE, CAREFREE PHOTOS
The couples that I work with tend to be more carefree and low maintenance than the average couple getting married. But even so, even if you’re already care free and low key, it’s way easier to be your 100% genuine, carefree, silly, goofy self in a more casual setting than in a more structured, planned event. So by nature, the photos taken on the next day will feel AND look more genuine and carefree, because you will literally haves less to think about and less to focus on. Your genuine personality is able to shine through a little bit more, and you’ll feel more free to make the silly faces, or talk about the goofy things you do as a couple. The little things that I absolutely love documenting, that dynamic that makes couples unique and quirky.
A FEW MORE THOUGHTS
I want to clarify that a day-after session doesn’t mean we’ll get less photos on the wedding day. We’ll still get the great candids of you and your guests, you in your dress or suit, your faces when you first see each other, his/her face as you walk down the aisle, and of course, the couple portraits of you two, experiencing all the emotions that you feel on a wedding day. But on the day after, we’ll be able to capture the more laid back vibe, the little tiny things that make you who you are on a day to day basis.
One other practical perk is that, since I’m in your location already, there won’t be a travel fee. It’s like getting a no-travel couple session as an added bonus, since coordinating a session with my travel schedule can be a bit tricky sometimes!
The day-after session is just a chance to capture you in your wedding bliss, but in a more laid back, more you way, and without the pressure that comes with a wedding day. Kinda win-win!
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