When I photographed my first wedding, I battled nerves, insomnia, and an overwhelming fear that, yes, I was responsible for documenting the biggest day in a bride's life. I may or may not have breathed into a brown paper bag en route to the wedding. There were unexpected events (like when my flash wouldn't fire) and curveballs thrown my way (say, when the bride and groom portraits had to be taken at night), but I found a way to navigate the day. Much to my delight, the bride was thrilled with the results and this caused me to stop breathing into that darn paper bag.

Six years into my photography business, I realized most of the frustration I experienced in my career might've been alleviated had I known more about what actually happens on a wedding day. Familiarity with the ebb and flow of how to photograph weddings and engagement sessions was an important piece to my learning curve, so I'm inviting you to join me on a journey of real life education. These videos are a sneak peek to how I choose the perfect First Look location to how I photograph the bride's wedding dress...and much more.

I still use brown paper bags, but I prefer to fill them with shoes instead of my beleaguered breaths.