Welcome
A NOTE ABOUT THIS GUIDE
We’re so excited to be working with you and we can’t wait to get to know you better over the next several months! We know photography is one of the larger investments you're making for your wedding day and we're so honored you chose to work with us!
Even if you're working with a wedding planner or you're planning a simple wedding, there are likely still a lot of moving pieces left leading up to your big day.
Having collectively photographed over a thousand weddings over the past few years, we tend to get asked the same things over and over again. So we thought it would be beneficial if we put together a guide that walks you through everything from timelines to engagement sessions and inclement weather.
Thank you again for choosing to work with us and please don't hesitate to let us know if we can offer any additional guidance throughout the wedding planning process!
Vendors
WHO WILL MAKE YOUR DAY INCREDIBLE
Over the years, we've learned the important role quality vendors play in creating a stress-free wedding day. We've worked with many of the vendors below and we can't recommend them enough! This is not a paid list - we chose these vendors for both the quality of their work as well as their professionalism on the actual wedding day.
Sasha Souza Events
Lovely Day Events
Dream A Little Dream Events
Kate Whelan Events
A Touch Of Grace Events
So Eventful
WEDDING PLANNERS
FLORAL DESIGNERS
ViDEOGRAPHY
CATERING
DJ & BANDS
HAIR & MAKEUP
CAKES
WEDDING DRESS
RENTALS
Invitations
OFFICIANT
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE WEDDING VENUES
CITY HALL
CARNEROS INN
VIANSA
FLOOD MANSION
KOHL MANSION
KUNDE
CALISTOGA RANCH
PARK WINTERS
When it comes to planning a wedding, the amount of detail and the list of things to do can seem never ending. While booking a wedding photographer and caterer are probably among the highest priority items on your Big List, we've found that it can be almost too easy to neglect one of the most important factors of your big day: yourself!
Boudoir photography focuses on self-love, empowerment, and absolutely owning the incredible woman that you are. Through our bridal boudoir portrait sessions, we're able to celebrate the individual beauty that each bride-to-be brings to the table, while providing her with a chance to see herself in a way that she may not be used to: as a gorgeous, vibrant, strong, sensual woman.
Bridal boudoir photos also make an amazing gift for your partner to celebrate your special day. Just imagine the look on your betrothed's face when they unwrap a gorgeously crafted, bespoke album filled with professionally done shots of their true love - wow!
bridal BOUDOIR
Portraits
Celebrate yourself. love yourself.
With over a decade of experience as a wedding photographer, M+O's Caroline - or, Olin, as she's known to friends - began focusing on boudoir photography in recent years as a way to share her belief that radical self-love and acceptance are key components to living a happy life. Her boudoir photography studio, Boudoir By Olin, is based in downtown Sacramento.
In addition to helping make brides look and feel their best, a bridal boudoir portrait session gives you an opportunity to truly pamper yourself. Lingerie shopping, hair & make-up trial runs for your big day, and maybe even a little pre-session spa relaxation are all great options that our clients love.
Planning your wedding can be an all-consuming experience, and it's so important to carve out time for self-care. We're positive that after your bridal boudoir session, you'll feel more confident, empowered, and beautiful than you could have ever imagined.
Wedding Night Lingerie
Other Lingerie
Shoes
Veil
His Shirt
Ring
Hair pieces and jewelry
Bridal boudoir Portrait Session Checklist
Wedding Day Timeline
building the perfect
Whether you choose to do a first look or the traditional "no see before the ceremony" we will work with you on making sure you have the best timeline and plan for images.
If you're choosing to go traditional, you'll need two different sets of photo times: images taken before the ceremony and images taken after the ceremony.
You'll need to plan for about one hour of pre-ceremony photos: partner 1's attendants and family and partner 2's attendants and family, at separate times. You'll also need 15 minutes of combined partners and attendants portraits, 15 minutes of combined family portraits and at least 30 -45 minutes of couple's portraits after the ceremony if you're not doing any portraits together until after the ceremony.
Whether you're planning a first look or sticking with tradition and not seeing each other until you walk down the aisle, we have tips to help make planning your timeline as easy as possible!
If you're doing a first look, photos can be done all at one time, taking an average total of 2 hours pre-ceremony (although we also LOVE grabbing just the two of you for a few additional bride and groom photos at sunset!)
If you choose a traditional aisle reveal, all we ask is that you keep your ceremony time in mind when planning your wedding.
If you're planning a sunset ceremony or an evening ceremony, it's best to do all photos before the wedding, as daylight is crucial to getting amazing portraits for your families, bridal party and your couples portraits. Making sure we have enough time while the sun is up is a great way to make the traditional ceremony work.
12 p.m.
PHOTOGRAPHER ARRIVES AT PRIMARY GETTING READY LOCATION
12pm - Getting Ready
Note: Ideally by the time we arrive, hair and makeup is already wrapping up. If something is going to delay the beginning of the day, it’s often hair and make up.
1:15pm - partner 2 Departs
1:00 p.m.
Partner 2 and attendants depart for ceremony site
1:30pm - partner 1 Departs
1:30 p.m.
Partner 1 and attendants depart for ceremony location
1:45 First Look
1:45 p.m.
The first look takes place
Note: The First Look can take place at the getting ready location, ceremony, or reception location. It’s up to you! Although we’re happy to make recommendations.
2:00pm - Portraits
2:00 p.m.
Couple + attendant portraits
3:00PM Ceremony
3:00 p.m.
Ceremony takes place
3:30pm Family Portraits
3:30 p.m.
Family portraits
Note: We do family portraits right after the ceremony because everyone you need will be easy to grab. If you can give your family notice that we’ll be taking pictures immediately after the ceremony, that will also ensure that no one wanders off. We’ll help you create a list of family portraits before the big day.
4:00pm Portraits
4:00 p.m.
Additional couple portraits
Note: Depending on what was taken before the ceremony, we might grab 1 or 2 more couple and attendant portraits.
4:30pm Cocktail Hour
4:30 p.m.
Cocktail hour
Note: The great thing about doing a First Look is that it gives you more time at cocktail hour. We’ll grab some pictures of your guests while you enjoy the hour.
5pm Introductions
5:00 p.m.
Introductions and first dance
5:30pm Dinner
5:30 p.m.
Welcome toasts & salads
Followed by other speeches and entrees. We will be eating our meal when you are eating your entree.
6pm Sunset Portraits
6:00 p.m.
Sunset Portraits
We’ll make sure to grab you two about 45 minutes before the sunsets. This is usually the best light of the day!
6:30pm Dancing
6:00 p.m.
Dancing begins
7:15pm Traditions
6:00 p.m.
Cake cutting
8:00pm Photographers Depart
8:00 p.m.
End of coverage
Photographers depart
1pm - Getting Ready
1:00 p.m.
PHOTOGRAPHER ARRIVES AT PRIMARY GETTING READY LOCATION
Note: Ideally by the time we arrive, hair and makeup is already wrapping up. If something is going to delay the beginning of the day, it’s often hair and make up.
2:00pm - partner 2 Depart
2:00 p.m.
Partner 2 + attendants depart
Partner 2 + attendants depart for ceremony site & take pre-ceremony group photos.
2:15pm - Ladies Depart
2:15 p.m.
Partner 1 + attendants depart
Partner 1 + attendants depart for ceremony site & take pre-ceremony group photos.
3:00PM Ceremony
3:00 p.m.
Ceremony
3:30pm Family Portraits
3:30 p.m.
Family portraits
Note: We do family portraits right after the ceremony because everyone you need will be easy to grab. If you can give your family notice that we’ll be taking pictures immediately after the ceremony, that will also ensure that no one wanders off. We’ll help you create a list of family portraits before the big day.
4:00pm Portraits
4:00 p.m.
couple and attendant portraits
Note: Depending on what was taken before the ceremony, this normally takes about an hour total.
5:30pm Introductions
5:30 p.m.
introductions and first dance
6:00pm Dinner
6:00 p.m.
Welcome toasts & salads
Followed by speeches and entrees. We will be eating our vendor meal when your entrees are served
7:30pm Sunset Portraits
7:30 p.m.
Sunset Portraits
We’ll make sure to grab you two about 45 minutes before the sunsets. This is usually the best light of the day!
8:00pm Dancing
8:00 p.m.
Dancing begins
8:30pm Traditions
8:30 p.m.
Cake cutting
9:00pm Photographers Depart
9:00 p.m.
Photographer departs
If the forecast is calling for rain, fear not because rainy days can still be beautiful! If you don't believe us, just take a look at Abbey + Josh's wedding day. It rained the entire day and it was still beautiful!
If rain is in the forecast, we recommend ordering a few clear umbrellas and wellies on Amazon. It also might be good to re-evaluate portrait locations to make sure we can still shoot in natural light - even if it means heading offsite.
Rain Tips
If you don't own a pair of cute Wellies, now may be a great time to order a pair - even if you're just wearing them in between shooting locations.
If you're not working with a planner, it might also be a good idea to check in with your entire vendor team to make sure they're aware of the weather. Hair and makeup may need to be tweaked to withstand humidity and if your wedding is outdoors, DJs and bands may need to take extra precaution to protect their gear. A quality rental team can also minimize the amount of mud at outdoor events.
While we can't guarantee that rain on your wedding day is good luck, we can put a plan in place to ensure a beautiful day and beautiful images.
Rainy day weddings may require a little more flexibility and creativity, but there isn't any reason why they can't be as beautiful and as joyful as sunny weddings!
Wedding Day Details
We love capturing all the little details you've carefully chosen to be a part of your wedding day! Once we arrive at your wedding, we need about 30 minutes to capture and style details. We recommend choosing a getting ready location filled with natural light and, if possible, please keep the space free from trash and clutter.
It would be wonderful if you could put all of your rings, jewelry, shoes, veil purse, perfume, invitations and other keepsakes together in one spot for us. Please unwrap your suit or dress but don't worry about styling it - we'll hang it in a beautiful spot!
Dress
Dress Hanger
Rings (both engagement and wedding bands)
Shoes
Veil
Bouquet
Ring
Hair pieces
Jewelry
Invitation Suite ( 2 full sets with envelopes + stamps)
Any other paper stationary you may have like program cards.
Bridal DETAILS Checklist
His shoes
Socks (if they're special)
Cuff Links
Tie or Bow Tie
Pocket Square
Boutonnière
Vows Book
Rings
Anything else he'll have that is special or sentimental.
Vow Book
Any other sentimental keepsakes you would like to include
We once had a bride bring her grandmother's hand mirror. This is completely optional - but if you have something sentimental you'd like styled with your details, we love including family heirlooms in our detail shots.
Bonus: We'd love to have a few cuts of the florals you'll be using throughout your wedding day. If your florist will supply us a small bucket of extra pieces we can incorporate those in your detail shots.
GROOM DETAILS Checklist
When we can, we always try to take a photo of your rings while you're getting ready. If possible, try to have your engagement ring cleaned or clean it yourself. To clean at home, soak your ring in warm water with dishwashing soap for 20 to 40 minutes. Then gently brush the stone with a soft toothbrush, rinse and repeat if needed.
The Rings
For family portraits, we’ll place you in the center of a large group photo with all of your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, godparents, etc. And then we’ll remove the extended family so it’s just grandparents, parents and siblings.
We’ll keep removing family members and switch a few closer family members in and out so we get photos of you and your parents, you and your siblings, some with your spouse and your family, etc. Then we’ll repeat the process with your spouse's family. The whole thing will go quicker and smoother if you let family know how the portrait process will work ahead of time.
When we send out our pre-wedding questionnaire, we'll ask you for a list of specific groupings, special situations (such as divorces or handicapped family members & more), but if you want to start brainstorming photos in the meantime, you'll find our typical list below.
Family Formals
your entire family, dressed up and together
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 1's Extended Family
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 1's Parents + Siblings + Grandparents
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 1's Parents + Siblings
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 1's Parents
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 1's Siblings
Partner 1 + Mom
Partner 1 + Dad
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 2's Extended Family
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 2's Parents + Siblings + Grandparents
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 2's Parents + Siblings
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 2's Parents
Partner 1 + Partner 2 + Partner 2's Siblings
Partner 2 + Mom
Partner 2 + Dad
family Portrait Session Checklist
Please note that this list is just a starting point and that we're happy to take any requested family portraits as long as time allows!
Consider Unplugging
If you've been to a wedding recently, you may have seen a sign from the happy couple asking for their guests to remain "unplugged" during the ceremony.
And while it might seem like a strange requests to ask guests to put down their phones, there's a pretty good reason for it! You made a big investment in photography and we're sure one of the last things you want on your wedding day is for our photos of your ceremony to be filled with obtrusive iPhones, iPads and relatives standing in the aisle with their own cameras. In order to help us do the best possible job capturing your wedding, we recommend asking guests to unplug during the ceremony.
During your wedding, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of options for entertainment in between normally scheduled events like cocktail hour, your ceremony, dinner, and the reception. You'll want your guests to have fun, and to think of your wedding day as an event to remember for years to come. Photo booths are an awesome way to liven up any party, and weddings are no exception!
Our sister company, Giggle & Riot, specializes in creating totally unique open air photo booth experiences for your special day. Your wedding day is all about you, so we pride ourselves on going above and beyond in everything from theme to prop selection to ensure that your booth is a total hit.
We offer unique customization options, and love creating special custom props & backdrops to match the theme of your wedding. In addition to a traditional photo strip printing of your session photos, we also have add-on options that we're sure will be a hit with your wedding crowd - custom graphics and overlays for your prints, digital upload capability for social media savvy attendees (choose your own hashtag!), beauty filters, GIF and Slo-Mo Booths, and more!
Whether you're looking for something more fun and vibrant, or classy and pretty, we've got you covered.
PHOTO BOOTHS
One of the biggest advantages of a photo booth Session is that YOUR GUESTS WILL HAVE FUN, AND GET PHOTO SOUVENIRS TO TAKE HOME!
1. If you're getting married in the summer months, a "not-so-heavy" snack or lunch time before portraits is always a good idea for you and your attendants to avoid hungry bellies and passing out!
2. If it's going to be hot, a cooler of cold waters and frozen washcloths can help keep a wedding party cool - especially if the men are wearing lots of layers.
3. Make sure and have your bouquet delivered in time to make an appearance for the detail shots and for your first look. Often they are delivered in water and need to be dried off before use. Having towels handy can help.
4. If you're planning on having a first look with your attendants or a parent, they often feel more comfortable being fully dressed in their wedding attire.
5. If your reception is at a separate venue, add some "fluff time" so that we can run over to the venue to capture it while it's still "untouched" by guests.
Additional Tips
AFTER SHOOTING MORE THAN 130 weddings in the past few years, we're happy to share a few additional tips
6. We always recommend the bride go into hiding 30 minutes before the ceremony at the absolute latest. Guests typically arrive early to weddings.
7. To help make family portraits go smoother, it's best to have a breakdown of what portraits you'd like and it's really wonderful if both sides of the family have a chance to have their input on what portraits they'd like before the wedding. Supplying us with a list ahead of time, we can go over it and make sure we shoot things in an order that is efficient and won't leave anyone out.
8. During the cocktail hour and the reception, we'll follow you around. Anytime you'd like a photo with someone, grab our attention. We love being your personal paparazzi!
9. We'd love to help you plan your timeline. If you'd like our input, don't hesitate to email: info@milouandolin.com!
One of the best ways to make your wedding memories last is by ordering
an album. These high quality professionally designed albums come in a
variety of linen & leather colors.
These aren’t the same albums your parents' wedding photos came in.
They’re modern, lay perfectly flat and look incredible on a coffee table.
Albums
the perfect way to remember your wedding day
We can't wait to start planning with you and getting to know you! If you haven't scheduled your engagement session yet, let's get that in the books. Feel free to email us any time at info@milouandolin.com.
If you have any questions or would just like to chat, we're here for you. We hope this guide helps make the process of planning your wedding details much easier and less stressful. We can't wait to see you soon! Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our guide!
THANK YOU!
