2020.  What a crazy year.  Am I right? Or amiriiiiiight?  Even with 5 months of weddings postponed, I still somehow photographed 40 weddings/elopements in 2020.  It was such a joy to document these celebrations for amazing couples, despite the odds against their festivities. Before we jump into what it looks like behind the scenes as an Austin wedding photographer, I want to share one photo of me smiling at the camera while Tropical Storm Beta pours down all around me. Why?  Because most of the other images aren’t glamorous, have my face hidden behind a camera or mask (or without lipstick knowing the two don’t mix), or are even iPhone photos.  And because it reflects 2020 so well: just smile through the storm!

I like to start every wedding day the same way: with bridal details.  It’s a great creative warm up for me before the day gets into full swing.  It also gives me an idea of the feel/style/colors the couple is going for on their big day.

Thank you to Levi for the fun BTS video! If you need a wedding cinematographer, I’d love to refer you to him! 

After your gorgeous details have been photographed, we’ll transition into bridal prep. This part of the day usually includes bridesmaids in matching outfits.

Then, it’s time for you to get into your dress!  Don’t worry if your dress has tons of buttons, I’m more than happy to step in to help this process go a little faster (while still taking great photos, of course)!

Yep, I re-pierced her ear on her wedding day.  So sorry that probably hurt!  Also, I’m more than happy to help you with your shoes!

After you’re fully dressed, we’ll bring in your bridesmaids or dad or whoever you want to share a first look with before seeing your future spouse!

Then, I’ll make sure your groom is dressed with his boutonnière pinned.

I’m happy to help you with your dress on your way to the first look!  This helps keep the moment as private as possible for the two of you, but still gets your dress picture perfect!

I get asked often about what happens if it rains.  Well, this year had a lot more rainy wedding days than I usually have. 2020 – amiright?  If it does rain, I’ll do my best to find one covered porch for your portraits.  That’s all you really need. For this wedding, there was a white gazebo that was perfect for their first look.

I also always carry these clear umbrellas for wedding days, but no one has ever used them for photos.

After the first look, we’ll take some bride and groom portraits and your bridal portraits.

I tend to direct poses with my hands.  Sometimes, I’ll even demonstrate the pose, as that tends to be the best way to make sure it feels natural and the easiest way to show exactly what I’m envisioning.

After the first look is the best time to bring out the full wedding party for photos. Taking these groupings before the ceremony means your friends can go straight to cocktail hour after the ceremony – they’ll love you for that!  (Also, if you love the video BTS, there are a ton more of real wedding days on Instagram stories here.)

After wedding party photos, most of my brides like to be tucked away so early guests don’t get a peek at them too early.  That 30 minutes before the ceremony while the bride refreshes her makeup is my best opportunity to capture the reception details as you intend guests to see them.

Just before the ceremony, I’ll dial in my camera settings on guests walking down the aisle. Here, my second photographer is getting their settings on me at the same time. Yes, I always carry two cameras on me for the ceremony, as there are zero “take twos” for wedding ceremonies. There is usually a third camera in my bag, as well.  On top of that, my second shooter always has two cameras with them. Your wedding day is too important to have to deal with technical difficulties.

After the ceremony, we’ll jump straight into family photos. About 4 months before your wedding, I’ll send you a questionnaire that has all the important details I need to know to capture your big day.  That’s when you can share all the family photos with me that you’re hoping for.

After family photos, it’s time for some just married photos.  That golden hour just before sunset is the best lighting for portraits, so I time wedding days to make sure every couple gets these glowy images!

While I have more requests for photos with animals at engagement sessions, I do occasionally get to play with them at weddings.  Most of the time, they want to see what I’m doing and will try to get some snuggles.  Again, if you want to see video BTS, this scene doesn’t show that the couple was surround by buffalo, but you can see it on my Instagram stories. 

Yep, I always carry a little step stool with me to all shoots/weddings.  It’s a photography trick to get the most flattering angle!

I’m always fluffing dresses, positioning flowers, and tugging on wedding veils. It’s the little details that can make the biggest impact on your wedding day photos.

Yes, I can help bustle your dress. After nearly 250 weddings, I have the bustle thing figured out!

Once the reception starts, the photography timeline isn’t as demanding and is much more candid, photojournalistic in nature. I try not to be too noticeable during these events like toasts and special dances. After that, I race to beat the couple outside with lighting before their grand exit.

I was feeling super creative at Laura and Nick’s wedding, so I grabbed these lights off their reception tables for a cool exit shot. You can check out their blog post to see how it turned out. 

Lastly, yes, I do pretty much wear the same three outfits to weddings again and again. This helps me to not have to use brain power to think about what I’m wearing that day, as I have a “uniform.”  This allows me to focus on more important things as I photograph weddings for the best couples.

For the 7th year in a row, The Knot has named me one of their “Best of Weddings” award recipients.  “The Knot Best of Weddings is an annual award that recognizes the top wedding vendors across the country. This prestigious honor represents the highest rated vendors on The Knot who are trusted, dependable, and deliver quality service. Only the best wedding vendors (top 5%) receive this award!” The best part is that this award is based on reviews from REAL couples who have hired me to photograph their wedding.

Another really cool thing that happened in 2020 was that the Associated Wedding Planners of Austin named me one of the preferred vendors!  You have to be nominated by at least two of the top wedding planners in Austin and demonstrate exemplary ethics and advocate for the value of a qualified wedding planner. You have to be known to go above and beyond for your clients and fellow vendors and be “a joy to work with!” This list of pros represents the best in Austin and I’m over the moon happy to be named alongside so many greats!  They also nominated me for their Most Valuable Vendor Award, which is an amazing honor!

2020 was an absolutely crazy year and had me more worried about the future of my business than any other year. However, I have absolutely AMAZING clients who trusted me to capture their day, pandemic and all. It was actually one of the most joyful wedding seasons of my career because everyone – clients and their friends and family – were just so happy to attend a celebration and be with their loved ones, again. It wasn’t just another wedding in the midst of wedding season for guests, it was the celebration of the year!

So, to my 2020 couples, Thank you!  Thank you for allowing me to document such a fun (even if at sometimes stressful) season for y’all!  Thank you for trusting me to capture the first day of the rest of your lives.  Thank you for allowing me to continue to do what I love for a living!  It’s because of y’all that I get to call this dream of mine a reality and I’m forever grateful to you!

Cheers,
Mylah Renae