DOCUMENTING WEDDINGS
our process + FAQ's
your love
storytelling ft.
Our Style of Shooting
While we hope our artistic style is communicated through our images and curated website, we want to take you through what a typical wedding day looks like for us and give you a grid to our style of documenting. We are just obsessed with storytelling. And while we will step in and direct a few poses here and there, we long to capture your day as it is. We want to seem like another friend celebrating you as you gaze at your reflection in the mirror, to be as quiet as we can while swooning over the stolen kisses and whispered nothings as you dance about the fields as husband and wife.
While every wedding day is so different and unique to the couple this is to give you a grid on what it looks like on a typical day.
Getting Ready
Typically we arrive when makeup is going on the bride. From here our focus is on artistically storytelling your day through the details + dress + location. To capture what is happening around you from your makeup going on to mom gazing emotionally at the wedding dress, and a bridesmaid helping dad with his tie. We are extremely hands off during the morning.
We encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, sit in your robe + lingerie and gaze at the view. Really enjoy your morning and who you are with, to laugh so hard your belly aches. This is not performance it is your life and we want you to enjoy your day fully.
While our focus is on the bride for most of the morning, we do try to make space in the day of timeline to shoot the groom getting ready. We believe it really pulls the story of your day together and is too sweet as a bride to have the moments of your husband before the altar. Specifically for video these moments are important, because we so value the full story being told, they are important to how we edit our wedding films.
First Look/Couples Photo
From getting ready often our couples have first look. We are completely team first look though we fully support what ever decision you choose! We are team bride + groom always!
During a first look we shoo away absolutely everyone so it is just the two of you. It allows you to be yourself and we can capture your dynamic as it is without any eyes on you (other than ours, but shhh...). We encourage all the tender moments during this time. We pull back and are very hands off as it may be the only quiet space for the two of you all day.
After the first look we make space for some formal (camera aware) poses before pulling your bridal party out to shoot them.
If there is no first look, we will shoot all group photos we can with you both separated (bridal party + family).
Even with a first look we prioritize getting the bulk of your couples photos during sunset for the best light of the day. We know you will be so much happier if we carve out that time and give you all the space to dance around, kiss passionately and laugh hard with each other. This is the space we use to collaborate with you and create art. This is where we are storytelling your love.
Group Photos
Group photos can be the most exhausting part of a day. Our goal is for it to go by as smoothly and quickly as possible, the way we do this is through a shot list.
Emotions get high, everyone has an opinion and photo they want- which we completely understand. But this portion of the day is for YOU to document want YOU want. Which means that we will be the absolute bad guys and stick to the list you've given us. While we want set aside time for family, we do not encourage adding too many shots to this list.
Any shots anyone asks for that are not based off the shotlist, we will make happen at the reception.
Group photos are the most hands on + vocal we get during a wedding.
Bridal party group photos are so special to us. We are typically very straightforward with them. We want it to feel natural and enjoyable. Getting a shot with both bridesmaids and groomsmen smiling, cheering and goofing off is what we want.
Even in group photos we want it to feel like your day.
Ceremony
We are completely hands off for the ceremony. Our goal here is to document everything as it happens. We will move all around as quietly as can be and capture every part of the procession. The tears + smiles of parents, the ring exchange. The groom brushing the brides hair behind her ear at the altar. All religious and meaningful moments. The big kiss. Everything.
Directly after the ceremony we typically swoop you away with family to shoot group photos or wrap up the last of bridal party shots.
Reception
For the reception we can be found running around capturing the toasts, the details and all the laughter from your guests we can see. We prefer to be seated at a table so we blend into the party vs stand around the edges of the party all night. We also want to eat when you the bride and groom eat! You probably don't want photos of you mid bite, and we want to make sure we are on the same schedule as you both. While we may disappear to eat by ourselves and introvert it up (quick little recharge, haha) having a seat helps us so much and we can't wait to celebrate with guests!
When the dancing begins we encourage our bride and groom to dance for at least three energetic songs. We will definitely join you on the dance floor and capture you and all the guests getting down! It is most definitely our favorite part of the day!
We encourage the bride and groom running away with us for ten minutes to shoot some fun flash moments of them at their party! Wether we're shaking a bottle of champagne all over, kissing under a disco ball or posing like the ultimate power duo, tie undone and all we think these add so much to your photo moments and are often the best part of a day.
We typically stay until there is a send off and if there isn't we communicate a good time to stay with our couples beforehand.
FAQ's
How long have you (Z+N) been shooting?
All in all we've both been behind our camera's for over a decade and in 2020 we launched Weaver Media unknowingly (!) + have been in love with weddings ever since.
Z went to college in Sydney, AUS for music and came home in 2017 a film director. He then floated in and out of shooting weddings and campaign films with different companies + non profits.
N taught herself photography in middle school and has been shooting ever since. She worked as a second shooter to some phenomenal artists in Northern California and then began to pursue portraiture and worked on campaigns alongside Z.
Do you both always shoot together?
A good 90% of the time, yes! We flow so well together as husband and wife and bring such strengths to one another as we shoot side by side. We definitely can be hired for just photo or just video, but we do love being able to bring a strong dynamic to your day as husband and wife/photo and video.
Do you provide the RAWs of photo or video?
As a Weaver Media policy we do not. We consider the RAWs to be an unfinished product! We believe that when you hire us you are hiring an artist and shooting is only 50% of our creative process.
We believe you deserve more than just RAW files. Though we know that our Highlight Films are exactly that: Highlights so we made an alternative to RAW footage to serve our clients with all their in-between moments. We call it the Legacy Film + you can find our more here:
I don't know what to wear?
We send out a Wardrobe PDF before any session! It goes over why what you wear is important, colors, combo's and all the needed info! And we love helping act as stylist as we have so much experience with colors, shapes + textures to help achieve the feeling you want your photos + moments to express.
I want a second shooter, what does that look like?
We offer a variety of Add Ons to all of our Wedding Collections + second shooters are apart of that list! We have a team of people we love to pull on + work alongside for all weddings. If you're not sure if you even need one we're more than happy to give our professional opinion.
What if you're booked on our wedding day?
Dates book so quickly! We wish we could shoot every couple who inquires!
We encourage our couples to book as soon as they can as we have only a limited amount of weddings we take each year. We are sadly turning away so many couples for 2024 already!
Though we also do engagements, newlywed sessions, maternity, etc. and we would absolutely love to be apart of your story in any way we can!
Can you photoshop us?
While our skillset is definitely there, we do not enjoy altering bodies or persons! Not only is it extra work in post that takes time away from you having your gallery, we value you as you are. The only touchups I include in a gallery are flyaways, bruises, cuts or scratches and sometimes a pimple... things that aren't normally there.
For any added photoshopping requests we have to outsource for an added cost.
What happens if worst case scenario, you cannot make it to our day?
We have a team we pull on as associate shooters and will make sure that you not only have the product you asked for but a quality experience with a Weaver Media shooter. Our associate's shoot and we edit keeping everything consistent and on brand.
They are completely trusted by us and we are always confident in their abilities.
If we absolutely had to cancel and break contract we would work our best to help find another shooter for your day.