5 Wedding tips that you didn't ask for!

I'm here to tell you that I'm not an expert! But when I see a good idea, I hold it in tight.

Upcoming brides and grooms..... This one is for you!

When you are wedding planning you will get all different kinds of advice from people. Some might be popular advice that you hear everywhere, where the rest might be personal advice that you hold near and dear to your heart. Without further ado... Here are my top 5 favorite weddings tips and tricks from a photographer that cries when you say 'I do" and dances to every cha-cha & electric slide!

Photo: Ashley & Nate | November 2020 | Second shooting for White Oak Images

5. Your bridal party does not have to "match" on each side!

If your future spouse has 5 people that they would like to stand next to them and you have 3, you don't have to scrounge to find more, nor do they have to let people loose! The best part of being the soon to be newlyweds is that you are in charge! You make all of the rules! To offset the difference in numbers you can have everyone walk in singles, or in groups! This is your day, you can structure it to fit your life how ever that makes sense.

Speaking of your bridal party: flower girls and ring bearers don't have an age or gender limit! These are important people in your life that will help you enter into marriage! If you don't have youngins that fit the bill, you could ask your grandma, or fun uncle! These make for great photos, and a social point that people will talk about for years to come!

4. Unplugged ceremony, with a twist!

If you're planning a wedding you've probably seen a million "unplugged ceremony" signs on Pinterest. (As a photographer of course I love and support this) BUT sometimes a sign doesn't always do the trick, some people don't read the sign, and truly sometimes they don't care.

A good way to ensure phones, extra cameras and iPads stay down is to have your officiant announce that your ceremony is unplugged at the very beginning of your ceremony.

The extra fun: you could opt to have your officiant announce a 2 minute social media moment before they have to lower their devices! You and your boo will turn towards your guests, smile and wave. This is a cool moment because you get to see all of the people who were special enough to be added to your big day!

3. Music make you loose control?

Is your music choice not always appropriate? Or maybe not always a crowd pleaser around some of your guest list? I completely understand wanting to keep a certain mood for your guests, but don't forget that it is you and your new spouse's special night to remember. Talk to your DJ about having a time where the music mood will change. You can also add a little note in the deatils part of your invitations, or even your timeline. This could be the last hour or the last hour and a half where you and your friends can dance or rock the night away. Don't worry, I will glady stay for this part!

fun tip: walk back up the isle to an instumental version of your first dance song

2. Cake, cake, cake, cake, cake

If you danced to that... me too, let's be friends! Are you not feeling excited about doing a traditional cake? You might not want a 12 tier diamond lined cake... THAT'S TOTALLY OKAY! Here are some fun ideas to flip the switch on the traditional cake.

Cupcakes! This is fun because you can include SO MANY different flavors and colors!

Cheesecake, um save me a slice! Though this could be a bit pricey, if your budget or the size of your guest list can help make this happen, this could be an AMAZING add to the party.

Banana Bread?! Pumpkin bread?! Cinnamon Coffee cake?! Slice me up! Remember this is all about things that matter to you! And all I'm saying is banana bread matters, bro!

Mini cakes..... You mean cupcakes, right?! Nope. Mini cakes at each table!!! This is such a cool idea because the cake becomes the centerpiece, on a pretty cake stand?! Yes please!

1. 10 minutes in heaven

Okay. Let me be honest... I wish that I could make this a requirement, truly. After you and your boo say "I do" you will normally line back up at the altar with your bridal party, family and closest friends to start the photo process. As a photograhper I wish I could say that this is the most important part, but what's really important is the fact that you JUST GOT HITCHED! Trust me, you do NOT want to spend the first few minutes of being a married couple being posed by your photographer. You and your love should go take a minute, or 10, to yourselves! I suggest planning ahead of time with your favorite drinks and quick snacks waiting in your hideaway spot to rehydrate yourselves. This is actually a helpful break. Your bridal party and family that are included in photos will have a moment to use the potty, your photographer can change their lens, trust me, there's always something going on!

tip: this is a fun time to take a cute selfie with your forever love #JustMarried!

I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite tips and tricks to personalizing your big day! Using the pieces of your day to represent you and your spouse is what it's all about. There are no rules! I hope you have the best time planning your big day.

What would you like to see next?

By the way... I think I love blogging? Crazy! See ya next time!

Starting my Business in a Pandemic...

I wish I could say that I've always known and always believed in myself.. But that was just not ever the case! This is one of those weird instances of things randomly falling into place. Brianna Marshall Photography was born from a series of unfortunate events.

My journey started in a sunflower field in the middle of a pandemic... LITERALLY. My mom had asked for me to do some senior photos for my little sister, since I learned photography in high school. I didn't even have a camera at the time, I had actually sold mine because the passion wasn't alive, and it definitely was not thriving. I called my friend Sarah and asked her if I could use her camera....

Let's just say that she never got her camera back! Haha!

Photo: Tacina Kester | August 2020 | Brianna Marshall Photography

That day though, at the sunflower field, it was like my eyes were brand new. I was seeing everything in a different way. That day literally altered my life in such an amazing way. I truly couldn't wait to get home and edit the photos.

I had no idea what would be waiting for me after that...

I received hundreds of comments and messages full of compliments and even people wanting to book with me! I was honestly blown away.

Sarah ended up selling me her camera, and giving me all of the well wishes to send me off on my way. Having the support from friends is honestly one of the greatest gifts in the world. I can't lie, there were so many times I just was not feeling confident in starting my business. I wasn't sure people would like my style or enjoy my work. Even after some of those successful shoots, I wasn't completely there. After an extra push from my good friends, I finally felt the confidence necessary to jump. It was so uplifting to see people believe in me, but what was even more wild was that I was believing in myself! No doubts.

Just pure commitment and drive.

After I posted a few photoshoots and made my page, which was a huge win at the time, my personal photographer, Tori (White Oak Images) sent me a message asking if I would want to work with her on Weddings... UM DUH!

Now that was a serious game changer!

Photo: Samantha + Zach's Wedding | October 2020 | Second shooter for White Oak Images

We have had so much fun together since then, hanging out with brides, laughing our booties off, creating magic and even eating a little more fast food than we should have! I've never felt more present and comfortable in a work environment. I lit up like the Fourth of July. I left every single one of those weddings feeling soo exhilarated, even when my feet were covered in blisters!

Now that was a rookie mistake that I won't make again! HAHA.

Thankfully I had such an amazing mentor there with me. Tori (White Oak Images) literally never made me feel bad for not having confidence in a situation, or for asking questions. She really helped to guide me in a way that helped me to gain confidence, and utilize my potential. We may have had a blast breaking it down on the dance floor too!

Using the pandemic to invest in myself as a business, and as someone who I want to be was my way of utilizing the time at home. I can now proudly say that I am someone who I would gladly do business with. I am confident in the attitude, the preparation and guidance that I provide for my clients.

Photo: Kayla & Jeff's Wedding | November 2020 | Second shooter for White Oak Images

I am now in February of 2021, booking my 11th wedding. I have to give so much love to my amazing friends, my parents, my husband and Tori. This growth and development could not have been done with out them! I will forever be grateful for the support I received.

If you're still here, thank you for reading and thank you so much for your support. I hope to work with you in the near or far future!