ABOUT THE WEEKEND SNAPSHOT SERIES: It’s our weekend ritual. Every Friday before shooting a wedding, we spend a few hours feasting on inspiration: glossy magazine spreads, favorite Instagram feeds, wedding site editorials, ads for luxury brands, Sprinkles’ cupcake window displays…. It ensures we arrive at every wedding fueled by fresh ideas. Now, we’re bringing a delicious bite of inspiration to you. Start your wedding weekend with a Luke & Cat Weekend Snapshot. The icing on the cake? The hands-on, how-to advice that accompanies each photo. Sweet.

View others in this series:

• Weekend Snapshot #1 Bookend Those Bridesmaids
• Weekend Snapshot #2 At The Reception
• Weekend Snapshot #3 Best of Both Worlds
• Weekend Snapshot #4 A Classic Toast
• Weekend Snapshot #5 Our Favorite Ring Shot Backdrop

Nothing stands out (in a bad way) like an otherwise beautiful photo with an awkward, forced smile. Wondering what we say to get such genuine laughs out of our bridesmaids? We’re not all-star comedians, but we do have a favorite trick to get a genuine smile - and it works every time.

3...2...1… “Show us your best ‘I just won Miss America faces!’” It’s silly, sure, but in the age of selfies, most folks can put on a happy face at a moment’s notice. We’re all a bit nervous when being professionally photographed, so don’t be afraid to laugh along with the bridesmaids to help put them at ease. These photos are great from both posed, head-on angles, and the more candid side shots.

Laughter & Charming Bridesmaids,

Luke & Cat

ABOUT THE WEEKEND SNAPSHOT SERIES: It’s our weekend ritual. Every Friday before shooting a wedding, we spend a few hours feasting on inspiration: glossy magazine spreads, favorite Instagram feeds, wedding site editorials, ads for luxury brands, Sprinkles’ cupcake window displays…. It ensures we arrive at every wedding fueled by fresh ideas. Now, we’re bringing a delicious bite of inspiration to you. Start your wedding weekend with a Luke & Cat Weekend Snapshot. The icing on the cake? The hands-on, how-to advice that accompanies each photo. Sweet!

View others in this series:

• Weekend Snapshot #1 Bookend Those Bridesmaids
• Weekend Snapshot #2 At The Reception
• Weekend Snapshot #3 Best of Both Worlds
• Weekend Snapshot #4 A Classic Toast

Our Favorite Ring Shot Backdrop

Every wedding has one thing in common, the rings! How do we use this wedding staple as an extraordinary prop? One of our personal favorite ring backdrops is the invitation. In our pre-wedding day questionnaire (sent 90 days prior to the wedding), we ask our clients to mail us a copy of the invitation suite, which we carry in our bag on the wedding day. And, as a backup, we ask them to have a copy of the invitation suite in the bride’s getting ready room.

Having the invitation suite means we have a background that is very versatile. It usually matches the color palette of the day, and we can position the rings to showcase the couple's first names, the wedding date, or their new last name. That’s three shots right there! 

Lavish diamonds & Calligraphy 
(a great duo for that golden ring shot,)

Luke & Cat

ABOUT THE WEEKEND SNAPSHOT SERIES: It’s our weekend ritual. Every Friday before shooting a wedding, we spend a few hours feasting on inspiration: glossy magazine spreads, favorite Instagram feeds, wedding site editorials, ads for luxury brands, Sprinkles’ cupcake window displays…. It ensures we arrive at every wedding fueled by fresh ideas. Now, we’re bringing a delicious bite of inspiration to you. Start your wedding weekend with a Luke & Cat Weekend Snapshot. The icing on the cake? The hands-on, how-to advice that accompanies each photo. Sweet!

View others in this series:

• Weekend Snapshot #1 Bookend Those Bridesmaids
• Weekend Snapshot #2 At The Reception
• Weekend Snapshot #3 Best of Both Worlds

A Classic Toast

Champagne wishes and caviar dreams! Today, we toast to this classic photo - the champagne flute portrait. This is one of our most valued shots - and there’s more than one way to enjoy it.

This photo always turns out to be one of our favorites of the day and usually is delivered in both color and - our favorite - black and white. This photo with both the bride and groom looking at the camera captures a timeless, iconic moment. And who doesn’t want to look timeless and iconic?

Love & Classic Toasts
(Two must-haves at a reception,)

Luke & Cat