The greatest complement

A few months ago we received an Instagram message from a woman named Michelle who was interested in our wedding photography. She had been leaving us likes and sweet comments on our photos for a while and we, in turn, we had been following her. We had enjoyed viewing her adorable pictures with her fiancé John and seeing their travels around the country. They seemed like adventurous and fun people and we were thrilled that they had reached out to us. 

   We moved forward with a phone consultation. Sarah and I sat in the yard by the chicken coop with a cup of tea and coffee on a beautiful morning (Our favorite way to do a consultation.) We were so excited to get to know a little bit more about her and John. We said our friendly hellos and before we could get any further she said

“ Before we start, I have to tell you the story of how we found you.” Sarah and I were intrigued and excited. She explained to us that while traveling the country she and her fiance had stopped at a brewery called Idletyme brewing in Vermont for a drink. While there, they had met a couple on their honeymoon who told them all about their amazing wedding and were over the moon about their photographers aka (us). They shared our information with Michelle and she fell in love with our work. 

  Let's stop for a minute to reflect on that. This meant so much to us for so many reasons. The obvious appreciation of our art and hard work. But moreover, the fact that the honeymooning couple hadn't seen one photo from their wedding sample yet, meant that the glowing review of Sarah and I had been sent hundreds of miles from Cincinnati, Ohio to Stowe, Vermont by little more than the couple's wedding day experience with us! This was the biggest complement of all. Making someone's wedding day as magical as possible is of course the biggest thing on our hearts. Writing this story brings that feeling of love for our couples and pride in our work rushing back. The couple at the bar by the way, are named Ashley and Justin and tomorrow, over a year after their wedding we will be in Yellow Springs, Ohio shooting their maternity photos as they prepare to welcome their new baby into the world! I will link their wedding sample below and you can expect a sample of this soon to be amazing maternity session to be up in the coming weeks!

Justin and Ashley (The couple at the bar in Stowe, Vermont.)

Michelle and John booked us on the spot after our call and we are so thrilled to be working with them. They will be having us travel to Philadelphia, PA for their wedding next year and just last weekend we traveled out to meet them in person and shoot their engagement session at Hunting Hill Mansion. Which was GORGEOUS by the way. What an awesome adventure that was for us! God has blessed us with an amazing life of love and adventure fueled by art and the love of others. We have the privilege of bringing positive energy to such a special time in people's lives and we don’t take that for granted. Not even for a second.

Michelle & John at Hunting Hill Mansion. Outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Michelle & John at Hunting Hill Mansion. Just outside of Philadelphia, PA.

 Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

How many hours of photography do you need?

  Odds are if you’re reading this then you are recently engaged or shopping around for a loved one. Either way congratulations! You have reached out to one or more photographers and received information on packages and pricing. There is a lot you need to think over and different packages come with different perks and options. There is a lot to unpack there but for now we will keep it simple and focus on the one thing that defines any wedding package. The hours of wedding day coverage. 

   It’s hard to tell when you have just started your wedding planning how many hours you might need. Especially when you have little or no experience when it comes to wedding planning. Hopefully this article can help you get at least a foot in the door with your final decision. I will base this article on the packages which Sarah and I offer but most other photographers are similar when it comes to hours they offer so this should be helpful across the board! 

The Hourly Option

Every photographer offers packages with a set amount of hours, you can find photographers who are willing to go by the hour or photographers who offer very short elopement packages. If you are looking for 3 or four hours of coverage this might be perfect for you. These packages are good for people who aren’t having big weddings. Just a small intimate ceremony and some couples photos. Maybe some family photos as well.  If you are wanting a full wedding day experience you will want to consider a longer package but please don’t make the mistake of thinking you can squeeze a day’s worth of events into this short amount of time. Not only will you find yourself incredibly tense trying to achieve this goal but your family will not have a good time and you likely lessen the quality of your photos as a whole due to rushing your photographer and leaving your family no time to offer up those cute candid moments that photographers watch for. 

Part of the Day

   Our packages start at 6 hours of coverage. This amount of time covers two thirds of an average wedding day. When I say a wedding day I’m referring to the time between preparation, (Hair, Make-up etc..) to the bride and groom's exit at the end of the reception. Typically when we schedule a 6 hour package we will arrive at the end of hair and make-up and exit after the first dance at the beginning of the reception. The Bride and Groom will have photos done that capture many important parts of the day but leave out the majority of the behind the scenes action and the celebration. 

A Full Story

   Our most commonly booked package is our 8 hour package. At this point we are talking about capturing a full story of your wedding day. This package ( in most cases ) captures a big picture story of the emotions and celebration of your love. We typically arrive closer to the beginning of the bride's hair and make-up session. We capture photos of not just the bride getting ready but also the bridesmaids and moms before moving over to the men in the bridal party. We spend the wedding day making beautiful art and have a blast capturing behind the scenes moments that the bride and groom might have missed all together if we hadn’t been there. As long as this package is, it still isn’t usually long enough to take us to the end of the reception. Typically if the bride and groom don’t want to add time for this we will bring up the option of doing a “mock exit” We will have the DJ announce that the guests line up around the exit and make a tunnel. The bride and groom will run out of the reception hall as all of the guests cheere and celebrate. At the end of the day we have a story that appears complete and we have helped create a family TREASURE!

The Definitive Full Story

  In this package we provide 10 hours of onsite coverage. This is no doubt the best option for a couple who is planning a big wedding and an exit at the end of the night. Nothing will have to be faked or reenacted. We arrive at the beginning of the preparation and leave after the big exit at the end of the night. The end product is not only gorgeous but priceless. As the years pass the decision to go this route becomes more and more valuable to your friends and family as a window into the past. We have only been photographing weddings for just over a decade and I can’t tell you how many clients have contacted us years down the line to tell us how something came up that required them to dive back into their wedding photos and they fell in love with them all over again. In 10 hours a good photographer can capture so many special moments and will have time to catch each one of your guests at your reception. 

In Closing

   Only you can know which package is right for you and there are many reasons aside from budget that will determine that decision. Sometimes wedding planning can change as the wedding approaches. This is why Sarah and I always offer the ability to edit your package or add hours when you need them. Even on a wedding day. Take your time most importantly make sure you pick the right photographer who understands you and your needs! 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I hope this article helped you on your wedding planning journey.

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Don't need an engagement session?

If you're reading this it’s likely that you are recently engaged. Congratulations! You're probably in the beginning stages of wedding planning and getting quotes from local photographers. The packages you see when glancing at their pricing sheets often include an engagement session. There are many reasons you might not want to have one but the most common reasons Sarah and I hear from potential clients are as follows.

“We are trying to save money where we can and we think we can do without the engagement.”

“We had engagement photos done already and don’t need another session.”

“We live far away and it is hard to schedule time to make it out for an engagement session.”

   Now these reasons are all valid of course, and sometimes yes when a client insists that we remove an engagement session from their package we will work something out. However I always explain to them what I am about to tell you. An engagement session is much more than just a photo session.

Your engagement session is an opportunity.

You might have had a consultation with your photographer and think you are comfortable enough with them. Or maybe you have only communicated through email. Either way you don’t yet know how they work as an artist. Your engagement session is a time to see them at work, and when you know how they work you begin to learn how to work with them. Most people don’t realize that a portrait photographer doesn’t create a great session alone. Not by far. An amazing session is a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. During the engagement session “even though you might not realize it when it’s happening” you are learning a workflow. By the end of the session you will be picking up your photographer's cues, and hopefully finding that your having a great time! You will also most likely be free of any nervousness you might have had about having your photos done. You will feel more free and less tense. This free and relaxed attitude towards photos will carry over into your wedding day. I will but a link to my Article about how to loosen up for an engagement session below.

Your engagement session is a rehearsal.

Your engagement session is a rehearsal for your wedding day couples photos. You learn poses and the way that your photographer communicates. Again you also know your photographer after the engagement session and they are no longer a stranger to you. What if on your wedding day “this is unfortunately common” You haven’t met your photographer. This stranger shows up on the morning of your busy wedding day and starts pointing a camera at you and your friends and family. I have been this stranger on many occasions over the years and although I am professional and it no longer bothers me too much, I can still pick up on others being uncomfortable. Discomfort is a form of stress and as I always say. Stress kills art. Having a good vibe with your photographer is crucial to a great wedding day and great photographs.

Your engagement session helps make your wedding day. It goes without saying that although it may not seem like a big deal now, your engagement session is a big component to your wedding day. It isn’t something you want to skip out on if you can avoid it and it’s more than worth the cost. If you’re trying to cut back on wedding costs consider other options before forgoing this important piece of your wedding day puzzle.

We look forward to engagement sessions very much! Getting to know our clients personally is an amazing opportunity. They are the heart of our business and we are honored that they chose us and put their trust in us to record this special time in their lives. The engagement session is our first opportunity to earn that trust and form a friendship. It is just as important to us as photographers as it is for you!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I hope this article helped you on your wedding planning journey.

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Venue recommendation

THE MARMALADE LILY. PHOTO BY EVERY ATOM PHOTOGRAPHY

This is by far the most important article written as of yet. What could be more important on your wedding day than having the right venue? Think about it. The catering could be incredible, the DJ is fantastic and the photographer is everything you dreamed they would be. But None of that matters really if your guests and most importantly you and your spouse have to spend your special day somewhere you hate! A bad environment can easily sour the entire experience. This is a series of articles I have been wanting to write for a long time, and well… here it goes!

The Marmalade Lily in Loveland, OH is the first venue I want to recommend on my list. In fact when thinking about what I wanted to say in this post I realized I just had to jump over to their google business page and leave a glowing review. Over the past few years Sarah and I have enjoyed photographing many weddings here. Seeing how happy the couples and guests were and how beautiful the grounds are kept always makes for a great day at work for us and an amazing wedding day for the Bride and Groom.

The Marmalade Lily sits on 9 acres of beautiful grounds and flower gardens. The owner Laura, Like my own beautiful wife Sarah has a deep passion for gardening and flowers in particular. Season to season the grounds grow and change, Setting a wonderful vibe that really tells the story of your wedding day in its time and place. Along with Laura their clients get the pleasure of working with their awesome staff who come off more like a family than a group of co-workers. They have great wedding coordinators and multiple floral designers! Being a flower farm they offer floral arrangements included with their wedding packages which is so convenient.

Flower bouquet by The Marmalade lily. Photo Every Atom Photography.

Why do we love The Marmalade Lily?

Over the past 10 plus years Sarah I have shot hundreds of weddings at dozens of venues. We remember and look forward to going back to the ones with a personal touch and a positive vibe. They inspire us as artists because negativity stifles creativity and these people are always positive. When a bad customer service experience impacts the bride and groom, well… It can be hard for them to shake that off and get on with a happy day. Much less fun, playful and romantic photos. The Marmalade Lily has always offered us everything we could ask for and more importantly given the bride and grooms we have worked with a more than positive experience and a beautiful place to celebrate the beginning of an amazing journey together.

The Marmalade Lily is a place with a great outdoorsy energy, tons of scenes to pick from for photos. The staff are helpful and not high tense and all of this is fueled by a true passion for beautiful flowers and love. What more could you ask for? If you want to visit the grounds and see this beautiful venue for yourself you can schedule a visit or stop by when they host one of their pick your flower days! You can check them out on Instagram at @themarmaladelily or on their website by clicking the button below.

Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson