Should you have kids at your wedding? What it looks like (from a photographers perspective)
Getting married has a lot of moving parts. Included in this are the children.
Invited to attend what is a long day for grown-ups, they are asked to be patient.
They wait for the ceremony, for the photos, for dinner, and for cake.
Eventually they take their sugar buzzed bodies to the dance floor and after showing off their best moves, they collapse, weary, sticky and dressed up in clothes they will probably never wear again. (Or maybe they insist on wearing them every day.)
If you’re inviting children to your wedding, think less about perfect behavior and more about support. Snacks within reach, a quiet space to go, games on hand, and call on your guests to have someone on “kid duty.” And for those up for the task, incorporate them in the wedding.
The goal isn’t to control the outcome from these little humans, it’s expect a range. They might nail walking down the aisle, they might refuse to walk halfway. They might join in for that group photo, they might have other ideas.
All of it is normal and none of it means something went wrong.
The couple who enjoy having kids at their wedding the most aren’t the ones who expect perfection, it’s the ones who have flexibility.
Kids don’t follow timelines the way adults do—and that’s okay. When you plan with that in mind, the day feels smoother for everyone involved. And from a photography standpoint, that’s when you get the most natural, honest moments—without forcing anything to fit a script.
Creative First Look Ideas for Your Wedding Day | Florida Wedding Photographer
First looks don’t have to be traditional. From heartfelt to hilarious (even dinosaurs), explore creative ways to make this moment your own.
However you choose to do it, your first look should feel like you.
It can be with your dad.
Your siblings.
Your bridal party.
Everyone all at once.
Or just your soon-to-be spouse in a quiet moment before all the “wedding-ness” begins.
Or… you can absolutely throw all of that out and do something completely you.
There are a lot of “standard” wedding traditions, but none of them are required. And sometimes? That’s when you end up hugging a dinosaur.
So lean in to the you and don’t be afraid to make this moment your own. because the most memorable weddings are the ones that reflect your story.
Maddie & Justyn | A Laid-Back, Love-Filled Rustic Wedding at The Red Barn of Bushnell
Maddie & Justyn | A Laid-Back, Love-Filled Wedding at The Red Barn of Bushnell
Maddie and Justyn’s wedding at The Red Barn of Bushnell was a natural fit for their style, relaxed and rustic. The day began with a Florida drizzle, the kind that has guests reaching for umbrellas but doesn’t slow anything down. And by the time the ceremony began, the skies had cleared like they were on the same schedule.
There was a little bit of rain before the ceremony got started, but nothing an umbrella couldn’t help with. Once Maddie and Justyn entered the area, all the drizzle was done.
The overall style of the wedding was a country-western feel. The groom and groomsmen wore jeans and button-down shirts, with Justyn adding a cowboy hat to complete the look. Both Maddie and Justyn wore cowboy boots, and many of their guests followed suit.
From the start, the energy of the day felt easy. People were relaxed, happy, and fully present. There was a lot of hugging, a lot of laughing, and, as it turns out… a lot of tears.
Happy tears, to be clear. Plenty of them.
Their ceremony and speeches were especially emotional. The groom cried. The best man cried.
The bride’s father cried. At one point, it felt like there was a ripple effect happening through the crowd. And through it all, Maddie smiled, took it all in, and occasionally rolled her eyes (lovingly).
Maddie and Justyn both work as firefighters in Marion County, and that part of their lives was thoughtfully on display. They had a firefighter helmet and jacket out as decor, and their “guest book” was a firehose that guests signed throughout the evening. (so cool!)
Speeches are started off with the bridal party. Not done with those tears yet!
The father of the bride gives his speech with a wad of tissues in his hand, just in case.
Maddie was open about not loving being in front of the camera, which is something I hear often, and something I take seriously.
My approach that day was to stay as low-key as possible, letting moments unfold, and giving a nudge and guidance during portraits so nothing felt stiff or forced.
The goal is always the same: for people to feel like themselves, and for their photos to reflect that.
And that’s exactly what happened here.
By the end of the night, the dance floor was full, people were still laughing (and yes, still tearing up a bit), and the whole day felt like a true reflection of Maddie and Justyn — genuine, emotional, playful, and surrounded by a whole lot of love.
Kind Words
“Love Michelle and Photo Moxie! She did a great job capturing my wedding and the photos came out great! As a person who hates photos taken of me and normally hate looking at myself in the photos, I did not feel this way after getting my photos back! I loved everything she sent me and so does my whole family!”
— Madison Henges
Wedding Attire
While attire at a wedding is generally made up of something in the suit and dress department, I’m here to tell you that these are certainly not the only two outfits I’ve seen while photographing weddings.
While attire at a wedding is generally made up of something in the suit and dress department, I’m here to tell you that these are certainly not the only two outfits I’ve seen while photographing weddings.
I’ve witnessed the arrival of surprise guests.
In one case, a surprise robot-guest wore it’s robot outfit. (obviously.)
While the surprise guest Chicago Blackhawks mascot Tony Hawk wore his best jersey.
One wedding featured two pandas and a black cat. An outfit that was popular among many of the guests both in the photo booth and on the dance floor.
One of my all-time favorite first-looks featured the bride dressing up in a dino-costume. It helped relieve a lot of the groom's stress. And was hilarious.
During a New Years’s Eve wedding, unicorns came out. As they should.
For a wedding where the bride and groom were “Furries,” the wedding party made appearances in their outfits later in the reception. (Don’t want to confuse grandma and grandpa.)
What’s the takeaway from this? It’s YOUR wedding.
Do what you want and what speaks to YOU.
Especially if it’s dressing up like you're riding a unicorn.
Florida Cinematic Engagement Session with Golden Light
Justyn and Abby met me at the charming Red Barn in Bushnell, Fl., one of my favorite wedding venues, and the site of their wedding in February. When they weren’t laughing together, they were loving on each other.
Justyn and Abby met me at the charming Red Barn in Bushnell, Fl., one of my favorite wedding venues, and the site of their wedding in February. When they weren’t laughing together, they were loving on each other.
Golden hour for the win.
Colorful Florida Vow Renewal with a (Surprise) Firework Finale
This vow renewal had everything. Even fireworks.
Charlie and Jennifer asked me to photograph their vow renewal on the day that they were married, 11 years ago. When we discussed what the day would include, Jennifer told me “Catholic and noncatholic mass, photos at the house afterwards, arepas for everyone.” You had me at arepas.
Jennifer and Charlie on their wedding day, 11 years ago.
The ceremony took the proper precautions with a highly qualified security guard.
The bridal party was small (in numbers of people and size of the persons,) but skilled with flower distribution.
Several members of their family and friends came out to be a part of their day. Jennifer’s mother and brother came from Colombia.
Jennifer just had one request of their guests, that they wear bright colors. “Because that is me.” she explained.
Speeches were read.
Prayers were said.
Rings were exchanged.
With minor difficulty.
I can’t speak to how they looked on their wedding day. But 11 years later, they look happy.
Another security guard. This time I’m under close surveillance.
Back at the house, the festivities continued.
And margaritas.
And then the grand moment came to fulfill a photo request from Jennifer.
She had seen a video of a wedding ceremony where the moment the couple had their kiss, bright jets of colored smoke exploded in the background. She wanted to duplicate this for a photo.
So family and friends gathered to cheer them on.
The funny thing was, she didn’t share with Charlie that the colored smoke bombs were also fireworks.
It didn’t take long to figure this out.
Jennifer made sure they stayed on task.
And the fireworks kept on task too.
Grand finale?
Nope. Still going.
After the fireworks subsided the guests returned to the house to eat.
While everyone eats, Jennifer and Charlie share a dance.
This was a renewal ceremony that had everything.
Friends, family, dancing (and arepas! )
And love. There was no shortage of that.
Thank you Jennifer and Charlie for having me be a part of this lovely celebration.
Viva Las Vegas! Vegas Wedding at the Retreat on Charleston Peak
Viva las Vegas at the Retreat on Charleston Peak in Charleston Nevada.
I have never been to Las Vegas.
And I’ll admit, if it wasn’t for checking out the location for this wedding ahead of time, I would have had the expectation of photographing a wedding next to slot machines and neon lights. Are there many other images of Vegas out there?
But this Las Vegas, and the Retreat on Charleston Peak proved me wrong. Kristy Walker and I (of the talented Kristy Walker Photography,) could not stop exclaiming how ridiculously beautiful everything was; the picturesque setting, the lovely people, the stoic mountains, the cozy resort, the tastefully simple decor.
The wedding took place in Mt. Charleston Nevada, 45 minutes away from the Las Vegas strip. No one is coming here to sit at a poker table. This is a location for the outdoor enthusiasts, hikers and skiers. And the location was picked because this was the site of the hardest hike Brandi and Brian ever shared together. (And they’ve shared a lot of them.) So yes, Brandi and Brian are cool people and they do cool things. Like hiking mountains.
The Details and Decor
This outdoorsy, mountain vibe carried through their decor. There was color sprinkled throughout the venue and with Brandi’s arrangements of fall mountain flora and greenery.
Even Brian’s ring paid homage to the mountain.
Getting Ready
Everyone got ready on site.
Brian had some time to write out his vows.
The Portraits
They opted to have all the formal portraits done before the ceremony so we started with the first looks. If it works, this is a great way to do things. After doing portraits of immediate family and the wedding party, all the couple has to do is get married. Easy peasy.
Brian had first looks with his sister and his parents. I loved this. The first look does not have to be about just the couple and I encourage couples to think of anyone they want to share that quiet pre-ceremony moment with.
And they did their own first look.
Since they had all this looking done first, we were on to “formal” portraits. I say that with quotes because formal sounds stiff and boring. I do not subject wedding clients to boring. I try to bring a little of the person’s personality into their portrait. And with the case of weddings, when are you going to have the opportunity to get some style-up shots of you in that great attire? Work it people! And work it they did.
After the family and bridal party were done being model, we moved on to just Brian and Brandi time. There were plenty of spots to photograph. And with Brandi and Brian already familiar with the area, they made it easy. We took off to a spot just down the road from the venue.
I did not rappel up a mountain, but Kristy and I were able to find some great spots tucked in golden trees, by a stream bed, with of course, a mountain as a backdrop.
I live in Florida and was raised in the Illinois area (hello flat,) so I tend to be quite smitten if there’s a good mountain range in the background.
The Ceremony
On to the ceremony. Friend and talented musician Maxx McGarthy led everyone in with some music via keyboard.
Their friend Ryan Ball did the officiating. It’s great when friends and family are also a part of the wedding, and Ryan did the perfect job of giving an entertaining and well presented ceremony. He used a fitting manuscript (cover) for his bible.
The Reception
The wedding party was not messing around when it came time for the reception. They got their dancing down right at the entrance.
Brandi and Brian had professional dancing lessons prior to their wedding so that they could show off some elegant dance moves. No funky chicken happening here folks.
There was even a little booty shaking at the cake cutting. Always a telling sign that the wedding cake is delicious.
The mother son dance was sweet. And teary. The good kind of tears.
Brandi was led in a dance with her nephew.
And then the moment clearly everyone was waiting for: the dance floor was open and welcoming all the dancing.
And singing.
They got low.
They got down.
It was a good sight to see.
It was *chef’s kiss* excellent.
I was so honored that Brandi and Brian picked me to photograph their big day. They reside in Illinois, so I wasn’t the only import present at this affair. I am always willing to travel. Especially when I get to work with clients and a venue, as special and wonderful as these.
Venue: Retreat on Charleston Peak
Florist: Roots Flowers and Events in Las Vegas
Dress: Brideology in Crystal Lake, IL
Video: Memory Lane Video, LLC
DJ, Lighting, Photobooth: All In 1 Events
Ceremony Musician: Maxx McGathey
Officiant Rev: Ryan Ball