At Cuff Link Media, our focus is always on the couple. YOU are our client, and it is YOUR wedding day. We pride ourselves on tossing out the traditional cookie-cutter approach many businesses take to weddings and invest the time to listen to your thoughts and ideas so we can capture your most desired moments.

Individual Portraits

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 mins

Ideal Time of Day – Noon

Ideal Location – Bridal Suite, Hotel Suite, Venue Lobby, or Venue Garden

Advice – Right after prep is the best time for individual portraits of the bride and groom (separately). Besides makeup and hair being completely fresh, the day hasn’t gotten hectic yet so we can take our time and get those perfect portraits.

Also, keep in mind that the window lighting in most hotel rooms creates a unique look that can’t be duplicated in any environment throughout the rest of the day.

Couple Session

Ideal Time allotment – 60 mins

Ideal Time of day – late afternoon or golden hour (right before sunset)

Ideal Location – Off site or Venue gardens/lobby

Advice – Couple session should be around 1 hour and should take place ideally 30 to 45 minutes before sunset. The is the best time in terms of lighting.

It also allows us to capture the awesome scenic shots with colorful skies. If your wedding is in downtown or in an area with tall buildings, it’s not as important for us to have this specific time frame (although it still helps).

However, if you booked your venue because of the spectacular view of the ocean or the gorgeous vines in the winery, it’s essential to follow this advice in your timeline.

Included in many of Cuff Link Media’s photography and videography packages, our “getting ready” services cover the morning leading up to the ceremony. We are with you while you’re getting ready, making sure we capture the excitement and anticipation, as well as the fun bonding moments with your bridal party.

Preparation 

Ideal Time Allotment – 60 mins

Time Of Day – Morning

Location – on site house or hotel

Advice – Having an hour of preparation is ideal for our style. During this time, we are getting close ups of the makeup and hair being applied as well as the candid moments and the bridesmaids and groomsmen get ready for the day. Keep in mind that these are some of the most emotional and fun times of the day, so you don’t want to cut it short.

The lead shooter will be with the bride while the second shooter will be with the groom. While it doesn’t take guys an hour to get dressed, there are still tons of great moments during this time between the groom and his family and friends.

Detail ( Dress, rings, shoes ETC )

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 mins

Ideal Time of Day – Morning before or after Preparations

Time of Day – Morning

Location – Onsite at house or hotel

Advice – Having at least 30 minutes for details ensures that we have plenty of time to get that perfect photo of the dress, rings, shoes, bouquets, and the other details of the day.

There are times when a hotel room is too crowded or simply unappealing; we have to take the dress all the way down to the lobby or even outside. This can take some time, but as you can see from the results, it’s well worth the additional work.

Whether you want to capture a first-look moment with your partner-to-be or father (or both!), the first look is a great opportunity to capture initial reactions to your wedding look. We’ve done both indoor and outdoor first looks and can help you orchestrate the moment so that it truly captures surprise and wonder.

First Look and Daytime Couple Session

Ideal Time Allotment – 60 Min

Ideal Time of the Day – Venue Garden, Outside areas with beautiful natural light

Advice – The first look should be around 45-60 minutes. During this time, the bride and groom enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the wedding day. While the actual first look might only be 5-10 minutes, the rest of the time is spent on a few basic portraits of the bride and groom.

Ideally we are saving the bulk of the couples session for later (see the “couples” section). However, if there is no other time in the day, it is best to allocate another 45 minutes to an hour here so that we make sure we have enough photos of just you two.

Ceremony coverage is always part of our services. From the moment you walk down the aisle through the “I Dos,” we capture every aspect of your ceremony from different angles and perspectives. We’re familiar with the most popular churches and venues in Northeast Ohio and know exactly where to place ourselves and our equipment to ensure we get the best shots without being intrusive.

Ceremony

Ideal Time allotment – based on ceremony length and traditions

Ideal Time – Afternoon

Advice – Please allow 30 minutes for the second shooter to take pictures of the ceremony site, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area. As well as set up lights.

It’s important that we are there to capture the complete set up of your ceremony site so we can capture the scene at its best.

Formal and Family Shots

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 -60 mins

Ideal Time of the Day – Post ceremony

Ideal Location – Ceremony site either in hall or garden

Advice – Formals should take around 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your family and the number of guests.

Plan on 3 minutes per group on average.  For example, if you have 10 groups, schedule in a 30 minute time slot.

Some couples have decided that they want a picture with all guests while others have decided that they only want pictures with select VIPs to save time. We recommend something in between.

We also recommend being very organized, with a list of groups and helpers from each side of the family to help round people up. During our process we will help walk you though creating a list of family members and creating a timeline that flows naturally. It is always recommended that young children and Elderly members are photographed first so that they can rest while other formalities take place.

We take posed family and bridal party pictures at your ceremony and reception sites and travel with you in between to your desired photo locations. We’re always open to your selections but can also suggest some of the most photogenic indoor and outdoor spaces in Northeast Ohio.

Wedding Party Photos

Ideal Time Allotment – 45–60 mins

Ideal Time of the Day – Afternoon

Ideal Location – Off Site Location

Advice – Wedding Party Photos should be around 45 minutes to 1 hour. During this time, we get a variety of shots in a variety of poses. We start off with the basic, classic photos focused on great expressions and lighting.

Then we move into a set of fun and creative shots. Finally, we know how much your wedding party means to you, so we are sure to get pictures with you and each one of your bridesmaids or groomsmen individually. Size of wedding party can affect the time frame of the photos. Our time frame is based on a bridal party of 16 people. During our Itinerary meeting we will make time adjustments based on location distance and size of party.

Cuff Link Media ensures we capture the details you’ll want to remember for a lifetime. With our aerial drone, we can snag unique views of your ceremony and reception sites prior to guests arriving so you can see your setup. We’ll shoot the interior and exterior of your location and take close-ups of your decorations. We also capture milestone moments, such as your bridal party entrance, first dances and cake-cutting, as well as any special family moments and traditions.

Reception Formalities

Ideal Time Allotment – 30 mins

Ideal Time of Day – Start of Reception

Ideal Location – Reception Site

Advice – This is when the reception space is revealed to the couple for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to capture a genuine reaction, as well as a moment alone with the dance floor to practice your first dance, which also makes a great photo!

Your wedding reception is a celebration of YOU! We depict the fun by shooting you and your guests dancing and having a blast. We’ll catch those candid moments while you let those good times roll!

Reception detail and Venue 

Ideal time of the Day – 30 mins

Ideal time of day – early evening

Ideal Location – Reception Site

Advice – Please allow 30 minutes for the second shooter to take pictures of the reception room, completely set up with no guests or vendors in the area.

Similar to the ceremony details, this is the only opportunity we have to capture the beauty of the reception room prior to guest arrival. Our second shooter usually will arrive early to set up requirement and talk with the hall and DJ.

After hours Couple Session

Ideal Time Allotment – 15 -20 mins

Ideal Time of the Day – Dusk to Night

Ideal Location – Area outside reception that has interesting lights, fountains, nature, or cityscapes

Advice – During the reception, please plan on sneaking out for a couple of night shots. We only need 20-30 minutes, as we understand the importance of being a good host. However, this time is important if you appreciate the night photography that we deliver. The ideal time for this is right after you grab a bite to eat or during the open floor dancing after you’ve danced a few songs and would like a break.  Another suggestion would be to get these shots at the very end of the night once all the guests have departed.