Congratulations —
you’re getting married.
Take a breath. Look at the ring. Look at them. This is one of the sweetest seasons of your whole life, and I don’t want you to rush past it — not even for wedding planning.
Whether you’re still deciding who will photograph your day or your date is already on my calendar, I’m so honored you’d let me have a front-row seat to it. Being trusted with someone’s wedding day is something I never take lightly.
This guide is everything I wish every couple knew — what happens after you book, how we’ll plan together, and the little things that make a wedding day feel easy in front of a camera. Because I care deeply about two things: photographs you’ll treasure for the rest of your lives, and how it feels to make them. My goal is a photography experience that’s comfortable, organized, and meaningful — and honestly, a lot of fun.
So settle in. By the last page you’ll know exactly what to expect, and I hope you’ll be even more excited than you are right now.
The good kind of happy tears
Camera in hand, heart all in
Hi, I’m Lyka.
I’m a wife, a mama to a sweet little girl, a lover of life’s simple joys and, most of all, a lover of Jesus. I adore reading, being out in nature, and baking (currently obsessed with sourdough). Fair warning: my laugh tends to sneak into every moment.
I picked up my first camera at nine years old and haven’t stopped capturing life since. What began as a childhood hobby has become my calling — I believe God placed this gift in my hands to serve others and to reflect His beauty through every image.
Here’s what that looks like on a wedding day: I care about real emotion over perfect poses. The hand squeeze during the toasts, the look your dad gives you before the doors open, your grandma’s hands around your bouquet. My job is to notice — and to help you feel so comfortable that you forget the camera entirely.
And if being photographed makes you nervous? You’re my favorite kind of person to work with. Nobody is “naturally good at this.” You don’t need to be. That’s what I’m for.
Over perfect poses, every time. The laugh-cry counts double.
Prompts and movement instead of stiff positions — you, at ease, together.
The heirlooms, the handwriting, the little things you chose with care.
From “yes” to send-off —
here’s how this goes.
The space between booking and your wedding day isn’t a waiting room. It’s where we get to know each other, dream a little, and quietly handle every detail — so that when the day finally arrives, the only thing left on your list is to live it.
Nine steps, zero guesswork.
Your signed contract and a 20% retainer lock in your date — it’s officially official. Go celebrate. I’ll be celebrating too.
I’ll send over my wedding questionnaire — your story, your people, your style, and what matters most to you both. By the time we talk, I’ll already be dreaming up your day.
We’ll schedule a real sit-down — less meeting, more getting acquainted. We’ll talk through your vision, priorities, important people, timeline, photo preferences — and anything you’re worried about.
If your collection includes one (or you’ve added it), we’ll plan it early — location ideas, outfit guidance, the works. More on this a page over.
If a bridal session is part of your plan, we’ll choose its date together and decide whether it happens before the wedding or after. Both are lovely — page 7 will help you pick.
We’ll finalize your timeline, confirm the family photo list, and catch any last changes. After this conversation, the photography plan is done — really done.
Your only job: show up and be present. I handle the rest — quietly keeping us on schedule, gathering people when it’s time, and documenting everything in between.
Within 24–72 hours, a handful of edited favorites lands in your inbox — something beautiful to stare at on the honeymoon.
Your complete, professionally edited online gallery arrives within 2–4 weeks, with a print release — ready to download, share, and turn into something you can hold.
You’re never left wondering what’s next. That’s the whole point.
The engagement session.
If you only take one piece of advice from this guide, take this one: do the engagement session. By the time your wedding arrives, I won’t be a stranger holding a camera — I’ll be a friend you’ve already done this with. That comfort shows up in every single wedding photo.
The trail where you got engaged, your favorite coffee shop, the foothills at golden hour, even your own kitchen. If nowhere comes to mind, I’ll bring location ideas matched to the season and the light.
Plan on two outfits — one dressier, one true-to-you. Soft textures and earthy tones photograph beautifully; skip big logos and busy patterns. I’ll send plenty of outfit guidance when we plan your session.
I don’t really pose; I prompt. We’ll walk, twirl, race, whisper terrible jokes — and the in-between moments become the photos you’ll love most.
Save-the-dates, invitations, your wedding website, a guest book everyone signs, a frame on the welcome table — engagement photos do a lot of heavy lifting for one evening of light.
Practice being adored. It works.
All the time in the world.
Just you, in the dress.
A bridal session is a dedicated portrait session in your gown — hair done, flowers in hand, and not a single place you have to be. On the wedding day itself, portrait time is precious and short. A bridal session gives us an unhurried hour for portraits of just you — every detail and every dress twirl included.
The classic choice. Your portraits can be framed and displayed at the reception, and the session doubles as a trial run for your hair and makeup. We just guard the photos carefully so they stay a surprise.
Zero pressure on the gown and zero secrecy. Dance in it, wade into a creek, chase the last light up a hillside — we can be as adventurous as you’d like now that the aisle is behind you.
Hair and makeup (a trial works perfectly), a bouquet — your florist can often make a smaller fresh one — the steamed dress, and a location and time of day we’ll choose together for the prettiest light.
Bridal sessions are included in some collections and can be added to any of them — just ask and we’ll find the right fit.
One beautiful,
unhurried day.
Gown, rings, invitation suite, florals and flat lays — then candids with your favorite people while the music plays.
A private moment to see each other, then relaxed portraits while hearts are still pounding.
The whole reason we’re here. I move quietly — you won’t notice me, and you’ll have every moment.
The list we built two weeks ago, moving quickly — then you actually get to enjoy your cocktail hour.
Your grand entrance as newlyweds, and a chance for everyone (including you) to eat.
Laughter, a few tears, and the reactions on both your faces.
Followed by the parent dances — some of the most treasured frames of the whole gallery.
The sweet traditions, documented before the dance floor takes over.
Reception coverage in its natural habitat.
Fifteen golden minutes, just the two of you. Worth it every single time.
Sparklers, bubbles, or a getaway car — one last beautiful frame.
Every wedding day is its own. We’ll shape your timeline around your ceremony time, sunset, travel between locations, whether you choose a first look, your family photo list, and your reception events — that’s exactly what our planning conversations are for.
A day, kept.
The ceremony — even the parts no one rehearsed
Getting ready
The reception
The send-off
Emotional, in-between, and practical — your gallery holds the whole arc of the day.
Detail checklist.
I usually start the day with your details while hair and makeup are finishing up — the heirlooms and tiny choices that took months of love. Gather everything in one box the night before, and the morning stays easy: you sip coffee, I build flat lays.
The train, the beadwork, the light
Family photos, without the chaos.
This is the part of the day most likely to run long — and the easiest to fix in advance. With a little planning, family photos take twenty to thirty minutes, everyone looks wonderful, and you get back to your party.
At our two-weeks-out conversation we’ll write your family shot list together — every grouping, by name, in order from largest to smallest.
Eight to twelve groupings is the sweet spot. Extended-family and friend photos are wonderful too — we’ll grab those on the dance floor, where everyone’s already smiling.
Before the wedding, let everyone on the list know where to be right after the ceremony. A line in the program works wonders.
Pick one loud, friendly human who knows both families. They gather, I photograph, and nobody spends cocktail hour hunting for Uncle Dan.
Blur on purpose — some moments move
Make room for the good stuff.
Buffer time is the difference between a rushed day and a relaxed one. Hair and makeup running long is normal — we’ll plan like it’s guaranteed.
Getting-ready photos love a tidy spot near a window. One corner is plenty — the rest of the room can look like a wedding morning actually looks.
Everything from the checklist, gathered the night before. Future-you will be so grateful.
You never need to know what to do with your hands. Posing is my job; your job is to be with each other.
If the day allows it, golden hour gives us the most romantic light of the entire day — and a quiet breather together, exactly when you’ll want one.
Wind happens. Rain happens. Flower girls bolt. Your day doesn’t have to go perfectly to be documented beautifully — some of my favorite photographs exist because something didn’t go to plan.
The goal was never perfect. The goal is true.
People I love working with.
Not sponsored, not obligated — just the vendors I’ve watched make wedding days easier and lovelier, over and over.
Asked & answered.
Have a question that isn’t here? Ask me anything — truly.
I can’t wait for your day
From our first hello to the last sparkler, I’m in your corner — guide, hype woman, and keeper of the timeline. If a question pops up at 11pm while you’re deep in a planning spiral, send it. I mean it.