Raeleen and Eli called me up to do some post-wedding portraits and I am so glad they did. I mean, who doesn't want a reason to throw their beautiful wedding dress back on?! They wanted photos on the beach which they didn't get around to during their wedding so we hit the beach at sunset, just after a fun little stop at the pier just behind the venue where they married a few months prior.

And while we're on the subject of not having enough time to take the photos you want....

My favorite part of any wedding day (much like every other creative lifestyle wedding photographer) is when its time to take couples portraits. When the couple and I go off alone and wander to cool locations and create magic away from all of the chaos of the wedding. Its the perfect time to hang with your best friend, not answering any questions about what goes where and who does what, if only for just an hour. You get to breathe. You get to laugh because thats what we'll do most of the time, you get to take it all in and clear your mind and be present. I love when couples give me ample time in the schedule for their first look portraits and again during golden hour to give them beautiful portraits of just the two of them. Look yall, don't be scared to step away from your wedding day festivities to take some amazing portraits. Seriously. Soooooo much gooooood comes out of an un-rushed portrait session, both before and after your ceremony.

I mean, I get couples want to be at their cocktail hour to mingle with guests before dinner, but lets be honest here, most wedding receptions are 4, 5, sometimes even SIX hours long! I'm thinking...you will have PLENTY of time to enjoy your guests after the ceremony. And I'm quite positive that no one will scoff if you take time during your own cocktail hour to create some awesome golden hour images. So do us both a favor and add that to your wedding day to-dos.

If you're currently in the throes of planning a wedding, and you've gone as far as hiring an amazing, very busy, very in demand, artistic, creative wedding photographer that will have you looking like babes times 100 given the opportunity.....then please go one step further and give said photographer the appropriate amount of time to take the right photos! You give us plenty of time to take pictures of your guests all night long, but what we would looooooooooooooove is plenty of time to take pictures of YOU! <3

All images taken by Kelley Raye, Los Angeles Wedding Photographer + Atlanta Wedding Photographer.