I cannot wait to share the images from this fabulous Bar Harbor Club wedding! But first let me share with you the kind words from my bride:

“Amy, OMG these are amazing!!! We started looking through them tonight and wow….just wow!! You did unbelievable work, thank you so much!!! … Thanks Amy!! We are blown away by the work and can’t get enough of your photos – so we truly thank you so much!!! WOW!!!!”

I’ve known Matt for years now. He used to be my neighbor, and he was a huge support when I first started gardening. His gorgeous gardens inspired me to start my own — albeit more modest — kitchen garden. Matt worked tirelessly to bring marriage equality to Maine, and it was with great joy that I photographed his wedding to his love, Lou. Check back for some more images from this wonderful celebration. In the meantime, THANK YOU to Matt and Lou for sharing this glowing review of my services:

“Having worked with Amy once before for a large non-profit fundraising event (600+ people), I knew that she was a skilled photographer, with an amazing eye, that was able to find those essential shots despite a lot of chaos. So when our wedding planning began, we considered a number of top notch people in Southern Maine, but settled decisively on Amy. 

Amy’s work is most definitely THE BEST of the top tier of wedding and event photographers. She captured the joy and the love of our day and of our ceremony. She worked with us to develop a schedule exactly as we asked and made sure that we got it all in. She did it with humility, grace and humor. 

Every shot in our portfolio was amazing. Despite a rainy day, and a ceremony moved inside, she was able to make every shot as bright and beautiful as we remember, despite challenging light conditions. Not only did she document what we experienced of the day, but also a lot of amazing details and fun, that we otherwise would have missed. 

We have shown our wedding photos to friends, family members, and other photography professionals who all agree – we were extremely lucky to have hired Amy Salerno. You should too.”

Before a wedding I always meet with the bride and groom to discuss their wedding day schedule and must get group shot list. I call this their “Wedding Agenda.” It helps me get organized for their wedding day and often highlights wedding day logistical issues. Once we start breaking down the specifics of the day it gives me an outline for where I need to be, who I need to have with me, and what we need to be doing. Sometimes the Wedding Agenda is short and sweet. Other times it gets fairly detailed and elaborate. Totally depends on the type of wedding and the couple. Ultimately making the Wedding Agenda helps me to make sure that I am on the same page as my couple. From time to time I worry that I’m imposing my need for control on a day that is primed for out-of-control moments. The other day I received an email from a recent bride who put my mind at ease. This is what she had to say:

“I hope our wedding wasn’t totally nuts and stressful for you. Now that I have experienced the day I realize what a charged job you have. Thanks for going over the shot list with me in advance — I think it’s one of the best preliminary steps you could possibly take with a bride. You were right, I did feel like we took pictures for quite a while, but I’m so grateful we did. Having a bride really consider the shots that will be important later down the road is a gift in advance for sure. If you and I hadn’t talked about it, about half of those pics probably wouldn’t have happened. THANK YOU.”

The Wedding Agenda is something that I’ve always done. Every social event I shoot starts with a conversation about the event schedule and must get group shots. I’ve never regretted the time it takes to do it, and I know my clients appreciate the time and care I put into their events. Are you planning a wedding? I am currently booking 2015 events and would love to hear from you. Contact photogarpher Amy Salerno.