1. Give someone else your phone on the day 

Hand your phone over to someone, like your MOH, that way they can handle all the calls, texts and emails. Please believe me… at my own wedding, I had friends texting me at the beginning of the day when I was getting ready, and it was stressful, so I handed my phone over to one of my best friends- problem solved! 

2. Eat something and stay hydrated

Bottled water and protein bars are a lifesaver.

3. Hire professionals

When things go wrong (because, let’s be honest, one thing always goes wrong) these seasoned professionals will know what to do to fix almost any situation… quickly and swiftly AND if they are REALLY good at their job, you won’t even notice anything went wrong! 

4. A Day of wedding coordinator is SO helpful 

This goes along with my last statement! They are usually a lifesaver in one way or another. 

5. Pack an emergency kit

Dress tape, sewing kit, tiny scissors, nail polish remover, tide pen, bandaids, etc. *If I’m your wedding photographer, don’t worry because I ALWAYS bring this emergency kit with me to all my weddings.

6. If you are drinking alcohol on the wedding day, don’t start too early and pace yourself!

This should be a given, but again, I’ve seen it all.  

7. Allow extra time in your schedule 

Seriously, you will thank me and your photographer will LOVE you (xoxo).

8. If you have printed save the dates and wedding invites, send these to your photographer prior to the wedding

This way, your photographer will get plenty of photos of them!

9. Back up shoes 

Especially if you are wearing heels. And don’t forget to break in your key pair of shoes if you plan on wearing them all day.  

10. CHILL/RELAX

Enjoy the day! I can’t say this enough… try not to stress. Hang out with your crew or be alone getting ready, have a spa morning, drink some hot tea, play awesome music… whatever keeps you calm.

11. Umbrellas! 

If you think it might rain… bring clear umbrellas for the wedding party. They not only protect you from the rain, but they look cute in photos!

12. Warning, long one here: Trust your photographer and please don’t make a 3 page list of basic wedding day things they need to photograph

If they are a professional and you did your homework, and they shoot weddings for a living… they know). We DO want you to tell us when there are very important things you want photographed (things we wouldn’t know about unless you told us) … FOR EXAMPLE: Your great grandmother will be there and you want to make sure we know that or you want to make sure your gift to your significant other is photographed (please mention these things).

13. Wooden hanger! 

For your dress or suit… it just looks better in photos than a regular old plastic one.

14. If you have a photographer there for 10-12 hours, you really should provide lunch and dinner 

A fed and full photographer is a happy one!

15. First look or down the aisle moment? 

If you are doing a traditional down the aisle moment, please allow extra time in your schedule for photos after the ceremony (not just an hour, I usually need at least an hour 1/2) AND if you are doing a first look prior to the wedding ceremony, plan on getting almost all of your photos done beforehand. Plan this out with your photographer.

16. Go through the wedding day timeline with your photographer and see if anything needs to be altered

17. Alone time with your significant other

THIS. It’s important. Sometimes we can get caught up in everything and the day just flies by… so take some time to spend together alone. A good time to do this might be right after the ceremony, maybe even for like 10 minutes and then go finish your photos.

18. The best advice I can give: Make your wedding reflect you and your partner! 

And if someone says, “Well that isn’t what we did at my wedding, you can’t do it this way, or you HAVE to do this because it’s tradition”, NOPE! Follow tradition or don’t. Do what makes you and your partner happy. 

A few professionals that can help you have an awesome wedding day:

Wedding Planner & Day of Coordinator - Weekend Wedding Warrior

Professional Makeup - Kana Brown at The Beauty Room // Rick Bancroft

Professional Hair - Brooke Meadows at Crescent HairCraft

Florals - Rose and Honey Floral // Mahonia

Custom Wedding Dress - Elizabeth Crum Bridal

Ok, so that’s it from me for now! I hope this helps you have a great wedding day! If you feel like I missed something, or I should add to it, give me a shout: meaganjordan@gmail.com.

Conrad Calwell House Museum

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure”. - Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter, The Half-Blood Prince

In October I was honored to capture Jesseca and Jonathan get married at the historic Conrad Caldwell house in Louisville, KY. With my husband, Matt Simpson by my side as my second shooter, we teamed up to document the magical Harry Potter themed wedding day. There were unique details everywhere… from an Olivander’s wand making station at the reception, the supreme cake by Adrienne and Company, handmade paper flower bouquets by K and K Geekstop, and the list goes on. 

Jonathan initially proposed to Jesseca while they were on a trip to London to catch the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play (2016). 

I had the best time photographing Alex and Jesse in Winter Park, Florida recently for their engagement session. Winter Park is so adorable, just to name a few examples why: Spanish moss hanging on all the trees, tons of cobblestone streets and one of my all time favorite restaurants is there (Prato). 

I always encourage my couples to have a cocktail or beer prior to a photo session… it seriously helps calms the nerves! Alex concocted some old fashioned cocktails for her and Jesse to enjoy while we started photos at their home. After getting some essential comfy, home shots, we made our way to the beautiful Harry P. Leu Gardens then ended at the Orlando Amtrak station for a more industrial/urban setting.

Thanks to those awesomely cheap Allegiant flights offered from the Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky airports, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Florida quite a bit this year, and I promise it will continue (Kentucky weather is a bit bipolar, so I love a good break from it). 

Twins! It really doesn’t get much better than two cute little babies… I’m obsessed and fully feeling the pull of baby fever after photographing Eva and Josie for their 1 year birthday party in Louisville, KY. I was invited out to their home to document the party and to also capture a few posed family photos a few weeks back. I seriously cannot express how much I love documenting childhood and kids birthday parties… I’ve always enjoyed capturing moments, but even more so after my niece Bella was born in 2008. Bella is my forever photo subject, documenting her life and her funny moments of childhood will always be one of my favorite things to photograph. Oh so soon one of my best friends will be having twins (in November!), so you will be sure to see more cute babies around here. 

Hey y’all! I wanted to share a special promo I’m running for my photography business in Louisville, KY! Booking now for fall mini sessions! If you haven’t had your family photos taken for a while or it’s about that time for your annual session, let’s set it up! Time goes by fast and photo documentation is important to capture of those little ones. 2 dates available: October 8th and October 15th. Slots will fill up fast, so don’t delay. I can be reached at meaganjordan@gmail.com or through the contact page on the website. *A Lexington, KY mini session is also available for booking for Sunday, October 22nd. 

A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of traveling to Newburgh, Indiana to capture all the snuggles and kisses of sweet baby Abell. It’s crazy to think that it was 2 years ago (+ a month) that I was photographing Larren and Jim walking down the aisle at the coolest small town wedding venue, 20 West. Thanks for keeping me around to photograph your transitions in life. 

In home family sessions are a good way to be photographed and still hang out in your pj’s if you want (or a onesie, like Abell). My version of a home session would start off like this: I would probably be wearing my comfiest jeans and a t-shirt, drinking a cup of coffee, cuddled up on the couch with my husband, Matt (then our dog Loki would try to squeeze in-between us). A bit of a hot mess, but I love it and wouldn’t change anything about it (except maybe a new couch, that’s next on the list). Home sessions don’t have to stay home, wander! The second part to our session: We would probably go for a walk, and take the dog to the unofficial dog park area by the Crescent Hill Reservoir (and if you’ve never been, it’s kind of a hidden gem of Louisville). The reservoir is such a beautiful spot, except you cannot take your dog up the steps to the walking area, so keep that in mind. Think about what your in-home family photo session would look like.

To give a little backstory, Jess and I met in my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky in 2008 while working together at a local restaurant. I had graduated from college that year and was enjoying photo life as a hobbyist. Jess was going to school at University of Kentucky, pursuing her degree in English. We met, bonded quickly, and for the past 8 years have had a close and treasured friendship. 

8 weeks ago, Jess and Patrick welcomed baby Ruby to their family. They live in a quiet neighborhood in Brooklyn and, as you can tell, have a home full of love. Ruby’s birth was the perfect opportunity for me to take a weekend trip and photograph some of my favorite people. For all that’s been said of 2016, for now, while baby Ruby sleeps softly in her bed, life is beautiful.

From Louisville, Kentucky to Salgareda, Italy… someone pinch me, this is my ultimate dream job.

Bride and Groom, Veronica and Michael decided to have an intimate ceremony and reception in Veronica’s hometown of Salgareda, Italy. The wedding took place all in one location, the beautiful Villa Abbazia Busco Rossi. The day was perfection, Spring on the cusp of Summer, before the heat takes over. I can’t say enough positive things about this couple, and how kind, funny, and loving they are! 

Veronica and Michael were living in Sweden for quite some time prior to the wedding, then the next step was to make the transition to the Bluegrass State (Kentucky… my homebase!). A Kentucky wedding was also on the books, which I have already photographed, and can’t wait to share oh so very soon as well! 

Thank you again for being the coolest couple and having me capture not only one, but two weddings this year. 

Cheers!  

P.S. This week I’m going to Cabo, Mexico to capture Kentucky based couple, Kyrie and Micah for their ultimate destination wedding. Make sure to follow our adventures through instagram! 

An intimate backyard wedding in Crestwood, Kentucky took place a bit earlier this year in June, where family and friends celebrated the love Kim and Craig have for each other. The reception showed just how fun the couple is… outdoor games everywhere for guests to partake in: Giant Jenga, Cornhole, Flip Cup, and Beer Pong! Other brides and grooms, take note… if you are having a Spring, Summer, or Fall wedding, and want all your guests to interact, have outdoor games! Though the day started out a bit cloudy with some occasional rain, the sun came out towards the end with a beautiful rainbow ! One of the last photos we were able to capture of our bride and groom has hint of a rainbow behind them in the distance (around twilight with a bit of a cotton candy sky). Congrats again to the super fun couple, Kim and Craig! 

Meeting Brent and Billy prior to their wedding weekend I knew that I would have a great time capturing truly fun documented moments of the couple and their family. Starting downtown at the Jefferson County Hall of Justice, the couple exchanged vows on a Friday afternoon, then celebrated with friends and family the next evening at the BBC Bourbon Barrel Loft. I was also asked to be an additional witness to their nuptials, so of course this made me enjoy photographing the whole occasion that much more. Congrats to you both on many many years of happiness together.