Today we have a guest post from one of our favorite photographers, Kevin Heslin, to share why documenting the full wedding day in its entirety is so important. There is so much beauty found in preserving all of those special in-between moments!
Also, fun fact – Kevin and his family recently relocated from Manuel Antonio to Guanacaste – great news for all of you Guanacaste brides!
The Case for Full Wedding Day Photography Coverage
When planning for a wedding, many couples may just focus on what is considered to be the “essential” parts of the day. These may be: the ceremony, family photographs afterwards, and the portraits of just the wedding couple. This makes a lot of sense as these moments all happen one right after the other. This is especially true in Costa Rica, where we try to have all three of these key parts of the wedding happen before sunset.
However, after years of photographing weddings in Costa Rica, I’ve found that some of the couples’ favorite photographs are from the other parts of the day. This is why it is important to think about the wedding celebration as a whole.
Getting Ready: Forget the posing
Most people have only seen staged getting ready photos: for example a bride pretending to put on her earrings, or a groom adjusting his tie in the mirror. I’ve found the time before the ceremony to be beautifully different from what people expect. These early hours are filled with raw, genuine emotions that deserve to be captured.
In these hours of preparation, I’ve seen countless parents get emotional. And this is after hearing from the wedding couple over and over again, that their parents are not the type to get sentimental. There’s always joking in the beginning, but the weight of the moment finally settles in: their son or daughter is really starting a new life. It’s a special limbo time of the day and siblings and friends will get emotional for the same reason. These unscripted moments happen naturally and don’t need to be faked or staged. They’re real, they’re emotional, and they’re impossible to recreate.
The “In-Between” Moments
Likewise, I find the in-between moments a great time to get authentic portraits of people. For example, moving from the getting ready area to the first look location or the ceremony. A bride or groom will be nervous and excited, and you can see it in their facial expression and movement. These transition periods often make for some of the most genuine photographs. People assume no one is watching and there are lot of unguarded moments.
Another great in between moment is after the ceremony and your guests finally get to congratulate you. The beginning part of the day can feel like a rush to get everything done before the ceremony. Now everyone realizes they can relax and let loose. There are a lot of intergenerational moments that happen at this time too, as members of both families realize they are now one big family.
Reception Magic: The Later Hours
“We don’t need photos of the later hours of the reception – everyone will be drunk!” I hear this often, but even though everyone might be a little tipsy (or maybe because they are tipsy), there are countless moments to be captured.
This may be the last time you’ll be on the dance floor with all your college buddies or friends from the neighborhood. This is especially true for destination weddings where you’ve been trying to get people who live in different parts of the world to celebrate in the same location. You’ll never forget seeing friends from different parts of your life really connect.
The Day After Session: Your Costa Rica Adventure Continues
One of the most exciting opportunities to capture the feeling of getting married in Costa Rica is A Day After Session. Free from the day’s tight timeline and guest considerations, you can truly be yourselves. I’ve found these sessions produce the most cherished photographs and are the ones the wedding couples display on their walls.
Many adventurous couples choose Costa Rica because they have a real love for nature and a Day After Session perfectly showcases this passion. Whether we’re hiking to a secluded waterfall, exploring a hidden beach at sunset, or venturing into the lush rainforest, these photographs capture more than just your love. They document the exciting beginning of your greatest journey together, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Costa Rica’s diverse landscapes.
Relive the Whole Day
Each part of your wedding day has its own unique energy and emotion. While the ceremony might be the official moment you become married, the story of your wedding day is made up of countless small moments that happen throughout the entire celebration. You won’t even be aware of a lot of these moments until you see your wedding photographs. This is because real moments can’t be posed or recreated. They happen naturally throughout the day, and having a photographer there to capture them means once these memories are printed and on your wall, you can relive them daily.
Looking to the Future
Think about your children or grandchildren going through this album someday. They won’t just want to see the formal portraits – they’ll want to see the real story of the day. They’ll want to see how great Grandma busting it out on the dance floor. They’ll want to see that mom still smiles the same way, even after 20 years.
Your wedding photography isn’t just about capturing how things looked – it’s about preserving how things felt. And those feelings are present in every moment, from the earliest preparations to the final dance.
Ready to capture every beautiful moment of your Costa Rica wedding day? Let’s talk about creating a complete story of your celebration.
By Kevin Heslin Photography
Posted in Inspiration, Wedding Planning Tips
